4-25-2006 -- After a three week break, Team Mopar and Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car drivers Ron Capps, Gary Scelzi and Whit Bazemore will take to the strip this weekend in the O‘Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn. Entering the sixth event of the year, the team has already racked up two wins and four finals appearances in 2006.
Capps, the current Funny Car points leader, has led the charge early on in his Hemi-powered Brut Dodge Stratus R/T. The Carlsbad, Calif., native has recorded the two Team Mopar Funny Car wins and has advanced to at least the semis in all five events thus far. He will enter Bristol with a 105-point lead over the man in second-place, 13-time Funny Car champ John Force.
The sailing hasn‘t been so smooth for Capps’ teammates, Scelzi and Bazemore. Scelzi, currently 14th in the points standings, will look to get on the right track and go rounds this weekend in his Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T. The defending Funny Car champ is also the defending event champ, as he won the 2005 Bristol race on his way to the title.
Bazemore, 10th in points, will look to gain encouragement from his last outing, at Vegas, where he defeated John Force and advanced to the semis before bowing out to teammate Capps. The Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Charger R/T team also officially announced Todd Okuhara as Bazemore‘s crew chief, with Brian Corradi as assistant crew chief.
Qualifying coverage of the O‘Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 from 10 p.m. to midnight this Saturday, with eliminations coverage set for 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, also on ESPN2. For more information regarding Capps, Scelzi, Bazemore or the NHRA POWERade Funny Car Series, log on to shoeracing.com or nhra.com.
[SIZE=2]MOPAR EXTENDS TITLE SPONSORSHIP OF NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES EVENT IN DENVER; REPRESENTS ONE OF LONGEST RUNNING TITLE RIGHTS SPONSORSHIPS IN NHRA HISTORY
POMONA, Calif. (April 24, 2006) -- Mopar, a long-time sponsor of NHRA drag racing, has renewed its multi-year agreement with NHRA to continue as title-rights sponsor of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event held annually at Bandimere Speedway near Denver, NHRA officials announced today.
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With this extension, Mopar holds one of the longest continuous title rights sponsorships on the NHRA POWERade circuit.
"Sponsoring an event such as the NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals is an opportunity for Mopar to showcase our authentic motorsports programs," said Kevin Miller, senior manager, Mopar Brand, Performance and Motorsports.
"Working with a group like the staff of Bandimere Speedway allows Mopar to give competitors and fans alike a first-class racing product. A premier event like the one at Bandimere Speedway represents what Mopar's racing endeavors encompass: the longevity and staying power of the sport."
The 27th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, July 14-16, 2006 is the 13th of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The event, which will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD, is the first of a three-race western swing that always proves critical for NHRA teams chasing NHRA POWERade Series championships in all four professional categories.
"Relationships, trust and results are the key ingredients to the longevity of Mopar's sponsorship with the NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals," said John C. Bandimere Jr., president, Bandimere Speedway. "We feel blessed to be able to work side by side with our partners at Mopar. It is exciting to have a sponsor that is innovative in all that they do, which includes our race in Denver."
Mopar also is the primary sponsor for multiple NHRA Pro Stock entries and drivers, including Gary Scelzi, Richie Stevens, Shaun Carlson and Allen Johnson.
Tickets are available for the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals. For more information, call (800) 664-UWIN, or log on to www.nhra.com or bandimere.com.
"Strong relationships with major sponsors like Mopar have laid a foundation for continued growth of NHRA," said Gary Darcy, senior vice president, sales and marketing, NHRA. "We are proud of the long-standing partnership between Mopar, Bandimere Speedway and NHRA. Clearly this association speaks volumes to the value of sponsorship of NHRA."
Mopar is based in Center Line, Mich., and is the exclusive original equipment supplier of parts and accessories for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles.
Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. It presents 23 national events through its NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. NHRA has 80,000 racers and members nationwide and 140 member tracks. NHRA-sanctioned sportsman and bracket racing series' provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels. NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by offering the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series, NHRA Summit Racing Series and the Street Legal Program presented by AAA. NHRA also offers the O'Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League for youths ages 8 to 17.
