LOUISVILLE, Ky. ABEL Construction Co. will sponsor open-wheel standout Taylor Ferns in both the USAC Silver Crown series and the 500 Sprint Car Tour.

Ferns will pilot the No. 55 beginning on April 17 at the Anderson Speedway.

Im excited to represent ABEL Construction Company this year racing my sprint car and USAC Silver Crown. Im super grateful to the Abel family and to John Brunner for working to put this together, exclaimed the Detroit native.

ABEL Motorsports Team Manager, John Brunner, recognized after working with Ferns in 2024 that she represented what the ABEL brand is all about and wanted to find a way to keep her in the ABEL family.

It was great getting to work with Taylor last season, and to see her success in the Silver Crown car all while learning the Indy NXT series was impressive, exclaimed Brunner. The ABEL brand is all about hard work and doing the right thing, and those are two qualities we believe Taylor exudes so the opportunity to join her in her Silver Crown and sprint car seasons was a no brainer.

For ABEL Construction Co. and ABEL Motorsports CEO, Bill Abel, the opportunity to partner with a racer in a different discipline and continue the long tradition of the Abel family in motorsports was one that the Louisville native jumped on.

We got to meet Taylor and work with her a lot last year, and I was really impressed with how she approached racing. She understands it from all angles whether its driving, the business side, sponsorships, etc. shes a really well-rounded racer and one that fits in the ABEL family very well, said Bill Abel. The ABEL brand has a long history in motorsports, from dirt bikes all the way to the NTT IndyCar Series, so adding another talented driver to our roster is something we are really pleased with. We cant wait to see what Taylor is able to accomplish this season, and getting to cheer her along all year.

As Ferns reflects on the year spent with the ABEL family and the opportunity ahead to represent them on a different platform is one that brings excitement to the 29-year-old.

The entire ABEL team has been awesome to work with over the past year, and it will be great to represent them in a different capacity and in grassroots racing. Additionally, the Bradford Allen group has played a key role in facilitating this partnership and none of this would be possible without them. Bradford Allen and ABEL Construction Companys support means the world and I look forward to what well be able to accomplish together, said Ferns.

LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. This ones 4JO.

The USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship and Indianas Lawrenceburg Speedway race on in the memory of the 2022 track champion this Saturday night, April 12, with the second running of the Justin Owen Memorial.

The event honors the life and memory of the driver who died in a qualifying crash during the April 2023 USAC event at Lawrenceburg.

The 26-year-old Owen was the 2022 sprint car track champion at Lawrenceburg, scoring two feature wins en route to the title at the three-eighths-mile dirt oval in southeastern Indiana where hed long been a regular competitor for the past several seasons.

Among his greatest achievements were a victory in the season-closing Dick Gaines Memorial at Lawrenceburg in 2022. With USAC, Owen made two feature starts, both at Lawrenceburg in 2019 and 2021.

For Saturday, $6,000 has been added to the purse courtesy of friends, family, sponsors, donations and t-shirt sales. Among the rewards are a $1204 bonus which will be awarded to the feature hard charger. Additionally, $604 is up for grabs to the first non-transfer in the semi-feature.

Furthermore, a $404 bonus will be awarded to the driver with the second fastest hot lap time, and $404 more will go to the second fastest qualifier. Plus, $264 more will go to fourth place in the feature while $26 extra will be awarded to the fourth-place finisher in each heat race.

For the longest time, Lawrenceburgs Spring USAC National Sprint Car event had the distinction of producing a different winner each year between 2006 and 2023: Jon Stanbrough (2006), Levi Jones (2007), Josh Wise (2009), Jerry Coons Jr. (2010), Kevin Thomas Jr. (2013), Justin Grant (2014), Logan Jarrett (2015), Dave Darland (2016), Chris Windom (2017) and Brady Bacon (2021).

But in 2024, Kevin Thomas Jr. put an end to that streak by becoming the first two-time Spring Lawrenceburg victor after also scoring in 2013.

At this time a year ago, it was the Cullman, Alabama drivers first win after joining Rock Steady Racing. Now, after a bit of an inauspicious start with a best finish of 8th through the first six rounds of the 2025 season, Thomas looks to break through at the same place of his breakthrough nearly 365 days ago.

Dave Darland holds the all-time record of USAC National Sprint Car wins at Lawrenceburg with seven between 1998 and 2016.

Two drivers in this Saturdays field have an opportunity to equal Darlands longstanding record. Justin Grant and Kevin Thomas Jr. currently possess six victories apiece.

Grant won his very first USAC feature victory at Lawrenceburg in 2012, and since then, has reeled off additional wins in 2014, 2018, 2019 and twice in 2023. Thomas, meanwhile, has added six, starting with two in 2013, plus one each in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2024.

