Going into Sunday's race at Martinsville Speedway, three-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson had won four of the last five races. After a late-race bump and run of former Gateway International Raceway polesitter, Johnson chalked up another win, his sixth overall, at the historic paperclip-shaped track. Clint Bowyer, a former runner-up at the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Gateway, finished fifth, while two-time GIR winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. earned his best finish of the season with an eighth-place effort. Last year's Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 polesitter, Jamie McMurray, rounded out the top-ten.
The NASCAR Nationwide Series took another week of vacation, but returns this weekend, along with the Cup Series, to Texas Motor Speedway. Race fans can see all the NNS action Saturday on ESPN2.
It was a Monday affair for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series as the event was rained out at Martinsville on Saturday. Kyle Busch, who is making his return to GIR this summer at the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250, was leading with ten laps to go until he was moved out of the groove by two-time Gateway winner Kevin Harvick. Harvick, also the defending NCWTS-winning team owner at Gateway, earned his first Truck Series win at a NASCAR track other than Phoenix with his victory on Monday. Ron Hornaday, the 2007 NCWTS champion and last year's winner at GIR, took runner-up honors behind his team owner, with 2007 GIR winner Johnny Benson finishing fourth. Dennis Setzer, a four-time runner up at Gateway as well as the polesitter for the Camping World 200 last year, finished eighth and Fenton, Mo.-native and I-55 Raceway co-owner Ken Schrader finished tenth.
The NHRA Full Throttle Series returned to action this past weekend at Houston Raceway Park and saw two fan favorites return to the Winners' Circle for the first time in 2009. Ashley Force Hood took the Funny Car Wally after beating her former driving instructor "Fast" Jack Beckman. The newly-married racer also beat her father, 14-time FC champ John, en route to the win, putting their head-to-head record at 3-3. Six-time and defending Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher topped Cory McClenathen with a holeshot win Sunday, but more notably, beat his former tuner, Alan Johnson, and his new team piloted by Larry Dixon, to get to the finals. Ron Krisher earned the upset in Pro Stock with a win over champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. and former U.S. Nationals winner Craig Treble visited the Winners' Circle for the first time since Memphis last year after defeating rookie Doug Horne. The NHRA Full Throttle Series races at The Strip in Las Vegas this weekend and fans can see all the action on ESPN2.
GatewayRaceway.com is your home for everything you need to know about motorsports on the local, regional, and national level. Visit the site for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' points standings as well as exclusive stories, photos, and audio. Right now at GatewayRaceway.com are this week's editions of GIR Nitro Notes and Gateway to Racing in the Audio Section as well as a press release on how NHRA fans can "Thank The Military."
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 Midget Series. For more information, visit GatewayRaceway.com.
The NASCAR Nationwide Series took another week of vacation, but returns this weekend, along with the Cup Series, to Texas Motor Speedway. Race fans can see all the NNS action Saturday on ESPN2.
It was a Monday affair for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series as the event was rained out at Martinsville on Saturday. Kyle Busch, who is making his return to GIR this summer at the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250, was leading with ten laps to go until he was moved out of the groove by two-time Gateway winner Kevin Harvick. Harvick, also the defending NCWTS-winning team owner at Gateway, earned his first Truck Series win at a NASCAR track other than Phoenix with his victory on Monday. Ron Hornaday, the 2007 NCWTS champion and last year's winner at GIR, took runner-up honors behind his team owner, with 2007 GIR winner Johnny Benson finishing fourth. Dennis Setzer, a four-time runner up at Gateway as well as the polesitter for the Camping World 200 last year, finished eighth and Fenton, Mo.-native and I-55 Raceway co-owner Ken Schrader finished tenth.
The NHRA Full Throttle Series returned to action this past weekend at Houston Raceway Park and saw two fan favorites return to the Winners' Circle for the first time in 2009. Ashley Force Hood took the Funny Car Wally after beating her former driving instructor "Fast" Jack Beckman. The newly-married racer also beat her father, 14-time FC champ John, en route to the win, putting their head-to-head record at 3-3. Six-time and defending Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher topped Cory McClenathen with a holeshot win Sunday, but more notably, beat his former tuner, Alan Johnson, and his new team piloted by Larry Dixon, to get to the finals. Ron Krisher earned the upset in Pro Stock with a win over champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. and former U.S. Nationals winner Craig Treble visited the Winners' Circle for the first time since Memphis last year after defeating rookie Doug Horne. The NHRA Full Throttle Series races at The Strip in Las Vegas this weekend and fans can see all the action on ESPN2.
GatewayRaceway.com is your home for everything you need to know about motorsports on the local, regional, and national level. Visit the site for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' points standings as well as exclusive stories, photos, and audio. Right now at GatewayRaceway.com are this week's editions of GIR Nitro Notes and Gateway to Racing in the Audio Section as well as a press release on how NHRA fans can "Thank The Military."
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 Midget Series. For more information, visit GatewayRaceway.com.
