Force a ‘Dark Horse’ at Mac Tools U.S. Nationals

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – What’s this?  John Force, the world’s premier drag racer, characterized as no more than a darkhorse at this week 57th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the world’s premier drag race?

 Well, what other figurative or literal label would you put on the 62-year-old icon?  On the one hand, he’s driving a special edition, black-and-yellow – that’s right, black-and-yellow, not green-and-white – Castrol GTX® High Mileage™ Ford Mustang, a real “dark horse” that celebrates his most recent NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car championship.

 On the other, while he is coming off a largely forgettable performance two weeks ago at Brainerd, Minn., one in which he squandered one qualifying run simply because he couldn’t get his race car in gear, he is still  John Force, winner of 133 NHRA tour events and 15 championships, and the one guy you would never count out completely on the sport’s biggest stage.

 Furthermore, his middle-of-the-pack season belies the fact that he returns this week at the wheel of the very car that won the last two U.S. Nationals titles with his daughter, Ashley Force Hood, at the controls.

 The car swap occurred after Force Hood announced her pregnancy last January, a pregnancy that resulted in the birth of Force’s first grandson, Jacob John Hood.

 In response to his daughter’s leave of absence, Force moved over one pit spot to hook up Ashley’s crew anc crew chiefs Dean “Guido” Antonelli and Ron Douglas while Mike Neff stayed with the Ford in which Force won last year’s championship.

 “It took me 15 years to win Indy (1993),” Force said.  “My kid came out here and won her first year (in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, 2004) and then she won back-to-back in Funny Car.  That’s something I’ve never even done.  So I know I’ve got a good hot rod, a good team and good crew chiefs.

 “We’ve struggled a little,” Force said, reflecting on a season in which he’s one only one time — at Denver, Colo., “but this is Indy.  We tested last week and we’ll be ready for Indy.”

 The former truck driver has won the race they call the “Big Go” four times in his career but has gone to the winners’ circle a total of 10 times at Lucas Oil Raceway when results of the now defunct Big Bud Shootout/U.S. Smokeless Showdown Funny Car bonus race are included.

 Still, history isn’t all Force has going for him this week.  If he can put Ashley’s Mustang in the winners’ circle for the third straight year, it will propel him to another competitive plateau – 1,100 NHRA round wins.

 He actually likes his chances – and not just because he is known for rising to the occasion in significant events.  He also recalls that the last time he couldn’t get his car in gear, things worked out pretty well.

 That was a year ago when, after making the obligatory burnout in the first round of the Keystone Nationals at Reading, Pa., the 15-time Auto Racing All-America selection could not get his Castrol Ford in reverse.  He had to abort the run.  Although that misstep cost him a points lead he had maintained most of the season, he rallied to win the next two races — last two events of the season — and beat Matt Hagan for the title.

 Will history repeat itself?  Well, Force always has believed in fate and destiny and kharma and being in the right place and the right time.

 “If it happens, it happens,” he said.  “We’ve got three good Fords with me and Robert Hight and Mike Neff.  We’ve got five if you count Tasca (Bob Tasca III) and (Tim) Wilkerson.

 As big as a fifth Indy win would be for the 2008 inductee into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, this time it’s about more than just one race.  It also is about generating momentum for the upcoming Countdown to 1 playoffs and, languishing as he is in seventh place, Force could use a little momentum.

 “Robert showed us that you can win from anywhere,” he said, referring to teammate and son-in-law Robert Hight’s 2009 run to the championship after making the Countdown in the No. 10 position, “but you don’t want to have to do it that way.

Neff Has Revised His Goals For Nhra Countdown

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – When he was thrust back into the cockpit of the Castrol GTX® Ford Mustang this year after Ashley Force Hood announced she was putting her driving career on hold to start a family, Mike Neff’s goal was to lock up one of the 10 starting berths in the NHRA’s Countdown to 1 playoffs beginning two weeks hence.

 However, after winning the Tire Kingdom Gatornationals at Gainesville, Fla., last March, the 44-year-old revised his game plan, rightfully believing that as driver and crew chief on the car that last year carried John Force to his 15th championship, he might have a shot at least at a top three starting position.

 Now, on the eve of the 57th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the last race before the Countdown, Neff has made another adjustment.  A four-time winner this year and the points leader after all but three races, the California native now is committed to locking up the regular season title and, then, winning it all.

