Megan Meyer

Drag Illustrated Driver Blog Presented by Weld Racing

Drag Illustrated Driver Blog Presented by Weld Racing
“Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” – Lyndon B. Johnson

We all know that feeling of defeat when you just miss the tree by a mile and can’t reach the finish line first. Unfortunately, it happens (a lot more than we want to admit) in racing, and letting down your team, your car, and your sponsors is the worst feeling in the world.

This past weekend, my teammate Julie and I both lost first round for the second race in a row. For us that is a big deal; we have been to 11 final rounds this year in 18 races and naturally expect both cars to go rounds on race day. Yet, that wasn’t the case at Indy or Reading. Continue reading Drag Illustrated Driver Blog Presented by Weld Racing →

Wood Brothers

Menard Looking For Improvement At Richmond

Menard Looking For Improvement At Richmond

September 19, 2018

Richmond Raceway has never been a particularly good track for Paul Menard or for his Wood Brothers team.

Menard has just one top-five finish there, back in 2013.

The Woods have two Richmond wins but none since Kyle Petty’s victory there in 1986.

But Menard, who will be back in the Motorcraft/Quick Lane colors on the No. 21 Fusion this weekend, has hopes that his and his team’s Richmond fortunes are in for an improvement. Continue reading Menard Looking For Improvement At Richmond →

Chevrolet Racing

BRITTANY FORCE CONFIDENT IN HER ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MONSTER ENERGY TEAM

BRITTANY FORCE CONFIDENT IN HER ADVANCE AUTO PARTS
MONSTER ENERGY TEAM
ST. LOUIS (Sept. 19, 2018) — Racing the red, black and yellow of Advance Auto Parts again this weekend, Brittany Force knows she has her work cut out for her as she continues the defense of her Top Fuel world championship at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park. Though the task looks daunting to most, Force and her Advance Auto Parts Monster Energy team know what it takes to rise to the top.

In the midst of their 2017 championship campaign, Force and her team battled their way from the No. 6 spot to take home the title at the final race of the season. The 2018 season has been hard for the defending champions with only one win and one No. 1 qualifier, however the hard work and dedication of the team has not ceased, giving Force confidence as they move forward. Continue reading BRITTANY FORCE CONFIDENT IN HER ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MONSTER ENERGY TEAM →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevrolet Seeks to Add to Win Total in Second Race of the Countdown

CHEVROLET AT ST. LOUIS

What: AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals
When: Friday, Sept. 21-Sunday, Sept. 23
Where: Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois
TV: FS1 live qualifications, 7 p.m. ET Sept. 21
FS1 live eliminations and finals, 2 p.m. ET Sept. 23

Chevrolet Seeks to Add to Win Total in Second Race of the Countdown
Team Chevy drivers in championship hunt heading to Gateway Motorsports Park

DETROIT (Sept. 19, 2018) – “Pro Stock is a zero-tolerance world.” Continue reading Chevrolet Seeks to Add to Win Total in Second Race of the Countdown →

Cruz Pedregon

Cruz Pedregon–St. Louis Advance

NHRA® Team Report
NHRA Midwest Nationals – St. Louis
Pre-Race Report

Cruz Pedregon and team are optimistic about the upcoming race in St. Louis. “Tommy (DeLago) is really honing in on what the Snap-on Toyota likes and doesn’t like,” Cruz says. “The Round 1 win last weekend is encouraging, and we’re looking forward to going more rounds this weekend.”

Crew Chief DeLago says, “I feel like St. Louis is going to be fast, and we will be ready for a good qualifying spot on race day.”

“The strategy for us as a team is to continue to work as hard as we would if we were in the Countdown,” says Cruz. “We’ll push the Snap-on Toyota as if we were.”

On the side of Cruz’s car –
Check Cruz’s car this week, and you’ll see the name of area Snap-on Nitro Franchisee Dave McCuan. He’s had his Snap-on Franchise for three years and was a technician earlier in his career. McCuan says what he likes best about having his own business is that he’s rewarded for the effort he puts into it. He hasn’t missed the NHRA races here at Gateway Motorsports Park in 11 years, and this weekend McCuan plans to have his wife Ashley, daughter Charlotte and 265 of his enthusiastic customers with him.

Chevrolet Racing

Chevrolet Seeks to Add to Win Total in Second Race of the Countdown

CHEVROLET AT ST. LOUIS

What: AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals
When: Friday, Sept. 21-Sunday, Sept. 23
Where: Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois
TV: FS1 live qualifications, 7 p.m. ET Sept. 21
FS1 live eliminations and finals, 2 p.m. ET Sept. 23

Chevrolet Seeks to Add to Win Total in Second Race of the Countdown
Team Chevy drivers in championship hunt heading to Gateway Motorsports Park

DETROIT (Sept. 19, 2018) – “Pro Stock is a zero-tolerance world.”

