Commonwealth Clash at Lernerville Speedway

Commonwealth Clash at Lernerville Speedway Quickly Approaching for the World of Outlaws on Saturday, September 25

Sarver, PA-August 31, 2010- With the races on the 2010 World of Outlaws schedule rapidly clicking off, every race and every lap for that matter is of the utmost important, as Joey Saldana, 20-time series champion Steve Kinser and Jason Meyers are waging one of the best title fights in series history. That battle will come to Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pennsylvania on Saturday, September 25 for the Commonwealth Clash as the best sprint car drivers in the world will take to the always racy four-tenths-mile with $10,000 awaiting the winner.

Saldana, who leads the series standings, was victorious in the finale of the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville back in July, while Meyers had the most consistent night of the title contenders during the Twin 30′s, coming home fifth in the opener and third in the finale. He has won a couple of times in his career at the track. Kinser, who ran into some bad luck during the Silver Cup, has 17 career wins at Lernerville with the World of Outlaws to lead all drivers.

The trio is currently separated by just 38 total points, with Saldana leading Kinser by 26 markers, with Meyers third, only 12 points out of second. Saldana leads the series in wins with 12 through August 28, while Kinser leads the series with 47 Top-10, finishes with both drivers tied with 32 Top-Fives to lead the series, while Meyers has set fast time on eight occasions this season to lead the trio of title contenders.

When the World of Outlaws invade Lernerville Speedway for the Commonwealth Clash on Saturday, September 25 just seven events will remain on the season, which culminate with the World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, November 4-6.

Donny Schatz, the four-time and defending World of Outlaws champion, who is currently fourth in points, won the Commonwealth Clash in 2003, when the event was held in the spring. He is also a three-time winner of the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup, capturing that honor again season.

Jason Sides, who is fifth in points nearly won the opener of the Silver Cup last year and was third and sixth in the Twin 30′s this season as he looks for his first win at the track.

Danny Lasoski, the 2001 World of Outlaws champion, won for the first time in his career at Lernerville in 2009 and also claimed the overall Silver Cup title last year.

Also in action at the Commonwealth Clash will be veteran Craig Dollansky, who finished second in the finale of the Silver Cup in July, Paul McMahan, who drives for Kasey Kahne Racing, Lucas Wolfe, who hails from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, third generation driver Kraig Kinser, young gun Sam Hafertepe Jr., Hall of Famer Jac Haudenschild, veteran Chad Kemenah, and rookie contenders Ben Gregg and Toni Lutar.

A strong contingent of drivers from Western Pennsylvania will contend with the World of Outlaws in the Commonwealth Clash including: Tim Shaffer, who won the 2010 Knoxville Nationals, along with multi-time Lernerville titlist Ed Lynch Jr., Brian Ellenberger, the reigning World of Outlaws Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award winner and Danny Holtgraver, the newly crowned 2010 Lernerville track champion.

IZOD INDYCAR KENTUCKY

The race for IZOD IndyCar Series championship visits the second of
four 1.5-mile ovals to end the season with the Kentucky Indy 300
at Kentucky Speedway. Mario Andretti Road Champion Will Power
has led the overall championship since the beginning of the season
and proved he is quick on the ovals at Chicagoland, but
Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Dario Franchitti
narrowed Power’s points lead with his Chicagoland win.
Can Franchitti, who leads the A.J Foyt Oval Championship
but has never finished on the podium at Kentucky,
continue to close the overall points gap?
Kentucky hosts 200

thIZOD IndyCar Series event Kentucky Speedway,
one of the IZOD IndyCar Series’ longest standing tracks,
will play host to the 200th event in series history this weekend.
In the previous 199 events,there have been 86

