WARRIORS OF DIRT TOURING OPENER: MADRAS

Latemodel racing returns to the high deserts of Eastern Oregon for the Touring Warriors of Dirt season opener. The Championship pursuit begins May 30th at one of the more technical tracks in Oregon. The racing surface at Madras starts tacky, goes slick, but takes on that black magic rubber by nights end, making for two and three lines of side by side action.

Defending Champion Terry Ferrando #12 sets up for a repeat of last year, with one exception, he is going to win races this year. Last year Gentlemen Ferrando’s clean consistent no mistake driving earned him the 2008 Championship but the itch to win was not scratched. “I’m going to win some” Ferrando states, and when Gentlemen Ferrando makes a statement, look for action.

Jason Wines #41 is a favorite to dominate in Madras after his earlier victory at Sunset Speedway’s 2008 Opener and performance in the DirtCar A-Main last weekend at Willamette Speedway. Expert chassis set up with the veteran knowledge of the Madras racing surface, Wines will be setting the pace early and closing the deal by the checker.

Greg “Hollywood” Walters #97 has a permanent parking spot in Victory Circle at the Madras Speedway. Like gravity, the checker pulls Walters to the front leaving cars spinning their wheels trying to keep up.

Mike Keely #21, the 2008 W.o.D. Rookie of the Year will be piloting a re-worked suspension package provided by FabTech and eye catching graphics by RSR. Keely started with SCCA, earned respect at Sunset Speedway in the Pure Stock and Street Stock divisions, and now looks forward to moving up in the ranks of the W.o.D.

Robby Ireland #8 looks to win, as Madras has been a place of broken parts and cracked dreams during the 2008 Season. Mishap to misstep prevented the finishes Ireland hunted down, but this year tagging and bagging a victory during the opener is a goal set in the crosshairs of preparation for Robby and his crew chief Kent Dollarhyde.

Steve Suckow #37 has been keeping his driving tools sharp in the Prime-X modified and now prepares for his 2009 latemodel debut at Madras Speedway. Team member Randy O’Conner #38 will be racing for 2009 Rookie of the Year. O’Conner comes with modified experience and hands on set up knowledge earned during his tenure as crew chief of the Prime-X #37.

This first 2009 W.o.D. tour race pits Ford vs. GM spec motors with Jeff Biffle #60 running big blue power against a field of GM power plants. Biffle hooked up his spec Ford powered Schwarts chassis at Willamette Speedway last weekend winning the B-Main event earning a transfer spot into the A. This accomplishment is magnified by the fact his spec Ford motor is around 400hp and burns pump gas. Biffle was not the only W.o.D. team to take the challenge of racing crate motors against the open competition power plants of Willamette Speedway.

Steve Moore #21 and Jimmy Schram #22s made waves with their little GM 604s in both the Supersports and DirtCar’s Outlaw show. Swapping tires between races, Moore and Schram made the Sportsmen A-Main event against a field of local veteran drivers.

Also joining the W.o.D. is Brandon Biffle age 16, a natural talent behind the wheel and son of Jeff Biffle. In his first race ever in a latemodel, Brandon finished in the top ten in Yakima last year. Brandon will be pressuring the more experienced Randy O’Conner in the race for the coveted Rookie of the Year distinction. This Father-Son race team has competition bloodlines and a deep desire to win.

Another car to watch at the W.o.D. opener is the Jerry Schram #16 car. Like an unbelievable reality TV show, Jerry Schram #16 entered his Mastersbilt GM 604 powered, pump gas burning W.o.D. crate car in the DirtCar Outlaw event at Willamette Speedway. During qualifying, the limited 400hp motor screamed it’s lungs out to pull Schram into the B-Main. Considering the stiff competition with over 40 open competition latemodels, Jerry’s “little motor that could” unequivocally established there is more to racing than big expensive horse power dollars. Schram gleaned through the B-Main field earning a transfer spot in the A-MAIN!! With all the California teams brought up by DirtCar, and the usual shoes racing in Willamette’s Outlaw division, Jerry Schram’s presence in the A-Main could not be ignored or discounted.

