NASCAR officials announced Tuesday that former crew chief Mike Shiplett has been reinstated to full membership after a penalty late last season led to his suspension.
Shiplett was crew chief for the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing team for driver Cole Custer at the time of the infraction, which came during the Oct. 9 Cup Series playoff race at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course. Earlier Tuesday, Shiplett was named competition director for the Xfinity Series efforts at Richard Childress Racing.
Shiplett was suspended indefinitely Oct. 11, two days after the Bank of America 400 — the elimination race in the postseason’s Round of 12 last year. After a review of footage, data and audio transmissions, NASCAR competition officials ruled that the No. 41 team had violated Section 5.5 of the NASCAR Rule Book, which requires competitors to race at 100% of their ability. That section also spells out potential sanctions against competitors who intend to “artificially alter” the race’s finishing positions.
Replays showed Custer appearing to slow ahead of the backstretch chicane on the final lap, blocking the path of his fellow competitors and creating a passing lane for SHR teammate Chase Briscoe.
Custer and Shiplett were each fined $100,000, and the team and driver were each docked 50 points in their respective points standings. The penalty was upheld in an appeal.
The reinstatement restores Shiplett’s membership privileges ahead of the 2023 season.
Custer remains with Stewart-Haas Racing, but has switched series for 2023, moving from the Cup Series to the Xfinity ranks.
The NASCAR Hall of Famer returns to the No. 88 Chevrolet on Sept. 15 for the Xfinity Series’ night race at Bristol Motor Speedway, JR Motorsports announced Tuesday. The announcement comes coupled with news that Unilever returns to sponsor Earnhardt and JRM for a 15th consecutive season. In addition to sponsoring Earnhardt at Bristol, the company will also don the No. 7 Chevrolet driven by Justin Allgaier in six races in 2023.
“We’ve been partners with Unilever since the very early days of JR Motorsports,” Earnhardt said in a press release. “They’ve been with us as our program has grown and been an important part of our success – on and off the track. They’re a key component of our company. I’m grateful for their support, and I’m happy to watch our partnership continue to grow.”
Earnhardt has made his love for short-track racing well known, bolstered by a Monday announcement that the 15-time Most Popular Driver of the Cup Series purchased the CARS Tour with partners Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Justin Marks.
Since retiring from full-time Cup racing in 2017, Earnhardt has continued to make once-yearly starts in the Xfinity Series, making three of his last five starts at Richmond Raceway (0.75 miles) or Martinsville Speedway (0.519 miles). Earnhardt’s last Xfinity start at Bristol came in 2017 where he finished 13th, one lap down.
Earnhardt, a two-time Xfinity Series champion, is slated to compete in two Xfinity races in 2023, marking the first time since 2017 that he will compete in multiple national series events. JRM has yet to announce where Earnhardt’s other race will take place, but announced on Nov. 1 he will compete with sponsorship from Bass Pro Shops.
Unilever has partnered with JR Motorsports since 2009, the organization’s fourth full-time season. The company now serves as JRM’s longest-tenured partner and one of the longest-running active sponsors in NASCAR, according to the release.
“We are so proud and excited to continue our partnership with Dale Jr. and his team at JR Motorsports,” Ben Crook, VP/GM Dressings & Condiments Unilever North America, said in a release. “The equal passion that NASCAR fans have for their favorite brands like Hellmann’s and drivers like Dale Jr. is what makes this partnership so special. We look forward to continuing this ride with Dale for years to come.”
As part of the sponsorship, Earnhardt has donned the Unilever colors at least once in each of the last 14 seasons. Allgaier, who finished third in the Championship 4 in 2022, carried Unilever to Victory Lane at Darlington and Nashville last season.
McNelly at the time owned the Pro Cup Series, a once-thriving short-track stock car series that had fallen on hard times. Car counts were down, and fan attendance had dwindled, leaving McNelly in an unenviable position.
He either had to shut the series down or use the Pro Cup Series as a foundation for something new.
McNelly, a passionate member of the short-track racing community, didn’t like the idea of giving up. So he founded the Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour, which sanctions events for late model stock cars and pro late models across the Southeast.
In the years that followed, a number of drivers who would go on to careers in NASCAR have found success with the CARS Tour. They include drivers like Josh Berry, Zane Smith, Myatt Snider, Christian Eckes, Corey Heim and Sammy Smith, to name a few.
Fast-forward to Monday, when McNelly’s passion for short-track racing and drive to succeed paid off with the announcement that Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Justin Marks had partnered to purchase the series.
“I just feel so lucky and so blessed to get to this point,” McNelly said Monday afternoon during a teleconference with members of the motorsports media.
