Sprint Cars

Sprint and Midgets Featured This Sunday
Sprint and midget car racing will be featured Sunday, Jan. 28, at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN2. The MOPAR PRI Sprint and Midget Classic, held in December at Orlando (Fla.) Speedworld, will be the centerpiece of an hour of short track pavement racing. The telecast will include highlights of 40-lap feature races for both sprint and midget race cars.

Champ Cars

Ford Dumps Champ Car Series
Ford Motor Company announced today that it would no longer serve as an official sponsor of the Champ Car World Series. Ford had participated in Champ Car and its predecessor, CART, since re-entering open-wheel racing in 1992.

“We evaluate all of our racing programs on an annual basis and have decided that this sponsorship does not align with our current business objectives,” said Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology. “Although we are leaving open wheel racing at this time, we’re proud of our long relationship with Champ Car, its teams and drivers, and we wish them well as they try to grow the sport.”

Ford’s withdrawal from Champ Car will not affect the other racing programs the company currently supports, including NASCAR’s three major national touring series, the NHRA PowerAde Drag Racing Series, both the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car and KONI Challenge Series and several series sanctioned by USAC.

And a statement from Champ Car President Steve Johnson: “Today’s decision was made from a business standpoint on both sides and in no way should tarnish the long legacy of success that the Ford Motor Company has established in Champ Car competition. We thank Ford for what it has done for the series, but we are continuing building a bright future for the series and are exploring a number of other options for a manufacturer partner.”

MISC.

Indy 500 Chief Mechanic Danny Oakes Dies
Danny Oakes, a champion midget car driver and chief mechanic for two Indianapolis 500 Rookies of the Year, died Jan. 13. Oakes was 95. Oakes was one of the leading midget car drivers on the West Coast for more than 20 years, with many top finishes at the famed Gilmore Stadium. He also was a participant at the famed Legion Ascot Speedway in Los Angeles in the mid-1930s. Oakes was near the end of his driving career when he won the USAC Pacific Coast Midget title in 1959. When Jim Hurtubise came within an eye-blink of turning the first 150-mph laps at Indianapolis as a rookie in May 1960, Oakes was his chief mechanic. Hurtubise was named Rookie of the Year.

Oakes had a second Rookie of the Year with fourth-placed Johnny White in 1964, while others who drove Oakes-prepared cars in the "500" were Troy Ruttman, Paul Goldsmith, Mike Magill and Bill Cheesbourg. Never able to qualify for the "500" as a driver in attempts from 1952-55, Oakes was bumped from the field in 1954 and made an incomplete attempt in 1952 with a Ferrari which had been turned down by Johnnie Parsons. Oakes was befriended by two-time Formula One World Champion Alberto Ascari, who invited Oakes to stand by as a relief driver at Indy. Ascari's Ferrari was eliminated before a single pit stop could be made. Oakes was passionate about racing to the very end and was still attending races in fairly recent years.

Champ Cars

Champ Cars Add Two Races To Schedule
The Champ Car World Series today announced that it will return to Europe for the first time since 2003 with inaugural races in Holland and Belgium. Events added to the Champ Car World Series calendar will take place September 2 at the TT Circuit in Assen, Holland and September 9 at the Zolder circuit in Belgium. It will be the first time that Champ Car has raced in either of the two European nations. The Assen circuit, long fabled for hosting exciting Grand Prix motorcycle events, underwent major modifications for the 2006 season, resulting in a 4.5-kilometer track that will provide a stern challenge for the Champ Cars. Zolder is a 3.977-kilometer circuit which also underwent safety renovations for the 2006 season, after hosting Formula 1 events in the 1970s and 80s. The track will carry the process a step farther for the 2007 Champ Car visit, making further improvement to ensure a safe and challenging event.

The addition of the two European events brings the number of races on the 2007 Champ Car schedule to 17, marking the most races on a Champ Car calendar since 2003. The last time that the series went to Europe served as the coming-out party for three-time Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais, who took his first series victories by sweeping races in Brands Hatch and EuroSpeedway Lausitz. On the first day of the Dutch event at Assen, Champ Car fans will be able to see the action up-close, as they will have access to all public areas including the paddock. On Saturday and Sunday there are several different grandstand tickets available as well as a ‘general access’ ticket. In addition to these, paddock entry tickets will also be on sale. Special VIP passes will be available for one or more days with guests enjoying full catering, a private terrace and grandstand, VIP parking and more.
Revised 2007 Champ Car Schedule

IRL

XM Satellite Radio Will Sponsor IRL Homestead Race
XM Satellite Radio announced today that it will become sponsor of the XM Satellite Radio Indy 300, the season opener for the IndyCar® Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The XM Satellite Radio Indy 300 will be held on Saturday, March 24 and is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET. Although Homestead-Miami Speedway has kicked off the IndyCar® Series season for six consecutive years, this will be the very first time in the history of open wheel racing that a season opening race will be held at night and the winner crowned under the lights.

“The only thing more spectacular than watching these cars race at more than 200 miles per hour is watching them race at night,” said Homestead-Miami Speedway President Curtis Gray. “South Florida is famous for its fast-paced nightlife, so it was only fitting for the Speedway to host this event under the lights for the first time.”

Some of Indy cars biggest stars will meet again to race side-by-side on the Speedway’s state-of-the-art, 18-20-degree variable banking. Drivers expected to compete include South Florida-residents Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan, 2006 Bombardier Rookie of the Year and grandson of racing legend Mario Andretti, Marco Andretti of Andretti Green Racing, and 2005 Rookie of the Year and fan-favorite Danica Patrick, who will debut with her new team at Andretti Green Racing. 2006 IndyCar Series and Indy 500 champion Sam Hornish, Jr. of Team Penske will reach a new milestone at Homestead-Miami Speedway, as he competes in his 100th IndyCar Series race.

