USMTS Media PR Photoby USMTS Media PR
The nation’s elite dirt Modified drivers begin their quest for a 2012 USMTS National Championship with the season openers for both the USMTS Casey’s Cup and newly-formed USMTS National Championship Series this Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23-25, at the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas.

With the best names in the business entered for this year’s lidlifter, just making one of the main events will be a feat but one driver could come up smelling like roses and walk away with $10,000 or more from the tripleheader at the state-of-the-art 3/8-mile clay oval located just east of Houston.

USRA Western Flyer HotMods (Limited Modifieds) will also be on the racing card each night battling for $500, $600 and $900 to win, respectively, plus several bonus cash awards up for grabs.

The engines fire up and drivers get an opportunity to fine-tune their machines during an open practice on Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 6-9 p.m. before the green flag unfurls for the first time on Thursday for the year’s first USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifier with at least $2,000 going to the winner.

With 27 USMTS Casey’s Cup Qualifiers on the schedule, drivers will be battling for a spot in the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup, which will begin Aug. 9 at the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo., and culminate Sept. 20-22 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., during the 14th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree. At the conclusion of the Hunt for the USMTS Casey’s Cup, the champion will earn a $15,000 paycheck.

On Friday and Saturday, the inaugural events for the USMTS National Championship Series are on tap with each night carrying a $4,000 top prize and at least $400 to take the green flag in the main event.

The USMTS National Championship Series currently has 29 events and each will pay at least $4,000 to win with up to 30 cars taking the green flag in every feature race. The driver with the best 20 showings during the campaign will be named the 2012 USMTS National Champion and will take home a record $30,000 while the runner-up in the final ranking will get a cool $20,000 in the richest season-ending payoff in USMTS history.

Special NASCAR Stars To Be Announced Soon

by Kari Shear-Carlson
The American Speed Association® Midwest Tour is heading to the Milwaukee Mile on Tuesday, June 12th, 2012 for the Swiss Colony Howie Lettow Memorial 150 presented by RaceTeamGear.com.

Howie Lettow was more than just a crew chief, he was a mentor to many drivers over the course of his life, many who went on to become some of racing’s biggest stars. Lettow was a quiet guy whose actions spoke through success on the track. Among his many achievements as crew chief, Howie Lettow led eight drivers to the title of Rookie of the Year in the ASA National Tour and mentored NASCAR stars, Mark Martin and five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, Jimmie Johnson.

The ASAMT is teaming up with Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer, Inc. (the MACC Fund) to honor Lettow in the first annual event. The MACC Fund raises funds for the fight against childhood cancer and related blood disorder research. Since 1976, the MACC Fund has contributed $42 million research and their mission is to find a cure for these diseases by providing critical funding for research. On Tuesday, June 12th, race fans can join in that fight.

"We have been working on this event for two years and we always had a vision of leaning towards something special to honor Howie. Howie loved to help young people and he was an amazing mentor, so joining forces with the MACC fund is something he will be very proud of as he watches down over all of us. This event will provide an opportunity for all of our race fans, race teams, friends and families to share in our efforts to raise an extensive amount of money to help young children suffering from cancer and blood disorders. We hope that the entire racing community will come together to help us provide opportunities to families with children in need,” said Steve Einhaus, ASAMT VP.

NHRA Media PR Photoby NHRA Media PR
Antron Brown raced to his first win of the season in Top Fuel Sunday as racing came to an end at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway.

Robert Hight and Jason Line were also winners in their respective categories at the second of 23 races in the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season.

Brown held off fellow Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tony Schumacher in the final round when he powered his Matco Tools dragster to a 3.793-second pass at 319.82 mph. It was Brown’s first win of the season in his second consecutive final round appearance. It was also his 32nd career win, with 16 wins in Top Fuel and 16 wins in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

“It was an incredible day,” said Brown. “The competition in Top Fuel now, pound for pound, is like a 324 mph Pro Stock class. Even though the odds were against us, we dug down deep and believed in our Matco Tools boys. We took it one round at a time and really had to battle with these guys. Making it to the final round for the second race in a row is a real huge statement. But it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish especially when the Countdown gets tight.”

