Author: Mike Haag

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service New Daytona package could make cars tougher to drive—and that’s a good thing DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – When is “worse” actually “better?” When a driver talks about the way his race car handles. “Worse” in racer parlance means tougher to drive, and to the elite drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, that’s a good thing. The stars of the sport would rather see races decided by the person behind the wheel, rather than the power under the hood. Traditionally, Daytona International Speedway has been a handling track, but a repave in 2010…

Courtesy of the NHRA POMONA, Calif. — The 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season kicked off Friday and Jack Beckman powered to the Funny Car qualifying lead at the 58th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Clay Millican (Top Fuel) and Drew Skillman (Pro Stock) are also provisional qualifying leaders in their respective categories at the first of 24 events on the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Beckman leads the Funny Car category with a run of 3.860 seconds at 332.84 mph recorded during his second pass…

Courtesy of the Verizon IndyCar Series AVONDALE, Arizona – The sleek and racy 2018 Indy car had its first en masse showing in the opening day of the preseason open test at ISM Raceway, and it couldn’t have come quickly enough. Twenty-three Verizon IndyCar Series entries took part in six hours of practice on the 1.022-mile oval outside Phoenix that will play host to the second race of the 2018 season in April. More than 2,600 laps were completed to the delight of the drivers involved. “It was nice to get behind the wheel of a car on an oval after…

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Justin Marks is preparing to make his Daytona 500 debut on Feb. 18 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX) and as far as first-timers go, there may be no driver more prepared for this great step in his career. It is one of many great steps – figuratively and literally – Marks has made…and will make. This year, he’ll take the green flag for the Daytona 500. Next year, he hopes to plant a flag near the summit of Mount Everest. The 36-year-old may well be NASCAR’s version of “The Most Interesting Man…

Courtesy of the NHRA POMONA, Calif. — The surreal feeling of winning the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world champion always increased for Bo Butner when someone congratulated him this off-season, which tended to happen a lot. It’s a feeling that will also be apparent when Butner returns to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona to kick off the 2018 NHRA season at this weekend’s 58th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com. Butner grabbed his first world championship with an impressive sweep at Pomona last November, winning the race and clinching the title in one memorable weekend.…

Courtesy of the NHRA POMONA, Calif. — When the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season opens, it will mark the 305th Funny Car race for Robert Hight. Despite all that experience, returning to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona for this weekend’s opener, the 58th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com, remains special for the reigning world champ. “I remember the first time I ever went to the Winternationals as a fan,” Hight said. “It is monumental. It is the first race of the year and there is a lot of history there. You always have the same…

Courtesy of the NHRA POMONA, Calif. — Brittany Force is set to return to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona just three months after winning her first Top Fuel world championship, and the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series star could not be more excited. Force claimed the world title in Pomona last November, winning the race to put a thrilling conclusion on her magical 2017 season. Now, Force is set to open 2018 in her 10,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster at this weekend’s annual iconic opener, the 58th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Force,…

Courtesy of Elon Werner NASHVILLE, TN – Leadership and experience continue to be the two key ingredients for profitability and growth for stakeholders as the dynamic motorsports landscape diversifies and shifts. Industry veterans Jason Rittenberry, Scott Gardner, Jenny Schmitz,and Kurt Johnson recognize the need for venues, series, sponsors and race teams to maximize their investments through the creation of their new firm – Motorsports Strategy Group (MSG). The four partners bring more than 100 years of hands-on experience at the highest levels of motorsports together to assist clients both big and small with a full suite of comprehensive solutions and creative initiatives. Moving…

Courtesy of the NHRA GLENDORA, Calif. – NHRA announced a new NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event today, adding the NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond, Va. to the championship tour on June 8-10, 2018. This event brings the number of 2018 national events back to 24. Virginia Motorsports Park (VMP) was one of several tracks vying to host an NHRA event after an opening created by the cancellation of the event in Englishtown, N.J. “We’re excited to return to Virginia Motorsports Park under its new ownership and the VMP team is eager to host our…

Courtesy of Geiger Media Global BAYTOWN, Texas – After five months of serving as a massive storage facility for tens of thousands of flooded cars in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Royal Purple Raceway, site of the annual NHRA SpringNationals, will reopen March 2 with a brand-new race surface among many other facility upgrades and improvements. “We’re very happy to reopen in March for the 2018 race season,” General Manager Seth Angel said. “In this extended offseason we had a great opportunity to complete a series of major facility projects, most importantly the repaving of our race track.” Construction crews…