 He can take the first step simply by winning one round Monday at Lucas Oil Raceway.  That would deny teammate Robert Hight any hope of claiming the No. 1 starting spot while insuring Neff a 30-point lead entering the playoffs.

 Nevertheless, a single round win in the sport’s oldest, largest, richest and most prestigious event is not Neff’s goal.

 “I’ve never won Indy as a crew chief or a driver,” he said. “I’ve probably been on the winning team five times (starting with Cruz Pedregon in 1992) but that was when I was working on the crew.

 “Indy is the big one,” said the man who’s won five tour events as a driver and 21 as a crew chief.  “Ashley won it the last two years and Robert has won it a couple times, too.  So, yeah, to win Indy would definitely be a highlight of my career.

 “I didn’t expect to be doing as well as we have,” Neff said, “but it’s really a tribute to my team and those 30 points could be huge.”

 What should frighten his rivals is that Neff has adapted so readily to double duty.  After dealing with mental and physical exhaustion early in the season, the 2008 NHRA Rookie of the Year has developed a routine that has proven manageable.

 “These are the circumstances,” Neff said of his dual responsibilities, “and you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.  It wore me out right at the beginning, especially going to the final round with a long, stressful day trying to do both.  It was stressful enough doing one or the other, and both definitely wore me out in the beginning, but I’ve kind of gotten used to it and now it doesn’t really seem that bad anymore.”

 Neff credits those around him for the improvement.

 “The secret is to hire good people and then trust them to do their jobs,” he said.  “My right hand man, John Schaffer, makes sure the maintenance is done, Danny Hood has taken on some of the things that (Austin) Coil did a year ago and Bernie (Fedderly) is the glue that holds it all together.

 “For me, actually, there’s been a lot less pressure this year,” he said.  “Last year, with John driving, everybody expected him to do good and he needed to do good.  His sponsors were wanting him to get back on track, so there was a lot of pressure.

 “The way it worked out this year with me getting thrown back in at the last minute, there really wasn’t any pressure.  It was just ‘fill in for the year and do the best you can.’  But now that we’ve done as well as we have (seven finals in 15 races) and now that we’re in the points lead, I’m starting to feel the pressure because you just don’t want to let it slip away now.

 “The Countdown is coming, and you’re just hoping that you can finish strong and keep it going.  The worst thing would be to do this well and then get to the Countdown and bomb out,” Neff said.  “So now the pressure comes from ourselves, just wanting to keep it going to the end.”

* * * *

MAC TOOLS VICTORY ON TARGET FOR AUTO CLUB TEAM

MAC TOOLS VICTORY ON TARGET FOR AUTO CLUB TEAM

BROWNSBURG, IN (August 31, 2011) — With the biggest race of the season just a few days away, the Auto Club Ford Mustang team led by driver Robert Hight and crew chief Jimmy Prock, is ready to race to another Mac Tools U.S. Nationals win. Hight has appeared in four finals with two wins but it has been two seasons since Hight held the Wally at the end of Monday’s race.

“Winning the Mac Tools US Nationals in 2006 and then again in 2008 was unbelievable. We went to four finals in a row at Indy and there are not a lot of drivers who can say that. Jimmy has been great at Indy and we are done testing. From now on we are focusing on winning races,” said Hight, a four time winner in 2011.

This season Hight has already matched his career high for wins in a season – 4 – but Hight does not want a repeat of 2010, the year he went into the Countdown with four wins only to get shut out in the six Countdown races, including Indy.

“Last year we had won four times going into the Countdown and then we didn’t win a round of racing. That was the worst and the season was saved by John Force winning the championship. This year we are done testing. We had a good session last week to get ready for this race and the Countdown. We are going to focus on getting round wins,” said Hight.

In Dallas for a media tour on Monday Hight was upbeat about his chances but also realistic in the fact that this is one of the toughest Funny Car classes in recent memory. John Force Racing has won nine times so far this season but Don Schumacher Racing competitors Jack Beckman, Ron Capps and Johnny Gray have picked up wins as has fellow Ford racer Tim Wilkerson and Jeff Arend. Hight is aware those teams can get hot down the stretch but there is one driver how has Hight’s attention.

“The one driver you have to keep your eye on is Cruz Pedregon. He has made some tremendous runs this season and gotten to a couple finals. He can get his car running with anyone at any time. You also have to respect all the DSR Funny Cars. I still like our chances when you look at the talent we have behind the wheel and in the crew chief positions. We have done pretty well at Indy and trust me we want to keep winning here.”

