Teeing off with Speedway Children's Charities

Rachel Commeford

It’s hard to believe that we are halfway through 2010.  It seems like just yesterday we were gearing up for NASCAR Weekend in February. 

 Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial kick-off to summer, has passed and Speedway Children’s Charities is full swing into the summer fundraising season.

Make a difference in the life of a child by joining us for a day of golf Monday, June 14 at the beautiful Canyon Gate Country Club. Play 18 holes of golf, participate in contests, enjoy a continental breakfast, BBQ lunch, drawing for great prizes, and a golf ball drop.  Registration begins at 7 a.m. with a shotgun start at 8 a.m.

Download a registration form at www.speedwaycharities.org or call Rachel Commeford at (702) 632-8242. 

See you on the links!

Back in the Bullring flagstand

Alicia Osborn

Hey there race fans!

It seemed like forever since I had been in the Bullring flagstand (even though it was really only a couple of weeks), but wow...what a great night!  The racing was great and the crowd was great too!  It was awesome to see all the close door-to-door action! 

During the introductions for the SRL Series racers, I was able to take a photo of the really cool pace car that they had. I am a Camero girl! I drove one when I was in high school, but I will say I am a fan of the older-style Cameros.  This one is pretty cool, but the style they had before this one was not my favorite!  I was definitely tired with all the racing that went on, but I hope that you, the fans, enjoyed every lap! 

I am really looking forward to next week's promotion: "Date Night at the Bullring."  It will be fun!  I can't wait to see how many people show up. Ladies: it's only $3 dollars to get in! What a crazy price! 

Hope that everyone is doing well.  If you are looking for some type of racing action this weekend, come on over to The Strip and watch two days of junior dragster racing. Time trials and qualifying rounds begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. 

That's it for now - see you at the races!

Evening of Honor

Rachel Commeford

The Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities held its fifth annual Mel Larson Night of Champions dinner gala at Rain in the Palms Resort Casino Wednesday, April 14. 

Las Vegas native and 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch was the evening’s honoree. 

Seven-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Top Fuel Dragster champion Tony Schumacher was the evening’s keynote speaker. Penske Racing Vice Chairman, Walter Czarnecki, introduced Kurt Busch and KXPT-FM 97.1  morning show hostess, Steph MacKenzie, served as M.C.

Guests relaxed poolside during the cocktail reception and silent auction while others attended the exclusive meet-and-greet with Busch and Schumacher.  The evening included a fabulous dinner and program as community members were recognized for their contribution to motorsports.

Busch joined the elite group of Mel Larson Night of Champions honorees, including: Mel Larson, Dr. Dale Carrison (LVMS medical director and University Medical Center’s chairman of emergency medicine), NHRA Pro Stock championship team owner Ken Black and automotive legend Carroll Shelby.

Thank you to all of the event supporters.  You made a difference in a child’s life.

NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals - Sunday

6:35 p.m. - Comments from Super Stock driver Justin Lamb of Henderson, Nev., who earned his seventh national event victory at the 11th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals:  

"It's definitely one of the better (victories). I don't think that it's ever as good as your first - none of them are - but this is probably right up there. I don't know if I put more pressure on myself (when I'm racing at home), but it definitely makes for a lot longer weekend because you're always busy and you never get a break. But I don't think it's more pressure. I think all of these races are so tough that they're all just a lot of pressure no matter where you are."

“My team, as the Interstate logo says, is outrageously dependable. These guys are awesome. To come here and run in conditions that were 180 degrees different than Houston ... where the altitude is over 4,000 feet and to make the adjustments to make this car do what it did here, those guys did an awesome job. If you look back at last year, when we got in these conditions and when summer came around, we felt like we could get back to our form (because) we really run good in the summertime. When the tracks get worse, we felt like we had a pretty good handle on those conditions, so hopefully we can stay hot.

“It feels good to come out here and win here in Vegas. I’ve been coming a long time and ran really, really well but just never could close the deal. But it feels good. Our performance was good, I drove good a couple runs and hopefully we can take this and build on it. It’s a long season ... but I sure like the way our team is jelling together and I really feel good about this year.”

6:10 p.m. – Comments from Funny Car driver John Force, who earned his third victory of the season and the 129th of his career Sunday at the 11th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals:

“The hardest thing I work for – we all want a championship in the end – but what I work for right now is to be able to compete and show my kids that I can still do it. My youngest daughter, Courtney, and naturally Ashley and Brittany all coming up, I want to show them all how much I love it and what it really means to me.

“Tony Pedregon is struggling with no budget, struggling to race – I saw (his car) burning up the run before (the final) and putting it back together, whatever it takes. When I got in the car he said, ‘Force, you know how I race; may not have money, may not have parts, but I’ll give you a race.’ And I told him, ‘that’s why I love you, Tony.’ But that group put that car back together and put on a show for the fans and ran. They didn’t get the win but they were still right in there so God bless that kid.

“My Mustang knows how to run at night. It knows how to hunt in the evening, that old dog does. It doesn’t like the heat. We started at Pomona and everywhere it ran good. We ran good at Houston and then the sun came out and we were toast. We came in here with the attitude of start slow; make it go A to B. We were just stumbling to get in the show and we got her in. At the end of the day, she learned to hunt in the heat.”

5:45 p.m. – Comments from Top Fuel driver Larry Dixon, who earned his third victory of the season and the 51st of his career Sunday at the 11th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals:

“We got over the 50^th (victory) because that’s last week’s news and, for me, we just needed to work on today. We had a great car all weekend – the car was unbelievable all through qualifying, it was very strong. We made up a bunch of points in qualifying on Cory (McClenathan) and we knew if we could get to the final round, even if we raced him, if we beat him we would get the points lead. And we got both so it’s just a great weekend all the way around. To be able to race (McClenathan) and, hopefully, both of us fighting for a championship this year, it’s fun to be a part of that.

 “Whatever we had on the car today, they were Goodyears and they got four win lights so I was happy with them. The car went out there (in the final) and shook going by 60 feet; it rattled the tire. It’s one of those things where you’re not sure if it’s going to make it through it or not but you’re just so jacked up on adrenaline at that point, you give it a quick pedal and got it going back down the track. That’s a decent run for pedaling it. As you’re going down the track, you’re hoping you still win because you’ve made a judgment call on it and you’re hoping it’s the right move. It was nervous time at that point.”

4:25 p.m. - Final results from the 11th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:  

 Top Fuel: Larry Dixon (4.016 at 313.37) def. Cory McClenathan (5.113 at 158.41).  

Funny Car: John Force (4.334 at 284.93) def. Tony Pedregon (5.630 at 138.34).  

Pro Stock: Mike Edwards (6.751 at 205.51) def. Greg Stanfield (6.813 at 203.12).   Check back shortly for comments from the winning drivers.

4:02 p.m. - Justin Lamb won the Super Stock title Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when he nipped Brad Plourd at the line. Lamb turned in a pass of 9.210 seconds at 147.07 mph in his 2009 Chevy Cobalt and beat Plourd by .0053 seconds - a margin of approximately 14 inches. It was Lamb's seventh national event victory.

3:25 p.m. - Justin Lamb of Henderson, Nev., advanced to the final in Super Stock when his semifinal opponent, James Butler of Prescott, Ariz., red-lighted at the start. Lamb, who ran 9.379 seconds at 117.22 mph in the semi in his Chevy Cobalt, will face Brad Plourd of Maple Valley, Wash., in this afternoon's final.

3:06 p.m. - Semifinals winners and final-round matchup in Pro Stock:   Semifinals: Greg Stanfield (6.796 at 203.61) def. Ron Krisher (13.361 at 63.79) vs.; Mike Edwards (6.735 at 205.16) vs. Greg Anderson (6.752 at 204.98).   Final: Edwards vs. Stanfield.

2:58 p.m. - Semifinals winners and final-round matchup in Funny Car:   Semifinals: Tony Pedregon (4.413 at 267.96) def. Del Worsham (4.619 at 263.31); John Force (4.289 at 293.98) def. Ashley Force Hood (4.419 at 282.54).   Final: T. Pedregon vs. Force.

2:28 p.m. - Semifinals winners and final-round matchup in Top Fuel:   Semifinals: Cory McClenathan (3.986 at 302.39) def. Brandon Bernstein (4.062 at 303.30); Larry Dixon (3.910 at 313.88) def. Doug Kalitta (3.982 at 309.20).   Final: McClenathan vs. Dixon.

