Drag Illustrated Driver Blog Presented by Weld Racing
“The most powerful thing you can do right now is to be patient while things are unfolding for you.” – Idil Ahmed
A great big THANK YOU to the hundreds of people who have congratulated us on our 2018 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Central Region points championship!!! The amount of love and support we have received this week is second to none. Continue reading Drag Illustrated Driver Blog Presented by Weld Racing
TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
FIRST DATA 500
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA
OCTOBER 28, 2018
BOWTIE BULLETS
PRETTY IN PINK:
This weekend at Martinsville Speedway, Team Chevy will pace the field with a pink Chevrolet Camaro SS. For the eighth consecutive year, Chevrolet has partnered with the American Cancer Society and their Making Strides Against Breast Cancer program to raise money to support breast cancer research, education for health care professionals, screening guidelines, and promotion for early detection and patient resources. Since 2011, Chevrolet, our dealers, and GM Employees have contributed nearly $10 Million to the ACS.
Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Martinsville Advance
Dominic Scelzi Opens Trophy Cup With Podium Before Ending 11 th in Points
Inside Line Promotions – TULARE, Calif. (Oct. 24, 2018) – Dominic Scelzi had a strong showing last weekend during the 25th annual Trophy Cup at Thunderbowl Raceway.
Scelzi recorded a podium finish during the opening round and he entered Saturday’s A Main ranked second in event points. While a 13th -place feature result isn’t what he aimed for, Scelzi finished 11 th in event points out of 88 competitors. Continue reading Dominic Scelzi Opens Trophy Cup With Podium Before Ending 11th in Points
ROBERT HIGHT HEADS TO LAS VEGAS WITH POINTS LEAD AND DETERMINATION
LAS VEGAS (Oct. 24, 2018) — To say the battle for the 2018 Funny Car world championship has been a wild ride for reigning Funny Car champion Robert Hight is an understatement of epic proportions. After the St. Louis event, the second race of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, Hight took over the Funny Car points in spectacular fashion, endured a broken collarbone and the ensuing surgery, picked up a win at the next event in Dallas, and held off a charge by his closest competitor two weeks ago in Charlotte. Heading into the NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway the two-time champion finds himself in familiar territory. Like in his 2017 championship campaign, there are two races left in the season with eight rounds of racing remaining and a championship on the line with every pass. Continue reading ROBERT HIGHT HEADS TO LAS VEGAS WITH POINTS LEAD AND DETERMINATION
JOHN FORCE STILL A FACTOR AS COUNTDOWN MOVES TO THE STRIP
LAS VEGAS (Oct. 24, 2018) — In a career spanning 42 seasons, John Force routinely has defied the odds while paying little attention to conventional wisdom. It’s a strategy that has worked out okay for the former big rig truck driver if you call 16 championships and 149 tour victories okay. Continue reading JOHN FORCE STILL A FACTOR AS COUNTDOWN MOVES TO THE STRIP
CORVETTE RACING AT SHANGHAI: Venturing to the Far East for WEC Return
Gavin, Milner set to close team’s 20th season in Six Hours of Shanghai
Corvette Racing returns to FIA World Endurance Championship
Gavin/Milner pairing coming off runner-up finish at Petit Le Mans
Second WEC event outside Le Mans for Corvette Racing
DETROIT (Oct. 24, 2018) – Fresh off a strong finish to their North American racing campaign, Corvette Racing confirms Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner as drivers for its single-car entry in next month’s FIA World Endurance Championship race at Shanghai, China. Continue reading CORVETTE RACING AT SHANGHAI: Venturing to the Far East for WEC Return
We would like to inform you that the team of STi.bg and the crew Kalin Benchev / Alexander Spirov won the championship title in the Bulgarian Rally Championship in E for the season 2018. The crew took part in the championship, which consisted of 5 rounds Benchev / Spirov scored three strong victories, one of which was in the first international participation for the rally “Serbia 2018”. With the potential, the car and the crew hinted several times during the season and managed to put in separate stages over R5 cars – the world’s fastest-ever World Rally Championship (WRC), with a cost of about 280,000 euros.
The season was extremely difficult for us and the new car that showed its character often made it difficult for the championship, but all sleepless nights, investments and time were worth it. We have proven that we can be fast, that we are attractive, and that is why all viewers on the routes that have come for hundreds of miles to touch the magic called motorsport need it.
We thank you for believing in us and for supporting us for so many years. Without you, we would never be able to be what we are.
We are expecting an extremely interesting season in 2019, let’s experience it again together !!!
