Auto Racing Capsules: Hamlin's team wins NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Denny Hamlin saw his girlfriend climb into his No. 11 car Wednesday night to steer it during NASCAR’s Pit Crew Challenge, and noticed for the first time the message on her T-shirt: "All we do is win."
"I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,"’ Hamlin said. "It’s pressure when you say stuff like that."
No problem for this hot race team. Two hours later, Jordan Fish and her white T-shirt were getting doused in a champagne celebration on the victory podium.
Hamlin’s seven-member team changed four tires, put in gas and pushed the car 40 yards in 23.132 seconds to edge defending champion Jeff Burton’s crew and collect $70,650.
Hamlin team’s entered the event having won three of the last seven Sprint Cup races, and Hamlin predicted on Twitter earlier in the day that his team would win if it avoided penalties.
Indeed, after Martinsville, Texas, Darlington and Time Warner Cable Arena, all they seem to do these days is win.
"Our team is on a high right now," Hamlin said. "Everyone is kind of feeling it. Everyone has a good rhythm going."
Hamlin’s crew chief Mike Ford said they’d take the first pit stall for Saturday’s All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a perk for winning this single-elimination competition.
The No. 11 team beat Dale Earnhardt’s crew in the semifinals, ending Hendrick Motorsports’ best showing in the event. The Burton team routed Ryan Newman’s crew to reach its second straight final.
Hamlin’s team includes gas man Scott Woods; catch-can man John Eicher; front tire changer Mike Hicks and carrier Brandon Pegram; rear tire changer Jon Sherman and carrier Heath Cherry; and jack man Nate Bolling.
Fish, a dancer for the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats, rounded out the winning team.
"It’s definitely an honor and a reward for our hard work," Wood said.
Driver Kyle Busch’s front tire changer Nick Odell and carrier Brad Donaghy headlined the individual awards timed in the opening rounds with an event-record 13.903 seconds.
Other winners, who collected $10,000 for each competition, were rear tire changer Dustin Necaise and carrier Matt Kreuter (14.322 seconds) of Clint Bowyer’s No. 33 team; Bolling of Hamlin’s crew (5.573 seconds); and gas man Brad Pickens and catch-can man Travis Gordon of Mark Martin’s No. 5 car (10.518 seconds).
In its sixth year, the only NASCAR-sanctioned indoor competition was the beginning of a busy week for the sport. A day after the All-Star race, the first Hall of Fame class will be inducted on Sunday at the new facility a few blocks from where this competition was held.
It included the top 24 crews in the Sprint Cup standings, with the top eight getting a bye into the second round. Teams faced each other in head-to-head stops.
But this was unique. Hendrick Motorsports pit coach Mark Mauldin said his team practiced for a month to get ready for the format.
There were eight identically marked cars, four on each side of the arena floor. Teams simultaneously changed tires on two cars, filled the gas tank with water on another and a jack man lifted both sides of the fourth car.
The jack men then ran to the teams’ regular cars, lined up side-by-side at the corner of the arena floor, and pushed them to the finish as teammates joined to help after their tasks.
Teams received time penalties for loose lug nuts, spilled gas and other infractions, and that led to an early upset. A 3-second penalty for a loose lug nut knocked top-seeded Busch’s No. 18 team out in the second round and allowed the No. 71 team of driver Bobby Labonte, which has been strapped for funding much of the season, to advance.
The No. 71 crew was beaten in the quarterfinals by Earnhardt’s team. Jeff Gordon’s team was ousted in the quarterfinals by Newman’s crew, thanks to a loose lug nut. Newman’s crew also beat Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 team, which has never won the event.
All seemed to make mistakes except that confident No. 11 crew, which went error-free to give Joe Gibbs Racing another victory in a stellar season.
"It’s one thing to be fast," Hamlin said. "It’s another to be good and solid and not make mistakes. That really comes into play in this kind of competition."