-nhra
Team Mopar/SRT Dodge Stratus R/T driver Shaun Carlson‘s rookie season in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Pro Stock class has been everything but what the successful NHRA Sport Compact driver expected. It has featured the highs of winning the coveted second seat on Don Schumacher Racing‘s Pro Stock team to the lows of not qualifying at the season‘s first four events.
Carlson is back on a high since qualifying for his first event of the season three weeks ago in Las Vegas, and is ready to continue moving forward and upward at this weekend‘s O‘Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
He‘ll be adding to his Pro Stock experience under new crew chief David Nickens, named last week to head Don Schumacher Racing‘s Pro Stock teams. Alongside the successful tuner with Mopar ties, who has six Pro Stock wins as a crew chief, is newcomer to the team Mike Sullivan, a clutch specialist with whom Carlson has worked at his NuFormz Racing shop in Ontario, Calif.
“It‘s awesome working with Mike again,” says the Southern Californa native. I have been working with him for the last four years. We click well together. He knows what I want, I know what he needs, so the communication between us is unbelievable.”
Both Carlson and his teammate Richie Stevens Jr. are testing at Atlanta Dragway (Commerce, Ga.) this week before Bristol. “I‘m trying to stay out of everyone‘s way right now,” says Carlson, “so David and Mike can do their thing and have things the way they want.
“I‘m excited as all heck to get adjusted and hop in the car this weekend. I really want to get this Team Mopar/SRT Dodge in the field safely, and I don‘t see any reason we can‘t get in the top half of the field with all of the tools that (team owner) Don Schumacher and Mopar have provided us.”
Nickens is upbeat about joining the DSR Pro Stock effort and working with Carlson. “I‘m very excited about this challenge, and I think we‘ll be in pretty good shape very soon,” he says.
“Shaun is good worker and has a great attitude. We just have to put him in a position to go out there and win races. He can do it. He can do a very good job in this class, and he has the most important thing, and that‘s the will to win. In very short order, we‘ll have him whipped into shape, and find out what he‘s been lacking to put him in a position to get to the winner‘s circle.”
SHAUN CARLSON QUICK FACTS: * Qualified for his first event of 2006 in Las Vegas. * Rookie season in Pro Stock class * First year with Don Schumacher Racing * Was named second DSR Pro Stock driver after February ‘06 test session at LVMS * Owned and drove his Team Mopar SRT4 in the NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series in 2005, grabbing one win and finishing fourth in points. * Finished fourth in 2004 Sport Compact points standings * Is a two-time Sport Compact event winner * Subbed for an injured Darrell Alderman in the 2004 NHRA Winternationals Pro Stock event at Pomona, grabbing an early round win and nearly advancing to the semifinals in his Pro Stock debut * Finished third in ‘03 Pro FWD points * 2002 Xbox Cup champion in the Pro Outlaw class * A famous engine builder and FWD performance guru, Carlson has worked on projects such as the world record-holding import drag car driven by Stephan Papadakis. * First FWD builder to run in the 9s and 8s. * Built the first Sport Compact drag car with a tube chassis * Has been drag racing professionally since 1999 * President and founder of NuFormz, an 11-year-old company that builds aftermarket components in Ontario, Calif.
Official Gumball 3000 Update #3: Team Polizei In Ze Lead!
Well we’ve got our third official update from John-Francis Musial , the “official” Team Polizei Correspondent, as reported to him by Balla’ Polizei Team Captain Alex Roy, currently on ze road. It all sounds so exciting — but not so much for one of us, who’s stuck in a Bruegger’s Bagel in lovely East Lansing, MI — now with free wifi! The report’s after the jump, but remember to keep checkin’ back in with us for all of your semi-official Gumball 3000 updates. And look ma, we even have a mini-site for the Gumball 3000 for y’all to keep hittin’ refresh on (for ze non-technically inclined) or a pretty li’l tag to drop into your rss reader (for all you techno-geeks out there).