The words of five-time National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. ring true entering the second round of the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship this weekend at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois.

Nine different Chevrolet drivers have swept the 19 Pro Stock races, including Coughlin with three victories in a resurgent season. Three different drivers – points leader Tanner Gray (Gray Motorsports/Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro SS), Deric Kramer (American Ethanol Chevrolet Camaro SS), and Vincent Nobile (Mount View Tire Chevrolet Camaro SS) – have prevailed the past three races. Continue reading Chevrolet Seeks to Add to Win Total in Second Race of the Countdown →

John Force Racing

COURTNEY FORCE LOOKING TO TAKE BACK POINTS LEAD AT GATEWAY MOTORSPORTS PARK

COURTNEY FORCE LOOKING TO TAKE BACK POINTS LEAD AT
GATEWAY MOTORSPORTS PARK
ST. LOUIS (Sept. 19, 2018) — Funny Car championship frontrunner Courtney Force isn’t fazed by her early exit at last weekend’s opening NHRA Countdown to the Championship Race at Maple Grove Raceway. The Sunday story didn’t speak to the weekend as a whole for the Advance Auto Parts team who earned their 11th No. 1 qualifier of the season.
The 11 top spots for the red, black and yellow Chevy Camaro is the third most in the Funny Car category behind Cruz Pedregon’s 12 in 1998 and John Force’s 13 in 1996 and is the most No. 1s by anyone since Mike Edwards’ 16 in Pro Stock in 2009 and the most by a Funny Car driver since 2000 when John Force had 11. Continue reading COURTNEY FORCE LOOKING TO TAKE BACK POINTS LEAD AT GATEWAY MOTORSPORTS PARK →

Richard Childress Racing

RCR Event Preview – Richmond Raceway

Richard Childress Racing’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series history at Richmond International Raceway … Richard Childress has nine Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories as a car owner at Richmond International Raceway – five with Dale Earnhardt, three with Kevin Harvick and one with Clint Bowyer. Additionally, in 169 starts at the Richmond, Va.-based track, RCR drivers have claimed 37 top-five and 69 top-10 finishes. Childress, a former driver on NASCAR’s senior circuit, contributed three of those top-10 finishes from 1976-1978. Continue reading RCR Event Preview – Richmond Raceway →

John Force Racing

JOHN FORCE OPTIMISTIC FOR AAA INSURANCE MIDWEST NATIONALS

JOHN FORCE OPTIMISTIC FOR AAA INSURANCE MIDWEST NATIONALS
ST. LOUIS (Sept. 19, 2018) — While John Force had a second-round exit at last week’s opening event in the NHRA playoffs, there were indications in the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil team’s performance that the sport’s winningest driver may yet have a say in who hoists this year’s Mello Yello Champion’s trophy.

In a season that surely will rank as one of the most frustrating of his career, the 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion has been battered, bruised and berated. While a young crew anchored by Jon Schaffer and Ronnie Thompson has battled through myriad mechanical issues, Force himself has had to change his driving style to address early season car control issues. Continue reading JOHN FORCE OPTIMISTIC FOR AAA INSURANCE MIDWEST NATIONALS →

John Force Racing

ROBERT HIGHT AND AAA FUNNY CAR ON PACE FOR ST. LOUIS WIN

ROBERT HIGHT AND AAA FUNNY CAR ON PACE FOR ST. LOUIS WIN
ST. LOUIS (Sept. 19, 2018) — Last weekend at Maple Grove Raceway Robert Hight and the AAA Missouri Chevrolet Camaro raced to a semifinal finish and proved that Hight is ready to defend his 2017 Mello Yello NHRA Funny Car title. The Funny Car, which is bannered with Auto Club’s End Distracted Driving initiative and messaging posted the three quickest runs in each round of eliminations on Sunday running 3.941, 3.946 and 3.982 seconds, respectively. Hight was ousted in the semifinals by a rare red-light start but the veteran driver will only use that misstep as motivation. Continue reading ROBERT HIGHT AND AAA FUNNY CAR ON PACE FOR ST. LOUIS WIN →

Jegs Racing

Five-time St. Louis winner Jeg Coughlin Jr. arrives in town with top-shelf Pro Stocker

Five-time St. Louis winner Jeg Coughlin Jr. arrives in town with top-shelf Pro Stocker
ST. LOUIS (Sept. 18) — Five-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. appears to be peaking at the right time as the NHRA tour prepares for this weekend’s seventh annual AAA NHRA Midwest Nationals. Just one race into the Countdown to the Championship, Coughlin’s JEGS.com Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro is running at the top of the charts, as witnessed last weekend in Reading, Pa., where he qualified second overall.

