The cool spring air at Quaker City Motorsports Park buzzed with anticipation on May 25 as United Manual Transmission Racers (UMTR) North, presented by MediceMfg.com, kicked off its 2024 season. Under clear skies and surrounded by familiar faces, racers and fans alike gathered to celebrate the enduring spirit of stick shift drag racing.

The Quick Stick class launched with high-stakes matchups, including an early showdown between newcomer Kip Shanklin and veteran Kurt Neighbor. Neighbor, trading his Mountain Motor Pro Stock ride for the Cobra Venom II, stormed through the ladder, defeating Shanklin, Jason Summer, and Larry Kortkamp to earn a spot in the final.

Reigning champ Roger Blile’s campaign ended early with a red-light foul against Tim Chillik in round two. On the opposite side of the bracket, Frank Madonia made an impressive charge, taking out Jim Wilson, Troy Hrdlicka, and Chillik to advance to the finals. It was also great to see Tim O’Neal return to racing in his Vega, reaching the semi-finals with a strong showing.

The final round brought both tension and teamwork. Neighbor faced a mechanical issue that delayed the race, but with help from Hrdlicka, AJ Fox, and the Quaker City crew, he made it to the line. Ultimately, it was Madonia who came out on top, claiming his first Quick Stick win of the season. Chillik, who helped eliminate Blile, earned both the Clutch Artist Award sponsored by DRC Truck and Equipment Repair and the event bounty.

The season’s first Street Stick competition also brought standout moments. 2024 champion Paul Adamczyk looked to continue his winning ways, but Dave Chiotti scored the round two victory and the bounty, before mechanical issues sidelined his run.

Former champ Kim Murphy picked up a round one win in her lime green Mustang before falling in round two to Brandon Margo. Margo advanced through the semis and defeated Jay Wood in a close final. Margo also received the Clutch Artist Award for his standout performance.

UMTR North thanks Quaker City Motorsports Park, MediceMfg.com, and series sponsors Mickey Thompson Tires, Summit Racing Equipment, Liberty’s Gears, RAM Clutches, VP Fuels, and G-Force for their support in keeping stick shift racing alive and thriving.

This story was originally published on June 3, 2025.

Jun. 2—NASCAR race weekend was the biggest event last year at the Newton Municipal Airport, and staff are eager for its return this coming August. The Iowa Corn 350 was the first NASCAR Cup Series to be held at Iowa Speedway, and it drew in a considerable amount of traffic to the local racetrack, as well as the nearby airport.

Ethan Nasalroad, president of Johnson Aviation, spoke of the experience at the airport this past summer during a recent presentation with the city council.

“This was huge for Newton. This was huge for Iowa. As a fixed-base operator, to be able to handle a Cup race, that was really a big deal for us as well. We look forward to seeing them again next year,” Nasalroad said before correcting himself. “Well, in a couple months I should say.”

NASCAR races saw 47 aircraft at the airport over a period of three days, and the IndyCar Race Weekend drew 54 aircraft.

Johnson Aviation hopes to see as much traffic this year as it saw in 2024. The races at Iowa Speedway continue to drive traffic to the city-owned airport. Data shared by Nasalroad shows that in addition to the race traffic, the airport sees a steady amount of aerial applicators using the facility.

Upcoming improvement projects at the airport not only show the facility is growing, it’s getting a lot of use. Bids for the apron expansion came in more than $400,000 less than the engineer anticipated, meaning the city’s share — which is already considerably low — is even lower than anticipated.

The current space constrains the airport, which is seeing continued growth in large part because of the races scheduled at the Iowa Speedway. Planes are not getting smaller either. Oftentimes, visiting planes have to use tenant ramp space or utilize unconventional parking to fit all of the aircraft.

Hangar space is also depleting.

“We’re as busy and we’re as full as we can be out there,” Nasalroad said.

By October this year, Johnson Aviation will be celebrating 75 years in business.

© 2025 the Newton Daily News (Newton, Iowa). Visit www.newtondailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

WILMINGTON, Mass., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — UniFirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF), a North American leader in providing customized business uniform programs, facility service products and first aid and safety services, in partnership with 14-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports, is bringing the UniFirst No. 9 Chevrolet back to the track. Driven by 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, the car will race at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, June 8, beginning at 2 PM ET and televised on Prime Video.

The freshly designed UniFirst No. 9 Chevrolet exudes energy with its bold green and gray tones, sleek racing stripes, and the iconic “U-Mark” symbolizing UniFirst’s commitment to exceptional service.