IZOD IndyCar Series races with a
margin of victory of less than one second.
The first race was Jan. 27, 1996, at Walt Disney World Speedway
(Buzz Calkins winner) and the 100th race was Aug. 29, 2004,
at Nazareth Speedway (Dan Wheldon winner).
Briscoe looks for two in a row
Ryan Briscoe hopes to score Team Penske’s third win at
Kentucky Speedway at a track that’s been very good to him of late.
The Australian nipped Ed Carpenter to win last year
and has started from pole
at every 1.5-mile track this season.
Can Briscoe translate his qualifying pace
into another win at Kentucky.
Is Helio King of Kentucky?
Helio Castroneves has finished in the top 10 seven times i
n his eight previous starts
at Kentucky, but has never visited Victory Lane at the 1.5-mile oval.
Can Castroneves, who nearly won the race in 2008
and finished fourth at
Kentucky last year, finally claim his first Kentucky win?
Carpenter hopes to improve on 2009 finish
Ed Carpenter returns to Kentucky Speedway,
hoping to improve upon
his career-best second-place finish. Carpenter, running selected events with
Panther/Vision Racing, has shown he can race
with the frontrunners in his
two starts this season. Can he finally put together a full 200 laps at
Kentucky and claim his first IZOD IndyCar Series win?
Franchitti, Power take points battle to Kentucky

Andretti Autosport looks for another strong weekend:
Rookie race heats up
Dale Coyne Racing’s Alex Lloyd took control of the
Rookie of the Year standings with strong performances on the o
vals but Simona de Silvestro’s success on road courses h
as tightened up the race. Lloyd, the 2007 Firestone Indy Lights champion,
leads Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year de Silvestro by 11 points.

After placing three cars in the top 10 at Chicagoland Speedway,
Andretti Autosport returns to Kentucky hoping to duplicate its success. T
he team has put at least one car on the podium in each of the last three races and won t
e race in 2007 with Tony Kanaan. Can Kanaan, Marco Andretti, Danica Patrick or Ryan Hunter-Reay bring the team back to the front?

Previewing the World of Outlaws at Cottage Grove Speedway

Previewing the World of Outlaws at Cottage Grove Speedway

Cottage Grove, OR-August 31, 2010- Everything happens fast at the high-banked ¼-mile at Cottage Grove Speedway, which is one of just two tracks on the World of Outlaws circuit that boasts a single-digit track record. The Oregon facility awaits the best sprint car drivers in the world this week on Wednesday, September 1 as the 2010 Gold Rush Tour continues, with another of the best point races in series history shaping up, as just 38 markers separate leader Joey Saldana, Steve Kinser and Jason Meyers with 17 races remaining on the season. Every position will be hotly contested at the always thrilling high-banked bullring with a very strong contingent of drives expected.

Jason Meyers, who is currently third in points, just 38 markers out of the lead was victorious at Cottage Grove Speedway last season after nearly winning a couple of times prior at the track. He has six Top-10 finishes with the series at the track in eight starts, with four of those being Top-Five performances. The California native won last weekend in Edmonton to score his ninth A-Feature triumph of 2010 as he chases his first series title.

Joey Saldana won at Cottage Grove Speedway in 2007, the same year he set the new track record of 9.991 seconds in qualifying. He has seven career Top-10 finishes in nine starts at the ¼-mile bullring. The second generation driver leads the World of Outlaws in wins this season with 12, including last weekend in Canada and is currently on top of the standings as he too chases his first title.

Steve Kinser, who is just 26 points out of the lead in the series standings, has won three times at Cottage Grove Speedway in his career, with the most recent coming in 2003. The 20-time series champion has 12 career Top-10 finishes in 14 starts with nine Top-Five finishes at the ¼-mile bullring. He leads the series with 47 Top-10 finishes this season along with 32 Top-Fives.

Donny Schatz, the four-time and defending World of Outlaws champion, was victorious at Cottage Grove Speedway in 2008 and has two career victories at the track. He has finished on the podium in three straight starts at the track, including coming all the way from the 20^th starting spot last season to finish. The North Dakota native has eight career Top-10 finishes at the ¼-mile in 11 starts.

Danny Lasoski has won three times at Cottage Grove Speedway with the World of Outlaws with the most recent coming in 2005. The 2001 series champion has finished in the Top-10 in all but one of his career starts at the track.

Kraig Kinser scored his first career World of Outlaws A-Feature win at Cottage Grove Speedway in 2004, battling his father Steve for the victory, with the pair coming home one/two.

The World of Outlaws competed for the first time at Cottage Grove Speedway in 1994 and have contested 14 A-Feature events at the track over that span, with nine different drivers picking up win. There has been a different winner in each of the series last six races at the track.

