Auto Racing Capsules: Drivers use social media to gain All-Star support

DARLINGTON, S.C. — From Tweet-Ups to YouTube ads, chasing the fan vote for a NASCAR All-Star spot has gone viral.

Richard Petty Motorsports teammates A.J. Allmendinger and Elliott Sadler took part in Twitter gatherings at Darlington in which fans waved signs urging others to vote their driver into the May 22 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Martin Truex Jr. has a series of YouTube spots for his "Tried and Truex" campaign.

And social media sites are filled with race teams not yet in the elite field attempting to get out the vote.

"If you’re lucky enough and your fans vote you in," Clint Bowyer says, "that is awesome."

It can also be lucrative.

Kasey Kahne had missed all chances to make the All-Stars in 2008 and was on his way home when he learned he’d won the fan vote.

The result? Kahne won the All-Star race, $1 million and a 10-year exemption into the event. He also parlayed the momentum into a Coca Cola 600 victory a week later.

"I love it," Kahne said of the vote. "Hey, the weekend is all about the fans."

Drivers who’ve won a Sprint Cup race in the past year, former NASCAR champions and past All-Star winners make the exclusive field.

The top two finishers in the preliminary Showdown race also advance to the final field. The last spot goes to the leading fan vote-getter from those not already in and who also finished the Showdown.

As of May 4, the top 10 — which NASCAR gives in alphabetical order to preserve the suspense — were Allmendinger, Marcos Ambrose, Greg Biffle, Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, Juan Pablo Montoya, Sadler, Truex and Michael Waltrip.

Voting continues until an hour before the All-Star race.

"I think the fan vote is a great thing," Bowyer said. "It is a great tool to get the fans involved."

And websites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have given NASCAR teams a new network to tap into their fans’ passion for everything racing.

Sadler’s Twitter entry Monday began: "Nice day in VA! It’s a perfect day to pick up your Sprint phone and vote me into the allstar race."

Truex has a video pitch, which made its debut last week ahead of the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

He’s seen in the Michael Waltrip Racing race shop sneaking a T-shirt with his "Tried and Truex" slogan over a life-sized mannequin. Another has Truex outside Mac’s Speedshop in Cornelius, N.C., slipping campaign fliers under windshield wipers of parked cars.

"It’s fun," Truex said. "It kind of gives fans an inside look at what we do. It’s really been well received."

Not all drivers in contention are happy about it. Jeff Burton hasn’t won since Charlotte in 2008 and only has Sunday’s race at Dover to join the All-Stars the way he wants.

"It is embarrassing that we are not in it," Burton said. "I’m not going to go politicking to get in."

That hasn’t stopped Richard Childress Racing from pitching Burton’s case to fans.

RCR spokeswoman Christine Brownlow says the team keeps the names of Burton and Bowyer out front as often as possible. "Obviously, it’s a big deal for our sponsors to get our cars in the All-Star race," she said. "I have a lot of fans say they see updates and vote every hour."

Burton, whose first NASCAR win came 13 years ago, says he doesn’t go on Twitter or Facebook. "There might be some tweeting going on, but it isn’t coming from me, how’s that?" he said.

Still, Burton says he would be pleased if he were picked.

Greg Biffle enjoys the interaction and immediacy of the modern media. "It’s amazing the reaction you get," he says.

Biffle recalled recently tweeting a picture of a rattlesnake found on his mountain property in West Virginia. "Then 10,000 people see it within five minutes. ..." Biffle said. "It’s amazing how stuff travels today."

Not that Biffle’s got it all figured out.

"I’m a real novice. People come up to me and say, ‘You won’t accept me as your (Facebook) friend,"’ he said. "I’m like, ‘You know I like you."’

Some in NASCAR can tweet too much. Darrell Waltrip recently apologized for scooping Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s announcement he’d drive the No. 3, a number made famous by his late father, in the Nationwide Series race at Daytona in July.

"DW twitters more than anybody," Allmendinger said with a laugh.

Sadler’s Tweet-Up raised several hundred dollars for flood relief in Tennessee.

Allmendinger — AJDinger on Twitter — took part in a social media event about four hours before Darlington’s start. He spoke with the couple of hundred fans who attended, and was even snapped working a DJ’s turntables — which, of course, was chronicled on Twitter.

Sometimes, Allmendinger wonders if it’s all too much. "Does anybody want to hear that I took my dog for a walk? I guess they do," he said.