“The UniFirst No. 9 is back, and we’re fired up to see Chase go for a win in Michigan,” said David Katz, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at UniFirst. “NASCAR fans bring unmatched energy, and we’re proud to be part of the excitement on race day.”

The Michigan race is one of five appearances for the UniFirst No. 9 Chevrolet during the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. Fans can also look forward to seeing the UniFirst No. 9 on these final two upcoming dates:

• August 16 at Richmond Raceway
• October 5 at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL

“I’m looking forward to getting the UniFirst Chevy on track at Michigan,” said Elliott, who has 10 top-10 finishes in 14 starts at the 2-mile oval. “It’s a fast track and one that I enjoy going to. Last year, we were able to lead some laps but didn’t quite get the finish we wanted. Ready to see what we can accomplish this weekend with the UniFirst colors on board.”

The partnership between UniFirst and Hendrick Motorsports reaches a milestone in 2025, marking 10 years of collaboration. This year also marks the sixth season UniFirst has sponsored Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team. UniFirst is the Official Workwear Provider of Hendrick Motorsports, supplying work clothing and uniforms to the team, as well as to its sister company, Hendrick Automotive Group. For more information on UniFirst, visit UniFirst.com.

About UniFirst
Headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) is a North American leader in the supply and servicing of uniform and workwear programs, facility service products, as well as first aid and safety supplies and services. Together with its subsidiaries, the company also manages specialized garment programs for the cleanroom and nuclear industries. In addition to partnering with leading brands, UniFirst manufactures its own branded workwear, protective clothing, and floorcare products at its three company-owned ISO-9001-certified manufacturing facilities. With more than 270 service locations, over 300,000 customer locations, and 16,000-plus employee Team Partners, the company outfits more than 2 million workers every day. For additional information, contact UniFirst at 888.296.2740 or visit UniFirst.com. Follow UniFirst on Social Media: LinkedIn, Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram.

About Hendrick Motorsports:
Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history. At the sport’s premier level, the organization holds the all-time records in every major statistical category, including championships (14), points-paying race victories (316) and laps led (more than 83,000). It has earned at least one race win in a record 41 different seasons, including an active streak of 40 in a row (1986-2025). The team fields four full-time Chevrolet entries in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. Headquartered on more than 150 acres in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick Motorsports employs approximately 600 people. For more information, please visit HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X.

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SOURCE UNIFIRST CORPORATION

Atlanta Motor Speedway has been a peg on the NASCAR schedule for years and years. The track will remain on the schedule into the future, but there will be something different moving forward. 2022 saw the track transform into a more drafting style race track. Now, forever moving forward, the track that used to be the Championship deciding race will go by a new name.

NEWS: Iconic Atlanta Motor Speedway is now @EchoPark Speedway.

READ MORE HERE: https://t.co/YU9pd8GajL pic.twitter.com/V9TA2QrBaQ

— EchoPark Speedway (@EchoParkSpdwy) June 3, 2025

Goodbye Atlanta, Hello EchoPark Speedway

In a press release on the Atlanta Motor Speedway website, the official news of the track’s renaming to EchoPark Speedway was made official. According to that release, Speedway Motorsports and EchoPark Automotive officially introduced the new identity for Georgia’s only NASCAR track. The 66-year-old track in Hampton, Georgia, will no longer go by Atlanta Motor Speedway.

” Through a new partnership, the speedway, which hosts two NASCAR Cup Series races annually, including the upcoming Quaker State 400 available at Walmart on June 28th, will carry the EchoPark brand for the duration of a seven-year, multi-million dollar agreement,” the statement says.

Introducing EchoPark Speedway.

Don’t worry, we are still the Atlanta you know and love. Just a new name and a fresh paint job! pic.twitter.com/xjmlauLMgV

— EchoPark Speedway (@EchoParkSpdwy) June 3, 2025

EchoPark Automotive is a business that specializes in pre-owned vehicle sales. They have a very heavy presence in Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, where a majority of the fans who make the trip to the Hampton-based track yearly come from.

Money Talks, It Seems

You can’t step in front of the thing that runs sports, ultimately, and that’s money. This is the case for Atlanta, sorry, EchoPark. Chairman and CEO of EchoPark Automotives’ parent company, Sonic Automotive, David B. Smith, is thrilled they were able to make this happen and that it is only going to help grow the brand more.

” We have enjoyed serving guests in the Atlanta metro area since EchoPark Atlanta opened its doors in 2020,” Smith said. ” This partnership allows us to share the value of the exceptional EchoPark car-buying experience with more guests in Atlanta and the surrounding area who enjoy the excitement of NASCAR racing at this iconic venue.”