The Buzz:

• Jason Meyers looks to make it two wins in a row at Cottage Grove Speedway and also looks to gain even more ground in the World of Outlaws standings as he did last year during the Gold Rush Tour.

• Steve Kinser is tied for the lead with three wins at Cottage Grove Speedway and is the only driver that has competed in all 14 races the series had held at the track.

• Danny Lasoski is tied with Steve Kinser for the series lead with three wins at Cottage Grove and has finished in the Top-10 in 10 of his 11 career World of Outlaws starts at the track.

• Joey Saldana won at Cottage Grove in 2007 and has seven career Top-10 finishes in nine starts. He is the current track record holder, setting that mark in 2007, an event in which he swept the evening, setting fast time, winning a heat, winning the dash and winning the main event.

• Donny Schatz,

Jeg Coughlin Sr. to be inducted into International Drag Racing Hall of Fame

Jeg Coughlin Sr. to be inducted into International Drag Racing Hall of Fame

DELAWARE, Ohio (Aug. 31) — Drag racing legend Jeg Coughlin Sr. will be inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame sponsored by Lucas Oil Products on Thursday, March 10, 2011, at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center in Gainesville, Fla., prior to the start of the 42nd annual Tire Kingdom Gatornationals.

Coughlin will be joined by fellow 2011 inductees Joe Amato, Clayton Harris, Leonard Abbott, Rick Guasco, and Fred Sibley.

“It’s going to be a pretty special deal to have my name alongside some of the pioneers of our sport,” Coughlin said. “I’m humbled and honored to have been selected. I’m sure it will be a night to remember.”

Perhaps best known for the mail order high performance parts business that bears his name, Coughlin was a successful drag racer in his day, competing and winning trophies in a myriad of categories, including Top Fuel, Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Pro Stock, A-Gas Supercharged, D-Gas Supercharged, C Stock, C Gas, Modified Eliminator, Pro Comp, and Super Eliminator.

It was Coughlin’s love of the drags from which JEGS Automotive was born, as the young racer originally tried to fill his own need for high performance parts only to discover the huge hole to the Midwest market for hot rod specialty items. Before long, Coughlin’s success on the drag strip led to so many inquiries from his friends and rivals that he felt compelled to start his business. Now celebrating it’s 50th anniversary, JEGS is run by Coughlin’s four sons — John, Troy, Mike, and Jeg Jr.

“I hope all the boys and their families can come to this event because I truly feel like they’re just as important to this whole process as anything I’ve done by myself,” Coughlin said. “Gosh, it’s really something to be thought of as someone worthy of being put in the Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

“You know, you don’t set out thinking about something like this. You just kind of live your life and try to do your best, treat people well, and do the right things along the way.”

After the ceremony, Coughlin will be permanently enshrined at the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in nearby Ocala, Fla.

Named as one of the top 10 drag racers of all time, Amato was the first Top Fuel pilot to capture five championships and more than 50 victories. Harris also shined in the early days of Top Fuel racing, while Abbott made his biggest impact on the sport when he invented the Lenco transmission. Guasco was one of the first successful Fuel-Altered racers and Sibley gained notoriety in his incredible line of jet cars.

WORLD OF OUTLAWS 2010 BY THE NUMBERS

There have been 53 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events this season.

A-Feature winners (17 Different Drivers) Driver, Hometown – Wins1- Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Indiana- 12

2- Jason Meyers, Clovis, California- 9

3- Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Indiana- 7

4- Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tennessee – 4

5- Craig Dollansky, Elk River, Minnesota – 3

Donny Schatz, Fargo, North Dakota- 3

6- Lance Dewease, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania – 2

Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, Ohio – 2

Brooke Tatnell, San Souci, NSW, Australia – 2

Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tennessee – 2

7- Dale Blaney, Hartford, Ohio – 1

Doug Esh, Lancaster, Pennsylvania – 1

Greg Hodnett, Thomasville, Pennsylvania – 1

Chad Layton, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – 1

Paul McMahan, Nashville, Tennessee – 1

Fred Rahmer, Salfordville, Pennsylvania – 1

Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania – 1

Track Records established in 2010 World of Outlaws events (9)

*Tim Kaeding, March 5, Thunderbowl Raceway (1/3-mile), Tulare, California, 12.651 seconds at 94.759 mph

*Lucas Wolfe, March 13, Houston Raceway Park, (1/4-mile), Baytown, Texas, 11.561 seconds at 77.848 miles per hour

*Kasey Kahne, March 19, Volunteer Speedway (4/10-mile), Bulls Gap, Tennessee, 10.258 seconds at 140.378 mph.