Unofficial Results Checkpoint Vienna:
1st: Team Polizei
2nd: Team NSX (Honda NSX)
3rd: Pete (Team Ant&Pete - BMW 3-series D2) Unofficial Results Checkpoint Budapest:
1st: Team Polizei
2nd: Team NSX (Honda NSX)
3rd: Pete (Team Ant&Pete - BMW 3-series D2)
4th: Team 3ezer
The first stage of the 2006 Gumball3000 has, for the most part, come to an end. The event though has suffered a few losses. Once again, a Dodge Viper (SRT-10) has fallen victim to the Gumball. This incident has once more drawn the obvious conclusion: If you plan on doing the Gumball, do not drive any car that is named or once was named, “Viper”. The first two days have been a success for Team Polizei as they have arrived first at every checkpoint. Tuesday morning, the rally continues as the drivers will wake for a short drive to Belgrade. There, the drivers and cars will board a plane and head to Thailand. In Thailand, it is rumored that the speed limits have been lifted for the Gumball. This is of concern to Team Polizei and other veterans of the event. In light of the 2004 rally which led Gumballers through northern Africa where the speed limits were l ifted as well, Team Polizei has accepted a new strategy for Thailand stage.
The African stage in 2004 had the most accidents out of any other Gumball. This was in part due to Gumballers pushing themselves just a bit too far. Team Polizei’s two veteran drivers feel that the same situation may occur in Thailand. In an effort to maintain the Gumball spirit as well as provide immediate help for any accident or emergency, Team Polizei will NOT be pushing for the front at any point in Thailand. The team will remain near the middle of the pack at all times, constantly monitoring the rally status in the hopes to be able to provide any support necessary at any time. This will also provide an opportunity for other teams to concur certain checkpoints without having to worry about the Polizei GT coming up in the rear view mirror. Team Polizei would like to use this update to please ask all teams to drive safely and remain respectful of the host countries.
By: John-Francis Musial
Team Polizei Correspondent, as reported by Team Captain Alex Roy, currently
on the road.
Double duty for Dodge Motorsports at Winchester ARCA RE/MAX Series event
Monday, May 1, 2006 Double duty for Dodge Motorsports at Winchester ARCA RE/MAX Series event
by Don Radebaugh, Dodge Motorsports
TOLEDO Ohio -- Driver development teams have certainly occupied a healthy share of the ARCA RE/MAX Series headlines lately. But what was once exclusive to the series’ superspeedway program, development teams are beginning to bust through into the short-track ranks.
The competition got a taste of it recently at Salem Speedway where Brewco Motorsports development driver Brad Coleman and Evernham Motorsports’ Kevin Swindell, via a Dodge development program, turned heads with solid efforts on both sides. Coleman won the Pork Pole Award and led the first 22 laps before an accident eliminated the 18-year-old Texan from the mix. Swindell, son of three-time national sprint car driving champion Sammy Swindell, was on the lead lap all day before an unscheduled pit stop dropped him to 14th in the final running order.
Looking down through the entry list for the next short-track event – the ARCA 200 presented by Construct Corps at Winchester Speedway, one can find two Dodge development drivers on the list – Swindell from the Evernham camp, and newcomer Josh Wise in a Dodge Motorsports Dodge.
Wise, like Swindell, is a product of the open wheels ranks where he earned the USAC National Midget championship in 2005 in addition to finishing second in USAC Silver Crown Series points that same year. Wise also finished fifth in USAC National Sprint Car Series points in ’05.
Swindell became the youngest driver in World of Outlaw sprint car history to earn a top-10 finish in WoO competition finishing 6th at Paramatta Speedway in Australia in 2005. Swindell is also a two-time winner in USCS Asphalt Thunder Sprint Car competition.