Former CARS Tour owner Jack McNelly (right) will continue to be involved with the series under the new ownership that includes Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Justin Marks. (Photo: Adam Fenwick)
McNelly’s passion is shared by the new ownership group. Earnhardt, who competed in the CARS Tour race last year at North Wilkesboro Speedway, has been apart of the series for several seasons as a car owner.
It was through his role as a car owner that allowed Earnhardt to get to know McNelly and, ultimately, that led to the opportunity to become one of the new co-owners of the series.
“I was at Wilkesboro last year, and Jack mentioned to me that he was interested in having some people become involved in the series,” Earnhardt said. “Jack was going to continue to manage, with Keeley (Dubensky, series director) the day-to-day. None of that is going to change. He wanted some assurance that the series would be in good hands. That started the conversation with me and the rest of the group.
“My passion is just to help short-track racing and help things continue. The identity of the series won’t change. We just want to give it an opportunity to continue to grow and be successful. I think we’ve got an incredible team put together.”
Much like Earnhardt, Burton grew up racing late models in the Southeast before going on to enjoy a successful career in the NASCAR Cup Series. He became familiar with McNelly and the CARS Tour when his son, current NASCAR Cup Series driver Harrison Burton, competed with the series from 2015-17.
He sees the CARS Tour as a proving ground for young racers and crew members as well as a home for passionate, veteran members of the short-track community.
“[McNelly and Dubensky] built this great foundation, and we hope to be able to make them proud and improve where we can,” Burton said. “People in short-track racing are there because it’s their passion, not their job. We have to give them an opportunity to have a place to do that passion and exercise on it.
“It’s just the very beginning of development of drivers, crew members, officials, all that stuff. This is the very beginning of that. Having a solid structure only makes that better for everybody.”
Harvick has been a vocal supporter of short-track racing through the years after growing up racing late models on the West Coast. He wants learn about the challenges faced by competitors and what he can do to help make the CARS Tour and short-track racing in general thrive.
“Short-track racing is really the root of the thing that feeds everything we do,” Harvick said. “For me, growing up and racing late models on the West Coast and being a part of my career and path to the ladder system of how things work is something that I have a passion for. When Dale and I kind of accidentally sat down and had the first conversation about this particular project, it really sparked an interest in me.
“This is going to be fun because of the fact that I want to be in the car. I want to be in the pits. I want to be in the grandstands. I want to know what these competitors are struggling with and really be a part of this group and try to make it better.”
Three-time CARS Tour late model stock car champion Bobby McCarty (22) races 2022 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series National champion Layne Riggs in a CARS Tour event at Hickory Motor Speedway in 2021. (Photo: Adam Fenwick)
Marks is the lone member of the new ownership group who didn’t grow up racing late models, but that doesn’t mean he lacks passion for the discipline. The co-owner of Trackhouse Racing is a firm believer that local short-track racing is a vital part of motorsports in North America.
“It’s going to be a huge learning experience for me just understanding how this series operates and how short-track racing operates,” Marks said. “It’s something that is exciting for me, because while I didn’t really come up short-track racing, I did come up grassroots racing like everybody did. I understand how important that is and how much that serves the foundation, because it’s where the passion for racing really started for me.
“I look at our sport as a marketer, as a brand manager and as a story-teller. There are so many amazing things happening in short-track racing. Great teams and drivers, passionate fans, historic race tracks. The work that we can do to amplify those stories and to show those to the world and to do all the work to put the CARS Tour on a stage that creates a valuable series and one where the economics work for all the competitors and the team is really of the utmost importance.”
Earnhardt believes the acquisition of the CARS Tour is just another in a recent string of positive things to happen for asphalt short-track racing.
Now comes the biggest challenge: keeping that momentum going.
“There is good, positive momentum across the board for short-track racing right now,” Earnhardt said. “And I think everybody from the top down recognizes how important that is and that momentum and keeping that going.”
NASCAR.com readers will notice a bold and fresh look in the form of a site redesign when they log in Wednesday. This launch includes a thoughtful approach to design and the development of new features, all of which come just in time to celebrate the sport’s 75th anniversary.
While change is exciting and invigorating, we’re aiming to make the transition as seamless as possible for you as well, so make sure to bookmark this link for when you need it. Below is a quick “how-to guide” for our sharp new ride for the 2023 season, and here’s a peek at the new site that will help with our explanation below:
The first thing you might notice is the use of larger images across this site to provide enough space for you to enjoy the great visuals and to help illustrate the larger-than-life stories the sport provides.
