John Force Racing

JFR sweeps Chicago: Robert Hight, Brittany Force earn provisional No. 1 spots at Route 66 Raceway

JFR sweeps Chicago: Robert Hight, Brittany Force
earn provisional No. 1 spots at Route 66 Raceway

Robert Hight (Photo credit: Gary Nastase and Auto Imagery)
JOLIET, Ill. (July 7) – Robert Hight predicted it would take a 3.85-second run to earn the top spot in Funny Car qualifying for the Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals. On Friday, his estimate was correct, as he did just that in the second qualifying session at Route 66 Raceway to take the provisional No. 1 spot.

Meanwhile, Brittany Force enters her birthday Saturday as the No. 1 driver in Top Fuel, as the track record holder in the category set quick time and fast speed in her Monster Energy dragster.

All in all, not a bad day for John Force Racing. Continue reading JFR sweeps Chicago: Robert Hight, Brittany Force earn provisional No. 1 spots at Route 66 Raceway →

Wood Brothers

Blaney Leads The Way For Ford In Kentucky Qualifying

Blaney Leads The Way For Ford In Kentucky Qualifying

July 7, 2017

Lighting in the vicinity of Kentucky Speedway on Friday evening forced an early end to qualifying and left Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion with the sixth starting position for Saturday night’s race.

His speed was the best of the Ford contingent, which placed three drivers in the top 10.

It was Blaney’s fifth-straight top-10 qualifying performance, his seventh in the past eight races and his 13th top-10 start in 18 tries this season.

As has been the case most weeks this season, the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team unloaded a fast Ford Fusion. Blaney was fourth fastest in the two practice sessions on Friday, posting a best lap of 186.059 miles per hour in the first session and running 186.458 mph in the second. Continue reading Blaney Leads The Way For Ford In Kentucky Qualifying →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Qualifying

*TOP TEAM CHEVY QUALIFIERS:
POS. DRIVER
4TH JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 CESSNA CHEVY SS
8TH JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVY SS
12TH CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 NAPA CHEVY SS
13TH DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL CHEVY SS

TOP FIVE QUALIFIERS:
POS. DRIVER
1ST Kyle Busch (Toyota)
2nd Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)
3rd Matt Kenseth (Toyota)
4th Jamie McMurray (Chevrolet)
5TH Denny Hamlin (Toyota)

The Quaker State 400 is scheduled to begin on Saturday, July 8 at 7:30 pm, ET. Live coverage can be found on NBC Sports Network, PRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

*The qualifying session for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series was called off due to impending weather after the second round of knock-out qualifying was completed and the field was set based off the results after the second round concluded. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Qualifying →

War Wizard

War Wizard Update

Here we are at the half way point of the year! The
War Wizard team is full steam ahead. June was a
busy month, we kicked it off in Jackson, TN at the
truck & tractor pulls. This was the debut event for
our new driver RJ. He did not let the pressure get
to him. He came out big on Friday & Saturday
night and gave the fans a show despite minor
issues both nights. The team worked fast to get
the War Wizard back up to 100% to return for
encore runs. The fans were ecstatic with the new
driver. After a great weekend in Jackson the team
regrouped and prepaired for displays at Bristol
Motor Speedway and the tear down of the truck
for much needed tlc. Next Stop Bristo

Boss Bird

Boss Bird Update

Last week was busy. Wednesday evening had us at Sinclair Community College; doing a presentation to the Engine Mechanical class and the High Performance Fuel System class.
We talked about the ins and outs of running a nitro funny car and the components that go into our unique Pontiac engine.
We also displayed data plots on the projection screen and walked the students thru evaluating the information.

Thursday was our trip to Kil Kare Dragway for their Night of Fire race. We were lined up next to Barrie Young’s “Down Under Thunder” funny car. Video link attached below.
A few broken valvetrain parts (and not much time between rounds) ended the evening for us; but not before signing autographs for a mob of families and kids.

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Kentucky–Dale Earnhardt Jr.

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
QUAKER STATE 400
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPTS
JULY 7, 2017

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Kentucky Speedway after receiving a Jukebox from the track as a retirement gift that will be given in his name to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., answered questions from the media and discussed this being his final race at Kentucky, his thoughts on NASCAR silly season, and many other topics.

