141 Speedway - Open Practice on Wednesday April 21st - http://www.141speedway.com/

Beaver Dam Raceway - Open Practice on April 17th http://www.wismotorsports.net/

Cedar Lake Speedway - April 17th - NASCAR RACING Late Models, Modifieds, Pro Stocks, & MW Modifieds - http://www.cedarlakesspeedway.com/

Columbus 151 Speedway - April 17th & Sunday April 18th - 2 Day Flea Market - 8:00 am to 5:00 pm - http://www.columbus151.com/

Dells Raceway Park - Open Practice on April 17th - 9:00 AM until 12:00 PM Tech and Safety Inspection - 12:00 PM until 6:00 PM for all divisions • Pit passes $15.00 - http://www.dellsracewaypark.com/

Dodge County Fairground Speedway - The 2010 Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series will take its' first green flag of the season this Saturday night, April 17th, in the 11th annual Rick Schmidt Memorial contested on the high speed half-mile - http://www.dodgecountyfairgrounds.com/

Illiana Motor Speedway - The Illiana Motor Speedway will kick off its 63rd season of Stockcar racing this Saturday nite April 17th featuring six divisions of racecars as part of our weekly ASA Member track program. The gates open Saturday at 4:00 p.m., with time trials set for 5:30 p.m. and the first race getting the green flag at 7:00 p.m. http://www.illianaspeedway.com

Jefferson Speedway - Open Practice on April 17th - http://www.jeffersonspeedway.com/

LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway - April 17th - Pre-Season Open Testing 11 a.m.-2:00 p.m. - Spring Fling Enduro 200 - 4:00 p.m. Start Time - http://www.lacrossespeedway.com/

Lafayette County Speedway - Open Practice on April 17th - http://www.lafayettecountyspeedway.com/

By IRA Media
The 2010 Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series will take its' first green flag of the season this Saturday night, April 17th, in the 11th annual Rick Schmidt Memorial contested on the high speed half-mile Dodge County Fairgrounds Speedway located just east of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. The US Army presented event is the first of thirty-three slated for the upper-Midwest's premier race series. Joining the IRA 410's will be the Midwest Sprintcar Association (MSA) 360's in a unique Sprint Car doubleheader. Warm-ups are slated for 4:45, with IRA qualifying to let loose at 5:30, and racing to begin just after 6 pm. A solid field in both groups is anticipated. A open practice will be held at the Dodge County facility on Friday night the 16th, from 5 til 9pm.

Two-time defending Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Series Champion Bill Balog will be looking to get off to a good start in what he hopes will be a three-peat season. Past two-time IRA Champion Scotty Neitzel, along with former series titlists John Haeni, and Donny Goeden are definite candidates for victory lane as are previous Dodge County winners Mike Reinke, Steve Meyer, Todd Hepfner, and Mike Kertscher. Scott Biertzer, Scott Uttech, Phillip Mock, Bill Wirth, Dave Uttech, Scott Young, Billy Hafemann, Tommy Sexton, Todd Daun, Brian Kristan, Bill Warren, Todd King, Andy Hunt, and Ty Bartz head up a list of definite contenders.

Mid-American Series PhotoBy Matt Panure
A mainstay of the Mid-American Stock Car Series will lay it all on the line in 2010. Bobby Gutknecht, a 16-year veteran of the series, has decided this will be his final season – and he wants to cap it off with a championship.

“That would be outstanding,” the Oak Creek, Wis., veteran said. “We really could leave on a high note.”

If the impending end is not enough motivation, Gutknecht pointed to a disappointing 2009 season to keep him charged for the upcoming campaign. A ninth place finish in points was his worst finish since his 1995 rookie season.

Declining in point standings from the past two seasons, Gutknecht can look back to 2007 as one of his strongest campaigns in recent history. Gutknecht won two races that season, one at Wisconsin International Raceway and the other at the Milwaukee Mile. He led the point standings through the midway point of the season, but struggled to a fourth place finish.

Some smaller goals for this season may aid Gutknecht to a championship run. With the bigger picture in mind, Gutknecht also tabbed two tracks he would like to conquer.

“I’ve won at almost every track except Rockford and the Dells,” Gutknecht noted.

With one of two chances to capture a win at Rockford scheduled for Sunday, Gutknecht said he is preparing very carefully. “We’re fast there, but we could never get the right brakes,” he said. “We like our chances; that’s why we’re really going through the car.”

Although the decision to walk away after 2010 was not an easy one, Gutknecht said he feels confident it is the right one. He cited the difficulty in finding sponsorships and in finding time to put the proper amount of work into his racer.

Indy Car Media / Ron McQueeny PhotoBy Indy Car Media
Helio Castroneves won for the first time on a road/street course race since August 2008, taking the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by Legacy Credit Union at Barber Motorsports Park.

The three-time Indianapolis 500 winner inherited the lead when Marco Andretti had to pit for fuel eight laps from the end of the 90-lap race. Castroneves held off Scott Dixon by .5703 of a second, then thanked the spectators for attending the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama with his trademark celebratory fence climb in Turn 9. Dario Franchitti, the reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion, finished third.

Castroneves also denied teammate Will Power of a series-record third consecutive victory to start the season. Power, the polesitter who had to pit for the final time on Lap 63 (dropping him to seventh), advanced to fourth and retains the championship points lead by 32 over Castroneves (104). Franchitti is third (94) as the series heads to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 18.

Also April 11, Rookie J.K. Vernay picked up a $5,000 bonus from Firestone for winning two Firestone Indy Lights races in a row winning the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.

Vernay, starting from the pole in the No. 7 Lucas Slick Mist/Sam Schmidt Motorsports car, held off Charlie Kimball by 1.1542 seconds to win the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on the 2.38-mile Barber Motorsports Park.

Vernay, who won the season opener on the temporary St. Petersburg street circuit two weeks earlier, joined Junior Strous (2009) in earning the bonus. He takes a 33-point lead over Kimball in the Firestone Indy Lights championship standings heading to Long Beach. Kimball, driving the No. 26 Levemir FlexPen car for AFS Racing/Andretti Autosport, recorded a career best finish.

A full house of approximately 70,000 fans packed Phoenix International Raceway for the Subway Fresh Fit 600. (Credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images)By Reid Spencer (Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)
It was a game of numbers—two and four.

Capitalizing on a late caution that extended Saturday's Subway Fresh Fit 600 three laps past its scheduled distance of 375 laps, Ryan Newman and crew chief Tony Gibson snatched victory from Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch with a two-tire call under the final caution.

Both Busch and Johnson took four tires on Lap 373, under caution for Scott Riggs' blown tire in Turn 4 one lap earlier. Gordon, who took two tires and left pit road with the lead, spun his tires on the decisive restart on Lap 377, allowing Newman to surge into the top spot.

After two circuits under green at the flat one-mile track, Newman crossed the finish line .130 seconds ahead of Gordon to win his 14th NASCAR Sprint Cup race and his first since the 2008 Daytona 500—a 77-race drought.

Johnson charged from seventh to third during the green-white-checkered-flag finish. Mark Martin, also on two tires for the final restart, ran fourth, one position ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya. Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer and Joey Logano completed the top 10.

Johnson extended his lead in the series standings to 36 points over Kenseth in second and to 96 over third-place Greg Biffle, who finished 22nd Saturday.

"I've got to throw Gibson under the bus—he wanted to go four, and I said, 'Just give me two,' Newman said. "I liked the track position. I'd rather block than have to boot. I was in a good position there, obviously.