Dodge Motorsports is currently developing four different drivers in the ARCA RE/MAX Series in 2006 to include Canton, Georgia’s Chase Miller and second-generation racer Scott Lagasse, Jr., in addition to Swindell and Wise.
ARCA RE/MAX Series practice for the ARCA 200 presented by Construct Corps begins at 9:30 am local time with Pork Pole Award Qualifying to follow at 12:30 pm. The 200-lap race is scheduled to roll off at 2:30.
TALLADEGA, Ala. -- This time, the mess at Talladega Superspeedway couldn't be pinned on the scary crashes typical of restrictor-plate racing.
Blame it on the rain. The Aaron's 499 was postponed until today after a 1-hour, 40-minute rain delay Sunday, leaving pole sitter Elliott Sadler and Co. to sit idle for much of the day -- only to end up having to return and try again.
It's the first time since spring 1997 that a race had to be postponed at Talladega's tri-oval. NASCAR officials and Mark Martin will hope for a repeat of that Winston Select 500.
Martin won a pristine race that didn't have any caution flags -- imagine that -- on a track known as much for crashes as for scintillating finishes.
Held three weeks after the scheduled date, the '97 race still stands as the track's fastest with an average speed of 188.354 mph. It was over in a hasty 2 hours, 39 minutes, 18 seconds.
Martin's not in bad position for a repeat, qualifying sixth for the Aaron's 499.
Sadler won the pole in qualifying, followed by Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and Dale Jarrett, who won at Talladega last October.
Another driver who probably wouldn't mind a calm race is Jimmie Johnson, lambasted by competitors who blamed him for wrecking 39 cars at two Talladega races last season.
Johnson, who will start 16th, won the season-opening Daytona 500.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., a five-time Talladega winner, will drive a car painted like the famed black Chevrolet his late father piloted. He will start 27th.
Sadler is hoping to finish better this time. He also started first at the October race but lasted just 20 laps before Johnson ran into the back of his car and started an eight-car wreck.
Unable to separate with the horsepower-sapping restrictor plates, cars often race in one large pack.
With the rain delay, testing at Lowe's Motorspeedway will be Tuesday and Wednesday and last two days, not three.
Capps beats Force in NHRA
Funny Car points leader Ron Capps raced to his third victory of the year and the 20th of his career Sunday, beating John Force by a hundredth of a second in the O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.
Capps had a 4.793-second run at 319.52 mph in a Dodge Stratus to edge Force, who had a quicker 4.788 at 310.13 in a Ford Mustang. The difference came at the starting line, with Capps leaving in 0.080 seconds to Force's 0.104 seconds.
Doug Kalitta repeated last year's Top Fuel final by beating Rod Fuller again for his 25th career victory.
In a battle of Pontiac GTOs, Jason Line earned his ninth career Pro Stock win when he edged series leader and teammate Greg Anderson.
Chaffin rallies for 26th place Gateway finish after losing 11 laps from cut right front tire
MADISON, Ill. -- Chad Chaffin failed to let a cut right front tire and a brush with the turn one wall deter his fledgling Key Motorsports team Saturday night, rallying from 11 laps down to post a hard-earned, 26th place finish in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Gateway International Raceway outside of St. Louis.
Flying in from Talladega where he successfully had qualified for Sunday’s Nextel Cup Series race earlier on Saturday afternoon, Chaffin started the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 without having turned a single lap. He used the information provided by practice driver Ryan Moore and crew chief Barry Dodson to aid in the set-up under his #40 Key Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado that carried sponsorship for the race from Russell E. Garwood Electrical Contractors of Marco Island, FL. The results were encouraging.
“Ryan did a heck of a job providing information to Barry during the practice session, and from what I understand, it helped solve a tight handling situation that I never experienced during the race”, Chaffin explained. “Ryan did the work I needed to jump in an untested truck and to be able to drive it the way I was able to. It’s just a shame that I had to run over something on the race track and cut down that right front tire”.
