Mopar Racing

Johnson Drives Make-A-Wish Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car to Victory in Las Vegas, Loge Wins Super Stock in Barracuda

Johnson Drives Make-A-Wish Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car to Victory in Las Vegas, Loge Wins Super Stock in Barracuda

Mopar-powered driver Tommy Johnson Jr. wins 14th career Funny Car event in Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T
Tony Schumacher puts Mopar-fueled U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster in final round, two Mopar Top Fuel dragsters advance to semis
Mopar and Dodge hold top two spots in both Funny Car and Top Fuel
Six Dodge Charger R/T Funny Cars compete in 16-car field
Mike Loge wins all-Mopar Super Stock final; three Mopar vehicles advance to class semifinals
Bob Elliott claims Dodge Top Finisher in Stock Eliminator, Loge wins award in Super Stock
April 2, 2017, (Las Vegas) – The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series made its first of two 2017 trips to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, and the event ended the same way the season’s first three races have: with a Mopar HEMI®-powered Nitro machine in the winner’s circle Continue reading Johnson Drives Make-A-Wish Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car to Victory in Las Vegas, Loge Wins Super Stock in Barracuda →

Jeg Coughlin

Frontrunner Jeg Coughlin Jr. reaches another semifinal in JEGS.com/Elite Camaro

Frontrunner Jeg Coughlin Jr. reaches
another semifinal in JEGS.com/Elite Camaro
CHANDLER, Ariz. (April 2) — Five-time Pro Stock world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. continued his winning ways Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, reaching the semifinals of the 18th annual Denso Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals before getting edged out by Bo Butner. Continue reading Frontrunner Jeg Coughlin Jr. reaches another semifinal in JEGS.com/Elite Camaro →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevrolet Rolls to Fourth Pro Stock Victory with First-Time Winner

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
DENSO SPARK PLUGS NHRA NATIONALS
THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017

Chevrolet Rolls to Fourth Pro Stock Victory with First-Time Winner

• Tanner Gray becomes youngest race winner in 65-year history of NHRA
• The 17-year-old joins father and grandfather with a Wally
• John Force reaches Funny Car semifinals in the event following 148th win
• No. 4 qualifier Brittany Force advances to Top Fuel quarterfinals Continue reading Chevrolet Rolls to Fourth Pro Stock Victory with First-Time Winner →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NHRA–Las Vegas Wrap-up

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
DENSO SPARK PLUGS NHRA NATIONALS
THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES
SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017

TANNER GRAY, GRAY MOTORSPORTS, VALVOLINE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 5 qualifier, youngest pro winner of NHRA race):
Q: WALK US THROUGH YOUR WEEKEND

TANNER GRAY: “It started off really good. (Crew chief) Dave Connolly made some good calls during qualifying and we ended up qualifying fifth. I made a few mistakes on Friday when it counted and I think we had a little more in the car. But I think it showed out here today. I think we were first or second in the session on every run. I can’t thank everybody enough. They are definitely the reason I am standing here. I do a small part. It feels really cool.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Las Vegas Wrap-up →

Wood Brothers

Blaney Finishes 25th On Fender-Banging Day At Martinsville

Blaney Finishes 25th On Fender-Banging Day At Martinsville

April 2, 2017

A strong start to Sunday’s STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway by Ryan Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team began to unravel just past the halfway mark when Blaney was collected in a couple of crashes that left him mired two laps down and ended with a disappointing 25th place finish.

The finish was no indication of the early speed shown by Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team. After starting seventh, Blaney worked his way into the top five and was running fourth when the first caution flag flew. A problem with a lug nut stuck in the wrench’s socket dropped him to 20th on the next restart, but he soon worked his way forward and finished the first 130-lap Stage in seventh place. Continue reading Blaney Finishes 25th On Fender-Banging Day At Martinsville →

John Force Racing

PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil driver John Force races to semifinals of NHRA Nationals at Las Vegas

PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil driver John Force races
to semifinals of NHRA Nationals at Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (April 2) – John Force raced to the semifinals of Sunday’s NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway but came up short of his second consecutive Funny Car final in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Force dispatched of former teammate Phil Burkart Jr. in the first round, and then Matt Hagan in the second before falling to Tommy Johnson Jr. in the semifinals.