At the top of the page in the navigation is where you will always be able to find essential information such as the schedule, race results, standings and how to purchase tickets. You will also be able to easily navigate between your favorite series, whether it’s Cup, Xfinity or Craftsman Trucks — plus all the great NASCAR Roots content for our grassroots series in the dropdown navigation.
Also, when you are logged in as part of our Fan Rewards program, you will see your profile highlighted at the top-center of the page. Not aware of our Fan Rewards? Find out more about how you can start earning points toward merchandise, tickets, VIP experiences and more.
Moving just beneath the navigation is the top-story area. During a race, there will be easily identifiable points of entry for Race Center and NASCAR Drive in this top section. But when there’s breaking news, we’ll be able to package content closely to the top story that will allow you to dive as deep as you want to into that news event and the related stories.
An in-depth callout to Race Center and Standings allows you to get all your information for the past or upcoming races, and also dive deeper into standings with manufacturer and owner standings here.
In addition to the overall look of the homepage, there are some other features we’d like you to be aware of as well. These include continuous scroll on articles to allow you to move seamlessly from one article to the next. And don’t forget to check out our new in-depth driver pages with larger, heroic driver images and car badges, as well as bios, career highlights and stats.
We hope you like the way we look — so send us your feedback at [email protected]. Please enjoy a fantastic 2023 season, the 75th anniversary of NASCAR, and enjoy our new homepage along the way.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — The Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour will have new ownership when the green flag waves on its 2023 season in March. Today, NASCAR icons Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Justin Marks announced their acquisition of the Southeast’s premier asphalt late model series.
“This is a dream come true for me,” said Earnhardt Jr., a NASCAR Hall of Famer and current NBC Sports analyst. “I’m a huge fan of the CARS Tour and local short-track racing. The competition, the tracks and the drivers are some of the best around. These regional series are vital to the quality of racing you see at the top level. Jack (McNelly, CARS Tour founder) has done a tremendous job establishing the CARS Tour as a preeminent series, and I’m thrilled to be part of its future.”
Aside from the ownership transition from McNelly, the CARS Tour will remain unchanged. The 2023 schedule is set with 19 race weekends, and McNelly and his staff will continue to oversee operations and track events. The key addition will be the industry expertise brought by the current owners’ respective business units: DEJ Management, Jeff Burton Autosports, Inc., Kevin Harvick, Inc. and Trackhouse Racing. The contingent will collectively aim to bolster the health and longevity of the CARS Tour by providing proficiencies in brand management, business strategy and partnership acquisition and retention.
“Owning and developing the CARS Tour has been an honor and one I’m immensely proud of,” said McNelly. “Fortunately, it’s in the best of hands with this new group. They have the passion and talent to take the Tour to the next level. I can’t wait to see what this next chapter brings for everyone involved.
“I give my heartfelt thanks to all that have contributed to the success of the series over the years. It has truly been a team effort. The CARS Tour staff, officials, competitors, sponsors and fans have made this series one of the best in the country.”
Earnhardt Jr., Burton, Harvick and Marks are all former or current drivers themselves. Both Earnhardt Jr. and Burton grew up racing regionally in the Southeast while Marks was bitten by the short-track bug after competing in several high-profile late model races. Harvick cut his teeth in regional action on the West Coast.
Josh Berry (8) races alongside Mason Diaz (11) during a Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour event at Hickory Motor Speedway in 2021. (Photo: Adam Fenwick)
“I grew up racing Late Model Stock Cars on the West Coast,” said Harvick, the 2014 Cup Series champion with 60 wins to his credit. “Late Model racing has always been a passion of mine, and I want to ensure short-track asphalt racing and the CARS Tour continue to grow and succeed. I look forward to sharing the responsibility with this like-minded group of racers.”
Founded in 2014 as a continuation of the former Pro Cup Series, the CARS Tour enters its ninth season in 2023. Uniquely, the CARS Tour features both Pro Late Models and Late Model Stock Cars competing at the same track on the same night, becoming the first series of its kind to host two premier divisions under its banner at the same event.
“This is something I’m really excited about, not only for Trackhouse and the initiatives that we’re pursuing, but for short-track racing in general,” said Marks, who led Trackhouse Racing to a runner-up effort in the 2022 Cup Series championship. “Asphalt Late Model racing truly is the foundation of NASCAR and bringing a group like this together will serve the racer and fan. The CARS Tour is so important to the racing scene in the Southeast, and this group can bring a wealth of experience, knowledge and passion to the series that will ensure authentic and valuable growth in the years to come.”
The CARS Tour has produced a number of notable drivers who have built successful careers on the national stage, including Josh Berry, Harrison Burton, William Byron, Ty Gibbs, Sam Mayer and Myatt Snider as well as current series stars like Carson Kvapil, Deac McCaskill, Bobby McCarty and Layne Riggs.