Briggs Danner very well couldve won all three of his USAC National Sprint Car starts at Lawrenceburg in 2024.

In Julys Indiana Sprint Week round, the Allentown, Pennsylvania racer led a total of nine laps and was running in the number one spot with 12 laps to go under caution when an engine issue sent him to the sideline.

In Octobers Greg Staab Memorial, Danner led the final two laps after misfortune befell Mitchel Moles in a similar manner, leading to Danners victory. The following night, Danner started on the outside of the front row of the feature and carried the lead into turn one where he endured a vicious flip that ended his weekend early.

Danner is making his first run at a USAC National Sprint Car title in 2025, and another big win at The Burg could really jumpstart their quest as the season gets into full swing.

The familiar colors and number of the Hoffman Auto Racing / Dynamics Inc. team will return throughout the 2025 season in a different form as a sponsor of Nick Bilbees racing operation.

Bilbee was contacted during the offseason by Tom Hoffman, and he expressed interest in putting a deal together with Bilbee to keep the Hoffman family No. 69 on track after Brady Bacons departure at the end of the 2024 campaign.

The Hoffman team is synonymous with success in USAC National Sprint Car racing, amassing 140 feature wins and 13 entrant championships over the years. Dave Darland, Jon Stanbrough, Jerry Coons Jr. and Bacon have collected a total eight Lawrenceburg USAC Sprint Car wins between 1998-2021.

Bilbee considers Lawrenceburg his home track, having tallied four sprint car championships at the venue in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024. In the 2024 Spring USAC race at The Burg, he finished a solid 10th in the feature.

Mitchel Moles is due for some good fortune when it comes to Lawrenceburg Speedway after several close encounters one year ago.

In Julys Indiana Sprint Week round, Moles was set to take off from the outside of the front row. However, while the field was on its pace laps and getting ready to go green, Moles pulled off to the Indy Metal Finishing Work Area due to a broken mag box. Relegated to the tail of the field for the start, Moles made a nice recovery by working himself all the way up to a seventh-place finish.

In October, he led the first 29 laps of the 30-lap feature, and just as he was within reach of the checkered flag, the caution flag was displayed due to an incident elsewhere on the track. Under caution, Moles was forced to pull off track again. This time, as his engines RPMs suddenly rose, Moles wore out his brakes just trying to keep his car whoad down under yellow, thus handing over the victory once more.

The following night during Octobers $20,000-to-win Fall Nationals, Moles led the opening lap and ran second.

COLUMBUS, Ind. Gunnar Setser is taking his racing career to new heights, with the 16-year-old Columbus, Indiana, native announcing his intent to compete for the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship.

Setser has teamed with KO Motorsports and Midwest Tube Mills for what promises to be an exciting and ambitious season, with over 50 events already slated on his expanding schedule.

I couldnt be more excited for this next step in my racing journey, he said. Im incredibly thankful to Kent and Brian for this opportunity. Weve had a few solid outings in Florida that went well, and those experiences have definitely boosted my confidence heading into my rookie season on tour.

He also acknowledged a longtime supporter who has played a pivotal role in his development.

I have to give a special thanks to Rick Russell at Midwest Tube Mills. Rick has supported me throughout my entire career and has always believed in me. I truly wouldnt be where I am today without his backing.

As mentioned, Setser enters this season having already gained valuable seat time in the KO Motorsports No. 5g Sprint Car. The driver recently competed with the team in USACs Winter Dirt Games in February, racing at two Florida tracks.

The youngster, who just recently obtained his drivers license in Indiana, joins the team with a wide racing background across various divisions. With experience in micro sprints, midgets and winged 360 sprint cars, he has proven his versatility on the track at a young age.

Earlier this season, Setser captured attention at the 39th annual Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Okla. While his hopes of qualifying for Saturdays main event ultimately fell short, he scored a fifth-place finish during his preliminary night on Tuesday and earned the Chili Bowl National Rookie of the Year honors.

Ive always embraced a challenge, Setser said. Ive been racing Junior Sprints since 2018 and my drive to move up the ranks has never been stronger. Competing full-time with USAC in a Non-Wing Sprint Car is a major step forward in my career, and Im thrilled for the opportunity.

LAS VEGAS Three-time NHRA Funny Car world champion Ron Capps plans to expand his team in 2026, adding a second car and driver to his Ron Capps Motorsports operation.

As Capps has hinted at for months, he confirmed Thursday that rising star Maddi Gordon will pilot a Top Fuel dragster for the RCM team next year and beyond. Gordon is a third-generation drag racer who has been making a name for herself thanks to her outstanding performance serving in dual roles as both driver and crew member on her familys Top Alcohol Funny Car.