Allmendinger, however, knows keeping them posted on everything might be the difference between racing in Charlotte or sitting on the All-Star sidelines.

"Kasey showed two years ago that all you got to do is get in the race and you have a chance," Allmendinger said.

Karthikeyan opens door to new NASCAR market

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Long before he was known as The Fastest Indian Alive, before he became the bridge to a massive untapped market, Narain Karthikeyan was a kid with a dream of driving in Formula One.

One major roadblock stood in his way: Karthikeyan grew up in India, where there were no tracks, no infrastructure, seemingly no avenue for reaching his goal.

"It was almost like a guy from the Sahara Desert wanting to become a downhill skier," Karthikeyan said.

Turned out to just be a speed bump.

Karthikeyan overcame the restraints of proximity by using his tenacity and skill behind the wheel to become the first Indian-born driver in Formula One.

Now, he’s driven himself to another, perhaps even more unlikely destination: NASCAR.

Driving in the trucks series for Starbeast Motorsports, Karthikeyan has broken through another barrier and opened the door to a whole new world of racing fans and, potentially, drivers.

"Our plan was to bring NASCAR to new markets, so of course India was a big opportunity because of the size and potential for economic growth it’s been making the past five years for the future," Starbeast owner Miguel Abaroa said. "It’s going to be a top consumer market, so our goal at the very beginning was to take NASCAR to the Indian population and Narain was the perfect vehicle to make that connection."

So how did he get here?

As you might imagine, it was a long trip.

Karthikeyan, whose full name is Kumar Ram Narain Karthikeyan, had a passion for motorsports from an early age, following in the tire tracks of his father, a former Indian national rally champion.

When he was 14, Karthikeyan saw his first Formula One race and was hooked. A year later, his father sent him to the Elf-Winfield Racing School in France to show him just how difficult reaching his dream would be.

"I was very passionate about it and my father took me there so I could see the competition of the European and American drivers," Karthikeyan said. "He thought if I could see the competition and say ‘OK, it’s not for us guys.’ "

Yeah, right.

Karthikeyan was the fastest driver of the group and earned a scholarship, fueling his passion even more.

From there, he worked his way through the lower ranks of open-wheel racing, winning every step of the way.

In 2005, Karthikeyan landed his dream ride, driving for a full season for the Jordan Formula One Racing team, his highest finish a fourth at the United States Grand Prix. The team changed ownership and direction after the season, so Karthikeyan spent the next two years as a Formula One test driver and went on to drive for Team India in the A1 Grand Prix series.

Then came a truly unique opportunity: the driver who twice met Indian president Pratibha Patil because of his open-wheel prowess was going to give NASCAR a try.

Karthikeyan, who did an IndyCar test in 2005, accepted an offer to come to the U.S. and did well enough at an ARCA test at Daytona to earn a ride in the NASCAR trucks series — and gain a whole new perspective on racing here.

"You hear about NASCAR, obviously," said Karthikeyan, who received one of India’s highest civilian awards from Patil at the presidential palace in April. "Juan Pablo (Montoya) came here and we were racing together, so I followed him and knew it was big, but you don’t realize just how big it is, the enormity of the whole thing until you get here and see the thing for yourself."

Same could be said for the driving.

The trucks are heavier than open-wheel cars and the downforce is much different, making them more difficult to handle. There have been adjustments to driving on a track with 39 other trucks, the bang-against-the-fenders racing that’s so much a part of NASCAR, even sitting inside a car instead of being perched atop it.

Karthikeyan finished a solid 13th in his debut at Martinsville on March 27, but his second race at Kansas lasted just seven laps after he crashed into the wall trying to avoid a loose tire on the track.

"It’s a very different kind of racing, but at the end of the day they’re the same basics, so we just need to get Narain used to it," Abaroa said. "There’s no doubt he has the skills."

Karthikeyan is splitting his time this season between Europe and the U.S., with plans to run at least 10 trucks races. Next year, the 32-year-old plans to drive a full season in trucks or, depending on how this season goes, move up to the Nationwide series. Then he hopes to go on to the Sprint Cup, where he wants to open the eyes of an entire country to the type of racing it offers.

"I’m in it for the long haul," said Karthikeyan, who lives in Charlotte with his wife. "The goal is to go to Sprint Cup as soon as possible with Starbeast Motorsports. We want to have a big following and introduce those fans to NASCAR."

He’s off to a good start: NASCAR races are being carried live on India’s Neo Sports and the series is working to give the sport more attention in the world’s second-most populated country.