“The opportunity to work with a group of partners that I have so much respect for in the sport that I love is amazing,” added Burton, a 2023 NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee and NASCAR analyst for NBC Sports. “Collectively, I believe we can contribute to grass-roots racing and the overall health of motorsports in the process. By building off the positive foundation Jack has built, I’m confident we can create a next-level experience for the competitors, partners and fans.”
The CARS Tour season kicks off at Southern National Motorsports Park (Kenly, N.C.) on Saturday, March 11, 2023.
When Karsyn Elledge departed the 2020 Chili Bowl, she had no idea her next race would not be for another three years.
A lot has changed in Elledge’s life since that day, but the daughter of Kelley Earnhardt Miller is eager to shake off the rust and continue her family’s storied racing tradition in the 2023 Chili Bowl. She will drive a car fielded by Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports.
Despite being out of racing for an extended period, Elledge finds herself composed as she makes final preparations for a long and grueling week in the most prestigious event in dirt midget competition.
“The nerves haven’t really gotten to me too much,” Elledge said. “Everyone has asked me how I’m feeling about [the Chili Bowl], and I’m not feeling too jittery yet. I’ve had great results with Dave Mac [Dalby] Motorsports before, so this should be a really good time.”
Elledge’s original plan after the 2020 Chili Bowl was to compete in the USAC Midget National Championship once again after qualifying for 17 features the year before.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced every auto racing organization to temporarily suspend their seasons, Elledge utilized the quarantine period to re-evaluate her own career before ultimately deciding to step away from active competition.
Since the onset of the pandemic, Elledge has kept herself busy by embarking on several business ventures. They include her own clothing brand in Raceline Apparel. She also handles marketing and social media responsibilities for Mamba Media, which is operated by Dylan ‘Mamba’ Smith.
Working with Mamba Media allowed Elledge to stay close to the sport that had been an integral part of her like growing up. Despite being happy with her current job, Elledge admits she had been waiting for an opportunity to get back behind the wheel.
An encounter with Dave McIntosh of Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports led to Elledge making the trip to Tulsa for her third Chili Bowl appearance.
“I’ve just kind of had that itch lately,” Elledge said. “I’ve been watching some of my old outlaw kart races and [my brother Wyatt Miller’s] races, which brought back a lot of memories for me. I happened to be in the same restaurant as Dave [McIntosh], and he asked me if I was ever going to race again. Everything just started to come together after that.”
Elledge’s most recent Chili Bowl attempt in 2020 came with Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports. She ended up finishing 22ndin the A-Main during her qualifying night, but her quest to make Saturday’s main event ended with a 17th-place run in the first E feature.
While he anticipates a brief adjustment period for Elledge during the week, McIntosh considers himself fortunate to have her be a part of his driver roster that already consists of his son Cannon and IndyCar driver Santino Ferrucci.
“I watched a lot of film on [Karsyn], and she definitely rips, which I think comes from her Outlaw Kart days,” McIntosh said. “She is not scared of anything and puts the pedal down. That’s what we wanted to see from her during our first Chili Bowl together, and she did not disappoint.”
Elledge said the professionalism and welcoming atmosphere prevalent within Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports have made her feel calmer than she normally would be ahead of such a strenuous week of racing.
“My favorite thing about [Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports] is that everything is always really fun,” Elledge said. “Even though they take things very seriously, there’s not a lot of pressure. Regardless of how everything goes, I know I’ll have a great time with them, because everyone is always super positive. That makes my job as a driver so much easier.”
Despite their mutual excitement about working together, both Elledge and McIntosh enter this year’s Chili Bowl with realistic expectations.
The extended practice Sunday gave McIntosh plenty of time to evaluate Elledge and ensure she had everything needed to find her comfort zone. As the week progresses, McIntosh expects Elledge to gradually become more aggressive, which he said will be imperative against hundreds of other talented competitors.
McIntosh added he does not want Elledge putting a tremendous amount of pressure on herself. He hopes she takes time to appreciate the atmosphere while staying focused on accomplishing the goals the two laid out before arriving in Tulsa.
If everything goes according to plan, McIntosh is confident Elledge can easily improve upon her performance from the 2020 Chili Bowl and potentially factor into Saturday’s 55-lap main event.
(Photo: Adam Mollenkopf)
“There’s no reason [Karsyn] can’t make her preliminary A feature,” McIntosh said. “With where our program is at, I think we can adjust to her driving style, but once you make the feature on your prelim night, anything can happen, but that sets you up decently for Saturday.”
