IndyCar Media PhotoDario Franchitti - Motorsports Minute with Dennis Krause

by Indy Racing PR
Dario Franchitti won his second Indianapolis 500 Mile Race under caution. No matter, the milk still tasted just as good.

Franchitti, who led 155 of the 200 laps, became the 19th multi-time winner of "The Greatest Spectacle In Racing" and his boss, Chip Ganassi, the first owner to win Indy and NASCAR's Daytona 500 in the same year.

Dan Wheldon, the 2005 winner who closed furiously as Franchitti slowed to save fuel in the final laps, was second for the second straight year, with Marco Andretti, third. Alex Lloyd was fourth, followed by Scott Dixon in fifth.

Franchitti, low on fuel, was heading to the Yard of Bricks when the Ryan Hunter-Reay and Mike Conway made contact between Turns 3 and 4.
Conway's car went airborne and made contact with the catch fence. Conway, who waved to the crowd as he was being taken off the track, was airlifted to Methodist Hospital with leg injuries.

Polesitter Helio Castroneves saw his quest for a record-tying fourth Indy victory come to an end with an uncharacteristic mistake — stalling while leaving the pits on the 146th lap. It left him in need of a yellow-flag miracle at the end that never came, and he finished ninth after one last pit stop on the 193rd lap.

RACE DAY NOTEBOOK:
Longtime Indianapolis Motor Speedway Media Center Manager Bill York received the Bob Russo Founders Award for dedication to auto racing Saturday at the annual American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association breakfast at IMS.

American Speed Association PR
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (Friday, March 19, 2010) - Illiana Motor Speedway, an ASA Member Track in Schererville, IN, continues to be one of the more popular destinations for race fans in the Chicagoland area. Last season, they stepped up to become an ASA Member Track and the results they saw made it an easy decision to renew in 2010.

"It has been a positive experience since joining the ASA member track program," Mike Mikuly, Promoter said. "It has also been very beneficial to the drivers who compete at the speedway. ASA really gets the word out. Anyone who knows me personally, can tell you if it wasn't a great deal I wouldn't be interested."

Illiana Motor Speedway has a 1/2-mile asphalt oval with semi-banked sweeping turns that provides some of the best side-by-side racing around. Along with an infield quarter-mile oval it provides a great variety of Saturday night racing action with Super Late Models, Limited Late Models, Turbo Stox, Legends and Pure Stock.

"We are looking forward to the 2010 season. We hear of new cars being built, drivers changing divisions and hopefully increased crowds," Mikuly said. "I feel the economy is turning a little, by no means is it great, but seems to be getting better."

They will have a busy 2010 season with the ASA Midwest Tour making its second visit to Illiana on Saturday, June 19th for the 9th Annual Elmer Musgrave Memorial 100.

Also on their 2010 schedule, the Molenaar Classic with fireworks by the Mad Bomber on July 3rd, The USAC Silver Crown Series on July 8th, Crashfest with school bus and trailer figure races on July 10th and September 25th, Old Timers Night featuring Midwest Vintage Cars on August 14th, and the 49th Annual Tony Bettenhausen 100 on September 11th.

Schererville, IN- The Illiana Motor Speedway an ASA member track have announced the New Generation Hoosier F-40 left and F-50 right as the tire compound for the Late Model division in 2010. A two week tire test was conducted by Hoosier tire at the speedway with veteran driver David Weltmeyer and track champion Jeff Cannon. Hoosier tire specialists Irish Saunders and Craig Cowan simulated a night’s amount of racing laps the first week, and then came back a week later with the same tires and ran the same amount of laps under different weather conditions and the tires performance and times were identical. Weltmeyer stated “The tire makes the car much more stable and consistent” “They (Hoosier) really designed a great tire” Cannon replied with a smile “I cant believe the side bite and grip, we may have to beef up my head rest”. The new ‘Ribbed” Hoosier 800 was also tested and will replace the F-75 in the Schepel performance limited late model division for 2010

NHRA Media Photoby Phil Burgess, National DRAGSTER Editor
Tony Schumacher won Top Fuel at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals for a class-record-tying eighth time, Ashley Force Hood became just the third female Pro winner at Indy by scoring in Funny Car, Pro Stock victor Jeg Coughlin won The Big Go for the fourth time, and Hector Arana scored his first Indy win by capturing Pro Stock Motorcycle to seal an amazing day of racing at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.

With all of the last-second Countdown to 1 shuffling – which extended all the way into the semifinals – heated emotions, and renewed rivalries, this year's 55th annual Big Go will go into the history books as one of the most dramatic in history, going into the history books with the likes of the legendary 1967, 1982, 1996, and 2004 events. The world's oldest, biggest, richest, and most prestigious drag race lived up to its reputation in spades, and then some. It was that good.

NHRA Media
As NHRA celebrates the 55th anniversary of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil, the world’s most prestigious drag race is set to provide its traditional offering of the very best in speed and high performance for countless thousands of hot rodding enthusiasts. More than 1,000 competitors in 12 different racing categories will perform in front of the standing-room only crowd during the much-anticipated Labor Day classic.

The Super Bowl of drag racing takes place at revered O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, Sept. 2-7. It is the 18th of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series for 2009 and will be showcased nationwide on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD, which will televise more than 10 hours of coverage of drag racing’s marquee spectacle.