Force was seeking his seventh Funny Car victory at Las Vegas and second straight this season, having won the most recent NHRA race, the Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Continue reading PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil driver John Force races to semifinals of NHRA Nationals at Las Vegas →

Erica Enders

Two-time world champ Erica Enders reaches quarterfinals at Denso NHRA Nationals

Two-time world champ Erica Enders reaches quarterfinals at Denso NHRA Nationals
LAS VEGAS (April 2) — Two-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders will have to wait for another time to log a fifth career victory at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after a one-up, one-down day at the 18th annual Denso Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals.

Enders drove her Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro past teammate Vincent Nobile in Sunday’s opening round before losing to Bo Butner by a scant .014 seconds in the quarterfinals. As usual, Enders had superior reaction times in both races but her head-start in Round 2 wasn’t enough to hold off Butner.

“I think I could have done more behind the wheel to help us win but either way I’m pleased with today’s race,” Enders said. “Of course, we want to win every race we enter but we really turned a page today so I’m feeling very optimistic. Continue reading Two-time world champ Erica Enders reaches quarterfinals at Denso NHRA Nationals →

John Force Racing

Monster Energy driver Brittany Force falls in NHRA Nationals quarterfinals in Las Vegas

Monster Energy driver Brittany Force falls in NHRA Nationals quarterfinals in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS (April 2) – Brittany Force and the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster won a first-round matchup in Sunday’s NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway before falling to Leah Pritchett in the second round.

The race was the fourth on the 2017 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series calendar.

Force – who qualified No. 4 this weekend – advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Steve Faria in the opening round with an elapsed time of 3.762 seconds at 329.26 mph, to Faria’s pass of 4.505 seconds at 180.96. It marked her best pass of the weekend and the first time she had faced Faria. Continue reading Monster Energy driver Brittany Force falls in NHRA Nationals quarterfinals in Las Vegas →

Kalitta Racing

Kalitta Motorsports–Las Vegas

Post-Race Report
Event 04: NHRA Las Vegas Nationals
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas
March 31 – April 2

Kalitta earns second consecutive semi-final result
Race Recap: After earning a semi-final finish at the Gatornationals, Kalitta and the Mac Tools team turned to Las Vegas where he had seen much success. However, the talented driver was still searching for his first spring Vegas win to add to his two Toyota Nationals triumphs.

Kalitta failed to make a clean pass on Friday, but the Mac Tools team more than made up for it on Saturday. They earned five of the possible six bonus points with two solid passes. The best, a 3.758, moved him all the way to third overall. Continue reading Kalitta Motorsports–Las Vegas →

John Force Racing

Rare mistake ends Las Vegas race for Auto Club driver Robert Hight

Rare mistake ends Las Vegas race for
Auto Club driver Robert Hight
LAS VEGAS (April 2) – Robert Hight, widely regarded as one of the best Funny Car drivers in the sport, made a rare mistake on the starting line during the NHRA Nationals on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

A double-step in the second round against Tommy Johnson Jr. caused Hight to red light with his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS, ending his Las Vegas weekend too early.

“Just screwed up,” Hight said. “I really don’t know what happened. I really hate it for my guys because they work so hard. No excuses.” Continue reading Rare mistake ends Las Vegas race for Auto Club driver Robert Hight →

Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing–Martinsville

Austin Dillon Drives the No. 3 Okuma Chevrolet to a Fifth-Place Finish at Martinsville Speedway to Earn Best Finish of Season

“We had a really fast Okuma Chevrolet and that’s because of the guys on the team and everyone at RCR. No one panicked. We didn’t have the speed we needed during the first couple of practice sessions. For some reason we never do here. I just can’t go fast enough to start then consistently get better throughout practices and throughout the race. It’s nice to be able to do that but I wish I could be fast right away. Starting 20th was big for us. Our car had takeoff speed. It’s the first racecar we’ve had that can actually restart and go for the first five laps. That’s important for us and something you have to focus on with the way that the racing is now with stages. Short run speed is key and if you have long run speed, falloff doesn’t really matter because you’re going to have a caution at some point. I’m just proud of the guys because we finished fourth in this race last year and we were able to come back and back it up with a fifth place finish today. I thought we were going to have a little something for the two leaders. In the middle of the run our car just lacked a little bit more turn and forward drive. At the end we could come back to them but the 22 car backed down in front of me. Overall it was a good run.”
Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Martinsville →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Martinsville Wrapup