The Fastest Indian Alive is still breaking barriers.

-- John Marshall

Reutimann likes talking contract with MWR

CONCORD, N.C. — David Reutimann wants a multiyear contract out of his current negotiations with Michael Waltrip Racing.

Reutimann has had a series of one-year deals since joining MWR in 2007, and extended job security is one of the things he’s seeking during talks on another extension.

"I’d like to get a multiyear deal because it puts your mind at ease," he said Wednesday during an appearance at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "It’s always in the back of your mind, that concern about what’s going to happen next year, and I really think it can take away from what you are trying to accomplish."

The defending Coca-Cola 600 winner said he wants to stay with MWR. He gave the organization its only Sprint Cup Series victory last May, and also won a Nationwide Series race in 2007 at Memphis for MWR.

Reutimann and Kyle Busch are the only two drivers in NASCAR to win at least one race in NASCAR’s top three series driving a Toyota.

Reutimann, a 40-year-old journeyman, joked he’s got leverage for the first time in his career.

"Contract stuff, you have to go back and forth a little bit, and I’m just kind of getting used to that," he said. "Usually I just walk in and it’s ‘You want me to drive? Yeah! Where do I sign?’ In the past, there’s never been a negotiation."

Reutimann, who flirted with a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship late into last season, wants to stay at MWR.

"I am not in the garage talking to anybody," he said. "They put something in front of me and we’re trying to work around some things and hopefully we’ll be able to come up with a good compromise that makes everybody happy."

Reutimann then paused.

"You know what? Not everybody happy. Something so I’ll be happy," he laughed. "No, I’m just joking."

-- Jenna Fryer

IndyCar

Tracy, Green ‘getting the band back together’

Paul Tracy is angry. Still.

The exasperation bubbles close to the surface. Just a little nick and it comes flowing out. On Twitter. In interviews. On the bike he’s used to drop 35 pounds in the last year.

The 41-year-old racing veteran doesn’t quite understand why he’s the winningest open-wheel driver without a full-time ride. Still thinks he edged Helio Castroneves to win the 2002 Indy 500. Wants badly to put together one last run at glory.

"It’s just frustrating to sit back and watch," Tracy said. "Obviously I know my best years are probably behind me. Obviously I’m not going to be racing forever."

There’s still time, but not much. Figuring a part-time job is better than no job at all, he eagerly accepted an offer from KV Racing Technology to drive in this year’s Indy 500 and a couple of road races in his native Canada. He finished ninth at the Brickyard last year, his first start at the 2.5-mile oval since his controversial second-place finish in 2002.

It was solid, but not good enough for the uber-competitive Tracy. He’s running out of shots, and he knows it. When team co-owner Jimmy Vassar asked for advice on whom to bring in to call the 500, Tracy didn’t hesitate: Barry Green.

Yes, the same Barry Green that Tracy used to drive for, the same Barry Green that Tracy once got into an altercation with during a race. The same Barry Green who jumped at a chance to serve as the race strategist for the talented if admittedly temperamental Tracy.

"I think I remember mostly the good times," Green said.

Their last race together was not one of them.

Tracy was battling Helio Castroneves for the lead late in the 2002 Indy 500 when the caution light came on. Tracy has long maintained he was ahead of Castroneves at the time. Race officials, however, ruled Castroneves still had the edge, and the affable Brazilian headed to Victory Lane to drink the milk, leaving Tracy fuming.

To be honest, he’s still not over it. In the news release announcing Green’s arrival, Tracy proudly proclaimed, "Barry called every one of my races and called all of my race wins including winning the 2002 Indianapolis 500."

The wording was intentional. The same release had Tracy pointing out that he and Green had "unfinished business" in the 500.

"Deep down, we know what happened there," he said.

The duo have legitimate hopes of writing a different ending this time.

Tracy was competitive at Indy last spring, not bad for a driver who hadn’t driven with any sort of regularity since 2007. He was one of two KV Racing Technology cars to crack the top 10 in the 500 a year ago, leaving him optimistic he’s not going to be out there just clicking off laps at the back of the pack.

"With the engineering staff Jimmy has put together and with Paul in the car, I think we’ve got a good shot," Green said.

The race has evolved quite a bit since 2002, but don’t expect Green to be playing catch-up. He still does some of his race calculations longhand, no calculators please, though he insists he’ll be in constant contact with the crew chief and the tech guys to figure out how the car is performing and how to get to the front.