Continuing a John Force Racing tradition team leader John Force will race his 15X championship specialty Funny Car at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Hight remembers when he raced his 2009 Championship Funny Car at the biggest race of the season.

“I love that tradition John started with racing specialty cars at Indy and especially the Full Throttle Championship Funny Car. When I ran my 2009 Auto Club NHRA Championship Ford Mustang Funny Car that was the best feeling in the world. I have seen John’s car and it is awesome. I think the fans and sponsors will really like it.”

John Force Racing will be hosting a Summer Car Show on Thursday afternoon at the JFR shop in Brownsburg, Indiana. The shop will be open to fans from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. and drivers including Hight, John Force, Mike Neff, Courtney Force and Bob Tasca III will be signing autographs from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. Fans will be able to tour the facility, take photos and enjoy seeing the hundreds of cars on display.

####

Defending Indy champ Coughlin and his new aunt ready to race again

Defending Indy champ Coughlin and his new aunt ready to race again

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 30) — One year ago, Troy Coughlin Jr. reached a high-water mark in his brief drag racing career by driving his JEGS.com dragster to the Super Comp title of the sport’s most prestigious event — the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil.

Now T.J. is back with dreams of defending his Indy triumph, and not even his drag racing aunt Samantha, who recently joined the Coughlin clan by marrying T.J.’s uncle Jeg, is going to get in his way.

“Winning Indy was beyond anything I could have imagined,” T.J. said. “I can’t wait to get back to the track and breathe it all in again. I love that place and everything it represents.

“In order to win this race again I’m going to have to beat the best of the best, and if Aunt Sam happens to be in the other lane, well, we’ll race each other as hard as we can and see who wins. Otherwise, I’ll be her biggest fan. I can tell you she knows how to drive a racecar. She’ll be a tough draw for anyone.”

Both Coughlins have spent the majority of their track time this summer at bracket races around the country. Samantha also took some time off to marry Jeg, a five-time world champion who also loves to race at the sportsman level.

“I haven’t raced Super Comp since the Chicago race (in early July) and it really feels like it’s been ages since I’ve strapped myself in a car,” Samantha said. “I’m so excited to race this weekend and I’m completely focused on what I need to do. Some times it’s good to get out of the car for awhile so you can regain that super-high level of energy.

“Indy is a wonderful place for us because all our dearest drag racing friends will be there and we haven’t seen some of them since before the wedding (on Aug. 6) so this will be a great weekend to catch up with everyone. We’re also thrilled to support T.J. as the defending champ of the race.”

Sportsman qualifying begins at 8:30 a.m. EST, Wednesday, at Lucas Oil Raceway.

World Racing Group Mourns Passing of Motorsports Writer Jerry Reigle

World Racing Group Mourns Passing of Motorsports Writer Jerry Reigle

 

CONCORD, N.C. – Aug. 30, 2011 – The World Racing Group, World of Outlaws and DIRTcar Racing are saddened to learn of Jerry Reigle’s passing today.

An outstanding motorsports journalist with a love for Sprint Car racing, Jerry, 43, had the respect of everybody at World Racing Group for his professional reporting from his time at the Harrisburg Patriot-News to his position as Assistant Editor at Area Auto Racing News.

More than his columns and stories, Jerry was a great friend to many of us at World Racing Group. His opinions were valued, and his efforts to improve motorsports coverage, in particular the coverage of dirt track racing, were highly regarded through his work with the Eastern Motorsports Press Association.

We were first heartbroken and then inspired by his battle against cancer. Despite dire predictions, Jerry was upbeat and positive throughout his fight, never wavering from his stance that he would win. His appearances at our events were always appreciated as much for the stories he would write as for the stories we would share.

“Motorsports journalism lost one of its biggest supporters and contributors this morning in Jerry Reigle,” said Chris Dolack, WRG VP of Media/PR. “I was honored to have known him and call him a friend. I respected the way he worked and his unbiased reporting. He did things the right way and I can’t offer any higher praise than that. Even knowing him and his spirit, I was amazed how positive he remained while fighting cancer, and I’m glad he can now put down his pen and rest. He will be greatly missed.”

Details of a Celebration of Life for Jerry are being finalized. In lieu of flowers, contributions are requested to the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area, 7790 Grayson Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111 or the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing, PO Box 688, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.