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
STP 500
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPTS
APRIL 2, 2017

CHASE ELLIOTT IS TOP FINISHER AT MARTINSVILLE FOR TEAM CHEVY
Larson Maintains Point Lead for Chevrolet

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (April 2, 2017) – A solid day for Chase Elliott netted a third- place finish in the STP 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. Elliott, who was a top contender in his No. 24 SunEnergy1 Chevrolet SS, led twice for 20 laps and won the second stage of the 500-mile event. It was also his first top-10 finish in four races at the .526-mile track. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Martinsville Wrapup →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Martinsville–Post Race

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
STP 500
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
APRIL 2, 2017

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 SUNENERGY1 CHEVROLET SS – Finished 3rd
YOU SAID THIS PLACE IS A BIT OF A PUZZLE, BUT HOW IMPORTANT WAS RUNNING IN THE TRUCK RACE YESTERDAY?
“I think it helped a little bit. We’ve got a little work to do, but it was much improved, I hope it was in just a one-day event. And we got lucky. I hope that wasn’t the case. We hopefully have a good direction and we can build on this for the fall. This was an important race and we’d love to have a good run then.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Martinsville–Post Race →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Martinsville–Dale Earnhardt Jr.

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
STP 500
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
APRIL 2, 2017

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 AXALTA CHEVROLET SS – Sidelined in multi-car crash on Lap 417
“I love this place. It was a lot of fun today. The car was really good. Greg (Ives, crew chief) and the guys made a lot of changes last night and made our car way better. I must have sped on pit road. They said it was in the segment right after our pit stall, so I must have gotten a good launch out of there. And, uh, hanging around John Force too much, or something, I don’t know. I don’t know how you speed in little segment just coming out of the pit box, but we must have. It got us in the back and we got bottled-up there in (Turn) 3 and they’re ain’t no bumpers on these cars. It knocked the radiator out of it. So, we’re out of the race. We went to the garage to try to fix it, but can’t with the new rules. So, we’re done. I was having a good time. But, I’m disappointed with the way we’re finishing. We’ve got to finish better than this.”

WHAT HAPPENED?
“The radiator got knocked out of it. It just ain’t got much of a front bumper on it to begin with. So, when you get in the back of somebody that hard it’s going to knock the top of the radiator off. It knocked the fitting off the top of the radiator and we are out. I was really happy with the way the car was running. We were fast all day. They said I sped on pit road, but hard to believe that, but it is what it is. We got back there in the back and got mixed up in something and it’s going to give us a bad finish, but we were having a great time – had a fast car.”

MORE ON WHAT HAPPENED:
“They just stopped and I couldn’t. I got into the back of the No. 5 (Kasey Kahne). His bumper knocked the top of the radiator off of it, knocked the fitting off the top of the radiator. We don’t have much of a bumper on there to begin with keeping the cars as light as we can and that is about the second or third time I’ve knocked the top off the radiator here. I wish they were a little tougher than that, so we could beat and bang and keep going.”

PRETTY AGGRESSIVE WITH THE STAGES TODAY WOULDN’T YOU SAY?
“It feels like the same old Martinsville. I love it. I was having a great time. Good hard racing out there. Got turned around, got back toward the front, leaning on guy, a lot of fun. Everybody is having a good time out there.”

THE SPEEDING PENALTY PUT YOU IN THAT POSITION. ARE YOU MAD AT YOURSELF?
“Well as far as what I see on my dash I wasn’t speeding, but they have better technology than we do. They said it was in the segment out of my pit box. Hell, I must have got out of there pretty damn good. I don’t know what to do about that.”

John Force Racing

Courtney Force, Advance Auto Parts team looking for consistency after upset loss in Vegas first round

Courtney Force, Advance Auto Parts team looking for consistency after upset loss in Vegas first round

LAS VEGAS (April 2) – After an upset loss in the first round of the NHRA Nationals on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Courtney Force huddled with her Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS team to figure out a plan of attack moving forward.