Simply progressing through each main during the preliminaries and the final day will be a tall task for Elledge, who finds herself amongst a group that consists of past Chili Bowl winners in Rico Abreu, Tanner Thorson and Sammy Swindell, along with NASCAR Cup Series drivers Chase Briscoe and Alex Bowman.
Elledge is not letting the overall challenge of the Chili Bowl get to her, as she is more focused on getting back up to speed and making the most of her opportunity with Dace Mac Dalby Motorsports.
“My goal every time I’ve been to the Chili Bowl is to end up in a better main than I was in the year before,” Elledge said. “This year I’m shooting for either the E or the D, and I feel like I can accomplish that. A lot of people think I’m crazy for racing again after so long, but it shouldn’t take too long for me to pick everything back up. We’ll see what happens.”
Unlike 2020, Elledge currently does not have plans to race once she leaves Tulsa. For her, this puts more emphasis on showing everyone at the Chili Bowl and the auto racing industry she can still drive just like her mom, uncles and grandfather.
Every January inside the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, hundreds of competitors and thousands of fans converge to witness one of the greatest races in all of grassroots racing.
The Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire, which begin Monday, Jan. 9 and run through Saturday, Jan. 14, is the largest midget racing event in the world. Annually drawing hundreds of entrants from across the United States and multiple countries, the event brings together countless drivers from a variety of racing backgrounds.
Typically, among those drivers are several NASCAR drivers, and the 37th running of the legendary event is no different. There are 18 drivers entered who have competed in at least one of NASCAR’s three national divisions.
For Briscoe, the 2023 Chili Bowl marks his ninth attempt to secure the Golden Driller trophy that goes to the winner of the championship A-Main on Jan. 14. He made his initial Chili Bowl appearance in 2015 and has returned annually since.
The driver of the No. 14 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing has qualified for the Saturday finale once. He raced his way into the finale in 2017, starting and finishing 22nd in a race that was won by current Joe Gibbs Racing competitor Christopher Bell. Since then he’s narrowly missed qualifying for the finale multiple times, falling just short in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
His most recent Chili Bowl attempt came last year, when he finished sixth in a C-Main during the Saturday finale.
Bowman returns to the Chili Bowl for his seventh attempt at the Super Bowl of midget racing. He made his Chili Bowl debut in 2010, but thus far he has failed to qualify for the Saturday A-Main.
The driver of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet fell a few positions short of advancing to the main event last year when he finished 11th in his B-Main on championship Saturday. It was his best Chili Bowl performance to date.
In addition to competing as a driver in the Chili Bowl, Bowman will double as a team owner. Bowman will field entries for himself as well as veteran dirt trackers C.J. Leary and Jake Swanson.
Briscoe will kick off his Chili Bowl pursuits on Monday, Jan. 9, when he takes part in Cummins Qualifying Night. Bowman will race Tuesday, Jan. 10 during Warren CAT Qualifying Night.
Below is a look at some of the competitors taking part in the Chili Bowl who have made starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series or NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series or have other connections to NASCAR.
J.J. Yeley – A familiar face both in the NASCAR garage and at the Chili Bowl, Yeley is a veteran dirt-track competitor. He is also a veteran of more than 350 NASCAR Cup Series starts and has competed at the Chili Bowl countless times. He came close to winning the championship A-Main in 2007, when he finished second to three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. His Chili Bowl program begins Thursday.
Josh Bilicki – Making his Chili Bowl debut in 2023, Bilicki has become a familiar face in NASCAR the last few seasons. In 2022 alone, Bilicki competed in 24 events across the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His Chili Bowl program begins Tuesday.
Carson Hocevar – A rising star in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Niece Motorsports, Hocevar is making his second trip to the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He made his Chili Bowl debut one year ago but struggled and saw his championship Saturday end during an I-Main. He’ll look to improve upon that result when he begins his Chili Bowl program Wednesday.
Kaden Honeycutt – A competitor on dirt and asphalt, Honeycutt recently began making a name for himself in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In nine starts last season, he scored a career-best ninth in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway driving the No. 30 Toyota for On Point Motorsports. He’s also been a regular competitor with the CARS Late Model Stock Tour, where he is a three-time race winner. His first Chili Bowl attempt begins Wednesday.
Sammy Swindell – Best known for his efforts as a sprint-car competitor, Swindell once dabbled in NASCAR. He competed in the 1991 Daytona 500 and ran the full NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule in 1995, earning a best finish of fourth at Bristol Motor Speedway that year. He’s a legendary name at the Chili Bowl having won the event a record five times. His 2023 program begins Wednesday.