JEGS /NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals

 

Team JEGS / Pre-race Notes
NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals
Lucas Oil Raceway, Indianapolis, Ind.
(August 31 – Sept. 5)

The NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis will mark the eighth race in the ten-event 2011 Get Screened America Pro Mod Series. Troy Coughlin is expected to debut his new turbocharged JEGS.com Chevy Camaro in the Pro Mod class.

Troy’s new turbocharged Camaro was built by Jerry Bickel Race Cars and features a 504-cid engine built by noted turbocharger expert Ken Duttwieler. The new car will be tuned by Jake Hairston, whose family owns the Pontiac GTO that Troy raced for the first nine events this season.

There are three events remaining in the 2011 Get Screened America Pro Mod series and Troy is fighting for a spot in the top ten. He is currently 11th, just 11 points behind tenth-ranked Melanie Troxel.

At the most recent Get Screened America Pro Mod event in Norwalk, Ohio, Troy qualified No. 12 in the field with 5.990. He went on to lose a close race against Dennis Radford in round one.

Troy finished fourth in the 2010 Get Screened America Pro Mod Series. He was the only driver to qualify for all ten events last season.

At the 2010 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Troy was the No. 4 qualifier in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Series with a strong 5.92-second run.

Troy’s first Pro Mod victory came at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in New Jersey in 2005 when as he drove his supercharged Mustang to as win over Zack Barkledge in the final round.

Troy is one of the few Pro Mod competitors who have raced all three current engine combinations; turbocharged, supercharged, and nitrous oxide assisted.

Before moving to the Pro Mod class, Troy enjoyed success in the NHRA Pro Stock class, recording two wins in 12 final round appearances. He also won the $50,000 top prize at the 2000 Winston No Bull Showdown at Bristol Dragway, a special non-points event for Pro Stock competitors.

Troy has won NHRA national event titles in three classes; Pro Stock, Pro Mod, and Super Gas. His first title came in Super Gas at the 1991 U.S. Nationals.

Troy is a former National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) Pro Street champion. While racing his Pro Street car, he also won the $50,000 Big Dog event at Piedmont Dragway in Greensboro, N.C.

In 2007, Troy became the first NHRA Pro Mod racer to win a round of competition with a turbocharged race car when he stopped Doug Palmer in Bristol, Tenn.

Troy will be joined in Indianapolis by his son, T.J., who will once again be driving his JEGS.com dragster in the Super Comp class. T.J. is the defending Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Super Comp champion.

In addition to his win at the 2010 Indy event, T.J. also won the Super Comp title in Las Vegas in 2009. In the process, he became the first third-generation Coughlin to win an NHRA national event title, joining his father, Troy, and uncles, John, Mike, and Jeg, who are all national event champions.

The JEGS Mail Order team will also be represented by Samantha Coughlin, who will be racing her JEGS.com dragster in Super Comp. Samantha, who recently married five-time NHRA champion Jeg Coughlin, Jr., is a former NHRA national event winner. She won the 2009 Norwalk event.

Samantha comes from a racing family that includes her father, Alan Kenny, and her brother, Jason, who are both past national event winners. Alan and Jason will also be in competition at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.

Collectively, the Coughlin family has won the U.S. Nationals eight times. Jeg Coughlin has four wins (three in Pro Stock and one in Super Gas). Troy, won the Super Gas title in 1991.  Mike collected two wins in the Pro Stock Truck class in 1999 and 2001 and third generation T.J. Coughlin won the Super Comp title in 2010. In addition, John Coughlin won the U.S. Nationals as a car owner in 2005 when Brad Plourd drove his JEGS Mail Order dragster to the Super Comp title.

JEGS family patriarch Jeg Coughlin Sr. drove to two U.S. Nationals finals during his career. He was runner-up in Little Eliminator in 1959 and runner-up in Pro Comp in 1975.

The Coughlin family, including John, Troy Sr., Mike, Jeg, and Troy Jr. has combined for 91 NHRA national event victories since 1990. The Coughlin’s have won in 9 different eliminators including Pro Stock, Pro Stock Truck, Pro Mod, Comp, Super Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Sportsman, and Top Dragster.