1:33 p.m. - Second-round winners and semifinals matchups in Pro Stock:  

 Second round: Greg Stanfield def. Rodger Brogdon; Ron Krisher def. Jeg Coughlin; Greg Anderson def. Allen Johnson; Mike Edwards def. Warren Johnson.  Semifinals: Edwards vs. Anderson; Krisher vs. Stanfield.

1:20 p.m. - Second-round winners and semifinals matchups in Funny Car:  

 Second round: Ashley Force Hood def. Tim Wilkerson; Tony Pedregon def. Jack Beckman; John Force def. Matt Hagan; Del Worsham def. Melanie Troxel.   Semifinals: Worsham vs. T. Pedregon; Force Hood vs. Force.

1:10 p.m. - Second-round winners and semifinals matchups in Top Fuel:  

Second round: Larry Dixon def. Shawn Langdon; Doug Kalitta def. Morgan Lucas; Brandon Bernstein def. Antron Brown; Cory McClenathan def. Tony Schumacher.   Semifinals: Bernstein vs. McClenathan; Dixon vs. Kalitta.

12:15 p.m. - First-round winners and second-round matchups in Pro Stock:

First round: Warren Johnson def. Jason Line; Jeg Coughlin def. Bob Yonke; Greg Stanfield def. Shane Gray; Greg Anderson def. Vinnie Deceglie; Allen Johnson def. Johnny Gray; Mike Edwards def. Rickie Jones; Ron Krisher def. Ronnie Humphrey; Rodger Brogdon def. V. Gaines.   Second round: Edwards vs. W. Johnson; A. Johnson vs. Anderson; Krisher vs. Coughlin; Brogdon vs. Stanfield.

11:55 a.m. - First-round winners and second-round matchups in Funny Car:  

First round: Melanie Troxel def. Bob Tasca III; Jack Beckman def. Ron Capps; Ashley Force Hood def. Cruz Pedregon; Del Worsham def. Jim Head; John Force def. Robert Hight; Tim Wilkerson def. Bob Bode; Matt Hagan def. Jeff Arend; Tony Pedregon def. Gary Densham.  

Second round: Worsham vs. Troxel; T. Pedregon vs. Beckman; Force Hood vs. Wilkerson; Hagan vs. Force.

11:30 a.m. - First-round winners and second-round matchups in Top Fuel:  

First round: Brandon Bernstein def. Terry McMillen; Shawn Langdon def. Mike Strasburg; Morgan Lucas def. Troy Buff; Antron Brown def. Rob Passey; Larry Dixon def. Steve Faria; Doug Kalitta def. Steve Chrisman; Cory McClenathan def. Terry Haddock; Tony Schumacher def. David Grubnic.   Second round: Brown vs. Bernstein; McClenathan vs. Schumacher; Dixon vs. Langdon; Kalitta vs. Lucas.  

10:37 a.m. - Here are the first-round pairings for today's professional eliminations:  

Top Fuel: 1. Antron Brown vs. 16. Rob Passey; 2. Larry Dixon vs. 15. Steve Faria; 3. Doug Kalitta vs. 14. Steve Chrisman; 4. Cory McClenathan vs. 13. Terry Haddock; 5. Tony Schumacher vs. 12. David Grubnic; 6. Morgan Lucas vs. 11. Troy Buff; 7. Shawn Langdon vs. 10. Mike Strasburg; 8. Brandon Bernstein vs. 9. Terry McMillen.  

Funny Car: 1. Del Worsham vs. 16. Jim Head; 2. Ashley Force Hood vs. 15. Cruz Pedregon; 3. Matt Hagan vs. 14. Jeff Arend; 4. Gary Densham vs. 13. Tony Pedregon; 5. Ron Capps vs. 12. Jack Beckman; 6. Robert Hight vs. 11. John Force; 7. Bob Bode vs. 10. Tim Wilkerson; 8. Bob Tasca III vs. 9. Melanie Troxel.  

Pro Stock: 1. Mike Edwards vs. 16. Rickie Jones; 2. Ron Krisher vs. 15. Ronnie Humphrey; 3. Rodger Brogdon vs. 14. V. Gaines; 4. Allen Johnson vs. 13. Johnny Gray; 5. Greg Anderson vs. 12. Vinnie Deceglie; 6. Shane Gray vs. 11. Greg Stanfield; 7. Bob Yonke vs. 10. Jeg Coughlin; 8. Warren Johnson vs. 9. Jason Line.

10:20 a.m. - Good morning from The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and final eliminations for the 11th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals. Pre-race ceremonies are underway and pro eliminations will start at 11 a.m. (PDT). As was the case the previous two days, the weather is spectacular and a high of 89 degrees is in the forecast.   Be sure to check back here throughout the day, as we'll be updating this blog with news, results and interviews with the winning drivers.

NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals - Saturday

6 p.m. -- Racing resumes at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at 9 a.m. Sunday with Sportsman eliminations. Pre-race ceremonies for the 11th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals begin at 10 a.m. and final eliminations in the three pro categories start at 11 a.m.

Good evening from The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and be sure to check back here Sunday for updates throughout the day.

5:55 p.m. - Comments from Antron Brown, the top qualifier in Top Fuel:

(One his qualifying speed from Friday holding up.) "When I got up this morning, I thought it was going to be overcast today and when I saw all the sun coming out, I actually started smiling a little bit. The track actually held up good even though we had a lot of heat on it today. The track got a little cooler when we ran that last session so (the pole) was definitely up there in the air.

"We ran that new tire that last session and we were really impressed with it. It actually went all the way down the racetrack. It broke loose right after the 330-foot mark and the car was already tamed down and everything so we'll go back and check out that lane and see if maybe I drove off in the wrong spot in the lane and got it loose. We're happy with the whole effort this weekend. The car ran exactly where we wanted to. We're confident - we're looking forward to tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be a tough day because it's going to be a little hotter, the sun's going to be out and we're going to race in the prime time of the day. It's definitely going to be catfight tomorrow down that racetrack. We're not going to be fighting the other person in the other lane, we're going to be fighting getting down the racetrack so it's going to make it really challenging for the crew chiefs but I like my odds with the guys I've got in my pit area."

5:30 p.m. - Comments from Del Worsham, the top qualifier in Funny Car:

"This has been a frustrating year, definitely, with tracks above 100 degrees - we've just had a heck of a time getting down the track. (Crew chief) Dickie Venables, based on past performance, has just been great in those conditions so he has been very frustrated himself ... to try to get this car to run. The (4.187 run today) is surprising that it was that good but it's not totally a shocker. Had you seen our runs yesterday, you wouldn't be quite as shocked.

"The confidence has definitely been building but I'm still a little bit worried that we have to go down the track four times tomorrow; we went down the track half the time today. We really need to work on making sure it's consistent. That Toyota Solara body seems to have great traction, so I'm glad we've got that on there. Our consistency has been our problem - especially on tracks above 100 (degrees) so hopefully after this weekend, with the data they have and all of Dickie's racing experience and years of knowledge will pay off and we can pull this off. As much as I don't want to tell the competition, we were on the new Goodyear tire here and it seems to be sticking and Larry (Dixon) is on it and his car is sticking well so whether that helps us or hurts us at this point, it definitely doesn't hurt us and if anything, possibly, it's as good or better (as the previous tire)."

4:50 p.m. - Comments from Mike Edwards, the top qualifier in Pro Stock:

"It was definitely better for several teams and we made an exceptionally nice run so I'm really proud of my guys. We changed some things there this afternoon and tried some things and it didn't look like we like what we saw. We felt like it was going to be a slower session so we thought it might be a time to do that. It's great to come up here and be able to qualify number one."

"If the sun's out (Sunday), we're going to see exactly what we saw today. It's going to be faster in the morning and as the day grows on, the track's going to get hotter and greasier so you just have to make adjustments. I look for more of the same."

4:48 p.m. - Here are the 16 qualifiers in Funny Car for the 11th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals:   1. Del Worsham; 2. Ashley Force Hood; 3. Matt Hagan; 4. Gary Densham; 5. Ron Capps; 6. Robert Hight; 7. Bob Bode; 8. Bob Tasca III; 9. Melanie Troxel; 10. Tim Wilkerson; 11. John Force; 12. Jack Beckman; 13. Tony Pedregon; 14. Jeff Arend; 15. Cruz Pedregon; 16. Jim Head.

