The NHRA POWERade Series made its return to Gateway International Raceway this past weekend for the O'Reilly Midwest Nationals Presented by Castrol. One of the highlights of the weekend was 14-time Funny Car champion John Force earning his 1,000th career round win against the 2007 GIR Funny Car winner Ron Capps. Springfield, Ill., native Tim Wilkerson took both the win in the Funny Car division and the points lead. Ashley Force was the points leader coming into the event, but is now 24 points behind Wilkerson after she lost in the first round to defending Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon. "Hot" Rod Fuller won in Top Fuel, Kurt Johnson won in Pro Stock, and Andrew Hines won in Pro Stock Motorcycle, setting a GIR track record as well as recorded the second-fastest PSM time in NHRA history.
Clint Bowyer, the 2006 runner up at Gateway International Raceway, won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Richmond Saturday night after two-time GIR winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch got into each other with four laps to go while battling for the lead. Busch is still considering a fulltime run in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, which would bring him to the St. Louis area July 19th for the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250. Martin Truex, the 2004 NNS winner at GIR, finished fifth; defending Nationwide Series champion and Columbia, Mo. Native Carl Edwards finished seventh; and two-time GIR winner and defending NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion team owner Kevin Harvick finished eighth.
In Friday night's NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond, 2006 GIR pole winner Denny Hamlin took the win in his home state. Harvick and Kyle Busch finished second and third, respectively, while David Ragan, who is scheduled to return to GIR this summer, finished fourth. Steve Wallace, son of STL native and 1989 Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace, finished fifth, with Edwards finishing seventh and Bowyer finishing ninth. Rounding out the top-ten was Scott Wimmer, who has the Gateway International Raceway qualifying record as a result of his pole-winning effort for last year's NNS event.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series was off this weekend and is scheduled to return to action next Friday, May 16, at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The race can be seen live on SPEED.
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.
Clint Bowyer, the 2006 runner up at Gateway International Raceway, won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Richmond Saturday night after two-time GIR winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch got into each other with four laps to go while battling for the lead. Busch is still considering a fulltime run in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, which would bring him to the St. Louis area July 19th for the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250. Martin Truex, the 2004 NNS winner at GIR, finished fifth; defending Nationwide Series champion and Columbia, Mo. Native Carl Edwards finished seventh; and two-time GIR winner and defending NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion team owner Kevin Harvick finished eighth.
In Friday night's NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond, 2006 GIR pole winner Denny Hamlin took the win in his home state. Harvick and Kyle Busch finished second and third, respectively, while David Ragan, who is scheduled to return to GIR this summer, finished fourth. Steve Wallace, son of STL native and 1989 Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace, finished fifth, with Edwards finishing seventh and Bowyer finishing ninth. Rounding out the top-ten was Scott Wimmer, who has the Gateway International Raceway qualifying record as a result of his pole-winning effort for last year's NNS event.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series was off this weekend and is scheduled to return to action next Friday, May 16, at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The race can be seen live on SPEED.
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.
