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Featured Other Series

  • AmericanMuscle’s 9th Annual Car Show Is Slated to Be the Biggest Yet

    AmericanMuscle’s 9th Annual Car Show Is Slated to Be the Biggest Yet

    The Largest One-Day Mustang Show in the World Is Expecting Thousands of Mustangs

    MALVERN, Pa. (April 18, 2017) – The 2017 AmericanMuscle Car Show is expected to be the largest show to date, with thousands of Mustangs and spectators all converging on Maple Grove Raceway on August 12th(rain date August 19th). Once again,the proceeds from the AmericanMuscle Car Show will be used to benefit Make-A-Wish®, with the goal of surpassing last year’s total of $60,200. As always, AM2017 will be packed full of fun events and family friendly activities that will be going from the start to the stop of the show.

    Events like the burnout competition will be returning, showcasing a handful of Mustangs roasting their rear tires to the crowd’s delight. Along with the burnout competition the revving contest will be back, giving Mustang owners the chance to flex their muscle and let their pipes scream for the crowd. Attendees have the option this year of going with general show registration or opting for VIP show registration which includes prime parking in the heart of the show with the most foot traffic, with 100% of the proceeds from the VIP parking going to Make-A-Wish®

    The Make-A-Wish®Opening Ceremony Parade will kick-off the end of show ceremonies and will entail a parade of convertible Mustang cruising down the drag strip with a Make-A-Wish® child riding along in the passenger seat. Considering how many Mustangs will be in attendance, there will be multiple awards and trophies handed out for every generation of Mustangs including specialty models as well.

    Throughout the day there will also be some exhibition drag races going down, pitting some worked Mustangs against each other in a head-to-head show down. Special Automotive celebrities will also be in attendance at the show signing autographs and posing for pictures. If you’re looking to pick up new parts at the show you will be in luck. You’ll be able to purchase parts for your Mustang at the show as well as have the opportunity to win some new ones with multiple raffles taking place throughout the day. The goal of the show is to ultimately celebrate America’s favorite pony car and the community of enthusiasts that drive them, while benefiting Make-A-Wish® and raising more money than ever before. We hope to see you at AM2017 at Maple Grove Raceway on August 12th!

    Ream more on AmericanMuscle.

     

    About AmericanMuscle

    Starting out in 2003, AmericanMuscle quickly rose to be one of the leading aftermarket Mustang parts providers in the business. Catering to the needs of late-model Mustang owners and enthusiasts, AmericanMuscle provides the most desirable parts at the best prices. Located just outside of Philadelphia, AmericanMuscle is dedicated to offering the Mustang community with the highest quality of parts and service. Please visit http://www.AmericanMuscle.com for more information.

  • Salty Dog’s Grand Prix and the Future of American Racing

    Salty Dog’s Grand Prix and the Future of American Racing

    Stephen Cox Blog Presented by McGunegill Engine Performance

    I started late. I didn’t drive in my first professional auto race until age 21. Before that, I was addicted to go kart racing. No, not the World Karting Association or the National Karting Alliance. I’d never heard of them.

    My karting career began by paying $5 for 10 minutes of track time in a five-horsepower, 25 miles-per-hour fun kart at tiny, tourist-driven venues during our family vacations. We stopped at go kart tracks from Virginia to Utah. Any track, anytime. It wasn’t real racing, but it was the only racing I had.

    The tracks were minuscule. The karts were poky rent-a-wrecks. Sometimes they didn’t even require a helmet. My first races were on tracks like the Salty Dog Grand Prix against other vacationing kids, most of whom never realized they were locked in bitter competition with a teenager and his visions of grandeur.

    Several days ago, while returning from my entirely unsuccessful run in the Super Cup Stock Car Series American Racer Twin 50’s at Jennerstown Speedway, I stumbled across what appeared to be an abandoned rental kart race track. The sign said it was “The Salty Dog Grand Prix” of Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania. I parked the Sopwith Motorsports Television Productions van and started walking. The track was closed at the time but the gate was open.

    It had apparently been closed since 2015, though information has been hard to come by. The property was well kept but a sign in front of the track advertised karts for sale, which means they probably have no intention of re-opening soon, if at all.

