Robby Gordon and Toyo Tires Charge to Second Overall in Stage 8 of the Dakar
Robby Gordon launched an all-out attack on last weekend’s Stage 8 of the
Dakar rally. Gordon surged forward with his #303 SPEED Energy/Toyo
Tires HUMMER to finish second place in the stage, moving him to second
overall in the 14-stage rally. The route traveled 477km northward from
Copiapó, Chile to the town of Antofagasta on the Pacific Ocean. Gordon
is now easily within striking distance of the overall lead of the Dakar.
NEWS NUGGETS
TRAXXAS TO SPONSOR COURTNEY FORCE’S 2012 FUNNY CAR DEBUT: John Force Racing (JFR) announced Tuesday that the youngest daughter of the Funny Car legend will be competing in the 7,000hp category alongside her JFR teammates, including father John, brother-in-law Robert and mentor Mike Neff. The 23-year-old followed in her sister Ashley Force Hood’s footsteps working her way up through the ranks by racing Super Comp and Top Alcohol dragster before she began testing her nitro-burning Ford Mustang in 2011. Already a skilled interviewee, reality TV star, spokesperson for Ford Motor Company’s Driving Skills for Life program, national marketing contest winner and fan favorite, Courtney will make her professional driving debut February 9–12 in the 52nd annual Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, California.
TRAXXAS TO SPONSOR COURTNEY FORCE’S 2012 FUNNY CAR DEBUT: John Force Racing (JFR) announced Tuesday that the youngest daughter of the Funny Car legend will be competing in the 7,000hp category alongside her JFR teammates, including father John, brother-in-law Robert and mentor Mike Neff. The 23-year-old followed in her sister Ashley Force Hood’s footsteps working her way up through the ranks by racing Super Comp and Top Alcohol dragster before she began testing her nitro-burning Ford Mustang in 2011. Already a skilled interviewee, reality TV star, spokesperson for Ford Motor Company’s Driving Skills for Life program, national marketing contest winner and fan favorite, Courtney will make her professional driving debut February 9–12 in the 52nd annual Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, California.
NEWS NUGGETS
GEICO RENEWS WITH MORGAN LUCAS RACING THROUGH 2014: Insurance giant GEICO has renewed its agreement with Morgan Lucas Racing and NHRA Top Fuel driver Morgan Lucas for three more years. GEICO joined Lucas’ drag racing team in 2009—a career-best season for Lucas that included three victories and a berth in the Countdown to the Championship. The former Sportsman star has become a fixture in the elite top 10 ever since, representing GEICO at more than 20 NHRA Full Throttle national events each year.
GEICO RENEWS WITH MORGAN LUCAS RACING THROUGH 2014: Insurance giant GEICO has renewed its agreement with Morgan Lucas Racing and NHRA Top Fuel driver Morgan Lucas for three more years. GEICO joined Lucas’ drag racing team in 2009—a career-best season for Lucas that included three victories and a berth in the Countdown to the Championship. The former Sportsman star has become a fixture in the elite top 10 ever since, representing GEICO at more than 20 NHRA Full Throttle national events each year.
NMRA Announces New Strange Engineering Coyote Stock Class Presented by 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords Magazine
ProMedia, parent company of the NMRA Ford Nationals all-Ford series, has announced a new heads-up drag-racing class for the 2012 NMRA Keystone Automotive Ford Nationals season. Strange Engineering Coyote Stock Presented by 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords magazine will be a spec-engine class, utilizing a sealed version of Ford’s newest powerplant—the 5.0L DOHC “Coyote” motor (carrying the unique part number M-6007-M50S) and utilize a spec, sealed processor (CM-12A650-A5LA). The class will be open to all Ford vehicles, ’54 model-year and newer, and each competitor will be required to weigh-in at the same 3,200 lbs. Competitors will compete on a true 10.5-in. tire and have a choice of a wide variety of Ford OE and TREMEC manual transmissions utilizing a single-disc diaphragm clutch, or the venerable C4 automatic transmission.
ProMedia, parent company of the NMRA Ford Nationals all-Ford series, has announced a new heads-up drag-racing class for the 2012 NMRA Keystone Automotive Ford Nationals season. Strange Engineering Coyote Stock Presented by 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords magazine will be a spec-engine class, utilizing a sealed version of Ford’s newest powerplant—the 5.0L DOHC “Coyote” motor (carrying the unique part number M-6007-M50S) and utilize a spec, sealed processor (CM-12A650-A5LA). The class will be open to all Ford vehicles, ’54 model-year and newer, and each competitor will be required to weigh-in at the same 3,200 lbs. Competitors will compete on a true 10.5-in. tire and have a choice of a wide variety of Ford OE and TREMEC manual transmissions utilizing a single-disc diaphragm clutch, or the venerable C4 automatic transmission.
Courtney Force Recognized by ESPN The Magazine "NEXT" Athlete
Every year since 1998, ESPN The Magazine has recognized an elite group of emerging athletes to watch in the year ahead—athletes they call "NEXT." They are competitors not only on the cusp of stardom, but also on the verge of transcending their sports. NEXT is what happens when the hype is real. This year, John Force Racing driver Courtney Force is in the motorsports group going head to head with Darrell Wallace Jr. (NASCAR), Chase Elliot (NASCAR), Ryan Truex (NASCAR) and Josef Newgarden (Indy Car) as the NEXT big driver in motorsports.
