Author: Mike Haag

By Chris Knight NASCAR Wire Service LEXINGTON, Ohio –  Not even a caution with four laps remaining in Saturday’s Mid-Ohio Challenge could detour road course expert Justin Marks from scoring his first career NASCAR XFINITY Series victory at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Marks, driver of the No. 42 Katerra Chevrolet Camaro, withstood a rain-soaked challenge from Sam Hornish Jr on the final restart, but Marks showcased his road racing skills when it counted most and stretched his lead to 3.7 seconds when the checkered flag flew.  “These are as tough conditions as you can put drivers in,” said Marks from…

BRAINERD, Minn. – Brainerd International Raceway isn’t the home track for Bob Bode but for a number of reasons it feels like it for the NHRA Funny Car driver. Ever since winning the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at the facility in 2010 Bode has received an overwhelming amount of support at the event, making it a required race for him on his limited schedule. It was also the first race Bode ever qualified at in Funny Car and he knows it will be another memorable weekend in his 10,000-horsepower AR-BEE Transparent Products/Northwest Trucks Toyota Camry when he returns to Brainerd…

GLENDORA, Calif.  – Officials from the NHRA and Royal Purple Raceway near Houston announced today that they have reached a multi-year contract extension for the NHRA SpringNationals. In the agreement, the track will continue to host NHRA national events well into the future. The 30th annual NHRA SpringNationals, round five of the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, will be held April 21-23 at the popular dragstrip located in Baytown, Texas. “We’re proud to have the opportunity to continue to provide the loyal fans of the Southeast Texas region and greater Houston area with exciting side-by-side competition for many…

FORT WORTH – Texas Motor Speedway will play host to “Back The Blue Night” at the Firestone 600 Verizon IndyCar Series race on Saturday, Aug. 27, to display its appreciation for the dedicated service of police officers. “Back The Blue Night” will honor police officers near and far by providing them and a companion free admission to the Firestone 600. Police personnel will be required to show their badge or proper identification at the gate for admittance to the event that will have general admission seating. Texas Motor Speedway also will extend this offer to all first responders that show…

Pocono announces INDYCAR extension through 2018: Pocono Raceway, home to the next race on the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule, will remain on the calendar through 2018, as announced today by track president and CEO Brandon Igdalsky. “The Tricky Triangle,” a 2.5-mile triangular oval, will host the ABC Supply 500 weekend on Aug. 20-21. Race dates for 2017 and 2018 will be announced at a later date. “We are thrilled to share this great news that we will host the Verizon IndyCar Series through 2018,” Igdalsky said. “Our track was originally designed for open-wheel cars and our fans really enjoy…

KENT, Wash. – The final rounds of the Protect the Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways have been delayed due to inclement weather. After multiple rain delays NHRA officials announced the Funny Car final round between Del Worsham and Ron Capps and the Top Fuel final round between Antron Brown and Steve Torrence will be completed during the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn. The Pro Stock final between Washington native Aaron Strong and Vincent Nobile will be decided at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Aug. 31 – Sept. 5. Worsham, the defending Funny Car world…

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Denny Hamlin, winner of Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at the Glen, entertained a sold-out grandstand with a celebratory burnout that trailed a plume of smoke the entire length of the frontstretch at Watkins Glen International. But Hamlin’s smoke show—with a bad back, no less—paled in comparison to the fireworks that preceded the checkered flag, Hamlin’s first at a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series road course. The race was in doubt until the final corner, with Martin Truex Jr. pressuring Hamlin, who led the final 10 laps after surging past Brad Keselowski and…

KENT, Wash.  – Del Worsham reset the Funny Car elapsed time national record twice on Saturday en route to claiming the No. 1 qualifier at the Protect the Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals presented by Lucas Oil at Pacific Raceways just outside of Seattle. It was an extraordinary day for the entire Funny Car class, as it featured the top-five quickest passes in category history. Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Vincent Nobile (Pro Stock) also were qualifying leaders in their respective categories at the 16th event of 24 on the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. The Protect the…

Drivers log valuable track time at Pocono test: With but four races remaining to be completed on the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule, each one becomes exponentially more important. It’s why 15 drivers participated in team testing Thursday at Pocono Raceway, in preparation for the ABC Supply 500 weekend at the “Tricky Triangle” in Long Pond, Pa., Aug. 20-21. Drivers from six teams logged more than 1,700 laps on the 2.5-mile triangular oval. Because it was a team test, lap times were not reported. Getting track time was paramount for rookie Max Chilton, making his first visit to Pocono. “It’s…

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service WATKINS GLEN, N. Y. – Joey Logano finally finished what he started. The driver of the No. 12 Ford won Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Watkins Glen International from the pole, giving Team Penske its first victory in what has been a disappointing season so far. The win in the Zippo 200 was the second straight at the 2.45-mile road course for the 26-year-old driver, who led 67 of 82 laps and drove his car to the limit, keeping teammate Brad Keselowski behind him until a broken track bar mount forced Keselowski’s No.…