*Sam Hafertepe Jr., May 1, Jackson Speedway (1/2-mile), Jackson, Minnesota, 15.601 seconds at 115.377 mph.

*Joey Saldana, May 22, I-96 Speedway (1/2-mile), Lake Odessa, Michigan, 14.834 seconds at 121.343 mph.

*Lucas Wolfe, June 25, Junction Motor Speedway (3/8-mile), McCool Junction, Nebraska 14.184 seconds at 95.178 mph.

*Lucas Wolfe, July 27, Autodrome Drummond (4/10-mile), Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, 13.788 seconds at 104.439 mph.

*Kraig Kinser, July 30, Ohsweken Speedway (3/8-mile), Ohsweken, Ontario, Canada, 12.047 seconds at 112.061 mph.

*Sam Hafertepe Jr., August 3, Fulton Speedway (3/8-mile), Fulton, New York, 13.240 seconds at 101.964 mph.

At a Glance: Gold Rush Tour Cottage Grove SpeedwaySkagit Speedway & Grays Harbor Raceway

At a Glance: Gold Rush Tour through the Pacific Northwest at Cottage Grove Speedway, Skagit Speedway & Grays Harbor Raceway

Concord, NC-August 30, 2010-

 WHAT•The Gold Rush Tour continues for the World of Outlaws this week with four races over a six-day period at three tracks in the always scenic Pacific Northwest, beginning on Wednesday, September 1 at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon. The series then heads north to Skagit Speedway in Washington, on Friday, September 3 and Saturday, September 4, before spending Labor Day at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington on Monday, September 6. Entering the week, Joey Saldana leads Steve Kinser by 26 points in the series standings, with Jason Meyers third only 38 markers back. Meyers is the defending race winner at Cottage Grove Speedway and won the finale at Skagit Speedway last year, while Saldana was victorious in the opener Skagit in 2009.

WHEN•On Wednesday, September 1 at Cottage Grove Speedway, the pit gates will open at 2 p.m. Pacific, with the grandstand gates opening at 3 p.m. Pacific with hot laps set for 6 p.m. Pacific, with time trails to follow. Racing is set for 7 p.m. Pacific

•On Friday, September 3 at Skagit Speedway, the pit gates will open at 2 p.m. Pacific, with the grandstand gates opening at 5 p.m. Pacific and hot laps are set for 6 p.m. Pacific with time trials to follow. Racing is set for 7 p.m. Pacific. 

•On Saturday, September 4 at Skagit Speedway, the pit gates will open at 2 p.m. Pacific, with the grandstand gates opening at 5 p.m. Pacific and hot laps are set for 6 p.m. Pacific with time trials to follow. Racing is set for 7 p.m. Pacific. 

•On Monday, September 6 at Grays Harbor Raceway, the pit gates will open at 1:30 p.m. Pacific, with the grandstand gates opening at 3:30 p.m. Pacific with hot laps set for 5 p.m. Pacific, with time trials to follow and racing is set for 6;30 p.m. Pacific. 

WHERE

• Cottage Grove Speedway is located in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Take I-5 to exit 174, then one block south on Gateway, then one block south on North 19 ^th St., then right for 0.3 mile on Ostrander Lane, then 0.4 mile north on Douglas.

• Skagit Speedway is located in Alger, Washington, From the North, take I-5 South to the Lake Samish Road Exit 240 towards Alger. Turn left on Lake Samish Road. Go 1 mi to Old Highway 99 N. Turn right on Old Highway 99 N, go 3.3 miles. From the South, exit 232. Then north from the Cook Rd. Shell on Hyw 99 approx. 5 miles.