Tanner Thorson – The defending Chili Bowl Nationals champion briefly dabbled in the world of NASCAR. Thorson, who held off Christopher Bell to win the 2022 Chili Bowl, made 11 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts in 2018 with a best finish of 13th at Iowa Speedway. He’ll look to begin his Chili Bowl defense on Thursday night.
Rico Abreu – One of the most popular competitors every year inside the SageNet Center is Abreu, who is a two-time Chili Bowl champion. The California native and veteran sprint-car competitor tried his hand at NASCAR in 2016, when he ran the full NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule and finished a career-best third at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway. He also raced in the ARCA Menards Series East in 2015, earning one victory and finishing fifth in the series standings. He begins his pursuit of a third Golden Driller trophy Wednesday.
Max McLaughlin – The son of six-time NASCAR Xfinity Series race winner Mike McLaughlin, Max McLaughlin is making his maiden voyage to the Chili Bowl this year. The younger McLaughlin has been focusing on racing modifieds recently, both on dirt and asphalt. He competed in three NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races last year and made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in 2018. He begins his Chili Bowl program Wednesday.
Karsyn Elledge – A member of the Earnhardt family is racing at the Chili Bowl. Elledge, who is making her return to racing after a few years away, is the niece of NASCAR Hall of Famer and two-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. She’s competed at the Chili Bowl twice and will look to improve upon her E-Main appearance in 2020. She begins her Chili Bowl program Wednesday.
Buddy Kofoid – One of the favorites to win the Chili Bowl, Kofoid has plenty of experience on his side. He is the two-time and defending USAC National Midget Series champion and has been a contender in the Chili Bowl finale the last few years. Kofoid made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in 2022 driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports at Bristol Motor Speedway and Knoxville Raceway. He begins his Chili Bowl program Tuesday.
Santino Ferrucci – Ferrucci has raced a variety of race cars all over the world. Set to compete in the IndyCar Series this season for the legendary A.J. Foyt, Ferrucci has made a handful of NASCAR Xfinity Series starts over the last two years. This marks his fourth Chili Bowl attempt. He’ll begin his program Friday.
Tim McCreadie – Now one of the top dirt late model competitors in the United States, McCreadie dabbled in NASCAR during the 2000s. He made six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts for Richard Childress Racing in 2007, earning a best finish of 12th at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. These days he makes his living racing dirt late models and has captured the last two Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series titles. He is also the 2006 Chili Bowl winner. He begins his 2023 program Tuesday.
Parker Price-Miller – Sprint car fans know Price-Miller, but fans of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series may also recognize the name. Price-Miller made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in 2021 when he drove a Truck fielded by Jordan Anderson at Knoxville Raceway. He begins his Chili Bowl program Wednesday.
Shane Golobic – A regular on the California sprint car circuit, Golobic is also a regular inside the SageNet Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, every January. Golobic made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2021, piloting the No. 78 entry owned by B.J. McLeod on dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway. He begins his Chili Bowl program Monday.
Dillon Welch – A familiar face during NASCAR Cup Series broadcasts on NBC, Welch loves to race in his spare time. He’s a regular at the Chili Bowl and has qualified for the championship A-Main on two occasions. He scored a 23rd-place finish during the 2018 finale and last year earned a 22nd-place finish in the championship A-Main. He begins his 2023 program Thursday.
Tanner Berryhill – A native Oklahoman, Berryhill has been racing at the Chili Bowl since 2010. A veteran of 43 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and two NASCAR Cup Series events, Berryhill has never made the Chili Bowl finale. His best effort came in 2016, when he finished seventh in a C-Main on championship Saturday. He begins his Chili Bowl program Wednesday.
Logan Seavey – A contender at midget racing events across the United States, Seavey briefly dabbled in stock-car racing. He scored an ARCA Menards Series win in 2018 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds and competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway that same year, finishing eighth. The 2018 USAC National Midget Series champion started on the pole at the Chili Bowl in 2019 and has a best finish of fourth in 2020. He begins his 2023 program Friday.
Todd Kluever – A native of Wisconsin, Kluever was a member of Jack Roush’s developmental program in the mid-2000s. He made 51 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, earning one pole and a best finish of seventh during his time with Roush’s team. More recently he began dabbling in midget racing and made his Chili Bowl debut last year. He begins his 2023 Chili Bowl program Friday.
Adam Andretti – The famous Andretti family will have a presence inside the SageNet Center during the 2023 Chili Bowl. The younger brother of the late John Andretti and nephew of 1967 Daytona 500 winner Mario Andretti, Adam Andretti is scheduled to make his Chili Bowl debut. Typically a competitor in the Trans Am Series, Adam Andretti has also dabbled in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, where he has a best finish of third. He begins his Chili Bowl program Tuesday.
