Author: Mike Haag

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DOVER, Del. – In a sport where differences are often measured in thousandths, Kyle Larson was in firm control of Friday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series knockout qualifying session at Dover International Speedway—after an adjustment between the first and second rounds at least. Larson charged around the high-banked one-mile concrete track in 22.770 seconds (158.103 mph) to earn the pole position for Sunday’s AAA 400. Saving his fastest lap for the third and final round, Larson was the only driver to top 158 mph during the session. Kevin Harvick, a three-time winner in 2018, earned…

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service Dover, Del. – Martin Truex Jr. fully concedes that Dover (Del.) International Speedway feels like home to him. The reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion and New Jersey native scored his first career Cup victory in only his third start on the notoriously tough Dover miler and then won again in 2016. In the last eight races at the track he has seven top-10 finishes. The eighth? An 11th place. He’s led a combined 509 laps in the last six races and has led at least 100 laps three times during that span. If…

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Joey Logano still identified with 2009 wreck at Dover DOVER, Del. – No matter how much he’d like to, Joey Logano knows he’ll never be able to escape his spectacular past at Dover International Speedway. Nine years ago, last Sunday’s Talladega winner was the victim of a crash that still is a focal point in video highlights of the track. Driving the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs racing at the time, Logano was turned into the outside wall and barrel-rolled five times down the high-banked concrete track, with his mangled car coming to…

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service Dover, Del. – If it were as simple as good vibes producing great results, Californian Jimmie Johnson is a sure-bet to end a 33-race trophy drought in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism (2 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Dover (Del.) International Raceway this weekend. But it takes more than just positive energy. Yes, Johnson, 42, conceded, he is encouraged by a string of three consecutive top-12 finishes (including a third place at the Bristol, Tenn. half-miler) entering the weekend. And he always feels a sense of calm arriving at the notoriously tough…

Courtesy of the NHRA COMMERCE, Ga. – With a historic milestone under his belt, Hector Arana Jr. is ready to start winning races and the Pro Stock Motorcycle standout hopes that starts this weekend at the 38th annual NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway. At the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season-opener in the class at Gainesville, Arana Jr. made history by becoming the first rider to go 200 mph, running 200.23 mph on his Lucas Oil Buell to reach one of drag racing’s last great barriers. But the talented Arana Jr. is still looking for his first round…

Courtesy of Team Chevy DANICA PATRICK, NO. 13 GO DADDY ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the manufacturer test day on the 2.5-mile oval and discussed her first two days of driving the Chevrolet-powered car and memories of past Indy 500 efforts. Full transcript: WHAT WAS IT LIKE THE FIRST FEW LAPS YESTERDAY? “Absolutely horrible. I felt very uncomfortable. I felt like all my workout efforts have not really been helpful because I could not turn the wheel it was so heavy. It’s much better today. The first couple laps today…

Courtesy of the NHRA COMMERCE, Ga. – After watching three different Elite Motorsports teammates win the past three events in Pro Stock, longtime class standout Jeg Coughlin Jr. is ready to be the next to join the list of 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series winners and grab his first victory since 2014. The five-time Pro Stock world champion will get his chance at this weekend’s 38th annual NHRA Southern Nationals Powered by Mello Yello at Atlanta Dragway, where Coughlin is a three-time winner. Erica Enders, Matt Hartford, and Vincent Nobile have put together victories in recent weeks, keeping…

Courtesy of the Verizon IndyCar Series INDIANAPOLIS – It took a little longer than anticipated, but Danica Patrick is officially cleared to drive when Indianapolis 500 practice begins on May 15 after completing her veteran refresher test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Patrick was among three Indy 500 veterans and three rookies who turned laps Tuesday on the 2.5-mile oval. Each successfully passed the testing phases involving progressively increasing speeds. Like Patrick, Jay Howard and Sage Karam completed the two veteran refresher portions, while Kyle Kaiser, Matheus “Matt” Leist and Robert Wickens ran through the three required rookie phases. INDIANAPOLIS 500…

Courtesy of the NHRA COMMERCE, Ga. – Cruz Pedregon wondered if he would ever return to the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series winner’s circle as a winless stretch reached 92 races for the two-time Funny Car world champ. But a victory last weekend in Charlotte – his first since the 2014 season – has the veteran riding high heading into this weekend’s NHRA Southern Nationals Powered by Mello Yello at Atlanta Dragway. The victory in his 10,000-horsepower Snap-on Tools Toyota Camry sent Pedregon to eighth in the loaded Funny Car class and solidified his place as fifth in all-time…

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service TALLADEGA, Ala. – In the waning laps of Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway it became evident the only question of the finish was which Ford driver would hoist the big trophy. As it had for much of the race, the Ford entries appeared like a high-speed train with alternate conductors. Thirteen times and for 127 of the race’s 188 laps, seven Ford drivers led the pack on the Talladega high banks. Penske Racing’s Joey Logano collected his third Talladega win holding off fellow Ford Fusion drivers. Six of the top-seven finishers drove a Ford…