Featured | Karnac Racing News

August Assault

Jim Rouse, BRP Media (8-4-12) Ocala, FL – The Twisted Tea Top Gun Sprint Cars, Hobby Stocks, 1-800-ASK GARY Thunder Stocks, and the Rent-N-Roll Gladiators fought on the 1/3-mile clay oval with everything on the line while RaceCar Engineering Late Models put on a spectacular non-points event.

Hobby Stocks were first up and pole sitter Mike Stalnaker held on to lead lap 1. “The Master” had company as Eric Moon and “Ragin” Rodney Wright were eating up his rear bumper. Chris Doane would spin for the 2^nd time on lap 4 with Stalnaker leading Wright and Moon. Rodney Wright led lap 7 and would complete the pass in turn 1 as Tim Gay took a shot at “The Master.” On lap 9 Rebecca Paugh found the backstretch wall right in front of the leaders which would set up a restart of the cars numbered 99-90-9-19 (Wright, Gay, Stalnaker, and Brian Shea). (more…)

By Scott|2012-08-06T15:10:54-04:00August 6th, 2012|Bubba Raceway Park, Featured, Front Page News, Race Results|Comments Off

Johnny VanDoorn Extends Massive Points Lead With Third ARCA/CRA Super Series Win Of 2012

Birch Run, Michigan (Friday, August 3rd, 2012): Two-Time ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion and Current Points Leader, Johnny VanDoorn knows that to win a third series title and join CRA legend Scott Hantz as the only other Three-Time Champion in the series’ 16-year history, VanDoorn has to do well in the races in his home state of Michigan and accumulate those important points heading down the homestretch of 2012.

The Coopersville, Michigan left no doubt that he is on a mission to win that coveted third series championship as he swept the entire program at the fast 4/10s (0.400) mile progressively banked paved oval of Dixie Motor Speedway, located south of Saginaw in Birch Run. Michigan on Friday, August 3rd. The 24-year-old swept both Practice Sessions, won his second EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier Award of the year. (more…)

By Scott|2012-08-06T14:08:13-04:00August 6th, 2012|CRA Racing Series, Featured, Front Page News, Race Results|Comments Off

Sharrone Sweeps the Floral City Animal Clinic 50 at Citrus County Speedway

16 Mini Stocks started the night of hot racing action started with time trial qualifying for the Floral City Animal Clinic 50 lap feature for the Mini Stocks. After each driver took their shot at the time clock, Jeremy Sharrone (32) showed he knew the fast way around, taking top qualifier honors with a fast lap of 16.06 seconds. Jeff Eberly (01) would be your second fast qualifier with a lap of 16.18 seconds, and Ashlee Williamson 3^rd with a 16.33 second lap. Once qualifying was over, the drivers starting positions were in the hands of the fans, the starting field invert would be up to the fans. To no ones surprise, the fans wanted a full field invert, leaving your fast qualifier starting in the very last row. Jeff Eisenhauer (73) would benefit from the inversion and start on the pole position alongside Matthew Jenkins (10), who was making his first start of 2012. Eisenhauer would jump out to the early lead, but 3^rd starter Shawn Jenkins (43) would make his way to the top spot by lap 3. The first caution flew at lap 16 for the stalled car of Matthew Jenkins, and reset the field for a restart. (more…)

By Scott|2012-08-06T13:57:51-04:00August 6th, 2012|Citrus County Speedway, Featured, Front Page News, Race Results|Comments Off

Sunshine Speedway Is Back. It’s now Showtime!

By John Berti, Contributing writer to Karnac.com

I am very happy to report that Sunshine Speedway is back. It is now showtime: Showtime Speedway. The fans are back in droves, a beginning nucleus of drivers, many of whom raced at the track before it closed on November 20, 2004, are back in some cases with the very same cars they raced back then.

The man behind the successful reincarnation of the Pinellas Park, FL speed plant is Robert Yoho a local businessman and a long time racer himself. He has leased the track from the state, put up grandstands, and refurbished everything to bring the track back to life.

It is really something to watch Yoho in action on race day. He is so focused on putting on a great show for the fans and keeping the drivers who come to make that show happen happy. You easily sense his passion. (more…)

By Scott|2012-08-06T13:46:55-04:00August 6th, 2012|Featured, Front Page News, Racing News, Showtime Speedway|Comments Off

Heckenast & Lanigan Earn Front-Row Starting Spots In USA Nationals 100 On Friday Night At Cedar Lake Speedway

Both Drivers Pass Up Opportunity To Start From Rear And Chase $25,000 Bonus For Winning Saturday’s Main Event

NEW RICHMOND, WI – Aug. 3, 2012 – Frankie Heckenast Jr. of Orland Park, Ill., and Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., earned front-row starting spots in the 25 ^th annual USA Nationals with their performances on Friday night at Cedar Lake Speedway.

Even the possibility of racing for another $25,000 to win Saturday evening’s 100-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series A-Main wasn’t enough to shake them from their prime positions.

After Heckenast won Friday night’s 15-lap dash and Lanigan finished second to put them at the head of Saturday’s USA Nationals field, both drivers were given the opportunity to forfeit their spots and start from the last row as part of the ‘Tail-Start Challenge’ in celebration of the event’s 25 ^thanniversary. Accepting the challenge would make them eligible to claim a $25G bonus – on top of the race’s already huge $50,000 first-place prize – if they could drive through the pack to win. (more…)

By Scott|2012-08-04T18:18:16-04:00August 4th, 2012|Featured, Front Page News, Late Models|Comments Off

Wolfe’s Wait is Over after World of Outlaws Win in Bloomington

He leads the final 22 laps and survives a green-white-checkered finish

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Aug. 3, 2012 – It’s finally over. There were hugs and high fives, smiles and tears, greeting a subdued Lucas Wolfe in Victory Lane on a muggy Friday evening at Bloomington Speedway. Wolfe led the final 22 laps to claim his first career World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series feature victory.

