Monthly Archives: July 2018

Richard Childress Racing

RCR Event Preview – Pocono Raceway / Iowa Speedway

Richard Childress Racing at Pocono Raceway … In 159 starts at Pocono Raceway, RCR team owner Richard Childress has two wins, both with Dale Earnhardt, who won on July 19, 1987 and July 18, 1993. Additionally, RCR has earned one pole award, 16 top-five and 54 top-10 finishes with 610 laps led at the uniquely-shaped three-turn track. Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, contributed two of those top-10 finishes under the RCR banner.

RCR in the MENCS … In 2,886 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 48 pole awards,108 wins, 487 top-five finishes and 1,058 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 16.2. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90, ’91, ’93 and ’94, six NASCAR Xfinity Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles and one ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series. Continue reading RCR Event Preview – Pocono Raceway / Iowa Speedway →

John Force Racing

COURTNEY FORCE KEEPING UP THE INTENSITY ENTERING SECOND RACE OF WESTERN SWING

COURTNEY FORCE KEEPING UP THE INTENSITY ENTERING SECOND RACE OF WESTERN SWING
SONOMA, Calif. (July 25, 2018) — Funny Car points leader Courtney Force is heading to the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals having already clinched a spot in NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship six-race playoffs. While it’s a relief, the secured spot doesn’t make the 12-time event winner any less motivated to keep racking up round wins.

“It was a good weekend for the Advance Auto Parts team in Denver, clinching a spot (in the Countdown to the Championship) knowing we don’t have to worry about trying to fight to get into that top 10 by Indy. We can just go out there and focus on doing the best job that we can to perform and to win races,” explained Force. Continue reading COURTNEY FORCE KEEPING UP THE INTENSITY ENTERING SECOND RACE OF WESTERN SWING →

John Force Racing

Chevrolet Aims to Continue Winning Ways on Western Swing

CHEVROLET AT SONOMA

What: 31st Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals
When: Friday, July 27-Sunday, July 29
Where: Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California
TV: FS1 taped qualifications, 8 p.m. ET July 28
FOX live eliminations and finals, 4 p.m. ET July 29

Chevrolet Aims to Continue Winning Ways on Western Swing
John Force will mark 750th Funny Car race, which includes 174 with Chevrolet

DETROIT (July 25, 2018) – Through an illustrious National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Funny Car career, John Force has amassed numbers that reflect his longevity in the sport and attest to his abilities, including:

749 races – 173 with Chevrolet plus 160 with General Motors brands Pontiac and Oldsmobile.
149 NHRA Funny Car wins – 18 with Chevrolet (first in 1994 at Phoenix; most recent July 22 at Denver) plus 51 with Pontiac and Oldsmobile. Continue reading Chevrolet Aims to Continue Winning Ways on Western Swing →

John Force Racing

JOHN FORCE LOOKING FOR SECOND WIN ON WESTERN SWING

JOHN FORCE LOOKING FOR SECOND WIN ON WESTERN SWING
SONOMA, Calif. (July 25, 2018) — Sixteen-time world champion John Force never lost faith in his PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car team and that faith paid off at the Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals outside of Denver, Colo. Force racked up his 149th Funny Car victory after eight solid passes down the race track that qualified him fifth and had him defeating former world champions, the points leader and longtime rivals before hoisting the Wally.

“I had to beat a lot of great racers. I love them all. The fire was in me,” Force said. “I am fighting and I got tired of hearing me snivel to myself. My wife doesn’t even want to talk to me. I am working through rehab from my crashes to get out here to win races. I don’t know why I won that race but I have a lot more fight in my belly.” Continue reading JOHN FORCE LOOKING FOR SECOND WIN ON WESTERN SWING →

Wood Brothers

Relatively Young Menards/Libman Team Will Be Working Off Their Own Notes At Pocono

Relatively Young Menards/Libman Team Will Be Working Off Their Own Notes At Pocono

July 25, 2018

This weekend’s Gander Outdoors 400 at Pocono Raceway offers Paul Menard and the No. 21 Menards/Libman team a first of sorts.

“It’s the first track we’ve been to besides Daytona for the second time as a group,” Menard said of himself and his team, which began working together at the start of this season. “Daytona is its own deal, but this weekend we will have a chance to work off our own notes from the race at Pocono in June.

