Cap Henry takes the SOD COMP Cams Great Lakes Sprint Car Classic

MARNE, MI (October 1, 2017) – Cap Henry drove his Lane Racing, Kister-powered J&J to victory in the Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP COMP Cams Great Lakes Sprint Car Classic before a huge, enthusiastic crowd at Berlin Raceway Saturday night.

Henry started 4th and wasted little time getting to the front, taking the lead on lap 3. Henry drove to victory over the Ryan Ruhl and Jordan Ryan. While Henry looked untouchable, Ruhl was closing in on the leader quickly at the end, but ran out of laps. Ruhl dropped to seventh from his fifth place starting position, but came to life late in the 30 lap feature and finished just 0.6 seconds behind Henry. The only caution came out on lap 11 for a Thomas Schinderle flat tire; he rejoined the field after changing the tire. 2017 SOD Sprint Car Rookie of the Year Andrew Scheid finished 7th to win the KSE Hard Charger Award for advancing 7 positions.

Heat races were rough. Veteran Marl Aldrich caught the front straightaway wall in the 1st heat and did a series a hard flips to put an end to his night. Jared Horstman clipped a turn 3 tire marker in the 2nd heat and flipped, bringing his night to an end. In the 3rd heat, Brett Mann made hard contact with a tire marker in turn 2, destroying his #19. All drivers were okay.

The well-prepared temporary Berlin Raceway dirt surface held up extremely well under the pressure of a big program of 28 SOD sprints, 28 AELMT late models, and 30 AEMODT modifieds.

The CCGLSCC closes an exciting 2017 Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP season. Next on tap is the 2017 awards banquet that will be held Saturday, November 11 at the Battle creek Holiday Inn, Battle creek, Michigan.

Search for speed continues for six-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr.

Search for speed continues for six-time
world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr.
ST. LOUIS (Oct. 1) — After struggling with a car that refused to leave the starting line in a normal fashion in three of four qualifying sessions, Jeg Coughlin Jr. knew he needed a near-perfect run to beat first-round opponent Chris McGaha Sunday at the sixth annual AAA Insurance NHRA
Midwest Nationals.

Unfortunately, although Coughlin and his JEGS.com/Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro race team gave their best effort, they didn’t quite have enough to win the race, with McGaha running a 6.542 at 211.93 mph to Coughlin’s 6.576 at 210.64 mph. Continue reading Search for speed continues for six-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. →

Monster Energy’s Brittany Force continues championship drive from No. 5 spot

Monster Energy’s Brittany Force continues
championship drive from No. 5 spot

MADISON, Ill. (Sept. 30) – The battle for the NHRA Top Fuel championship continues Sunday in the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park, and Monster Energy driver Brittany Force intends to be in the thick of the battle.

Force qualified No. 5 and will be gunning for her second consecutive victory in the Countdown to the Championship. She won last week in Reading, Pa. – following a semifinal finish in Concord, N.C. – and is third in the Top Fuel standings.

“I’m feeling good going in to tomorrow,” Force said. “I have a strong team behind me with (tuning consultant) Alan Johnson, (crew chief) Brian Husen and the entire Monster Energy team. Continue reading Monster Energy’s Brittany Force continues championship drive from No. 5 spot →

AAA Missouri driver Robert Hight snares 56th career No. 1, joins exclusive company

AAA Missouri driver Robert Hight snares
56th career No. 1, joins exclusive company

MADISON, Ill. (Sept. 30) – AAA Missouri Chevrolet Camaro driver Robert Hight joined some exclusive NHRA company at Gateway Motorsports Park on Saturday by snaring the No. 1 qualifying spot for the AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals.

The No. 1 was Hight’s 56th of his brilliant career, and he moved into a tie for ninth with Joe Amato and Mike Edwards on NHRA’s list of all-time No. 1 qualifiers.

He also tied John Force Racing teammate Courtney Force for most No. 1s this season, seven, in Funny Car.

But Hight was also surprised he hung on to the No. 1 spot. Continue reading AAA Missouri driver Robert Hight snares 56th career No. 1, joins exclusive company →

Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force to start No. 7 in Sunday’s NHRA Funny Car race at Gateway

Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force to start
No. 7 in Sunday’s NHRA Funny Car race at Gateway

MADISON, Ill. (Sept. 30) – Courtney Force proved last weekend’s race in Reading she could race to the finals of an NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car finals from the No. 8 qualifying position.

In Sunday’s race, the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park, Force will again try to come from mid-pack, as the driver of the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS starts one position better – No. 7. Continue reading Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force to start No. 7 in Sunday’s NHRA Funny Car race at Gateway →

PEAK driver John Force turns in career-best ET, will start No. 2 in Sunday’s race at Gateway

PEAK driver John Force turns in career-best ET,
will start No. 2 in Sunday’s race at Gateway

MADISON, Ill. (Sept. 30) – John Force’s career-best elapsed time in Friday’s second round of qualifying netted him the No. 2 qualifying position in Sunday’s AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park.