That incident occurred on lap 15 after Chaffin had vaulted nine positions and into the 27th position. “We were going to the front”, Chad exclaimed, only to see it go out the window with the tire incident.
Fortunately, Chaffin was able to avoid major contact with the turn one retaining wall, but it did do enough damage that ended up costing the team three laps changing the cut tire and moving sheet metal off of the tire, and then eight more making repairs behind the wall to the damaged fender after that. “There’s no telling where we might have finished had we not had that problem. The truck and motor (the first the team has used this season from Fischer Engineering) were that good. In fact, it was a better piece then I had when I almost won this race last year (when Chaffin was hit from behind while leading near the end of the race and fell to fourth at the checkers)”.
The fast Key Motorsports Chevrolet never came close to losing another lap over the final 126 laps and consistently ran lap times equal to the majority of the race’s fastest trucks. Chaffin said he enjoyed himself as he narrowly missed scoring a top 25 finish.
“This is one great handling machine boys” is what Barry radioed to his crew during a mid-race caution. “We now have a motor with plenty of torque, and a truck that really handles well and is fun to drive. We’re gonna really have some fun as the year wears on, and I can tell you that we are getting closer”, Chaffin added.
“Chad did a heck of a job, and he is really great to work with, but we had a truck that was definitely capable of winning this race”, Dodson said after the race. “But even if we had the chance to run for the win we wouldn’t have won it because of what we were not able to do in the pits. That will not happen to us again”, Dodson promised firmly, meaning more changes are in store for a team that is finally starting to show signs of jelling.
“Curtis is serious about this business and has promised to give us what we need to be successful”, Dodson said. “Successful to him is for us to be able to come out week and after week and be competitive. We’ve changed our engine package, our set-ups, how we work at the shop and some personnel. We have a young, green race team, so we will chalk up tonight’s race to helping to provide some experience. We can only get better”, Dodson ended.
Racing series NHRA Date 2006-04-30SCELZI'S BACK, GOES TO SEMIS IN BRISTOL
BRISTOL, Tenn. (April 30, 2006) - Reigning NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion and defending event champion Gary Scelzi was feeling good today at the O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. Despite a mechanical issue in his semifinal round loss against his teammate Ron Capps, Scelzi said the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T appears to be coming around after struggling in the season's first five events.
No. 4 qualifier Scelzi easily dismissed Tony Bartone in the opening round of Sunday's eliminations, with a solid 4.790-second pass at 325.45 mph. Another killer run of 4.778/323.35 in the quarterfinal disposed of Tommy Johnson Jr.
Scelzi seemed to be sailing along to his first final round until the aforesaid mechanical issue appeared in the semifinal round against Capps. Scelzi had the edge on reaction time (.066 to .070), but was forced to shut down early, posting a 5.731/196.04, as Capps soared to the finish line with a 4.821/318.47.
He moved up from 14th to 11th position in the Funny Car point standings.
"We finally got our race car back. If the air line wouldn't have snapped, that controls the clutch, there may have been a different story," he said. "We might have been talking about a win right now, but the Mopar/Oakley Dodge started repeating. It started doing everything that Zippy (crew chief Mike Neff) has wanted it to do and it obviously wasn't slowing down. The air line broke, the bearing never moved, it started knocking timing out of it, a buffet of disasters started happening after that and then Capps was driving away so hard I just shut it off.
"We know what happened; we're going to fix it so it won't happen again, but the car reacts and it's doing what it's supposed to do.
"We probably dug ourselves too deep a hole to come out of it (in the point standings), but we're not giving up. It looks like everything is starting to act normal. My lights are good and everything seems to going in the right direction."
-dsr
“I’m definitely looking forward to Richmond. It’s important to go back there and run well. It would be great to win it two years in a row, but things are going to be a lot different this year. We tested our Dodge Charger there with the setup that we ran last year. It was two seconds off the pace. We’ve had to do a lot of work to figure out a new combination. Having won there certainly gives us confidence.