    Maybe it’s just me, but I believe that little go kart tracks like the Salty Dog are perhaps the canary in the coal mine for American auto racing. I’ve made it clear many times why I believe the average age of race fans continues to get older and older. Kids are losing interest in automobiles, and those who don’t care about cars will never pay to see anyone race them. Until the automobile is again viewed as a teenage ticket to mischief, personal liberty, speed and late-night fun, interest in cars will continue to decline and the snowball effect on motorsports is inevitable.

    I hope the property can reopen because it’s tough to see time move on from places like the Salty Dog Grand Prix. The asphalt is still good. The tire barriers are solid. The pit area and outbuildings are nicely maintained.

    Yet people just don’t flock to these venues as they once did. The world is too full of I-gadgets and screens and distractions. And lame superhero movies.

    And cheap milk shakes masquerading as status symbol coffee drinks. And discredited evening news programs that claim everything else is fake. And social media that’s not.

    The more hear from Bruno Mars, the better I like the smell of gasoline.

    Long before I landed my first sponsor or won my first race, I looked forward to the simple purity of racing a cheap go kart on tourist tracks. No qualifying. No mandatory autograph sessions. No driver’s meetings. Go kart racing was all fun and no pressure.

    Go find yourself a kart track this weekend. No, it’s not “real” racing, but for millions of Americans, it’s the only first-hand motorsports experience they’ll ever have. And that’s surely better than the alternative.

    Stephen Cox

    Sopwith Motorsports Television Productions

    Driver, Super Cup Series and EGT Championship

    Co-host, Mecum Auctions on NBCSN

  • 1971 Honda CB 350 – One Year Review

    1971 Honda CB 350 – One Year Review

    Stephen Cox Blog Presented by McGunegill Engine Performance

    It’s difficult to imagine a more user-friendly classic motorbike than Honda’s legendary CB 350. Once the best-selling motorcycle in the world, the CB 350 is still coveted as an entry-level collector’s bike today.

    My CB 350 had fewer than 7,000 miles on the odometer when I purchased it. One year and 3,000 miles later, I sold it and moved on to another bike. I rode it several times per week, mostly on country roads and rural highways. I really wanted to experience a 1960s-70s era bike and the Honda offered it in spades.

    The CB 350 was light and nimble. Although small compared to today’s monstrous, overpowered motorcycle engines, the 350 was considered a mid-sized bike for its time. It remains a great motorcycle for beginners. Its 36 horsepower rating is sufficient for comfortable cruising in the 50-60 mph range without intimidating a new rider.  In that special era, in addition to Honda CB 350, other Honda motorcycle models were also dazzling. Even now, these Honda motorcycle parts or complete vehicles may still have a huge market.

    I found a “New Old Stock” original Honda luggage rack and mounted it on my CB 350 so I could carry my gym bag or a backpack with greater ease and comfort. The rack was wide, carried everything I needed and the weight didn’t upset the balance of the bike.

    When it comes to finding classic motorcycles like the Honda CB 350 or even used cars Calgary, it’s important to do your research. Calgary, being a vibrant city, often has a thriving market for vintage motorcycles and automobiles. So, if you’re in the area and looking for classic rides or even used cars, Calgary might just have what you’re searching for. It’s worth exploring the local market and connecting with fellow enthusiasts to discover hidden gems from the past.

    Honda’s dual-carburetor 350cc twin engine seems pretty indestructible. Although my bike had fairly low mileage, I’ve spoken with many other CB owners whose bikes have gone well beyond 30,000 and sometimes even 40,000 miles. And the 350 powerplant created a truly magnificent sound when mated to Emgo’s Dunstall replica silencers. The tone was low, gentle, and rumbling without the desperate “look at me” volume of some bikes.

    The engine redlines at 9200 revs, but I never accelerated beyond 8000. There was no need. The little Honda pulled hard between 5000 and 7000 rpm’s and was reasonably tame at 65 miles an hour. If you need more than that, I recommend a bigger bike. The CB 350 really hits its stride between 40 and 55 miles per hour. The engine wasn’t comfortable at less than 2000 revs, but at 3500 to 4500 it felt perfect.