Hornish hoping to once again make May his month
DOVER, Del. — Sam Hornish Jr. has always found his way in May. In the open wheel series, he won the Indianapolis 500. In NASCAR, he’s twice raced his way into the All-Star race.
But that May success hasn’t translated into prestige victories — and results — since Hornish made the full-time shift to stock cars in 2008.
Though the Indy 500 win in 2006 catapulted to him to one of his three open-wheel titles, his non-points win last season in NASCAR has yet to help him find his way into Victory Lane in any of the 36 Sprint Cup races that count in the standings.
Hornish doesn’t regret the move to NASCAR, even as the smallest of successes have been hard to find.
"We’d like to do a lot more with where we’re at," he said. "We’ve gone to places this year where I’ve felt if we made a change here, a change there, that we’re capable of running in the top five. It’s just getting there and doing it on a consistent basis. Once you start doing it, you know what it takes from each weekend."
Hornish has failed to find the right combination in his first three years. The results are glaring on the back of those slick pictures outside the hauler that bill Hornish as "The Man" and are there for fans to use for autographs.
The Hornish Highlights: 19 wins in open wheel, 10 poles, one Indy 500 win, three championships. On the left-hand side, his numbers for Cup races and Nationwide races include no poles, no wins, no championships, just seven top-10 Cup finishes.
Hornish has added 12 more starts this season to his career total — with no more top-10s.
"The unfortunate thing is, there’s been so many people that were so used to me winning all the time over there that they expected that it was going to happen right away over here," he said. "They’re negative about it at times and it puts me in a bad mood. I’d like to be a lot farther along than what we are right now, but that’s not been in the cards so far."
He hopes to start changing his results this week at the Showdown and the All-Star race. Hornish qualified for the All-Star race in 2008 after a second-place finish in the showdown and won the qualifying race last season to compete against Cup racing’s best.
Hornish would have automatically qualified for the All-Star event had he won a points race last season or this season.
"We’d always like to have it taken care of before we get there," he said. "It’s nice because it’s been a place that’s been to good us and hopefully we’ll be able to race our way into it again this year."
Hornish has run into a wall off the track, as well. ExxonMobil, his sponsor, announced it was ending its relationship with Penske after this season.
Team owner Roger Penske is working to line up a deal for Hornish and remain a three-car team. It’s still not clear what Penske will do to fill the gap for Hornish created by ExxonMobil’s withdrawal, prompted when Shell came aboard to sponsor teammate Kurt Busch.
Hornish was diplomatic about the sponsorship shuffle, calling it "best for the team."
"We’ve had a couple of meetings with some companies, just giving them an opportunity to meet me and to see what kind of person I am. What kind of ambassador I can be for their brand," Hornish said.
While Hornish didn’t expect to dominate NASCAR from his very first season, he’s become increasingly frustrated with his time at the back of the field. He smacked the wall Sunday at Dover International Speedway and finished 34th.
He’s had three straight finishes in the 30s and hasn’t finished higher than 13th this season. Hornish’s average finish is 26.3.
He hasn’t quit and returned to open-wheel racing like Dario Franchitti did after an ill-fated stint in NASCAR. Hornish hasn’t developed into a serious to threat to win either, like former Formula One star Juan Pablo Montoya.
His laborious transition doesn’t make Hornish nostalgic for his days of dominating the Brickyard.
"I don’t miss it at all, actually," he said.
"I enjoyed being at Indy. But now, the Indianapolis 500 for me is almost like I’m a kid again. I get to go back and enjoy it. Not to say I didn’t enjoy it when I was over there, but there was a tremendous amount of pressure."
There’s a different kind of pressure on him now. Hornish’s stock car development comes not like a rising young star on smaller tracks, but every week on the Cup circuit, from Daytona to Dover to Talladega.
"Instead of doing it when I was 15 to 18 years old on the short track, I’ve had to do it on the top level," he said. "On the one hand, it’s great because you’re on the top level. The other hand, all the mistakes a lot of other people made growing up where nobody sees it, everybody sees it with me. I’m at the top form over here."
