Keeping Pace

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News & Notes - Homestead-Miami

Jimmie Johnson, following his seventh victory of the 2009 season at Phoenix International Raceway, carries a 108-point lead into Sunday’s Ford 400 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The lead isn’t insurmountable as Mark Martin still can deny Johnson a record fourth consecutive championship — but all the leader has to do is finish 25th or better to lock up the title.

Continue reading NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News & Notes - Homestead-Miami »

News and Notes From The NHRA Heading Into A Short Winter Break

With the 2010 season kicking off in just over 12 weeks the drivers and teams of the NHRA Full Throttle Series will have little time to enjoy their recently completed season.

Continue reading News and Notes From The NHRA Heading Into A Short Winter Break »

Northwest I-5 DIRTcar Late Model Tour Champ Jeremy Shank Looks For Final ’09 Flourish At Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Reigning Northwest I-5 DIRTcar Late Model Tour champion, Jeremy Shank, would love to cap his career year with a high-profile victory during the inaugural Silver State DIRTcar Championships this weekend (Nov. 20-21) at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Continue reading Northwest I-5 DIRTcar Late Model Tour Champ Jeremy Shank Looks For Final ’09 Flourish At Las Vegas Motor Speedway »

Kudos To Kyle: Busch To Be Crowned 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion

Although Kyle Busch was unable to secure his first NASCAR national-series championship last weekend at Phoenix International Raceway — despite a 272-point advantage going in — how he didn’t clinch was a microcosm of his season, arguably one of the greatest in series history.

Continue reading Kudos To Kyle: Busch To Be Crowned 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion »

Hornaday Seals Place In History, Wins Fourth Title Heading To Season Finale

This fourth title breaks his tie of three with friend and former competitor Jack Sprague. Sprague is the 1997, 1999 and 2001 series champion. Hornaday’s three previous titles came in 1996, 1998 and 2007.

Continue reading Hornaday Seals Place In History, Wins Fourth Title Heading To Season Finale »

2009 Season Review: Craig Dollansky

Craig Dollansky was victorious for the first time in 2009 at Lebanon Valley Speedway in New York in late July and followed that up with a victory in the opener of the inaugural Ironman 55 at I-55 Raceway in Missouri and also triumphed at River Cities Speedway in North Dakota.

Continue reading 2009 Season Review: Craig Dollansky »

SCHUMACHER’S FLARE FOR THE DRAMATIC ENDS WITH SEVENTH TITLE

The win capped an intense week – and year – between rivals Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon as Schumacher had to completely rebuild his team this past offseason after former crew chief Alan Johnson left to form his own team with Sheikh Khalid bin Hamed Al-Thani and hired Dixon as his driver.

Continue reading SCHUMACHER’S FLARE FOR THE DRAMATIC ENDS WITH SEVENTH TITLE »

NSCS Recap: Johnson Widens Chase Lead With Win At Phoenix

A week after teasing his Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup competitors with a 38th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway—his worst of the season—Jimmie Johnson regained control of his championship quest.

Continue reading NSCS Recap: Johnson Widens Chase Lead With Win At Phoenix »

Schumacher takes two-point lead over Dixon into final Sunday

After Larry Dixon took the points lead with the quickest pass in the third qualifying session, Tony Schumacher stole it back in the fourth session with the second-quickest pass in Top Fuel history, a 3.772 second run at 320.58 mph, to take a two-point lead into Sunday’s final eliminations.

Continue reading Schumacher takes two-point lead over Dixon into final Sunday »

Carl Edwards Win Postpones Kyle Busch’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Clinching Party

Carl Edwards won Saturday’s Able Body Labor 200 to postpone Kyle Busch’s formal NASCAR Nationwide Series championship clinching party for one week.

Continue reading Carl Edwards Win Postpones Kyle Busch’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Clinching Party »

DIXON OVERTAKES SCHUMACHER IN BACK-AND-FORTH TOP FUEL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE

Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army team entered the day with a two-point lead, but he lost traction on Friday’s qualifying run, opening the door for Dixon and the Al-Anabi team which will now enter Saturday’s final day of qualifying with a one-point lead over Schumacher.

Continue reading DIXON OVERTAKES SCHUMACHER IN BACK-AND-FORTH TOP FUEL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE »

NCWTS Recap: Harvick Rallies To Win Truck Race; Hornaday Clinches Fourth Title

Ron Hornaday broke a tie for most series championships with his close friend Jack Sprague, who is not active in the series this year. And even at 51, Hornaday is confident he can add to his championship total.

Continue reading NCWTS Recap: Harvick Rallies To Win Truck Race; Hornaday Clinches Fourth Title »

Championship is close to reality for Edwards

For Mike Edwards, the championship run has been a special one because of what it means not only to him, but to the rest of the Young Life/A.R.T. team.

Continue reading Championship is close to reality for Edwards »

World of Outlaws 2009 Season Wrap-Up

Joey Saldana capped of the best season of his World of Outlaws career last Saturday night by scoring his 20th A-Feature win and 21st overall victory. He was triumphant in two of the three World of Outlaws events at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway this season.

Continue reading World of Outlaws 2009 Season Wrap-Up »

KASEY KAHNE RACING SIGNS CODY DARRAH TO RACE 2010 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT

Darrah joins KKR teammates Brad Sweet and Joey Saldana.  Sweet is currently battling for the USAC Mopar Midget National Championship, 14 points shy of first in the driver standings. Saldana, who drives the No. 9 Budweiser / CURB Records sprint car, won a series-leading 20 races in the 2009 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, including the finale at the World Finals last weekend to finish third in driver points. 