ON THE GIFT FROM KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY:
“That’s awesome because I know the kids are going to love it. We just came from there yesterday and really enjoyed being able to visit. That is going to be something they are all going to love to mess with and play music. We got them a little stereo, but this is going to take the cake. So, thank you, that is a very creative and thoughtful and it will make a lot of kids smile when they are around this jukebox and enjoying it together. I appreciate that. Mel () is here with us today as one of our patient champions, you think everybody is going to love this at the hospital? Yeah, I do too. So, thanks a lot, it means a lot.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Kentucky–Dale Earnhardt Jr. →

F4

LARSEN RETURNS TO CTMP WITH NEWLY EXPANDED F4 U.S. TEAM

LARSEN RETURNS TO CTMP WITH NEWLY EXPANDED F4 U.S. TEAM
Dakota Dickerson joins F4 U.S. roster under Kiwi Motorsport

INDIANAPOLIS (July 6, 2017) – The newest Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda team Kiwi Motorsport expanded its single-car roster just in time for the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, adding 2015 Team USA Scholarship recipient Dakota Dickerson of San Diego to its squad. The New Zealand team, co-owned by Garry Orton and former F2000 driver Teena Larsen, partnered with United States-based RJB Motorsports to complete its last-minute lineup change.

“Planned from the other side of the world, our goal was always to start Kiwi Motorsport with one car and add an additional car as the season progressed,” Larsen said. “Ryan Barth of RJB Motorsports heard firsthand about the success of the F4 U.S. Championship. Knowing that Kiwi Motorsport wanted to add another car to its program, he got involved to help make this happen.” Continue reading LARSEN RETURNS TO CTMP WITH NEWLY EXPANDED F4 U.S. TEAM →

Cruz Pedregon

Cruz Pedregon Chicago Advance

NHRA® Team Report

Route 66 NHRA Nationals – Chicago, IL

Pre-Race Report

It’s a big weekend for Cruz Pedregon and team as they head into Chicago working to hold on to a coveted spot in the playoffs. Chicago will mark Cruzer’s 1,000th NHRA round, a milestone for a driver who has grown up in the sport. “Drag racing is a calling for me, not just because it’s my family sport, but because it’s my passion. And, to be staging for the 1,000th time is a real thrill for me personally and professionally…it’s a real nod to our great sponsors who ensure we have the tools to bring this sport to its legions of fans and to the team that keeps the Snap-on Toyota tuned and ready each race,” says Cruz. “I’m looking forward to this weekend, especially since it’s the ‘home track’ of our primary sponsor Snap-on. They will be out here this weekend​,​ and we want to make it count.”

Crew Chief Aaron Brooks says, “We’ve got our eye on the prize, and that’s the playoff berth. Cruz set a track record here in 2015, and we believe we have the momentum to do it again. Each week, we’re seeing gains in the program and Chicago is where we plan to see it pay off.”

On the side of Cruz’s car –

This weekend, you’ll see the name of Snap-on Nitro Franchisee Eric Thomas. In his fifth year as a Franchisee, Eric learned about Snap-on working for the company that makes its mobile stores. Growing up enjoying racing, he used to focus on circle track and dirt racing…he even ran a drag car at a local track one season. His first NHRA race was right here in Joliet. Eric will be enjoying the race this weekend with a large group of friends and family.

Wood Brothers

Blaney Hoping To Build Playoff Momentum Beginning This Week At Kentucky

Blaney Hoping To Build Playoff Momentum Beginning This Week At Kentucky

July 6, 2017

Ryan Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are hoping to capitalize this weekend on the speed they’ve shown in their past two trips to Kentucky Speedway.

Blaney did not get to qualify in 2015. Because the Wood Brothers were at that point a part-time team without a provisional starting spot he didn’t race. Last year, qualifying was rained out again, but he did get to start and ran among the leaders before being collected in a crash on a mid-race restart.

“I think our Cup cars have actually been really good [at Kentucky],” Blaney said on this week’s NASCAR teleconference. “We haven’t really got the great finishes that I feel like we should have gotten there, but I’m excited to get back. Continue reading Blaney Hoping To Build Playoff Momentum Beginning This Week At Kentucky →

Roush Yates

MID-SEASON MOMENTUM 2017 Race Season

MID-SEASON MOMENTUM
2017 Race Season

MOORESVILLE, N.C., July 6th, 2017 – The 2017 race season has started out strong for Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines. In their 14th year as partners, collaborating on the development of championship caliber race engines, this dynamic partnership has won 18 races and 17 poles across the NASCAR and road racing programs since the start of 2017. This impressive beginning to the year has been due to the success of 12 different drivers and eight different Ford Performance organizations, across all six series.

The racing season kicked off red hot in Daytona Beach, Florida, where five out of the six series started their seasons. Ford Performance proved they were on a MISSION to win from the season-opener, capturing three out of the five wins at Daytona International Speedway. Continue reading MID-SEASON MOMENTUM 2017 Race Season →

Gary Scelzi Motorsports

Scelzi Set for Marquee World of Outlaws Events at Cedar Lake, Attica and Eldora

Scelzi Set for Marquee World of Outlaws Events at Cedar Lake, Attica and Eldora

Inside Line Promotions – STOCKTON, Calif. (July 5, 2017) – Dominic Scelzi is gearing up for several marquee events with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.