Richard Childress Racing at Martinsville Speedway … In 167 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has earned four pole awards and posted seven victories with drivers Dale Earnhardt (five times), Ricky Rudd (1983) and Kevin Harvick (2011). RCR Chevrolet teams have earned 30 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes at Martinsville dating back to the team’s first start there on April 10, 1972. Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, contributed four of those top-10 finishes from 1976-1978. Continue reading RCR Event Preview – Martinsville Speedway
Giovanni Scelzi Finishes Second in Trophy Cup Standings After Stellar Weekend
Inside Line Promotions – TULARE, Calif. (Oct. 23, 2018) – Giovanni Scelzi recorded a second-place finish among a stout field of 88 drivers last weekend during the 25th annual Trophy Cup at Thunderbowl Raceway.
Scelzi piloted a second entry for his family owned team during the mega event, which began on Thursday. He qualified fourth quickest in his group and advanced from sixth to fourth place in a heat race to rank eighth in points. With a 12-car inversion for the main event Scelzi lined up on the inside of the third row. Continue reading Giovanni Scelzi Finishes Second in Trophy Cup Standings After Stellar Weekend
JEGS.com drag racer Kenny Underwood
claims second Million Dollar Race title
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Oct. 22) – For the second time in his career, veteran E.T. bracket racer and longtime JEGS Mail Order associate Kenny Underwood has claimed a victory at the Mickey Thompson Million Dollar Drag Race. Driving his JEGS-backed dragster, Underwood made his way through a field of nearly 300 of the nation’s best sportsman drag racers to capture the massive $275,000 first-place prize. Continue reading JEGS.com drag racer Kenny Underwood claims second Million Dollar Race title
Indy 500 Winner Rossi Looks Forward To Baja Challenge
• Alexander Rossi to make Baja 1000 debut with Honda Off-Road Racing Team
• Will follow in footsteps of Indy 500 winners Parnelli Jones, Rick Mears
• Rossi to co-drive Ridgeline with Baja veterans Jeff Proctor, Johnny Campbell
TORRANCE, California (Oct. 22, 2018) – Honda racer Alexander Rossi, rookie winner of the historic 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2016, is excited to tackle a new challenge – the SCORE Baja 1000 – as he joins the Honda Off-Road Racing Team for November’s 61st running of the legendary race. Continue reading Indy 500 Winner Rossi Looks Forward To Baja Challenge
Honda, Acura Racers Claim Four SCCA National Championships
• 54 Honda, Acura racers compete at Sonoma Raceway
• Four titles include podium sweep in Formula F
• Honda, Acura drivers also win Super Touring Under, Prototype 1 and Touring 1
SONOMA, Calif. (Oct. 22, 2018) – Honda and Acura racers won four Sports Car Club of America national championship titles, including a podium sweep and seventh consecutive Formula F title, at the 2018 SCCA National Championship Runoffs, contested over the weekend at Sonoma Raceway.
A total of 54 Honda and Acura racers traveled to the challenging Northern California road course for this year’s 55th annual national championships. It was a weekend of success for Honda and Acura drivers, with four national championships and podium finishes in Formula F and three other races, giving Honda Racing victories and top-three results in seven of the 12 classes it contested at this year’s Runoffs.
Continue reading Honda, Acura Racers Claim Four SCCA National Championships
NHRA® Team Report
NHRA Toyota Nationals – Las Vegas
Pre-Race Report
Cruz Pedregon will build on the good runs the Snap-on Toyota has been showing and replicating that tuning during the upcoming weekend in Las Vegas. “We’re pleased with the strong numbers we’ve been seeing in the 3’s and have had a series of round 1 wins, so we plan to stick with that game plan and go more rounds in Vegas Sunday,” Cruz says. “The El Cucuy ‘boogieman’ body is making a positive impression in its Pink Fund paint scheme. All of us know or have someone in our lives impacted by breast cancer. So, we hope having ‘Socket to Breast Cancer’ on the car is helping to raise awareness of The Pink Fund. Our primary sponsor, Snap-on, is supporting the nonprofit in its mission to connect individuals undergoing breast cancer treatment to the help they may need with non-medical expenses.” Continue reading Cruz Pedregon–Las Vegas Advance
Pit-Road Incident Spoils Fast Start For Menard At Kansas
October 21, 2018
Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/NIBCO team were left to wonder what might have been after a pit road collision ended a promising start to Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.
