Viva Las Schatz: Three-Time Defending Champion Wins World of Outlaws Return to Las Vegas
February 27, 2009
Las Vegas, NV— February 26, 2009—For Donny Schatz, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has always been a special place. He won the final World of Outlaws race of the millennium at the half-mile in 1999 and also was victorious in the series last visit to the track in 2006 when he capped his first series title with a victory. The three-time and defending series champion continued to add to his impressive resume at the track on Thursday night, picking up the win in the World of Outlaws return to Las Vegas before a packed grandstand. Listen Now
NASCAR Las Vegas Entry List
February 25, 2009
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Shelby “427″
Car# Driver Manu Sponsor Owner
1 00 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron’s Dream Machine Michael Waltrip
2 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevy Bass Pro Shops Teresa Earnhardt
3 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite Walter Czarnecki
4 5 Mark Martin Chevy Pop Tarts / Carquest Mary Hendrick
5 6 David Ragan Ford UPS Mike Dee
6 7 Robby Gordon Toyota Jim Beam Robby Gordon
7 07 Casey Mears Chevy Jack Daniel’s Richard Childress
8 8 Aric Almirola Chevy Tom Tom Chip Ganassi
9 09 Sterling Marlin Chevy Miccosukee Resort & Gaming James Finch
10 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser George Gillett, Jr
Stewart-Haas Race News
February 25, 2009
It’s still early in the new season, but Tony Stewart is doing really well so far with his new venture of ownership of Stewart-Haas Racing.
More than anything, his success shows how adaptable he is. It just reinforces that Tony can drive anything, anytime and anywhere. Whether it’s for his own team, for Kevin Harvick or for Rick Hendrick, Tony will take it to the front.
I think you are starting to see the initial results from the way Tony built his organization. I think Tony has to be really pleased because I think the results are meeting his expectations even this early in the season. But we really shouldn’t be that surprised because we are talking about a two-time NASCAR champion who can drive anything, anytime. Listen Now
Capps wins second straight Funny Car race
February 25, 2009
CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP) — Ron Capps raced to his second consecutive Funny Car victory of the season Sunday at the Lucas Oil Slick Mist NHRA Nationals at Firebird International Raceway.
Capps took a single pass to claim his 27th career victory after final round opponent Mike Neff’s Ford Mustang broke on the burnout. Capps powered his Dodge Charger to 4.048 seconds at 306.81 miles per hour to win for the second time at the Phoenix track.
“Neff was having one of those weekends going where they looked like they couldn’t be beat,” Capps said. “They had (crew chief) John Medlen in the hospital, and we’re all glad to hear that he’s OK. It was one of those stories that you almost hate to upset.” Listen Now
DuPont Slashes NASCAR Tab
February 25, 2009
DuPont, long recognized as the leader in hospitality among NASCAR sponsors, is drastically reducing its program this year as part of its companywide cost cutting. Instead of entertaining the 17,000 guests it had at 37 races last year, DuPont will buy hospitality packages at just six races this season and will host fewer than 2,000 guests. “The economy has had a huge impact on us,” said Larry Deas, DuPont’s motorsports manager. “The current environment along with the high cost of hospitality have forced us to make significant cuts.” Listen Now
Rolling the dice: Saldana chases first win in Las Vegas
February 25, 2009
Las Vegas, NV— February 25, 2009—Joey Saldana doesn’t get to race in front of his car owner Kasey Kahne very often, but when he does get the opportunity, it is something that he greatly enjoys. Though the NASCAR star is competing on most of the same days as Saldana, he is able to keep up with all of the action from the World of Outlaws online via DIRTvision.com. For the second consecutive event to open the 2009 season, Kahne will be in the pits as Saldana takes to the track on Thursday, February 26 for the series return to The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“It’s neat going there just like at Volusia (Speedway Park in Florida), because you have your NASCAR Cup fans and you also have Kasey (Kahne) and Tony (Stewart) getting to see their cars race and they don’t get to do that very often,” shared Saldana. “For us to run Vegas is huge especially to have Kasey be a part of it.”
Saldana has 22 Top-10 finishes in his career at Las Vegas, including in each of the four events in 2006, the last year that the series visited the half-mile. The second generation driver has finished second at the track three times in his career as he looks to pick up his first win there. Listen Now
Next Up Las Vegas Baby!!!!
February 23, 2009
NASCAR’s early-season West Coast swing continues this week as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series visit Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The NASCAR Nationwide series races Saturday, with the Sam’s Town 300; the NASCAR Spring Cup Series follows Sunday with the Shelby 427. Meanwhile, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is off this week.
Following are some pertinent storylines for this third week of the 2009 season. Listen Now
King Kyle Wins Truck and Nationwide Races
February 23, 2009
FONTANA, Calif. — Déjà vu.
Hours after winning a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in a runaway, Kyle Busch staged a repeat performance in Saturday night’s Stater Bros. 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Auto Club Speedway.
In claiming the 22nd Nationwide Series victory of his career, Busch became the first driver ever to win two races in any of NASCAR’s top three series on the same day. Busch had come close once before, finishing second to Jamie McMurray by .005 seconds in a July 7, 2007 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona after winning a rain-delayed Nationwide race earlier in the day. Listen Now
Two for Two Kenseth Perfect This Season
February 23, 2009
FONTANA, Calif.—Matt Kenseth is making up for lost time—with a lot of help from his friends on pit road.
Winless in 2008, Kenseth backed up his victory in the season-opening Daytona 500 by holding off Jeff Gordon in Sunday’s Auto Club 500 Sprint Cup race at Auto Club Speedway.
With a lightning-fast pit stop, Kenseth’s crew made sure his No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford was first off pit road for a restart on Lap 216, after Kevin Harvick slammed the Turn 1 wall to cause the fifth and final caution of the 250-lap race. Listen Now
Countdown to the World of Outlaws Return to Las Vegas: 5 Days
February 21, 2009
Concord, NC— February 21, 2009—The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series returns to The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Thursday, February 26. The series has competed at the half-mile in 11 different seasons dating back to 1996. For 11 consecutive days the events from each of those years will be highlighted in chronological order, continuing today with the series five races at the half-mile in 2002.
Johnny Herrera picked up his first win in Las Vegas taking the top spot in the preliminary feature to open the Silver State Shootout on February 28. Herrera was running third when leader Craig Dollansky and runner-up Danny Lasoski collided with each other. Sammy Swindell, the three-time series champion, finished second, with 20-time series champion Steve Kinser fourth, Jac Haudenschild fifth and Joey Saldana sixth. Other current World of Outlaws drivers that competed in the event included: Jason Meyers and Donny Schatz. Listen Now