Continue reading KASEY KAHNE RACING SIGNS CODY DARRAH TO RACE 2010 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT »

By the Numbers: 2009 World of Outlaws Season

Donny Schatz became just the second driver to ever win four consecutive titles, joining 20-time champion Steve Kinser and also became the only driver other than Kinser to win at least four titles with the series.

Continue reading By the Numbers: 2009 World of Outlaws Season »

McClenathan’s championship bid comes down to one final race


Having notched just one victory this season compared to the five each for the Nos. 1 and 2 in points, Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon, No. 3 Cory McClenathan is right in the mix as the 24-event season comes to a conclusion at the 45th annual NHRA Finals this weekend.

Continue reading McClenathan’s championship bid comes down to one final race »

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News & Notes - Phoenix

Jimmie Johnson will need to average a fourth-place finish over the final two races, or fifth and a lap led in each of the final two races, or sixth and the most laps led in each of the final two races. If he does that, he will clinch the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship no matter what any other driver does.

Continue reading NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News & Notes - Phoenix »

Hight, Prock look to lock up first championship

For Robert Hight a successful weekend at Auto Club Raceway would be a culmination of a dream that he thought had already come true on one level when he joined John Force Racing as a crew member.

Continue reading Hight, Prock look to lock up first championship »

Busch Has NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship In Sight Heading To Phoenix

After adding to his track record consecutive win streak at Texas Motor Speedway last Saturday (now at four), Kyle Busch led the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings by 272 points over second-place Carl Edwards (No. 60 Valvoline/O’Reilly’s Ford).

Continue reading Busch Has NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship In Sight Heading To Phoenix »

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News And Notes – Phoenix

Matt Crafton (No. 88 Menards Chevrolet), coming off a second-place finish last week at Texas, still has a chance to win his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title and deny Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 33 VFW Chevrolet) his fourth, heading into the final two races of the 2009 season.

Continue reading NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News And Notes – Phoenix »

TOP FUEL SOAP OPERA TAKES CENTER STAGE ON NHRA’S CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY

All four pro classes will crown their champions at the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals, Nov. 12-15 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Continue reading TOP FUEL SOAP OPERA TAKES CENTER STAGE ON NHRA’S CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY »

Night of Champions Wraps up 2009 World of Outlaws Season

Donny Schatz’s championship run made him the only driver other than 20-time series champion Steve Kinser to win four championships and just the second driver to win four consecutive.

Continue reading Night of Champions Wraps up 2009 World of Outlaws Season »

NSCS Recap: Kurt Busch Wins At Texas Motor Speedway

Capitalizing on superior fuel mileage, Kurt Busch drove his No. 2 Dodge to victory in the Dickies 500, after disaster struck Jimmie Johnson like a lightning bolt and made a race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup after all.

Continue reading NSCS Recap: Kurt Busch Wins At Texas Motor Speedway »

Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Johnson Take Danica Detour

We have tried to create stories out of other things, like incidents on the track, the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race schedule, and potential team and sponsor changes for next season. We juggle numbers and create scenarios and throw the word “if” around a lot. Still, we keep coming back to Jimmie Johnson–until now!

Continue reading Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Johnson Take Danica Detour »

A Historic Night: Saldana Wins 20th Race of 2009 While Donny Schatz Captures Fourth Consecutive Title

Joey Saldana’s win was his second of the season at the state-of-the-art four-tenths-mile and he joins an illustrious list of drivers that have won 20 or more A-Feature events in a season with the World of Outlaws, as only 20-time series champion Steve Kinser, three-time titlist Sammy Swindell, two-time champ Mark Kinser and Doug Wolfgang have accomplished that feat prior to Saturday night.

Continue reading A Historic Night: Saldana Wins 20th Race of 2009 While Donny Schatz Captures Fourth Consecutive Title »

NNS Recap: Busch’s Nationwide Win Sets Up Try For Triple

Kyle Busch came close to a triple in February, when he won the truck and Nationwide events at Auto Club Speedway in California and finished third in the Cup race. If he completes the weekend sweep at Texas on Sunday, he’ll do so in crew chief Dave Rogers’ debut on the pit box. Rogers replaced Steve Addington as Busch’s Cup crew chief after last Sunday’s race at Talladega.

Continue reading NNS Recap: Busch’s Nationwide Win Sets Up Try For Triple »

Keeping Pace: Jason Meyers Wins Opening Feature of the World Finals

For Jason Meyers it was his second career win at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway and his second during the World Finals,

Continue reading Keeping Pace: Jason Meyers Wins Opening Feature of the World Finals »

2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES SCHEDULE CHANGE

The NHRA Full Throttle season prepares to wrap up 2009 but the series is already looking ahead to next year with the release of its ‘10 schedule.

Continue reading 2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES SCHEDULE CHANGE »

NCWTS Recap: Kyle Busch The Victor At Texas

Kyle Busch led the final 50 laps of Friday night’s WinStar World Casino 350 at Texas Motor Speedway and won his fifth straight race in as many starts in the series.

Continue reading NCWTS Recap: Kyle Busch The Victor At Texas »

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Motorsports correspondent Doug Pace keeps up with motorsports news and notes from around the region.

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