He expects to take the checkered flag eventually. Until then, Hornish will be satisfied with incremental progress.
"Everything about it, whatever form of racing it is, it’s going to be enjoyment for me again," he said. "You’ve got to find your little victories until you can find your big ones."
-- Dan Gelston
Casey Mears to drive No. 83 for Brian Vickers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Casey Mears will fill in for Brian Vickers during Saturday’s Sprint Cup All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Red Bull Racing says Mears will drive the No. 83 Toyota for Vickers, who is undergoing treatment for blood clots in his legs and near his lungs. Mears finished 22nd while subbing for Vickers last weekend at Dover.
NASCAR granted Red Bull’s request to switch drivers for the race.
Red Bull said Tuesday that Vickers has responded well to treatment but has not issued a timetable for when the 26-year-old can return to racing.
Vickers and Red Bull Racing general manager Jay Frye will meet with the media on Friday.
NASCAR places Bowyer on probation
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer has been placed on probation until June 16 for aggressive driving.
The penalty stems from a late-race incident between Bowyer and Denny Hamlin in last weekend’s Nationwide race at Dover. Bowyer and Hamlin were battling for position during a late restart when Hamlin clipped Bowyer, forcing him to pit.
Hamlin called the bump "unintentional," but Bowyer raced out of the pits and slammed into Hamlin. Bowyer’s No. 21 car was parked immediately by NASCAR officials and he finished 24th.
Hamlin wound up 12th.
The probation covers all three of NASCAR’s major series. Bowyer is a regular on the Sprint Cup Series and drives occasionally on the Nationwide circuit.
Two Trucks crew members suspended for drug violation
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR has suspended two Truck Series crew members indefinitely for violation of its substance abuse policy.
Clint Carter, a member of the No. 46 team, and Jeremy Wilbert of the No. 95 team were suspended Wednesday. Both trucks are owned by Team Gill Racing.
Carter and Wilbert were also cited for actions detrimental to stock car racing. The infractions were discovered on Monday.
Terry Jones drove the No. 46 Dodge to a 27th-place finish in last weekend’s race at Dover. Tim Andrews finished 32nd in the No. 95 Dodge.
IndyCar
Castroneves hoping to tie Indy record with 4th win
INDIANAPOLIS — Helio Castroneves’ sees Indianapolis as his Magic Kingdom.
He scales fences like Spiderman and cracks one-liners like a standup comedian. He embraces his loyal American fan base and those holding colorful Brazilian flags. He erases bitter memories with a swig of milk and now is in line to join Indy’s most exclusive winners club.
Fairytale? No way.
"It’s crazy. I feel like, well, maybe they do want me to be a new member of the club," the gregarious Brazilian said of the three four-time Indy 500 winners. "If it’s the opposite, I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. But I feel comfortable here. Actually I feel very comfortable at Indianapolis."
He should given the results.
Castroneves never had to deal with anything like the Andretti Curse or the empty superstitions other drivers thought could send them to Victory Lane. The closest Castroneves came was the disputed finish of 2002, which took almost six weeks to resolve before Castroneves was again declared — what else? — the winner.
Yes, the 35-year-old driver is a natural at Indy.
In 2001, he became the third rookie since 1928 to win the race, then a year later became the first driver to win each of his first two Indy starts. Only three drivers — Rick Mears (six) and A.J. Foyt and Rex Mays (each with four) — have won more poles here than Castroneves (three). And of his nine starts at Indy, Castroneves has eight top-10s and six top-fives.
There’s more.
A victory in the May 30 race would tie Castroneves with icons Foyt, Mears and Al Unser for most career wins at the Brickyard, making the Brazilian the quickest to No. 4 and the only driver in Indy history with a pair of back-to-back wins.
He’s been so good that Danica Patrick joked Tuesday that Castroneves was hogging all the titles.