“We had a good run at the start and then got off a little bit. We kept working on it and got the thing pretty fast and passed a lot of cars at the end.” Continue reading Relatively Young Menards/Libman Team Will Be Working Off Their Own Notes At Pocono →

John Force Racing

ROBERT HIGHT CONFIDENT WITH AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVY CAMARO SS TEAM

ROBERT HIGHT CONFIDENT WITH AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
CHEVY CAMARO SS TEAM
SONOMA, Calif. (July 25, 2018) — Sonoma Raceway is a special place for two time and reigning Funny Car world champion Robert Hight. The fan turned crew guy turned professional racer knows the track well having attended the event through the years.

“I still consider Sonoma my home track because it is the closest racetrack to where I grew up. I have been to every single NHRA national event they have had there. I have seen races there as a fan, a crewman and a driver,” explained Hight.

Hight won the event in 2008 but among his win, one of the most memorable moments at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals came in 2017 when he set the national speed record at 339.87 mph during qualifying. Continue reading ROBERT HIGHT CONFIDENT WITH AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVY CAMARO SS TEAM →

Cruz Pedregon

Cruz Pedregon–Sonoma Advance

NHRA® Team Report
Toyota Sonoma Nationals NHRA Nationals – Sonoma, CA
Pre-Race Report

A trip back to Brownsburg to pick up the El Guapo body made for a busy week for Cruz Pedregon’s team leading up to this weekend’s Sonoma Nationals. “That was a trip we didn’t plan on having to make, but we’re getting everything back together and proving the resilience of this team,” Cruz says. “We’re coming off some strong runs and a round one win in Denver with our El Veijito (older person) body after blowing the new El Chicano body off during qualifying last Friday. In spite of a tough start to last weekend and a quick trip home to get another body, you’ll see the team rocking and rolling when we hit Sonoma Raceway.” Continue reading Cruz Pedregon–Sonoma Advance →

John Force Racing

BRITTANY FORCE READY TO START TWO RACE STINT IN PEAK COOLANT AND MOTOR OIL MONSTER ENERGY DRAGSTER

BRITTANY FORCE READY TO START TWO RACE STINT IN PEAK COOLANT AND MOTOR OIL MONSTER ENERGY DRAGSTER
SONOMA, Calif. (July 25, 2018) — Top Fuel reigning world champion Brittany Force is confident in her team coming of a No. 2 qualifying effort at the NHRA Mile-High Nationals in Denver. The eight-time event winner has qualified outside the top ten only twice, and while she has just one race win from the event in Houston, Texas, she’ll be the first to point out that her team’s championship chase really started with the Countdown to the Championship. Continue reading BRITTANY FORCE READY TO START TWO RACE STINT IN PEAK COOLANT AND MOTOR OIL MONSTER ENERGY DRAGSTER →

King of the West

KWS-NARC HEADED TO PLACERVILLE ON SATURDAY

KWS-NARC HEADED TO PLACERVILLE ON SATURDAY
July 23, 2018
Jim Allen

7/24/18, Jim Allen, Sacramento, CA … The exciting King of West-NARC Sprint Car Racing Series will be invading Placerville Speedway this Saturday, July 28th to compete in the Fujitsu Summer Nationals.

This marks the 13th stop on the ultra-competitive 16-race campaign, and the final appearance of the year for the series at the action-packed quarter mile bull ring located at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds. Up for grabs will be nearly $20,000 in prize money and contingency awards, including a $3,000 check for the winner of the 30-lap Fujitsu-sponsored headliner. Continue reading KWS-NARC HEADED TO PLACERVILLE ON SATURDAY →

Gary Scelzi Motorsports

Giovanni Scelzi Tackling All Star Races at Knoxville Raceway and 34 Raceway

Giovanni Scelzi Tackling All Star Races at Knoxville Raceway and 34 Raceway

Inside Line Promotions – FRESNO, Calif. (July 24, 2018) – Giovanni Scelzi will return to Iowa this weekend for a pair of Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions races.

Scelzi and car owner Bernie Stuebgen are scheduled to compete on Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville and on Sunday at 34 Raceway in West Burlington.

“I’d like to be inside the top 10 on Saturday and hopefully contend for the win on Sunday,” Scelzi said. Continue reading Giovanni Scelzi Tackling All Star Races at Knoxville Raceway and 34 Raceway →

Gary Scelzi Motorsports

Dominic Scelzi Victorious at Jackson and Charges Forward at Knoxville

Dominic Scelzi Victorious at Jackson and Charges Forward at Knoxville

Inside Line Promotions – KNOXVILLE, Iowa (July 23, 2018) – Dominic Scelzi highlighted last weekend by earning his third feature victory of the season and his first career at Jackson Motorplex on Friday.