Tim Goodwin will be coming out of racing retirement to pilot the smoking fast #16 Schram car during the opener. If the Schram car performs like it did last weekend, a “good win” for Tim is almost assured. Taking a quick break from Team Buell, Ronnie Saner of RSR accepts the challenge of this first tour race of 2009 in a Mastersbilt chassis donning the #14R and benefitting from expert chassis help from Jason Wines. Ronnie is no stranger to the survivable danger of competition motorsports.

A life of racing will make up for his limited number of latemodel starts, and you can expect to see Ronnie finishing in the top ten. Plug your ears and grab your beers the W.o.D. is coming to Madras Speedway.

WRS Western Racing Series Updates #3

Eury Jr. out for slumping Earnhardt

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will have a new crew chief starting with this weekend's race at Dover. The team said Thursday that Tony Eury Jr. was replaced as crew chief of Earnhardt's No. 88 team.

They left Dale Earnhardt Inc. last season to drive for Hendrick Motorsports, but they've yet to find consistency despite driving for NASCAR's top team."Our performance hasn't been where it should be," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "It's impossible to pin that on any one factor, but a change is the right decision at this point. We have a plan in place, and we're going to move forward with it." They have one win in 48 races with Hendrick and are 19th in points. They hit rock bottom with Monday's 40th-place finish at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Team manager Brian Whitesell will be the crew chief this weekend. Lance McGrew will take over next week on an interim basis as team owner Rick Hendrick figures out a long-term plan for NASCAR's most popular driver.

Rivers recovering after NWWT crash

Sprint car racer Jeffrey Rivers is at home recovering after a hard crash in Saturday's NorthWest Wingless Tour sprint car feature at Cottage Grove Speedway.

According to the Rivers Family, the young driver out of Lebanon, Ore. suffered a concussion in the crash as well as broken blood vessels in one eye and a hurt knee. Rivers drives the John Rivers No. 45 Chevy-powered Rocket. Rivers started the scheduled 30-lap NorthWest Wingless Tour main event inside the fourth row. Rivers moved up to the second position behind leader Kyle Miller on Lap 11. On Lap 17, Rivers began putting pressure on Miller for the lead. Miller was running at the very top of the track while Rivers was pulling even with Miller using the very bottom of the track in the turns. Miller was able to see Rivers getting alongside and on Lap 19 he tried to go low to see if he could stay ahead of Rivers.

Problem was, Rivers and Miller went for the same piece of track at the same time. Rivers right side wheels went over Miller's left side wheels as they rounded the second turn of the 1/4-mile, high-banked clay oval. The contact resulted in Rivers going for a wild tumble upside down entering the back stretch, ending his evening. John Rivers says Jeffrey hopes and expects to be well enough to return to competition in time for the NorthWest Wingless Tour's next event, which is Friday, June 5th at Willamette Speedway. The event is the first night of the NWWT's Summer Shootout Series, which concludes the next night at Cottage Grove Speedway. Jeffrey's health is one thing, but finances are another. The No. 45 is an unsponsored car and funds are tight at the moment.

Despite the lack of sponsorship, the Rivers Family is hopeful they will be back on the track June 5th. More information on the NorthWest Wingless Tour can be found online at http://www.nwwinglesstour.com.

SRTV: Test Drive Garage

Lingenfelter 2010 Camaro SS - 532 RWHP

The Lingenfelter 2010 Camaro SS with Magnuson’s MP2300 supercharger kit, modified air box with stock air filter, Lingenfelter 100 mm mass air sensor, 100 mm secondary zip tube, stock exhaust manifolds and Corsa’s prototype full cat back exhaust system has dyno’d at 532 rwhp.