Scelzi will compete this Friday and Saturday at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., for the FVP Platinum Battery Showdown before tackling the Brad Doty Classic next Tuesday at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, Ohio, and the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio, July 13-15.

“I’ve got a lot of confidence from our win at Calistoga Speedway (in Calistoga, Calif.) a week ago,” he said. “I think our program is better and I’m driving better so I’m very excited.”

Scelzi made his debut at all three tracks last season and he recorded a variety of results. He placed sixth in a 360ci winged sprint car race at Cedar Lake Speedway, where he also posted a 17th-place finish with the World of Outlaws. Scelzi charged from 18th to sixth during his most recent of two career races at Attica Raceway Park and he finished ninth during his first of four races at Eldora Speedway.

“I think the biggest thing for me as a driver is the wow factor is gone being that I’ve been to these tracks,” he said. “I’ve run these big races before. I understand the severity of qualifying. I think my driving has been a lot better this year. I have high hopes for all of them. At the end of the day if I could make the A Main in all of these races that would be an outstanding week of racing.”

Scelzi competed once last weekend when he ran into mechanical problems during a heat race at Stockton Dirt Track on Sunday. He and the Nick McColloch owned team were unable to finish the heat race and did not start the B Main.

QUICK RESULTS –

Chevrolet Racing

NHRA–Chevrolet at Chicago

CHEVROLET AT CHICAGO

What:
Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N
When:
Friday, July 7-Sunday, July 9
Where:
Route 66 Raceway at Joliet, Illinois
TV:
FS1: Eliminations and finals live – 3 p.m. ET Sunday
FS1: Qualifications live – 5 p.m. ET Saturday

Chevrolet Drivers Aim for Quick Start to Second Half of the Season
Six-race push to the Countdown to the Championship Begins at Route 66 Raceway Continue reading NHRA–Chevrolet at Chicago →

Jegs Racing

Jeg Coughlin Jr. hopes busy weekend in Chicago concludes with breakthrough victory

Jeg Coughlin Jr. hopes busy weekend in
Chicago concludes with breakthrough victory
CHICAGO (July 5) – Jeg Coughlin Jr. has 58 NHRA national event wins but not one of his Wally trophies has this year attached to faceplate. The five-time Pro Stock world champion looks to change that fact this weekend as the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series hits the quarter-mile for the 20th annual Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, just a few miles southwest of the Chicago city limits.

Coughlin will be a very busy man this weekend both as a competitor and as a spectator, but the fan-favorite racer and businessman is accustomed to having a hectic schedule.

“It’s a fun and big weekend for us on a lot of levels,” said Coughlin, a 47-year-old resident of Delaware, Ohio. “On the Pro Stock level, we’ve kind of licked our wounds from the last couple of weeks so we want to rebound well and see if we can’t go some rounds on Sunday again. I’ve got all the faith in the world in Mark Ingersoll and Rick and Ricky Jones (crew chiefs).”

After two runner-up finishes earlier this year, Coughlin has mustered only quarterfinal showings in the past two events, but a change in how the rubber meets the “Mother Road” may provide a better grip going forward. Continue reading Jeg Coughlin Jr. hopes busy weekend in Chicago concludes with breakthrough victory →

Erica Enders

Melling Performance moves to title sponsor position on Erica Enders’ hot rod

Melling Performance moves to title
sponsor position on Erica Enders’ hot rod
WYNNEWOOD, Okla. (July 5) — Melling Performance, a longtime associate sponsor of Elite Motorsports and two-time Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders, will become title sponsor of the 22-time national event winner for five national events, beginning with next weekend’s 20th annual Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Chicago and continuing through the 63rd annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indy.

“Everyone at Melling Performance is excited about our association with Erica and Elite Motorsports,” Melling Performance CEO Mark Melling said. “After being at the races, I thought it would be great to see the Melling Performance Decal on the doors of Erica’s RED #9 racecar. It reminds me of the Bill Elliott days in NASCAR. Continue reading Melling Performance moves to title sponsor position on Erica Enders’ hot rod →

Gary Scelzi Motorsports

Giovanni Scelzi Earns Podium at Keller Auto Speedway to Remain in KWS-NARC Championship Hunt

Giovanni Scelzi Earns Podium at Keller Auto Speedway to Remain in KWS-NARC Championship Hunt

Inside Line Promotions – STOCKTON, Calif. (July 5, 2017) – Giovanni Scelzi produced his eighth podium of the season last Saturday during a King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series event at Keller Auto Speedway.