    Maintenance on the Honda was fairly straightforward. It used oil, but only in microscopic amounts. Not bad for a 45-year-old bike. It ran without complaint on 87 octane fuel so long as I faithfully used STA-BIL 360 Fuel Stabilizer in every tank. Failure to do so would have been disastrous because today’s ethanol-laced fuels induct moisture and attack every gasket and seal in the fuel system. With STA-BIL in the tank, the engine never missed a beat and suffered no damage from ethanol whatsoever.

    My Honda CB 350 averaged 37 miles per gallon of fuel. That number remained largely unchanged regardless of what brand of fuel I used or whether I was riding primarily on the highway or city streets.

    Fuel mileage was, however, sensitive to spark plug condition. The plugs fouled regularly and if ignored, would foul to the point of stalling the engine. Cleaning or replacing the spark plugs about every 600 miles seemed to do the trick. The only other way to seriously alter fuel mileage was through consistent hard acceleration, in which case fuel mileage would drop to about 30 mpg. The maintenance routine wasn’t bad at all and reminded me why these bikes were considered so reliable back in the 1970s.

    Time machines aren’t cheap, but the Honda CB 350 is. For less than $4,000 you can still go back in time and experience the 1970s in all their glory. The slightly too-soft ride, mildly stiff throttle and minor vibration aren’t annoying or severe, but they’re just enough to constantly remind you that 1971 wasn’t such a bad place to be.

    Stephen Cox
    Sopwith Motorsports Television Productions
    Driver, Super Cup Stock Car Series and Electric GT Championship
    Co-host, Mecum Auctions on NBCSN

  • Jim Sauter, Jr. and Cole-Sauter Racing Rebuilding Following Horrific Incident

    Jim Sauter, Jr. and Cole-Sauter Racing Rebuilding Following Horrific Incident

    Tomah, WI (6/20/2017)- Dedication and focus describes the feelings of Jim Sauter, Jr. and his team following a horrific crash on the first lap of the Illinois Lottery Super Late Model Showdown at Gateway Motorsports Park last Saturday. After qualifying ninth in the ARCA Midwest Tour event, by Power Equipment, Sauter was spun on the very first circuit. With nowhere for fellow competitor Justin Mondeik to go, he was struck. Mondeik a complete roll and then landed back onto his wheels. The end result was a destroyed Marion Cole owned mount for Cole-Sauter Racing. However, Sauter and his team are always thinking toward the future and immediately went to work to see how much hard work would be entailed to get the #20 back in action.

    Obviously Sauter was still upset about the incident, while he sits fifth in the tour point standings.

    “There’s not much I can say about the whole thing without getting very upset”, he noted.

    “There are many talented drivers out there, but on the flip side, for as long as I can recall, no one has ever won a race on the first lap.”

    Despite having a heavily damaged mount, he refuses to let the setback get his team down. After all, they opened up the series with an eighth place effort at State Park Speedway in May and then took 10th at Jefferson Speedway later that month.

    Their string of success improved from there and Sauter earned a career-best third in the series at Marshfield Motor Speedway just one week prior to getting the opening lap boot at Gateway.

    The next ARCA Midwest Tour, presented by Power Equipment event is slated for Saturday, July 1 at Rockford Speedway in Loves Park, IL. If all goes well, Sauter will be back in action, destined to overcome his latest obstacle in the championship series.

    For more information on Jim Sauter, Jr., including 2017 sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.jimsauterjr.com. You can also find Jim Sauter, Jr. Racing on Facebook.

  • LYN ST. JAMES on Indy, Driving Again & Advice for Today’s Drivers

    LYN ST. JAMES on Indy, Driving Again & Advice for Today’s Drivers

    Stephen Cox Blog Presented by McGunegill Engine Performance

    Indycar fans fell in love with Lyn St. James in 1992 when she won the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year award and kicked off a decade-long open wheel career that would eventually include nine starts at the Brickyard.

    She worked her way up through the road racing ranks, starting with a 1970’s Ford Pinto as her first race car. It took four years of sponsor hunting before she was able to land an Indy ride with Dick Simon Racing, which specialized in bringing new drivers to Indianapolis.