To commemorate this partnership, Gordon will warm up Cappss NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra this weekend during the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

In her first year of driving the Alcohol car, Gordon became the 100th woman in NHRA history to win a national event. She also nabbed three regional wins in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, finishing second in national points, an impressive season that even most veteran drag racers would envy.

So far in 2025, Gordon, who is responsible for the clutch and jumps in to assist with engine work when needed, sits third in national points and has already captured a regional win in Phoenix.

This has been in the works for a while now, remarked Capps, a 31-year nitro pilot. When Snake (Don Prudhomme) brought me up to the pros, I was lucky enough to be given that shot despite not already having a sponsor attached. Its rare, these days, for funding not to be part of the equation, especially when youre building a new team. We wanted to do it backward where we wanted to pick somebody who we thought would be great and then come in from the other angle and find sponsors, where its usually the opposite.

I want to give someone a chance like Snake gave me a chance. Were going to build this program around Maddi. Shes crazy talented and shes a hard worker, and at 20 years old, we expect her to have a long career out here. Shes a great representative of the next crop of NHRA drag racers.

While Gordons sponsors, along with her crew chief, will not be announced until later this year, Capps says that NAPA is focused on bringing more women into the auto care space.

NAPA is really recruiting more women into auto care and mechanics. Maddi is a great example of what can happen when women take the wheel, so to speak. I mentioned several years ago at a NAPA conference, that I would like to put a girl in a car, and instantly the women in the audience sat up a little straighter and several wanted to speak with me about it right away, even though it was just an off-the-cuff remark. Thats when it kind of started.

Theres a global push right now to encourage women in the STEM fields and to recognize female athletes. We have women who arent just in the sport, they win in this sport. And they use science, technology, engineering, and math to accomplish their goals. Maddi is a great spokesperson for that.

For Gordon, competing in Top Fuel was something she never dared to wish for. Im very goal-oriented, she said. When I set goals, I plan to reach them. So, I had my sights set on running in alcohol. That was my dream, really, because I thought that was possibly something that could happen. I might be able to get there. Competing as a professional was never something I even thought about because I dont come from a background where I know I can just easily bring a few million dollars to the table. Racing in the pro ranks never seemed attainable to me.

When Gordon earned her Top Alcohol Funny Car license in 2023, Capps was one of the drivers who signed off on the paperwork. It was a milestone moment for the enthusiastic young up-and-comer who is scheduled to run the full slate of NHRA Mission Foods Series events during her rookie season as a Top Fuel pilot.

I was in awe the whole time, Gordon recalled as she reminisced about getting her license. I dont even know if Ron would remember this or if it even meant anything at the time, but he said, You have a very bright future in this sport. There are big things to come. I couldnt believe it! I mean, this is my lifetime dream right here. I had no idea it would turn out where he would want me to drive for him professionally one day.

LONG BEACH, Calif.  The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship has a long, memorable history of racing in the streets, ranging from Miami to Del Mar, San Antonio to Detroit, Nova Scotia to Australia.

Bicentennial Parks streets played host to a two-time Formula 1 World Champion coming out of retirement to race in 1983 in IMSAs Grand Prix of Miami, setting the stage for a glorious second act to his legendary career. You may have heard of him: Emerson Fittipaldi.

And it was Scotlands Allan McNish (driving with a strained back he injured whilst stepping out of kilt during a pre-race photo shoot) who teamed with Rinaldo Dindo Capello and Brad Jones to win IMSAs first and only race Down Under on the streets of Adelaide.

This weekend the WeatherTech Championship returns to North Americas most iconic street race, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, to write a new chapter in a legacy dating to the early 1990s when IMSA GTO and GTU competitors first blasted down Shoreline Drive and along Seaside Way. In the intervening years, a veritable cornucopia of IMSAs prototype and production sports car-based categories have competed at Long Beach, with this years entry list featuring the Grand Touring Prototype and GT Daytona classes and 11 manufacturers represented across 27 entries.

Strategy Rules

Several factors conspire to make Long Beach one of the most strategic races on the WeatherTech Championship calendar. With these cars unleashed on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile circuit where track limits are generally concrete walls and the exotic GTP machines struggle to average 100 mph lap times, on-track overtaking is a premium. Then theres the one pit stop, which makes fuel filling and tire choice a gamble, all while getting the driver change done, to create the high-speed chess match.

Its a different dynamic of racing, says Felipe Nasr, who with Nick Tandy seeks their third straight win to start 2025 in the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963. Its a one way forward to take in the race in terms of strategy. You only have the one pit stop to face.