After a stirring run from his 18th starting position to fifth place at the end of the race’s first 80-lap Stage, Menard and Trevor Bayne made contact on pit road during a pit stop midway through Stage Two. Menard suffered damage to the right front of the No. 21 Fusion, and the damage led to two flat tires and multiple laps lost. He wound up 32nd at the finish. Continue reading Pit-Road Incident Spoils Fast Start For Menard At Kansas
Austin Dillon and Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 Dow Chevrolet Team Earn Hard-Fought 11th-Place Finish at Kansas Speedway
“I’ll be honest. I didn’t feel like we had a very good Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 all weekend, so I am proud of this team and our 11th-place finish at Kansas Speedway today. It was hard-fought. We weren’t very fast from the time we unloaded from the hauler on Friday, so we will have to work on that going forward. We started off Sunday’s race with a tight-handling condition, but the Dow Racing Team worked hard on adjustments all race long. By Stage 2, we had solid lap times, and by Stage 3, we were able to enter the top-10. I’m proud of this team’s hard work all weekend.”
-Austin Dillon Continue reading RCR Post Race Report – Hollywood Casino 400
NARC NEWSLINE – October 21, 2018, By Jim Allen
One of the best things about open wheel racing is that it’s almost always unpredictable. Every time you think you’ve got this gig figured out … BAM … the unexpected! Somebody jumps a wheel, somebody else scores a perfectly timed victory, and next thing you know, you’re in the middle of a championship hunt again. Continue reading NARC NEWSLINE – October 21, 2018
Menard Qualifies 18th At Kansas
October 20, 2018
Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/NIBCO team had a case of the second-round blues during Monster Energy Cup Series qualifying at Kansas Speedway Friday evening.
After posting top-10 speeds in opening practice and the first of three rounds of qualifying, Menard was just 18th fastest in the second round and therefore not among the elite 12 who ran for the pole. Continue reading Menard Qualifies 18th At Kansas
Honda Performance Development Announces New HPD Civic Si Race Car
• Complete, “turn key” Civic Si racer to be produced by HPD
• Will be eligible for Pirelli World Challenge, SCCA and NASA competition
• HPD to supply technical support through Honda Racing Line
SONOMA, Calif. (October 19, 2018) – After the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the racing Civic Si concept shown at last year’s Performance Racing Industry show, Honda Performance Development (HPD) is pleased to launch the HPD Civic Si Race Car program. HPD plans to build, sell and support a turnkey, current-gen Honda Civic Si race car, and create additional opportunities to use the highly capable, reliable, and affordable Civic in racing series such as the 2019 Pirelli World Challenge TCA, SCCA T3, and NASA H2 classes. Continue reading Honda Performance Development Announces New HPD Civic Si Race Car
Second-ranked Jeg Coughlin Jr.
vows to fight ’til the end of 2018 season
LAS VEGAS (Oct. 19) — Six-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. has been around long enough to know you never give up in the sport of drag racing. If there’s anything on the table to fight for, or another foot of racetrack to cover, then it’s worth giving it your all. Even now, sitting 130 points off the championship lead with just 10 rounds worth of points up for grabs, Coughlin refuses to give an inch. Continue reading Second-ranked Jeg Coughlin Jr. vows to fight ’til the end of 2018 season
Menard Optimistic Heading Into Kansas
October 18, 2018
Fresh off a ninth-place finish in a typically topsy-turvy race at Talladega, Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/NIBCO team head to Kansas Speedway for the Hollywood Casino 400.
The veteran driver said he’s feeling good about his team’s prospects for Sunday’s race.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to Kansas,” he said. “That’s been a pretty good track for me.”
Menard finished sixth in the KC Masterpiece 400 at Kansas in May and has five other top-10s there in his career. He also is encouraged by the performance of his No. 21 Fusion showed in a recent test session at Kansas, and he’s interested to see how the race plays out.
“We had good speed at the test, and we were surprised how fast the top groove came in,” he said. “You run right by the wall to get the best speed.
“It’s definitely going to be a little different than the average race on an intermediate track.”
Looking back at Talladega, Menard said he was proud of the way his team kept its focus despite falling two laps down early in the race because of a flat tire and the resulting green-flag pit stop.
“We fought through a lot and got a good finish,” he said, adding that he believes his team’s perseverance at Talladega is a sign of ongoing improvement. “We’re still learning each other, and we’re getting more comfortable with the decisions we make throughout the weekend.”
Qualifying at Kansas is set for Friday at 7:10 p.m. Eastern Time, and the race is scheduled to start just after 2:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday with TV coverage for both events on NBCSN.