“It’s a very exciting time,” Coughlin said. “We are heading to Round 2 of 6 in this year’s playoffs and we have a great hot rod on our hands. We were very quick every single round in Reading, qualified second by just a fraction to my teammate Erica Enders, and definitely had a car that could have won the race. Continue reading Five-time St. Louis winner Jeg Coughlin Jr. arrives in town with top-shelf Pro Stocker →

F4

KYLE KIRKWOOD SLAYS NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK ON SATURDAY WITH SEVENTH F3 WIN

KYLE KIRKWOOD SLAYS NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK ON SATURDAY WITH SEVENTH F3 WIN

Series newcomer Jacob Abel and John Paul Southern Jr. take it to the last lap to decide podium

MILLVILLE, NEW JERSEY (Sept. 17, 2018)- Kyle Kirkwood of Jupiter, Florida, continued to dominate the F3 Americas Championship Powered Honda, remaining undefeated in the groundbreaking FIA-supported spec, cost-contained championship. Taking the checkered more than 10 seconds ahead of runner-up finisher Baltazar Leguizamon of Buenos Aires, Argentina, the victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Saturday marked Kirkwood’s seventh consecutive win of the season. Kirkwood’s new Abel Motorsports teammate Jacob Abel of Louisville, Kentucky, completed the podium in third in his debut race. Continue reading KYLE KIRKWOOD SLAYS NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK ON SATURDAY WITH SEVENTH F3 WIN →

F4

F4 U.S. FRONTRUNNERS STRUGGLE WITH FAST TURNS ON NJMP THUNDERBOLT CIRCUIT

F4 U.S. FRONTRUNNERS STRUGGLE WITH FAST TURNS ON NJMP THUNDERBOLT CIRCUIT

Jose Blanco secures third F4 U.S. win

MILLVILLE, NJ (Sept. 13, 2018)- The fast turns of the Thunderbolt circuit at New Jersey Motorsports Park collected drivers from the front to the back of the 32-car field in the first round of the penultimate Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda event Saturday. Jose Blanco of San Juan, Puerto Rico, drove a near perfect race to take his third checkered of the season. Dakota Dickerson, who broke the series record for consecutive points finishes last event, continued to add to his streak, capturing a second-place finish and Arthur Leist of Novo Hamburgo, Brazil, rallied in the final laps of the race to secure the last podium spot in an all green flag race. Continue reading F4 U.S. FRONTRUNNERS STRUGGLE WITH FAST TURNS ON NJMP THUNDERBOLT CIRCUIT →

Gary Scelzi Motorsports

Giovanni Scelzi Ties Career-Best World of Outlaws Result

Giovanni Scelzi Ties Career-Best World of Outlaws Result

Inside Line Promotions – CALISTOGA, Calif. (Sept. 17, 2018) – Giovanni Scelzi enjoyed another successful outing during a rare doubleheader in his family owned sprint car last weekend.

Scelzi piloted the No. 41s on Friday and Saturday at Calistoga Speedway, which welcomed the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series for the Wine Country Outlaw Showdown. Continue reading Giovanni Scelzi Ties Career-Best World of Outlaws Result →

Chevrolet Racing

Power, Pagenaud Lead Chevrolet with Top-Five Finishes in Season Finale

CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
INDYCAR GRAND PRIX OF SONOMA
SONOMA RACEWAY
POST-RACE RECAP
SEPTEMBER 16, 2018

Power, Pagenaud Lead Chevrolet with Top-Five Finishes in Season Finale

SONOMA, Calif. – Will Power’s 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series (VICS) season started slowly, but the 2014 champion’s midseason results – punctuated by sweeping the May races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including the 102nd Indianapolis 500 – continued with a strong closing effort.

Power, driver of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, earned a third-place finish in the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway to lead Team Chevy drivers in the 85-lap season finale. Power, who has three victories at the racetrack in Sonoma, California, had qualified seventh. Continue reading Power, Pagenaud Lead Chevrolet with Top-Five Finishes in Season Finale →

Honda Racing

Hunter-Reay Takes Sonoma Win; Dixon, Honda Claim Indy Car Titles

Hunter-Reay Takes Sonoma Win; Dixon, Honda Claim Indy Car Titles
• Ryan Hunter-Reay dominates Sonoma for second win of 2018
• Scott Dixon claims record-tying fifth IndyCar Series title
• Honda wins 11 races, 2018 Manufacturers’ Championship

SONOMA Calif. (September 16, 2018) – Ryan Hunter-Reay led 80 of 85 laps to win today’s INDYCAR Grand Prix of Sonoma season finale, while Scott Dixon finished second to secure a record-tying fifth IndyCar Series Drivers’ Championship. Honda’s 11th race win of 2018 cemented the company’s seventh Indy car Manufacturers’ Championship since 1994.