4:14 p.m. - Here are the 16 qualifiers in Top Fuel for the 11th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals:   1. Antron Brown; 2. Larry Dixon; 3. Doug Kalitta; 4. Cory McClenathan; 5. Tony Schumacher; 6. Morgan Lucas; 7. Shawn Langdon; 8. Brandon Bernstein; 9. Terry McMillen; 10. Mike Strasburg; 11. Troy Buff; 12. David Grubnic; 13. Terry Haddock; 14. Steve Chrisman; 15. Steve Faria; 16. Rob Passey.

3:18 p.m. - Here are the 16 qualifiers in Pro Stock for the 11th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals:   1. Mike Edwards; 2. Ron Krisher; 3. Rodger Brogdon; 4. Allen Johnson; 5. Greg Anderson; 6. Shane Gray; 7. Bob Yonke; 8. Warren Johnson; 9. Jason Line; 10. Jeg Coughlin; 11. Greg Stanfield; 12. Vinnie Deceglie; 13. Johnny Gray; 14. V Gaines; 15. Ronnie Humphrey; 16. Rickie Jones.

2:47 - Jeg Coughlin, who is qualified 10^th in Pro Stock going into this afternoon's final qualifying session, can become the ninth driver in NHRA history to win 50 races if he should win on Sunday. Larry Dixon (Top Fuel) last weekend became the eighth driver to reach the 50-win plateau.

2:20 p.m. - The National Hot Rod Association announced today that the 2011 NHRA Four Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C., again would feature four-wide racing in all four professional categories. The spring race will be the only event on the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule to feature four-wide racing.

"To really understand how well four-lane (racing) is working, we really need to go back and do it again," NHRA president Tom Compton said. "I'm excited to go back because I think it has the potential of being very successful.   "We think there are a number of areas we can work on to make the experience better ... but I don't think we'll have a good read on how well it really can work until we go back."  

zMAX Dragway is owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc., which also owns The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

1:27 p.m.  - Ashley Force Hood, Matt Hagan and Gary Densham remained the top three qualifiers in Funny Car following the third round of qualifying. Ron Capps and Robert Hight remained fourth and fifth, respectively.

12:50 p.m. - Antron Brown remained the top qualifier in Top Fuel as there were no changes among the top six through today's third qualifying session.

 Larry Dixon, the No. 2 qualifier, had the quickest pass of the session (3.916 seconds). Doug Kalitta remained third, Cory McClenathan was fourth, Tony Schumacher stayed fifth and Morgan Lucas sixth. Shawn Langdon, Brandon Bernstein, Mike Strasburg, Terry McMillen, Troy Buff and David Grubnic rounded out the top 12.

12:15 p.m. - Mike Edwards held onto the provisional pole in Pro Stock with a third-round pass of 6.687 seconds (205.88 mph). Ron Krisher's time of 6.716 from Friday held up for second and Rodger Brogdon grabbed the third spot with a 6.725-second pass Saturday.

 Allen Johnson and Greg Anderson are fourth and fifth, respectively. Rounding out the top 12 are Shane Gray, Bob Yonke, Warren Johnson, Jason Line, Jeg Coughlin, Greg Stanfield and Vinnie Deceglie.

11:30 a.m. - Greg Anderson, who was the fourth-quickest Pro Stock qualifier going into this morning's third round, leads all pro racers with six NHRA titles at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

But Anderson is not the only multiple winner in Las Vegas and two other drivers can match Anderson's mark of six victories with a win this weekend.   Tony Schumacher has five victories here to lead all Top Fuel pilots and Jeg Coughlin also has five victories at The Strip in Pro Stock. Other racers with at least three victories in Las Vegas are Larry Dixon (4) and Kenny Bernstein (3) in Top Fuel; Ron Capps (3) and Tony Pedregon (3) in Funny Car; and Andrew Hines (3) in Pro Stock Motorcycle (which is not competing this weekend).

11:20 a.m. - Good morning from The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the final two rounds of professional qualifying for the 11th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals. It's sunny and warm and a high of 88 is in the forecast today. The third round of professional qualifying is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. (PDT). Pro Stock qualifying sessions will be at 11:30 and 2:30 and the Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars will hit the track at noon and 3.  Be sure to check back here throughout the day, as we'll be updating this blog with news, results and driver interviews.

NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals - Friday

Photo: David Allio

6:54 p.m. - Comments from provisional Top Fuel pole-sitter Antron Brown following the second round of qualifying:

"The track conditions ... you go from 128 degrees (track temperature) and it got done to about 106 when we ran so the conditions definitely came back to us that last session.

 The first session is what it's going to be like on race day, on Sunday, so we've got to go back out there and get tuned up for that. We're around the edge of it - we're a little bit aggressive. The Matco boys just went out there and kept their heads down and we called a (3.88), we were trying to run an 88 and we ran an 88 with a 1 (3.881). To go out there and call that - especially when the track was like it was and it goes A to B and it's real safe and smooth - there's a lot to be said for that so I'm just real fortunate to be a part of this team. Tomorrow I think it's supposed to be a little overcast but on Sunday, I believe it's supposed to be just like it was today ... so I think all day racing (Sunday) the track might have that 128-degree to 130-degree temperature throughout the whole day so we're just going to get prepared for that because that's what we're going to be racing in. Tomorrow, we start a little earlier so it's going to give us what we need to see for race day. Tomorrow's definitely going to (show) who's going to have it on race day. I'm just happy that we're up there at the top of the heap right now and I think tomorrow, hopefully, we can stay in the top five in qualifying and just go into race day in the top five position and try to give it everything we've got. Lane choice is definitely going to be a key factor if one lane gets better than the other for race day so we definitely want to go into the first round with lane choice and try to hold that throughout the day to have that to our advantage."

6:58 p.m. - Good night from The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Be sure to check back here throughout the day Saturday for continual updates from the third and fourth rounds of pro qualifying for the 11th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.

6:40 p.m. - Comments from provisional Funny Car pole-sitter Ashley Force Hood following the second round of qualifying:

"We're definitely very excited that we got down both runs, under power, A to B. This is a very tricky track and with the (warm) weather, it was just a matter of ‘are we doing the right thing each run?' It definitely helped to get the first run down (because) we had more data to go by on the second run. You could see the other cars getting it figured out very quickly and by tomorrow I'm sure you're going to see a better session filled with full runs. I'm sure my time isn't going to stay first but if the conditions improve and everyone can outrun us, that means we can improve as well, so that's kind of what we're looking for tomorrow. This definitely isn't the typical types of runs that cars make here in Vegas but I'm sure everyone will get it figured out by tomorrow and definitely by Sunday you'll be seeing better runs."

6:05 p.m. - Comments from provisional Pro Stock pole-sitter Mike Edwards following the second round of qualifying:  

 "It was very challenging. We didn't do a very good job the first run, that's for sure. We did some better adjustments tonight and it really paid off. We had some issues with the motor but we didn't do very good on the start line, either. Hat's off to my guys because they did a really, really good job tonight. We run at 11:30 in the morning (tomorrow) so that'll probably be our best session. We'll have to come in and try to make the best run we can and see where we stack up."

5:53 p.m. - Antron Brown claimed the provisional pole in Top Fuel with a 3.881-second pass (316.60 mph) during the second round of qualifying. Larry Dixon is second, Doug Kalitta is third, Cory McClenathan is fourth and Tony Schumacher is fifth after two rounds. Morgan Lucas, Brandon Bernstein, Mike Strasburg, Shawn Langdon, Terry McMillen, David Grubnic and Steve Chrisman round out the top 12 going into Saturday's third round of qualifying.

5:22 p.m. - Ashley Force Hood retained the provisional pole with a blistering pass of 4.195 seconds at 395.14 mph during the second round of Top Fuel qualifying. Force Hood had been knocked off the provisional pole by a succession of drivers in the second round but regained it on the final pass of the session.

 Matt Hagan is second quickest after two rounds, Gary Densham is third, Ron Capps is fourth and Robert Hight is fifth. Del Worsham, Bob Bode, Melanie Troxel, Tim Wilkerson, John Force, Bob Tasca III and Tony Pedregon round out the top 12.