“At Talladega, we just got in the wrong spot. It was disappointing to get caught up in a wreck nine laps into the race, but it happened. I’m fine and will be ready to go at Richmond. “
STATS & FACTS
KASEY KAHNE AT RICHMOND INT'L RACEWAY
Saturday night’s race marks Kahne’s fifth start at Richmond Int’l Raceway. He started from the pole in last year’s event and led seven times for 242 laps including the final 106 en route to his first Nextel Cup Series victory. Kahne’s margin of victory was 1.674 seconds over Tony Stewart. In last year’s event, Kahne posted four of the race’s fastest 10 laps.
In the fall race at RIR last year, Kahne started 14th and finished eighth, leading once for six laps.
KAHNE OFF TO GOOD START IN 2006
Kahne has two wins, four top-five and six top-10 finishes in the first nine races this season.
KAHNE HAS TWO WINS IN 2006
Kahne posted wins at Atlanta and Texas. On both occasions, he started on the pole just as he did in his first career victory last year at Richmond.
His victory at Texas was the eighth Nextel Cup Series win for Evernham Motorsports. The organization has won at least one race each year since it’s inception in 2001.
GOOD RESULTS FOR DODGE
A Dodge has won three of the last five Nextel Cup races at Richmond. Dodge has won three of the first nine races in 2006 which matches the 2005 total.
STARTING UP FRONT IMPORTANT AT RICHMOND?
Nine of the last 10 races at Richmond have been won from a top-10 starting position. Only one of the last 27 races has been won from the Bud Pole. There have been nine different winners in the last nine events at RIR.
Racing series NHRA Date 2006-05-05PRO STOCK ROOKIE SHAUN CARLSON EAGER TO START SOUTHERN NATIONALS
COMMERCE, Ga. (May 5, 2006) - Pro Stock Rookie Shaun Carlson returns to Atlanta Dragway this weekend, the same track where he recently completed a successful test before the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event last weekend in Bristol, Tenn. The blonde spike-haired Southern Californian made several passes in the 6.80-second range, marking one of his best set of runs thus far.
Carlson believes the Team Mopar/SRT Dodge Stratus R/T he drives for Don Schumacher Racing will benefit from the recent test and do well at this weekend's Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. "We have a lot of data from testing here last week. I think that will be a big advantage for us, as we won't have to guess on a setup heading into qualifying," he says.
He also says another week at the track working with new crew chief David Nickens will be a plus, "I think the team is working well together with all of the changes: new people, new parts, and the learning curve involved with that. We'll look to keep that momentum in Atlanta."
-dsr-
Team Mopar driver Samuel Hubinette will be a busy man this weekend, as he hunts for his second straight win of the Formula D Drift season in the Round 2 event at Georgia's Road Atlanta. But Hubinette, also known as the "Crazy Swede," won't see his action limited to the track. The Mopar drifter will also be a featured player in segments of the "TBS Weekend Extra" program.
The segments, filmed at the April Round 1 Formula D event in Long Beach, Calif., won by Hubinette, are scheduled to air this Saturday at 2:20 p.m. EST when "TBS Weekend Extra" broadcasts the feature film "Bait." Hubinette talked with Frank Nicotero, the show's "Man on the Street" comedian, who places himself in fish-out-of-water scenarios. Hubinette explained the sport of drifting to Nicotero and then took the comedian for a ride-along on the streets of Long Beach in his Mopar Dodge Viper SRT10.
The "TBS Weekend Extra" program features a hit movie each weekend, as well as taped segments with hosts Rossi Morreale and Tanika Ray, and a revolving panel of comedians. The program tackles the week's current events and pop culture happenings with a humorous slant.
Hubinette, who has won the first two Formula D Drift events held at Road Atlanta in 2004 and 2005, will look to continue the success he has had at the track this weekend. He'll also look to take home his second straight win of the season and maintain his hold on the Formula D points standings. Pre-qualifying and practice are set for this Friday, with gates opening to the public at 10 a.m. EST. Qualifying and finals are on Saturday, with gates opening to the public at 10 a.m.