Chris Windom – Widely considered one of the best USAC competitors of his generation, Windom is one of a select few to win championships in each national USAC division – the USAC Silver Crown Series, USAC National Sprint Car Series and USAC National Midget Series. He made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2021 on dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway and has made a handful of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts. He begins his Chili Bowl journey Monday.
Nick Hoffman – Arguably one of the best dirt modified drivers ever, Hoffman has won almost everything there is to win in a modified in the Midwest. A multi-time touring series champion, Hoffman has made four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts. His best result came in his most recent event in 2018, when he finished 10th at Eldora Speedway. His Chili Bowl journey begins Monday.
As the start of the 2023 NASCAR season approaches, Penske Racing tire changer and Stacking Pennies co-host Ryan ‘Skip’ Flores is utilizing his limited free time to take part in a unique-but-proud racing tradition this weekend.
Flores is one of many drivers making the trip to Allentown, Pennsylvania for the Indoor Auto Racing Championship season-opener inside the PPL Center. The two-day event consists of five different classes, with Flores set to compete in the Three Quarter Midgets division.
The Allentown Indoor Race has been generous to Flores, who has visited Victory Lane five times inside the PPL Center. While he feels optimistic about adding to that total, Flores knows no punches can be pulled when preparing his TQ Midget for the event.
“This time of year, I always get nervous seeing if I remember how to do it or not,” Flores said. “I get to do a little bit more racing this year, and I feel confident in my guys. There aren’t a lot of rules in TQ Midgets, so these guys are pretty innovative. You have to keep up with them to contend.”
In the near two-decade history of the Indoor Auto Racing Championship, Flores has been one of the series’ most successful drivers with six total victories and a title in 2017. He only trails former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver Erick Rudolph, who has won nine races.
Other drivers that have visited Victory Lane at an Indoor Auto Racing Championship event include current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Stewart Friesen, three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore and NASCAR Hall of Famer Mike Stefanik.
The diversity of the entry lists is one reason Flores enjoys competing in the Indoor Auto Racing Championship at every opportunity. He said there are few environments that can bring together drivers from both dirt tracks and asphalt tracks in the northeast.
During his career, Ryan ‘Skip’ Flores has been one of the most successful drivers in the history of the Indoor Auto Racing Championship with six career victories and a title in 2017.
Another factor that makes the Indoor Auto Racing Championship appealing to drivers like Flores is the open-ended nature of the rulebook. Aside from wheelbase, weight and motor guidelines, drivers and teams are free to experiment on their cars ahead of the weekend.
For Flores, the loose restrictions implemented by the Indoor Auto Racing Championship harken back to stock car racing’s past in which both driver and car setup dictated how a race would end up playing out.
“TQ Midgets are like mini Super Modifieds,” Flores said. “With these cars, it’s pretty much run what you brung, and you have to hope you brought enough. That’s why you see so many different cars and people in this series. In a world where everybody has the same stuff nowadays, this is a throwback to where everybody builds their own stuff. It’s challenging, but also rewarding when you build your own car and win.”
Flores hopes to immediately find speed in his car as he prepares for a rigorous weekend that he compared to a scaled-down version of the Chili Bowl.
On Friday evening, the TQ Midget field will be separated into three groups before running a 20-lap A-Main feature. The winner from each feature will transfer into Saturday’s main event and the ensuing qualifying dash for the pole, with the rest of the starting grid for the 40-lap finale being determined by heat races on Saturday.
Flores knows one misstep on Friday could put him in a difficult position to make Saturday’s A-Main, but he believes his car will be strong enough to stay up front all weekend and allow him to add a sixth victory at Allentown to his resume.
“As long as you get the car right, it makes the driving part a little bit easier,” Flores said. “At the same time, you have to be patiently aggressive with indoor racing. It’s really easy to rip a wheel off or find yourself upside down, but you have to be aggressive enough to fill the holes when it’s time to go. You can’t be scared of those guys, and you have to go after them.”
Among those Flores will have to fend off for another Allentown win include Rudolph, as well as Billy Pauch Jr., NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver Tommy Catalano and part-time ARCA Menards Series competitor Andy Jankowiak, who won the Indoor Auto Racing TQ Midget Championship in 2020.
Even if he does find Victory Lane once again at Allentown, Flores admitted he is equally focused on simply enjoying the weekend with many of the same people who helped him embark on his current career path.
There will only be a handful of chances for Flores to race this year due to his busy schedule, so being able to compete with the Indoor Auto Racing Championship allows him to cherish his roots and fully appreciate all the sacrifices and memories made to get to NASCAR’s top level as a pit crew member.