4:48 p.m. - Mike Edwards vaulted to the provisional pole with a pass of 6.706 seconds at 205.47 mph during the second round of Pro Stock qualifying. Ron Krisher, quickest in first-round qualifying, is second after two rounds and Allen Johnson dropped from second to third. Greg Anderson remained fourth and Rodger Brogdon slipped from third to fifth. Johnny Gray, V Gaines, Jeg Coughlin, Vinnie Deceglie, Jason Line, Ronnie Humphrey and Shane Gray round out the top 12.

 3:15 p.m. - The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is debuting a new rear tire for Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars at this weekend's SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  

 The new tire, designated the D2681, features a new tread compound but no structural changes to the existing tire. While use of the new tire is optional this weekend, it is expected to be used by all Top Fuel and Funny Car teams in two weeks at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill.  

"The cars and the conditions under which they operate evolve continuously and we feel the tire needs to evolve as well," said Carolyn Ashbee, Goodyear's sales account manager for drag racing. "We have made this change for that reason. It is important for the teams to know that we are not changing any other aspect of the construction of the current tire."

2:55 p.m. - Greg Anderson owns more victories at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway than any other driver, claiming six Pro Stock titles at his adopted hometown track. Anderson said the key to his success in Las Vegas is simple.  

"I love racing this racetrack," Anderson said. "How it all started, obviously, was when (team owner) Ken Black started his team, this became my home track. This is where it all started. This is where the business end of the team is taken care of, this is where the team leader, the boss man, (lives) ... and this place became very important to us right from day one."  

Anderson will have added incentive this weekend as he seeks his first victory of the season. Black, a Las Vegas businessman, is recovering from a major stroke and teammates Anderson and Jason Line visited with Black on Thursday when Black briefly returned home from rehabilitation for the first time since December.   "Just seeing Ken, it seems like the world is right again," Anderson said. "This is as close as we've been all year to having a comfortable feeling again because our team is back together."  

Anderson said he was not sure whether Black would be able to make it to the racetrack this weekend.

2:35 p.m. - Larry Dixon, a four-time Top Fuel winner at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, grabbed the provisional pole with a pass of 3.994 seconds at 307.30 mph to lead the first round of Top Fuel qualifying. Cory McClenathan was second at 4.004 at 300.60 and Tony Schumacher, who owns five victories in Las Vegas, was third at 4.019 at 293.86. Brandon Bernstein and Steve Chrisman completed the top five.

1:45 p.m. - Ashley Force Hood is the top qualifier in Funny Car after the first round of qualifying with a run of 4.236 seconds at 289.94 mph. Bob Bode was second (4.238 at 297.22) and Bob Tasca III was third (4.290 at 293.66).

1:08 p.m. - The first round of Pro Stock qualifying is in the books and Ron Krisher sits atop the speed chart with a run of 6.716 seconds at 205.38 mph. Allen Johnson was second quickest in the session at 6.732 at 204.88 and Rodger Brogdon was third at 6.746 at 204.76. Greg Anderson and Mike Edwards rounded out the top five.

12 p.m. - Good afternoon from The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where it's shaping up as a beautiful day for the first round of professional qualifying for the 11th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals. Race fans are in for a treat this weekend as the forecast calls for spectacular weather. It's sunny right now with an ambient temperature of 75 degrees with a slight breeze (6 mph out of the southeast). The track temperature is 114 degrees as the Top Alcohol Dragsters and TA Funny Cars are wrapping up their qualifying session. The first round of Pro Stock qualifying is set to begin at 12:30 p.m. (PDT) and the Funny Cars and Top Fuel Dragsters are slated to hit the track at 1 p.m.

Be sure to check back here often as we'll be updating this blog throughout the weekend with news, results and driver interviews.

Staying Busy at LVMS

Jeff Motley

The annual NASCAR Weekend is in the rear-view mirror and spring is upon us. The Bullring is open and the Ewing Brothers team looks to be the team to beat this season.

This spring also has us preparing for two of our biggest events of the season. One is on the race track and the other is off.

On the track, the NHRA Summitracing.com Nationals are set for April 16-18. This three-day event will feature the most horsepower Las Vegas will see in 2010. The stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series will hit the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for three days of heart-pounding action. Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will compete in this event. Stars such as Tony Schumacher, John and Ashley Force and Brandon Bernstein will be on hand to take home the "Wally."

Before they hit the asphalt, many of these drivers will participate in a free autograph session at Town Square on Las Vegas Boulevard South on Thursday, April 15. This will be the first NHRA autograph session at the multi-purpose mall located just south of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. The event will be held at 7 p.m. in the square in the center of the mall.

While racing is the theme for the weekend, the middle of the week is about kids and charity. The annual Mel Larson Night of Champions is scheduled for Wednesday, April 14 at the Palms Resort and Casino. This year's honoree is NASCAR driver and Las Vegas native Kurt Busch. Proceeds from the dinner will benefit Speedway Children's Charities. If you want to purchase a table or a ticket, contact our charity director Rachel Commeford at rcommeford@lvms.com. The evening will include cocktails, dinner and a silent auction.

There is much more happening at the speedway throughout the spring, so come out for a Saturday night at the Bullring, watch the big boys race in the NHRA event or come join Kurt Busch and help us raise money for charity.

Shelby American Weekend Race Blog - Sunday

6:05 p.m. -- Comments from Chad Knaus, Jimmie Johnson's crew chief:

It was a great day for us today. We didn't start the weekend off like we wanted to, qualifying as poorly as we did. Pit selection and track position was a bit of a hindrance at the beginning.

The car was ill?handling to say the least at the beginning but Jimmie really manned up at that point and drove the car straight up to the top 10 -- even with the car handling as poorly as what it was. When we got to the first pit stop, we were able to make some adjustments to car and it definitely got better. I think it got faster. It was exciting. It was fun to be able to pass through all those cars and work through traffic and be able to get into the top five to where we could race with all the guys. We felt as though, coming into that last pit stop, if we took four tires and went out somewhere in the top eight, that we would have a shot to win the race if everybody else took two. To leave pit road in third position, we were really pleased.

(Jeff Gordon said that his crew chief, Steve Letart, was pretty upset after the race because of their decision ot take only two tires on the last pit stop. What do you say to him when you go to work tomorrow and he's upset that you out?smarted him?) I didn't outsmart him -- he did not make the wrong call. There wasn't a wrong call to make. They came in first, they wanted to maintain track position because track position is so critical. The only way for us to beat them was to do something different. I didn't know they were taking two tires, he didn't know we were taking four tires. So I went with my plan because I thought that's what we needed to do because I had assumed a bunch of people were going to take two tires. Steve is a fantastic crew chief. He has done a phenomenal job with that race team. I think the way he works with me in the shop is unparalleled. He's a great teammate and a good friend of mine. He did not make the wrong call. He did what he thought was right to try to win that race and he came up a little bit short -- just a little bit. So there's no fault to him.

5:45 p.m. -- Comments from Jimmie Johnson, who won the Shelby American:

I'm really proud of the car we brought to the track. We had to work on it some through the race. But, you know, it was so fast on the long haul that we could make up ground from the 20th-place starting position we had.

We worked up into the top 10 and then worked up into the top five. At parts of the race, we were kind of stuck there behind the 24 (Jeff Gordon) and the 17 (Matt Kenseth). I think we were all very equal at that point in time and just couldn't get by one another and it came down to pit stops. I thought the race was going to come down to pit stops and who got a good restart and it kind of turned out that way, although the four tires I think helped us more than anything. I got a good start and got around (Clint) Bowyer at the top of (turns) one and two. I was behind Jeff, chasing him. I'd been chasing him all day and I wasn't sure I'd get by him but I just kept putting a lot of pressure on him, hoping he'd make a mistake, hoping that I could get him to overdrive his car and make it tight or do something wrong. Finally, I was able to get inside of him and committed to trying the slide job on him in three and four and bombed it off in there and I was able to get by. It was a great day.

(Two wins in a row. Are you starting to feel invincible early in the season?) No. I don't know if it's just our makeup or mindset or what it is. If you get off to a quick start, I think (Chad and I are) both sitting here, even though we haven't talked about it, thinking that we can't sit still; complacency is going to kill you. We're looking forward to going to Atlanta with new ideas and new things. We're excited, it's early in the year and it is a relief to know that we worked in the right areas over the off?season but Richmond is a long, long way away from right now and we need to keep collecting points, winning races, make the Chase and then get to work for what we're really here for. It's great but we don't feel invincible, though. It was nice to go out there today and really earn this one, race Jeff that hard for the win. So I feel very good about things but 'invincible?' Far from that.

