Archive for category: 410

Tyler Ross made the decision to make a change.  Sunday night at BAPS Motor Speedway he got confirmation of his instincts.

The Ross Racing, Bush Auto Group, Fastrak Express Inc., Stateline Truck and Trailer, Stoltzfus Farm Service/Kubota, Betts Garage No.5 was quick in qualifying and claimed a heat race win over some of the best cars in the field.

QUICK RESULTS:

• Date/Location:  April 19, 2025 / Lincoln Speedway, Abbottstown, PA
• Stats:  Qualifying 23rd, Heat 6th (8), A-main 9th (17)

• Date/Location:  April 27, 2025 / BAPS Motor Speedway, York Haven, PA
• Stats:  Group 3 Qualifying 4th, Heat 1st (1), A-main 14th (7)

Ross has struggled to find speed early in the evening, especially since crashing and repairing his primary car early in the season.

Last weekend the team made their first trip of the year to Williams Grove Speedway, where they had the same issue and missed the show by one spot.

“The Grove has always been a love/hate for us, so I wasn’t totally sure whether to blame the car or myself for not qualifying better.”, Ross said.

The following night at Lincoln Speedway, where Ross has plenty of seat time, it happened again.  He was 23rd best under the clock and had to fight his way to a top-ten finish from the 17th starting spot in the 30-lap A-main.

Ross has collected six top-ten finishes this year, with five of them being earned from starting spots of 12th or deeper in the field.

“After Saturday, I was convinced it was the car.  In my mind, it was time for a change.  The car just had not been responding to adjustments since the mid-March crashes and subsequent repairs.“, Ross shared.

Ross and his team pulled out a car he had run well in last season at some big shows and put it back together for Sunday’s race at BAPS.

After qualifying well and winning his heat, Ross started 7th in the A-main but got bottled up on the start and had to pit with a flat tire.  Fortunately, he was able to change it in time and rejoin the race at the rear of the field.

“I went back out and figured I’d make a few laps.  I didn’t even have a W-link after the flat, but I was passing cars.  Since the points fund BAPS (Motor Speedway) is pretty good, I figured why not try to get what I can get.”, Ross said.

“I feel comfortable again.  I’m happy with the car.  It’s doing what we want it to do when we make adjustments.  You can’t be going into big shows struggling.  We had to make a change.”

The bigger shows are coming soon, so hopefully this was the right change at the right time for Ross to make the most at those events.

This weekend, the team plans to be at Lincoln Speedway for their final chance to prepare for Tuesday’s World of Outlaw race at the Abbottstown, PA oval.

Tyler Ross’s first two runs of the 2025 season produced solid, consistent performances for the Ross Racing, Bush Auto Group, Fastrak Express Inc., Stateline Truck and Trailer, Stoltzfus Farm Service/Kubota, Betts Garage No.5.  Those outings confirmed that the team’s hard work during the offseason was time well spent.

The confidence gained in those early races became even more valuable after the next few races.  Ross has shown speed in his recent races but has produced mixed results, including crashing twice.  The solid start now serves as a good reminder of what he and the team are capable of and that recent events are just part of the game.

It’s been tough to get into a rhythm.  Crashes are part of racing and don’t necessarily reflect anything negative about the driver.  Sometimes you are just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Still, drivers are human and nights like those can affect their mindset until they can replace those thoughts with positive results.

“Getting upside down two weeks in a row killed our momentum. The driver lost some confidence.”, Ross admitted.

“Wrecking back-to-back weeks changes the mindset a tad bit because I want to make sure we have enough equipment to get to the end of the year. Although it’s not a good way to look at it, it’s tough for our family-owned deal.”

“Crashes absolutely affect your approach.  Especially back-to-back like that.  A one-off crash is easier to put out of your mind but two in a row makes you start to think more.  The key is to get back on the track and log solid runs to get your confidence back up and get the team back up to speed.  That was our goal this past weekend.”

Ross tackled Lincoln Speedway once again on Saturday night and made the trip to BAPS Motor Speedway on Sunday night in search of finding his rhythm.

