** National Hot Rod Association: Goodyear-equipped cars made it to the finals of 10 out of 12 classes, winning six times, in the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.
Goodyear has an industry-best 40 victories in NHRA national competition in 2003.
In the professional ranks, Larry Dixon regained the lead in the Top Fuel standings by winning the final round, Tony Pedregon gave car owner John Force a birthday present when he won in Funny Car and Warren Johnson earned his 90th victory in Pro Stock.
In the Sportsman classes, Corky Markwart took the trophy in Super Gas, surviving a wild final. Markwart was the top qualifier in the class. In the final round, he registered a perfect reaction time, but was part of a double-breakout. He was the closest to his index and won the race.
Todd Ewing collected his second victory of the season in Super Comp and Tom Rhoda, who won at Atlanta in 1993, won again in Stock Eliminator.
** Rolex Sports Car Series: Hurley Haywood and J.C. France teamed to drive their Daytona Prototype Porsche Fabcar, equipped with Goodyear tires, to victory in the AJ’s Fine Foods 250 at Phoenix International Raceway.
It was the second straight victory for the duo. They averaged 82.700 mph around the tight 1.51-mile Phoenix layout. The racecourse includes portions of the famed Phoenix oval track and twists through the oval’s infield.
Tommy Riggins and Dave Machavern, driving a Goodyear-shod Mustang, won the GTS class and finished fourth overall. David Donohue and Mike Borkowski co-drove their Goodyear-outfitted Porsche Fabcar to second place in the Daytona Prototype class and fifth-place overall.
Cort Wagner and Brent Martini, driving a Ferrari 360 GT, won the GT class and finished second overall. They were 28.579 seconds behind the winners.
** USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series: Eric Corbett captured the Simonson Builders and Simonson Excavation 250 on Mansfield Motorsports Speedway’s high-banked, half-mile oval in Mansfield, Ohio.
Brian Ross finished second, 1.699 seconds behind the winner. Jeff Agnew was third, followed by Joel Kauffman and Forrest Urban.
Ross won the Advance Auto Parts Pole Award.
** UARA-STARS: Jaime Caudill started on the pole, led every lap and won the National Dodge 150 at Coastal Plains Raceway in Coastal Plains, NC.
Not bad for a driver in his first series start.
Caudill is the third winner in three races this season. The race was scheduled for 150 laps but was shortened to 143 circuits around the 4/10-mile tri-oval due to rain.
Kirk Leone finished second. Bud Kenny, Mark King and Stephen Gahagan rounded out the top five.
** Sprints On Dirt: Ben Rutan won on Hartford Speedway Park’s half-mile, high-banked clay oval in Hartford Michigan.
Jason Blonde finished second, followed by Dain Naida, Dustin Daggett and Mark Stemen.
Daggett won the Goodyear Tire Heat Race.