• Grays Harbor Raceway is located in Elma, Washington, just minutes from Olympia and Aberdeen on Hwy 12 on the grounds of the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds.

TICKETS

• On Wednesday, September 1 at Cottage Grove Speedway, tickets in the grandstand will be $40, with tickets for kids ages 3-12 $20. For more information on tickets visit http://www.cottagegrovespeedway.com or call the track at 541-942-7561.

•On Friday, September 3 at Skagit Speedway, Adults tickets (ages 18-64) will be $35, with tickets for Seniors (ages 64-over), Juniors (ages 7-17) and Military $25, with tickets for children (6-under) $10. For more information and to purchase tickets call the track office at 360) 724-3567.

•On Saturday, September 4 at Skagit Speedway, Adults tickets (ages 18-64) will be $35, with tickets for Seniors (ages 64-over), Juniors (ages 7-17) and Military $25, with tickets for children (6-under) $10. For more information and to purchase tickets call the track office at 360) 724-3567.

•On Monday, September 6 at Grays Harbor Raceway, reserved tickets will be $38, with premium tickets also available. To purchase tickets online visit: http://graysharborraceway.ticketforce.com.

 ABOUT THE TRACKS

•Cottage Grove Speedway is a high-banked 1/4-mile. The track record of 9.991 seconds at 90.081 mph was established by Joey Saldana on August 29, 2007.

•Skagit Speedway is a high-banked three-tenths-mile. The track record of 10.872 seconds at 99.338 mph was established by Jason Sides on September 4, 2009

•Grays Harbor Raceway is a high-banked 3/8-mile. The track record of 11.915 seconds was established by Craig Dollansky on Aug. 27, 2004 

.PREVIOUS WINNERS

World of Outlaws A-Feature winners at Cottage Grove Speedway include:

JOHN FORCE RACING NOTE BOOK

Castrol/JFR 25^th Anniversary Flashback:

            Qualifying for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, drag racing’s marquee event, has been feast or famine for the sport’s marquee personality, John Force. 

            Although the driver of the Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang has started from the No. 1 qualifying position 11 times, more than he has in any other event in the Full Throttle Series, he also has failed to make the starting lineup four times, most recently in 2007 and 2008.

            Moreover, Force hasn’t won the Labor Day event since 2002 when he needed all his starting line skills to beat Tommy Johnson Jr. on reaction time the final round. 

            Force’s U.S. Nationals highlights include “double-up” victories in both 1993 and 1996, years in which a Funny Car bonus race was contested at ORP in conjunction with the Labor Day classic. 

            In addition to his four U.S. Nationals titles, Force won six times (1987, 1990, 1993, 2000, 2006) in the Funny Car bonus race that began life as the Big Bud Shootout and ended it in 2008 as the U.S. Smokeless Showdown.

EVENT OVERVIEW:

            Robert “Top Gun” Hight hopes that history repeats itself this weekend. Who can blame him insomuch as he begins defense of his Full Throttle Funny Car Championship in a Mac Tools U.S. Nationals event in which he has reached the final round each of the last four years and in which his team has appeared in the finals five of the last six seasons.

            Winner of the world’s oldest, largest and richest drag race in 2006 and 2008, Hight starts his latest title bid for the $500,000 Full Throttle Championship in a far better position than he began his last.

            The 41-year-old driver of the Automobile Club of Southern California Ford Mustang will roll onto the concrete and asphalt at O’Reilly Raceway Park 30 points down to boss, teammate and father-in-law John Force, who won the regular season championship (determined in the first 17 races) by a single point.

            Last year, Hight grabbed the 10^th and final starting position on the final day of the regular season before going on a three-wins-in-six-races rampage that delivered a 16^th Funny Car championship to John Force Racing, Inc.

            Meanwhile, Hight’s other teammate, defending U.S. Nationals champion Ashley Force Hood, is hoping to follow his 2009 path. A three-time tour winner, Force Hood begins the Countdown from the No. 8 position – 90 points behind her father and 60 back of her brother-in-law.

            One of only a handful of drivers to have won the U.S. Nationals in two different racing categories (Funny Car and Top Alcohol Dragster), Ashley returns to ORP still looking for her first win of the 2009 season. She’s been close (losing in final rounds at Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, Ga.) but has not yet closed the deal in a season in which she’s started from No. 1 four times.