Besides, there’s at least one person Green knows he can count on for feedback, whether he asks for it or not.

"(Paul) knows it well," he said. "He had a good setup last year. I think the team will build on that. I’m only interested in coming back if they’re serious. ... The driver has got to be serious, too, and I don’t think anybody doubts that."

Tracy is so serious he’s been on a frantic diet the last two months trying to get into shape for his return to racing. He was filming a show for the Speed Channel earlier this year when he saw some of the raw footage. The video evidence of his bulging waistline served as a wake-up call.

Thanks to grueling bike rides and a renewed commitment to training, Tracy has dropped 35 pounds. He feels better, and he looks better, key ingredients for success on the track and in boardrooms as he tries to lure enough sponsors to get a full-time ride.

It’s not easy. He’s been an outspoken critic of the system, lamenting the lack of North American drivers on the continent’s only major open wheel circuit.

The economic downturn hasn’t helped matters. Tracy has enlisted a small army in search of sponsorship money. He’s got enough to drive in Indy, Edmonton and Toronto. He’s hoping to run at Watkins Glen too. That eats up his July, but as of now that leaves him on the outside of the season’s final six races.

"We’re turning over every stone and looking around every corner and looking through every bush, but it’s difficult," he said.

So difficult he doesn’t even bother watching the races. A Twitter fanatic, his tweets are laced with sarcasm.

"If I had a $ for every person that said I should be racing long beach, I would have enough to do it," he tweeted on April 16, two days before the street race in southern California.

He showed up at Long Beach anyway to announce he was going to run in Indy, then did a series of interviews but didn’t stick around for the race.

Tracy plans on being there at the end on the last Sunday in May, alongside the owner who helped put him on the map.

"I called Barry and said, ‘hey Elroy it’s Jake, I’m putting the band back together, we are on a mission from god!!" Tracy tweeted when Green agreed to come on board.

It’s a mission they hope ends in Victory Lane.

-- Will Graves

Jewel to sing national anthem at Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis 500 fans will hear Jewel sing the national anthem before this year’s race.

The singer-songwriter has sold 27 million albums worldwide since her debut in 1995 and has been nominated twice for Grammy Awards. Her latest studio album, "Sweet and Wild," is scheduled for a June 8 release.

Race organizers made the announcement Wednesday.

Jewel also has performed at USO concerts for the American military around the world.

This year’s race is scheduled for May 30.

Among the previous celebrities who have sung the national anthem on race day were Miss America Katie Stam, two-time "Dancing With The Stars" champion Julianne Hough and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.

Formula One

Wide-open F1 fight heads to narrow Monaco streets

MONACO — Red Bull has the speed, McLaren has the lead and Ferrari has the package as Formula One’s wide-open championship takes to the narrow streets of the iconic Monaco Grand Prix this weekend.

Mark Webber won last weekend’s Spanish GP thanks to Red Bull’s qualifying speed, which has seen the team clinch every pole this season.

Despite Red Bull’s speed advantage, defending champion Jenson Button leads the driver standings and his McLaren team tops the constructors’ standings.

After five races, Button has 70 points to lead Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso by three, while Sebastian Vettel is next with 60 and teammate Webber has 53. Nico Rosberg of Mercedes has 50 and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa have 49.

Red Bull is clearly above the field in terms of pure pace, with McLaren and Ferrari’s prominent positions in the title fights owing much to Red Bull’s reliability failures in the first quarter of the season.

"I don’t think Red Bull has the same advantage they had in Barcelona," Button said on Thursday. "They’re going to be quick, but if they get a little thing wrong in qualifying another team might take advantage. Here I think it’s going to be a little bit more mixed up."

Red Bull is keen to prove its car is consistent at every track.

"We should have a strong car here. We expect to have no trouble of bits falling off," said Vettel, who placed third in Spain despite a brake failure. "Obviously we had a couple of issues this year with reliability but we have always reacted quickly and they never happened again."

But Monaco’s winding street circuit is unlike any other with defending winner Button comparing it "driving a go-cart around your living room."

"Every lap throughout that race it gets more and more difficult because the barriers seem to get so much closer," Button said. "Mentally it’s so, so draining."

Hamilton was in line for a second-place finish in Barcelona before a wheel rim failure blew his tire to send him crashing into a barrier with one lap to go. That has left him further down the standings than his performance has warranted, and he will be eager to replicate his dramatic Monaco victory of two years ago.

