BODE REACHES FIRST CAREER FINAL, WINS FIRST CAREER
RACE
Dixon, Coughlin and Hines round out winners at final
Countdown to 10 race
By Michael Padian
BRAINERD, Minn. – Three drivers had a shot at
their first career NHRA Full Throttle Series win on Sunday at the 29th
annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway and Funny
Car veteran Bob Bode was the lucky one who struck paydirt.
The other winners at the 17th of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Series
season – and final race in the Countdown to 10 regular season – were Larry
Dixon (Top Fuel), Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock
Motorcycle).
Also on Sunday, the final five spots in the Countdown to 1 NHRA Playoffs
were determined as Dave Grubnic (Top Fuel), Tony Pedregon (Funny Car),
Rodger Brogdon (Pro Stock) and Karen Stoffer and Craig Treble (Pro Stock
Motorcycle) clinched berths.
And the final two No. 1 seeds were settled as well with John Force (Funny
Car) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) joining Dixon (Top Fuel) and
Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) as top seeds.
Bode defeated Cruz Pedregon, Bob Tasca and Tim Wilkerson to reach the final
where he proceeded to celebrate a surprisingly easy win when Jack Beckman
struck the wheels on his Freightliner Dodge Charger R/T early and slowed to
a 8.338 at 86.32. Bode’s official winning run in the Alard Machine Chevy
Impala was a 4.248 at 253.66.
“All of this is kind of like a dream I’m afraid I’m gonna wake up from,”
Bode said. “I didn’t know if it would ever happen, but now that it did, I
can’t believe it happened. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me in
my entire life in the racing world. I have a wife and kid, wonderful things
there, but the racing world, this is it.”
ANTRON BROWN
RACES TO NO. 8 QUALIFYING SPOT AT BRAINERD
By Ted
Yerzyk
BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 14, 2010) - Antron Brown, a four-time winner at
Brainerd International Raceway, drove his Don Schumacher-owned Matco
Tools/U.S. Army dragster to the No. 8 qualifying position Saturday at
B.I.R.
Brown, who entered the final day of qualifying for the 29th annual
Brainerd race in the provisional No. 9 qualifying position after
clocking an elapsed time of 5.106-seconds on Friday, improved his
position on Saturday's opening pass. The 24-time NHRA winner used a
tune-up from crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald to power the
Matco Tools/U.S. Army car to a lap of 3.923 seconds at 302.62 mph. That
placed Brown eighth in the order. On his final qualifying effort, the
former college track star's bright blue Matco-backed car lost traction
and slowed to pass of 4.585 at 167.66 after losing the blower belt on
the run. It is the 15th time in 17 races this season that Brown will
start from the top half of the 16-car field. He also qualified eighth at
the Joliet race in June. His average qualifying position this season is
4.7 with five No. 1 qualifiers. Doug Kalitta earned the Top Fuel pole on
Saturday at Brainerd at 3.842-seconds.
"We struggled during qualifying this weekend here at Brainerd, but we've
been trying some things on our Matco Tools car too," Brown said. "We'll
go back to what we know for race day and I'm confident we can go some
rounds. Morgan (Lucas) will be tough. We'll have to throw down a good
lap to get by those Geico boys, but this DSR Matco team is up to it."
KALITTA EARNS SECOND NO. 1 IN LAST FOUR RACES
Force Hood, Edwards, Hines also top their respective classes
By Michael Padian
BRAINERD, Minn. – Surging Top Fuel driver Doug Kalitta earned his second No.
1 in the last four races Saturday at the 29th annual Lucas Oil NHRA
Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.
The other No. 1 qualifiers at the 17th of 23 events in the NHRA Full
Throttle Series season – and final race in the Countdown to 10 regular
season – were Ashley Force Hood (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and
Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
Also on Saturday, Top Fuel driver Steve Torrence, Pro Stock driver Johnny
Gray and Pro Stock Motorcycle riders Eddie Krawiec, LE Tonglet and David
Hope secured their berths in the Countdown to 1. That leaves only five
positions left to be decided on the final Sunday of the Countdown to 10
regular season – one each in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock and two in
Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Kalitta, who is coming off his first win of the season at the Mopar
Mile-High NHRA Nationals, paced the Top Fuel field with a 3.842-second pass
at 305.49 mph in his Kalitta Air dragster that moved him around overnight
leader Brandon Bernstein and the Copart dragster team.
“We managed to get down both lanes today so I think the track is pretty
good,” said Kalitta, a two-time Brainerd winner. “(Sunday) is supposed to be
a little cooler so I think the fans are going to be in for a treat with the
performances. (Team owner) Connie (Kalitta) won this race in 1985 and I’ve
had some luck here as well, so hopefully we can have a good day,”
BERNSTEIN IN POSITION TO EARN FIRST NO. 1 OF 2010
Force Hood, Allen Johnson, Hines also top their respective classes
By Michael Padian
BRAINERD, Minn. – Former Auto Club Road to the
Future winner Brandon Bernstein is in position to collect his first No. 1 of
2010 after Friday’s first qualifying session at the 29th annual Lucas Oil
NHRA Nationals.
The other provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 17th of 23 events in the NHRA
Full Throttle Series season – and final race in the Countdown to 10 regular
season – were Ashley Force Hood (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and
Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
The surging Bernstein, who has been to the semifinals and finals at the last
two races, paced the Top Fuel field with a 3.846-second pass at 309.27 mph
in his Copart dragster. It would be only his first No. 1 of 2010, and the
14th of his career.
“This is a great race for us to come on strong,” Bernstein said. “We’ve been
right there the last four to six races and to be peaking right now is
perfect, right before Indy and the countdown and then charge right on. We
hope this is an indication that we’re going to be up there at the top and
run for the championship.”
NHRA STATEMENT REGARDING CRASH AT NHRA NORTHWEST
NATIONALS
KENT, Wash. -- Top Alcohol dragster racer Mark
Niver, 60, from Phoenix, was involved in a fatal incident today when his
dragster crashed in the shutdown area during eliminations at the NHRA
Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways. NHRA officials are investigating
the accident.
NHRA and Pacific Raceways officials extend their deepest sympathies to the
entire Niver family.
KALITTA EARNS FIRST NO. 1 SINCE 2006 AUTO CLUB NHRA
FINALS
Hight, Edwards also get No. 1s; Kalitta, Brown and Force clinch berths in
Countdown to 1
KENT, Wash. – Doug Kalitta ended a
three-and-a-half year drought on Saturday at the 23rd annual NHRA Northwest
Nationals at Pacific Raceways with his first No. 1 qualifier since the 2006
Auto Club NHRA Finals.
The other No. 1 qualifiers at the 14th of 23 races in the 2010 NHRA Full
Throttle Drag Racing Series season were Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Mike
Edwards (Pro Stock).
On a cooler day Saturday, many expected change at the top of the qualifying
ladder but only Edwards emerged from the pack –Kalitta (3.844, 313.58) and
Hight (4.194, 291.57) set the pace in each of their respective classes in
the Friday night session.
“Obviously we held on today. Larry Dixon got close (a 3.896 in the third
qualifying session). I’m real proud of my guys. It’s nice to get some
performance out of (the Kalitta Air dragster) and our first low qualifier in
awhile,” Kalitta said.
The No. 1 was Kalitta’s first pole since November, 2006, and it was the 29th
of his career.
“(Team owner) Connie (Kalitta), obviously he’s happy, and the whole team is
happy. It’s been awhile. Hopefully this will be the beginning of something
good for us,” he said.
He will have a bye in the first round tomorrow and when reminded of the
incident in Denver where Brandon Bernstein banged the blower on the burnout
during a bye run and couldn’t stage, thus forfeiting the gimme 20 points, he
said, “We won’t do that …”
HIGHT LEADS FORD PARADE AT TOP OF FUNNY CAR FIELD
Kalitta, Line round out provisional No. 1 qualifiers at NHRA Northwest
Nationals
KENT, Wash. – Robert Hight earned the
provisional No. 1 qualifying position in Funny Car after the first two of
four rounds of qualifying were run on Friday at the 23rd annual NHRA
Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.
The other provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 14th of 23 races in the 2010
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season were Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel)
and Jason Line (Pro Stock).
In Funny Car, Hight set the pace with his 4.194-second pass at 291.57 mph in
his Auto Club Ford Mustang.
“It’s supposed to cool off so I don’t know if that 19 is safe,” said Hight,
who praised the track condition. “We knew it was going to be better than
last year and that 4.19 was better than anyone ran all throughout last year
– and it was probably hotter (today than it was at any point in last year’s
race) so hat’s off to Seattle.”
HIGHT STAYS HOT, IN POSITION FOR THIRD STRAIGHT NO.
1 McClenathan, Edwards and Phillips also atop qualifying after two rounds
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. – Funny Car driver Robert
Hight stayed hot on Friday with a 4.025-second pass at 313.00 mph to earn
the provisional Funny Car pole at the 41st annual NHRA Supernationals at Old
Bridge Township Raceway Park.
The other provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 11th of 23 races in the 2010
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season were Cory McClenathan (Top
Fuel), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Michael Phillips (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
The No. 1 qualifier would be the third in a row for Hight and the Auto Club
Ford Mustang team and fifth overall this season. Hight, the defending NHRA
Full Throttle Series champion, has also been to four straight final rounds –
winning three times – to assume the points lead in Funny Car.
"Where was that 4.02 in the final last week in Chicago," said Hight, whose
three-race winning streak was snapped by Matt Hagan last week. "I didn?t
talk to (crew chief) Jimmy (Prock) much before the run. I didn?t know what
he was gonna try to run. Then when we ran that 4.02, I knew (Matt) Hagan was
more than capable of making a better run or maybe Ashley (Force Hood). A
little surprised it held up.
"I used to come here for the Wednesday match races with John's car and it
was always a lot of fun. Tonight reminded me a lot of that," Hight said.
McClenathan secured the provisional No. 1 in the FRAM dragster with the
quickest and second-fastest run since NHRA moved to 1000-foot racing two
years ago, a 3.752-second pass at 324.75 mph. He also set both ends of the
track record.
NHRA STATEMENT
REGARDING HIGH-SPEED CRASH AT NHRA SUPERNATIONALS
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. --
Top Alcohol Funny Car racer Neal Parker, 58, from Millville, N.J.,
crashed today at a high rate of speed in the shutdown area during
qualifying for the NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway
Park and was pronounced dead. NHRA officials and the New Jersey State
Police are investigating the accident. On behalf of everyone at NHRA and
Raceway Park, we are deeply saddened and want to pass along our sincere
condolences to the entire Parker family.
ANTRON BROWN
RACES TO NO. 3 SPOT FRIDAY EVENING AT ENGLISHTOWN
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 11, 2010) - Antron Brown, a New Jersey native,
drove his Don Schumacher-owned Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster to the
provisonal No. 3 qualifying position on Friday evening at Old Bridge
Township Raceway Park. The two-time winner at Raceway Park used a Friday
evening elapsed time of 3.819-seconds to finish third in the order.