“This is my 17th season traveling with the Cup Series,” Flores said. “It’s great to do it for a living, but that means I can’t race with my family anymore. [Allentown] gives me the chance to connect with my family and friends from the short tracks in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — While the 2023 crew chief lineup for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) remains mostly intact from last year, two familiar names join the crew chief ranks for the team’s 15th NASCAR season.
Chad Johnston, who served as crew chief for driver and team co-owner Tony Stewart in 2014-2015, has returned to SHR to be the crew chief for driver Ryan Preece and the No. 41 team in the NASCAR Cup Series. And with SHR’s expanded two-car effort in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Jonathan Toney has been promoted from engineer to crew chief for driver Cole Custer and the No. 00 team.
“In Chad Johnston and Jonathan Toney, we’ve got two guys who are hungry to win that also bring a lot of smarts and experience to each of their roles,” said Greg Zipadelli, chief competition officer, SHR. “Both are very familiar with our program and our people.
“It’s great to have Chad back with our race team. A lot of the people he worked with when he was here before are still here today, and he already has a rapport with Ryan Preece. Chad fits in seamlessly and has a tremendous work ethic.
“Jonathan has been a workhorse and his fingerprints are on a lot of the success this team has enjoyed. He’s been here since the very beginning and knows this place inside and out. Jonathan has definitely earned this opportunity and all of us are proud to see him take on this new role.”
Johnston is from Cayuga, Indiana, and graduated from Indiana State University in 2003 with a degree in mechanical engineering. Before his first stint at SHR, Johnston spent 2004-2005 in the NASCAR Truck Series. He moved to Cup in 2006 with Evernham Motorsports and stayed there until 2009 when he joined Michael Waltrip Racing. It was there in 2011 when Johnston was promoted from engineer to crew chief for driver Martin Truex Jr. The two were paired for 95 races, earning a win, two poles, 17 top-fives and 43 top-10s, numbers that earned Johnston his first stint at SHR. After working with Stewart for two seasons, Johnston was recruited by team owner Chip Ganassi to be the crew chief for driver Kyle Larson in 2016. In five seasons with Ganassi, Johnston and Larson won six races together. Johnston returned to the Truck Series in 2021 with David Gilliland Racing and it’s where he first worked with Preece, winning a Truck Series race with him at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway in 2021.
Toney is one of the most tenured members of SHR. The Newton, North Carolina-native joined Haas CNC Racing in December 2003, five years before Stewart partnered with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas to form SHR on the underpinnings of Haas CNC Racing. Toney is a 1996 graduate of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and, like Johnston, holds a mechanical engineering degree. Toney was the lead engineer for Stewart and the No. 14 team from 2009 through 2012, helping secure Stewart his third NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2011 and the first for SHR. Toney remained an engineer at SHR, assisting the organization across its Cup and Xfinity Series programs, spending considerable time with Custer during his three previous years in the Xfinity Series from 2017 through 2019. The 2023 season marks Toney’s first as a crew chief.
The rest of SHR’s crew chief lineup remains unchanged across its Cup and Xfinity Series teams.
Rodney Childers, crew chief for the No. 4 team, will begin his 10th year atop the pit box for driver Kevin Harvick. The Harvick/Childers duo is the longest-tenured active driver-crew chief pairing in the NASCAR Cup Series garage, a partnership that has netted 37 points-paying wins and the 2014 championship.
John Klausmeier remains the crew chief for the No. 14 team and Chase Briscoe. Klausmeier helped Briscoe secure the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series rookie-of-the-year title and he delivered Briscoe a victory in just the driver’s 40th career start – March 13, 2022 at Phoenix Raceway. The 2023 season will mark Klausmeier’s sixth season as a crew chief, all of which have come with SHR (2018-2019 with driver Aric Almirola and 2020 with driver Clint Bowyer).
Drew Blickensderfer took over as crew chief for Almirola and the No. 10 team in 2022 and he returns in 2023. It will mark his third full season being paired with Almirola. Blickensderfer served as his crew chief while they were together at Richard Petty Motorsports for the last few races of 2016 and then all of 2017 before Almirola departed for SHR in 2018.
Richard Boswell has been the main steward of SHR’s Xfinity Series program since its inception in 2017 and he will continue in that capacity in 2023. He will again serve as crew chief for driver Riley Herbst and the No. 98 team. Boswell has been the crew chief for nine of SHR’s 21 Xfinity Series wins and has placed his driver in the NASCAR Playoffs for four straight seasons (2019-2020 with Briscoe and 2021-2022 with Herbst).