            As for Force, he is back in legitimate contention for a championship for the first time since winning his 14^th title in 2006. After a debilitating 2007 crash followed by two mediocre campaigns, the 61-year-old has appeared in a category-high seven final rounds this year with four wins in a revitalized Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang.          

* * * *

JFR RACING HISTORY AT O’REILLY RACEWAY PARK:

            Wins – 9, four by John Force for Castrol GTX High Mileage (1993, 1996, 1998, 2002); one by Gary Densham for the Auto Club of Southern California (2004); two by Robert Hight for the Auto Club of Southern California (2006, 2008); two by Ashley Force Hood for Castrol GTX (2004, in Top Alcohol Dragster; 2009 in Funny Car).

            Last year – Ashley Force Hood became the first woman in Mac Tools U.S. Nationals history to win the Funny Car championship as well as the first to win the world’s largest, richest and most prestigious event in two different categories. In the final round, she beat teammate, brother-in-law and eventual Full Throttle Champion Robert “Top Gun” Hight, who qualified No. 1 and took his Auto Club Ford to the finals for the fourth straight time.

            Notable #1 – Ashley Force Hood earned her first national event victory when she won the Top Alcohol Dragster title at the 2004 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals the same year that Gary Densham won the Funny Car title for John Force Racing, Inc.

            Notable #2 – Crew chief Jimmy Prock has put a Funny Car in the final round five of the last six years at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, winning with Gary Densham in 2004 and Robert Hight in 2006 and 2008.  

* * * *

CHAMP HIGHT EXCITED ABOUT COUNTDOWN LAUNCH IN INDY

 CHAMP HIGHT EXCITED ABOUT COUNTDOWN LAUNCH IN INDY

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (August 30, 2010) — It is recognized as the biggest and most prestigious race on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. This year the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals will also take on an additional air of importance as the first race of the Countdown to 1. As if there wasn’t enough pressure to win one of the most historic races now driver’s turn up the heat to start their championship dreams on the right foot with a win at O’Reilly Raceway Park. For Robert Hight the defending NHRA Funny Car champion rolling into Indy this year has a comfortable and excited feeling.

“I’m definitely excited about going into the Countdown this year. Last year, [I] just barely made it and I still really believe we owe that to John Force and his making a lot of changes with our team right at the end before the regular season was over. He shuffled things around, it got the crew chiefs’ minds right and we went back to basics. We used the ‘One Ford’ approach and got all the cars on the same page and working together and we carried that philosophy into this year,” said the four time 2010 winner.

During the regular season Hight and Force battled for the top spot and Hight came up one point short in his quest to have the points lead going into Labor Day and the final six races of the season.

“John moved Mike Neff around, put him in charge over there. They basically duplicated our Auto Club Mustang and as you can see the first 17 races, John and my car, we were just winning four races each and ended up one point apart. I think we learned a lot. That one point also makes us think that in the next six races, every run we make, every qualifying run, there’s points available and we have to make the most of everything if we want one of these Ford Mustangs to win. I still owe it to John Force for making all of this happen and shuffling people around and making the right calls.”

“We also have the 2010 Ford Mustang body that I believe is definitely more efficient aerodynamically. John and Ashley have both gone 316 miles an hour this year, so we owe a lot to them and their engineers for giving us the best equipment to go out there and compete with. I’ve been in finals at the last four Indys so I’m looking forward to going back to Indy this year.”  

For Hight starting the Countdown in Indy is something that he is looking forward to because of the history of the event.

“This is biggest race we have all year long. This is the grand daddy of them all. We’ve all had good luck here. It was exciting racing Ashley in the final last year. It doesn’t get much better than that, to have two Force Ford Mustangs in the final. Don Garlits once told me that because I had won Indy I could retire now. I want to win championships though. I want to win more Indys and more championships. This is a great place to start the Countdown and we have had good luck there,” added Hight.