Team JEGS – By the Numbers
NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals edition

4        Troy Coughlin’s finish in the 2010 Get Screened America Pro Mod Series

8    Wins for the Coughlin family at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals

9     Number of different classes where the Coughlin family has earned an NHRA national event victory

12    Final rounds for Troy Coughlin during his NHRA Pro Stock career

91    NHRA national event victories for the Coughlin family since 1990

 

Final-round finish in Kentucky boosts Coughlin’s championship hopes

Final-round finish in Kentucky boosts Coughlin’s championship hopes

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (Aug. 29) – Mike Coughlin exited the Division 3 event at Beech Bend Raceway Park with his head held high after driving his JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt to runner-up finish in the Top Sportsman class.

Although he lost a close final-round race against his good friend, Ricky Adkins, Coughlin made a big move in the points standings as he continues his pursuit of a third North Central Division championship.

After qualifying No. 4 in the 32-car field, Coughlin used consistent 6.8-second runs to reach his third final round of the year. Coughlin and Adkins then locked horns in a memorable race that was decided by a fraction of a second at the finish line. Coughlin had a competitive .014-second reaction time and ran a 6.826 on his dial-in time of 6.81 seconds, but he was still just two-thousandths of a second — approximately five inches — behind Adkins at the finish line.

“I hate to lose any race but that one was so close, it could have gone either way,” Coughlin said. “I really can’t complain about anything this weekend. My car was absolutely flawless and I feel like I did a good job driving. I just came up a tiny bit short.

“My father [Jeg Coughlin Sr.] and [crew members] Tony Collier and Greg Cody made a few changes to the car before this race and their hard work really paid off. The car was so easy to drive. I honestly felt like I could have taken my hands off the steering wheel; it was that smooth.”

Coughlin, who earlier this year scored wins in Indianapolis and Chicago, has climbed to within one point of current leader and reigning North Central Division champion John Scali Jr. Coughlin figures to have a slight advantage as he can still gain points at three events while Scali has just two races to improve his total.

The next round of the heated battle will take place Sept. 22-25 at the upcoming JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals, to be held at National Trail Raceway in Hebron, Ohio, the home track for the JEGS Mail Order team and a longtime favorite of Coughlin. The event will take on an added importance this year as it will also include the completion of last month’s rain-delayed National Trail Raceway Division 3 Lucas Oil Series event.

“I’ve had a lot of success at National Trail Raceway and I’m very comfortable racing there so to say that I’m looking forward to the next race would be an understatement,” said Coughlin, who has won the Top Sportsman title in Hebron three of the last five years. “Winning the championship won’t be easy but we still control our own destiny. With two races in the same weekend, I believe we just need to stay consistent and continue doing what we’ve been doing and everything will be just fine.”

Sonoma effort easy at 1-2-3 for Team Penske

Sonoma effort easy at 1-2-3 for Team Penske:After the second/final round of green-flag pit stops in the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, it was apparent that Will Power would have to make a major mistake to relinquish the lead in the 75-lap race at Infineon Raceway.

Fortunately for Team Penske, Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe were running second and third if that opportunity arose. Power maintained control as he had throughout, which made clearer the roles of his teammates – remain in front of IZOD IndyCar Series championship points leader Dario Franchitti of Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

“We sort of got to a point in the race where my focus was just to hold off Dario and bring home this 1-2-3, especially on that last restart,” Briscoe said. “There was no point in trying to risk anything to make a position. My focus was entirely on keeping the Ganassi cars behind me.”

Power sliced 21 points off Franchitti’s advantage and trails by 26 heading to the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix this weekend. There are four races remaining – two each on 1.5-mile ovals and road/street courses.

“Like I said before the race, if we could finish how we started it would be a perfect weekend,” said Power, who cashed in his sixth PEAK Performance Pole Award for his series-leading fifth victory of the season. ”Now we have a legitimate shot at the championship. Two more road courses, two more ovals, we can get this.

“Great momentum for the team, and I’m just really happy for the team effort overall. To have a 1-2-3 is something we’ve been working hard on for the last two years and we finally got it.”

It was the first time Team Penske had a 1-2-3 finish since Nazareth in 1994 (Paul Tracy, Al Unser Jr. and Emerson Fittipaldi), and the eighth overall. The last time a team swept the podium in IZOD IndyCar Series competition was 2005 at St. Petersburg by then-Andretti Green Racing.

Over the seven events at Infineon Raceway, Team Penske has accumulated 12 top-five finishes (including back-to-back two victories by Power and one by Castroneves in ’08).

“This weekend was about the team doing a great job,” said Castroneves, whose two season-high runner-up finishes have been logged behind Power. “It’s very rare to have been starting 1-2-3 and finishing 1-2-3. All of us have been working really well together. The results showed up.

“For me, the race, it was great. I definitely knew Will was a little bit faster, especially from the (field-topping) warm-up. I noticed what he was capable of. Will saved enough ‘push to pass’ in the end so I couldn’t do much.”

Power tested for the group a week earlier on the 2.303-mile, 12-turn course, joining 19 other drivers. Items on the team’s list applied to all three cars, which were used to derive the baseline set-ups.

“We all sort of made variations of changes on the mechanical balance of our cars,” said Briscoe, who also tied his season-high finish. “But at this track, we’re really able to help each other a lot.

“The other big part is how we push each other, just looking at speed tracings, cornering. Having three cars, as competitive as we all are, we’re pushing each other so hard, learning from each other, trying to get ourselves a step ahead of the rest.”

For the immediate future, that’s especially true of Franchitti.

WORLD OF OUTLAWS STANDINGS

World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Points Standings, thru Aug. 27

 

 

Pos.	Driver	Total	Diff	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	QT
1	Jason Meyers	6325		4	30	39	8
2	Donny Schatz	6238	-87	6	23	39	2
3	Steve Kinser	6218	-107	7	23	37	2
4	Paul McMahan	6044	-281	3	16	33	9
5	Craig Dollansky	6025	-300	7	18	33	1
6	Jason Sides	5987	-338	4	15	30	3
7	Lucas Wolfe	5675	-650	0	7	20	0
8	Cody Darrah	5601	-724	1	6	17	0
9	Chad Kemenah	5541	-784	0	4	13	4
10	Kraig Kinser	5528	-797	0	2	15	0
11	Joey Saldana	5328	-997	4	18	25	5
12	Sammy Swindell	5202	-1123	4	17	24	6
13	Bill Rose	5112	-1213	0	1	4	0
14	Brad Sweet	3714	-2611	0	8	20	2
15	Kerry Madsen	3673	-2652	0	4	13	0
16	Ben Gregg	2723	-3602	0	1	2	0
17	Sam Hafertepe Jr.	2224	-4101	0	4	10	0
18	Daryn Pittman	1672	-4653	1	5	7	0
19	Austen Wheatley	1560	-4765	0	0	0	0
20	Terry McCarl	1496	-4829	0	1	4	0

WORLD OF OUTLAWS 2011 SEASON

Feature winners : There have been 47 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events in 2011. The winners include: Craig Dollansky – 7 (Silver Dollar Speedway on March 12, Salina Highbanks Speedway on May 3, River Cities Speedway on June 17 and 18, Dodge City Raceway Park on July 1, Lebanon Valley Speedway on July 24, I-55 Raceway on August 6); Steve Kinser – 7 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 11 and 12, Pike County Raceway on Feb. 25, the Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4, Lakeside Speedway on June 4, River Cities Speedway on August 19, Huset’s Speedway on August 20); Donny Schatz – 6 (Attica Raceway Park on May 20, Princeton Speedway on June 25, Limaland Motorsports Park on July 13, Bloomington Speedway on August 5, Knoxville Raceway on August 13, Black Hills Speedway on August 23); Jason Meyers – 4 (Cedar Lake Speedway on July 8, Williams Grove Speedway on July 23, Autodrome Drummond on July 30, Castrol Raceway on August 26); Joey Saldana – 4 (Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 3, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 19, Eldora Speedway on May 8, Beaver Dam Raceway on July 9); Jason Sides – 4 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Calistoga Speedway on April 2, I-96 Speedway on May 30, Dodge City Raceway Park on July 2); Sammy Swindell – 4 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 26, Merced Speedway on April 1, Tri-State Speedway on April 30, Knoxville Raceway on June 11); Paul McMahan – 3 (the Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 28, Belleville Highbanks on June 3, Brockville-Ontario Speedway on July 29); Tim Shaffer – 2 (Eldora Speedway on July 15, Lerneville Speedway on July 19); Dale Blaney – 1 (Lernerville Speedway on July 19); Cody Darrah – 1 (Castrol Raceway on August 27); Greg Hodnett – 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on July 22); Daryn Pittman – 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 13); Tony Stewart – 1 (Ohsweken Speedway on July 27); Tyler Walker – 1 (Eldora Speedway on July 16.)