Brown enters the 11th race on the 2010 NHRA schedule ranked fifth in the
NHRA Top Fuel standings with three poles and three final round
appearances this season. On Friday's opening qualifying attempt, the
Matco Tools/U.S. Army car posted great early numbers but overpowered the
track as Brown slowed to a run of 4.209 seconds at 227.65 mph. It was
the ninth quickest of the session. On Friday's evening session, the
24-time NHRA winner used a tune-up from crew chiefs Brian Corradi and
Mark Oswald to power the bright blue Matco-backed rail to a lap of 3.817
at 315.86 to finish in the provisional No. 3 qualifying position. Brown
earned the Top Fuel pole at Raceway Park two years ago and qualified
fifth last June at the SuperNationals at 3.871-seconds.
JOLIET,
Ill. (June 6, 2010) - Antron Brown drove his Don Schumacher-owned Matco
Tools/U.S. Army dragster to a second-round finish Sunday afternoon at
Route 66 Raceway. The 24-time NHRA winner remains fifth in the NHRA Top
Fuel standings following 10 of 23 races on the 2010 NHRA schedule.
A day after racing his John Wolfe (Matco Tools' top distributor) tribute
car to the No. 8 qualifying position with an elapsed time of
3.872-seconds, Brown bested local favorite T.J. Zizzo before falling to
No. 1 qualifier Larry Dixon in the quarterfinals. Brown now has a mark
of 13-10 in 23 rounds this season.
As the first pair of cars to race down the Route 66 Raceway track on
Sunday morning, Brown scored the wire-to-wire win in his special John
Wolfe/Matco Tools car. Brown left first and powered his Brian Corradi/Mark
Oswald-tuned car to a lap of 3.899 seconds at 313.15 mph to advance to
the second round and earn his 100th career Top Fuel round win. Zizzo,
who qualified ninth, lost traction in his dragster and slowed to an
elapsed time of 8.067-seconds.
Squaring off against the Al-Anabi team for the third time this season,
Brown posted his quickest lap of the weekend, however it wasn't enough
to defeat the two-time NHRA champion who ran the quickest pass of the
round. Brown powered his John Wolfe/Matco Tools car to a run of 3.839 at
315.78, but Dixon's slightly quicker lap of 3.830 at 317.94 was enough
to card the narrow win. Brown is now 0-3 against the Alan Johnson-owned
car this season.
DIXON, HIGHT, EDWARDS AND TREBLE STAY NO. 1
SATURDAY IN CHICAGO
JOLIET, Ill. – Larry Dixon strengthened his points lead in
Top Fuel as he raced to the No. 1 qualifier at the United Association Route
66 NHRA Nationals.
Robert Hight, Mike Edwards and Craig Treble also took the top spots in their
respective categories at the 10th of 23 events on the NHRA Full Throttle
Drag Racing Series.
Dixon drove his Al-Anabi Racing dragster to the top of the field and posted
a track record of 3.814-seconds at 317.42 mph. It was Dixon’s third No. 1
qualifier of the season and 43rd of his career.
“As in most cases during the year, you have to fire your shot on Friday to
try and get on pole,” said Dixon. “Yesterday as late as we ran, we wanted to
make a good run and fortunately it stuck. Today, it was a little warmer and
the track was a little looser. Fortunatley we stayed on pole. We ran good in
the first session and then had a belt come off on the second run. That cost
us three bonus points but all and all it was a great job by Alan (Johnson,
team manager) and Jason (McCulloch, crew chief).”
Defending world champion Tony Schumacher qualified third for eliminations,
while Top Fuel sensation Antron Brown sits in the eighth spot.
In Funny Car, Robert Hight followed up his success of three consecutive race
wins for the season by racing to the top of the field. Hight drove his Auto
Club Ford Mustang to a 4.067 at 313.15. It’s his fourth of the season and
36th of his career.
“It doesn’t change you mindset,” said Hight, who was set to race teammate
John Force before Cruz Pedregon was disqualified. “We don’t race the other
guy. We go up there and race the conditions. Jimmy knows what he can get
away with based on the conditions. We go up there and do our deal. It was
just like in Topeka when we had a single we would have looked stupid if we
would have gone up there and smoked the tires. What did we do we went out
there and set low ET for the whole weekend. There is no difference in how we
approach racing Justin (Schriefer) or John tomorrow morning. If I try to
make a difference I’ll be late on the light. You have to go up there
assuming the other guy is going to be perfect. You just have to do your job.
If you don’t he is going to beat you.”
BAYTOWN, Texas (April 14, 2010) -- T.J. Zizzo and the PEAK/HERCULINER
Top Fuel team made the most of their 2010 debut at the O'Reilly NHRA Spring
Nationals this past weekend. The team qualified 12th, improving their
position during Saturday's sessions.
"We were happy to be back on the racetrack again," Zizzo said. "It was great
meeting new fans and reintroducing myself to the media."
Mike Kern, crew chief of the Illinois based team was also happy with the
team's first outing. "After a six month layoff we pulled out of the trailer
with a number five qualifying position," Kern said. "After the nitro settled
we ended up 12th."
Zizzo would face NHRA points leader Cory McClenathan in round one of
eliminations on Sunday. While Zizzo's reaction time would match the efforts
of his opponent, McClenathan's car would pull away for the win.
"Overall it was a productive weekend," Zizzo said. "For our first weekend
out it was like a test session. We still need to figure out what the car
wants. The team assembled the car well and they worked well together. I may
not have been the fastest car on the track last weekend, but with PEAK and
HERCULINER standing behind us I'm confident it will allow us to improve in
the future."
HAGAN GETS FIRST WIN; DIXON GETS 50TH AT O’REILLY
AUTO PARTS NHRA SPRING NATIONALS IN HOUSTON:
Funny Car driver and sophomore sensation Matt
Hagan powered his DieHard Dodge Charger to his first career win while Top
Fuel veteran Larry Dixon became only the eighth driver in NHRA history to
earn 50 career wins with his victory over Antron Brown at Sunday’s O’Reilly
Auto Parts Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park. Hagan drove past drag
racing veterans Melanie Troxel, Cruz Pedregon, Tony Pedregon and Jeff Arend
in the final round to earn his spot in the winner’s circle at the end of the
day. “Other than my wife and kids, this is the best feeling in the world,”
said Hagan. “You don’t understand how frustrating it was coming into the
final round, and you’re ready for that first win to be over, well not over,
but you’re ready to have it. It’s one of those things where you can taste
it, you can feel it. You know, it’s just there, and you’re ready to just
grab it. Thank goodness we did that today because that’s the first little
hurdle you have to jump over before you go hunting a championship.” With the
win, Hagan moved from fourth to second in the point standings, but points
leader John Force still has a strong lead over the competition, 70 points
ahead of Hagan. Dixon held off a tough competition all weekend enroute to
his 50th career win and third at Houston Raceway Park, but the work was well
worth the celebration. “Man, No. 50,” said Dixon. “I didn’t even think about
it until they started talking about it (at the top end), but, yeah, that’s
more than I ever thought I’d do in my lifetime, and I’m not done living
yet.” Dixon also moved up from fourth to second in the point standings, just
28 points away from first place Cory McClenathan. For more results, visit
NHRA.com.
ANTRON
BROWN AND MATCO TOOLS DRAGSTER TO VISIT STUDENTS AT WESTERN
TECHNICAL COLLEGE ON APRIL 13
By Ted
Yerzyk
EL PASO, Texas (April 13, 2010) - Antron Brown, driver of the Don
Schumacher Racing-owned Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster, will visit with
students at Western Technical College in El Paso on April 13. The former
college track star at Mercer (N.J.) Community College will speak to
students at Western Tech about education and career choices after
competing at the 23rd annual O'Reilly Spring Nationals, April 9-11, in
Baytown, Texas near Houston. Brown's 7,000-horsepower Matco Tools/U.S.
Army dragster also will be on display.
"I really enjoy these school visits we do for Matco (Tools)," Brown
said. "I was just like many of these students not too long ago when I
was a student at Mercer College in New Jersey. It's nice to give back
and speak to the students about career paths and the importance of
focusing on education. These are the technicians and mechanics of
tomorrow and it's great to meet the students and hopefully deliver a
positive message to them. I think it's great that Matco makes this a top
initiative for the company.
"We went to Western Tech last year after the Houston race and it was
awesome. I was blown away with all the students and how great they
treated us. I can't wait to get back and see Allan Sharpe and all the
students and that awesome Matco Tools store they have a Western Tech."
More career bests for McMillen in qualifying not
enough on Houston race day
BAYTOWN, Texas (April 11, 2010) -- Terry McMillen piloted his
Amalie Oil Top Fuel dragster to his most consistent outing of the 2010 Full
Throttle Drag Racing season. Unfortunately it wouldn't be enough for the
Elkhart, Ind. based team to earn its first round win.
"My guys did such a great job this weekend," McMillen said of his team. "The
Amalie dragster was running like a bracket car all weekend. Losing first
round this weekend hurt more than most." A broken blower snout would cause
the car to lose a cylinder early in the run, eventually pushing the head
gasket
For the fourth time in five races, McMillen's team set new career bests
during qualifying, earning him a new personal best 1000 foot speed (313.73
mph) and his best qualifying position, eighth. Neither would be enough to
overcome David Grubnic's best pass of the weekend in round one.
"You just have to believe that if we keep improving week in and week out,
sooner or later things will start to go our way," a frustrated McMillen
said. "I told my guys that if we keep running like we did this weekend we'll
string together a few round wins."
ANTRON
BROWN RACES TO THIRD STRAIGHT FINAL ROUND SUNDAY AT HOUSTON
By Ted
Yerzyk
BAYTOWN, Texas (April 11, 2010) - Antron Brown drove his Don
Schumacher-owned Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster to a runner-up finish
Sunday afternoon at Houston Raceway Park as the 24-time NHRA winner
moved to fourth in the NHRA Top Fuel standings. Brown advanced to his
third straight final round.
A day after qualifying the Matco Tools/U.S. Army rail in the No. 2
position with a career-best elapsed time at 3.777-seconds, Brown bested
2009 NHRA Rookie of the Year Spencer Massey, starting-line ace Shawn
Langdon, and three-time Top Fuel winner Morgan Lucas, before losing a
tire-smoking final to two-time series champion Larry Dixon.
In the opening round, Brown was paired up against the two-time Top Fuel
winner, who was competing in his first race of the season. Brown got the
jump at the start and raced to the wire-to-wire win in his Matco
Tools/U.S. Army rail. The 22-time pole winner powered to the second
quickest pass of the round at 3.858 seconds at 315.27 mph to outpace
Massey's lap of 4.176 at 235.64. Brown is now 4-3 in seven career races
against Massey. It was Brown's 315th career round win.
Facing Langdon for the second time this season, the former NHRA Super
Comp champion got the jump at the start, but Brown used a tune-up from
crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald to power the bright blue Matco
Tools car to the semifinals in the left lane at H.R.P. Brown's car
clocked a performance of 3.964 at 303.37, while Langdon's rail lost
traction and slowed to an elapsed time of 4.806-seconds. Brown is now
2-0 against Langdon this season.
The former college track star advanced to his third straight final round
by knocking off Lucas in the semifinals with the quickest pass of the
round. The Corradi/Oswald-tuned Matco Tools/U.S. Army car powered to a
pass of 3.873 at 314.17 to advance to Brown's 51st career final round
and third at Houston Raceway Park. Lucas' rail trailed at 4.006 at
298.80.