"It’s exciting enough if it’s dry, but if it’s wet it’s going to be crazy out there," Button said. "Especially with all of those cars."

Ferrari won’t employ its F-duct — an aerodynamic device that affects the rear wing and will be banned next year — that McLaren has benefited from so far. Still, Alonso expects Ferrari should be fighting for the podium in every race for the remainder of the season.

"Overall I don’t think we have to say Red Bull is favorite. If they do mistakes ... we just need to make sure we don’t do the same," the Spaniard said. "I expect a strong performance from our side."

While Alonso inherited second place in Barcelona after Hamilton’s crash and Vettel’s brake problems, teammate Massa struggled again after a strong start, complaining of low downforce and tire trouble.

Mercedes driver Michael Schumacher — who can match Ayrton Senna’s record of six Monaco triumphs — is coming off a fourth-place finish in Barcelona, his best result since returning to F1 after a three-year absence from the sport.

"Can we achieve a win here or not this weekend? That’s what we have to see," said Schumacher, who will see his wheel base altered for this race. "After Barcelona there’s probably no point to talk about winning because we were quite a margin behind. But who knows what this track and this combination will offer to us."

Schumacher’s last appearance in Monte Carlo in 2006 saw the seven-time world champion park his car in a spot on the track in a way that affected Alonso’s attempt to beat the German’s qualifying time. Stewards ruled it deliberate and relegated Schumacher to the back of the grid.

Traffic in qualifying could be even more of a problem this time around, with 24 cars cramming the tight circuit, and three rookie teams being seconds off the pace of the others. But a proposal to split qualifying to reduce crowding was rejected.

"It’s going to be a mess and it’s just going to be a nightmare," HRT driver Karun Chandhok said. "Now we’ll all go to qualifying and we’ll all complain (afterward)."

In Monaco, practice sessions are run a day earlier — on Thursday — while Friday is a rest day before qualifying on Saturday. Sunday’s race, which is one of only four that has been on the calendar since 1950, will be 78 laps.

Button provided one of the race’s most colorful moments of last season when he had to run nearly 300 meters to the podium to collect his trophy.

"It was such an emotional moment and a moment I will never forget," Button said "because one, it’s on YouTube, and two, because it’s going to stay in my mind forever running up to Prince Albert of Monaco and saying ‘sorry I parked in the wrong place."’

-- Paul Logothetis

Auto Racing Glance

NASCAR

SPRINT CUP

Autism Speaks 400

Site: Dover, Del.

Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, 10:30 a.m.- Noon), qualifying ( 2-3:30 p.m.); Saturday, practice (Speed, 10:30 a.m.- 1 p.m.); Sunday, race, Noon(FOX, 11-4 p.m.).

Track: Dover International Speedway (oval, mile).

Race distance: 400 miles, 400 laps.

Last year: Jimmie Johnson raced to the second of his seven 2009 victories en route to his fourth straight season title, rebounding from a late pit-stop problem to catch Tony Stewart with two laps left. Johnson led 298 of 400 laps. He also won the September race on the high-banked concrete oval, leading 271 laps.

Last week: Denny Hamlin became the first driver in 17 years to sweep the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races at Darlington Raceway. The Joe Gibbs Racing star has three victories — two since knee surgery — in the last six races.

Fast facts: Talladega winner Kevin Harvick tops the standings with 1,622 points, 110 more than Johnson. ... Johnson, 38th at Darlington after a hard wreck, leads active drivers with five Dover victories. He's tied with Hamlin for the series victory lead with three. ... Dale Earnhardt Jr. is winless in 68 races and has only one victory in 83 starts for Hendrick Motorsports. He has 18 career Sprint Cup wins.

Next race: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, May 22, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

NATIONWIDE

Heluva Good! 200

Site: Dover, Del.

Schedule: Friday, practice (ESPN2, 1- 2 p.m.); Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 9-10:30 a.m.), race, 1:30 p.m.(ABC, 1-4 p.m.).

Track: Dover International Speedway (oval, mile).

Race distance: 200 miles, 200 laps.

Last year: Brad Keselowski raced to the first of his four 2009 series victories, shooting past Kyle Busch and Joey Logano on a restart with two laps left.

Last week: Denny Hamlin won at Darlington Raceway, pulling away from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Busch over the final five laps. Hamlin, also the winner of the Sprint Cup race Sunday, has won his last three Nationwide starts at Darlington.

