Author: Mike Haag

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Next Race: FireKeepers Casino 400 The Place: Michigan International Speedway The Date: Sunday, June 18 The Time: 3 p.m. ET TV: FS1, 2 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 400 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 60), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on lap 200) Blaney Captures First Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Win At Pocono Wood Brothers Racing’s Ryan Blaney passed Kyle Busch with 10 laps to go in Sunday’s Axalta presents the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway and held Kevin Harvick off the rest of…

By Matt Crossman, NASCAR Wire Service ST. LOUIS, Mo. – “Happy Father’s Day!” a crew member shouted at team owner Joe Nemechek Saturday night as track workers put together the Victory Lane stage behind them. Nemechek had already passed out a half dozen hugs and handshakes to other members of the team he owns, NEMCO Motorsports. “Incredible,” was all Nemechek could muster in response after watching his son, John Hunter Nemechek, pass Matt Crafton late in the race and win the NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series Drivin’ for Linemen 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park. It was the fourth win of…

Courtesy of the NHRA BRISTOL, Tenn. – Steve Torrence claimed the No. 1 qualifying position in Top Fuel Saturday evening at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) were also No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 11th event of 24 on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Torrence’s pass of 3.772-seconds at 319.29 mph in his Capco Contractors dragster during the fourth qualifying session secured his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and 15th of his career. “It’s been a really tricky…

By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service BROOKLYN, Mich. — The rookie drove like a veteran in Saturday’s Irish Hills 250 at Michigan International Speedway, but in the end, the veteran took the rookie to school. Side-drafting off the final corner, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series star Denny Hamlin pulled ahead of Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender William Byron and won a drag race to the finish line to win his first NASCAR XFINITY Series race of the season in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “We were battling really hard, and Denny just schooled me there at the…

Courtesy of the NHRA BRISTOL, Tenn. – Doug Kalitta is the current Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier Friday evening at the 17th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) are also provisional qualifying leaders at the 11th of 24 events on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Kalitta piloted his Mac Tools dragster to a 3.781-second pass at 326.71 mph during the second round of qualifying. This is the only track on the current NHRA Mello Yello Series schedule where Kalitta does not have a No.…

Courtesy of Texas Motor Speedway Media Relations FORT WORTH, Texas – The electrifying Rainguard Waters Sealers 600 held last Saturday evening garnered the most cable television viewers for a Verizon IndyCar Series race held at Texas Motor Speedway since 2008. The Rainguard Water Sealers 600 attracted 561,000 viewers to the live broadcast on NBC Sports Network, the most cable viewers to witness a Verizon IndyCar Series race at Texas since 939,160 households tuned in to ESPN2 for the 2008 race won by Scott Dixon. At the time, that event was the most viewed series race in the history of ESPN2…

Courtesy of the NHRA BRISTOL, Tenn. – After a frustrating 2016 season that didn’t produce a victory, Erica Enders started to show the form earlier this year that helped lead to back-to-back Pro Stock world championships. But it wasn’t until two weekends ago in Epping that Enders finally broke through, ending a winless spell that dated back to 2015. With that confidence fully restored and one win during the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season under her belt, Enders looks to keep that momentum rolling in her Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. She’ll have that chance at this weekend’s…

Courtesy of the NHRA BRISTOL, Tenn. – Racing just a couple hours from his Christiansburg, Va. home, Matt Hagan relishes the opportunity to compete at picturesque Bristol Dragway, the site of this weekend’s 17th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. After trying for years to win at his home track in Funny Car, Hagan came through for the first time in 2015, advancing to the final round again last year. Winning on Father’s Day weekend added an extra special touch for Hagan, making it such a memorable moment the two-time world champion hopes to repeat it again in his 10,000-horsepower Mopar…

Courtesy of the NHRA BRISTOL, Tenn. – Doug Kalitta can sense that his first victory of the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is coming soon. Racing at a track that has already been home to three victories for the Top Fuel standout may provide just the scenario to put Kalitta over the top. The Top Fuel veteran is the only driver in the class top five without a win in 2017, something he wants to change at this weekend’s 17th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. Kalitta’s three victories (2006, 2005, 2001) at the picturesque track…

FORT WORTH, Texas – Texas Motor Speedway is launching a casting call beginning today for race fans that attended Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s first career Cup win that came at this world-renowned motorsports facility on April 2, 2000. With Earnhardt Jr. scheduled to retire at the close of this season, Texas Motor Speedway is building its marketing campaign for the NASCAR superstar’s final visit to Dallas/Fort Worth for the Nov. 2-5 AAA Texas 500 tripleheader weekend. The plan includes identifying fans that were at Texas Motor Speedway the day Earnhardt Jr. recorded his first Cup win in the DIRECTV 500 and…