    Although she’ll be the first to tell you that Indycar’s current “ladder” system excludes most aspiring drivers today and would have been an impassable road block for her as well, she still devotes a great deal of time mentoring young racers.

    St. James remains a fixture at Indianapolis. She returns to the race each year to sign autographs, make public appearances and renew acquaintances. I was fortunate to catch up with her over dinner at a south side Italian restaurant during the Indy 500 festivities and found her as amiable and insightful as ever.

    What is Indycar doing right – and wrong – nowadays?
    “Well, they’ve got momentum going because they’re doing a lot of right things. The racing is extraordinary. The on-track product is just really good. They have a group of drivers there now that have been there long enough that they are willing to go above and beyond what maybe some of the previous drivers were willing to do to help promote it. They understand that this is what they need to do to help the Indycar series grow and it certainly helps their own careers as well.”

    “They’re trying to work on the schedule, and I think the schedule is getting better. They’re going back to Road America. They’re going back to Phoenix even though Phoenix hasn’t drawn a huge crowd yet.”

    “But the more complicated we make it, the more difficult it is to keep the fans engaged with the body kits and so forth. If the fans don’t understand what’s happening, you’re going to lose them. I think stability in the schedule and stability in the rules are still yet to be achieved.”

    You’re driving again and you won a pretty exciting race at Thunderhill not long ago, didn’t you?

    “I got a ride in a 1977 Chevron B39 Formula Atlantic car. I fell in love with that car. I started racing it again and again and I thought I’d died and gone to heaven because back in the 70’s, when I was racing my Pinto and my Vega and a Corvette, I would watch the Formula Atlantic cars and go, ‘Oh my gosh, some day I wish I could drive a car like that.’ So I got to fulfill a lifelong dream.”

    “One of the races they put on is at Thunderhill and I had a blast. I ended up winning that race. I ended up doing a pass on the outside going up into Turn One. The crew applauded. I found out later that the whole place went crazy. So I ended up winning, and I hadn’t won a race in a long time. It was just awesome.”

    “It brought back all the racer in me. I love vintage races because the races are short. There aren’t many fans. It tends to be more like a family deal, you know… no media, no money, no trophies. It’s all for the fun and the passion, and I love that.” 

    I know you work a lot with young drivers, but what advice would you give to experienced, fully trained drivers who are racing in the middle ranks and looking to move higher?

    “By the time you’re in your early twenties, if you’ve not figured out how to get paid and get a professional ride, you’re probably not going to get one. I think that sucks, but that’s the way it is. We don’t make up the rules in the world. My story and my model wouldn’t work in today’s world. It just wouldn’t work. But you’ve got to look at the world the way it is and not the way you want it to be or the way you think it should be.”

    “For those who are middle class or upper middle class, who have full time jobs, but have a deep passion and aspirations to be a professional race car driver… race what you can afford to race. Race as often as you can. Develop the best resume that you possibly can.”

    “You cannot always be at the same tracks. If you only race at three or four race tracks, you’re not showing enough diversity. Get out of your comfort zone. If you live in the east, go race out west. If you’re an east coast champion and you can go out west and beat a west coast champion, now you’re showing some talent.”

    “Make sure you get a test day. Go out early. I used to go out a day early and beg just to take my rental car around the track. Nobody’s there yet and I would promise that I’d go very slow. I didn’t even need a hot lap.”

    “Stay where you can win. Build a resume that’s as strong and impressive as you can possibly build. And then get out of your comfort zone and away from the tracks you know and go beat the champion somewhere else.”

    Now living in Arizona, St. James employs her extraordinary public relations skills as an ambassador for the RPM Foundation. The organization promotes the preservation of America’s automotive heritage and trains craftsman to keep antique cars in original, running condition.

    After dinner, I asked if I could order a copy of her book, “An Incredible Journey,” and mail it to her for a signature. She laughed and said, “It’s funny you should ask. I think I still have a box of them with me.” So we walked to the parking lot and got a copy out of the trunk of Lyn’s car, which she autographed on the spot.

