Busting Out, Indeed.
May 19, 2006
I mentioned in my earlier post today that it might be time for Tony Schumacher’s U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster to “finally bust out” of this season’s slump. Well, something must have clicked; he ripped off a 4.476-second pass at 331.53 mph, as Friday night qualifying runs wrap up in the face of some more rain at National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio. The end of the second Top Fuel session was cut short by showers.
Said Schumacher, “I didn’t think that run would be as good as it was, but we certainly will take it given how we’ve been struggling lately. The key will be to put together two good runs tomorrow so we have a good feeling going into race day.”
Track records were a’poppin’ — seven of eight track records fell.
Kahne on All-Star Pole
May 19, 2006
Kasey Kahne will start on pole for the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, thanks to his combined time of 122.296 sec/132.465 mph in qualifying. Jimmie Johnson will start second, just a fraction of a second slower, with Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeremy Mayfield both penalized for pit stop errors that added 20 seconds to both their times, dropping them to the ninth and final row of the grid.
A Little Rain Must Fall….in Columbus
May 19, 2006
It looks like some of that Midwest rain at the Indy preliminaries has sprinkled its way east to Columbus, Ohio: the 42nd annual Pontiac Performance Nationals had a bit of a rain delay in Sportsman yesterday and today, but hopefully the skies will stay clear for tonight’s Pro action.
Will Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson get his fifth consecutive win at National Trail Raceway (matching Bob Glidden’s five-win streak 1979-1983?) Greg’s now qualified for the field; check out the rest of the Pro Stock results after Session One.
Medeiros, Luyendyk Jr. Find the Wall at Rainy Indy
May 18, 2006
The eighth consecutive day of preliminaries to the Indianapolis 500 on May 28th began and ended like all the others, with more rain.
New Plaque Marks Site of First NASCAR Stock Car Race
May 17, 2006
In a Wednesday morning ceremony, the State of North Carolina unveiled an Historical Marker designating the site of the old Charlotte Speedway, the
We’re Number 2! We’re number 2!
May 17, 2006
In today’s motorsports world dominated by the 800-pound gorilla known as NASCAR Nextel Cup Racing, being number two isn’t so bad. So when ESPN released a poll this week saying fans ranked NHRA as their second-favorite type of motorsports attraction behind NASCAR, you can understand why the folks back in Glendora, Calif. were doing cartwheels.
Practice and Rain Resume at Indianapolis
May 17, 2006
Sam Hornish leads thirty-one drivers as the second week of preparations for the Indy 500 commences under soggy skies.
We’ll Get 33, Really We Will
May 16, 2006
Max Papis, the versatile driver of open-wheel and sports-car racing, has been hired to drive a second Cheever Racing entry for the Indianapolis 500.
Sign of the Times: Caldwell on Danica
May 16, 2006
All of us that follow Indy Car racing know of Danica’s presence in and promotion of the series. For most, she is a great addition to an otherwise struggling group. However, as I have noted before, she’s a bit of a one-woman show for both the Indy 500 and the IRL.
New Plaque Marks Site of First NASCAR Stock Car Race
May 15, 2006
In a Wednesday morning ceremony, a State of North Carolina Historical Marker will be dedicated at the site of the old Charlotte Speedway, the track used for the first-ever NASCAR Strictly Stock (the races which developed into the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series) race. Held on June 19, 1949, the race was won by Jim Roper’s Lincoln when Glenn Dunaway’s Ford was disqualified for illegal rear springs.