The anticipation hasn’t been this high since Mears won No. 4 in 1991 and then chased No. 5 in 1992. Mears, now Team Penske’s driving coach and Castroneves’ race-day spotter, believes the Brazilian is worthy of joining the winners list.
"He’s been exceptional here," Mears said. "This is just one of those places where he always does well because he’s focused."
Despite how it may seem.
The infectious smile and boisterous laugh have become as big a part of Castroneves’ persona as his fence-climbing antics and "Dancing With The Stars" title.
And nothing fazes him.
He returned to Indy last year just weeks after being acquitted in a tax-evasion case in Miami and wound up with his favorite post-race drink — milk.
This year, as he prepares for the onslaught of questions about No. 4, Castroneves deflects talk of pressure by talking about how odd it seemed to be home for his birthday on May 10 thanks to Indy’s condensed schedule.
"See, that’s all natural to him, so it’s not distracting," Mears said.
What’s the real secret to Castroneves’ success?
Well, it’s not wishing upon a star.
Mears believes Castroneves has a unique ability to treat the Indianapolis 500 like another race and still maintain the intensity needed to deal with the changing winds and variable conditions around the track. Castroneves thinks he’s been helped by Mears’ advice and the ability to drive for the most successful team in Indy history, Team Penske.
"Why is Helio so good there? He just is," Unser said. "He’s got a good team and he races good there."
Castroneves also keeps it simple.
Though he has never led more than 66 laps in a single 500, he has more Brickyard wins than any non-American. Even more incredible — Castroneves has finished every lap in eight of his nine Indy starts, failing only in 2006 when he tangled with former race winner Buddy Rice after 109 laps.
Away from Indy, his magical touch hasn’t been so great.
Castroneves won a career-high four times in 2006, but hasn’t won more than twice in any other season since 2002. He has never won a points title, and after five races this season ranks third, behind teammate Will Power and former champ Scott Dixon. And though Castroneves owns 16 career IndyCar wins, nearly one-fourth of those came at the track that matters most.
He’s so good at Indianapolis, though, that Unser believes Castroneves could break the record.
"You look at Daytona and guys have won it seven times, five times, whatever, and it’ll happen at Indy the same way," Unser said. "After it happens, they’ll say, ‘How about a fifth, a sixth or a seventh?’ I’d like to have won 10 of them, but it didn’t happen."
But Castroneves refuses to look that far ahead.
He had the two fastest laps in practice over the first four days, 227.046 mph in primary car and 226.603 in his backup, making him a favorite to win the pole for a second straight year. And, of course, increase the chatter about a record-tying win.
"It’s not pressure," Castroneves said. "It’s a challenge. It’s a magic place for me. When you have great success, when you do well, it’s hard not to enjoy."
-- Michael Marot
Americans struggling in IndyCar series
INDIANAPOLIS — The day Randy Bernard was announced as the CEO of the IndyCar Series, it became clear he understood the importance of fielding competitive American drivers.
"What we have found is very important in this sport is Americans want to see Americans win," he during his introductory press conference in February. "There's no question about it."
There have been few American victories lately. Only two U.S. drivers — Buddy Rice in 2004 and Sam Hornish in 2006 — have won the Indianapolis 500 in the past 10 years.
Americans dominated the series' signature event for decades before Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi won the 1989 race. Since then, 13 of the 20 winners have come from foreign soil.
Things don't look much better for the Americans this year.
Australia's Will Power leads the point standings. Ryan Hunter-Reay is the top American in fourth place, and Marco Andretti (13th) and Danica Patrick (16th) are the only others in the top 20. Hunter-Reay won the Long Beach Grand Prix on April 18, but Patrick is the only other U.S. driver since the start of the 2008 season to win an IndyCar event.
Among the favorites heading into this year's Indy 500 are Power, three-time winner Helio Castroneves (Brazil) and Scott Dixon (New Zealand), who won the race in 2008 and drove the fastest lap in practice on Tuesday (226.549 mph) and Wednesday (226.971).
Terry Angstadt, president of IndyCar's commercial division, wouldn't mind seeing a few more Americans near the top.