    Now that’s public relations

    Stephen Cox
    Sopwith Motorsports Television Productions
    Driver, Electric GT Championship & C7R Motorsports #21
    Co-host, Mecum Auctions on NBCSN

  • Cox Wins From Last Spot on Starting Grid in Super Cup Title Chase

    Cox Wins From Last Spot on Starting Grid in Super Cup Title Chase

    Submitted by Global Media, Midvale, Ohio (June 4, 2017) – Stephen Cox charged from last place on the grid to win the second of Saturday night’s Skipco Auto Auction Twin 50s presented by United Tire & Service at Ohio’s Midvale Speedway, the first stop on the Super Cup Stock Car Series national tour.

    After his STA-BIL 360 Performance / McGunegill Engine Performance #21 was sidelined with mechanical issues earlier in the day, Cox jumped into the #7 Codie Rohrbaugh Racing machine when driver and pole sitter Larry Berg graciously gave up the seat.

    Cox, who holds the official Super Cup track record at Midvale, began working his way forward under the guidance of spotter Thomas Rohrbaugh and crew chief Codie Rohrbaugh.

    “They had to slow me down a few times early in the race,” Cox said after the victory. “The brakes on this car were very different from mine, and I was driving it too deep into the corners until I got a feel for it. Tom and Codie really saved the race by slowing me down and backing up my corner entry. Once I did that and adjusted my entry line a bit, the car was just a rocket ship.”

    Cox moved from dead last to second by the midway point of the 50-lap event, trailing veteran driver Jim Crabtree, Jr. Leaving the rest of the field behind, the two cars began a long struggle that would end when Cox slipped underneath Crabtree in Turn Three, just eight laps from the checkered flag.

    “Jim drove a great race and ran cleanly with me all night,” Cox continued. “He was trying high and low lines but I could see his car getting loose off the corners. Josh and Rick and Frank and all the guys on my crew had worked so hard all night and I knew my car would stick on the bottom. There wasn’t a car in the field that would stay with us off Turn Four.”

    Cox went from last place to first place to secure his first win in the Super Cup series, adding this to an oval track victory record that already included the Mid American Stock Car Series, dirt cars, open wheel modifieds and the original, Indiana-based CARS series. The win keeps him in contention for the Super Cup national short track championship which continues in two weeks at Kingsport, Tennessee.

    The Midvale winner is also slated to compete this winter in Europe’s Electric GT Championship road racing series as well as selected American road course events late this season.

  • Theriault edges Eckes in ARCA Elko thrill show; wins Shore Lunch 250

    Theriault edges Eckes in ARCA Elko thrill show; wins Shore Lunch 250

    ELKO, Minn. (June 3, 2017) — With cars wrecking every which way in his mirror, Austin Theriault edged Christian Eckes by about two feet at the final stripe to win the wild Shore Lunch 250 Saturday night at Elko Speedway. Theriault, in Ken Schrader’s No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Toyota, nudged Eckes out of the way inside of four laps remaining before Eckes rooted Theriault off the bottom lane coming to the checkered flag. With their cars locked together off turn four, Theriault held firm on the high side just long enough to earn his second career ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards victory.

    “This hasn’t really set in yet,” said Theriault. “We need a little time to process this one. We were running fourth or fifth through the middle of the race. Then we put four General Tires on it…that’s when it came to life. Those last few laps were rough…definitely a lot of back and forth. We got some marks on the car but we got the win.”

    Eckes, after leading 91 laps, had to settle for second in the No. 15 New York Bus Sales Toyota.

    “We had a really fast 15 car,” said Eckes. “The General Tires had plenty of grip. I hate it for my guys. We’ve led every race we’ve run this year…we’re so close. I just couldn’t put it together at the end. Congratulations to Austin. It was really fun racing with him. That was really wild. I knew it was going to come down to the end…that’s what racing is all about. Great race.”

    Riley Herbst finished third in the No. 18 NOS Energy Drink-UFC Gym Toyota, which was probably a hard pill to swallow after leading 130 laps. Herbst, on a different pit strategy, was part of a multi-car pile-up coming under the checkered flag.

    “We were fast…faster than everybody,” said Herbst. “We were going for the win on that last corner. I saw the smoke and came around to this mess.”

    The “mess” that Herbst was referring to involved several drivers fighting for position, including himself, Zane Smith, Shane Lee, Bret Holmes, Cole Anderson and Gus Dean. The cars driven by Smith, Lee and Anderson were destroyed. Smith was also transported to a local area hospital for further evaluation, examined and released.

