Author: Mike Haag

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida – The promise of a new Verizon IndyCar Series season gave 21 drivers a fresh start today in two practice sessions for the 14th Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. At the conclusion of the day, four-time series champion Scott Dixon set the pace on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street course that encompasses St. Petersburg downtown streets and a runway of Albert Whitted Airport. Dixon’s best lap of 1 minute, 2.5591 seconds (103.582 mph) came in the second practice and was tops for the day. Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg practice results: Practice 1; Practice 2;…

By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service HAMPTON, Ga. – Thanks to the unintentional generosity of the dominant driver in Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, opportunistic Brad Keselowski won the second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season. Kevin Harvick led 292 of the 325 laps at the 1.54-mile track, but a pit road speeding penalty under caution on Lap 311 sent him to the back of the field for the final restart. That gave Keselowski the chance he needed, and on Lap 319 he surged past Kyle Larson for the top spot and pulled away to win…

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR® and Lilly Diabetes announced today that Lilly is expanding its involvement in NASCAR with a multi-year official partnership with the sanctioning body. The new collaboration designates Lilly Diabetes as the “Official Diabetes Health Partner of NASCAR.” The partnership with Lilly Diabetes builds upon its primary sponsorship of the No. 16 Ford Mustang driven by Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Reed, who last weekend won his second career NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Additionally, as a part of this new partnership, Lilly Diabetes will work with NASCAR on multiple health and wellness initiatives, including…

ATLANTA – The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Fold of Honor QuikTrip 500 will be held Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The follow is a race preview courtesy of NASCAR. Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Next Race: Fold of Honor QuikTrip 500 The Place: Atlanta Motor Speedway The Date: Sunday, March 5 The Time: 2:30 p.m. ET TV: FOX, 2:30 p.m. ET Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 500.5 miles (325 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 85), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 170), Final Stage (Ends on lap 325) Milestone Alert: 2,500th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race…

By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service HAMPTON, Ga. – Christopher Bell unquestionably had the dominant truck in Saturday’s Active Pest Control 200, but, in the end, the driver of the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra had to work hard for the third NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory of his career. In the nightcap of a NASCAR doubleheader at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bell held off fellow Tundra driver Matt Crafton in a two-lap shootout to the finish for his first win of the 2017 season. Austin Cindric’s spin on Lap 124 of 130 brought out the eighth and…

By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service HAMPTON, Ga. – It took Kyle Busch 13 years to get his first NASCAR XFINITY Series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It took him one more year to get the second. The pole winner at Atlanta for the sixth time, Busch pulled away after a restart on Lap 148 of 163 and beat Brad Keselowski to the finish line by .605 seconds to score his second straight victory at the 1.54-mile track in Saturday’s Rinnai 250. “It took so long to get here to begin with,” Busch said in Victory Lane. “Now we’ve won…

GLENDORA, Calif. – The loyal fans of NHRA Pro Stock drag racing in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will be able to vote their favorite category driver into the NHRA K&N Horsepower Challenge, a special bonus event for the factory hot rod class. The K&N Horsepower Challenge will be held Saturday, April 1, during the DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The lucrative event is open to eight drivers, seven of which will be determined by points earned at NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events. The eighth spot will be decided…

FORT WORTH, Texas – Texas Motor Speedway is seeking loyal fans to take part in its Fan Council and provide valuable feedback to speedway officials for further enhancing the race experience. Beginning today and continuing through March 10, fans can apply for a seat on the Texas Motor Speedway Fan Council by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com/experience/community/fan-council. The Fan Council, which consists of 20 to 30 individuals, will conference with Texas Motor Speedway representatives to discuss various subjects and make proactive recommendations for the benefit of the overall fan base. Fan Council members will take part in an on-site meeting the week following the…

Charlotte, N.C. – With a thrilling, last-lap pass in the first MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES race to feature the new stage format, 2004 NASCAR premier series champion Kurt Busch won Sunday’s season-opening DAYTONA 500 on FOX, with 23.3 million viewers tuning in for all or part of the event. An average audience of 12 million watched the race across the FOX broadcast network, FOX Deportes and FOX Sports GO, including 11.92 million on FOX alone. Key 2017 DAYTONA 500 highlights are below: The race averaged 11.922 million viewers on FOX, up +5% over 2016’s average audience of 11.357…

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Twelve hours after celebrating his DAYTONA 500 victory in Daytona International Speedway’s Gatorade Victory Lane, the newest champion of “The Great American Race” was still processing the defining moment of his NASCAR career. “It’s surreal,” the Stewart-Haas Racing driver said Monday morning, during the annual Champion’s Breakfast in the Speedway’s Bill France Room. “Wins are hard to come by … but to win the DAYTONA 500, it’s hard to put into words. It’s beyond belief, really. “As a kid you watch this race on TV and you live the experiences with the drivers who win the…