Indycar.com Media PhotoFisher invites Ellen to Indianapolis 500

By IndyCar Media (IndyCar.com)
Sarah Fisher wants day-time talk show host Ellen DeGeneres to be her guest at the Indianapolis 500 and is taking a unique approach to invite her, via the social networking site Twitter.

Fisher, the only female owner/driver in the IZOD IndyCar Series, has started a twitter account, @ellen2Indy500, and invited race fans to support her grassroots campaign to get DeGeneres to come to the 2010 Indianapolis 500.

"1 of my resolutions is 2have @TheEllenShow (DeGeneres) n my book & n return give her tix 2 the Indy500 this May. Follow how we reach her @ellen2indy500," Fisher wrote on her own twitter account, @sarahfisher67.

Fisher also hopes to include a quote from DeGeneres in her book, 99 Things Women Wish They Knew Before You Got Behind The Wheel Of Your Dream Job, which will be published in May. In the book, Fisher includes quotes from pioneering women who have made a name for themselves in their chosen field.

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Franchitti expects another close fight for 2010 title

Through 17 events in 2009, on the most diverse set of racetracks in motorsports, four IZOD IndyCar Series drivers swapped the points lead a record 15 times. Dario Franchitti earned the driver championship by outdueling Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon and Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe in a season-finale shootout at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

That the title was determined in the closing stages of the race was fitting - the three competitors entered the 200-lap race on the 1.5-mile oval separated by eight points. The final margin was 11 points (the third-closest in series history and the fourth consecutive year it's been less than 20 points). No more than 33 points separated first to third in the standings over the course of the season.

Veteran Top Fuel driver Cory McClenathan, who has accomplished much during his highly-decorated NHRA racing career, still needs to check off two pesky items that stand out near the top of his drag racing bucket list.

If early season performance indicates anything, the Anaheim, Calif. native may be well on his way to crossing both off the list in 2010.

He’s called his FRAM dragster a “bracket car” for its incredible consistency early on this season. Crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler have mastered the tune-up and can dial up a 3.81 when needed almost at will. Factor in McClenathan’s years of driving experience, and the combination could produce a champion’s trophy by year’s end.

McClenathan opened the season as the No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Winternationals, then posted a semifinal finish at the Southern California season-opener before claiming his 32nd career victory one week later in Phoenix.

He heads to historic Gainesville Raceway for the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, March 11-14, as the Top Fuel points leader, a position he hopes to hang on to for the entire 10-month season. Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Bob Tasca (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are the defending winners of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD.

“Right now we’re the points leader and we’re going in there with the same attitude of, ‘Let’s qualify very well, let’s try to keep lane choice on race day, and try to put this FRAM car in the winner’s circle,’” McClenathan said. “The FRAM car is definitely the car to beat right now and I think people know that and they’re taking notice of it. Obviously our teammates’ cars, Tony’s (Schumacher) and Antron’s (Brown), are running well; Larry Dixon’s running good also; and Doug Kalitta, obviously.”

FWD Studded Feature Winner Tony Everhart (Randy Van Hoof Photo)tory and Photos provided by Randy Van Hoof (http://www.photosbyhoofer.com)
The 2010 season wrapped up this week with the crowing of the champions in all three divisions. Dan Michonski picked up his fourth feature win only to come up a few points shy to the season champion Justin Kraeger in the RWD Non-Studded class. FWD Studded pilot Tony Everhart made it two wins in a row, but it was Daryl Erickson that would survive and take the championship. Scott Weisnicht would capture his first feature win in the FWD Non-Studded class but nobody had an answer to B.J. Giese’s hot start to the season to catch him for the top spot.

Tony Everhart would take advantage of his inside front row starting spot in the FWD Studded feature and cruise to his second win in a row. The race was for second as Matt Skarynski, Clint “Chucky” Forstner and Calvin Stueck would mix it through the middle of the race, Forstner would end up blinded as his hood would come loose and flip up making it kind of hard to see going onto turn one. In the end it was Everhart, Skarynski, Stueck, Erickson and Forstner. But in the end it was Daryl Erickson that would hold on to his points lead and take the championship.

Kevin Harvick, who had the most laps led with 82, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning Saturday’s Sam's Town 300. This is Harvick’s second win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. (Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)By Reid Spencer (Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)
The best car in the Sam's Town 300 finally got to the front — just in time to win the race.

Frustrated by slow stops on pit road and a variety of different tire strategies on the part of his competitors, Harvick passed Denny Hamlin for the lead with 25 laps left in Saturday's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and pulled away to beat Hamlin by 1.361 seconds.

The victory was Harvick's first of the season and the 35th of his career, second best all-time in NASCAR's Nationwide Series.

Carl Edwards ran third, polesitter Brad Keselowski fourth and Brian Vickers fifth. Trevor Bayne, Justin Allgaier, Paul Menard, Greg Biffle and Steve Wallace completed the top 10. Danica Patrick fell out of the race after a crash on Lap 83 and finished 36th in her final NASCAR race before returning full-time to the IndyCar Series.

Fortunately for Harvick, his No. 33 Chevrolet had enough muscle to overcome what crew chief Ernie Cope termed the team's "worst day ever" on pit road. Harvick lost spots on every exchange of pit stops.

"The car was really fast," said Harvick, who led a race-high 82 laps, most of them early in the race before getting burned by the lackluster work in the pits. "We've definitely got some work to do on pit road, but, fortunately, the car was fast enough.

"I get mad, and they (the crew) know how I am and what I expect of them. … But you can only gripe about it so long, and then you have to go back and drive the car."

Ryan Hunter-Reay talks about the "Delta Wing" coming to the IZOD Indy Car Series