The third-place finish brought Scelzi and the Roth Motorsports team within one point of the lead in the championship standings with only a half dozen races remaining this season. Continue reading Giovanni Scelzi Earns Podium at Keller Auto Speedway to Remain in KWS-NARC Championship Hunt →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Kentucky Advance

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
QUAKER STATE 400
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY
SPARTA, KENTUCKY
JULY 8, 2017

BOWTIE BULLETS
LEADER OF THE PACK:
Team Chevy driver, Kyle Larson continues to lead the point standings as the series heads into the second half of the season. Only nine races remain until the playoff cutoff race at Richmond to determine the 16 drivers that will vie for this season’s championship title. Currently, Team Chevy has four drivers who have victories under their belts and are all but guaranteed a spot in this year’s playoffs.

HALFWAY THROUGH:
Last weekend at Daytona International Speedway marked the halfway point of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. Thus far, Chevrolet has collected seven victories by four different drivers and three different Chevrolet team organizations. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Kentucky Advance →

Erica Enders

Erica Enders eager to take her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Pro Stocker to Chicago

Erica Enders eager to take her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Pro Stocker to Chicago
CHICAGO (July 5) – Two-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders has a wealth of quarter-mile excitement to draw from this weekend as she takes the controls of her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro at the 20th annual Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals, just outside of Chicago.

“Chicago has a lot of meaning to me because we won our first Pro Stock race there in 2012 after seven long years of trying,” Enders said. “It was such a huge deal, a culmination of so many things. It felt wonderful. It was a big relief and also immediately made you want to do it again. I’m always excited to head back to Chicago.” Continue reading Erica Enders eager to take her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Pro Stocker to Chicago →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevrolet Seeks Quick Start, Fast Finish at Iowa Speedway

Chevrolet Seeks Quick Start, Fast Finish at Iowa Speedway

· Team Chevy drivers enter Iowa Corn 300 with high expectations
ᴏ Chevrolet has won two of the three races on ovals this season
· Josef Newgarden dominated the 2016 race on the .894-mile bullring
ᴏ Team Penske driver has finished on podium each of past three years
· Three Chevy drivers are among the top five in points with seven races left
ᴏ Teammates Power, Simon Pagenaud, and Newgarden have wins
· Pagenaud is among the ESPY Award nominees for Best Driver

DETROIT (July 5, 2017) – Racing inches apart at 175 mph with barely a moment to relax the grip on the steering wheel each of the 300 laps on a variably-banked, .894-mile oval is among Josef Newgarden’s passions.

The Team Penske Verizon IndyCar Series driver is adroit at Iowa Speedway, too.

Newgarden had the field covered in the 2016 race, leading 282 of the 300 laps, and the 26-year-old North Carolina resident also finished on the podium the previous two years. He’s looking forward to another dash to the checkered flag this weekend in the Iowa Corn 300. Continue reading Chevrolet Seeks Quick Start, Fast Finish at Iowa Speedway →

Honda Racing

Honda Returns to Indianapolis for Red Bull Global Rallycross

Honda Returns to Indianapolis for Red Bull Global Rallycross

• Mitchell deJong’s Podium Streak Continues into Indianapolis
• Long Layoff Bodes Well for Honda Civic Coupes
• First Event in Indianapolis for Red Bull Global Rallycross Series

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (July 5, 2017) – After two consecutive doubleheader events, Olsbergs MSE (OMSE) and drivers Oliver Eriksson, Mitchell deJong and Sebastian Eriksson travel to Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis, IN for Round 7 of the 2017 Red Bull Global Rallycross season. Continue reading Honda Returns to Indianapolis for Red Bull Global Rallycross →

Casey Currie

Casey Currie Summer Schedule

7/6-7/9 Gatebil Festival – Rudskogen, Norway
7/7-7/8 Kentucky Nascar Smoke Show – Sparta, KY (Cancelled)
7/12-7/16 AxialFest – Soda Springs, CA
7/26-7/30 Jeepers Jamboree – Rubicon Springs, CA
7/28-7/30 Pocono Nascar Smoke Show – Monroe County, PA
8/1-8/3 Veterans Charity Jeep Event – Moab, UT
8/31-9/4 Crandon TORC – Crandon, WI
9/7-9-9 King of Portugal Ultra 4 – Vimioso, Portugal
9/8-9/10 Richmond Nascar Smoke Show – Henrico County, VA
9/14-9/16 Glen Helen Lucas Oil OffRoad – Glen Helen, CA
9/30-10/1 Off Road Expo – Pomona, CA
9/30-10/1 Dover Nascar Smoke Show – Dover, DE

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