Force, chasing a 17th NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car championship, recorded a pass of 3.832 seconds at 334.65 mph. That pass set a track record for a few moments, as Force’s teammate Robert Hight topped him shortly after by just two thousandths of a second. Continue reading PEAK driver John Force turns in career-best ET, will start No. 2 in Sunday’s race at Gateway →

Pritchett Claims No. 2 Qualifying Spot in Mopar Top Fuel Dragster at NHRA Midwest Nationals

Pritchett Claims No. 2 Qualifying Spot in Mopar Top Fuel Dragster at NHRA Midwest Nationals

Leah Pritchett qualifies No. 2 in HEMI®-powered Top Fuel dragster from Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) to lead Mopar at Gateway Motorsports Park
Mopar-powered Tony Schumacher is third in Top Fuel
Ron Capps is best of Mopar Dodge Funny Car drivers from DSR with third-place qualifying effort
Six Mopar Dodge Funny Cars will compete in 16-car field
Pritchett drives Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak in Factory Stock Showdown after qualifying fourth
September 30, 2017, Madison, Ill. – On a gorgeous fall weekend at Gateway Motorsports Park near downtown St. Louis, Leah Pritchett led all Mopar HEMI®-powered drivers in qualifying for the sixth annual NHRA Midwest Nationals with a second-place effort in Top Fuel. Continue reading Pritchett Claims No. 2 Qualifying Spot in Mopar Top Fuel Dragster at NHRA Midwest Nationals →

Richard Childress Racing–Use Your Melon. Drive Sober 200

Dover International Speedway Lives up to Its “Monster Mile” Moniker for Austin Dillon and the Rheem Team in Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series Race

“Usually, when you unload from the truck fast it sets up your entire weekend for success. We didn’t unload fast this weekend and it showed. This race was an all-around struggle. We never got control of the handling and ended up getting off-sequence on pit strategy to try and stay on the lead lap. It didn’t work, unfortunately. We’ll regroup and try to get a win for this Rheem team next week at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a track I’ve had a lot of success at.”

– Austin Dillon Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Use Your Melon. Drive Sober 200 →

Upset-minded two-time world champ Erica Enders ready to wreak havoc

Upset-minded two-time world champ
Erica Enders ready to wreak havoc
ST. LOUIS (Sept. 30) — Currently sixth in the Championship to the Countdown playoff standings, two-time Pro Stock world champ Erica Enders knows a third career victory at Gateway Motorsports Park would propel her up the rankings at the midway point of this year’s title chase. She also knows knocking off a few of the drivers ahead of her would throw a huge wrench in the fight for the sport’s top prize.

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” Enders said. “With just four Sundays left in the Countdown, we’ve got a lot of work to do to see if we can move up in the points. Part of that is knocking off the drivers ahead of us in the points so I say line ’em up and let’s go. We’ve worked our way to the top of the mountain twice before so we know what it takes. The plan is to keep chasing it until it’s over.” Continue reading Upset-minded two-time world champ Erica Enders ready to wreak havoc →

Team Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals Qualifying Report

Team Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals Qualifying Report

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (September 30, 2017) – Allen Johnson drove the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart to the No. 10 seed at the Sixth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park.

On Friday, Johnson found a solid baseline when he powered his red, white, and blue Dodge Dart to a 6.575-seconds pass at 209.39 mph. In the evening session, Johnson drifted towards the centerline and hit a timing block at the finish line and his 6.578, 207.82 was disallowed. Continue reading Team Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals Qualifying Report →

Five-time St. Louis champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. braced for elimination fight

Five-time St. Louis champ Jeg
Coughlin Jr. braced for elimination fight
ST. LOUIS (Sept. 30) — Feeling he has nothing to lose, six-time drag racing world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. will go all-out to win his sixth St. Louis trophy Sunday when action at the sixth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals turns to sudden-death eliminations.

Coughlin qualified his JEGS.com/Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro in the No. 12 position after a best pass of 6.579 at 209.98 mph during four rounds of time trials. Continue reading Five-time St. Louis champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. braced for elimination fight →

Gigantic day for two-time champion Troy Coughlin in 2017 Pro Mod title chase

Gigantic day for two-time champion
Troy Coughlin in 2017 Pro Mod title chase
ST. LOUIS (Sept. 30) — After struggling through qualifying for the sixth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals, Troy Coughlin experienced one of the best single rounds of eliminations in his career Saturday afternoon when he upset reigning world champion and longtime nemesis “Tricky Rickie” Smith just moments after top qualifier and current points leader Mike Castellana lost to No. 16 qualifier Pete Farber. Continue reading Gigantic day for two-time champion Troy Coughlin in 2017 Pro Mod title chase →

CHEVROLET’S LEAD THE FINAL PRACTICE SESSION AT DOVER

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
APACHE WARRIOR 400
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY FINAL PRACTICE QUOTES
SEPTEMBER 30, 2017

CHEVROLET’S LEAD THE FINAL PRACTICE SESSION AT DOVER

DOVER, Del. (September 30, 2017) With the first cutoff race to the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs looming, Chevrolet’s Chase Elliott and Jimmie Johnson, both championship contenders, led the way on the speed chart heading into tomorrow’s Apache Warriors 400 at Dover.

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 NAPA CHEVROLET SS – Fastest in the Final Cup Series Practice Session
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR CAR HEADING INTO TOMORROW:
“Obviously, I would just like to be fast tomorrow and I think we’ve got our car driving a little better from what we had it yesterday, which is good. That was the goal there regardless of what the stopwatch said was just to try to get it driving better. I think we’ve got it closer. I think we are still off from a couple of guys, but I think we are in the ballpark. Continue reading CHEVROLET’S LEAD THE FINAL PRACTICE SESSION AT DOVER →