Every year since 1998, ESPN The Magazine has recognized an elite group of emerging athletes to watch in the year ahead—athletes they call "NEXT." They are competitors not only on the cusp of stardom, but also on the verge of transcending their sports. NEXT is what happens when the hype is real. This year, John Force Racing driver Courtney Force is in the motorsports group going head to head with Darrell Wallace Jr. (NASCAR), Chase Elliot (NASCAR), Ryan Truex (NASCAR) and Josef Newgarden (Indy Car) as the NEXT big driver in motorsports.
NEWS NUGGETS
NHRA CHAMPS WORSHAM AND HAGAN NAMED AARWBA ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM SELECTIONS: The American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) has announced its 2011 All-America Team and Top Fuel champ Del Worsham and Funny Car champ Matt Hagan have earned First Team honors in the Drag Racing category. Each year, members of AARWBA select a special team of drivers who represent the broad spectrum of professional motorsports. AARWBA then brings them all together at a gala dinner gathering where each is presented with the organization's coveted "Horsepower" trophy, which symbolizes top performance in each category. It is the first time that Worsham and Hagan have been AARWBA First Team All-America selections. Both will be among the candidates for the Jerry Titus Award, which recognizes AARWBA’s driver of the year. The Titus Award winner will be revealed during the All-America team banquet, Sunday evening, January 8, in the Grand Hall at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Indianapolis. AARWBA also recognized NHRA Top Fuel driver Antron Brown and NHRA Pro Stock world champ Jason Line with second-team honors, and Top Alcohol Funny Car champion Frank Manzo was honored with a second-team honor in the At Large category.
NHRA CHAMPS WORSHAM AND HAGAN NAMED AARWBA ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM SELECTIONS: The American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) has announced its 2011 All-America Team and Top Fuel champ Del Worsham and Funny Car champ Matt Hagan have earned First Team honors in the Drag Racing category. Each year, members of AARWBA select a special team of drivers who represent the broad spectrum of professional motorsports. AARWBA then brings them all together at a gala dinner gathering where each is presented with the organization's coveted "Horsepower" trophy, which symbolizes top performance in each category. It is the first time that Worsham and Hagan have been AARWBA First Team All-America selections. Both will be among the candidates for the Jerry Titus Award, which recognizes AARWBA’s driver of the year. The Titus Award winner will be revealed during the All-America team banquet, Sunday evening, January 8, in the Grand Hall at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Indianapolis. AARWBA also recognized NHRA Top Fuel driver Antron Brown and NHRA Pro Stock world champ Jason Line with second-team honors, and Top Alcohol Funny Car champion Frank Manzo was honored with a second-team honor in the At Large category.
NEWS NUGGETS
TICKETS ON SALE FOR 2012 O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA WINTERNATIONALS: Tickets for the 52nd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries—the season-opening event of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, February 9–12—are available for purchase. NHRA’s tradition-rich season-opening event will be contested at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, California, and will be every NHRA fan’s first opportunity to see all of the new cars and new paint schemes and meet all of the drivers who will be racing at speeds of more than 320 mph in an attempt to add their names to the record books as O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals champions. A win at this event can mean great momentum for every driver on the circuit in the chase for NHRA Full Throttle world-championship glory during the 23-event season that crisscrosses the United States. To purchase tickets for the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRATIX.com.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR 2012 O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA WINTERNATIONALS: Tickets for the 52nd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries—the season-opening event of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, February 9–12—are available for purchase. NHRA’s tradition-rich season-opening event will be contested at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, California, and will be every NHRA fan’s first opportunity to see all of the new cars and new paint schemes and meet all of the drivers who will be racing at speeds of more than 320 mph in an attempt to add their names to the record books as O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals champions. A win at this event can mean great momentum for every driver on the circuit in the chase for NHRA Full Throttle world-championship glory during the 23-event season that crisscrosses the United States. To purchase tickets for the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRATIX.com.
Mopar V-10 Competition Off-Road Race Engine Wins Baja 1000 Class 8 Debut
Mopar introduced the new 800hp V-10 Competition Race Engine for drag racing at the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, November 1, and less than three weeks later, the off-road racing derivative of the crate engine made its debut in the 44th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, powering Kent Kroeker and Alan Roach to the Class 8 win in the famed event.
Mopar introduced the new 800hp V-10 Competition Race Engine for drag racing at the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, November 1, and less than three weeks later, the off-road racing derivative of the crate engine made its debut in the 44th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, powering Kent Kroeker and Alan Roach to the Class 8 win in the famed event.
Tony Stewart Captures NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship, Extends MOOG Winning Streak to 46 Years
It took a tiebreaker to decide it, but Tony Stewart's come-from-behind victory in Sunday's Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami (Florida) Speedway gave the 40-year-old driver his third NASCAR Sprint Cup title and extended the MOOG steering and suspension brand's Cup Series championship streak to 46 years.
It took a tiebreaker to decide it, but Tony Stewart's come-from-behind victory in Sunday's Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami (Florida) Speedway gave the 40-year-old driver his third NASCAR Sprint Cup title and extended the MOOG steering and suspension brand's Cup Series championship streak to 46 years.
TEAM SUMMIT VISITS TROOPS IN GERMANY: For the second consecutive
year, 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock world champion Jason Line,
joined by 2010 world champion Greg Anderson, Pro Mod driver Rickie
Jones, and driver of the legendary Bigfoot monster truck, Dan Runte,
visited troops this week stationed at the Ramstein Air Force Base in
Germany. The group met with soldiers, visited with staff at the Landstuhl
Regional Medical Center and signed autographs. The drivers will head to another facility in Spangdahlem,
Germany, to visit with more troops stationed abroad. For more
information, visit www.NHRA.com.