Mike Harris, Senior Writer
Mike Harris has covered sports with a heavy concentration on motor sports for 43 years, including the past 40 with The Associated Press. After growing up in Madison, Wis., Harris graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Jan. 1967 and began his full-time journalism career later that year with The Rockford (Ill.) Morning Star and Register-Republic. After 18 months covering a variety of news and sports for the Rockford paper, Harris took a job as a newsman with AP in Chicago. After a brief apprenticeship on the news desk in Chicago, Harris spent five years as Indiana Sports Editor, five years as a sports writer in the Cleveland bureau and became the AP’s Motorsports Writer in January, 1980. Over the next 30 years, he covered every aspect of motorsports, as well as reporting from the LA and Seoul Olympics and the 1980 Super Bowl. Last May’s Indianapolis 500 was the 40th of his career. Along the way, Harris twice won the Frank Blunk Award, as well as the Henry McLemore Award and the Ray Marquette Award, among others. His coverage of the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001 was honored as AP’s Story of the Year. After retiring from AP in July 2009, Harris decided to continue his career writing for RacinToday.com. He lives in Wake Forest, N.C., with Judy, his wife of 41 years. They have two grown children, Tory Harris and Lanni Isenberg.
Articles by Mike Harris
By Mike Harris | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
LOUDON, N.H. – The first IndyCar race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 12 years could also be the last.
Race winner Ryan Hunter-Reay hopes that is not the case.
“This is a very challenging and fun racetrack and I hope we come back here for many years to come,’’ he said [...]
By Mike Harris | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
LOUDON, N.H. – Tempers flared and sparks flew Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway as Ryan Hunter-Reay was declared the winner of a wild IZOD IndyCar Series race cut short by a wet track and a controversial restart.
A misty rain, like the one which had caused a stretch of 33 [...]
LOUDON, N.H. – IZOD IndyCar Series boss Randy Bernard has confirmed the rampant rumor that aero kits for the new race car that will be introduced in 2012 have been delayed until 2013.
“The ICONIC Committee 16 months ago made a commitment to have an aero kit as part of the new car for 2012 and [...]
By Mike Harris | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
LOUDON, NH – Helio Castroneves qualified ninth Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and appeared to be thrilled by the performance.
After jumping out of his Team Penske car, Castroneves, who is also ninth in the season points, pulled off his helmet, pointed to the scoreboard and smiled broadly.
At that moment, [...]
By Mike Harris | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
LOUDON, NH – Dario Franchitti won his second pole of the season Saturday, taking the top qualifying spot for MoveThatBlock.com Indy 225, the first IZOD IndyCar Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway since 1998.
But the star of the show at Loudon so far this week as definitely been the [...]
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Tony Kanaan vividly recalls the excitement of fellow Brazilian and then-teammate Andre Ribeiro after he took the checkered flag in 1995 at the last CART race at what was then New Hampshire International Speedway.
That was a year before Kanaan came to the U.S. to race, but he enjoyed the aftermath of what [...]
By Mike Harris | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
A lot has been made of Kyle Busch’s 100th win, both pro and con.
The number, by itself, is certainly impressive. But, yes, it is more than a little silly to start comparing KyBu, as he has become known in the media, to longtime NASCAR stars like Richard Petty or David [...]
By Mike Harris | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Loudon, NH – Jimmie Johnson spent a lot of time near the back of the pack Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Somehow, though, the magic touch demonstrated so often by the five-time reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champion returned just in time and Johnson came up with a fifth-place finish in [...]
By Mike Harris | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Loudon, NH – Finishing second never felt so good to Tony Stewart.
The two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion and owner-driver followed teammate and employee Ryan Newman across the finish line in Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the Stewart Haas Racing duo finishing exactly the way they [...]
Loudon, NH – Mark Martin congratulated Kyle Busch after the younger driver matched his record of 49 career NASCAR Nationwide Series victories Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Then he smiled and, speaking into a microphone that carried his words to the crowd at the track and to those watching the ESPN telecast, said, “And don’t [...]