Hubinette‘s second podium finish of the season helped increase his Formula D points l
16 May 2006 - - Mopar‘s Samuel Hubinette came up just short in his bid for a second straight Formula D Drift win, as the “Crazy Swede” scored a second-place finish in the Round 2 event at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga. Hubinette‘s second podium finish of the season helped increase his Formula D points lead.
Hubinette qualified his NuFormz Racing Mopar Dodge Viper SRT10 fifth [sporting a new fire-red Mopar camo paint scheme], setting up a first round match against Ross Petty. The pair was evenly matched after the first two tandem runs, prompting the crowd to chant “one more time.” And that‘s just what they got, with Hubinette pulling out the win. Then Hubinette knocked off Vaughn Gittin Jr., taking the win after the judges decided Gittin Jr., had made a correction during his run.
In the final four, Hubinette displayed his sportsmanship, allowing a restart after Daijiro Yoshihara‘s hood flipped up during the initial run. In a close battle that saw another “one more time,” Hubinette emerged victorious, advancing to his second final round appearance in only two events, this time against Tanner Foust. Foust, following yet another “one more time,” pulled out the win, spoiling Hubinette‘s bid for his third straight win at the Road Atlanta facility.
“We had two great events here in the last two years, and we had good momentum coming out of Long Beach, so we definitely came out strong,” said Hubinette. “I had a couple of great battles in the early rounds, and then Tanner in the final was just on it. He got the victory, and that‘s great for him. He‘s a good friend.”
Next up is Round 3 of the Formula D Drift Series, scheduled for June 9-10 at Chicago‘s Soldier Field. For more info on Hubinette or the Formula D Drift Series, log on to samuelhubinette.com or formulad.com.
Pro Stockers Look to Discover Key to Success at Columbus
16 May 2006 - - In a 2006 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock season that has dished out more than its fair share of disappointments, the Team Mopar Pro Stock trio of Richie Stevens Jr., Shaun Carlson and Allen Johnson are looking to flip the switch and get their Dodge Stratus R/Ts dialed in as the group heads to Columbus, Ohio, for the Pontiac Performance NHRA Nationals at National Trail Raceway.
J & J Racing's Johnson grabbed his first quarterfinals appearance of the year two weeks ago at Atlanta, and will look to build on that performance at Columbus. The team is getting valuable seat time today in a test session at St. Louis.
The Don Schumacher Racing pair of Richie Stevens Jr., and Shaun Carlson will look to rebound after struggling at Atlanta. Stevens Jr. grabbed a quarterfinals finish at the 2005 Columbus event and has made three quarterfinals appearances in 2006. Carlson, the new kid on the block, will look to get his first round win of the year this weekend.
Fans can watch the Team Mopar Pro Stock trio compete at the Pontiac Performance NHRA Nationals on ESPN2. The channel will have qualifying coverage this Saturday from 10 p.m. to midnight, EST, and finals coverage from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday. For more info on Stevens Jr., Carlson, Johnson or the NHRA, log on to shoeracing.com, allenjohnson.com or nhra.com
PONTIAC PERFORMANCE NATIONALS
Funny car leader brings momentum to event
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Shawn Mitchell
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Ron Capps is on a 300 mph roll, and the NHRA veteran is reluctant to slow down to talk about it.
"It’s not my first rodeo out here. I really don’t like talking about being the points leader so much, because it is such a long season," said the driver who is atop the funny car points standings heading into the Pontiac Performance Nationals this weekend at National Trail Raceway in Kirkersville.
Capps, who has five final-round appearances and three wins through seven events this year, is doing everything he can to avoid a letdown as he pursues what would be his first season points championship.
The Californian’s surge in success began late last season when a strong finish left him a mere eight points behind Gary Scelzi in the final standings, the closest finish in series history. It was Capps’ third second-place points finish since 1998.