FORCE EARNS 133rd CAREER NO. 1, FIVE SHY OF WARREN
JOHNSON ON ALL-TIME LIST
Dixon, Edwards and Arana round out No. 1 qualifiers
BAYTOWN, Texas – NHRA legend John Force inched
one step closer to the one major NHRA milestone that eludes him – all-time
No. 1 qualifiers – when he set the Funny Car pace at the 23rd O’Reilly NHRA
Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil on Saturday.
The other No. 1 qualifiers at the fifth of 23 races in the 2010 NHRA Full
Throttle Drag Racing Series season were Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Mike Edwards
(Pro Stock) and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
The No. 1 qualifier for Force – a 4.021-second pass at 316.08 mph from
Friday night – was his second this season and the 133rd of his career,
pulling the driver of the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang to within five of Warren
Johnson (138) for first place on NHRA’s all-time No. 1 qualifiers list.
Force, who has been the Funny Car points leader all season, will open with
No. 16 qualifier Tony Pedregon and the NitroFish Chevy team when final
eliminations begin Sunday at 11 a.m. and he’ll have a shot at the national
record.
He needs to make a pass of 4.061 or better to back up his 4.021, which is
two-hundredths quicker than Ron Capps’ 4.023 mark set at Phoenix in
February, 2009.
“Warren’s a true legend, but I’m thinking about, I get two shots at that
record,” Force said. “There’ll be two shots, first round when it will be
coolest and (if I don’t get it there) I’ll have to make it to the final to
get another shot. If the condition’s are right, we will go for it first
round.”
PAYNE EARNS FIRST PRO MOD NO. 1 QUALIFIER; FALLS TO
TROXEL IN FIRST ROUND OF ELIMINATIONS
BAYTOWN, Texas – Jay Payne raced to his first
career No. 1 qualifier in the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing
Series as qualifying came to an end Saturday at Houston Raceway Park.
Payne drove his 1968 supercharged Camaro to a 5.813-second run at 246.21 mph
to take his first career No. 1 in the series, but Payne was unable to get
around Melanie Troxel in the first round of eliminations.
Troxel, who also competes in the Funny Car class in the NHRA Full Throttle
Drag Racing Series, was able to pull away from Payne in the first round,
driving her 1963 Corvette to a 6.222 at 242.50. Troxel had qualified 16th,
barely making the field, but was able to power past Payne to advance.
“You say never give up on race day, but there comes a time, especially in
the Pro Mod class, because the window of what you can get away with in those
cars is smaller than most classes,” said Troxel. “The second time I pedaled
the car (Jay Payne) was at least eight car lengths ahead of me. I thought,
‘This is stupid, pedaling the car when he is that far out from me.’ It
cleared up by half track and I decided to run it on through. By the time I
got it in high gear, I thought I was reeling him in awfully fast.”
ANTRON
BROWN RACES TO NO. 2 SPOT AT HOUSTON, CLOCKS CAREER-BEST E.T. AND SPEED
By Ted
Yerzyk
BAYTOWN, Texas (April 10, 2010) - Antron Brown raced his Don
Schumacher-owned Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster to the No. 2 qualifying
position Saturday evening at Houston Raceway Park after a rain-filled
morning at the 23rd annual O'Reilly Spring Nationals. The 24-time NHRA
used a career-best elapsed time of 3.777-seconds to finish second in the
16-car order.
A day after racing to the provisional pole with a lap of 3.803 seconds
at 317.64 mph, the Matco Tools flagship driver posted his quickest and
fastest pass of the 2010 season to remain atop the 16-car Top Fuel
field. Brown used a tune-up from crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark
Oswald to power the Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster to a run of 3.794 at
321.96, a career-best speed, to improve upon Friday's provisional pole
run of 3.803-seconds. On his final qualifying effort, under the lights
in Baytown, Brown blistered the H.R.P. track in 3.777 at 318.09 to
clocked his quickest 1,000-foot pass. Brown took the win light next to
two-time champion Larry Dixon, who earned the pole with an elapsed time
of 3.772-seconds. Brown's DSR and U.S. Army Racing teammate Tony
Schumacher was third at 3.785-seconds. Brown has qualified fourth,
first, third and second at the last four races on the 2010 NHRA
schedule. His average qualifying position in five races is 4.2.
"We had an awesome day," Brown said. "We just missed it on that last
run. We were going 285 (mph) at half track and the engine let loose just
a tad bit early. We should have had the pole and maybe the quickest pass
ever, but it's all good for our DSR Matco Tools team. We had great Matco
support here in Houston and we're going to go out and race smart, take
it one round at at time and try to repeat what we did here two years
ago."
ANTRON BROWN
RACES TO PROVISIONAL POLE FRIDAY AT HOUSTON
BAYTOWN, Texas (April 9, 2010) - Antron Brown powered his Don
Schumacher-owned Matco Tools dragster to the provisional No. 1
qualifying postion Friday evening at Houston Raceway Park as he looks to
earn a second straight pole at the O'Reilly Spring Nationals. Brown's
elapsed time of 3.803-seconds paced the Top Fuel field on the opening
day of qualifying at the Houston-area track.
Brown entered the fifth race on the 2010 NHRA schedule ranked fifth in
the NHRA Top Fuel standings. On his first qualifying attempt on a
beautiful afternoon at Houston Raceway Park, Brown's bright blue Matco
Tools/U.S. Army rail overpowered the 103-degree race track and slowed to
a lap of 7.339 seconds at 85.77 mph. Only Brown's DSR teammate and
current points leader Cory McClenathan made a full lap in the FRAM
dragster in the right lane in the first qualifying session.
On Friday's second attempt, the Matco Tools/U.S. Army car was in the
second pair of cars to blast down the H.R.P. strip. Racing out of the
left lane, Brown used a tune-up from crew chiefs Brian Corradi and Mark
Oswald to card the quickest run of the day at 3.803 seconds at 317.64
mph. Brown has two career poles at the Houston race and was the top
qualifier at the Gainesville, Fla. race last month. He has 22 career No.
1 qualifying awards. Brown's U.S. Army Racing teammate Tony Schumacher
finished fifth at 3.848-seconds.
Bench racing is over - Zizzo returns from Spain
ready for Houston
BAYTOWN, Texas (April 6, 2010) -- If competition in NHRA Full
Throttle Drag Racing isn't fierce enough on the track, you can always follow
the competition away from the track as well. "I was hoping to have lost more
weight than Cory Mac (McClenathan)," Zizzo laughed. "I ran into him at an
event this winter and he looked lean. I had lost 12 lbs. until I ate all of
those Tapas in Spain. So, now my dad will have to squeeze me in the car with
a shoehorn."
Fresh from a trip to Barcelona Spain to make good on a 15-year-old promise
to his wife, T.J. Zizzo had time to reflect on the task of competing at this
weekend's O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park.
During a long winter of "bench racing", teams, crew chiefs and drivers spend
endless hours toiling and tuning their dragsters to new world records - or
at least new personal bests. The PEAK / HERCULINER Top Fuel team from Zizzo
Racing is no different.
"We just dug the transporter out of a snow bank three weeks ago," Zizzo
said. "Now, I return from Spain and it's 80 degrees in 'Chitown'. That is
crazy. We did a lot of bench racing over the winter. According to our bench
racing numbers, we're going to run 3.86 at 315 mph on our first pass in
Houston... I love bench racing!"
Zizzo spent his winter managing the family auto body business and updating
the racing equipment with the team, and he's confident they're ready.
"I know we'll need a few runs to get up to speed. There is never enough
time, but we are as ready as we have ever been. I will need to dust the cob
webs off my driving suit and get the paint fumes out of my head from
painting cars 12 hours a day. That first pass might be a little bit of shock
to my system."
FORCE EARNS PROVISIONAL NO. 1, CLOSES IN ON
ALL-TIME RECORD
Brown, Edwards and Arana round out No. 1
qualifiers
BAYTOWN, Tex. – The ageless John Force earned
the provisional pole in Funny Car with a 4.021-second pass at 316.08 mph on
the first day of qualifying at the 23rd annual O’Reilly NHRA Spring
Nationals Friday.
The other provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the fifth of 23 races in the 2010
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season were Antron Brown (Top Fuel),
Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
Force, now 60 years old, has already won twice this season in his Castrol
GTX Ford Mustang and if the No. 1 holds up it would be the 133rd of his
career, leaving him just five shy of Warren Johnson (138) on the all-time
No. 1 qualifier list. It’s really the one major NHRA milestone that the
14-time NHRA champion and current points leader does not possess.
Force co-crew chief “Mike Neff said ‘Hang on. I’ll give you eight cylinders
and a smooth clutch transition and you keep it in the groove’ – which I know
how to do – ‘and it’ll go down there’ … and it went,” Force said of the run
that was the second quickest at 1000 feet.
The stunning pass continues a season-long resurgence for Force, who has led
the points from Day 1 in 2010 after a three-year stretch from 2007-2009 in
which he never led the points.
“My dad always told me, ‘If there’s no oranges on the ground, shake the tree
and you’ll have lots of oranges’ and I just kept shaking the tree … I shook
our tree and out of it comes, so far so good,” Force said.
There were also a couple of spectacular explosions in the final Funny Car
session, first Robert Hight’s Auto Club Ford popped near the finish line and
then Tony Pedregon’s NitroFish Chevy blew up sending his body up some 25
feet in the air. Neither driver was injured.
PAYNE TAKES PROVISIONAL TOP SPOT IN PRO MOD
QUALIFYING AT O’REILLY NHRA SPRING NATIONALS
BAYTOWN, Texas – Jay Payne raced to the
provisional No. 1 qualifying lead Friday as the second round of NHRA Get
Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series qualifying came to an end at
Houston Raceway Park.
Payne, of Ontario, Calif., drove his supercharged 1968 Camaro to a
5.813-second run at 246.21 mph to the provisional top spot of the field. For
Payne, it would be his first official No. 1 qualifier at the second event of
the inaugural season of the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing
Series.
“We ran a potential world record in Gainesville (5.809) but we didn’t back
it up so maybe this time we can get it done,” said Payne. “The No. 1 goal is
winning the race. That never changes. If we can set a national record along
the way, all the better.”
Raymond Commisso currently sits third in the field with a run of 5.852 at
251.20. NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series driver Melanie Troxel is in
the 16th spot just in the field with her Friday run of 6.072 at 243.99.
Qualifying continues Saturday with sessions at 1:15 p.m. along with the
first round of eliminations at 4 p.m. Eliminations will continue on Sunday.
2010 Track Champions crowned at Red River Co-op Speedway
Shane Edginton #5E is the 2010 Track Champion in the
WISSOTA Modified division at Winnipeg's Red River Co-op Speedway. Edginton
finished the season a slim one point ahead of veteran racer Rick Delaine and
only five points up on Luke Dykstra #44D and Danny Staff #7 who were both
tied for third place in track points. Also winning track championships at
the speedway were, Ricky Weiss (Late Model), Colin Kendall (Super Stock),
Lee McRae (Super Truck), Henry Peters (Street Stock), and Roland Bernard
(Lightning Sprint). Photo by Tim Johnson
Ward Imrie #10 won an exciting WISSOTA Modified feature
race at Winnipeg's Red River Co-op Speedway on Thursday night, August 19,
2010.(Photo by
Tim Johnson)
Dykstra leads Mod points at Red River Co-op Speedway
Luke Dykstra #44D holds a slim 3 point lead over Shane
Edginton #5E in the WISSOTA Modified division at Red River Co-op Speedway.