When Lingenfelter installed the Magnuson supercharger system they upgraded several components from the base Magnuson kit for increased performance and reliability. They provided their development car a custom Lingenfelter PCM programming tune.

UAW agrees to 17.5% stake in GM

Facing a looming June 1 deadline to reach agreements with the bondholders and union, General Motors may have failed to come to terms with the former, but it has reportedly arrived at a tentative concessions agreement with latter.

The deal puts the United Auto Workers' trust fund in charge of future health care costs in exchange for a 17.5% stake in the reorganized General Motors. The U.S. Treasury is still expected to take the controlling stake in the reorganized company. In addition, the agreement calls for GM to put $10 billion in assets in the UAW's Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association VEBA and to issue the union a $2.5 billion note to be payed in three installations in 2013, 2015, and 2017.

With just days to go before a likely Chapter 11 bankruptcy, GM remains in survival mode.

GM: Is bankruptcy next?

A General Motors Corp. bankruptcy filing seemed inevitable after a rebellion by its bondholders forced it to withdraw on Wednesday a plan to swap bond debt for company stock.

GM had until Monday to complete a government-ordered restructuring that includes debt reduction, labor cost cuts and plant closures. But a Chapter 11 reorganization is likely after the company said its offer to exchange $27 billion in unsecured debt for 10 percent of the company's stock had failed. GM has received $19.4 billion in federal loans. News of the failed GM bond exchange offer sent its shares down 12 cents, or 8.3 percent, to $1.32 in morning trading.

GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson said the board will meet later this week to decide its next move, but he would not say exactly when. He also would not say if the company would soon file for Chapter 11, nor would he reveal what percentage of bondholders took the offer. There was a small hope Tuesday that GM could avoid a bankruptcy filing when the United Auto Workers union disclosed that it would take a 20 percent stake in GM — down from the original plan of 39 percent. That seemingly freed 19 percent of the Detroit-based company's shares to sweeten the pot for its recalcitrant bondholders.

Wilkinson would not say why GM didn't make the offer to bondholders more attractive. Because the bondholder deal did not go through, the equity freed by the UAW deal now apparently will go to the U.S. government, which may have to commit billions more for GM's restructuring in court. The government's stake in the company originally was to be 50 percent, according to GM's regulatory filings. But it now could be as high as 69 percent. The Canadian government also could get equity for up to $8 billion in aid for the automaker. Such an arrangement would leave bondholders back where they started — and a Chapter 11 filing all but certain.

The deadline for GM's bondholders to tender their debt has already past.

ASA: iRacing NW Late Model Tour

The iRacing.com American Speed Association Northwest Late Model Tour Big Sky 150 Cory Wolfe Challenge at Mission Valley Speedway is history.

Lewis the 2008 winner of the $10,000.00 winner’s check will start on the pole after winning his qualifying 35-lap heat race. On the outside of the front row will be Brent Harris winner of his heat race.

Row two will have Shelby Thompson inside of Joey Tanner. Owen Riddle will be inside row three and Dan Rhodes outside. Fast qualifier Mike Longton rolled a six for the invert. Longton will start fifth. Second quick Joey Tanner has acclimated to the tricky track and finished 6th.

Tanner helped his cause by easily winning the 100-lap Limited Late Model Main on Saturday.

F1: Button leads Brawn 1-2 at Monaco

Jenson Button's entry to Formula One a decade ago was meant to set the world alight -- so much so his autobiography appeared before he had turned a wheel in anger. But lo, victories and titles failed to appear. He struggled with contracts, and then with cars as compatriot Lewis Hamilton wrote the glory story that was to be his.

Now Button's promise has come good. The Englishman won Sunday's Grand Prix of Monaco in a pole-to-flag performance not offered by a Briton since Sir Jackie Stewart in 1973. Button dominated the proceedings, scampering away to lead by as many as 15 seconds and cruising through 78 laps to finish nearly eight seconds ahead of teammate Rubens Barrichello.