QUICK RESULTS:

• Date:  March 22, 2025
• Location:  Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, PA
• Stats:  Heat 8th (7), A-main DNQ

• Date:  March 30, 2025
• Division:  410 Sprint Cars
• Location:  BAPS Motor Speedway, York Haven, PA
• Stats:  Heat 5th (5), A-main 8th (14)

Ross started both nights over the weekend by making sure he put his team in the show, then went to work moving forward in both features.  

The Lincoln University (PA) product passed six cars in each main event, putting himself at +12 for the weekend.  At the end of both nights, the car went into the trailer in one piece.

It was the kind of weekend the team needed to find their groove again.  

“Running two days this past weekend was good for us. Yes, we finished 10th from 16th at Lincoln but we knew we were off a bit. We came home after and went through the car again and found some things.  I was a lot more comfortable Sunday at BAPS (Motor Speedway).”, Ross shared.

“I think we’re on track. We showed speed and bounced back with two top-ten finishes after two unfortunate weeks.”

“After a car is repaired from a crash, sometimes it’s not the same as it was before, so it’s kind of like you’re starting over with your notes.  I think we’re just learning what our car wants now.  I have the confidence in my team to get me as comfortable as I was the first few weeks.”

“We’re just gonna keep digging.”

Have no doubt.  They will keep digging and they will make headlines in 2025.

Ross will be back behind the wheel this weekend at Lincoln Speedway.  Racing starts at 6 pm on Saturday night, April 5th.

The start of the 2025 season has shown promising signs for Tyler Ross.  In both events he has entered at Lincoln Speedway in Pennsylvania thus far, he has passed cars and moved forward each time he has hit the track.

His start lays a solid foundation for a potential breakout season, showing both his level of comfort in the car and his team’s approach to race day changes are on point.

“I feel like we have good speed, and I can put the car wherever it needs to be. I think just a better starting position would make a huge difference.”, Ross shared following his second outing of the young 2025 season.

Ross was referring to the luck of the draw used to set heat race starting spots for the two events thus far.  Given the speed the car has so far, he is confident he will be in good shape when time trials are used to set lineups.

Coming off a four-month break, being sharp and comfortable behind the wheel doesn’t necessarily come easy, but Ross is feeling great so far this year.

“Honestly, this is the most comfortable I’ve been in a car starting the season. The car is good, and I’m probably more focused as I’ve ever been.”, Ross commented.

“I think we’re all just focused on our jobs at the track. Everyone knows what needs to be done with no questions asked.”

That is a sign of a team who is leaning on the experience from competing together for a full season in the Ross Racing, Bush Auto Group, Fastrak Express Inc., Stateline Truck and Trailer, Stoltzfus Farm Service/Kubota, Betts Garage No.5 in 2024.

QUICK RESULTS:

• Date:  March 9, 2025
• Division:  410 Sprint Cars
• Location:  Lincoln Speedway, Abbottstown, PA
• Stats:  30 cars, Heat 3rd (6), A-main 4th (8)

The question now is whether Ross’s success on the early season daytime surfaces will carry over when temperatures warm up and competition switches to nighttime racing surfaces.

Ross believes it will.

“It’s important to have speed on the daytime surfaces. Yes, it is different, but if we can get around in the slick, I’m confident when the tracks have more moisture, we will be just as fast.”, he said.

The Lincoln University, PA native plans to race at several different tracks in the region in 2025 in an effort to continue to learn and improve his program.  He feels his speed at Lincoln Speedway (PA) will translate to other speedways.

“We keep our stuff pretty basic, and I think our baseline is really good right now. As long as we keep our focus I feel like we should be competitive wherever we show up.”, Ross commented.

As Ross stated during the offseason, his approach is to continue to do what his team did in 2024 and build on that.

“We need to continue to qualify well and work hard to stay up front consistently throughout the night and the season.  If we do that, the wins will come.”, Ross said.

“I want to thank our partners who give us what we need to perform.  We’re going to do our part to make the most of those resources and make sure they benefit from our partnership.  I hope everyone goes out and supports our partners anytime they can.”