(You won three in a row here at LVMS but the past two years, you were off. Did you put any extra emphasis on this race in the off?season to try to get back on track here?) In 2008, we tried to come back to win that fourth one in a row, we were just off -- and not just the 48 car, but the company. We went to California beforehand and salvaged a good run there and then came here. We were trying new things, trying to advance because we didn't have a lot of testing take place pre?season and we just miss ed it. Luckily, then, there was testing allowed and I think it was 26 or 27 test sessions later, we found our stuff running how it should and ready for the Chase, just in time for the Chase. So in '08, we just got off a little bit and it can happen to anyone in the sport.

Last year we were really, really fast. We were leading the race coming to pit road under green and (Jeff Gordon) was trying to follow us in and missed pit in and flat-spotted the left-front tire and then I had to drive around, while I was driving around, the tire blew and got a caution. We were unlucky being on pit road at that point. Then I was trying to come back up through the field and stuffed it in the wall up in (turn) two. That's why we had such a bad finish. Last year really doesn't show what the team had in it but '08, we were off.

5:20 p.m. -- Comments from Kevin Harvick, who finished second in the Shelby American:

It was a good day. For us, I put us behind on Friday when I smacked the wall there in practice. The guys did a great job fixing the car and we just got behind from that point and we were able to make up ground today. That to me is the most promising thing we've been able to do the last two weeks, is go to the back and come to the front. It was tough to pass today and we were able to get the track position that we needed at the end of the race. We just came up one spot short.

I feel like the beginning of the run, (Johnson and Gordon) got out from us. I felt like at the end of the run we were just as good as they were. It's just a matter of we got a little bit looser than we had been all day long the last two runs. We can run with them and they know it.

(You took two tires on the last stop. Were you surprised that Jeff Gordon did?) I don't remember if the last caution was the caution where they had all the lap cars in between. But, you know, I think, yeah, it all just depends on how your car is handling. The balance of our car didn't change when we put two tires on it and it didn't change when we put no tires on it. Our car was fairly consistent all day. I don't know exactly what they were fighting. Sometimes if you're a little bit loose you put two tires on and the thing will tighten up a little bit. I don't know what the characteristics of his car were at that point.

(If you had a better starting position, a better Friday, do you think you could have given Johnson a run for his money?) I mean, we had the opportunity there at the end and just kind of got ?? we were fifth or sixth there on the restart and kind of lost the same distance that we were behind at the end of the race. You know, having a better Friday would have been very beneficial for us to keep our track position where we needed it to be there at the end. If we had been second or third, I think we could have run with him. Do I think we could have beat him? I don't know, but I think we would have at least had a shot.

5:05 p.m. -- Comments from Jeff Gordon, who finished third in the Shelby American:

Obviously it was a great day for us. It was a dominating performance. The car was awesome, everything was good, and I'm very disappointed to get beat by a two- versus four-tire stop. Steve (Letarte, crew chief) and I talked about it all weekend long and going into today and we came here to win it. We knew we were going to have to take chances and risks and we did throughout the day and it paid off for us, we just thought more people would take two tires (on that last pit stop) and it just didn't work out.

(Do you ever have a day where you ask yourself, 'Why did I bring Jimmie Johnson to Rick Hendrick?') Today I do. (Laughing.) Five or 10 years from now when I'm cashing in on it, I'm not. Somebody once told me that if you're gonna get beat, make sure you're getting a piece of it. That's one positive to take out of it. It doesn't matter to me who it is out there -- whether it's our own teammate or a competitor -- you want to go out there and compete against the best and you want to beat the best. While it's coming in-house, it's still another competitor and it drives us and inspires us and motivates us. The reason you saw us perform and dominate the way we did today is because of those guys (the 48 team) and we don't take that lightly. We came here today on a mission and we did it all day long and, unfortunately, the two-tire stop just didn't work out for us.

(On the decision to take two tires on the last pit stop) That's how it goes sometimes. When you're leading, that's the toughest position to be in and to make that call. (Letarte) felt like more people were going to take two tires. Shoot, we were thinking for a split-second to stay out. If we would have done that, I think we would have finished tenth. I felt like we needed to come in and get some tires but I felt like two tires was the right call, too. We just needed the 48 (Johnson) to take two and they did the opposite of us and that won the race for them.

(On leading 219 of the 267 laps and finishing third) I'm disappointed but at the same time, we haven't dominated like this in a very, very long time. I'm disappointed that the opportunity got away, that we dominated so much and that we had the car to win the race... but at the same time, I'm really excited about this race team. I've been saying it all winter long and even the first two races I've been trying to say it but if you don't have the results, then it doesn't matter. And so today we showed what we're capable of and it gives us a lot of momentum to go to Atlanta. I think we've got more of what we showed today ... I think we're just starting to tap into it.

4:25 p.m. -- Comments from Kyle Busch, who finished 15th:

Our M&M's Camry wasn't bad all day. We were a little tight early in the race and our balance wasn't bad, it just didn't seem like we had the speed. We ran a really patient race, but on our last stop there was too much rear brake and I slid across the line coming in; totally my fault. I'm just sorry for the guys since we had a decent car but didn't finish where we ran all day long.

4:25 p.m. -- Comments from Kurt Busch, who started on the pole but finished 35th after being collected in a wreck on lap 93:

Certainly not the day that we anticipated with our Miller Lite Dodge. We had great expectations starting on the pole here at my home track and Lady Luck wasn't on our side. We struggled a bit early with the slick track conditions, but I knew that Steve (Addington, crew chief) had the game plan to tighten us up during that first (pit) stop. We talked on the radio and we both knew that there was plenty of race left to get our Miller Lite Dodge back to the front.

We got the car back underneath us, but then we got caught up in the wreck with the 1 (Jamie McMurray) and 42 (Juan Pablo Montoya) that basically ended our day. It was a bit confusing and I'm still not sure what happened. We were 11th on the board on the restart and the next thing I knew we're positioned on the outside of Row 6 in 12th. I was a sitting duck for the wreck in front of us. Do we get collected if we're on the inside lane? Who knows. It happened and we have to move on. The Miller Lite guys did all that they could to get the right side fixed so that I could go out, make some laps and finish the race.

3:09 p.m. -- Jimmie Johnson took advantage of a four-tire pit stop late in the race and passed Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon with 16 laps remaining and won today's Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Gordon dominated for much of the race until the final round of pits stops, with 37 laps to go. Gordon opted to take two tires while Johnson took on four and Johnson was able to track down his teammate. It was Johnson's second consecutive victory, the 49th of his Sprint Cup career and his fourth victory in the past six Cup races at LVMS.

Kevin Harvick, who won Saturday's Sam's Town 300 at LVMS, beat Gordon to the line for second place. Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top five.

Stay tuned for race stats and comments from the drivers.

3 p.m. -- The top 10 in the Shelby American after 250 of 267 laps: 1. Jeff Gordon; 2. Jimmie Johnson; 3. Kevin Harvick; 4. Mark Martin; 5. Matt Kenseth; 6. Joey Logano; 7. Tony Stewart; 8. Clint Bowyer; 9. Greg Biffle; 10. Kasey Kahne.

2:40 p.m. -- Las Vegas Motor Speedway officials announced that they sold all remaining tickets this morning for the Shelby American, marking the ninth consecutive year the race has been a sellout.

2:30 p.m. -- The top 10 in the Shelby American after 200 of 267 laps: 1. Jeff Gordon; 2. Jimmie Johnson; 3. Kevin Harvick; 4. Kyle Busch; 5. Tony Stewart; 6. Kasey Kahne; 7. Greg Biffle; 8. Mark Martin; 9. Clint Bowyer; 10. Joey Logano.

There have been six cautions for 25 laps and there are 11 cars on the lead lap

2:15 p.m. -- Juan Pablo Montoya, on the incident on lap 93 with teammate Jamie McMurray: "He runs straight into my a**. He nearly ran me into the fence in (Turn 2), as well. I don't know; he's not doing himself any favors. I'm sure he (McMurray) is going to say, 'Oh, I didn't mean that.'"