The busy weekend began on Thursday at Bloomfield Speedway in Bloomfield, Iowa, where Scelzi piloted a sprint car for Scott Bonar during the Sprint Invaders show. Unfortunately, mechanical problems during the heat race ended the night early for the team. Continue reading Dominic Scelzi Victorious at Jackson and Charges Forward at Knoxville →

F4

F4 U.S. TEAMS BREAK TWO RECORDS AT MID-OHIO

F4 U.S. TEAMS BREAK TWO RECORDS AT MID-OHIO

Jay Howard Driver Development tops team championship standings after dominating performance in mid-season event

INDIANAPOLIS (July 23, 2018)- The record for the most teams to score points at a Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda event was broken at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course June 29-July 1 after 10 of the 13 teams entered produced top-10 results, but Jay Howard Driver Development dominated the standings, earning the most points ever collected by a team at a single event.

The four-car team lost its first-place standing to Crosslink/Kiwi Motorsport after Event 2 at Road Atlanta, trailing by four points leading into Rounds 7-9. However, in dominate fashion, JHDD reclaimed the lead with a combined six podiums from Christian Rasmussen of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Teddy Wilson of Holbeach, England, heading the team championship standings by 79 points after the midseason event. Continue reading F4 U.S. TEAMS BREAK TWO RECORDS AT MID-OHIO →

Roush Yates

FORD CHIP GANASSI RACING WINS THIRD STRAIGHT RACE WITH FORD GT!

FORD CHIP GANASSI RACING WINS THIRD STRAIGHT RACE WITH FORD GT!

LIME ROCK, CT – July 23, 2018 – Ford Chip Ganassi Racing won their third straight IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship (WTSC) race of the season. It was the No. 66, piloted by Joey Hand (and Dirk Müller) that took the checkered flag in the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park race on Saturday.

“Congratulations to Ford Performance, Chip and the teams,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “I’m so proud of the team, winning their fourth race of the season. It’s a great confidence builder for us, as we head to Road America, a track well suited for the Ford GT and EcoBoost engine. We need to keep our heads down and continue to stay focused on doing even the small things well and keep digging.” Continue reading FORD CHIP GANASSI RACING WINS THIRD STRAIGHT RACE WITH FORD GT! →

Roush Yates

HARVICK WINS 6th RACE OF THE SEASON!

HARVICK WINS 6th RACE OF THE SEASON!

LOUDON, NH – July 23, 2018 – Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Fusion won his sixth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season by winning the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 on Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“Congratulations to Kevin, Tony, Gene and everyone at Stewart-Haas,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “It was an incredible run by Kevin in those final laps, catching and passing Kyle. I’m so proud our team has the opportunity to provide the power for these Ford Fusions. Racing is our company’s passion and it doesn’t get much better than a win like today. I tell our employees, we get tested every weekend and this Sunday we passed the test.” Continue reading HARVICK WINS 6th RACE OF THE SEASON! →

Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP

SOD returns to Hartford for King Engine Bearings KoM Race #3

ERIE, MI (July 23, 2018) –Engine Pro Sprints On Dirt presented by ARP returns to Hartford Speedway this Friday, July 27th, for the third of five 2018 King Engine Bearings King of Michigan races.

Ryan Ruhl took KoM race 1 on July 6th over Chad Blonde and Gregg Dalman after it had been rained out twice. Chad Blonde took the KoM win on July 13th with Steve Irwin finishing second and Shawn Valenti taking third.

With outstanding racing in the first two KoM races, this Friday promises to be a real crowd pleaser. The wide track’s multiple grooves provide plenty of room and three-wide racing. Continue reading SOD returns to Hartford for King Engine Bearings KoM Race #3 →

Richard Childress Racing

RCR Post Race Report – New Hampshire 301

Austin Dillon and the Dow Chevrolet Team Run Solidly in the Top 15 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Before Late-Race, Unscheduled Green-Flag Pit Stop

“The Dow Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was loose on entry to start the race, but a pit stop for four tires, fuel and adjustments definitely improved the car’s handling. We kept up with changing track conditions through adjustments in the pits throughout the race, and ended up with a pretty good handling Camaro ZL1. We were posting top-10 lap times during most of the race and running in eighth when we ended up with a loose wheel and had to make an unscheduled pit stop under green flag conditions. It cost us the lead lap. It’s a shame because we had a rocket ship but couldn’t do anything with it. I’m proud of the guys for building a really fast car. We are on the right track.”