Starting from the pole, Hunter-Reay dominated the 17th and final round of the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series, turning over the lead only during routine pit stops to score his second win of the year, and 18th career Indy car victory. Continue reading Hunter-Reay Takes Sonoma Win; Dixon, Honda Claim Indy Car Titles →

Wood Brothers

Menard Rallies To Finish 10th At Las Vegas

Menard Rallies To Finish 10th At Las Vegas

September 16, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Aquafina team battled back from early-race adversities to finish 10th in Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was the second straight top-10 finish for Menard and the No. 21 team, the first being a ninth-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway a week ago. It was the second straight top-10 for Menard and the team at Las Vegas, where they finished ninth in March. And it extended the Wood Brothers’ streak of top-10 finishes at Las Vegas to four, with the first two of those coming in 2017.

On a hot Sunday at Las Vegas, where temperatures surpassed 100 degrees, Menard and the Menards/Aquafina team initially struggled to get the No. 21 Fusion handling properly after starting 20th. Continue reading Menard Rallies To Finish 10th At Las Vegas →

NHRA

NHRA–Reading

Top Fuel — Steve Torrence, 3.819 seconds, 325.45 mph def. Tony Schumacher, 4.196 seconds, 234.82 mph.

Funny Car — J.R. Todd, Toyota Camry, 3.972, 319.90 def. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 4.196, 249.95.

Pro Stock — Vincent Nobile, Chevy Camaro, 6.586, 210.01 def. Drew Skillman, Camaro, 6.580, 211.53.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.842, 197.74 def. Matt Smith, EBR, 7.306, 145.88. Both ARP bikes

Top Alcohol Dragster — Troy Coughlin Jr., 5.328, 272.89 ARP Car def. Josh Hart, 5.366, 273.66.

Top Alcohol Funny Car — Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.489, 268.28 def. Phil Burkart, Camaro, 5.745, 261.52.

Competition Eliminator — Tom Martino, Chevy Cobalt, 8.652, 147.13 def. Jay Schonberger, Olds Cutlass, 8.184, 160.94.

Super Stock — Anthony Bertozzi, Pontiac Grand Am, 9.062, 135.46 def. Anthony Bongiovanni, Ford Mustang, 8.919, 153.30.

Stock Eliminator — Shane Oakes, Camaro, 11.144, 113.83 def. Anthony Fetch, Camaro, 10.075, 118.21.

Super Comp — Mike Robilotto, Dragster, 9.027, 174.96 def. Chris Garretson, Dragster, 8.893, 129.23.

Super Gas — Ray Sawyer, Chevy Camaro, 9.932, 175.62 def. Dale Koncen, Chevy Corvette, Foul – Red Light.

Richard Childress Racing

RCR Post Race Report – South Point 400

Austin Dillon Kicks Off The Round of 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with 11th-Place Finish in No. 3 DO
“We definitely had a No. 3 DOWFROST Camaro ZL1 that was capable of running in the top five today at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. I’m proud of the effort, but there is room for improvement. We gave up a lot of track position throughout the day, not just from starting in the back, but we really struggled on pit stops. I felt like I got all I could out of it. The end of the race was a little bit of a bummer. We got squeezed in the middle at the end with no where to go. We needed a top-10 finish today. Eleventh is good, but racing my teammate to the line there I thought we would get him, but we didn’t. It was a solid battle with a good points day. It’s on to Richmond Raceway.”

-Austin Dillon
Continue reading RCR Post Race Report – South Point 400 →

Chevrolet Racing

KYLE LARSON CARRIES BANNER FOR CAMARO ZL1 AT LAS VEGAS

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
SOUTH POINT 400
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 16, 2018

KYLE LARSON CARRIES BANNER FOR CAMARO ZL1 AT LAS VEGAS
Driver of the No. 42 Chevrolet Earns Sixth Runner-Up Finish of 2018

Kyle Larson was Chevrolet’s top-finisher in the South Point 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS), ending the day with the runner-up effort in his No. 42 DC Solar Vegas Strong Camaro ZL1.
The run marked Larson’s sixth second-place finish of the season, his fourth top 10 finish in six races at LVMS, and his 15th top 10 finish of the 2018 MENCS campaign.
Larson battled back from an early tire issue in the 400.5-mile race to lead 24 laps and contend for the win in an overtime finish that included multiple re-starts.
As one of the 16 Playoff contenders in the final 10 races that will determine the 2018 MENCS champion, Larson now ranks 8th in the point standings following the opening round at LVMS. Continue reading KYLE LARSON CARRIES BANNER FOR CAMARO ZL1 AT LAS VEGAS →

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