2 p.m. -- The top 10 in the Shelby American after 150 of 267 laps: 1. Jeff Gordon; 2. Jimmie Johnson; 3. Jeff Burt on; 4. Kevin Harvick; 5. Kyle Busch; 6. Tony Stewart; 7. Mark Martin; 8. Kasey Kahne; 9. Joey Logano; 10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

1:40 p.m. -- Pole-sitter and Las Vegas native Kurt Busch was involved in a three-car wreck on lap 93 and is three laps off the pace after 110 laps. The incident started when Jamie McMurray got into Earnhardt Ganassi Racing teammate Juan Pablo Montoya in Turn 4 and Busch was collected. Montoya's car is in the garage getting repaired and McMurray, this year's Daytona 500 winner, is the last car on the lead lap.

1:30 p.m. -- The top 10 in the Shelby American after 100 of 267 laps: 1. Jeff Gordon; 2. Matt Kenseth; 3. Carl Edwards; 4. Greg Biffle; 5. Tony Stewart; 6. Jimmie Johnson; 7. Jeff Burton; 8. Kyle Busch; 9. Mark Martin; 10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

There have been five caution periods for 20 laps.

12:52 p.m. -- The top 10 in the Shelby American after 50 of 267 laps: 1. Jeff Gordon; 2. Greg Biffle; 3. Kyle Busch; 4. Carl Edwards; 5. Kurt Busch; 6. Matt Kenseth; 7. Jimmie Johnson; 8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.; 9. Ryan Newman; 10. Tony Stewart.

12:08 p.m. -- The drivers have been given the command to start their engines by co-grand marshals Carroll Shelby and Kim Kardashian. A.J. Allmendinger, who qualified 40th, will go to the back of the field after changing engines.

11:20 a.m. -- Some quick facts about the Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race:

• Only four drivers (Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Mark Martin) have competed in all 12 Sprint Cup races at LVMS.
• Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with three Sprint Cup victories at LVMS.
• Kyle Busch (2009) is the only pole-winner to win a Cup race at LVMS -- although Busch started the race from the back of the field because of a pre-race engine change.
• Last year's race was lengthened by 18 laps (27 miles) from the previous 11 races to accommodate the Shelby 427 sponsorship. Today's race is back to the traditional 400-mile, 267-lap distance.
• Team owner Jack Roush has posted wins in this event with four different drivers: Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards.
• Jeff Burton (2000) is the only driver to win both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide races at LVMS on the same weekend.
• Jeff Burton also is the only driver who has been running at the finish of every Sprint Cup race at LVMS.
• Ford has won six of the 12 Sprint Cup races at LVMS. Chevy has won four races and Dodge and Toyota each have one victory.

10:55 -- Kim Kardashian is attending her first NASCAR raceat Las Vegas Motor Speedway but the reality TV star has more than a passing interest in today's Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. Kardashian is promoting her new fragrance by sponsoring Mike Bliss' No. 36 Chevrolet.

Although she said she is excited to be sponsoring a racecar and attending her first race, Kardashian is not a big fan of high speeds when she's behind the wheel.

"I don't really like to drive fast," she said. "I know it sounds crazy; I have a Bentley that drives pretty fast and Reggie (boyfriend Reggie Bush of the New Orleans Saints) has a Ferrari and for some reason he steals my car all the time and so I always seem to be stuck with it and I know it goes really fast. But I'd say I've never gone more than 90. That freaks me out."

Kardashian said she jumped at the chance to sponsor Bliss' car.

"When the op portunity came about to be involved here, I thought 'I'd love to torture the driver and put him in a pink jumpsuit,'" she said. "Why not?"

10 a.m. -- Good morning from Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where the grandstands are expected to be packed for today's Shelby American -- the 13th annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race to be held on the 1.5-mile speedway. Forecasters are calling for a high 65 degrees today with mostly sunny skies and -- more important -- no chance of rain.

Pre-race festivities already have begun and driver introductions will begin at 11:30 a.m. (PST). The green flag is scheduled to wave shortly after noon.

Check back here often, as we'll be updating this blog throughout the day with news, stats and interviews from the drivers competing in the Shelby American.

Shelby American Weekend Race Blog - Saturday

7:15 p.m. -- Comments from Kevin Harvick, who won the Sam's Town 300:

(Tell us about your run.) It was good in the beginning and good in the end. We had a couple of hiccups (on pit road) today and we were able to overcome them because our car was so good. Everything just played out right there at the end. It seemed like we were able to maneuver through traffic better than anybody and our car was really good the middle of (turns) one and two and there at the end I knew, unless something crazy happened, that I could run eight or ten laps wide open and it seemed they were having to lift on the restarts. We were able to get out there and just kind of conserve in case we had another caution or a restart or whatever the case may be there towards the end of the race.

(Why are you so good at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?) This has just been a good place for us, even when it was flat, and ever since they added the banking, the cars have just been incredible to drive. It's just one of those places that fits our cars, our engines, our driving styles -- everything that we've done from the old track to the new track. Everything works for us here and it's always fun to do well ... we have a lot of fans out here and family that comes to the racetrack and friends and a lot of supporters that have come for a long time. It's always fun to win close to home.

(How did the track change after the rain delay before the race?) We really hadn't changed a whole lot since we've been here. We made very small adjustments through practice. When the race started, we were a little bit tight and we adjusted on tight for the whole day. If I had just listened to what (crew chief Ernie Cope) wanted to do on the first pit stop, we probably would have only had to adjust it once. The restarts were really what were good for us. We just had a good balance on our car all weekend and I felt really comfortable driving it as hard as I needed to drive it on the restarts to be wide open. I knew that was going to be good after qualifying today because the car was so solid and it was easy to drive and that's what you have to get to be comfortable here to make time.

6:53 p.m. -- Comments from Denny Hamlin, who finished second in the Sam's Town 300:

We were pretty good at the beginning. I felt like we had the best car at the beginning. We would run down Kyle (Busch) and he was really hard to pass at the very beginning. I would run him down and he made it kind of difficult to pass. Kevin (Harvick) would fade after about 20, 25 laps or so but he had a ton of speed up until that point and that's what really helped him out there at the end. He just had so much speed at the beginning of a run and we didn't have enough to get him.

Those four tires got us there at the end. We were coming there to (Harvick) at the end but don't be mistaken ... congratulations to all this Interstate Batteries team for putting a good car under me. That's for sure. We didn't have the best car all day -- I felt like we had the best car at the beginning of the race but we didn't have the track position to go with it. Once we had the track position it took off, but then those new tires got us there at the end.

6:40 p.m. -- Comments from Carl Edwards, who finished third in the Sam's Town 300:

A lot happened during the race. It seemed like every time we stopped, you can get two tires or four tires and somebody else was fast and somebody wasn't. At one point, I thought we had a really good shot at it and in the last run I just couldn't get to these guys (Denny Hamlin and his team) -- they did a really good job. Our team did a great job, Drew (Blickensderfer, crew chief) did a really good job back on the box and he called a really good race but third is what we came home with.

6:08 p.m. -- Sam's Town 300 fast facts:

• The victory was Kevin Harvick's 35th in 239 NASCAR Nationwide Series races.
• This is Harvick's first victory and second top-10 finish in 2010.
• This is Harvick's second victory and seventh top-10 finish in 10 NNS races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• Denny Hamlin (second) posted his second top-10 finish in five NNS races at LVMS.
• Carl Edwards (third) earned his fifth top-10 finish in six NNS races at LVMS.
• Colin Braun (28th) was the highest finishing rookie.
• Carl Edwards leads the NNS points by 41 over Brad Keselowski.

5:45 p.m. -- Kevin Harvick overcame a bad pit stop early in the race and rallied to win today's Sam's Town 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Denny Hamlin was second, 1.361 seconds behind Harvick, and Carl Edwards was third. Brad Keselowski and Brian Vickers rounded out the top five.

5:09 p.m. -- The top 10 in the Sam's Town 300 after 150 of 200 laps: 1. Denny Hamlin; 2. Justin Allgaier; 3. Carl Edwards; 4. Trevor Bayne; 5. Kevin Harvick; 6. Kyle Busch; 7. Brad Keselowski; 8. Brian Vickers; 9. Colin Braun; 10. Paul Menard.

4:38 p.m. -- Danica Patrick, on the lap 85 accident with Michael McDowell that put Patrick out of the race:

"A car ahead of me was just going really slow and I caught him down the front straight. He was just going slow so I went to go underneath him as he drifted up to the wall and then he turned down in. I guess I probably should have seen all the tape on the left-rear bumper and said, 'I probably shouldn't be on the left-rear bumper.' But sure enough, he turned down and took us both out. What are you gonna do? It's a real bummer because I was really hooked up out there after we got tires on it and we were probably one of the quicker cars on the track because we had just stickered up and I felt good."

