Author: Mike Haag

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – This week NASCAR fans are eagerly anticipating the return of Chicagoland Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) summer action and it’s fair to say, they are equally as excited about who will help narrate the story – the sport’s 15-time Most Popular Driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. After stepping away from the driver’s seat on a full-time basis following the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season finale at Miami, Earnhardt has essentially been preparing to make his television debut in the NBC Sports announcing booth – a…

Courtesy of Texas Motor Speedway Media Relations FORT WORTH, Texas – The first week of the Universal Technical Institute Friday Night Drags was certainly a boom as a record-breaking car count of 366 vehicles descended to Texas Motor Speedway to begin the 10th anniversary season of the six-week summer racing series. The second week is shaping up to be another explosive night – on and off the track. Each Friday of the Universal Technical Institute Friday Night Drags schedule will feature a different theme, and with Independence Day right around the corner, Week 2 is fittingly Fireworks Night presented by Snap-on Tools. The “Earliest…

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service With career-best Sonoma finish, Chase Elliott is learning to love road-course racing SONOMA, Calif. – Chase Elliott made a major move in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. No, Elliott didn’t win the race, but his fourth-place finish was a career best in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in five starts on road courses. While other contending drivers – including top-three finishers Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer – came to pit road before the ends of the first two stages to set up superior track position, Elliott stayed out…

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service SONOMA, Calif. – Using a contrarian strategy that included bluffing Kevin Harvick onto pit road earlier than planned in the final stage of Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, Martin Truex Jr. pulled off a convincing victory in the 16th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season. On Lap 73, during the final stage of the race, Truex’s crew chief, Cole Pearn, ordered the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota to pit road. On the spur of the moment, Harvick’s crew chief, Rodney Childers, opted to cover Truex’s move and called the No. 4…

Courtesy of the NHRA NORWALK, Ohio – Blake Alexander became the 105th different Top Fuel winner in NHRA history Sunday afternoon at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park. Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Tanner Gray (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were also winners in their respective categories at the 12th of 24 events on the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Alexander’s 4.011-second pass at 297.81 mph in his Pronto Auto Service dragster to take down Terry McMillen and secure his first Top Fuel career victory. “It felt really good,” Alexander…

Courtesy of the Verizon IndyCar Series ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin – He made it look easy, but Josef Newgarden said winning the KOHLER Grand Prix was anything but that on Sunday. The reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion led all but two laps to claim victory at the iconic Road America circuit. Driving the No. 1 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, Newgarden won by 3.3759 seconds over Ryan Hunter-Reay to pick up his third victory of the 2018 season and 10th of his seven-year career. “It was a hard-fought day; it was not as easy as it looked,” Newgarden said. “I was…

By Chris Knight, NASCAR Wire Service MADISON, Ill. – In a chaotic final 10 laps of Saturday night’s fifth-annual Villa Lighting delivers the Eaton 200 presented by CK Power, Justin Haley withstood a green-white-checkered finish to score his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory in his 37th career start for GMS Racing. Haley held off a hard-charging Todd Gilliland to secure the organization’s fifth Truck Series win of the season but more importantly stamp his No. 24 Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet into the Playoffs. “I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little kid,” said a…

Courtesy of the NHRA NORWALK, Ohio – Clay Millican set the Top Fuel track speed record Saturday afternoon during the single round of qualifying due to inclement weather at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park. Courtney Force (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 12th of 24 events on the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Millican powered to the top spot with a run of 3.750-seconds at 332.67 mph in his Parts Plus / Great Clips…

Courtesy of the Verizon IndyCar Series ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin – Josef Newgarden put himself in the best position to get his bid for a second straight Verizon IndyCar Series championship back on track by winning the Verizon P1 Award in qualifying for the KOHLER Grand Prix. KOHLER GRAND PRIX: Official qualifying results Newgarden’s last lap in the Firestone Fast Six – the third and final round of knockout qualifying – edged Team Penske teammate Will Power for the pole position that went to one of Roger Penske’s drivers at Road America for the third straight year. “It’s nice when you have…

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service SONOMA, Calif. – Take the aerodynamic factor away and the new Chevrolets are just fine, as Kyle Larson proved Saturday in his pole-winning run at Sonoma Raceway. Larson negotiated the 1.99-mile road course in 75.732 seconds (94.597 mph) – the fastest lap of the day – to earn top starting spot in Sunday’s Toyota Save Mart 350 (3 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The Busch Pole Award was the California native’s second of the season, his second at Sonoma and the sixth of his career. Driving the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Camaro ZL1,…