The duo posted the third Brawn GP one-two in six races and doubled the team's lead on the constructors field. Button boosted his points total to 51; Barrichello follows on 35.

DirtCar I-5: Weekend Winners

Congratulations to the DirtCar I-5 NW Late Model Tour
Memorial Day Weekend Winners
Friday Winner: Casey Vitale
Saturday Winner: Jeremy Shank
Sunday Winner: Brett McCutcheon

NWWT: Barraza/Margeson grab wins

When local classes were rolling onto the track for hotlaps, Kyler Barraza was not around and it was speculated that the NorthWest Wingless Tour's inaugural sprint car feature winner would not come at all.

A few hours later, Barraza was sitting in victory lane after a wild evening to make himself 2-for-2 in NWWT competition. The NWWT midgets held their inaugural event on Saturday and it was Tacoma, Wash. driver Evan Margeson, a standout in pavement midgets, sweeping the entire evening in his first ever dirt midget start. It was his first time racing at Cottage Grove Speedway.

The NorthWest Wingless Tour's next races are on back-to-back nights in June as the NWWT's first "Summer Shootout" takes place on June 5th and 6th at Willamette Speedway and Cottage Grove Speedway. Points will be tallied over the two nights and the top five point scorers in each division will earn bonus money from the NWWT.

More information on the NWWT can be found online at http://www.nwwinglesstour.com

IRL: Helio Castroneves wins Indy 500

Victory goes to the man who nearly lost everything after being in court the last six months to stand trial on charges of federal tax evasion, of which he was acquitted on April 17th. All that's behind him now, and Castroneves' future is brighter than he could've imagined a few months ago after winning the "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" for the third time in his career.

He joins eight other drivers in the three-peat club, but he's the only foreign-born driver of the bunch. Perhaps the only more amazing outcome for the race would have been a win by Indy starlet Danica Patrick. Alas, it was not to be, though Patrick did finish third behind Dan Wheldon, which beat her previous best finish of fourth back in her rookie season of 2005.

NASCAR CUP: Reutimann wins first Cup race

David Reutimann was the big winner in NASCAR's losing battle against Mother Nature in Monday's rain-shortened 24 Hours of the Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Nearly 25 hours after the 50th edition of the race was supposed to start, and with menacing storm cells dotting the radar, NASCAR called the event after 227 of a scheduled 400 laps. That made a first-time winner of Reutimann, who parlayed a strategic call by crew chief Rodney Childers into the unlikely victory.

The win in NASCAR's longest race, which was postponed from Sunday because of rain, was the first for Michael Waltrip Racing -- now in its third season of Cup competition -- and the first for a Toyota team other than Joe Gibbs Racing. Reutimann led five laps, all under the final caution.

NASCAR NW: Bliss wins shortened race.

Superior fuel mileage got Mike Bliss out front late in Saturday night's Carquest Auto Parts 300 Nationwide Series race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Rain did the rest.

Three laps after Bliss took the lead from runner-up Brendan Gaughan on Lap 167, NASCAR red-flagged the race because of rain and made Bliss' win official by calling the event 30 laps short of its scheduled distance of 200 laps.

Bliss' only other win in the series also came at Charlotte in 2004.

WRS: Skagit Speedway Expo.

Here is the #09 WRS: Western Racing Series ride with Renny shaking the car out on the track for the first time at Skagit Speedway last weekend.

Car is looking good Renny!

SRTV: Speed and Racing Television

Newman grabs Coca-Cola 600 P1

Five days after owner/driver Tony Stewart won the Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway, his teammate, Ryan Newman, ripped off a pole-winning run for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at the 1.5-mile track.

