Author: Mike Haag

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service BROOKLYN, Mich. – Clint Bowyer gambled. Then he made sure he cashed the winning ticket with a determined charge on two new tires as rain threatened Michigan International Speedway. Bowyer got the lead under caution at the end of Stage 2 of Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400 when crew chief Mike Bugarewicz opted for two tires on the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. Bowyer had to do the rest, holding off teammate Kevin Harvick after a restart on Lap 126, barely preventing Harvick, who had fresh rubber on all four corners of the car, from…

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Ford horsepower is the dominant force at Michigan BROOKLYN, Mich. – With Clint Bowyer winning Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400, Kevin Harvick running second and Kurt Busch coming home third, Stewart-Haas Racing swept the top three positions in a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race for the first time in company history. Stewart-Haas, however, didn’t have a monopoly on Ford performance in Sunday’s event at Michigan International Speedway. Ford drivers took seven of the top eight finishing positions with Paul Menard claiming a season-best fifth and Team Penske drivers Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan…

Courtesy of the NHRA DINWIDDIE, Va. — Courtney Force was able to build on her points lead in the Funny Car category at the Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park as she brought home her fourth Funny Car victory of the season. Steve Torrence (Funny Car), Tanner Gray (Pro Stock), and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were also winners in their respective categories at the 10th of 24 events on the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Force’s 4.039-second pass at 321.96 mph in her Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS was enough to take down her…

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service BROOKLYN, Mich. – Kyle Busch essentially won ‘Best in Class’ with a fourth-place showing in Sunday’s rain-shortened FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway – the lone Toyota in a front-running, race-winning group of seven Fords. It was an amazing run for the former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion, who had to start from the rear of the 39-car field because his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota had a pre-race inspection failure. The run to the front wasn’t a victory for the season’s four-time winner and current championship points leader, but being…

FORT WORTH, Texas – A photographic look at the Verizon IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 race held Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway. All photos are provided courtesy of Dr. Michael C. Johnson. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

FORT WORTH, Texas – A photographic look at Saturday’s racing action at Texas Motor Speedway. All photos are provided courtesy of Texas Motor Speedway and Getty Images. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

Courtesy of the Verizon IndyCar Series FORT WORTH, Texas – The “Iceman” remained cool in the heat of Texas. Scott Dixon bided his time and notched yet another accomplishment in his legendary career when he won the DXC Technology 600 under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway. For the four-time Verizon IndyCar Series champion, it was career win No. 43, moving Dixon ahead of Michael Andretti and into sole possession of third place on the all-time victory list. Only fellow greats A.J. Foyt (67) and Mario Andretti (52) have more Indy car wins. “It’s really cool,” Dixon said. “Obviously,…

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service BROOKLYN, Mich. – Austin Dillon powered past Kaz Grala on Lap 72 of Saturday’s LTI Printing 250 at Michigan International Speedway and held the lead the rest of the way to win his first NASCAR Xfinity Series race since Aug. 19, 2016 at Bristol. Dillon kept Richard Childress racing teammate Daniel Hemric behind him after a restart on Lap 89 of a scheduled 125, but the race ended under caution two laps later when rain pelted the asphalt. The event started three hours late after a window opened in the inclement weather. The victory…

Courtesy of the NHRA DINWIDDIE, Va. — Tony Schumacher was able to parlay his strong Friday qualifying pass to secure the Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier at the inaugural Virginia NHRA Nationals in front of a sellout crowd at Virginia Motorsports Park. Courtney Force (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 10th of 24 events on the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Schumacher powered to the top spot with a run of 3.777-seconds at a track record 327.51 mph in…

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service BROOKLYN, Mich. – As 19-year old Kaz Grala finished up media interviews on a rainy Michigan International Speedway pit road following Saturday’s LTi Printing 250, fellow racer Ross Chastain walked right up with a smile and congratulations. “Kaz Grala, I thought you had it,” Chastain said. Grala smiled even wider acknowledging the well wishes. “Darn it, I thought so too.” It may not have been the race win, but Grala was absolutely a happy and encouraged 12th-place finisher – leading five laps of the race in the No. 61 NETTIS Ford and earning that finish…