CONCORD, N.C. – Numerous upsets Sunday in the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway created a dramatic change in the Mello Yello Drag Racing point standings after just the first of six rounds in the Countdown to the Championship.
Heading into the Countdown, the standings leaders were: Steve Torrence, Top Fuel; Ron Capps, Funny Car; […]
FEATURE STORY, INDYCAR »
Penske Drivers Win Race, Championship At Sonoma
Josef Newgarden celebrates his 2017 IndyCar Series championship with members of his Penske team. (Photos courtesy of INDYCAR)
By John Sturbin/Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Penske Perfection put an almost-predictable wrap on Sunday’s GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma. While Simon Pagenaud won the Verizon IndyCar Series 2017 season-finale, teammate Josef Newgarden finished second to secure the championship for domestic 
open-wheel racing’s most successful organization.
Pagenaud, the 2016 series champion, out-hustled Newgarden to the finish line by 1.0986-seconds to win the 85-lapper in Northern California’s wine country. It was the Frenchman’s 11th career victory and second straight on the 2.385-mile/12-turn permanent road-course. Pagenaud won the event from pole position one year ago to claim his first championship in his second season of competition for team-owner Roger Penske.
A four-time winner this season, Newgarden one-upped Pagenaud Sunday by clinching his first title as a Penske “rookie” and the $1-million champion’s prize. The 26-year-old native of Hendersonville, Tenn., distanced Pagenaud by 13 points in the final standings to become the first American driver to win the championship since Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport in 2012. Read the full story »
CONCORD, N.C. – Numerous upsets Sunday in the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway created a dramatic change in the Mello Yello Drag Racing point standings after just the first of six rounds in the Countdown to the Championship.
Heading into the Countdown, the standings leaders were: Steve Torrence, Top Fuel; Ron Capps, Funny Car; […]
RacinToday.com
Martin Truex Jr. opened the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs survived early race adversity to win Sunday’s race at Chicagoland Speedway.
The victory was his fifth of the season for the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota and second straight at the 1.5-mile Joliet track and, it gives him a berth in the […]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
The list of his Team Penske running mates to have won various Indy car drivers championships is a trivia question that cannot stump Helio Castroneves.
“(Gil) De Ferran, (Sam) Hornish Jr., (Will) Power, (Simon) Pagenaud,” said Castroneves, clicking-off the title-winning names from the solitude of a Team Penske motorhome during a […]
RacinToday.com
Grabbing the lead with a bold move to the inside after a restart on Lap 186 of 200, Justin Allgaier, an Illinois native, captured the victory in Saturday’s TheHouse.com 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season finale at Chicagoland Speedway.
Brendan Gaughan rallied from three laps down to finish 13th on the lead lap and nail down the […]
RacinToday.com
Point-leader Josef Newgarden withstood constant pressure from his nearest Verizon IndyCar Series championship competitors Saturday to set a track record and secure the Verizon P1 Award during qualifying for the season-ending GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma.
Newgarden, of Team Penske, earned his first pole of the season and second of his six-year career with a wide-open […]
RacinToday.com
Courtney Force powered into the Funny Car pole position Saturday as qualifying concluded for the start of NHRA’s “Second Season” at the 10th annual Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway.
Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Tanner Gray (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also secured poles in their respective categories at the first of six playoff […]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – Wind tunnels have been used for decades to perfect the aerodynamics of race cars, but NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle competitor Andrew Hines noted that in his class his body provides the aero package.
“We’re going down the track and we’re trying to do everything we can to stay […]
RacinToday.com
Kyle Busch drove to the pole for Sunday’s plahyoff-opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway on Friday.
The driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing Camry laid down a lap at 28.792-seconds at 187.963 mph to earn the pole.
Teammate Denny Hamlin (186.168 mph) was second in the final round, 0.277 seconds off Busch’s pace.
The pole was […]
RacinToday.com
Johnny Sauter passed regular-season champion Christopher Bell for the lead on Lap 123 of 150 and drove away to win Friday Camping World Truck Series race at Chicagoland Speedway by 2.005 seconds over Chase Briscoe, who passed Bell for second on Lap 136.
Fighting for the final position in the playoffs, Ryan Truex won the first 35-lap stage […]
By John Sturbin | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Championship leader Josef Newgarden paced a pair of practices _ and a Team Penske sweep of the top four positions _ as on-track preparation began Friday for the Verizon IndyCar Series’ season-ending GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma.
Holding a tenuous, three-point lead over Scott Dixon entering the weekend at Sonoma Raceway, […]