National Speed Sport News

Asphalt Late-Model Series Promoters Know Key To Success Is Getting Young Fans In Stands

Few would argue that the sour economy has had a significant effect on auto racing. From local dirt tracks to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, crowds and car counts are down.

Asphalt late-model racing hasn't been immune to the rest of racing's problems. Fans and teams have grown disillusioned with the state of asphaltread more

Let's rewind to the 2009 Knoxville Nationals. One of the great stories that emerged from the week of some of the greatest sprint-car racing in the world despite the weather issues was Oklahoma native Shane Stewart.

Stewart, who was well on his way to winning his first American Sprint Car Series championship, qualified well on night one, ran into issues in his heat, qualified for the feature with aread more

The First Nationals
Created by promoter Marion Robinson the first Knoxville Nationals drew nearly 14,000 people on July 29, 1961, and was won by Roy Robbins (left), who banked $1,280 for what was known as the Super-Modified National Championship.

Wings Vs. No Wings
With no rules outlawing wings for the first Knoxville Nationals, Roy Robbins won with a wing on his car. Wings were outlawed fromread more

Donny Schatz will attempt to do something Saturday night only sprint-car legend Steve Kinser has achieved - win the Knoxville Nationals five-consecutive times.

And for those who have followed the history of sprint-car racing's biggest event, that's a bit ironic because at one point it appeared as if Schatz was destined to forever be a Knoxville Nationals bridesmaid.

The 33-year-old native of Minot,read more

Indy Quick Facts
- Four drivers have started all 16 Brickyard 400s - Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Mark Martin and Bobby Labonte. Burton and Martin are still looking for their first victory in the event. Burton, however, has been running at the end of all 16 events. Bill Elliott and Joe Nemechek are the only drivers to have made 15 of the 16 Brickyard 400s.

- Rick Mast won the pole for the inauguralread more

Off-Season Injury Hasn't Dashed Hamlin's 2010 Sprint Cup Title Hopes

When Denny Hamlin felt the pain in his left knee, playing pickup basketball in the off-season, he knew he was in for a long, hard grind.

For a gym rat like Hamlin, it meant he couldn't play basketball for quite some time…and it meant that his pursuit of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship - and derailing four-time andread more

Second-Generation Driver Shullick Making His Mark In Supermodified Ranks

Few states can boast supermodified racing history like Ohio. The methanol-breathing 800-plus horsepower open-wheel machines have been thrilling Buckeye State race fans since the 1960s.

Over the past five decades, the track that's been most important to Ohio's supermodified scene is Sandusky Speedway, and since 1978 the keyread more

Bloomington Speedway is a quarter-mile clay oval nestled in the rustic Indiana countryside south of Indianapolis. In operation since 1923, it has provided fantastic competition for rabid, Hoosier racing fans, and developed champions for many racing disciplines.

Besides a flock of Kinsers, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Dick Gaines, Kenny Irwin, Jr. and Jeff Gordon - the 1988 track champion - cut theirread more

Competitors Vying For Share Of $1 Million Purse In 'Once-In-A-Lifetime' Event

When Charlotte Motor Speedway President and General Manager Marcus Smith announced in January that the superspeedway would play host to a three-day event for Legends competitors with a $1 million purse, it drew the attention of racers across the country and even from overseas.

For former National Dirt Legends championread more

There was a time when a small, brick-front building in an industrial section of L.A., lodged between Helen's Café and Jim Narin's Machine Shop, housed the most important race shop in America.

The only indicator of its purpose was a large, fading Champion Spark Plug sign that filled most of the front facade's upper half, and above that, in smaller script, "Traco Engineering."

Traco built racingread more

With the debut of the new NASCAR Nationwide Series car only a few days away, teams are putting the final touches on what series officials hope will give the long overshadowed series its own identity.

The new cars, modeled after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Car of Tomorrow that debuted in 2007, are set to race for the first time Friday at Daytona Int'l Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.

While the carsread more

In addition to the on-track issues teams experienced during February's ill-fated NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Int'l Raceway, the Phoenix-area facility was also the site of the first spectator death at an NHRA national event in 30-some years when the left-rear tire and wheel assembly broke from Antron Brown's Top Fuel dragster and bounded into the pits, striking and killing a woman.

While theread more

How Safe Are Today's Drag Strips For Competitors?

Monday, June 21 marks the two-year anniversary of Scott Kalitta's death in a cataclysmic, horrific crash during qualifying for the National Hot Rod Ass'n Lucas Oil SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J. Coming on the heels of the on-track death of Eric Medlen at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway and a vicious high-speed,read more

What you see is what you get with Jimmy Mars. And the "what" is one of the most talented dirt-late-model racers in the country. He is a quiet and humble man…that is until he climbs in his familiar Mars Racing No. 28 and pulls his helmet on. Then the Iceman takes over.

"Nicknames are a funny thing," said Mars. "When I climb in the car, I am there to do one thing - win. If being totallyread more

Looking to develop a second marquee late model race to stand alongside the prestigious World 100, Eldora Speedway promoter Earl Baltes hit a home run in 1994 when he introduced the Dirt Late Model Dream.