The win moved Brown to the top spot in the Top Fuel standings, 32 points ahead of second-place Schumacher, who continued his winless streak to eight final round appearances. Schumacher’s last win came in Las Vegas in Oct. 2010. Fellow Don Schumacher Racing teammate Spencer Massey sits third after his second round appearance.

In Funny Car, Hight powered his Auto Club Ford Mustang past fellow John Force Racing teammate Mike Neff when he posted a 4.139 at 307.07 in the final round. It was Hight’s first win at Firebird International Raceway and 24th win of his career.

WoO Sprint Car Series Media PR PhotoThe former Outlaw leads all 30 laps for the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit win

by Shawn Miller (WoO Sprint Car Media PR)
With a sweat-drenched brow and a childlike grin, Danny Lasoski exhaled a sigh of relief in Victory Lane.

For the first time in hours he was able to relax his shoulders and catch his breath after a whirlwind evening at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., for the World of Outlaws season opener. Lasoski’s win was also his second of the week at the 41st annual UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment.

“We had our work cut out for us,” he said. “We only got to run one lap in qualifying. We broke a U-joint hot lapping and didn’t have time to change it. So I ran as quick a lap as I could with it shaking around.”

After timing in 12th quickest, a four-car invert placed Lasoski outside the front row in his heat race. Lasoski – whose team changed the engine before the heat – got the jump over polesitter Jason Meyers and led all eight laps to win, which locked Lasoski into the dash.

He then started on the pole by way of the No. 6 being drawn for the dash invert. Lasoski led all six laps to earn the pole for the 30-lap feature, which paid $10,000 to win.

Lasoski rocketed to the lead on the start until the race’s lone caution on lap four bunched the field together again. He chose the bottom line in the double-file restart and again drove to a big advantage before entering lapped traffic on lap 11.

Second-place running Brad Sweet closed to within a car length of Lasoski near the midpoint before a miscue in turn two allowed Lasoski to escape and Sammy Swindell to create a battle for second place.

by Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Media PR
Steve Francis of Ashland, KY outdueled defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion, Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN in an exciting finish at East Bay Raceway Park. Francis picked up $10,000 for his win in the finale of the 36th Annual DART Winternationals. He scored his second win of the week, in doing so. The duo was followed by Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN; Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN; and Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, IL. Erb earned the week-long DART Winternationals Championship. He won $5,000 for his efforts.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 18: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Brown Toyota, edges out Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, to win the NASCAR Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2012 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)by Reid Spencer (NASCAR Wire Service)
Kyle Busch rallied from two near-disasters to win Saturday's Budweiser Shootout with a slingshot move past Tony Stewart a few yards from the finish line at Daytona International Speedway.

Starting from the back of the field in a backup car -- necessitated by a wreck in Friday's practice -- Busch won the season-opening exhibition race for the first time. His winning margin over Stewart was .013 seconds, the closest in Shootout history, in a green-white-checkered-flag finish that took the race seven laps beyond its scheduled distance.

Marcos Ambrose recovered from a pair of wrecks to finish third, followed by Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin. Greg Biffle, Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards and Juan Pablo Montoya completed the top 10.

Busch's victory was the first in a NASCAR racecar using electronic fuel injection, which was introduced to the Sprint Cup Series this season.

Stewart had just taken the lead on Lap 74 of a scheduled 75 when a violent wreck in Turn 4 sent Jeff Gordon's No. 24 Chevrolet barrel-rolling through Turn 4 and sliding on its roof toward the entrance to pit road.

Gordon was following Kyle Busch on the backstretch, and contact between the cars turned Busch's Toyota onto the apron. Busch made a dramatic save for the second time in the race, but Gordon slid up the track into the Chevrolets of Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray.

As all three cars contacted the outside wall, Jimmie Johnson's Chevrolet nosed beneath the right rear bumper of Gordon's car and turned it upside down. The wreck left 11 cars on the lead lap and sent the race to overtime.

"With Gordon behind me, I don't know what the deal was there -- I'd like to talk to him about it," Busch said. "When we came off (Turn) 2, he had me sideways, and then all the way down the backstretch, I was still sideways -- left, right, left, right, everywhere -- then we were off into 3 and he turned me sideways again. He was on the left side of my bumper instead of the right."