Former Gateway International Raceway runner-up Matt Kenseth continues to bat 1.000 in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, winning at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Sunday over four-time Cup Series champ Jeff Gordon. Leading Kenseth's team is crew chief Drew Blickensderfer, who sat atop the pit box for Carl Edwards in 2008 when the Columbia, Mo., native won the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 at GIR. Finishing third was Kyle Busch, wrapping up one of the greatest weekends in the history of NASCAR. In addition to his podium finish on Sunday, "Shrub" won both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series races on Saturday, becoming the only driver in the history of the sport to win two national touring series events in one day. Two-time GIR winner Greg Biffle finished fourth and Edwards finished seventh. The Cup and Nationwide Series head to Las Vegas this weekend.
Kyle Busch's historic weekend saw him dominate the NNS race Saturday night, finishing ahead of runner-up and two-time Gateway winner Kevin Harvick for the victory. Busch will have the opportunity to add to his Nationwide Series win total July 18 as he returns to Gateway International Raceway for the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250. He has two top-tens here in two previous starts. Also finishing in the top-ten Saturday evening were last year's NNS runner-up Joey Logano (third), two-time GIR winner and 2007 Nationwide Series champion Carl Edwards (fourth), and 2003 GIR NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winner Brendan Gaughan, driving for St. Louis native and former Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace (ninth). Wallace's son, Steve, finished tenth.
Busch's weekend at the top began Saturday afternoon with a commanding NCWTS win, as led all but five laps en route to the victory. Runner-up and 2006 GIR winner Todd Bodine put up a good fight, but the result was never in doubt as Busch, who won a NASCAR-record 21 total series events in 2008, took the checkered flag. Rounding out the top-ten were 2004 Gateway NCWTS winner David Starr (fourth), the defending Camping World 200 winner Ron Hornaday (fifth), and multiple-time AMA Supercross champion Ricky Carmichael (eighth), who earned his first-ever Truck Series top-ten Saturday. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has this weekend off and returns to action in Atlanta.
Ron Capps proclaimed loud and clear his victory at the NHRA Full Throttle Series season-opener in Pomona was no fluke by earning the Funny Car top qualifier Saturday and then winning the class on Sunday in Phoenix. The 2007 GIR winner topped reigning rookie-of-the-year Mike Neff to get to the Winner's Circle. In Top Fuel, Antron Brown overcame a challenging off-season by beating his best friend and former Gateway winner Brandon Bernstein in the Top Fuel class. Finally, in Pro Stock, defending class champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. took the Wally, beating defending GIR PS winner Kurt Johnson. The series returns to action March 12-15 for the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
GIR is hosting the NHRA Full Throttle Series (May 1-3), the NASCAR Nationwide Series (July 18), and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Sept. 12) once again in 2009 as well as the National Guard ADRL Tour and the USAC .25 Midge Series. For more information, visit GatewayRaceway.com.
Kyle Busch's historic weekend saw him dominate the NNS race Saturday night, finishing ahead of runner-up and two-time Gateway winner Kevin Harvick for the victory. Busch will have the opportunity to add to his Nationwide Series win total July 18 as he returns to Gateway International Raceway for the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250. He has two top-tens here in two previous starts. Also finishing in the top-ten Saturday evening were last year's NNS runner-up Joey Logano (third), two-time GIR winner and 2007 Nationwide Series champion Carl Edwards (fourth), and 2003 GIR NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winner Brendan Gaughan, driving for St. Louis native and former Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace (ninth). Wallace's son, Steve, finished tenth.
Busch's weekend at the top began Saturday afternoon with a commanding NCWTS win, as led all but five laps en route to the victory. Runner-up and 2006 GIR winner Todd Bodine put up a good fight, but the result was never in doubt as Busch, who won a NASCAR-record 21 total series events in 2008, took the checkered flag. Rounding out the top-ten were 2004 Gateway NCWTS winner David Starr (fourth), the defending Camping World 200 winner Ron Hornaday (fifth), and multiple-time AMA Supercross champion Ricky Carmichael (eighth), who earned his first-ever Truck Series top-ten Saturday. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has this weekend off and returns to action in Atlanta.
Ron Capps proclaimed loud and clear his victory at the NHRA Full Throttle Series season-opener in Pomona was no fluke by earning the Funny Car top qualifier Saturday and then winning the class on Sunday in Phoenix. The 2007 GIR winner topped reigning rookie-of-the-year Mike Neff to get to the Winner's Circle. In Top Fuel, Antron Brown overcame a challenging off-season by beating his best friend and former Gateway winner Brandon Bernstein in the Top Fuel class. Finally, in Pro Stock, defending class champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. took the Wally, beating defending GIR PS winner Kurt Johnson. The series returns to action March 12-15 for the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
GIR is hosting the NHRA Full Throttle Series (May 1-3), the NASCAR Nationwide Series (July 18), and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Sept. 12) once again in 2009 as well as the National Guard ADRL Tour and the USAC .25 Midge Series. For more information, visit GatewayRaceway.com.