“The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals start out Friday night, one run under the lights and you have got to get that run in and you have got to be quick. You are going to see less than a tenth of a second from number one to number 16 in Funny Car at US Nationals. Every run counts. It is an exciting time for us. On Thursday we have an all Ford car show at the shop in Indy, an open house to kick off the US Nationals. It is going to be very busy the next week and a half for John Force Racing.”

Hight has appeared in the past four finals in a row picking up wins in 2006 and 2008. John Force Racing has had tremendous success at O’Reilly Raceway Park. If the pattern holds true it could be a successful start for one of the three John Force Racing drivers. For the past decade a JFR driver has won the U.S. Nationals on the even numbered years, John Force (2002), Gary Densham (2004), Hight (2006 and 2008). 

NHRA FULL THROTTLE STANDINGS

Current Standings – Top Fuel Class

After 29th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals – Aug 12 – Aug 15, 2010

Rank	Driver	Points	Behind
1	Larry Dixon	1639	-
2	Cory McClenathan	1359	280
3	Tony Schumacher	1346	293
4	Doug Kalitta	1243	396
5	Antron Brown	1180	459
6	Brandon Bernstein	1109	530
7	Shawn Langdon	815	824
8	Morgan Lucas	758	881
9	Steve Torrence	704	935
10	David Grubnic	682	957

Current Standings – Funny Car Class

After 29th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals – Aug 12 – Aug 15, 2010

Rank	Driver	Points	Behind
1	John Force	1250	-
2	Robert Hight	1249	1
3	Jack Beckman	1155	95
4	Matt Hagan	1136	114
5	Ron Capps	1048	202
6	Tim Wilkerson	1035	215
7	Bob Tasca III	1016	234
8	Ashley Force Hood	984	266
9	Del Worsham	929	321
10	Tony Pedregon	764	486

Current Standings – Pro Stock Class

After 29th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals – Aug 12 – Aug 15, 2010

Rank	Driver	Points	Behind
1	Mike Edwards	1631	-
2	Allen Johnson	1303	328
3	Jeg Coughlin	1227	404
4	Greg Anderson	1095	536
5	Jason Line	931	700
6	Shane Gray	857	774
7	Ron Krisher	847	784
8	Greg Stanfield	804	827
9	Johnny Gray	792	839
10	Rodger Brogdon	728	903

Current Standings – Pro Stock Motorcycle Class

After 29th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals – Aug 12 – Aug 15, 2010

Rank	Driver	Points	Behind
1	Andrew Hines	903	-
2	Hector Arana	890	13
3	Michael Phillips	778	125
4	Matt Smith	759	144
5	Steve Johnson	699	204
6	Eddie Krawiec	597	306
7	LE Tonglet	584	319
8	David Hope	574	329
9	Karen Stoffer	543	360
10	Craig Treble	508	395

IZOD INDYCAR STANDINGS

Current Standings

After Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 – Sat, 08/28/10

Rank	Driver	Points	Behind
1	Will Power	528	-
2	Dario Franchitti	505	23
3	Scott Dixon	443	85
4	Ryan Briscoe	406	122
5	Helio Castroneves	398	130
6	Ryan Hunter-Reay	392	136
7	Tony Kanaan	360	168
8	Marco Andretti	319	209
9	Justin Wilson	316	212
10	Dan Wheldon	309	219
11	Danica Patrick	275	253
12	Vitor Meira	257	271
13	Alex Tagliani	254	274
14	Mario Moraes	253	275
15	Raphael Matos	251	277
16	EJ Viso	225	303
17	Alex Lloyd	219	309
18	Hideki Mutoh	209	319
19	Simona De Silvestro	208	320
20	Graham Rahal	179	349
21	Takuma Sato	174	354
22	Bertrand Baguette	168	360
23	Mario Romancini	149	379
24	Milka Duno	148	380
25	Mike Conway	110	418
26	Tomas Scheckter	73	455
27	Sarah Fisher	68	460
28	Paul Tracy	61	467
29	Ana Beatriz	45	483
30	Jay Howard	44	484
31	John Andretti	35	493
32	Ed Carpenter	32	496
33	Davey Hamilton	26	502
34	JR Hildebrand	26	502
35	Adam Carroll	26	502
36	Francesco Dracone	24	504
37	Townsend Bell	18	510
38	Bruno Junqueira	13	515