The ladies once again made history in motorsports, this weekend in Bristol, as Melanie Troxel, the 2007 NHRA POWERade Series Top Fuel winner at Gateway International Raceway, entered the record books with her Funny Car win over Mike Neff. Troxel becomes the 14th driver overall and the first woman to win a race in both of NHRA's nitro classes. History was also made when Troxel faced Ashley Force Sunday, marking the first time two females ever faced off in NHRA Funny Car eliminations. Dave Connolly, in his third Pro Stock race of the season, returned to the Winner's Circle this weekend. The 2007 GIR Pro Stock winner had sat out the first races of the season due to sponsorship woes, but thanks to Charter Communications, Connolly returned to action in Atlanta and since then, has seen two finals and a win. NHRA POWERade Series Top Fuel champion and current points leader Tony Schumacher took the Wally in Thunder Valley Sunday against Larry Dixon. The series will take Memorial Day Weekend off and will return to action in Topeka May 30-June 1.
Kasey Kahne and the Budweiser Dodge had a million-dollar weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race Saturday. Kahne was not eligible for the event (due to not winning a race in 2007 or 2008) and did not race his way in via the Sprint Cup Challenge (not finishing first or second), but gained entry after winning the fan vote. Kahne started the four-segment, 25-lap shootout dead last and become the first Dodge driver to ever win the All-Star race. Columbia, Mo.-native and 2006 GIR winner Carl Edwards won the second segment, but finished tenth in the final standings. Greg Biffle, the only driver in Gateway history to win both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events there, finished second to his fellow Washington state native, Kahne.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Lowe's ended in true Truck Series fashion with Matt Crafton winning a green-white-checkered finish for his first-ever NCTS victory. Crafton drives for the Ohio-based ThorSport Racing and is looking to continue his momentum this weekend as the series journeys to ThorSport's back yard, racing at the half-mile oval in Mansfield, Ohio. Also finishing in the top-ten at Lowe's Friday was 2004 GIR winner Brendan Gaughan (third); Illinois native Erik Darnell (fourth); 2002 GIR winner Terry Cook (sixth); three-time GIR runner-up Dennis Setzer (seventh); and Landon Cassill (ninth), who made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Gateway last year and will be returning to the area July 19th for the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250.
The NASCAR Nationwide Series was off this weekend, but returns to action Saturday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Race fans can catch the action on ESPN2 and their PRN radio affiliates.
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.
Kasey Kahne and the Budweiser Dodge had a million-dollar weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race Saturday. Kahne was not eligible for the event (due to not winning a race in 2007 or 2008) and did not race his way in via the Sprint Cup Challenge (not finishing first or second), but gained entry after winning the fan vote. Kahne started the four-segment, 25-lap shootout dead last and become the first Dodge driver to ever win the All-Star race. Columbia, Mo.-native and 2006 GIR winner Carl Edwards won the second segment, but finished tenth in the final standings. Greg Biffle, the only driver in Gateway history to win both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events there, finished second to his fellow Washington state native, Kahne.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Lowe's ended in true Truck Series fashion with Matt Crafton winning a green-white-checkered finish for his first-ever NCTS victory. Crafton drives for the Ohio-based ThorSport Racing and is looking to continue his momentum this weekend as the series journeys to ThorSport's back yard, racing at the half-mile oval in Mansfield, Ohio. Also finishing in the top-ten at Lowe's Friday was 2004 GIR winner Brendan Gaughan (third); Illinois native Erik Darnell (fourth); 2002 GIR winner Terry Cook (sixth); three-time GIR runner-up Dennis Setzer (seventh); and Landon Cassill (ninth), who made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Gateway last year and will be returning to the area July 19th for the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250.
The NASCAR Nationwide Series was off this weekend, but returns to action Saturday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Race fans can catch the action on ESPN2 and their PRN radio affiliates.
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.
