Author: Mike Haag

By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service SPARTA, Ky. – Christopher Bell survived an accident and an early spin to win Thursday night’s Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kentucky Speedway. Bell picked up his third victory of the season, his first at Kentucky and the fifth of his career, holding off runner-up Brandon Jones by .187 seconds at the end of a closing 32-lap green-flag run. “This is pretty special,” Bell said in Victory Lane. “We had our ups and downs. Practice (on Wednesday) didn’t go very well, but we had a really…

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney participated in a teleconference with members of the media on Wednesday to discuss his success while racing on the circuit this season. Below is the audio of the interview and the transcript of the teleconference, which both have been provided courtesy of NASCAR. An Interview With: Ryan Blaney THE MODERATOR: Good morning, everyone. Thanks for taking the time to be with us today. We’re joined now by Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney. Not only is he the driver of the iconic No. 21 Motorcraft Quick Lane Tires Auto Center…

News, notes and photos courtesy of NASCAR NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Next Race: Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 The Place: Kentucky Speedway The Date: Thursday, July 6 The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET TV: FS1, 7 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 225 miles (150 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 35), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 70), Final Stage (Ends on lap 150) Magic Number 8: John Hunter Nemechek Eyes His Third Consecutive Win John Hunter Nemechek is doing more with less, and has made it look effortless, especially in the last two NASCAR Camping…

Courtesy of the NHRA JOLIET, Ill. – Steve Johnson will reach an impressive accomplishment at this weekend’s 20th annual Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N at Route 66 Raceway, as the Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran will compete at his 400th NHRA event. The standout would like nothing better to commemorate that achievement in his NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series career than with his seventh career win on his Slick 50 Suzuki. But Johnson is also aware of the type of mindset it takes to reach the point where he can celebrate 400 races. “When you accomplish…

Courtesy of the NHRA JOLIET, Ill. – Struggles in previous years at tracks have turned into wins in both of Alex Laughlin’s Pro Stock victories. The rising star hopes a similar scenario plays out at Route 66 Raceway, the site of this weekend’s 20th annual Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N. Laughlin has only raced once at the state-of-the-art facility, losing in the first round a year ago. But he turned prior first-round defeats into wins at St. Louis in 2016 and then two races ago in Bristol in his Gas Monkey Garage Chevrolet Camaro, and Laughlin…

Iowa Corn 300 Fast Facts Race weekend: Saturday, July 8 – Sunday, July 9 Track: Iowa Speedway, a 7/8-mile (0.894-mile) oval in Newton, Iowa Race distance: 300 laps / 268.2 miles Entry List: Iowa Corn 300 (PDF) Firestone tire allotment: Ten sets for use through the weekend Twitter: @iowaspeedway, @IndyCar, #IowaCorn300, #IndyCar Event website: www.IowaSpeedway.com INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com 2016 race winner: Josef Newgarden (No. 21 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet) 2016 Verizon P1 Award winner: Simon Pagenaud (No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet), 34.6334 seconds, 185.855 mph (two laps) One-lap qualifying record: Helio Castroneves, 17.2283 seconds, 186.809 mph, July 11, 2014 Two-lap qualifying record: Scott Dixon, 34.5588 seconds, 186.256 mph, July 11, 2014…

Courtesy of the NHRA JOLIET, Ill. – A native of Chicago, winning at Route 66 Raceway means a little more for eight-time Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher. It’s also become a routine thing for the longtime NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series star, as his five category wins are tied for the most in NHRA history at the facility. Schumacher will look to make it a sixth at this weekend’s 20th annual Fallen Patriots Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by K&N in his 10,000-horsepower U.S. Army dragster. With the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship closing in and Schumacher…

Courtesy of the NHRA JOLIET, Ill. – There is something about Route 66 Raceway that brings out the best in Del Worsham. After a week off and confident that a frustrating stretch is behind him, the Funny Car standout hopes his good history with Chicago continues at this weekend’s 20th annual Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N. The former Top Fuel world champion has posted four victories (three in Funny Car, one in Top Fuel) at the state-of-the-art facility, tied with Auto Club Raceway at Pomona as Worsham’s most successful track in his long and storied career.…

Courtesy of Jeff Wolf, Don Schumacher Racing BROWNSBURG, Ind. – Terry Chandler’s commitment to helping others has left an indelible mark on the National Hot Rod Association and Don Schumacher Racing, and her memorable presence at racetracks and with her Make-A-Wish families and the Infinite Hero Foundation will continue to live on in the hearts of thousands. Sadly, Terry lost her valiant fight with brain cancer on Tuesday afternoon. She was 65 when she died in Florida with family and loved ones at her side. “Terry is a great human being who devoted the past few years to helping the…

By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The major story of Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola – Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s final run at his beloved Daytona International Speedway in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – turned out to be a footnote to Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s masterful victory in a war of attrition that produced a race-record 14 cautions. The driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, who got his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory in his 158th career start two months ago at Talladega, established himself as a restrictor-plate…