4:35 p.m. -- The top 10 in the Sam's Town 300 after 100 of 200 laps: 1. Kyle Busch; 2. Brian Vickers; 3. Denny Hamlin; 4. Carl Edwards; 5. Brad Keselowski; 6. Greg Biffle; 7. Justin Allgaier; 8. Kevin Harvick; 9. Steve Wallace; 10. Trevor Bayne.

3:55 p.m. -- The top 10 in the Sam's Town 300 after 50 of 200 laps: 1. Kevin Harvick; 2. Kyle Busch; 3. Denny Hamlin; 4. Brian Vickers; 5. Greg Biffle; 6. Justin Allgaier; 7. Brian Scott; 8. Brad Keselowski; 9. Michael Annett; 10. Steve Wallace.

3:05 p.m. -- The drivers have been given the command to start their engines for the Sam's Town 300. New UNLV head football coach Bobby Hauck, grand marshal for the Sam's Town 300, did the honors.

2 p.m. -- The start of the Sam's Town 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race is being delayed while workers with jet dryers dry the track from the earlier rain shower.

Some quick facts about the Sam's Town 300:

• Both Jeff Burton and Mark Martin have won this race three times.
• Greg Biffle has seven top-10 finishes in eight Sam's Town 300 races.
• The race record for most caution periods is 13 (2008).
• The race record for least caution periods is 3 (2000).
• Jeff Green (1997), Mark Martin (1999) and Jeff Burton (2002) have won this race from the pole.
• Kevin Harvick has been running at the finish of each of his nine Sam's Town 300 starts.
• Jeff Burton leads all drivers with 363 laps led in this race.
• Dick Trickle finished second in the inaugural Sam's Town 300 in 1997.

1: 25 p.m. -- It took a helicopter ride for Mark Martin to truly appreciate what he had accomplished when he won the inaugural Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 1998.

Martin said he was so busy with the Victory Lane celebration and post-race media obligations that he didn't have a chance to revel in his triumph.

"I remember after we won the race and did everything, it was late when I finished up with all the media and all the stuff and it had gotten dark," Martin said. "I took off in the helicopter to go to the airport and as it raised up to where I could see down and get a perspective from overhead, it hit me as to what we had accomplished. Before then, it could have been the quarter-mile dirt track back home because you were just doing one thing after another.

"I didn't really realize the magnitude of what it was that we had accomplished until I saw it from up in the air and looking down on it. I remember that moment and thinking, ‘Wow, we just won this race in Las Vegas.'"

Martin, who will start eighth in Sunday's Shelby American, said he and the other drivers look forward to coming to Las Vegas each year.

"It's a real racy racetrack," he said. "It's fast, it's competitive, it's fun, you can pass here and it's a great venue for us. Fans like coming out here and so do the competitors. It's better than going to a racetrack that's out in the sticks, it's the opposite of that. This (city) is very, very strong on service. They're here to serve you and that is a pleasure.

"When you come to Las Vegas, it is a whole different feeling than when you go a lot of other places where you feel like you're a burden on folks. When we come here, the people are here and they want to know what they can do. That's what it's all about. That's what Vegas does. I enjoy it here."

1 p.m. -- Saturday's final practice for the Shelby American was cut a few minutes when light rain began to fall on parts of the track. Clint Bowyer led the final session with a speed of 183.530 and was followed by Juan Pablo Montoya (183.318) and Mark Martin (183.299). Jimmie Johnson and Marcos Ambrose rounded out the top five.

Pole-sitter Kurt Busch was 16th fastest during Happy Hour, defending race winner Kyle Busch was 17th and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 26th.

Driver introductions for today's Sam's Town 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race are under way and the race is scheduled to take the green flag at approximately 1:30.

11:30 a.m. -- Kyle Busch, a Las Vegas native and the defending champion of the Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, topped the speed chart after the first of two scheduled practice sessions today at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Busch, who will start fifth on Sunday, led all drivers with a lap at 184.037 mph.

Greg Biffle, who qualified seventh, was second fastest at 183.855 mph and pole-sitter Kurt Busch was third at 183.486. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who qualified fourth, was seventh fastest in the practice session.

11:25 a.m. -- Brendan Gaughan won eight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races during his career, but he doesn't have to think twice when he is asked which was his most memorable. His victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his hometown track, in 2003 before a crowd estimated at 70,000 was the highlight of his truck series career.

As thrilling as that night was for Gaughan, he said it would pale in comparison to winning today's Sam's Town 300.

"Whatever that (win) felt like, I promise you this would be 10 times more," Gaughan, a Las Vegas native, said this morning. "It would be a lot of fun to come to Victory Lane tonight and I do believe we have a Camry that can do it."

As the eighth driver to make a qualifying run, Gaughan said he was pleased with his qualifying lap of 179.892 mph -- but then watched as driver after driver posted faster speeds and knocked him down to the 26th starting position.

"I feel great about the car," he said of his No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Toyota. "This racecar today feels like it's going to be very good. We're a little on the snug side, which has me nervous, but it can really roll through a center hard. I'm excited for the race."

Gaughan said he is looking forward to racing on his hometown track.

"The track itself, we know everybody has heard about the bumps and this and that," he said. "It's a bumpy track but the place has character. This place is a fast racetrack and the parabolic banking makes it real fun. The only thing I don't like about the parabolic is it puts more people in my race line and I'd like them to get the hell out of it."

Gaughan finished seventh in last year's Sam's Town 300. He is 28th in Nationwide Series points after finishes of 30th at Daytona and 24th at California.

10:50 a.m. -- Brad Keselowski shattered the NASCAR Nationwide Series track record at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during qualifying and won the pole for today's Sam's Town 300 with a lap of 185.427 mph. Keselowski bettered the previous record of 182.451 mph, set last year by Scott Speed.

Kevin Harvick will start on the outside of the front row after posting a lap of 185.027 mph. A total of 10 drivers broke the track record during qualifying. Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch rounded out the top five starting positions for today's 200-lap race.

Las Vegas native Brendan Gaughan will start 26th and Danica Patrick 38th in the 43-car field.

8:45 a.m. - Good morning from Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where NASCAR Nationwide Series teams are rolling their cars onto pit road in anticipation of qualifying for this afternoon's Sam's Town 300. Qualifying begins at 9 a.m. (PST) and the 200-lap race is scheduled to start at 1:30.

It's 50 degrees, the winds are calm and an expected morning drizzle so far has avoided the speedway - but the forecast calls for a 60-percent chance of rain today.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars are scheduled to be on the track from 10:40 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. and again from 11:45 a.m. until 12:50 p.m. to practice for Sunday's Shelby American.

Check back here often, as we'll be updating this blog throughout the day with news, results, driver interviews and weather reports.

Shelby American Weekend Race Blog - Friday

6:40 p.m. - Comments from Kyle Busch, who qualified fifth for Sunday's Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race:

(How was your car in qualifying?) I thought there was more in that lap than what it showed. That's all the M&M's Camry had in it. I was flat-out as hard as I could go -- didn't really mess up that much.

(How important is being on the pole here at Las Vegas?) You want to sit on the pole anywhere, but it seems like this is my best shot at getting it every year because I can't do it anywhere else except for here. We'd rather win the race -- the big prize is Sunday.

(What do you need to do to get better for Sunday?) We need to get over the bumps a little bit more. The bumps in (Turn) one seem to be throwing everybody for a loop, but ours isn't that bad. We'll see if we can't get it going.

6:35 p.m. - Comments from Dale Earnhardt Jr., who qualified fourth for Sunday's Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race:

That was a good lap. We worked really hard in practice to get the National Guard/Amp Energy Chevy as good as we could and it paid off. Lance (McGrew, crew chief) and the guys did a great job.

6:25 p.m. - Comments from Ryan Newman, who qualified third for Sunday's Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race:

(Why did so many drivers break the track record?) Mother Nature is following us in the form of rain andit seems like it's been cool for qualifying almost every time. If it had been sunny, it would have been a bigger difference depending on where you drew.