It made Capps as determined as he has ever been in his 11-year career. His passion boiled over May 7 in Atlanta, where he got into a pit-area clash with Whit Bazemore, his teammate on the Don Schumacher racing team. The
altercation, in which Capps reportedly punched Bazemore in the mouth, left Bazemore with a split lip and brought Capps a $10,000 fine.
"Boys will be boys," said Scelzi, the third member of Schumacher’s funnycar stable. "They had friction earlier this year, and as wrong as it may be, Baze knows where Capps stands and Capps knows where Baze stands."
The bad blood reportedly began when Bazemore, in his sixth season with Schumacher, saw Capps, in his second year with the team, celebrating after Bazemore lost to John Force in a semifinal April 30 in Bristol, Tenn. Capps said he was enthusiastic about winning lane choice in the final. It escalated in Atlanta, where Bazemore drove his car too close to Capps for comfort in the shutdown area.
"It was very uncharacteristic of Ron and not in his nature," Scelzi said. "Bazemore has been known to get his feathers in a ruffle, and he realized it probably went too far. Baze maybe needs to be a little more conservative in his comments and Capps needs to be a little more lenient about taking them."
Capps, who won three events last year, matched that total with a win at Bristol. Bazemore and Scelzi, meanwhile, have struggled. With 16 events remaining, they are 10 th and 11 th, respectively, in the standings. Both are banking on good showings at National Trail Raceway to put them back in contention, but Capps’ Dodge Stratus so far has been a model of consistency.
Capps leads 13-time champion John Force by 96 points. Robert Hight is third, 216 behind.
"In the off-season, there was no turnaround in team members," said Capps, who won at National Trail Raceway in 2002. "A lot of the championships that Force won, he had a lot of the same guys come back year after year. We’ve got the car consistent, and that’s great for me because of the confidence I have." smitchell@dispatch.com
Dodge Viper Competition Coupes and SRT4s Set to Take on Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
While the stock car world is gathered in Charlotte and the open-wheel world is preparing for the Indy 500, sports car enthusiasts are getting ready for the SPEED World Challenge at Mid-Ohio Presented by Trenton Forging Quality Formed Solutions. Held on “one of the most competitive tracks in the series”, the event promises to deliver fast-paced action in both the SPEED GT and SPEED Touring series.
Dodge Motorsports will be well-represented by a fleet of seven Dodge Vipers in the SWC GT class race. Tommy Archer of Duluth, Minn., driving the No. 5 C3/Autohaus Dodge Viper, will be looking to return to last season’s winning ways while Ohio-native Michael McCann of North Canton, Ohio, in the No. 82 McCann Plastics Dodge Viper looks to widen his narrow series points lead.
The Dodge Vipers started the season strong with a win, four top-10 finishes and seven cars in the top 15 at Sebring International Raceway. St. Petersburg didn’t prove as successful, although Dodge still placed three Vipers in the top 10 and four in the top 15. Bob Woodhouse of Blair, Neb., hot off his career-best third-place performance at Sebring, led the Dodges with a fifth-place finish. At Long Beach, Archer took the pole and he and McCann finished two-three to lead the Dodges in California.
This weekend, the Dodge Vipers will hit the 2.258-mile, 13-turn layout known for its close, competitive races. Among the track's signature turns are the Keyhole, the Esses, Thunder Valley and the Carousel.
In addition to the Dodge Vipers, the Dodge SRT4s will take to the Midwestern road course this weekend for their third race of the season. Led by Brian Smith, in the Woodhouse Auto Family SRT4, Hal Brown in the RFC/Dodge SRT4 and Dan Aweida in the 3R Racing SRT4, the Dodge squad hopes to improve their performance over the first two races of the season and move up in drive and manufacturer points.
The action begins on Friday morning, with the final race concluding on Sunday afternoon. The schedule includes:
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Funny Car Drivers Geared Up for Battle at Bristol
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