Not the First Time

This isn’t the first time a NASCAR track has had a name change, or has a corporate partner buy the rights to the name of a track, for that matter. Look no further than Charlotte Motor Speedway, which was famously called Lowe’s Motor Speedway from 1999-2009. Or when Sonoma Raceway used to be called Infineon Raceway from 2002-2011.

Name changes are bound to happen in sports, especially when a sponsor brings big money. Then again, it seems these name changes only happen at SMI-owned tracks. Isn’t that a bit odd? Then again, EchoPark is owned by the Smith Family, so obviously, this move was a long time coming.

It’s Still Atlanta

Despite the name change, it’s always going to be Atlanta Motor Speedway. Sorry, but EchoPark Speedway doesn’t pop in my opinion. The track isn’t going to change, so the memories that have already been made and the memories to come will still be great. It’s just going to be hard not to still refer to the track as Atlanta.

Read Next: Christopher Bell Wins Atlanta, Despite More Caution Controversy

Main Photo: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Recording Date: February 23, 2025

Chad Knaus was spotted congratulating Carson Hocevar after his second place finish in Nashville – and it has sparked speculation that the youngster could be the man to replace Chase Elliott

Hendrick Motorsports vice president of competition Chad Knaus was seen congratulating Carson Hocevar for his runner-up finish in Nashville, sparking a frenzy on social media.

Hocevar, who has caused plenty of controversy with several incidents this season, earned commendations from Hendrick’s own Jeff Gordon during an interview on Amazon Prime Video at the Coca-Cola 600. The 22-year-old, who earlier revealed to Express U.S. Sports his secret sauce for fearlessness in the Cup Series, is currently ranked 17th after turning heads with his performances.

Speculation is rife that he might slide into the No. 48 car, once driven by Jimmie Johnson with Knaus as the crew chief, bagging seven Cup Series Championships. Yet, as whispers of Knaus’ interaction with Hocevar made rounds, some fans are betting he could take over Chase Elliott’s spot in the No. 9 car amid his frustrations so far this season.

READ MORE: Bubba Wallace breaks NASCAR ‘jinx’ and makes claim Michael Jordan will loveREAD MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr gives ‘selfish’ advice to Chase Elliott after NASCAR complaint

Despite Elliott’s winless streak this season and a 15th place finish in Nashville, his status seems solid as NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver and fifth in points, but that hasn’t stopped fan theories online.

A fan posted: “Future driver of the 9 car. I’m calling it now,” while another clapped back: “Do you realize how much $ the 9 car makes them? No shot unless he wants out”.

One fan suggested: “Give him the 9 car” Another chimed in with their own thoughts on Reddit, stating: “Spire is HMS affiliated and Bowman’s getting replaced. That’s all it means,” to which another user replied: “This but Chase” and a reply read: “That would be one of the wildest driver replacement in history”.

Another fan noted: “As much as Chase has struggled, replacing him over Bowman (who I also don’t believe needs to be replaced) would be insane. Even if Chase isn’t winning regularly, a clear slump in his form still leaves him 5th in points”.

It was also pointed out: “Rick (Hendrick) has probably the best history in the sport of being loyal to drivers. Gave (Dale Earnhardt) Jr time to figure everything out and did everything in his power to help him. Let Byron develop instead of dumping him after a bad rookie season.

“Kept Kasey (Kahne) in the 5 for years when it was obvious he was a step behind his teammate the last few years. I think HMS even gave support to LFR when he went there.

“Rick knows guys take time to develop/slump occasionally, and he lets guys work through it instead of instantly replacing them. He’s super loyal to his drivers.”

As one commenter noted: “And like it’s been said, Chase’s ‘slump’ still has him top 5 in points for almost all of last season and all of this season so far. He literally just hasn’t won much.”

Despite no indication that Hocevar will replace Elliott in the No. 9 car, recent actions by Knaus and on-track performances have fans continuing to speculate about a possible driver switch during the upcoming silly season.

FOX produced its first million-plus audience average outside of the Indianapolis 500 and season opening race at St. Petersburg for Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix won by Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood.

The 1,061,000 viewers who tuned in represent a 74.4-percent year-to-year increase over the 608,246 who watched Scott Dixon win in 2024 on NBC’s USA cable channel.

The broadcast peaked with 1,201,000 viewers from 2:30-2:45pm, according to FOX, and sits as the second-most watched Detroit GP since 1,399,000 saw Pato O’Ward win the second race of the doubleheader in 2021.

Averaged across the first seven races aired on FOX, 2,173,000 viewers have consumed IndyCar on its network, up 31 percent from 2024 when the blend of NBC network and USA cable broadcasts produced an average of 1,662,000 viewers.