It’s time for our weekly Friday morning tour around the racing world. From hot laps to the main event, here’s what’s on our mind this week.
Hot Laps: Today’s Your Birthday
Was surprised to see that today is Kyle Busch’s 40th birthday. Seems like he’s been racing in the Cup Series that long.
Qualifications: Disqualifications
Two weekends and two disqualifications from significant NASCAR races. Care to make it three?
First Heat: Lunchtime
Maybe the most prized possession of the 34 years I have committed to reporting racing news for SPEED SPORT is the friends made along the way. Had a great visit with longtime SPEED SPORT contributors Ron Hedger and Keith Waltz over lunch this week. We laughed at old memories, cursed our aging bodies, and mostly enjoyed being together again. Thanks gentlemen.
Second Heat: Busy Man
We caught up with former sprint car racer Shane Stewart earlier this week on a rainy day in Oklahoma. In addition to promoting races at Port City Raceway, Stewart is deeply involved in selling insurance (primarily the Competitive Advantage Program for SIS) to racers. He has a unique perspective you can read about in a few weeks on SPEEDSPORT.com.
Third Heat: Shout Out
Kudos to the NHRA for celebrating its history during the 1,000th Top Fuel event at North Carolina’s zMAX Dragway. Having Big Daddy Don Garlits, who won the first Top Fuel race in 1963, on hand throughout the weekend and to hand the trophy to Shawn Langdon was a special nod to the roots of the sport.
Fourth Heat: Devil Is in The Details
Received a press release this week, touting big purses for an upcoming summer Speedweek series for dirt late models. The numbers were impressive and the races will be run at a wide variety of tracks. Nowhere in the nearly 800-word missive did it list the dates for the events.
Dash: Miami Money
Is the Miami Grand Prix about racing or being seen in a hip location? Well, it’s actually all about money, but stars of this that and the other thing flock to south Florida to be part of the annual Formula 1 stop there.
B Main: Equal Actions
Connor Zilisch is missing this weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Texas Motor Speedway after suffering a back injury last week at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Jesse Love should be missing it too.
With all the discussion about reckless and aggressive driving in NASCAR’s junior circuit, a driver causing a crash that injuries another driver should sit out as many races as that driver does. He or she may think twice before driving through or over another competitor in an attempt to win a race.
Feature: Big Weekend of Racing
It’s a giant weekend of racing — two wheels, four wheels and four legs.
Formula 1 makes its first of three stops in the United States in Miami, IndyCar visits Barber Motorsports Park and all three NASCAR national series visit Texas Motor Speedway.
The World of Outlaws and USAC sprint cars share the bill at legendary Eldora Speedway in Ohio, High Limit Racing is in Texas, both the World of Outlaws late models and Lucas Oil late models have busy weekends planned, while on the road course, the Trans Am Series takes on the corkscrew at Laguna Seca (Watch it LIVE on SPEED SPORT 1).
For the two wheelers, of course, the Supercross contingent stops in Denver, with American Flat Track and MotoAmerica also in action this weekend.
Finally, for horse racing (and bourbon) fans, the Kentucky Derby takes place at Kentucky’s world-renowned Churchill Downs.
We’re picking the favorite this year. Why? The horse’s name is “Journalism.”