"If we just could take out a clean sheet of paper and we had a wish list, yeah, I'd like to see more American drivers. I think that's natural," he said. "But given the diversity of where we race, how we race, caring so much about diversity that it is one of our brand attributes, we really do embrace the international makeup of our field."
While IndyCar executives know the United States plays a key role in growing the brand, they also recognize the importance of what lies beyond. Angstadt said the season-opening event in Sao Paulo drew about 7 million viewers in Brazil, even though it garnered just a 0.4 TV rating in the United States.
Brazil has a strong fanbase and successful drivers to match. The nation has produced six Indianapolis 500 wins since 1988. Other foreign drivers have excelled, bringing new fans and advertising opportunities to the series.
"It's very important, not for all sponsors, but for a lot of sponsors to have an international presence," Bernard said. "And we have to honor that and if the best racers in the world come from Brazil, then America has to step up to the plate."
Townsend Bell, who finished fourth in the Indy 500 last year and drove the fastest lap for an American on Wednesday (224.743), agrees with that assessment.
"I'm not looking for an IndyCar series that is predisposed to anything except the fastest drivers, the best guys available," he said. "I'd love it if the best guys out there were American as well, of course. That helps our fanbase. But everybody's got to rise up to the challenge."
Bell said his high finish in the Indy 500 did little for his visibility.
"I know that fourth place is nice, but winning is the only thing that matters," he said. "That's the best lesson from last year. Just go win, and the rest takes care of itself."
It goes beyond winning — Castroneves is more recognizable in the United States than most of the American drivers. Scotland's Dario Franchitti, the 2007 Indy 500 winner, is well known in the states as Ashley Judd's husband.
Besides Patrick, there are no American household names in the IndyCar Series.
"It would be nice to have some more," Angstadt said. "At the same time, when you have Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan — the personality those guys represent — we certainly embrace them."
Angstadt believes change will come. He said Andretti, son of Michael Andretti and grandson of 1969 Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti, has the tools to become a household name. Marco Andretti finished second to Hornish in the 2006 Indy 500.
Hunter-Reay, Patrick and Marco Andretti are members of the Andretti Autosport team that fields the brightest American stars.
"Danica's a very marketable young lady," Angstadt said. "Just sells the heck out of merchandise. That is good. I think you will see the Marco Andrettis of the world, the Ryan Hunter-Reay's — we're working hard to market those guys too."
Angstadt said Graham Rahal, son of 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal, could be a major star once he gets a full-time ride.
Bell said American drivers often dream of NASCAR because there is more money there. He hopes Bernard can help change that.
"You've got to make sure the driver can make a lot of money doing this," he said. "If the sport can produce drivers who can make a lot of money driving IndyCars, you'll get the best in the world."
-- Cliff Brunt
IndyCar’s Meira to compete in Ironman event
INDIANAPOLIS — IndyCar Series driver Vitor Meira will compete in a Half Ironman triathlon in November.
Meira, a Brazilian who finished second at the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 and 2008, has competed in several triathlons already. He was invited to do the Nov. 13 Ironman 70.3 in Clearwater, Fla.
The distances — a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run — are all half of the traditional Ironman format.
Meira broke two vertebrae in his lower back after a crash during last year’s Indianapolis 500 and missed the rest of the season. He said he now is in good health, and training for the event will help him be more fit as a driver.
Penske Racing’s Will Power ran the Indianapolis 500 Festival mini-marathon earlier this month. He ran 13.1 miles in 1:36.46.
Formula One
Webber out to show F1 lead is no fluke
MONACO — Mark Webber is determined to show that his rise to the top of the Formula One standings is no fluke.
Webber became the first Australian to win back-to-back races in 20 years at the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, leading Sebastian Vettel in a 1-2 Red Bull finish at the famous street circuit a week after he captured the Spanish GP.
Vettel and Webber both have 78 points atop the overall drivers’ standings, but Webber has the tiebreaker with more race victories.
