MISSION VALLEY SUPER OVAL BIG 5 SCHEDULE ADJUSTED
Mission Valley Super Oval in Ronan, Montana. Mission Valley photo
From Missoula Valley Media
Polson, MT (February 19, 2025) – In a coordinated effort with the Northwest Super Late Model Series (NWSLM), the Mission Valley Super Oval Big 5 schedule has been adjusted. The August 16th event at MVSO will move up a week to August 9th with the $5K to Win “Racing Dynamiks 100”.
Additionally, the $10K to Win “Sorensen Transport Wildfire 125” will now be held on September 6th. This change will help a scheduling conflict for the NWSLM series which has an event scheduled on August 16th at Magic Valley Speedway they were unable to change due to their event featuring the Blue Angels.
“In the interest of promoting racing in the Northwest, we’ve made a couple of changes to the MT Big 5 schedule in order to not interfere with SRL and NWSLM events. We are here for the racers and teams and are working to ensure the most successful seasons for everyone.” said MVSO Promoter Tony Undem.
The SRL Southwest Tour Series and Mission Valley Super Oval announced a technical alliance for the upcoming 2025 race season. The SRL will be aligned with MVSO for all of five races of its ‘Montana Big 5 Super Late Model Series’. The SRL will provide staff and oversee the competition side of the Big 5 Series events at the 14-degree high-banked, tri-oval in Polson, Montana.
“The NWSLM series is grateful for the relationship between the SRL and MVSO. It is always a continuous collaboration to work together on these schedules for the racers and fans.” stated NWSLM Series Director Dan Garber.
The ‘Montana Big 5 Series’ kicks off on June 7th with the “Big Sky Kubota 100”, followed by the “NAPA Auto Parts (Ronan, MT) Twin 50’s” on June 21st. Then it’s the crown jewel of the ‘Montana Big 5 Series’, the nationally recognized $10,000 to win “Montana 200 powered by Missoula Motor Company” - July 11th and 12th. August 9th will be the $5,000 to win “Racing Dynamiks 100” followed by the final ‘Montana Big 5 Series’ event of 2025, the $10,000 to win “Sorensen Transport Wildfire 125”.
TRI CITY’S TOLAR TELLS THEIR TALE
By Holly Cain; NASCAR Wire Service
HAMPTON, Ga. (February 23, 2025) – Christopher Bell prevailed in overtime to claim the victory in Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway - officially leading only the final lap and getting the photo nod in a three-wide run as a caution flag came out on the last lap to end the NASCAR Cup Series race.
It marks the second year that this race featured a three-wide run to the checkered flag. This time Bell got the nod out front over second-year driver Carson Hocevar and 2021 series champion Kyle Larson as the final caution flag flew. It was the 30-year-old Oklahoma native Bell’s 10th career series victory and first on a drafting-type track like Atlanta, Daytona or Talladega, Ala. It also marked the first victory for Joe Gibbs Racing since June of last year.
“I’ll tell you what, that right there is what you dream of,” an elated Bell said afterward. “To be able to re-start on the first or second row on a re-start at a speedway you never know how those things are going to play out.
Despite his near-miss third-place showing, Larson was pleased with the finish. He’s 0-for-48 in speedway-type races, including 16 previous DNFs. So all said, it was a successful, if eventful, day. He had contact with one of the race’s strongest cars, Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Team Penske with three laps remaining to make the overtime finish necessary, but led 12 laps.
Hocevar’s runner-up finish was a career high mark for the 22-year-old driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet.
However, shortly after the young Californian climbed out of his car, he was confronted post-race by both Ross Chastain and former series champ Ryan Blaney in separate discussions. Although Chastain refused to share what was said, Blaney confirmed he suggested to Hocevar to work on his decision making.
“I just said, ‘Hey, you got to calm down. I told him a couple moves he made earlier in the race that were really, really sketchy,” said Blaney, who rallied to a fourth-place finish after being spun out after contact with Hocevar with 27 laps remaining.
“Obviously, me getting spun. He should know better than to hit me in that spot. He can’t just run into my bumper as I’m turning into a corner. I’m going to wreck. So, I just told him you got to calm down. You got a lot of talent, but you got to be a little bit easier in this certain moment. Be smarter.”
Hocevar, who also said he preferred to keep the two conversations with his veteran competitors to himself, but immediately offered an apology for any contact with Larson on the final lap.
“I didn’t realize we weren’t racing back to the line,” he said of the last lap fender-rub with Larson, adding, “Some stuff I’ve got to learn and clean up a little bit, but I feel like we put ourselves in a perfect opportunity to win a race and I’ve never really had that opportunity before, especially on super speedways. So, thanks to everybody at Spire Motorsports.”
Certainly, the early portion of the race was dominated by the Ford contingent, which included 10 of the top 11 qualifiers including Blaney’s pole position in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford. Blaney’s teammate, reigning series champion Joey Logano led a race best 83 laps – the second time in as many races this season he out-paced the field, but finished 12th.
Fords led all but one of the first 140 laps. Ultimately, however, pit strategy and manufacturer alliances – at least early in the race – gave way to late race push and better handle on the cars for the rest of the competition.
With his fourth place showing Sunday, Blaney now leads the championship by 12 points over DAYTONA 500 winner, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron. Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger set the Fastest Lap of the race.
The NASCAR Cup Series heads west for its first road course race of the season, the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix next Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Byron is the defending race winner at Circuit of The Americas.
