Author: Mike Haag

Courtesy of the NHRA MADISON, Ill. – After a brilliant stretch that included wins and broken records, Robert Hight isn’t going to let one hiccup get him down. A second-round loss in Reading on Sunday bounced Hight from the Funny Car points lead in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, but recent history indicates the former world champion will bounce back in impressive fashion. It could happen at this weekend’s AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park, where Hight is after a second playoff win in his 10,000-horsepower Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS. With three wins…

Courtesy of the NHRA MADISON, Ill. – Racing against a talented Top Fuel field in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, veteran Doug Kalitta knows he has his work cut out for him if he hopes to win his first NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championship. But it’s his team-driven focus that has put him in position to claim that title. Kalitta won the first race of the NHRA’s six-race playoffs and currently sits second in points heading to this weekend’s the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park. As the Countdown to the…

Courtesy of the NHRA MADISON, Ill. – Accustomed to already performing at an impressive clip, the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship brings out an even higher level of racing for Top Fuel star Antron Brown. The back-to-back world champion has been dominant in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series playoffs, winning half of the races the past two seasons. Much of that success has come at Gateway Motorsports Park, where Brown posted four straight wins from 2012-2015. That run included two of Brown’s three world titles and he’ll look to add to that success in his 10,000-horsepower…

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service LOUDON, N.H. – Kyle Busch didn’t need a smokescreen to win Sunday’s ISM Connect 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway – he simply had to survive one. Driving unscathed through a cloud of smoke on the backstretch on the final lap of the second stage, Busch, the polesitter, took control of the race at the halfway point and beat Kyle Larson to the finish line by 2.641 seconds. In winning for the third time this season, the third time at Loudon and the 41st time in his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career,…

Courtesy of the NHRA MOHNTON, Pa. — Ron Capps powered to the Funny Car victory Sunday at the 33rd annual Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Bo Butner (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were also victorious in their respective categories at the second of six playoff events during the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship. Capps secured his category-best seventh victory of the season and 57th of his career with a 3.968-second pass at 326.48 mph in his Napa Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T to take down…

News, notes, audio and photos courtesy of NASCAR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Next Race: ISM Connect 300 The Place: New Hampshire Motor Speedway The Date: Sunday, Sept. 24 The Time: 2 p.m. ET TV: NBCSN, 1:30 p.m. ET Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 317.4 miles (300 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 75), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 150), Final Stage (Ends on lap 300) Truex Wins Playoff Opener Martin Truex continued his winning ways in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs opener by taking the checkered flag at Chicagoland Speedway – his second…

By Chris Knight, NASCAR Wire Service SPARTA, Ky. – Running a partial NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule this season, Tyler Reddick spoiled the party for the opening round of the Playoffs by earning his first career win in Saturday night’s VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 at Kentucky Speedway. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver took control of the lead 74 laps from the finish and never looked back. His 14.540-second margin of victory over teammate Brennan Poole was the largest in the series’ history at the 1.5-mile speedway in 16 years of competition. “I don’t know if it was necessarily me making a statement, it…

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service LOUDON, N.H. – In Christopher Bell’s dominating win in Saturday’s UNOH 175 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the rich got richer. The top seed in the series Playoffs, Bell won the first two stages of the opening postseason event and took the checkered flag 1.248 seconds ahead of runner-up Ryan Truex to notch his fifth victory of the season. The win earned Bell automatic advancement into the second round of the Playoffs, gave him an additional seven playoff points to bring his series-leading total to 47 and widened…

Courtesy of the NHRA MOHNTON, Pa. – Robert Hight maintained his No. 1 qualifier status Saturday at the 33rd annual Dodge NHRA Nationals in front of a sellout crowd at Maple Grove Raceway. Clay Millican (Top Fuel), Bo Butner (Pro Stock) and Scotty Pollacheck (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the second of six playoff events during the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship. Hight broke both ends of the track record with a 3.844-second pass at 339.02 mph in his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro, the…

Courtesy of the NHRA MOHNTON, Pa. — Robert Hight powered to the provisional qualifying lead Friday evening at the 33rd annual Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa. behind a record-breaking run. Clay Millican (Top Fuel), Bo Butner (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also top qualifiers in their respective categories at the second of six playoff events during the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship. Hight broke both ends of the track record with a 3.844-second pass at 339.02 mph in his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet…