By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service BRISTOL, Tenn. — Sometimes a victory tastes sweetest when it comes as a chaser for a bitter defeat. That was certainly the case for pole winner Christian Eckes, who held off Kyle Busch in the closing laps to win Saturday night’s Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. In last year’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff race at Bristol, Eckes gave up the lead to Corey Heim with six laps left and finished second by 0.218 seconds. The loss cost Eckes, who led 150 laps in that event, a berth…
Author: Mike Haag
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.
By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service HAMPTON, Ga. — Sunoco rookie Jesse Love led almost all the laps, but in the end, it was his Richard Childress Racing teammate, Austin Hill, who had Saturday’s RAPTOR King of Tough 250 fall into his lap. For Hill, who won last week’s NASCAR Xfinity Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, it was the continuation of a serendipitous start to 2024. Hill is the first driver since Tony Stewart in 2008 to win the first two events of an Xfinity season. The victory was Hill’s third in the last four races at Atlanta…
Courtesy of the NHRA LAS VEGAS – Looking to stay in the Funny Car championship hunt, Robert Hight claimed the provisional No. 1 position at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, making the quickest run in both qualifying sessions on Friday at the 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals. Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 20th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Hight…
By Mike Haag, Raceday San Antonio ENNIS, Texas – Gaige Herrera capped off his record-breaking weekend by notching his ninth NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle victory of the season Sunday at the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex. He did it by knocking off teammate Eddie Krawiec in the final round with a run clocked at 6.644 seconds at 203.30 mph on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. “A year can make a world of difference,” Herrera said. “I’m just here living the dream. This bike has been flying all weekend and this whole weekend has been cool.…
By Mike Haag, Raceday San Antonio ENNIS, Texas – Steve Torrence grabbed the No. 1 position with a track-record run of 3.636 at 336.62 in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors/Toyota dragster after an epic day of qualifying runs on Saturday at the 38th annual Texas FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex. Torrence, who will face 16th qualifier Buddy Hall in the opening round on Sunday, trails points leader Doug Kalitta by 49 points going into the elimination rounds. It was Torrence’s 37th No. 1 of his career, his third this season and his third at the Motorplex. He won here in 2020…
Photos from Friday’s 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex. All photos are provided courtesy of the NHRA. Click on the photo below and then click the arrows to scroll through the photos.
By Mike Haag, Raceday San Antonio ENNIS, Texas – A late-season surge has put veteran NHRA Top Fuel driver Doug Kalitta in the lead in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series championship standings. With three races remaining in the season’s Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs, Kalitta, driver of the Mobil 1 Toyota dragster, is in the perfect position to battle for the championship as he returns to the Texas this weekend for the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex. I’m super excited to get down there and get started at the Texas Motorplex with…
Photos from Saturday’s Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway. All photos provided courtesy of the NHRA. Click on the photo below and then click the arrows to scroll through the photos.
Photos from Saturday’s racing action at Texas Motor Speedway. All photos are provided courtesy of NASCAR, Getty Images and Texas Motor Speedway. Click on the photo below and then click the arrows to scroll through the photos.
Photos from Friday’s Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway. All photos provided courtesy of the NHRA.