Fast facts: Keselowski leads the season standings, 55 points ahead of defending champion Busch. Keselowski won consecutive races last month at Talladega and Richmond. Busch has a series-high three victories. ... Jason Keller is attempting to qualify for his record 500th start. Driving for startup team Tri-Star Motorsports, the 10-time series winner has failed to qualify for three of the first 10 races this season. ... Clint Bowyer won the September race at the track.

Next race: Tech-Net Auto Service 300, May 29, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS

Dover 200

Site: Dover, Del.

Schedule: Thursday, practice; Friday, qualifying (Speed, 9-10:30 a.m., 3:30-5 p.m.), race, 3:45 p.m.(Speed, 7-10 p.m.).

Track: Dover International Speedway (oval, mile).

Race distance: 200 miles, 200 laps.

Last year: Brian Scott raced to his first NASCAR victory. Front-running Kyle Busch faded to ninth after hitting the wall with 17 laps left.

Last race: Johnny Sauter won May 2 at Kansas Speedway, holding off Ron Hornaday Jr. after they made late contact and saved their trucks in tire-smoking slides.

Fast facts: Timothy Peters, the winner of the season-opening race at Daytona, has a 22-point lead over Todd Bodine in the standings. ... The 51-year-old Hornaday is fourth, 97 points behind Peters. Hornaday won his series record fourth title last season, winning six races for Kevin Harvick Inc. ... Elliott Sadler is driving the No. 2 Chevrolet in place of Harvick, the winner at Atlanta and Martinsville.

Next race: North Carolina Education Lottery 200, May 21, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

FORMULA ONE

Monaco Grand Prix

Site: Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Schedule: Thursday, practice (Speed, 7-8:30 a.m.); Saturday, practice and qualifying (Speed, 7-8:30 a.m.); Sunday, race, 7 a.m.(Speed, 6:30-9 a.m.).

Track: Circuit de Monaco (street course, 2.075 miles).

Race distance: 161.9 miles, 78 laps.

Last year: Jenson Button raced to the fifth of his six 2009 victories en route to the season championship, beating Brawn GP teammate Rubens Barrichello.

Last week: Red Bull's Mark Webber had a comfortable wire-to-wire victory in the Spanish Grand Prix. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was second and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel third after McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton crashed with a lap left.

Fast facts: Button, the winner in Australia and China in his first season with McLaren, leads the standings with 70 points. Alonso, the Bahrain winner, is second with 67, followed by Malaysia winner Vettel (60) and Webber (53). ... Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, driving for Ross Brawn-led Mercedes GP after a three-year retirement, is ninth with 22 points. He has a record 91 victories, winning at Monaco in 1994, '95, '97, '99 and 2001.

Next race: Turkish Grand Prix, May 30, Istanbul Speed Park, Istanbul.

On the Net: http://www.formula1.com

NHRA FULL THROTTLE

NHRA Southern Nationals

Site: Commerce, Ga.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying; Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 8- 9 p.m.); Sunday, final eliminations (ESPN2, 7- 9 p.m.).

Track: Atlanta Dragway.

Last year: Morgan Lucas beat Spencer Massey in the Top Fuel final for his first career victory. Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won.

Last event: Tony Schumacher raced to his second Top Fuel victory of the season, beating Doug Kalitta in the Midwest Nationals on May 2 in Madison, Ill. Robert Hight (Funny Car), Warren Johnson (Pro Stock) and Michael Phillips (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won. It was Johnson's Pro Stock-record 151st victory and first since 2007.

Fast facts: In 2008 at the track, Ashley Force Hood beat father John Force to become the first female driver to win a national Funny Car event. ... John Force has three 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 Funny Car standings — 151 points ahead Matt Hagan. ... In Top Fuel, Larry Dixon has a 41-point lead over Cory McClenathan. Dixon has three victories this year, one more than McClenathan. ... Edwards, a three-time winner this year, has a 286-point lead in Pro Stock.

Next event: NHRA Summer Nationals, May 21-23, Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kan.

On the Net: http://www.nhra.com

INDYCAR

Next race: Indianapolis 500, May 30, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis.

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.

On the Net: http://www.indycar.com

OTHER RACES

WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Sprint Car, Thursday-Friday, Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, Pa.; Saturday, Virginia Motor Speedway, Jamaica, Va. Late Model, Thursday, Delaware International Speedway, Delmar, Del.; Saturday, Hagerstown Speedway, Hagerstown, Md. On the Net: http://www.worldofoutlaws.com