While Danica Patrick was making history in Japan as the first woman ever to win an Indycar Series race, Ashley Force of the NHRA POWERade Series was re-writing the record book herself as the first-ever female to sit atop the NHRA Funny Car standings. The Force family heads to Atlanta this weekend in the spotlight as Ashley is looking for her third final of the season and her first career win. Her father, John, is making his 500th-career start and, if he wins the final, will have won his 1,000th-career round. Also making news this weekend is the scheduled return of defending Gateway International Raceway Pro Stock winner Dave Connolly. A new sponsor will be announced this weekend and Connolly will be at GIR next week to defend his 2007 win. All the NHRA POWERade Series action can be seen this weekend on ESPN2.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns to action this weekend at Kansas Speedway with Illinois native Erik Darnell as the defending winner. The race can be seen on SPEED with the green flag scheduled to drop at 5 p.m. Also racing at Kansas this weekend is the ARCA RE/MAX Series, with Springfield, Ill.-native Justin Allgaier leading the points standings on the strength of two runner-ups and a win in three starts this year. St. Louis native Jesse Smith is scheduled to make is big-track debut this weekend at Kansas on the heels of a fifth-place finish at Iowa Speedway last week in the ARCA race there.
Kyle Busch continued to dominant the NASCAR Nationwide Series with his third-consecutive win, last week at the road course in Mexico City. Busch, the 2004 rookie of the year in that series, made headlines when he said he is still considering the possibility of running the full Nationwide Series schedule in addition to his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series duties. If he runs the double, that would put the hottest driver on the circuit at Gateway International Raceway July 19th for the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250. Busch has two starts here, both resulting in top-tens.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was off last weekend, but returns to action this weekend at the 2.66-mile superspeedway in Talladega. All eyes will be on two-time GIR winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is making his 300th Cup Series start at the track he and his late father, Dale Earnhardt, have dominated with 15 total wins between them.
Gateway International Raceway is hosting the NHRA POWERade Series O'Reilly Midwest Nationals May 2-4, PINKS: All Out June 27-28, the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series event July 19, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and ASA Late Model Series Sept. 6. For ticket information to these and the more than 200 other events at GIR this year, call 866-35-SPEED or visit GatewayRaceway.com.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns to action this weekend at Kansas Speedway with Illinois native Erik Darnell as the defending winner. The race can be seen on SPEED with the green flag scheduled to drop at 5 p.m. Also racing at Kansas this weekend is the ARCA RE/MAX Series, with Springfield, Ill.-native Justin Allgaier leading the points standings on the strength of two runner-ups and a win in three starts this year. St. Louis native Jesse Smith is scheduled to make is big-track debut this weekend at Kansas on the heels of a fifth-place finish at Iowa Speedway last week in the ARCA race there.
Kyle Busch continued to dominant the NASCAR Nationwide Series with his third-consecutive win, last week at the road course in Mexico City. Busch, the 2004 rookie of the year in that series, made headlines when he said he is still considering the possibility of running the full Nationwide Series schedule in addition to his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series duties. If he runs the double, that would put the hottest driver on the circuit at Gateway International Raceway July 19th for the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250. Busch has two starts here, both resulting in top-tens.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was off last weekend, but returns to action this weekend at the 2.66-mile superspeedway in Talladega. All eyes will be on two-time GIR winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is making his 300th Cup Series start at the track he and his late father, Dale Earnhardt, have dominated with 15 total wins between them.
Gateway International Raceway is hosting the NHRA POWERade Series O'Reilly Midwest Nationals May 2-4, PINKS: All Out June 27-28, the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series event July 19, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and ASA Late Model Series Sept. 6. For ticket information to these and the more than 200 other events at GIR this year, call 866-35-SPEED or visit GatewayRaceway.com.