    Holmes slid through in fourth in the No. 23 Holmes II Excavation-Southern States Bank Chevrolet.

    “We needed this,” said Holmes. “We weren’t good enough on longer runs, but to come out with a solid top-five after the season we’ve had almost feels like a win. We needed to break our bad luck. I don’t know how we avoided the wreck but we made it through.”

    Dean, with heavy right-side damage, barely squeezed through for fifth in the No. 32 GREE Cooling Products Toyota. He finished with heavy right-side damage.

    “That was a “days of thunder” moment coming to the checkered flag,” said Dean. “All I saw was smoke. I knew the stripe was close, but we came out the other side. We were fortunate to make it through.”

    Local Northfield, Minnesota favorite Cole Anderson was racing among the top-five in the No. 78 Mason Mitchell Motorsports Chevrolet, but got caught up in the same melee. He was still credited with the 10th finishing position but not without a wrecked race car.

    “Be honest we couldn’t see too much through all that smoke,” said Anderson. “I did see the 18 rough-housing in front of me. We saw the smoke…tried going low…not sure what happened from there. We had a great run. Everyone at Mason Mitchell Motorsports executed really well. Overall, it was a great night…hopefully we can build off it.”

    Smith, with a badly-wrecked car, finished sixth. Lee finished seventh with his Cunningham Motorsports teammate Dalton Sargeant trailing in eighth. A.J. Fike was ninth.

    Herbst, the General Tire pole qualifier, jumped out into the lead at the onset and led the first 75 laps before pitting under caution with the majority of the leaders. Herbst took right-side tires only and quickly raced his way back into the lead, taking the top spot away from Dalton Sargeant, who didn’t pit. Herbst led up through lap 125 before Smith raced his way into the lead for 19 laps. Then Eckes took his turn up front, leading from lap 145 through 196 before Herbst, on four fresher tires, reclaimed the lead for the next six laps. Herbst’s lead would be short-lived however when most of the front-runners came down pit road under caution for four fresh tires while Herbst stayed out. After the restart, Eckes got by Herbst for one lap, but Herbst took it right back to lead laps 204 through 208. Then Eckes got back by Herbst and led up through lap 245. That’s when Eckes got the nudge from Theriault, who got underneath Eckes. But Eckes returned the favor and wiggled Theriault from the lead on the 248th lap, only to give it up over the final two laps.

    Theriault extended his point lead headed to Pocono.

    “To be back in the ARCA Series and have a run like this is amazing,” Theriault added. “I have such a good group of guys behind me on this Ken Schrader Racing team. Donnie Richeson (crew chief) made all the right calls. We didn’t have the dominate car but we had it when we needed it most. Thanks to Federated Auto Parts for coming on board to help us with this one.”

    The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has a tight turnaround for Pocono Raceway where several teams will be testing Wednesday ahead of next Friday’s race, the General Tire #AnywhereIsPossible200 at Pocono, live on FS1.

    ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards
    Results, Shore Lunch 250 at Elko Speedway

    1. Austin Theriault
    2. Christian Eckes
    3. Riley Herbst
    4. Bret Holmes
    5. Gus Dean
    6. Zane Smith
    7. Shane Lee
    8. Dalton Sargeant
    9. AJ Fike
    10. Cole Custer
    11. Justin Fontaine
    12. Robert Bruce
    13. Natalie Decker
    14. Willie Mullins
    15. Thomas Praytor
    16. James Swanson
    17. Brad Smith
    18. Eric Caudell
    19. Bobby Dale Earnhardt
    20. Con Nicolopoulos
    21. Mark Meunier
    22. Will Kimmel

  • Sato Earns $2.45 Million for Winning 101st Indianapolis 500

    Sato Earns $2.45 Million for Winning 101st Indianapolis 500

    INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, May 29, 2017 – Takuma Sato earned $2,458,129 from an overall purse of $13,178,359 for his victory Sunday in the 101st Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    Verizon IndyCar Series veteran Sato, from Tokyo, became the first Japanese winner of the Indianapolis 500, fending off three-time winner Helio Castroneves by .2011 of a second to the checkered flag in the No. 26 Andretti Autosport Honda. This was the sixth-closest finish in Indy 500 history.

