Junior Nation finally saw its hero take a checkered flag in a points-paying event Sunday as Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke his 76-race winless streak under caution in Michigan. The three-time Gateway International Raceway winner's (two as a driver, once as car owner to Martin Truex Jr.) last win prior to Sunday was the spring race at Richmond in 2006. Kasey Kahne, who has been dominant of late in his Budweiser Dodge, finished second. Missouri natives Carl Edwards and Jamie McMurray finished seventh and tenth, respectively, with David Ragan finishing eighth and GIR's first-ever NASCAR winner Elliott Sadler crossing the finish line in ninth. Edwards, McMurray, and Ragan will be among the drivers competing in the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 at Gateway July 19.
Joey Logano (refered to by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch and the media as "Sliced Bread," as in, "The best thing since...") made history Saturday night in Kentucky when he became the youngest driver to every win in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at age 18 years, 21 days. Logano had a dominant car all day, starting the race from the pole position, his second in three NNS starts. Gateway International Raceway qualifying record holder Scott Wimmer finished second with St. Louis native Mike Wallace taking home a third-place effort. Wallace had the strongest car in the field late in the race, but two bad pit stops prevented him from taking his first Nationwide Series win since 2004. Bryan Clauson, the 2007 GIR ARCA winner, finished fifth in his Chip Ganassi Dodge.
Illinois native Erik Darnell topped 2007 GIR winner Johnny Benson in a photo finish Saturday in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in Michigan. The Roush Fenway Racing driver won by .005 seconds, the closest finish in NASCAR since the electronic timing system was implemented a decade ago. Other former GIR winners in the top-ten included Todd Bodine (fourth), Brendan Gaughan (fifth), and Terry Cook (tenth).
The NHRA POWERade Series took the weekend off, but will be back in action this weekend in Englishtown, N.J. All the action can be seen on ESPN2.
Gateway International Raceway is hosting SPEED's 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.
Joey Logano (refered to by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch and the media as "Sliced Bread," as in, "The best thing since...") made history Saturday night in Kentucky when he became the youngest driver to every win in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at age 18 years, 21 days. Logano had a dominant car all day, starting the race from the pole position, his second in three NNS starts. Gateway International Raceway qualifying record holder Scott Wimmer finished second with St. Louis native Mike Wallace taking home a third-place effort. Wallace had the strongest car in the field late in the race, but two bad pit stops prevented him from taking his first Nationwide Series win since 2004. Bryan Clauson, the 2007 GIR ARCA winner, finished fifth in his Chip Ganassi Dodge.
Illinois native Erik Darnell topped 2007 GIR winner Johnny Benson in a photo finish Saturday in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in Michigan. The Roush Fenway Racing driver won by .005 seconds, the closest finish in NASCAR since the electronic timing system was implemented a decade ago. Other former GIR winners in the top-ten included Todd Bodine (fourth), Brendan Gaughan (fifth), and Terry Cook (tenth).
The NHRA POWERade Series took the weekend off, but will be back in action this weekend in Englishtown, N.J. All the action can be seen on ESPN2.
Gateway International Raceway is hosting SPEED's 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.