Baltes learned early in his promotional career that paying big money was the best way to attract attention and he did just that by posting the richest first-place prize in the history of dirt lateread more

Tony Stewart will host the sixth annual Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream tonight at Eldora Speedway with a goal of raising $1 million for four hospitals that cater to children.

Started in 2005, the Prelude has raised $2.5 million for various charities since its inception and has quickly become one of the nation's marquee dirt-track races.

Fifty major racing championships will beread more

The pit area was quickly filling with some of the fastest guns in dirt-late-model racing. Names like O'Neal, Moyer, Babb and Birkhofer are proven winners and have become synonymous with the sport.

A glance up at the old covered grandstand that borders the frontstretch of the fairgrounds half-mile track told the same story and said it would be a good night for the speedway.

Simply put, that night'sread more

Fifth Generation Keeps Family's Legacy Up And Running - And Winning

Kathryn Stoehr was not quite sure how to react when her dad, Northeastern Midget Ass'n owner/driver Greg Stoehr, approached her about being crew chief. "Surprised, awed," the high school freshman accepted.

Joined by sister Bethany, 14 months younger, Kathryn Stoehr, now 16, heads up the youngest pit crew in all of racing.

"Gearread more

Back some 51 years ago when Charlotte Motor Speedway was being built, some track officials gathered to discuss the future of the 1.5-mile speedway here in Cabarrus County.

Among that group was O. Bruton Smith, who runs Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI), which owns CMS and five other tracks that also host NASCAR Sprint Cup races.

"It pretty much was a consensus of the entire group that we wanted aread more

Race day at the Indianapolis 500 this year could have a new name - ladies' day.

Five female drivers attempted (four made it) to make the field for the 94th Indianapolis 500 - the most since the race began 99 years ago. At the top of the list is the most visible driver in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Danica Patrick, along with the only female owner-driver in the sport - Sarah Fisher. Venezuela's Milkaread more

The Indianapolis 500 is the centerpiece sporting event of a great American holiday - Memorial Day - a day for waving the United States flag and honoring those brave Americans who gave their lives in the field of battle.

It's part of Americana - a chance to bask in the warm weather, fire up the grill and watch 33 brave drivers battle each other around the world's most famous racing course. Beforeread more

When officials first broke ground on the NASCAR Hall of Fame in early 2007, there were many questions still to be answered.

How big would the facility be? Who would make up the first Hall of Fame class? How would they fit the rich history of NASCAR into one building?

Fans no longer have to wait for the answers to those questions, as the NASCAR Hall of Fame is now open to the public.

Before the Hallread more

As the Indianapolis Motor Speedway rolls out its new qualification format for the 94th Indianapolis 500 it is more "evolutionary" than "revolutionary."

Qualification rules have changed dramatically since that first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 when Lewis Strang was awarded the pole based on the date when he mailed in his entry for the race. Qualifying for that first race was a matter of the driverread more

Longevity Of Karamesines's Career Only Adds To His Legend

His name may not fill the record books, but Chris Karamesines is just as much a drag racing legend as the competitors he raced against during the sport's golden era - racers with names like Garlits, Kalitta, McEwen, Prudhomme and Ivo who have long since retired from competition.

Nearly 60 years after making his first passes at Half Day (Ill.)read more

Tragedies Have Perpetuated Vogler's Labor Of Love

In a few days Eleanor Vogler, despite nearing her 79th birthday, will be darting about the grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway like a whirling dervish, tracking down drivers for autographs and other collectables that will be auctioned as a part of the fund-raising activities for the Rich Vogler Scholarship Fund.

The scholarship fund, now inread more

Sidelined Bellerose Ready For Racing Return At Thunder Road

It's been seven years since she left us all broken-hearted and walked away from the Thunder Road late-model ranks, seven long years of dormancy from a woman who filled the stands - and our hearts - each and every Thursday night at Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl in Barre, Vt.

Of course, as almost expected, she has beaten the odds as she alwaysread more

In the early 1990s, former driver and veteran promoter Emmett Hahn was concerned about the health of sprint-car racing.

Engine costs were spiraling out of control and as a result car counts were declining across the country. Hahn believed that by mandating 360-cubic-inch engines and requiring the use of spec cylinder heads, sprint-car racing could once again be affordable for the average racer.

Heread more

Sportsman Racers Form Backbone Of NHRA Competition

A National Hot Rod Ass'n national event is a multi-day flurry of non-stop on-track activity morning, noon and night. While it's the high-speed professional classes that headline the action throughout a race weekend, it's the little guys - the sportsman racers - who keep the activity going when the pros are between sessions.

Sportsman racers are theread more

Officials Hope New HoF Is Key To Boosting Tourism In NASCAR Country

Many are anxiously awaiting next month's grand opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, especially those in Cabarrus County, N.C., who rely on motorsports tourism for a substantial portion of their business.

Formerly known as The Racing Side of Charlotte and now promoted as Where Racing Lives, Cabarrus County is home toread more

Whether Running From Alligators Or The Competition, Wall Is One Tough Guy

Some would say race-car driver Chris Wall gets more than his share of excitement during his work week.

Wall has one of those jobs you only read about in magazines or see on television - he's an alligator farmer. Wall is the owner of C&M Gator Farm, where he spends his workdays dealing with creatures that can weigh more thanread more