Prior to the XM Satellite Radio Indy 300 on March 24th, the Rolex Sports Car Series Linder Industrial Komatsu Grand Prix of Miami and the Indy Pro Series Miami 100 will take place at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Fans will need just one ticket to take part in the Indy 300, Grand Prix of Miami, and Miami 100, along with concerts, interactive displays, and much more.

The drivers and teams of the IndyCar Series will be at Homestead-Miami Speedway February 20-22 for its annual pre-season open test to prepare for the XM Satellite Radio Indy 300. Tickets for the XM Satellite Radio Indy 300 and other events are now on sale. To purchase tickets or for more information please visit (www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com) and (www.racetickets.com) or call (866) 409-RACE.

Sprint Cars

Stewart Wins Chili Bowl
Two-time NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart added another Golden Driller trophy to his burgeoning collection of winner's hardware as he raced to victory lane in Saturday night's 21st Annual O'Reilly Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 50-lap championship feature event at Tulsa Expo Raceway. With the streets of Tulsa covered by several inches of ice and the entire state of Oklahoma under a declared state of emergency due to icy weather, a surreal setting including nearly 15,000 spectators braved the elements to pack the Tulsa Expo Center and witness the NASCAR star best a record field of 267 entries.

And Indiana's Stewart wasn't the only NASCAR rep on the podium at the end of the Oklahoma Dodge Dealers Championship Saturday slate of 21 feature events, as Arizona native J.J. Yeley, who ranked fifth in NASCAR Busch Series 2006 points claimed the runner-up position followed by tenth-ranked ARCA Re/Max Series driver Justin Allgaier of Illinois in third. After setting the pace the opening nine rounds, Indiana wingless sprint car ace Shane Cottle settled for fourth, with Tulsa-area teen Micro grad Donnie Ray Crawford making the most of his Midget racing debut by rounding out the top five and ranking as the top Chili Bowl rookie.

Capturing his first Golden Driller in 2002, Stewart joined Sammy Swindell, Cory Kruseman and Dan Boorse as the only four multi-time winners of the Chili Bowl Nationals just a year after his 2006 effort was cut short by a wild Qualifying Night flip.

"It was probably a little less dramatic on the track (than the 2002 win) but it was probably three times more dramatic off the track," Stewart explained afterward. "To run one of my own cars and get my first win in one my own cars and most of all get our first win for Chevrolet in our first race since we switched sponsorships, I don't know how much better of a coming out party for a new sponsor you could have than to win the biggest Midget race of the year. To have the weekend that we had for Chevrolet like that, that's what I'm excited about.

"If you came to our shop three weeks ago, we had one car built out of the five that we brought here," Stewart continued. "In a three week period, Steve Smith worked really hard getting five motors ready and to get those four other cars ready and to come here and do what we did I'm really proud of our whole organization and Jay Drake for coming on board and being a Team Manager."

While Stewart gridded the field fifth in the Tony Stewart Motorsports Chevrolet/Bass Pro Shops No. 20 Spike Chassis, it was Friday night's Oklahoma Dodge Dealers Qualifying event feature winner Dave Darland leading the field to the green flag with Thursday's Bass Pro Shops Qualifying event winner Shane Cottle alongside. Cottle gunned into the lead at the drop of Roger Slack's green flag with Darland and Wednesday's Creek Nation Casino Qualifying night winner Davey Ray in tow. The deck was shuffled in the opening rounds though, as Stewart quickly advanced to second by the fifth round when the first caution flew for a turn four tangle involving Wayne Johnson and Casey Shuman.

Also advancing in the opening rounds was Yeley, who moved from seventh to third in front of Darland, sixth-starter Allgaier and Ray. Stewart pressured Cottle on the restart as Yeley and Darland swapped the third spot a pair of times. Stewart moved to the inside of Cottle's Pace Bros. Racing Chevy-powered Pace Self Storage No. 44c Beast entering turn one on the tenth round and after a half-lap of wheel-to-wheel racing, Stewart edged into the lead. It was a lead that Stewart would never relinquish, as he weathered several cautions and ultimately stretched his lead to a half straightaway advantage over the final rounds to snare the Golden Driller.

While Stewart was never seriously challenged once in front, the action taking place right behind him was intense. Darland held second much of the way, as Cottle and a rim-riding Yeley battled side-by-side for third all the while. Yeley ultimately secured third at the midway point and then following a lap 30 caution, disposed of Darland for second with sights set on Stewart. Darland fell to Cottle a lap later with Yeley and Cottle resuming their battle. Darland's fortune would soon sour even more, as he and Crawford got hooked together on the backstretch while battling for position. The pair was broken apart by Darland's Wilke-Pak Racing teammate Jerry Coons, Jr., entering turn three. Darland and Coons were left tangled in the corner, precipitating a caution as Crawford escaped unscathed.

After the race's final caution after 35 laps for Wayne Johnson's turn two tumble, Yeley edged ahead of Cottle for second and ducked to the low side, holding the position to the line aboard Andy Bondio's Barnes-powered Kenny's Components No. 47x entry.

Running the cushion until the final rounds, Yeley explained that, "We just didn't have enough stagger to run the bottom. I knew right from the get-go…I had to do something different . It was really starting to come to me a little bit and the little patch of moisture that was off of turn two went away and I knew that if I didn't get down to the bottom I was gonna get freight-trained." ...MORE...(chilibowl.com)