“I’m not very loud of any kind; I stay pretty even,” he said. “Obviously I’m usually this way on a terrible night and on the best of nights I stay pretty calm, but I’ll be pretty happy. I might do a bit of screaming in the helmet, but I’ll try to keep it pretty cool for right now.”

After many near wins during the last five seasons as an Outlaws driver and overcoming a gamut of mechanical woes this year, Wolfe had arguably the best car in Friday’s main event. He charged from his seventh starting position to the top three within the first 10 laps and took the lead before the midpoint. However, it wasn’t without drama. (more…)

By Scott|2012-08-04T17:15:44-04:00August 4th, 2012|Featured, Front Page News, Race Results, Sprint Cars|Comments Off

Cory Joyce Racing Gets Ready for Concord Speedway

Just past the halfway point in the UARA-STARS season, rookie of the year contender Cory Joyce will travel to Concord Speedway this weekend with the No. 20 Ultimate Turf Chevy team for the second of three races in as many weeks. Looking to bounce back from a blown tire last weekend, Joyce and his team made an engine swap this week back to a built motor to prepare for the City Chevrolet 150. Coupled with Joyce’s past racing experiences at the 1/2 mile oval, the Ultimate Turf Chevy team is prepped for a strong run and a finish to show for it on Saturday.

“It was really unfortunate to have a cut tire last week because we had our Ultimate Turf Chevy handling pretty well. But this week we made an engine swap back to a built motor, so I’m really excited for that. Hopefully the new motor will give us the power we need to get to the front,” Joyce explained. (more…)

By Scott|2012-08-04T00:32:14-04:00August 4th, 2012|Featured, Front Page News, Racing News, UARA-STARS|Comments Off

Chad Simpson Ready To Defend Home State In Independence Motor Speedway’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series Event On Monday (Aug. 6)

Iowa Star Seeks First-Ever Victory On National Tour At Track Just A Half-Hour Drive From His Home

INDEPENDENCE, IA – Aug. 3, 2012 – Chad Simpson flirted with a World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory last year. He’d love to finish the job when the national tour makes a second annual visit on Monday night (Aug. 6) to Independence Motor Speedway.

While Simpson, 33, has never competed regularly at Independence, the three-eighths-mile oval is just over a 30-minute drive from his home in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. That location gives him even more incentive to pull off a triumph that would rank as one of the biggest of his already impressive eight-year career in the dirt Late Model division.

“It would mean so much if we could get our first World of Outlaws win at a track close to home like Independence,” said Simpson, who has made less than a dozen starts at the central Iowa track. “It seems these days that open (motor) Late Model racing is getting farther and farther away from Iowa. We just don’t get a chance to run many big (open) shows in our own state anymore, so anytime we can run an Outlaw show a half-hour from our house, it’s a big deal. (more…)

By Scott|2012-08-03T23:17:42-04:00August 3rd, 2012|Featured, Front Page News, Late Models, World of Outlaws|Comments Off

Excitement Stirs for NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week XLI

Only Two Months until the Biggest Week in DIRTcar Racing Begins

WEEDSPORT, N. Y. – August 3, 2012 – With just two months until NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week XLI, DIRTcar frenzy is hitting the Northeast as drivers and fans alike make preparations for the biggest annual Modified event in the country and recipient of the 2011 National Speedway Directory Outstanding Short Track Event Award.

Some follow the DIRTcar series – the Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds, 358-Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds and Pro Stocks – or the World of Outlaws Late Models and Sprint Car Series, all of which stop in Central New York for Super DIRT Week. Many fans have reserved their camping spots, nearly selling out available reserved camping at the New York State Fairgrounds.

Maybe some, like Sportsman driver Matt Guererri, still sport last year’s Super DIRT Week hot pass wristband in hopes of adding a second to the collection. (more…)

By Scott|2012-08-03T23:07:46-04:00August 3rd, 2012|Featured, Front Page News, Super DirtCar Series|Comments Off

Merrell Competing for First Time Since Last July

(LONG POND, Pa. – August 2, 2012) – For the first time in over a year, Matt Merrell will return to the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, reuniting with Win-Tron Racing for Saturday’s Pennsylvania ARCA 125 at Pocono Raceway.

Even though the reunion is long overdue, the history between the Portland, Texas native and the Lakeville, Minn.-based team extends back many years and includes competition in the CARS Pro Cup Series (formerly known as the USARacing Pro Cup Series). It was last July, though, that the team made magic after Merrell made a late-race charge at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway to net his first career ARCA Racing Series win after starting third.

Set to roll into the emotions of returning to the ARCA tour, the Texan is eager to prove that despite his lack of presence on the track, he hasn’t forgotten how to wheel the No. 32 Win-Tron Racing Toyota Camry. In fact, before his impressive win in the Great Lakes State, the 2.5-mile triangle was one of Merrell’s sweet stops on the tour, as he’s never finished outside the top-10 in his three previous starts. (more…)

By Scott|2012-08-03T00:40:32-04:00August 3rd, 2012|Featured, Front Page News, Racing News|Comments Off