ABC Supply 500 Fast Facts Race weekend: Saturday, Aug. 19 – Sunday, Aug. 20 Track: Pocono Raceway, a 2.5-mile triangular oval in Long Pond, Pennsylvania Race distance: 200 laps / 500 miles Entry list: ABC Supply 500 (PDF) Firestone tire allotment: Thirteen sets for use throughout the weekend Twitter: @PoconoRaceway @IndyCar, #ABCSupply500, #IndyCar Event website: www.poconoraceway.com/ INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com 2016 race winner: Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet) 2016 Verizon P1 Award winner: Mikhail Aleshin (No. 7 SMP Racing Schmidt Peterson Honda), 1 minute, 21.6530 seconds, 220.445 mph (two laps) One-lap qualifying record: Juan Pablo Montoya, 40.1929 seconds, 223.920 mph, July 5, 2014 Two-lap qualifying record: Juan Pablo Montoya, 1 minute,…
Author: Mike Haag
Mike Haag has covered motorsports in San Antonio and South Texas for more than 39 years. In addition to covering motorsports for the San Antonio Express-News for nearly 28 years, Mike also has co-hosted TrackSmack with Dawn Murphy for 19 race seasons. In addition to being a writer, Mike taught high school English and Journalism for 30 years before retiring in May, 2020.
Courtesy of the NHRA BRAINERD, Minn. – Brainerd International Speedway saw a record setting night of racing at the 36th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals on Friday. Leah Pritchett (Top Fuel) and Robert Hight (Funny Car) ran national elapsed-time record runs in their respective categories during qualifying. Tanner Gray (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were also provisional qualifying leaders at the 17th of 24 events on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Pritchett piloted her Papa John’s Pizza dragster to the quickest run in NHRA history with a pass of 3.640-seconds at 330.63 mph…
Courtesy of Texas Motor Speedway Media Relations FORT WORTH, Texas – Texas Motor Speedway will celebrate the first total solar eclipse across the continental United States in 38 years with a watch party on the world’s largest TV as well as a celestial-themed, pre-event luncheon for its entire staff. Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage is throwing a solar eclipse bash in the speedway infield beginning at 12:30 p.m. CT Monday for his entire staff of more than 80 employees that will feature a variety of celestial-named delights. The staff will enjoy “Out Of This World” Dickey’s BBQ sandwiches, Krispy…
Courtesy of the NHRA BRAINERD, Minn. – After not qualifying five races ago, two-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Matt Smith has come remarkably far in a short time. The only thing left for him is to break through for his first victory of the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. Since the low point of the season – not qualifying in Englishtown – Smith has been impressive on his Victory Magnum, advancing to three final rounds and grabbing two No. 1 qualifiers in the past four races. Smith appears to be setting up for a spectacular finish…
Courtesy of the NHRA BRAINERD, Minn. – After racing to his second career final round, Top Fuel veteran Terry McMillen is closer than ever to his first-ever appearance in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship. It also means the next two races, including this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, are more important than ever. McMillen’s runner-up in Seattle solidified his spot in the Top Fuel points, as he currently sits in eighth, 154 points ahead of 11th-place Shawn Langdon. It has McMillen feeling good in his 10,000-horsepower AMALIE Motor Oil XTERMIGATOR…
Courtesy of Texas Motor Speedway Media Relations FORT WORTH, Texas – Texas Motor Speedway will commemorate Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s first career NASCAR Cup and XFINITY victories with a special “Dale Of A Deal” ticket package for the AAA Texas 500 on Sunday, Nov. 5, as his final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season and career comes to a close. Texas Motor Speedway, the home of Earnhardt Jr.’s first Cup win in 2000 and XFINITY Series victory two years prior, is offering a free, exclusively-produced t-shirt commemorating those triumphs along with a ticket to the AAA Texas 500 to witness his…
By Chris Knight NASCAR Wire Service BRISTOL, Tenn. – Not even a NASCAR overtime could stop Kyle Busch from rallying back from a speeding penalty at the end of Stage 2 to win Wednesday night’s UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch, forced to the back of the field under penalty to start the final stage, put on a clinic on a Lap 119 restart and utilized the high line to roar through the field and find himself back in the top-10 by Lap 136. Nearly 30 laps later, Busch found himself on the tails of leaders Johnny Sauter and…
Courtesy of the NHRA BRAINERD, Minn. – In a matter of back-to-back races veteran driver Tim Wilkerson experienced just how fine a line there is between success and disappointment in the loaded NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car class. Wilkerson went to his second final of the year in Sonoma, seemingly building strong momentum in his 10,000-horsepower Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Shelby Mustang. But Wilkerson suffered a hard-luck, first-round loss a week later in Seattle to finish the Western Swing. It wasn’t an ideal ending to the rigorous stretch, but heading to this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA…
Courtesy of the NHRA BRAINERD, Minn. – It has already been a banner NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season for Bo Butner. The Pro Stock driver has enjoyed a breakout year with three wins and the points lead heading to this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. But as the spotlight grows and the season closes in on its most important stretch, Butner has no plans of slowing down. He’s fighting off a slew of worthy challengers in his Jim Butner’s Auto Chevrolet Camaro, including KB Racing teammates Jason Line and Greg Anderson, but Butner believes…
Courtesy of the Verizon IndyCar Series INDIANAPOLIS – Verizon IndyCar Series driver Sebastien Bourdais has been cleared to resume driving by Dr. Geoffrey Billows, INDYCAR medical director, following his recovery from injuries sustained in a crash during Indianapolis 500 qualifications. Billows said the 38-year-old Frenchman was evaluated by INDYCAR orthopedic consultant Dr. Kevin Scheid on Tuesday and was given clearance to fully return to racing activities. Bourdais was involved in a frightening crash during an Indianapolis 500 qualifying attempt on May 20. The crash left the four-time Indy car champion with fractures in his hip and pelvis. He returned to…