(Photo by Tim Johnson)
Current RRCS point standings as of August 12, 2010
CLICK HERE
Tim Shaffer of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, won an epic 50th Annual Goodyear
Knoxville Nationals presented by Lucas Oil at the Knoxville Raceway in
Knoxville, Iowa, on Saturday, August 14. The win was worth $150,000 and was
the first time a brand-new winner was crowned since 2006.
This year’s championship main was historic because it was the first time in
history that 50 laps were run and the race included an all-inclusive pit
stop. Nationals championships in previous years had been 30 laps until 2009
when the race was 40 laps and included a stop for fuel only. This race was
the longest in the history of this race track.
It was likely to be remembered as one of the most dramatic races in this
track’s history too. Shaffer started seventh on the grid and was relatively
quiet through much of the race.
Outside front-row starter Sammy Swindell grabbed the early lead from
polesitter Brian Brown on the first lap. Brown stayed with the 1983
Nationals champion though and the pair nearly came together as they crossed
the line at lap three.
Joey Saldana’s machine went up in a puff of smoke at lap seven. The lead
pair was just about to come to traffic when the yellow flag came out a lap
later as Saldana was limping to the pits.
Zach Naastad #z17 thought he had the WISSOTA Midwest Modified
Feature race in the bag at River Cities Speedway on Friday night. After
leading all but the final lap, Naastad was passed by RCS Points leader Aaron
Olson in the #14 just feet from the finish line. (photo by Tim Johnson)
Friday the 13th was lucky for Ryan Pommerer #5P as he won the
WISSOTA Street Stock Feature at River Cities Speedway. Just his second
visit to the Grand Forks, North Dakota track this season.
(Photo by Tim Johnson)
Exciting night at Red River Co-op Speedway
Colin Kendall #k9 was the WISSOTA Super Stock feature winner
on Thursday night at Winnipeg's Red River Co-op Speedway.
Glen Manning got his first Super Truck feature win on August
12th at Red River Co-op Speedway. (Photos by Tim
Johnson)
Jamie Vernaus violently flipped his #2T Super Truck on the
front straight at Winnipeg's Red River Co-op Speedway during the Super Truck
Feature on Thursday night. Jamie walked away from this scary wreck. (Photo
by Kaz)
A Look Ahead to the 2010 Gold Rush Tour for the World of Outlaws
(2010 file photo by Tim Johnson)
By Tony Veneziano
Concord, NC-August 11, 2010- With another of the closest point races in
World of Outlaws history taking shape, the upcoming Gold Rush Tour will play
a pivotal role in helping determine the 2010 champion, as 21 A-Feature
events remain on the season, with 11 of those taking place during the Gold
Rush Tour, which will take the series to six different tracks in four states
and one Canadian Province. Nearly $150,000 will be on the line to win those
events from a total purse of well over a half-a-million dollars for the 11
races, with the highlights being the $50,000 to-win Gold Cup Raceway of
Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California and the $20,000
to-win the finale at Skagit Speedway in Washington.
The 2010 Gold Rush Tour kicks off on Friday, August 20 and Saturday, August
21 at Nodak Speedway in Minot, North Dakota with the Gerdau Ameristeel Magic
City Showdown Presented by Sleep Inn & Suites, which will mark the World of
Outlaws first-ever two-day event at the recently reconfigured 3/8-mile, with
its brand new state-of-the-art grandstand, which is closer to the racing
surface to provide enhanced viewing. Danny Lasoski was victorious at Nodak
Speedway last season and there has been a different winner in each of the
World of Outlaws four races at the track dating back to 2006.
The series then heads north of the border for the final time this season for
the Fourth Annual Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada on Friday, August 27 and Saturday, August 28. Joey Saldana, the
current World of Outlaws point leader, won both nights of the Oil City Cup
last season, while Steve Kinser, Jason Meyers, Donny Schatz and Jac
Haudenschild are all former winners at the always racy 3/8-mile in Western
Canada.
Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon then awaits the best sprint car drivers in
the world on Wednesday, September 1 for a full night of racing at the
high-banked Ľ-mile bullring. Jason Meyers is the defending race winner at
the track, while each of the four drivers that are currently at the top of
the World of Outlaws standings have won at Cottage Grove Speedway. Steve
Kinser and Danny Lasoski are tied for the most wins at the track with the
series, with three apiece, while Donny Schatz has two victories at Cottage
Grove. Nine different drivers have picked up wins with the series at the
track.
Following a travel day, the Gold Rush Tour continues at Skagit Speedway in
Washington on Friday, September 3 and Saturday, September 4 for two full
nights of racing, with a $20,000 top prize awaiting the winner of the
finale. Jason Meyers scored the then-richest win of his career last season
at Skagit Speedway, while Joey Saldana was victorious in the opener. A total
of nine drivers have won A-Feature events with the series at the high-banked
bullring dating back to 1978.
Mahder Making Most of Rookie Run
Rocco Maintains NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Lead
Chad Mahder in Victory Lane at Cedar Lake Speedway. (photo Courtesy of CLS)
By Jason Christley, NASCAR
August 10, 2010
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – When the regional touring series Chad Mahder ran last
year in Iowa closed down, he went looking for something closer to home. The
25-year-old from Eou Claire, Wisc., found it in the form of Cedar Lake
Speedway in New Richmond, Wisc.
He also found plenty of success.
Mahder, who is coming off a weekend where he finished first and third in
twin features, has six wins and nine top fives in 12 races in his first year
running in a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Feature Division. That has
him leading the track’s Impact Printing Late Model Division, fifth in the
Wisconsin state standings and, at 40th in the national standings, Mahder is
the highest rookie.
The Rookie of the Year Award presented by Jostens is open to any first-year
NASCAR Feature Division license holder and is awarded on the U.S. state and
Canadian provincial level as well as to the highest finishing rookie in the
nation. California’s Jacob Gomes won the national Rookie of the Year last
year.
“Once things started clicking, they were really clicking,” said Mahder of
his success this year.
The same can be said for Keith Rocco, who picked up his 18th win of the
season last Saturday at Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl and moved within two
races of a perfect season. The 25-year-old from Wallingford, Conn., has led
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national points standings the entire
season. Sixteen of the 18 wins Rocco has collected at the three Connecticut
short tracks he’s run on a regular basis – Thompson International Speedway
on Thursdays, Stafford Motor Speedway on Fridays, and Waterford on Saturdays
– have come with a maximum field of 20 cars for 45 points.
Brent Larson Dominates Second Night of NASCAR Action During USA
Nationals!
8/7/2010 New Richmond, WI- On Friday night, Brent Larson had
to race his way from the back of the pack following an early caution to earn
a fourth place finish. On Saturday night at the USA Nationals, Larson found
his outside front row starting position in the 30 lap NASCAR Late Model main
event much more to his liking. With five-time and Friday night winner Chad
Mahder drawing the pole position, many on-lookers wondered if he would race
to his sixth win at CLS this season. Larson had a different agenda though,
as the Lake Elmo, Minnesota driver dominated the feature race. A strong
field of 34 NASCAR Late Models were on hand to run a full program as the
companion division to the World of Outlaws late models. A very large crowd,
one of the biggest in track history, filled the popular western Wisconsin
Cedar Lake Speedway for the final night of the 23rd Annual USA Nationals.
The NASCAR Late Models lined up prior to the prestigious USA National 100
for their 30 lap feature event. Chad Mahder and Brent Larson brought the 24
car field to the green. Unlike the previous night, the main event would run
the full 30 lap distance nonstop. Larson gained the advantage over Mahder on
the opening lap and would never look back, as the 2008 track champion raced
to his first victory of the season at CLS. Mahder fell into the runner-up
spot ahead of Pete Parker and Toby Patchen in the early part of the race.
Ashley Anderson moved by Patchen for fourth on lap seven and then snuck
under Parker the next time around for third. Ninth starter Pat Doar began to
make his presence felt in the top five one lap later.
Chad Mahder Drives to Fifth Win During USA Nationals!
8/6/2010 New Richmond, WI- Chad Mahder has been on a role
this season in the NASCAR Late Model division at the Cedar Lake Speedway.
The Eau Claire, Wisconsin driver picked up where he left off the previous
weekend to score his fifth victory of the season during the Friday night
show at the USA Nationals. A season-high 45 NASCAR Late Models signed into
the pits for a full night of racing action in front of a large crowd on a
pleasant summer evening.
Mahder's victory did not come easy though, as he started ninth in the 24 car
field and steadily moved forward during a series of early cautions. A crash
on the opening lap knocked out Ashley Anderson while another incident just
one lap into the race sidelined Adam Hensel and forced Brent Larson to the
work area with a flat tire. The third caution flew with just two laps in for
a Jim Carlson spin. One lap later, a six car crash triggered by Jim
Bruggeman brought the race under the red flag and eliminated the cars of
Eric Pember, Eric Breeschoten, Scott Greer and Bruggeman. Mahder was running
seventh at this point, but he would soon move into the top five just a
couple of laps later.
Three laps after the green replaced the red, the race was under its final
caution when leader Rick Hanestad suddenly shut his car down in turn two and
rolled to a stop. This handed the lead over to A. J. Diemel who had worked
his way past Mike Nutzmann two laps earlier. On the restart, it was Diemel,
Nutzmann, Mahder, Pat Doar, and Terry Anvelink occupying the first five
positions. The race would then run twenty two laps nonstop to the finish.
World of Outlaws Championship Standings Tighten After Ironman 55 Weekend
Joey Saldana (photo by Tim Johnson)
By Tony Veneziano
Concord, NC—August 8, 2010— The World of Outlaws championship standings
remain extremely close following the Ironman 55 Weekend at I-55 Raceway,
which culminated on Saturday night with the Second Annual Ironman 55, the
longest, most grueling event of the season for the World of Outlaws. Joey
Saldana, Steve Kinser and Jason Meyers are separated by just 46 points, with
Saldana leading Kinser by a mere nine markers with Meyers third, only 37
points behind Kinser who is second and 46 behind Saldana.
Saldana charged from 19th to seventh in the opener of the Ironman and was
fifth in the finale to earn his 29th Top-Five finish of the season. He
continues to lead the series in wins with 10 and is also on top of the
leader board in laps led as he battles for his first World of Outlaws title.
Kinser finished fourth on Friday night and sixth on Saturday night to add to
his series leading total of Top-Five and Top-10 finishes. The 20-time series
champion has 44 Top-10 runs with 31 of those being Top-Five performances as
he seeks his record 21st title.
Meyers finished sixth in the opener at I-55 Raceway and led 27 laps en route
to the $20,000 win in the finale, which was his eighth win of the season,
which is second only to Saldana. The California native has 38 Top-10
finishes on the year with 25 Top-Fives as he chases his first series title.