    Sato took the lead from Castroneves for good on Lap 195 of the 200-lap race. He led twice for 17 laps.

    Castroneves, who dodged multiple on-track incidents and led nine laps even after receiving a drive-through penalty, earned $770,629 for finishing second in the No. 3 Shell Fuel Rewards Team Penske Chevrolet. He became one of seven drivers with three Indianapolis 500 runner-up finishes.

    Toward the end of the race, Castroneves had to worry about third-place finisher, rookie driver Ed Jones, in his rear-view mirror. Jones never led in the race but ended up as the top rookie finisher in the No. 19 Boy Scouts of America Honda, earning $535,629.

    Max Chilton, who led a race-high 50 laps, finished in fourth place in the No. 8 Gallagher Honda. He earned $484,129.

    Rounding out the top five was 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan in the No. 10 NTT Data Honda. Kanaan, who led 22 laps, earned $438,129.

    Pole sitter Scott Dixon earned $446,629 despite placing 32nd in the No. 9 Camping World Honda. Dixon was unhurt after a frightening crash with Jay Howard on Lap 53 in which Dixon’s car went airborne and hit the inside SAFER Barrier between Turns 1 and 2.

    Fernando Alonso earned $305,805, including $50,000 for being named Sunoco Rookie of the Year. Two-time Formula One World Champion Alonso was the top-qualifying rookie, in fifth, and led 27 laps – more than any other rookie – before ending up 24th after a mechanical problem on Lap 180 halted his race while running seventh in the No. 29 McLaren-Honda-Andretti Honda.

    The Indianapolis 500 purse consists of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Verizon IndyCar Series awards, plus other designated and special awards. Purse awards were announced and presented at the Victory Celebration presented by Ice Miller and Allied Solutions on Monday, May 29 at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis.

    Visit IMS.com to renew tickets for the 102nd Indianapolis 500 Presented by PennGrade Motor Oil on Sunday, May 27, 2018 and to buy tickets for the remaining races in 2017 at the Racing Capital of the World – the Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational, Brickyard 400 and Lilly Diabetes 250, and the Red Bull Air Race.

  • HOOSIER HUNDRED: Dirt Racing’s Biggest Prize is Up for Grabs This Week

    HOOSIER HUNDRED: Dirt Racing’s Biggest Prize is Up for Grabs This Week

    Stephen Cox Blog Presented by McGunegill Engine Performance

    The 63rd Hoosier Hundred is slated for Thursday, May 25, on the legendary Track of Champions at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Once considered the most prestigious dirt race in America, the resurgent Hoosier Hundred is quickly regaining its status and draws the top Silver Crown drivers in the nation.

    The rich history of the event compares favorably with any race on earth. No fewer than seven Indy 500 champions have won the Hoosier Hundred, including A. J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Al Unser Sr. and Parnelli Jones. Auto racing at the Track of Champions dates to the early 20th century when the legendary Barney Oldfield broke the 60 mph barrier on the 1-mile track in June 1903.

    The track hasn’t changed by an inch. This week’s Hoosier Hundred will take place on precisely the same stretch of dirt on which Oldfield set his 1903 record and Rex Mays claimed victory in 1946. The USAC Silver Crown division, which once struggled for good car counts, is expected to produce nearly 40 entries on Thursday night.

    “Last year we had probably the best crowd in 10 years at the Hoosier Hundred,” said Adam Mackey, Operations Manager at the event’s promotional firm, Track Enterprises. “Probably a lot of that was because of the 100th Indy 500. It was kind of a surprise to us, but a pleasant surprise with the number of people who came that week.”

    But the increasing interest in dirt racing is also a direct result of Indycar’s 30-year-old divorce from grassroots motorsports. Until the 1980s, Indycar drivers were drawn primarily from the ranks of open wheel dirt track drivers who worked their way up the ladder by skill and hard work. Today’s Indycar drivers are almost exclusively from wealthy backgrounds, leaving NASCAR as the only viable alternative for short trackers.

