INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — You have got to love the month of May in Indianapolis! Yesterday was Bump Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and fan favorite John Andretti bumped into the field in the final minutes before the gun was shot off to conclude the day. All of the Ringers' supporting Andretti Green Racing teams were already comfortably in the field for the running of the Centennial Era celebration of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the 500-mile race.
On Saturday night, two of the three Penske Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup teams had to race in the All-Star Showdown to secure a position to start in the million-dollar payout Sprint All-Star Race. Sam Hornish Jr., and his No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge picked up the All-Star Showdown win and that locked them in the field for the specialty race. Hornish's teammate David Stremme finished in the third position of the Showdown, just one spot out of the two transfer positions.
The race consisted of four segments, with the final segment being the run at the million dollar payout. Unfortunately a Roger Penske-owned machine didn't claim the paycheck, but both drivers did finish and complete all 100 laps. Kurt Busch, driving the No. 2 Miller Lite "Taste Protector" specialty paint scheme, brought home a podium finish in third, while Hornish crossed the finish line in the 16th position.
All three Penske teams will return to action this Memorial Day weekend for the longest race on the Sprint Cup circuit, the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Sunday.
The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series visited Thunder Valley and Bristol Dragway in Tennessee over the weekend. Ringers' supporter Mike Edwards collected his second win of 2009, with a defeat over KB Racing's Greg Anderson.
NHRA has a weekend off before heading to Heartland Park Topeka (Kan.) for the O'Reilly Summer Nationals, May 29-31.
The first two rounds of the new Traxxas TORC Series kicked off at The Dirt Track at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday and Saturday. Two Ringers' supporting drivers/teams collected podium finishes in the opening round, while another two landed on the podium in Round 2.
Jeremy McGrath piloted his Johnny Greaves-owned Monster Energy Tundra home to a second-place finish on Friday night in the Pro 2 class. He followed it up with a fifth-place finish on Saturday. Todd Leduc finished behind McGrath in his Team Rockstar Energy/Makita Ford in third on Friday and right ahead of McGrath on Saturday in the fourth position. Scott Taylor brought his Skyjacker Suspensions/Auto Trans Designs/BFGoodrich F-150 to the finish line in sixth on Friday, but on Saturday he picked up his 60th career win in off-road action.
In the Pro 4 class, Scott Douglas drove his AMSOIL Kumho F-150 home in fifth, but followed it up with a podium finish in second place on Saturday. Johnny Greaves scored a podium finish in third on Friday night, but flipped his Monster Energy/Potawatomi Tundra on the front stretch on Saturday night, resulting in a ninth-place finish.
The Traxxas TORC Series heads to California on May 29-30 at Perris Auto Speedway in Perris, Calif., for Rounds 3 and 4.
The American Le Mans Series visited Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City, Ut., on Sunday for the Larry H. Miller Utah Grand Prix. The team of de Ferran Motorsports celebrated their one year anniversary with a win in Utah.
To wrap up this minute this week, Joe Sylvester and his BAD HABIT monster truck wowed crowds in Budds Creek, Md., by winning both freestyle competitions on Saturday and Sunday.
I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of their week! I'm ready for some racing, both IndyCar and USAC, as I will be heading to Carb Day on Friday, then USAC race at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Friday night and the legendary Night Before the 500 at O'Reilly Raceway Park on Saturday. Have a safe Memorial Day weekend!
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