An Amazing Race: Jason Meyers Wins Ironman 55 & $20,000 in Thrilling
Fashion over Lucas Wolfe
Jason Meyers #14 (2010 file photo by Tim Johnson)
By Tony Veneziano
Pevely, MO-August 7, 2010- 55 laps at I-55 Raceway and the Second Annual
Ironman 55 came down to the final one and just a couple of feet on the race
track as Jason Meyers won a thriller over Lucas Wolfe on the final circuit.
Wolfe used a huge slide job coming off turn four to take the lead on the
55th and final lap, with Meyers winning a drag race down the front
straightaway by a mere 0.092 seconds, which was the closest finish of the
season.
The $20,000 win for Meyers was his eighth of the season and his second
career triumph at I-55 Raceway, where he has finished in the Top-10 in each
of his last seven starts at the high-banked 1/3-mile co-owned by Ken
Schrader and Ray Marlar. The win helped Meyers close to within 46 markers of
current point leader Joey Saldana, who finished fifth, while he is just 37
points behind Steve Kinser, who finished sixth on Saturday night and is
currently second in the standings.
"To win any race here, let alone a 55-lap race is pretty special," said
Meyers. "We had a great race car tonight and learned some things last night
that we were able to use tonight. We just keep getting better day after day.
We struggled a bit here in the middle of the season and kept digging and
kept our heads down. This entire team is doing an amazing job."
Meyers took the lead from Tim Shaffer on the 29th lap on the low side of
turns one and two and quickly opened a gap once out front. The native of
Clovis, California was credited with leading a total of 26 laps en route to
the victory. He started on the outside of the front row aboard the GLR
Investments KPC and chased Tim Shaffer who started on the pole in the early
going, before Sam Hafertepe Jr. took the second spot on the seventh lap.
Meyers would move back into the runner-up spot 10 laps later and then worked
on Shaffer for the next 13 laps.
"It was a long race and we were a little tight at the beginning, but we set
up for that," explained the winner. "I waited for the car to kind of come to
me and it did after the fuel came off a little bit. It ended up being a very
good car tonight."
The Survivor: Bloomquist Fights Through All Obstacles To Win Record-Tying
Fifth USA Nationals 100 At Cedar Lake Speedway
By Kevin Kovac
NEW RICHMOND, WI - Aug. 7, 2010 - Scott Bloomquist fought through all
obstacles to win a record-tying fifth USA Nationals trophy on Saturday night
at Cedar Lake Speedway.
Nothing could stop the superstar driver from Mooresburg, Tenn., from
pocketing the $50,000 top prize in the 23rd annual event presented by the
U.S. Steel Corporation. He came back from an early spin, a late-race pit
stop and a penalty for moving during a red flag to outduel fellow dirt Late
Model legend Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., for the lead on lap 96 of the
100-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series A-Main.
Bloomquist, 46, proved to be a survivor, reaching the checkered flag first
in a rough-and-tumble race that saw just five cars finish on the lead lap
and eight cars still running at the end. The century grind was slowed by 13
caution flags and one red flag and lasted one hour, 18 minutes.
“The track was real demanding,” Bloomquist said of the heavy, high-speed
surface conditions that prevailed on the three-eighths-mile oval. “We
definitely showed you have to have a strong, tough race car to make it
through this thing – and we build some good cars.”
Tim Shaffer Slices to Win Opener of the Ironman 55 at I-55 Raceway
Tim Shaffer #83 (2010 file photo by Tim Johnson)
By Tony Veneziano
Pevely, MO-August 6, 2010- Tim Shaffer has been the hottest driver in all of
racing over the last week. Heading into the opener of the Ironman 55 weekend
on Friday night at I-55 Raceway, the veteran had won in four straight starts
over a six-day span. He extended that streak to five consecutive wins in
seven days, as he was victorious in the opener of the two-day event at the
high-banked 1/3-mile bullring.
Shaffer started on the front row of the 30-lapper and chased Jason Sides,
who started on the pole, in the early going. For Shaffer, it was his first
World of Outlaws win of the season and the 13th of his career.
"It was a team effort on everyone's part," said Shaffer. "We have a lot of
people with this team that can't come to the races all the time and I want
to thank every one of them. Aaron Call and Janet Holbrook gave us a great
opportunity and a great team and we are trying to make the best we can and
it's working out. It makes it special that we can win races for them and
it's just fun."
Shaffer used lapped traffic to his advantage on the seventh lap, powering
his way to the outside of Sides coming off the high side of turn two aboard
the Kistler Engines J&J. Once out front, Shaffer set sail, slicing his way
through lapped traffic to open a sizeable lead on the Jason Sides. He had
Sides and Craig Dollansky gain some ground on him in the late going, with
Dollansky finishing just a half-a-second behind and Sides only
eighth-tenths-of-a-second back in third.
"I was too tight early and couldn't do anything with him," Shaffer
explained. "I did have to wait, not that I wanted to, but the car was making
me and it worked out to our advantage. Sometimes in lapped traffic running
second is better, then I got the lead and had to worry about it, but it
worked out for me and just made the right decisions and here we are."
Current WISSOTA Late Model Points leader Ricky Weiss #7 of
St. Francois Xavier, MB is shown at River Cities Speedway (Grand Forks, ND) with Joel
Cryderman #51 of Thunder Bay, Ontario on the high side. Ricky powered his
Late Model into the lead and went on to win the Friday night Feature race,
his second win in two nights, the first coming at Winnipeg's Red River Co-op
Speedway on Thursday July 29, 2010. (photo by Tim Johnson)
Bob Martin wins Sprint Car Feature at River Cities Speedway
Bob Martin #10 got the win in the NOSA Sprint Car Feature at
River Cities Speedway on Friday night July 30, 2010. Winnipeg's Thomas
Kennedy #20k finished a close second followed by Lou Kennedy in the # 21k.
(photo by Tim Johnson)
Schatz takes All Star Sprint Feature at Red River
Valley Speedway
Donny Schatz #15 races side by side with Tony Stewart in the
#20 on Thursday night during the All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car
Feature at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, North Dakota. Donny went
on to win the feature over All Star points leader Tim Shaffer (2nd) and Tim
Kaeding (3rd). (photo by Tim Johnson)
Veert gets Super Stock win at Red River Co-op
Speedway
Paul Veert #88 was the WISSOTA Super Stock Feature winner at
Winnipeg's Red River Co-op Speedway on Thursday July 29, 2010. The other
feature winners included, Ricky Weiss - WISSOTA Late Model, Luke Dykstra -
WISSOTA Modified, Darren Pallen - Super Truck, and Henry Peters - WISSOTA
Street Stock. (photo by Kaz)
Craig Dollansky Dominates at Cedar Lake Speedway: Scores Second Win of
2010
By Tony Veneziano / Photo Courtesy Stan Meissner
New
Richmond, WI- July 11, 2010- While he receives the accolades and the big
check following a win, Craig Dollansky always is quick to credit his crew
and entire team for their hard work and dedication, which play a very key
component to being successful on the road with the World of Outlaws.
Dollansky showed the important of a total team effort on Sunday night, as he
came out on top at Cedar Lake Speedway in Wisconsin to earn his second
A-Feature win of the season with the series and his second career win at the
high-banked 3/8-mile.
The native of Elk River, Minnesota had a couple of different drivers chasing
him over the course of the 30-lap contest, as first Jason Sides, who started
on the pole looked for the top spot at the drop of the green. Sammy Swindell
then moved into second and challenged Dollansky, before Jason Meyers moved
into the runner-up spot later in the race and got alongside the leader a
couple of times just prior to the halfway points of the race.
"It feels great to win," said Dollansky. "We have a very strong team here
and everyone works so hard and they certainly deserve to win. It's been a
long time since we won a race this year and it's not from a lack of effort,
that's for sure. It takes a lot of work to get that done. We had a good dash
draw which helped as well, but when you have something like that you have to
capitalize on it. I was trying to not give the race away. I feel like I have
given a couple away this year and was trying not to beat myself."
Dollansky was out front for three double file restarts on Sunday night and
chose the low line on the first two and moved to the top of the high-banked
3/8-mile for the final restart on the 14th lap aboard the Big Game
Treestands Maxim. He used a strong start each time to charge into turns one
and two as the leader.
"I did not want to give it away," shared the veteran driver, when asked
about the move to the top on the double file restart. "I was in the lead at
Grand Forks (River Cities Speedway) and gave it away on that final restart
and I didn't want to let my team down tonight. My team has worked hard and
we have had a couple of races slip away by my fault and a couple of
mechanical problems. This is a great team.
The start of Sunday night's racing program was delayed a couple of hours by
rain, which marked the second straight night that rain pushed back the start
of a World of Outlaws event. Dollansky had a large contingent cheering for
him at Cedar Lake, where he picked up his second career win.
"Given the rain they got, my hat is off to these guys," shared Dollansky.
"They did a great job tonight. It's great to win with a lot of family and
friends here and with our car owner Tod Quiring in the house. I couldn't be
happier for everyone involved."
Shane Stewart Storms to Lucas Oil ASCS Victory Lane at I-90!
Eventual winner Shane Stewart (57) battles with Jack Dover (53) in the
early rounds of Saturday night's Lucas Oil ASCS National feature event at
South Dakota's I-90 Speedway.
(Photo by Lonnie Wheatley)
By Lonnie Wheatley,
HARTFORD, S.D. (July 10, 2010) - Reigning Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N
Filters National Champion Shane Stewart of Bixby, OK, was just fast enough
on Saturday night to capture his first series win of the year atop I-90
Speedway's high-banked, 3/8-mile dirt oval.
Stewart bested not only a rugged field of 51 competitors, but also got the
nod over Mother Nature even though the scheduled 30-lapper was declared
complete after eleven rounds when the skies opened up with severe
thunderstorm activity and drenched the Hartford clay in short order.
After starting sixth, Stewart took the point away from early pacesetter
Austen Wheatley on the seventh round as lightning flashed and strong winds
blew across the track.
When Wheatley flipped in turn two on the twelfth lap, collecting fourth and
ninth runners Brady Bacon and Tim Crawley in the melee, Stewart was in the
right position for the $6,000 victory aboard Paul Silva's Wesmar-powered
Rock Star Energy Drink No. 57 A.R.T. as the skies opened up to bring an
early end to the night at just 9:20 p.m. after a 7:45 p.m. heat race start.
With inclement weather fast approaching through the night, the Lucas Oil
Sprint Car portion of the card was moved up in the order of events with heat
races run first, followed by stock car heats, Lucas Oil ASCS "B" Mains,
modified heats and then the Lucas Oil ASCS "A" Main.
Dain Naida reached ASCS Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP victory lane at
Michigan's Owendale Speedway on Saturday night. (Photo by T.J. Buffenbarger)
By T.J. Buffenbarger,
OWENDALE, Mich. (July 10, 2010) - Dain Naida won Saturday
night's Engine Pro ASCS Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP feature at Owendale
Speedway during Super Race Day. Naida started on the outside of the front
row and held onto the lead through several late race restarts for the
victory. The win was Naida's first of the season in ASCS SOD competition
this season and second during his 2010 campaign.