Force, the No. 1 qualifier in Funny Car, stumbled in the first round against veteran Gary Densham, losing after a slowing pass of 5.118 seconds at 153.39 mph. Continue reading Courtney Force, Advance Auto Parts team looking for consistency after upset loss in Vegas first round →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Martinsville–Jamie McMurray

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
STP 500
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
APRIL 2, 2017

JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 CESSNA CHEVROLET SS – Sidelined on lap 107:

THERE WAS A LOT OF CONTACT OUT THERE, BUT WHAT WAS THE FINAL STRAW?
“I think the No. 48 (Jimmie Johnson) got into the left rear and it knocked the body on the tire. I was kind of leaving it up to the team whether we pit or not because I knew they could get a better idea of what it looked like and maybe where it was hitting the tire. And then it somewhat quit smoking, which made me think maybe the body had relieved itself, but then I blew a left-rear tire going into the corner. It’s like a no-win. If you stay out and you blow a tire and you wreck, your day is done. If you pit here and you lose two or three laps, I don’t think you can get those back. So, we made the decision to stay out and ended up blowing a tire.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Martinsville–Jamie McMurray →

Red Horse Racing

Red Horse Racing at Martinsville Speedway

RACE REPORT
Alpha Energy Solutions 250
Martinsville Speedway
April 1, 2017
Newsletter – Dance Drop Shadow Image
Red Horse Racing at Martinsville Speedway

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams went north to Ridgeway, Virginia for the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville Speedway. On Friday, teams were able to get one practice session in the books, while the second was washed out. Brett Moffitt recorded the second-fastest time, while Timothy Peters was 14th. On Saturday morning, teams competed in three rounds of knockout group qualifying. Brett Moffitt and Timothy Peters both transferred into the second round, where Moffitt earned the 15th starting position. Peters transferred into the final round and earned the third starting spot. Moffitt was able to fight his way up to finish in the sixth position, while Peters battled back from some adversity to finish eighth. Continue reading Red Horse Racing at Martinsville Speedway →

John Force Racing

Auto Club driver Robert Hight knows he can win from the No. 14 qualifying spot

Auto Club driver Robert Hight knows he can win from the No. 14 qualifying spot
LAS VEGAS (April 1) – Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro Funny Car driver Robert Hight has been here before – and won.

So a No. 14 qualifying position – his spot for the NHRA Nationals this weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – doesn’t faze him.

“Luckily, our two teammates went down the track, so we’ll have their data,” Hight said. “We’re racing from a tough spot tomorrow from the bottom half, but when we get our act together, and we get this car running right – which hopefully is first round – we can beat anybody.
Continue reading Auto Club driver Robert Hight knows he can win from the No. 14 qualifying spot →

John Force Racing

Monster Energy driver Brittany Force secures No. 4 qualifying position for Las Vegas

Monster Energy driver Brittany Force secures No. 4 qualifying position for Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS (April 1) – Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster pilot Brittany Force will aim for her first NHRA Nationals victory Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and fourth career Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Top Fuel triumph from the No. 4 qualifying position.

Force’s best time of 3.760 seconds at 323.58 in Friday’s first round of qualifying was her best in four sessions.

Force will square off against No. 13 Steve Faria in Sunday’s opening-round matchup. It marks the first time Force and Faria will compete against each other. Force also qualified No. 4 in last year’s spring race at Las Vegas. Continue reading Monster Energy driver Brittany Force secures No. 4 qualifying position for Las Vegas →

John Force Racing

PEAK driver John Force to contend for second consecutive Las Vegas victory from No. 7 qualifying position

PEAK driver John Force to contend for second consecutive Las Vegas victory from No. 7 qualifying position

LAS VEGAS (April 1) – John Force, the most recent NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car winner at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, seeks his second consecutive victory at the track from the No. 7 qualifying position.

Force – coming off the Gatornationals victory in March at Gainesville Raceway from the No. 1 spot – saved his best for the third run, a 3.924-second pass at 329.34 mph on Saturday. Force nearly topped that run on his final pass Saturday but drifted out of the groove and nearly hit the wall, falling just three-thousandths of a second short of his top run. Continue reading PEAK driver John Force to contend for second consecutive Las Vegas victory from No. 7 qualifying position →

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