Tyler Ross and Ross Racing have spent the offseason making preparations to build on the foundation of an impressive 2024, aiming to position themselves as a consistent contender everywhere they go on the tough Central Pennsylvania 410 sprint car circuit.

With the 2025 racing season just around the corner, we caught up with Tyler to get insight into the team’s progression and a look at their plans for this year.

2025 OUTLOOK

Ross plans to kick off the season at Lincoln Speedway’s annual Icebreaker event.  Preparations are well underway—one car is fully ready, and another is nearly complete. The team plans to focus on time trail shows, competing more at Port Royal Speedway and Williams Grove Speedway than in past seasons.

The team’s 40-50 race schedule will also include visits to BAPS Motor Speedway in PA and Bridgeport Motorsports Park in NJ, along with taking on the High Limit Racing and World of Outlaw series regulars on a few occasions.

HOW IT STARTED

Ross has found success ever since he first put on a helmet in 2002. Advancing from quarter midgets to excelling in sprint car racing, he has amassed 9 wins in the 358 sprint car division, 4 URC feature wins, and 7 victories in 410 sprint car competition. 

Ross got his feet wet in 410 sprint car racing in late 2013 and 2014 at the wheel of the Jon Pinter No.92.  He then opted to race a limited schedule of 15-20 races in the family equipment during 2015, 2016, and 2017.  He bounced around in 358/360 rides to fill in other dates on his schedule during those seasons, and he focused entirely on 358/360 racing in 2019.  In 2020, he returned to the family car and again filled out his season with 358/360 rides.

In 2018, Ross was asked to fill the seat of Rick Lefever’s No.75.  While that partnership initially only lasted one season, he returned to that seat for the 2021-2023 seasons and supplemented that by racing his own equipment, mostly as an R&D effort to try new things since the two teams raced the same equipment.  

Following the 2023 season, Ross and his father made the decision to work on elevating the family program to improve their time trial efforts and to have the resources to race a full season schedule.

HOW IT’S GOING

Going into 2024, the team knew the key to success was better time trial results.  It was an area that had always been a weakness for Ross, so he focused on improving himself in the cockpit.

The powerplant under the hood is another critical component for qualifying.  The team employs Don Ott Racing Engines, and thanks to a key supporter, Rick Ciarrocchi, they have been able to add the depth of resources necessary to support the schedule they want to race.

The team logged 35 races in 2024 and showed their efforts were paying off.  Ross’s time trial results were significantly improved, putting himself on the front row of High Limit Racing and World of Outlaw events.  He picked up 1 win, 9 top-fives, and 19 top-tens.

TEAM INSIGHTS

Looking to 2025, the team is aiming to capitalize on their recent momentum to establish the consistency that will put Ross in a position to add to his win total. 

“We’re excited about the upcoming season. Our qualifying effort improved a ton last year; now, our goal is to put complete nights together.  The driver needs to finish the night as strong as it starts”, Ross stated.

“The competition is so close in the 410s.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a PA race, a High Limit race or an Outlaw race.  One tiny mistake will drop you ten spots in a feature.”

“2024 was the first full season for my dad and I together with our equipment.  In the past, we raced maybe 15 times a year, filling in between races in other equipment.  Last year was a lot different, but we learned to work really well together.  We had really good, competitive equipment every night.  I just need to clean up a few mistakes and make sure the car finishes where it should.”

“I’m not one to say I want to win a certain number of races.  My approach is to continue to do what we did in 2024 and just stay up front consistently throughout the night and the season.  If we do that, the wins will come.”

The team’s success has been bolstered by strong partnerships. Key returning partners Bush Auto Group, Fastrak Express Inc, Stateline Truck and Trailer, and Stoltzfus Farm Service/Kubota underscore the support network that keeps Ross Racing competitive and well-equipped.

“I really appreciate the people who have supported our program, and I want to thank them for continuing to provide that support.  We absolutely could not do this without them.”, Ross said.  

“As we continue to grow our program, we want to help our partners grow right along with us.  We are always open to adding to our family of partners.”

Fans and followers can stay updated on Tyler’s schedule, results, and the latest news by visiting Addicted2DirtPR.com throughout the season and by following Ross Racing’s social media channels below.