"This is the first time my son has ever been at the track when I won a
race," said Naida while holding four year old son Darren. "My crew chief Dan
McCarron made all of the right calls and the car was really hooked up in the
feature."
Jim Goetgeluck and Naida shared the front row for the 25-lap feature. Naida
jumped into the lead early while Ryan Grubaugh and Louie Carufel swapped
second place back several times during the first half of the feature.
While the first fourteen laps clicked off with no interruption, Naida had to
wait through multiple cautions during the second half of the feature,
including a multiple car accident involved Robert Huisken, Gavin Hunyady,
Ben Rutan, Tank Brakenberry, and others.
Sean McClelland Scores in ASCS Red River Challenge at Lawton
Sean McClelland took top honors in Saturday night's ASCS Red River Challenge
by topping the American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region vs. ASCS Lone
Star main event at Lawton Speedway. (Michael Jackson photo)
By Lonnie Wheatley,
LAWTON, Okla. (July 10, 2010) - Sean McClelland struck a blow
for the American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Regional forces by topping the
third round of the ASCS Red River Challenge at Lawton Speedway on Saturday
night.
The past ASCS Sooner Region champion led all 25 rounds of the ASCS Sooner
vs. Lone Star main event en route to his 13th career overall ASCS feature
win and first since a Sooner score in Oklahoma City in August of 2008.
McClelland held off defending ASCS Sooner champ Joe Wood, Jr., in the final
rounds for the win, with Wood, Jr., settling for runner-up honors after
starting 18th.
Kolt Walker led the ASCS Lone Star forces with a third place finish, with
fellow Texas shoes Scot Reneau and Martin Edwards rounding out the top five.
Sooner shoe Chris Lloyd, two-time Sooner champ Brian McClelland, current
Lone Star points leader Eric Baldaccini, past Sooner champion Danny Jennings
and Lone Star rep John Ricketts completed the top ten.
Edwards, Kevin Ramey, Baldaccini and Robert Sellers topped heat race action
for the 28-car field, with Ricketts winning the "B" Main. Sellers was unable
to fire for the main event, while Ramey turned over while running among the
top five.
BILLY "THE KID" PAUCH IS LATEST ENTRY TO CHASE ROC 'N ROLL
$5,000 TO WIN AT GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY WEDNESDAY NIGHT
BOB MILLER
JULY 11, 2010
The NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series will
present for the first time ever, the Race of Champions (ROC) Double-Header
of Big Block Modifieds and Sportsman on Wednesday night, July 14th at the
Grandview Speedway. There is a buzz about for this event and the latest
entry, Billy "The Kid" Pauch will certainly add to the building excitement.
Pauch owns hundreds of modified wins and he'll be glad to add another one to
the list, especially with the $5,000 first place prize up for grabs in the
60 lap Big Block Modified feature. BPG Racing/Chad Sinon Motorsports
recently sweetened the pot, bumping the first place prize from $4,000 to
$5,000 in the ROC N ROLL event on the Hill Wednesday night. General
admission for Adults is $20, children 6-11 $5 and children under 6 will be
admitted for free.
Interesting fact, Billy Pauch is the winningest sprint car driver in Thunder
on the Hill history with eleven wins, but in forty-one modified events,
Pauch is still looking for his first modified win under the Thunder on the
Hill banner. Of course, Pauch has won many races at Grandview competing in
their weekly Saturday night 358 Modifieds. Joining Pauch on an expected
star-filled roster is the Doctor himself, Danny Johnson, Brett Hearn, ROC
Point Leader Pat Ward, Wade Hendrickson, Stewart Friesen, Bobby Varin and
Gary Tomkins. Local Thunder favorites looking to protect their home turf
include Craig VonDohren, Duane Howard, Jeff Strunk, Ryan Godown, Rick
Laubach, Billy Pauch Jr, Jimmy Horton and Mike Gular just to name a few.
RAIN STOPS RANDY WEST FOR ONE WEEK, RISLONE URC SPRINTS EYE A BUSY ENDING
TO JULY. . .
FAST TRACK 360 Sprint Shoot Out at Rolling Wheels Quickly Approaching
By BOB MILLER
The forecast of heavy rain most of the day on Saturday, forced the
management of the Bridgeport Speedway to cancel their scheduled racing event
that included the Rislone URC Sprints. Randy West of Boyertown, PA won the
URC feature last Saturday night at the New Egypt Speedway and was looking
for a double. West will have to wait until next Saturday night, July 17 when
URC heads to the Lincoln Speedway.
A busy two day URC weekend is on tap July 23rd and July 24 at
the Rolling Wheels Raceway with The Fast Track 360 Sprint Car Summer Shoot
out. The Friday night event will offer the attractive URC weekly payout of
$2,000 to win the 25 lap feature event. The following night will be The Fast
Track 360 Sprint Summer Shoot out Final, paying $3,000 to the winner. The
Rislone URC Sprint Series will close out the month at the Delaware
International Speedway on Saturday night, July 31.
The two-day Fast Track 360 Sprint Shoot out is sanctioned by the United
Racing Company, but the field of competitors will stretch far and beyond
just the best of URC. A field of more then sixty 360 sprint cars are
expected for this first time ever, mid-summer sprint car shoot out. In the
past, Rolling Wheels was the long time home of the New Sprint Challenge
event held during Super DIRT weekend. That event now moves to the Weedsport
Speedway as the Rolling Wheels Raceway welcomes the two day Fast Track 360
Sprint Shoot out.
River Cities Speedway Fans Ready For Another World of Outlaws Late Model
Series Thriller On Friday Night (July 9)
Rick Eckert #24E and Clint Smith #44 are shown in action at River Cities
Speedway in 2009.
By Kevin Kovac / photo by Tim Johnson
GRAND FORKS, ND – July 7, 2010 – There’s just one question
that needs to be answered when the World of Outlaws Late Model Series makes
its annual visit to River Cities Speedway on Friday night (July 9).
What kind of wild moment will make the $10,000-to-win, 50-lap A-Main a
thriller this year?
No stalwart track on the renowned national tour has consistently produced
more memorable action over the past three years than River Cities, a
high-banked, blazing-fast quarter-mile oval just south of the Canadian
border. Fans have left the track’s spacious grandstands buzzing about what
they witnessed and anxious to return for another installment of Outlaw
competition.
“River Cities Speedway has become one of the can’t-miss stops for fans of
the World of Outlaws Late Model Series,” said tour director Tim Christman.
“Ask anyone who follows the series – for three years in a row our event at
River Cities has ended up being one of the most exciting races of the entire
tour. The track is a perfect size for close, intense racing and that’s why
we’re always excited for our trip there.”
Danny Lasoski Seeks a Repeat in the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup Twin
30’s at Lernerville Speedway: Double Features Highlight Race Program Again
in 2010
By Tony Veneziano / Photo by Tim Johnson Sarver,
PA-July 6, 2010- From the first time he turned a wheel at Lernerville
Speedway back in 1992, Danny Lasoski has always been fast at the historic
four-tenths-mile located in Sarver, Pennsylvania. He had been trying for
many years to win at the track, finishing second on four occasions before
finally breaking through and reaching Victory Lane last season in the opener
of the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup Twin 30's. Coupled with a strong
charge from 19th to seventh in the finale, he was crowned the overall Silver
Cup winner, adding his name to an illustrious list of drivers that have won
the famed event over the years.
Lasoski will return to Lernerville Speedway along with the rest of the World
of Outlaws on Tuesday, July 20 for the 19th Edition of the Don Martin
Memorial Silver Cup, which again this season will have Twin-30 lap features,
with the second feature lined up by an inversion of the finish of the
opener, which proved to be a very popular format with the fans last season.
The event remains the single richest one-day show on the circuit, with one
driving having a shot at taking home $30,000 if they were to win both ends
of the Twin 30's.
The Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup is also the only time all season that
fans will have the chance to see two full A-Feature events in one night,
with the best sprint car drivers in the world doing battle for a total of
60-laps of racing.
"The Silver Cup is definitely one we'll always cherish," said Lasoski of his
win in the event last season. "Don Martin was such a great promoter and a
great person, so to win that thing will always hold a special place to me.
Gary Risch and his people do a fantastic job over there now. We always look
forward to going to Lernerville and especially the Silver Cup. It's pretty
neat for the fans to get to see two races in one night."
Greenbush Race Park hosted their biggest weekend of racing
this season on July 3-4, 2010.
(Photo by Tim Johnson)
Nygaard takes the Northern Outlaw Sprint Feature at Greenbush
Race Park
Wade Nygaard and crew celebrate their Northern Outlaw Sprint
Car Feature Win on July 4, 2010 at Greenbush Race Park, Greenbush, MN.
(Photo by Tim Johnson)
Jason Meyers Shows the Way at North Central Speedway: Earns Series
Leading Seventh Win of 2010
Jason Meyers #14 in Victory Lane after win at North Central Speedway.
(photo by Tim Johnson)
By Tony Veneziano
Brainerd, MN- July 3, 2010- Jason Meyers certainly has known
the way to Victory Lane this season with the World of Outlaws, as he started
the year on a tear winning six times in the first 19 races of the 2010
campaign. Entering Saturday's event at North Central Speedway in Brainerd,
Minnesota, it had been 12 races since he picked up a win and he wanted
nothing more in his second visit to the 1/3-mile bullring than to pick up a
victory. The native of Clovis, California did exactly that, besting Donny
Schatz and Joey Saldana to score his series-leading seventh A-Feature win of
the year.
Meyers used a strong double file restart on the low side of the track with
four laps remaining to edge Schatz, after the pair had a great battle on a
previous restart only to have the caution fly, setting up the final restart.
For Meyers, the $10,000 win was the 42nd of his World of Outlaws career.
"It feels great to win," said Meyers. "We had a little bit of a dry spell
after a great start to the season and we've been digging hard here. This
entire team has been working hard and I think my confidence was down a
little and we are getting that back and really getting rolling now."
On the final restart, Meyers, Schatz and Saldana nearly went three wide into
turn one when the yellow flew for Danny Lasoski, who has stopped on the
track. With the same restart order, Meyers led the field into turns one and
two in the GLR Investments KPC with Schatz diving low and nearly taking the
lead on the final green flag as the pair raced side-by-side. Meyers held him
off and Schatz again looked low in turns one and two on the next lap,
pulling even with the leader, but was not quite able to get a run on him to
make a pass.
"All I was thinking was go hard," shared the winner when asked about the
final restart. "That's the great thing about Donny (Schatz). He'll race you
as hard as can be, but he'll race you clean. That takes a lot of skill to
do. Anyone can run in there and run over you and Donny races you hard and I
have the utmost respect for him."
Set in the Brushy Mountains of western North Carolina, lays Wilkes County
with a deep history of NASCAR. It is the site of the North Wilkesboro
Speedway which hosted NASCAR events for 50 years.
This year on the way to Bristol for the races Wilkes County will be hosting
the First Annual “Bristol Stop” on race weekend, Wilkes County hotels will
be offering deeply discounted hotels at several of the local hotels that
include, Wilkesboro Holiday Inn, Addison Inn, and the Hampton Inn all in the
Town of Wilkesboro and close to the North Wilkesboro Speedway, and within 2
hours of Bristol, TN.