While going the distance on one set of tires has lately been the key to victory, there are no guarantees that will be the case this year.

We have ideas, Nasr continues, but it always depends on track level, grip level and the degradation. And the out laps. If its best to keep the warm set, versus changing. Or where youre at in the race. That makes a huge percentage on the decision.

Renger van der Zande, who shares the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura ARX-06 with Nick Yelloly, said the cat is basically out of the bag now on no-tire changes since its been the winning move the last two years.

The shine is off that move, lets put it that way. I think its the move, says the two-time and defending Long Beach overall winner.

It still needs to fit in the whole picture because we dont know how the tire wear is gonna be this year. Its gonna be reasonably warm, but not super warm. You cant say from whats gonna be the strategy, but the strategy is gonna be making the right call on the right moment.

Getting the driver change done as quickly as possible means more here too, as last years GTD class winner Parker Thompson explained.

Obviously the start of the IMSA season youve got Daytona and youve got Sebring, which are theoretically two of the longest pit stops that we do throughout the year just because youre doing full fills basically, and if youre not doing full fills, youre trying to top up the energy anyway, so really, youre sitting there for 40 to 50 seconds, said the Canadian, who shares his No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 with Jack Hawksworth.

The first sprint race of the season is our shortest pit stop of the year. You have to comfortably be able to do pit stops, and I would say at the lowest 12 seconds, so thats 12 seconds of getting a guy thats 58 out and then a guy thats over 6 in comfortably buckled in and ready to go.

Wicky Bobby

The inestimable Robert Wickens (sometimes called Wicky Bobby in deference to Will Ferrells Ricky Bobby in 2006s Talladega Nights: the Ballad of Ricky Bobby) is making his first GTD start aboard the specially equipped No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

With Pratt Miller-developed hand controls and Boschs EBS (electronic braking system), Wickens prepares to author his latest chapter to his comeback story since his 2018 accident in an IndyCar race. After testing at Sebring, the 2023 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Touring Car champion was impressed with the Bosch EBS systems integration into the Corvette.

The biggest takeaway (from the test) is that it feels like the Bosch EBS and the hand-control system developed by Pratt Miller belongs in the car. There hasnt been a single hiccup, Wickens explains. The first run with the system, if that was all I had and there was no tunability I wouldnt have been upset about it. We started off in such a great window where I just got to figure out the race car.

Among the challenges of figuring out the Corvette were coming to grips with a state-of-the-art traction control system for the first time.

The biggest thing for me is understanding the traction control system thats in this Corvette Z06 GT3.R because I havent really felt traction control for all of my career, he says. Ive done some testing in GT3 from my times at Mercedes and some other stuff in a couple of other race cars here and there. But in terms of extracting lap times from a proper traction control system and all the aids and assists that we have inside the car (Im) still trying to understand kind of what makes it click, because when Im applying the throttle, my resolution is not spot on yet.

Wickens heads in with both a flexible frame of mind and a four-time Long Beach-winning co-driver. Tommy Milner joins the DXDT IMSA lineup with the GTD PRO category off this race.

Memories

When a racing series has been a part of an iconic event for as long as IMSA has been on the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach schedule, the result is a flood of great memories.

Its featured trading paint (and body parts) from IMSAs Long Beach debut in 1990. It witnessed a giant-killing top-six overall sweep by Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) cars in 2007, led by a Penske Porsche RS Spyder. Its seen last-lap passes, such as Simon Pagenaud on Adrian Fernandez in 2010. And its seen several recent three-peats: Corvette Racing in GT1 from 2007 to 2009, the Brothers Taylor overall in both DP and DPi from 2015 to 2017 and Paul Miller Racings Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers in GTD from 2021 to 2023.

Sebastien Bourdais Long Beach stardom shifted from Champ Cars to sports cars when in 2022, the Frenchman put a new twist on the adage if you cant win be spectacular by winning in spectacular fashion. He stormed back from a mid-race miscue to erase a 21-second deficit and grab the overall victory co-driving with van der Zande.

The last two years, age-old rivals and cagey riverboat gamblers Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi and their strategists drew inside straights and went the distance on a single set of Michelin tires. Meanwhile Vasser Sullivan Racing started a winning streak of its own with successive GTD PRO and GTD wins in their Lexus RC F GT3s.

Will Vasser Sullivan collect a three-fer of its own this year? Will one or two sets of tires be the ticket to the overall win for a third consecutive year? The only sure thing is that Saturdays 100 minutes of Southern California is destined to add a few more great memories to IMSAs rich legacy on the streets of Long Beach.