-Austin Dillon
Continue reading RCR Post Race Report – New Hampshire 301 →

Mopar Racing

Mopar Dodge 1320 Top Fuel Driver Pritchett Rockets to Victory at Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Powered by Mopar

Leah Pritchett put the cherry on top of a dream weekend at the Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Powered by Mopar, flying her Mopar Dodge 1320 “Angry Bee” Top Fuel dragster from the No. 1 spot to her first win at historic Bandimere Speedway. Her victory came in the first year with Dodge//SRT as headline sponsor and in the 30th consecutive season of FCA US event title sponsorship at the track near Denver.

The victory was Pritchett’s second of the year in three final rounds this season, the seventh overall of her career, and moved the Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) driver to third in the point standings. The Wally trophy was also the eighth of the season for a DSR Mopar Dodge driver in the NHRA Nitro classes. Continue reading Mopar Dodge 1320 Top Fuel Driver Pritchett Rockets to Victory at Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Powered by Mopar →

Wood Brothers

Menard Finishes 17th at New Hampshire

Menard Finishes 17th at New Hampshire

July 22, 2018

Paul Menard and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team had a fast Ford Fusion in the early stages of Sunday’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The speed fell off midrace, but the team adjusted on the car, regained their form from earlier in the race and were fast, even on worn tires, in the closing laps.

The net result was a 17th place finish which allowed Menard and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team to remain in the hunt for one of the 16 berths for the 10-race, season-ending Monster Energy Cup Series playoffs, which begin after six more regular season races. Continue reading Menard Finishes 17th at New Hampshire →

John Force Racing

JOHN FORCE CONQUERS MOUNTAIN WITH EIGHTH MILE-HIGH NATIONALS WIN

JOHN FORCE CONQUERS MOUNTAIN WITH EIGHTH MILE-HIGH NATIONALS WIN

MORRISON, Colo. (July 22, 2018) — John Force captured his 149th Funny Car victory Sunday at Bandimere Speedway outside of Denver. The winningest driver in NHRA history defeated a Who’s Who of drivers including two-time Funny Car champion Matt Hagan, long-time nemesis Cruz Pedregon, daughter Courtney Force, the current points leader and No. 1 qualifier and in the final round Force, in his PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro, took out the second winningest Funny Car driver, Ron Capps. At the end of the day, and after over a year between wins, the ever-humble Force thanked two special people for inspiring him to victory.

One was a lifelong friend, Bandimere Speedway track owner John Bandimere Jr., and the other was a brand new motivator, Kirstie Ennis, a U.S. Marine who lost her leg in combat in Afghanistan and was at the track representing Building Homes for Heroes and Advance Auto Parts. Continue reading JOHN FORCE CONQUERS MOUNTAIN WITH EIGHTH MILE-HIGH NATIONALS WIN →

NHRA

NHRA Denver Results

Top Fuel — Leah Pritchett, 3.831 seconds, 316.45 mph def. Doug Kalitta, 3.852 seconds, 319.82 mph.

Funny Car — John Force, Chevy Camaro, 4.075, 315.42 def. Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 4.067, 308.71.

Pro Stock — Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.943, 196.53 def. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.947, 196.19.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 7.170, 185.89 ARP Bike def. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, Foul – Red Light.

Competition Eliminator — Don Thomas, Dragster, 7.746, 134.82 def. David Kramer, Dragster, Foul – Red Light.

Super Stock — Chris Chaney, Chevy Camaro, 10.971, 120.91 def. Shaun Vincent, Pontiac Firebird, 10.658, 125.97.

Stock Eliminator — Drew Skillman, Ford Mustang, 9.379, 143.20 def. Lane Weber, Buick Skyhawk, 16.462, 79.81.

Super Comp — David Hutchens, Dragster, 9.453, 174.48 def. Bill Percival, Dragster, 9.413, 160.16.

Super Gas — Michael Miller, ’27-T Ford, 13.489, 92.68 def. Kevin Moore, ’34 Chevy Roadster, Foul – Red Light.

Super Street — Brian Percival, Dodge Dart, 11.515, 134.74 def. Michael Condon, Chevy, 11.488, 127.90.

Top Dragster presented by RacingRVs.com — Rick Milinazzo, Dragster, 7.480, 163.35 def. Josh Herman, Dragster, 7.444, 175.52.

Top Sportsman presented by RacingRVs.com — Greg Lair, Chevy Camaro, 7.028, 189.28 def. Monte Green, Ford Fusion, 7.008, 199.14