Anyone stopping in town on race weekend with a Bristol ticket will be able
to take their ticket down to the North Wilkesboro Speedway and take a lap
around the track in your street car. Also that weekend on August 21st at
7:00pm, Tim Dugger will be performing in concert at West Wilkes High School,
tickets prices are $10 each and will be available during check-in at all
participating hotels, all proceeds from the Tim Dugger concert will go to
the Benny Parsons Athletic Complex to be built at West Wilkes High School.
Holiday Inn - (336) 838-1800
Addison Inn - (336) 838-1000
Hampton Inn - (336) 838-5000
Red Carpet Inn - (336) 667-2176
Wife of Racing Legend Steve
Kinser Recovering from Major Heart Surgery
By Tony Veneziano
CONCORD, N.C. - June 11, 2010
- Steve Kinser's world was turned upside down earlier this week when his
wife, Dana, fell ill on Tuesday at their Bloomington, Ind., home. She
complained of heart pain. Now, 72 hours later, the First Family of Sprint
Car racing can catch its collective breath as hundreds of prayers were
answered, and will no doubt help to spur Dana Kinser's recovery.
Quickly airlifted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Dana underwent 11
hours of extremely complicated open heart surgery. Today she is sitting
upright and flashing that smile fans have come to know when seeing her at
the track. Steve, a 20-time World of Outlaws champion and racing legend,
remained by her side with their family throughout the challenging time. She
faces a long and difficult recovery, but promises to be back at the track
probably sooner than her doctors would prefer.
Caleb Holman Snares First
USAR Pro Cup Victory Since 2008
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (April 17, 2010) – Caleb
Holman led twice for 126 laps in Saturday night's Crane Cams 250 at New
Smyrna Speedway to record the second victory of his USARacing Pro Cup Series
career and his first since 2008.
Holman's only other Pro Cup victory came at Bristol [Tenn.] Motor Speedway
two years ago.
“Bristol is kinda like winning at Daytona in that it's really great,
everybody loves it and it's a big deal, but it's not your typical race
track,” Holman said after taking a 1.791-second victory over John Gibson.
“Honestly, I feel like this is our first win on a typical, Pro Cup race
track. It's slick, hard to get a hold of. So this win means as much as
Bristol to me.”
The Abingdon, Va., driver took the lead for good on lap 152 when leader
Stephen Nasse's All American Concrete Chevrolet Monte Carlo slid up towards
the fourth turn wall. Nasse's slip allowed Holman and Clay Rogers to scoot
underneath him as they exited the corner. That maneuver provided Holman with
first and Rogers with second.
Rogers continuously challenged Holman during the remaining laps – first on
the high side, then low, and at times, clinging to his rear bumper, trying
to force Holman into making a mistake. But Rogers' tactics failed.
“It's not too often you get to make Clay Rogers work, so we were making him
work for it. I'm glad of that,” said the 26-year-old Holman, who qualified
third for the 250-lap race at the half-mile track. “He drove us real clean.
There were several times there he could have wrecked us with lapped cars and
stuff.”
Ironically, it was a miscue by Rogers on lap 236 in the second turn that
provided Holman with a little breathing room and practically assured him of
the victory. Rogers' USG Sheetrock Ford Fusion was too high in turn two as
he attempted to pass Holman and it smacked the wall. Rogers managed to nurse
his damaged race car to a fourth-placefinish, one lap down. After taking the
checkered flag, he parked his car on pit road, climbed from it and walked
into victory lane to congratulate Holman, who was still seated in his Food
Country USA Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by Legacy Credit
Union Highlights from the qualifications at Barber Motorsports Park on April
10, 2010.
Barber Motosports Park in Birmingham, Ala., plays host to the
IZOD IndyCar Series for the first time in 2010.
In the last five seasons, three drivers went on to win the
series championship after winning an inaugural event at a track. In 2005,
Dan Wheldon won the first race at St. Petersburg. In 2006, Dario Franchitti
won the first race at Iowa and Scott Dixon won the first race at Edmonton in
2008. Franchitti won both inaugural events in 2009 – Long Beach and Toronto
– on his way to capturing the championship.
The event at Barber is the third round of the 2010 IZOD
IndyCar Series schedule. In 14 seasons, only two drivers have won the third
race of the year and gone on to win the championship. They are: Dan Wheldon
(2005, St. Petersburg); Sam Hornish Jr. (2002, California). The average
finish in the third race of the season of drivers who went on to win the
championship is 8.5.
Deadline For 2010 Humpy's Heroes Class Approaching
By Deb Williams
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (April 8, 2010) -- Only a few days remain before the 2010
Humpy's Heroes class will be decided and 10 up-and-coming drivers will have
the opportunity to receive an educational experience from an esteemed panel
of racing industry experts.
The deadline for entering this year's program is April 10. Those chosen to
participate in the four-month program will be notified by April 15. An entry
form can be downloaded from
www.humpysheroes.com.
"The program is a comprehensive educational experience preparing young
drivers to make the transition from local short-track racing to NASCAR's big
three series," H.A.
"Humpy" Wheeler
said. "During the program, the participants will be given instruction,
counseled, engage in
dialog, then judged on their driving ability, interviewing skills, public
speaking, and marketability."
Each driver will spend personal time with Wheeler -- legendary Hall of Fame
promoter, former
president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, and co-author of
the book "Growing
Up NASCAR".
Andrew Smith's victory in last year's Humpy's Heroes competition led to a
ride in NASCAR's K&N
Pro Series East for the Pooler, Ga., native.
"I think it helped me a lot," Smith said about Humpy's Heroes. "It helped me
in that it allowed
me to show them what I can do. Ken (Ragan) helped us get hooked up with
Spraker Racing and
having a good word come from Humpy, Ken and Andy (Hillenburg) made a big
difference. It helped
him [Spraker] open up to us."
TULSA, Okla. (April 8, 2010) - Sure, it's early in the
season with just one night of Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Cars presented by K&N
Filters competition officially in the books. But, that doesn't diminish just
how critical this weekend's double header in Texas and Arkansas actually is.
In fact, with star-studded fields of 50-ish entries expected both nights, a
strong weekend performance could go a long way towards securing a bigger
chunk of that season-end $250,000 points fund that has $60,000 earmarked for
the champion.
A bad weekend doesn't end it either, but it does make the coming weeks that
much more difficult. Friday night, the series takes to Lone Star Speedway in
Kilgore, TX, for the first time in nearly eight years. Then, on Saturday
night, it's on to I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, AR.
Winning at home: Brian Ellenberger used a rare off weekend
from World of Outlaws action to get in a race at his home track of
Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pennsylvania. The native of nearby Butler
won a thrilling duel over multi-time Lernerville track champion Ed Lynch
Jr., who is also the winningest sprint car driver in the history of the
track. For Ellenberger it was his fourth career win at the four-tenths-mile
where the World of Outlaws will compete two separate times this year
including the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup Twins in July.
First win of the year: Lucas Wolfe, the 2008 World of Outlaws
Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award winner, used each of the last two
weekends to compete at his home track of Williams Grove Speedway in
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. He was victorious on March 26, which was the
ninth win of his career at the famed half-mile and the first since 2007.
Wolfe followed that up with a ninth-place effort last Friday night at
Williams Grove, where the World of Outlaws will compete three separate times
this year with the first of those coming on May 13-14.
On sale now: Tickets for the final two rounds of The Showdown
for the Bud Crown, which is being promoted by NASCAR star Kasey Kahne in
partnership with the World Racing Group, are now on sale at
www.worldofoutlaws.com/tickets. Kahne will compete in the event at Sedalia's
State Fair Speedway on June 16. Steve Kinser, the 20-time World of Outlaws
champion, currently leads Jason Meyers be seven markers in the standings for
the four-race mini-series which will see the Top-Three after the race at
LaSalle Speedway in Illinois on July 8 split a $15,000 point fund.
Meet & greet: Jason Meyers, the current World of Outlaws point
leader who leads the series with three wins, along Craig Dollansky who was
victorious earlier this season, will be on hand at Hooters in Fort Smith,
Arkansas this Friday, April 9 to meet and greet fans between 3-5 p.m.
Central along with their race cars and haulers for fans to get an up close
look at an 850-plus horsepower winged sprint car. The Hooters in Fort Smith,
Arkansas is located at 6401 Rogers Avenue. A shuttle will be available from
the Best Western in Fort Smith which is the Official Hotel of the event, to
Hooters for the Meet & Greet.
Team 27 Racing displays support to Harvest for
Kids
WINKLER, MB (April 4, 2010) In August of 2006, a unique event took place
in Winkler, Manitoba. More than 100 combines harvested 180 acres
simultaneously in just over 10 minutes. The event was called Harvest for
Kids. In 2010, the combines are making a return with an even bigger
challenge, to have 210 combines harvesting 240 acres in less than 8
minutes.
The true goal of Harvest for Kids is to raise funds and awareness for
Children's Camps International, a non-denominational organization that
seeks to give kids in third world countries the opportunity to
experience camp and to hear the message of the Gospel.
In an effort to help support and promote this year's Harvest for Kids
event, Chris Unrau's #27 Lightning Sprint will be carrying the Harvest
for Kids logo and event information for the first half of the Northern
Lightning Sprint Association racing schedule at Red River Co-op
Speedway. Unrau's car will also be displayed at numerous events in
Southern Manitoba to help promote the Harvest for Kids program while
representing the NLSA.
"We are excited to be a part of this effort to help send kids to camp in
countries where these opportunities are rare, if they exist at all",
said Unrau. "We would like to encourage all of our fans to attend the
Harvest for Kids event on August 7, and to give generously to help send
kids to camp."
Watch highlights from the FIrestone Indy Lights race
contested on the streets of St. Petersburg.
Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg postponed to
Monday March 29
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A weather system that
moved across the Gulf of Mexico and quickly dumped more than an inch of rain
on the temporary street circuit and produced lightning forced postponement
of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to 10 a.m. (ET) March 29. The race
will be televised by ESPN2.
The last time an IZOD IndyCar Series race was postponed to another day was
kin September 2008 at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan (Danica Patrick won on the
oval).
Will Power, who set a circuit record of 1 minute, 1.4816 seconds in the
second round of qualifications on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn course, will start
from the pole. He will be joined on the front row by Tony Kanaan in the No.
11 Team 7-Eleven car for Andretti Autosport. Power won the season opener on
the temporary street course March 14 in Brazil.
Drivers participated in a 30-minute warm-up session on a dry racetrack in
the morning, while the early afternoon Firestone Indy Lights race was
impacted by rain (shortened from 45 to 35 laps). Participants and spectators
had enjoyed spectacular weather the two previous days of on-track activity.
Harvick dominates second consecutive Truck race
Leads 187 of 250 laps to cruise to Martinsville victory
By Sporting News Wire Service
March 27, 2010
MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- It was a relatively
uneventful day for Kroger 250 winner Kevin Harvick.
The same can't be said for Harvick's teammate, Ron Hornaday, who started
deep in the field in Saturday's Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway
and survived a late-race dust-up with Johnny Sauter to post a much-needed
runner-up finish.
