A week after Danica Patrick made history in the IndyCar Series, Ashley Force made history in the NHRA. Ashley Force becomes the first woman in NHRA history to win in the Funny Car bracket.
In what was one of the most exciting races at Talledega Superspeedway, Kyle Busch came back from being one lap down to take his #18 M&Ms Toyota to Gatorade victory lane in the Aaron's 499. This would be Busch's second win and the third for Joe Gibbs Racing this season. Busch had some trouble early in the race when he was blocked from entering his pit, causing him to pass through the pits and had to re-enter the pits. Busch would lose a lap, but would get that lap back being the lucky dog after a caution on lap 116. In all the post race interviews, the drivers interviewed stated that the Aaron's 499 was one of the most wild and most fun races in recent years.
It was never a secret that Tony Stewart did not agree with the decision for Joe Gibbs Racing to switch manufacturers from Chevy to Toyota starting in 2008. Now, Stewart is taking steps to terminate his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing in order to partner with and race for HAAS/CNC Racing, which races Chevy cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.
The deal with HAAS/CNC Racing may include partial ownership in the team for Stewart, something that he has become interested in in recent months. Certain questions arise, however. Is this move good for Tony Stewart? Is this move favorable for HAAS/CNC Racing? Will Joe Gibbs Racing actually let Stewart out of the final year of his contract?
Talladega Superspeedway is the house of Earnhardt. Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have dominated the track with a combined fifteen wins between them. This weekend, instead of a sea of red, the Junior Nation will create a sea of green in the grandstands. All eyes will be on NASCAR's most popular driver. Despite all the talent and success that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has shown at the track, this weekend's race may ultimately define the type of season he is going to have in 2008.
The NASCAR Nationwide Series made its annual trip to Mexico City for the Corona Mexico 200 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Kyle Busch had a strong showing all day and took his #20 Doosan Toyota to victory lane in front of the the great crowd. This would be his third consecutive victory this season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Like many road course races, the Corona Mexico 200 became a fuel mileage race, where pit strategy became very important toward the ends of the race. The intensity of the race picked up in the second half of the race, as the drivers became more aggressive as the laps wound down. Tempers flared, and cars got spun, but in the end, Kyle Busch would be victorious in Mexico City.
(From Maryland International Raceway)
Rain did not hold anything back at Budds Creek on Saturday, and the skies cleared by early-afternoon at the IHRA Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Tour’s Division 1 Double-Header race at Maryland Int’l Raceway.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series has the week of this week as the Nationwide Series drivers head south of the border to race the Corona Mexico 200 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico city. The field will be field with both Nationwide regulars, road course specialists, and hometown drivers, such as Adrian Fernandez, who make their once a year visit to the Nationwide Series. The race this year will be the fourth consecutive year racing in Mexico City, a venue that can increase NASCAR's fan base in new markets.
A few weeks ago, BAM Racing announced that it would be skipping the races at Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Speedway in order to complete the team's transition to Toyota. During that time, however, BAM Racing suffered a major blow when the sponsorship deal made just two weeks ago collapsed. In an open letter posted on the team's website, BAM Racing owner Beth Ann Morgenthau stated "news that a primary sponsorship deal once planned for the majority of the 2008 season had been reduced to a fraction of a season and that fraction will likely be in the fall." The problems that BAM Racing may only be the beginning of financial trouble for the smaller race teams.