Now, the 33-year-old driver in his ninth F1 season wants to prove his recent run is for real.
"You can talk as much as you want, but actions speak louder than words," Webber said after winning in Monaco. "The fire is still burning pretty solidly inside. I don’t think I’m losing too much by being a bit older. Of course, I have some wisdom and it’s not holding me back too much. So I’ll keep going.
"You have to enjoy your victories. At the end of the day, we’ve got some bigger goals to achieve this year. But this is a very, very unique day for the team. Absolutely incredible and for sure the greatest day of my life today."
Looking for inspiration to become the first Australian world champion since Alan Jones in 1980, Webber referred to Jenson Button’s run last year. The Briton came out of nowhere with surprise team Brawn GP to win the championship despite a career that seemingly was on the wane.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who finished sixth in Monaco and sits three points behind Webber and Vettel in the standings, praised the Austrian team’s cars and its drivers.
"It’s no surprise — the Red Bull car is so good that sometimes Webber wins, sometimes Vettel," Alonso said. "People talk about Vettel a lot more, but Webber also has enormous talent."
The 23-year-old Vettel’s driving skills are so highly rated he has been nicknamed "Baby Schumi" in homage to German countryman Michael Schumacher, the record seven-time F1 champion. But Webber has been faster than Vettel in the past two races.
Webber’s career began promisingly when he finished in the points at the 2002 Australian GP in his debut for Minardi. But that encouraging start tailed off as he drove disappointing Jaguar and BMW Williams cars, leading him to Red Bull three years ago.
After seven retirements and only 10 points in his first season, he captured 21 points in 2008. Red Bull became Brawn GP’s main challenger last season, with Webber finishing fourth in the title race.
"We are not here because we have been slacking. The effort has gone in from 2½ years ago," Webber said. "This is not just the sake of the last two weeks’ work."
Webber became the first Australian since Jack Brabham in 1959 to win at the Mediterranean principality. Seven days earlier, he also won from the pole in Barcelona.
"I think Mark Webber’s had the week of his life," team principal Christian Horner said.
Red Bull’s opponents are hoping to get closer to Webber and Vettel, starting with the Turkish GP on May 30.
"We have to wait and see what developments we get coming through," McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton said. "We won’t have closed the gap, but I hope we can get closer. It’s going to take a good couple of races to close the gap on the Red Bulls."
-- Paul Logothetis
Auto Racing Glance
NASCAR
SPRINT CUP
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
Site: Concord, N.C.
Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, 11-2 p.m.), qualifying (Speed, 4-6:30 p.m.); Saturday, Sprint Showdown, 6:30 p.m., All-Star Race, 8 p.m.(Speed, 6-10 p.m.).
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles).
Race distances: Sprint Showdown, 60 miles, 40 laps; All-Star Race, 150 miles, 100 laps in segments of 50, 20, 20 and 10, with only green-flag laps counting in the final segment.
Last year: Tony Stewart won for the first time as a team owner, breaking through for a $1 million payday in the non-points race. Stewart passed Matt Kenseth with two laps to go in the final 10-lap shootout.
Last week: Kyle Busch completed a Nationwide-Sprint Cup sweep at Dover International Speedway, taking advantage of a rare speeding penalty by Jimmie Johnson to pull away. Jeff Burton was second.
Fast facts: The top two in the Sprint Showdown and a driver selected in fan voting will complete the 21-car All-Star field. ... There will be a mandatory green-flag stop on lap 25, with teams required to change four tires. Between the first two segments, there will be a yellow-flag period allowing for fuel, tire changes and normal chassis adjustments. Between the third and final segments, there will be a 10-minute pit stop. In a format change, once the field takes a lap behind the pace car before the start of the final segment, all cars must enter pit road for a four-tire stop. The order exiting pit road will determine how they line up for the final 10-lap shootout. ... Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt are the only three-time All-Star winners.
Next race: Coca-Cola 600, May 30, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS
North Carolina Education Lottery 200
Site: Concord, N.C.
Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, 8 a.m.- 11 a.m.), qualifying (Speed, 2:30-4 p.m.), race, 7 p.m.(Speed, 6:30-9:30 p.m.).
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles).
Race distance: 201 miles, 134 laps.
Last year: Ron Hornaday Jr. raced to the first of his six 2009 victories en route to his record fourth season title. He held off Kyle Busch over the final laps.
Last week: Aric Almirola won for the first time in the Trucks Series, surviving a wild finish at Dover International Speedway. James Buescher was second.
Fast facts: Almirola leads the series standings, 27 points ahead of Todd Bodine. ... Hornaday, winless in six races this season for Kevin Harvick Inc., is fourth in the standings — 125 points behind Almirola. Hornaday also won the 2007 race at the track. ... Brazil's Nelson Piquet Jr. is driving the No. 15 Toyota for Billy Ballew Motorsports. Busch swept the 2005-06 races for Ballew. ... Elliott Sadler is driving the No. 2 Chevrolet for the second straight week in place of Harvick, the winner this year at Atlanta and Martinsville. ... Brad Keselowski will be in the No. 29 Dodge.
Next race: WinStar World Casino 400k, June 4, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NATIONWIDE
Next race: Tech-Net Auto Service 300, May 29, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.
Last week: Kyle Busch raced to his fourth Nationwide victory of the year, leading 191 of 205 laps at Dover International Speedway. Busch won the Sprint Cup race Sunday.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NHRA FULL THROTTLE
NHRA Summer Nationals
Site: Topeka, Kan.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying; Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 8- 9 p.m.); Sunday, final eliminations (ESPN2, 7- 9 p.m.).
Track: Heartland Park Topeka.
Last year: Ron Capps beat Ashley Force Hood in the Funny Car final for the third of his five 2009 victories. Larry Dixon (Top Fuel) and Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) also won.
Last week: Dixon raced to his 52nd career Top Fuel victory, beating Brandon Bernstein in the Southern Nationals final at Atlanta Dragway. Robert Hight won his second straight Funny Car event, Jeg Coughlin raced to his 50th Pro Stock victory, and Andrew Hines topped the Pro Stock Motorcycle field.
Fast facts: John Force has three Funny Car victories this year to push his record total to 129. The 60-year-old star, trying to add to his record 14 season championships, leads the season standings — 115 points ahead of daughter Ashley Force Hood. ... In Top Fuel, Larry Dixon has a 112-point lead over Cory McClenathan. Dixon has four victories this year, two more than McClenathan.
Next race: Route 66 NHRA Nationals, June 3-6, Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, Ill.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
INDYCAR
Next race: Indianapolis 500, May 30, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis.
Qualifying schedule: Saturday, pole qualifying (Versus, 10 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.); Sunday, qualifying (Versus, 11-5:30 p.m.).
Last race: Scott Dixon won for the second straight year at Kansas Speedway, leading the final 150 laps in the May 1 race. Dario Franchitti was second.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
FORMULA ONE
Next race: Turkish Grand Prix, May 30, Istanbul Speed Park, Istanbul.
Last week: Mark Webber won the Monaco Grand Prix from the pole to lead Red Bull to a 1-2 finish. Webber and teammate Sebastian Vettel each have a series-high 78 points after six races, but Webber leads the standings based on his two race victories.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
OTHER RACES
ARCA RE/MAX SERIES: Menards 200, Sunday, Toledo Speedway, Toledo, Ohio.Online: http://www.arcaracing.com
AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES: American Le Mans Series Monterey, Saturday, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif. Online: http://www.americanlemans.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Sprint Car, Friday, Attica Raceway Park, Attica, Ohio, and Saturday, I-96 Speedway, Lake Odessa, Mich. Online: http://www.worldofoutlaws.com
U.S. AUTO RACING CLUB: Silver Crown and Sprint Car, Saturday, Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa. Online: http://www.usacracing.com