(Does this give you confidence going into Sunday's race after the start you've had this season ?) What happened to us was poor luck; we got crashed at Daytona and we lost an engine there at California. It's tough but we know where we were at at this time last year and it's about the same spot. We've run a lot better than we did last year. I'm very confident for Sunday's race. We only get to come to places like here and Kansas and Indy one time each year so you're gambling when you have nothing to go off of (like we did with a new team lastyear). To come here with the experience of qualifying good last year and then improving this year, I think that we've done some good things.

6:10 p.m. - Comments from Jeff Gordon, who qualified second for Sunday's Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race:

We're real happy. Obviously, we would have liked to have been on the pole but Kurt had a great lap there. I felt like we got a little bit free off of (Turn) four and that might have been the difference. But all in all, it was a great, great day for us and we look forward to Sunday's race.

(Eighteen drivers broke the track record today. Why was is so much faster?) Tires. There are some new tires. Goodyear brought a different tire ... and it's definitely the tire. The teams do a great job creating a little bit more power this year and we found ways to make the cars a little bit faster but the majority of what happened today was the tires.

We made two, maybe three short race runs (in practice), which is sort of what we're going to do this year and it certainly paid off today. The car felt real good. I felt like we were missing a little bit of speed at the beginning of the run, but it felt like it was really solid looking at the times on the fifth lap. But then we went into qualifying trim and made qualifying runs. But you've still got to qualify. You've got to qualify up front. Track position is important. We'll just wait and see what happens tomorrow.

5:50 p.m. - Comments from Kurt Busch, who won the pole for Sunday's Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race:

KURT BUSCH: It was really an unexpected lap. Looking back at some of the decisions that (crew chief) Steve Addington made, just looking at our notebook, I'm following his direction on some of the key things that maybe I've been missing with the COT. To get a pole with the COT - this is my first one, I think, with this new car. It's been that long. I'm stoked and to do it here in my hometown of Vegas is really exciting to me.

(On taking the track record held by younger brother Kyle.) It's just neat sitting on the pole. Over time, things sink in and get better with time. Kyle's had great success here in Vegas and I've now got the right guy in my camp. It seems like Steve Addington definitely has his game on here at this track. I just hope that bleeds over to Sunday. To have the track record, that's cool. Next year could be better conditions for qualifying and track records are meant to be broken but to sit on it for 365 more days, we'll take it.

(What was the difference between this year and last year, when you qualified second?) You never know howfast your car can go sometimes. You go off the confidence that you see around you, which is the other guys going just in front of you. You base it off track conditions and today, the track conditions were ideal and we had a good pill draw. Luck always has to be on your side when you have a pole or when you have things go your way.

(How confident are you for Sunday's race?) We just hope that we find the right combination to make our tires last, to make the handling right and to be there when it counts Sunday.

(How special would it be to win in your hometown?) You can't count your chickens before they hatch but this would be a special win. It's hard to talk about it and play ‘what if' in m ymind. It would be even much more special this time around because mom issitting at home - she couldn't make the trip out this year with the surgery she had, but I know she'll be rooting us on sitting at home and I know she's pushing for both the 18 (Kyle) and the 2. It's the people that make it special to me. You always remember the people that helped you get to where I've gotten i nracing and when I get to see them again coming back to Vegas, it's just fun seeing everybody and being busy.

It's good to be up front because you get the first pit-box position, as far as choice. I'm a bit giddy and celebrating right now but we've got our job to do, which is a full 400 miles and I hope I find myself in position towards the endof the race - which means elbows up, feeling nervous and racing my Miller Lite Dodge for all it's got at lap 267.

5:20 p.m. - Kurt Busch, a Las Vegas native, captured the pole for Sunday's Shelby American with a track-record lap of 188.719 mph. Jeff Gordon (188.646) will start on the outside of the front row. Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch rounded out the top five.

4:58 p.m. - Danica Patrick stopped by the media center this afternoon to talk about her progress as she prepares for her third NASCAR Nationwide Series start in Saturday's Sam's Town 300.

Patrick, who will be taking a break from NASCAR after this weekend to concentrate on IndyCar racing, said she is getting more comfortable in her No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet. Patrick was 23rd fastest in Friday's first practice and slipped to 25th in the final practice.

"We had a better day out there in the GoDaddy car than we did last weekend - it was a little bit of a struggle at Fontana," she said. "I think that (crew chief Tony Eury Jr.) is just starting to learn my style and the things that I need when I arrive at a track for the very first time to give me confidence and help me drive the car into the corner hard.

"We pretty much spent the first and second session just getting the car to rotate more and more and more and more all the time. I'm pleased. I wish we were a little quicker because until you're up at the top, you're not satisfied. We're inching up on it and I'm feeling much more comfortable in the car than I did last weekend."

As far as the media attention she has been receiving, Patrick called it "mildly superficial" and said she is not taking it too seriously.

"I'm grateful for it now," she said. "It's great for the sport, it's great for me and it's great for the sponsors. I am having fun while I'm doing it but you just can't get too addicted to it because there's the other side of it where it goes away."

4:05 p.m. - Jimmie Johnson says he has no resentment for the media and fan attention that has been showered upon Danica Patrick since she decided to try her hand at NASCAR racing. What Johnson would like to have seen, however, was Patrick get a little more experience in stock cars before attempting her first Nationwide Series race.

"As a community, she couldn't have been more welcomed in a better way," Johnson said. "Drivers, competitors - everyone - has been excited to see her come to NASCAR and to be apart of it.

"I think where a lot of fear comes in is that it would have been really good for her to run in a couple seasons of Late Models, more ARCA races, more truck races before (she) even gets to Nationwide. It is a very competitive sport and you hate to have this great opportunity, the spotlight that's on her, and then for her to not run well. That's been the big risk in my eyes all along."

Johnson said his concern was that Patrick's star power in NASCAR could fade is she fails in her attempt to make the move to stock-car racing. Patrick will be making her third career Nationwide Series start in Saturday's Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

"She is going to draw a ton of media attention and we need to take advantage of this and ride that horse as far as we can," he said. "But if we beat the horse to death before it completes the first lap and she's up to speed and knows what she's doing, it's going to be bad for all of us.

"As she finishes -- I guess this is her final race for a while in a stock car - (if) she can find a way to go and drive ARCA races or test or practice - even go race Late Models ... I think that's what she needs to do to speed up the (learning) curve to take advantage of this great opportunity she has in our sport."

1:30 p.m. - Paul Menard posted the fastest lap in Friday's first NASCAR Nationwide Series practice session for Saturday's Sam's Town 300. Menard topped the speed chart with a lap at 179.868 mph and was followed by Greg Biffle (179.313) and Carl Edwards (178.772).

Danica Patrick, making her Las Vegas Motor Speedway debut, was 23rd fastest among the 50 drivers who took part in the session. Las Vegas natives Kyle Busch and Brendan Gaughan were fourth and 24th, respectively.

1:25 p.m. - With rain in the forecast for Saturday, which could jeopardize the two Sprint Cup Series practice sessions for Sunday's Shelby American race, most teams and drivers are altering their preparations for today's qualifying by concentrating on race setups rather than qualifying setups.

At least one driver, 2008 LVMS race winner Carl Edwards, said that change might turn out to be a benefit to the No. 99 team.

"It might help us," Edwards said Friday morning. "It seems like the harder we try, the slower we go. Right now, what we're focused on -- what Drew (Blickensderfer) has been working on and what Bob (Osborne) have been working on -- what everyone has been working on -- is trying to figure out what we're missing.

"The more time we can get to practice race stuff the better and I think that, in a way, not having to focus on qualifying is a little bit of a blessing. We can try some things we've been wanting to try because, let's face it, we've got to get better and we've got to get faster and this track is representative of a lot of the ones we'll be racing at this season that are going to make a difference."

Edwards opened the season with a ninth-place finish in the Daytona 500 and a 13th-place showing last weekend at California Speedway.

11:45 a.m. - Good morning from Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the first of three days of on-track action leading up to the 13th running of the Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race and the 14th annual Sam's Town 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series event.

The Nationwide Series drivers are on the track for their first practice and, 40 minutes into the session, Greg Biffle sits atop the speed chart with a fast lap of 179.313 mph.

The weather is pleasant with a temperature of 57 degrees under mostly sunny skies with little chance of rain predicted for this afternoon. Practice for the Shelby America is scheduled to begin at noon (PST) while qualifying will start at 3:40.

Check back here often throughout the day and the weekend, as we'll be updating this blog with news, stats and plenty of driver interviews.