Harvick, who owns his No. 2 Chevrolet and the No. 33 Hornaday drives, led
187 of 250 laps in winning his second Truck Series race of the season in as
many starts and the eighth of his career. He started from the pole after
rain washed out Friday's qualifying. Brian Ickler ran third, with new points
leader Timothy Peters fourth and Johnny Benson fifth.
Harvick chose the outside lane when he and Hornaday teamed up for a
side-by-side restart on Lap 232, after contact from Hornaday turned the No.
13 Chevy of Johnny Sauter to cause the 11th and final caution of the race 10
laps earlier. An angry Sauter confronted Hornaday on pit road after the
race.
"I don't know if he got into the curb or checked up or whatever, but I got
into him pretty good," Hornaday said after the exchange. "It was a tough
day. I hate to see that, but Johnny's all mad, and that's what truck
racing's all about."
Harvick, working for the first time with new crew chief Butch Hylton, passed
Peters for the lead on Lap 190 and held it the rest of the way.
"It was a lot of fun for me, just for the fact that the thing was so
dominant to drive," Harvick said. "I didn't really have to do a whole lot
different -- I just drove my line every lap, and we were able to make our
way through traffic when we needed to.
Joey Saldana Has Successful
Surgery on Broken Left Hand: Expects to be Ready for Event at Tri-State
Speedway on April 10
By Tony Veneziano
Concord, NC--March 26, 2010--Joey Saldana had successful surgery today
on his broken left hand in Indianapolis to insert 10 screws and a plate
to help regain full range of motion, following a very hard crash last
Saturday night at Volunteer Speedway after getting caught up in a chain
reaction accident after an early race red flag.
Saldana will use the two week gap in the schedule to let the hand heal
and will begin rehab next week and expects to compete in the World of
Outlaws next scheduled event on Saturday, April 10 at Tri-State Speedway
in Pocola, Oklahoma.
Saldana, who was victorious last weekend in the opener of Kasey's King
of Bulls Gap Presented By Budweiser at Volunteer Speedway, is currently
third in the World of Outlaws championship standings, just 20 markers
behind leader Jason Meyers and 15 behind Steve Kinser who is currently
second. Saldana has finished sixth or better in eight of the first nine
World of Outlaws events in 2010 and despite the 24th-place finish in the
finale at Bulls Gap last weekend, has an average finish of fifth in the
first nine races of the season.
EDDIE WAGNER PLANS BIG 2010 SEASON WHEN URC OPENS
SEASON AT BRIDGEPORT APRIL 10
2009 Rookie Eddie Wagner III of Franklinville, NJ is returning to the 2010
URC Rislone Sprint
Series for his sophomore season. Eddie and his E3Racing team will be
starting the season with
a previously owned Palladino #99 J&J chassis, powered by a new Bitner
Automotive 360 engine.
Wagner's list of goals include some top tens, plenty of top fives, and
hopefully, if everything
goes as planned, his first career URC sprint win. "I am excited about our
new equipment this
year. We have more horsepower, a lighter car, and more experience coming
into the 2010 season
", says Wagner.
While the season started off rough in 2009, beginning with a blown engine at
the May race at
Bridgeport, resulting in sitting out four races, Wagner hopes that with a
brand new motor, a
lot of work and staying focused, he will have a much better and successful
year in 2010.
Wagner's eye catching #70 finished 19th in the points standings, with his
best finish, 6th, at
Bedford Speedway. "A heat race win and 6th place feature finish at the year
ending race at
Bedford, gives me some more confidence for this season".
STOLTZFUS RACING SIGNS PENN WASTE
FOR 2010 URC TOUR
Stoltzfus Racing and driver Kevin Nouse welcome Penn Waste
Inc. as an Associate Marketing Partner to Team 00 for the 2010 United Racing
Company Sprint Tour. Car Owner Elmer Stoltzfus is excited about the 2010 URC
Sprint Series especially after winning the main event at what turned out to
be the final URC show of 2009. Mechanicsburg, PA "hot shoe" Kevin Nouse held
off a hard charging JJ Grasso for the final five laps to score the win at
the Bedford Speedway. There is no doubt that Elmer Stoltzfus has some of the
best equipment that races on the URC tour, and now, he has one of the top
sprint car drivers in the country.
The Rislone URC Sprint Series for 2010 will get underway at the Bridgeport
Speedway on Saturday night, April 10. Stoltzfus and Nouse will then
officially unveil their #00 URC sprinter that will carry the Penn Waste Inc
logo.
Cody Darrah Continues to Recover
from Injury: Visits Volunteer Speedway for Both Nights of Kasey’s King of
Bulls Gap Last Weekend
By Tony Veneziano
Concord, NC-- March 24, 2010--Cody Darrah received the best medicine he
could over the weekend as he continues to recover from a broken left leg and
that was to be at the race track with the entire Kasey Kahne Racing squad
including his car owner Kahne himself.
Darrah took in both nights of Kasey's King of Bulls Gap Presented By
Budweiser last Friday and Saturday, at Volunteer Speedway, an event which
was being promoted by his car owner. The 20-year old from Red Lion,
Pennsylvania continues to recover from a tibial plateau fracture in his left
leg which he sustained in an automobile accident just hours before the 2010
World of Outlaws season opener at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida on
February 5.
Darrah, who has spent a lot of time in the hospital since the accident and
had surgery to help fuse different bones in his left leg, is currently using
crutches to get around and still has a long road to recovery, but has a very
positive outlook on the situation and is very pleased with how the recovery
process is going.
"I'm glad to be at the track and with the guys," said Darrah. "Being able to
get off the couch is great. I spent the last couple of months in the
hospital and sitting on the couch, so it's good to be out here smelling the
race fuel. I feel pretty good. It does wear me out at the end of the day,
but I'll get there."
Darrah was at the Kasey Kahne Racing shop in Mooresville, North Carolina
last week as the team prepared four cars for the event at Volunteer Speedway
and he was able to accompany the team to the track and remained there for
the entire weekend. He was able to catch up with teammates Joey Saldana,
Paul McMahan who is filling in for him and Brad Sweet. Darrah also was able
to visit with various other drivers and crew members as he made the rounds
in the pit area with the help of a four wheeler and his crutches.
"It's keeping my mind off my leg," he noted when asked about being at the
track. "Watching these guys makes me pretty nervous though. I never really
get nervous watching a race, but watching these guys on Friday night made me
nervous. It's an exciting group to be with. You can't ask for a better team
to be a part of."
Kasey Kahne's Showdown for the Bud
Crown Finale Brings World of Outlaws Back to LaSalle Speedway
Kasey's King of LaSalle Presented By Budweiser set for July 8
By Chris Dolack
CONCORD, N.C. - March 22,
2010 - At Kasey's King of Bulls Gap Presented By Budweiser Friday at
Volunteer Speedway, Kasey Kahne and World Racing Group officials announced
the four-race Showdown for the Bud Crown featuring the World of Outlaws
Sprint Car Series will conclude on July 8 with Kasey's King of LaSalle
Presented By Budweiser at LaSalle (Ill.) Speedway outside of Chicago.
Following the first two rounds last Friday and Saturday at Volunteer
Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn., the Showdown for the Bud Crown moves June 16
to Missouri State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, Mo., before reaching its finale
in LaSalle -- about 50 miles from Joliet where Kahne will be competing in
NASCAR events that weekend.
"Everything at LaSalle Speedway happens so fast on the track that there's no
doubt it will be an exciting night and a great place to wrap up the Showdown
for the Bud Crown," Kahne said. "Each stop in the Bud Crown series features
a different kind of track, from high-banked Bulls Gap to big Sedalia and the
LaSalle bullring. It's a good test for everybody."
Kasey Kahne Racing's Joey Saldana held off 20-time World of Outlaws champion
Steve Kinser on Friday night in the first round at Volunteer Speedway. In
Round 2 on Saturday at Bulls Gap, Jason Meyers charged from fourth on the
grid to capture the checkered flag.
World of Outlaws Wrap-Up: Kasey's
King of Bulls Gap Presented By Budweiser
By Tony Veneziano /
Concord, NC-- March 22, 2010
Another King at the track:" The King" Richard Petty was in
attendance on Friday night at Volunteer Speedway for the opener of Kasey's
King of Bulls Gap Presented By Budweiser. The racing legend saw his driver
in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Kasey Kahne, set a new track record in
qualifying in his first 410-sprint car race of 2010, which was also his
first visit to Volunteer Speedway. Petty, who won seven NASCAR titles and
200 races watched the action from atop the World of Outlaws Command Center
in the pit area.
"It's pretty exciting," shared Petty on Friday night. "This is the closest
we’ve been to one of these deals and we had the chance to come over here. We
got to see a lot of the guys we used to know and see them run. It was a good
time."
A NASCAR contingent: Also in attendance on Friday night was longtime
NASCAR team owner Jack Roush, who also took in a large portion of the
evening standing atop the World of Outlaws Command Center in the pit area.
Dave Blaney, the 1995 World of Outlaws champion, was on-hand at Volunteer
Speedway as well. Also at the track on Saturday was two-time NASCAR champion
Tony Stewart, who owns the cars of 20-time series champion Steve Kinser and
four-time defending series titlist Donny Schatz.
And then there was one: Jason Meyers was victorious in the finale of Kasey's
King of Bulls Gap Presented By Budweiser following a seventh-place run in
the opener, to extend his streak of Top-10 finishes to open the 2010 season
to nine. He is the only driver that has finished in the Top-10 in each and
every World of Outlaws event this year. Meyers also is the current series
point leader, holding a five-point advantage over 20-time series champion
Steve Kinser, as he chases his first series crown.
"We're very confident right now," shared Meyers after his win on Saturday
night. "We have a great race car. We came in here last night (Friday) and
second guessed a few things and make a few wrong decisions. These guys keep
working hard and now have three weeks to go work and do some testing on
things we have been working on. I'm really looking forward to the summer
swing."
Injury update: Joey Saldana, who was victorious on Friday night,
broke his left hand after getting upside and into the wall in a chain
reaction accident following an early race red flag on Saturday night at
Volunteer Speedway. He is scheduled to meet with a hand specialist in
Indianapolis on Tuesday to determine whether surgery will be needed or not.
Saldana is currently third in the World of Outlaws standings and has two
wins along with eight Top-10 finishes, with seven of those being Top-Fives.
New
Richmond, WI- July 11, 2010- While he receives the accolades and the big
check following a win, Craig Dollansky always is quick to credit his crew
and entire team for their hard work and dedication, which play a very key
component to being successful on the road with the World of Outlaws.
Dollansky showed the important of a total team effort on Sunday night, as he
came out on top at Cedar Lake Speedway in Wisconsin to earn his second
A-Feature win of the season with the series and his second career win at the
high-banked 3/8-mile. 
Sarver,
PA-July 6, 2010- From the first time he turned a wheel at Lernerville
Speedway back in 1992, Danny Lasoski has always been fast at the historic
four-tenths-mile located in Sarver, Pennsylvania. He had been trying for
many years to win at the track, finishing second on four occasions before
finally breaking through and reaching Victory Lane last season in the opener
of the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup Twin 30's. Coupled with a strong
charge from 19th to seventh in the finale, he was crowned the overall Silver
Cup winner, adding his name to an illustrious list of drivers that have won
the famed event over the years. 