    Mackey said, “Asphalt is struggling right now a little bit because there’s a lot of ride-buying out there, more so on asphalt than on dirt. And that’s just to get the kids up into NASCAR. That’s the stepping stone that’s being used.”

    “But that doesn’t give fans a chance to latch onto a driver and say, ‘Ah, they’re my favorite and I’m going to watch them,’ because they’re only there for a year or so until they either move on and move up, or they don’t make it so they quit racing. So I think that’s the struggle that asphalt deals with right now.”

    “On dirt that’s not quite the case because there are many veterans who have been racing for years and years and that familiarity with fans is what they’ll keep coming back to the track for.”

    The bad news is that other than an occasional driver moving on to NASCAR, dirt track racing is a dead end job. The same drivers stay there for decades at a time with nowhere else to go.

    The good news is that today’s dirt track ranks are stocked with veteran drivers who have become stars in their own right. The fact that Indycar no longer wants or needs blue-collar talent is a blessing in disguise, at least for short track fans who get to watch their favorite drivers for years at a time at smaller, more personal venues.

    Damion Gardner, Jeff Swindell, Dave Darland, Brady Bacon, Russ Gamester, Kody Swanson, Jerry Coons Jr., Bill Rose and others are long-time veterans who have built up their own fan base and put on their own shows at dirt tracks around the Midwest. Most of them drive more races in a month than Indycar drivers will in a season.

    More and more fans are beginning to understand that in order to see the greatest drivers in the world, you may have to watch more than one race this week. The Hoosier Hundred should be at the top of the list.

    Stephen Cox

    Sopwith Motorsports Television Productions

    Co-host, Mecum Auctions on NBCSN

    Driver, Super Cup Stock Car Series & Electric GT Championship

  • Bubba Wallace Wins SLM Short Track Nationals Feature at Thunder Valley

    Bubba Wallace Wins SLM Short Track Nationals Feature at Thunder Valley

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — Darrell Wallace Jr. took the lead prior to the end of the first segment and didn’t relinquish it again on his way to winning the RustyWallace.com 100 Super Late Model feature of the Short Track U.S. Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    Travis Braden led the field to the green flag at 7:27 p.m. The lead went from him, to Chandler Smith and then to Darrell Wallace Jr., who took it from Smith exiting Turn 2 on lap 32 and held it through the end of the first segment on lap 51.

    Nobody had anything for him in the final 49-lap segment as he drove into victory lane at Thunder Valley.

    “I should start running these more often,” Wallace said. “This is a cool event put on by everyone at Bristol, Jerry (Caldwell) and his whole staff here. Just a really fun couple of weeks. Got to come up here and test last week and I think I was still catching my breath coming into this weekend. So these things are just so fast around here. We were just on a rail tonight. So that’s just hats off to everyone at Fathead Racing and JBL Racing.”

    Jake Crum finishes second and Smith rounds out the podium.

    Stephen Nasse and Stephen Wallace round out the top-five.

    Garrett Jones, Cole Rouse, Tyler Ankrum, Chase Purdy and Kyle Plott round out the top-10.

    In the Pro Late Model 100, Cole Williams outlasted a wreck-fest of a race to win.

    “Man this is freaking awesome,” Williams exclaimed with joy. “This is definitely our biggest win for our career. These boys worked their butts off all weekend long and I knew that if we kept this nose clean, we’d have a shot at it. Of course we had to have flawless restarts, and we ended up having them.”

    The most significant wreck was a nine-car wreck on just the second lap of the race in Turns 1 and 2.

    The second major incident occurred on lap 46 when Eddie Fatscher dumped race leader Dillon Oliver going into Turn 1, who’s car got loose, then veered up into the outside wall and then hit inside pit road wall head-on. Oliver walked over to Fatscher’s pit stall, where a member of Fatscher’s team punched him in the face.

    Myatt Snider closed out the evening winning the Late Model Stock 100 feature.

    “It’s awesome,” Snider said of his victory. “I feel like we’ve been close to a CARS Tours win for the longest time now. Ever since we’ve started running this, we’ve been competitive. It’s been a tough road. We’ve had a lot problems, freak accidents. Stuff that just gets in the way. What better place for it to come at than Bristol.”