Newman turned a lap in 28.651 seconds Thursday to earn the top starting spot for the 600-miler, NASCAR's longest race. Kyle Busch (188.258 mph) made a concerted attempt to unseat Newman, who gave Stewart-Haas its first Sprint Cup pole, but fell just short after a slight mistake getting into Turn 3. Newman now has 44 career poles and eight at Lowe's (the most among active drivers) but hasn't started from the top spot in a Cup race since April 12, 2008, at Phoenix. A prolific pole winner earlier in his career, Newman won his first pole in his third Cup start and has claimed the top starting spot for the 600 in every odd-numbered year since. "After winning your first pole in your third start, and then going more than a year without winning one, you start to feel pole-deprived," Newman quipped. "I really wasn't totally satisfied with the lap -- everybody says that -- but obviously, you don't have to be when you have a fast race car."

Coincidentally, the top three qualifiers for Sunday's race are the same three who went three-wide through the fourth corner on Lap 93 of the Sprint All-Star Race, with Jeff Gordon wrecking and Busch and Newman each sustaining damage. "Yeah, as of right now, I'm going to call a meeting in the NASCAR hauler for all three teams to sit down and talk about the first lap," Newman said, laughing. "But it's kind of ironic how things work out."

Fast Facts The Race: Coca-Cola 600
The Date: Sunday, May 24
The Track: Lowe’s Motor Speedway
The Time: 5:45 p.m. ET The Distance: 400 laps/600 miles
TV: FOX. 2:00 p.m. PST

Anthony, Jr. Wins 4th Mustang Challenge

TC Motorsports' Ted Anthony, Jr. won his fourth Ford Racing Mustang Challenge race of the season last weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. Anthony's latest win makes him the winningest driver in the 2009 Mustang Challenge series with a total of four wins in six races.

Anthony consistently posted times in the top three throughout Thursday and Friday's practice sessions. During Saturday morning qualifying, Anthony put the #9 TC Motorsports FR500S on pole with a lap time 0.821 second faster than his nearest rival, Pratt Cole. At the drop of the green flag on Sunday morning, Anthony steadily gapped the field until a full course yellow regrouped the field. After the restart, championship leader Andrew Caddell, who had started the race at the back of the grid because of a technical infraction during qualifying, moved up to second and started hounding Anthony. However, like he has shown in previous races this season, Anthony never bowed to the pressure, never put a wheel wrong, and drove away from his competitors to his fourth victory of the season.

TC Motorsports driver Rick Edwards continued his run in the championship driving the #7 TC Motorsports/edwardsdds.com FR500S. Edwards qualified a strong fourth after posting times in the top five in the practice sessions on Thursday and Friday. In the race, Edwards got a great start, made some decisive passes, and ran as high as third until he was hit from behind in two separate incidents and was forced to slow his pace in order to bring the #7 car to the finish.

TC Motorsports driver Steve Miller drove the #8 TC Motorsports FR500S and posted times well within the top ten during the Thursday and Friday practice sessions. Miller went on to qualify 10th despite breaking a wheel in qualifying. In the race, Miller ran as high as seventh until he was hit from behind late in the race and forced off track.

TC Motorsports travels to Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, in three weeks for Round 7 of the 2009 Mustang Challenge series on June 12-14 as part of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race weekend. The team will then go straight to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, the following week for Round 8 of the series on June 19-21 as part of the Grand Am Rolex/KONI Challenge race weekend.

Volkswagen Scirocco R

PRESS RELEASE: The new Scirocco R – From the race track to the road.

There could not be a better time or place for a world premiere: parallel to the start of the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring, Volkswagen is presenting the new Scirocco R for the first time anywhere.

A sports car without compromise and a race track that demands everything of the driver will be meeting together this weekend. Approximately one year after the market launch of the third Scirocco generation, Volkswagen is presenting the most powerful series built Scirocco ever made at the Nürburgring.

Its charged four-cylinder 2.0 l TSI is impressive with an output of 195 kW / 265 PS and 350 Newton metres of torque – the dynamic effect is just as striking as the running gear which provides optimal traction characteristics thanks to, amongst other things, the new front axle differential lock XDS. The design of the Scirocco R is largely based on the Scirocco GT24, which was designed for motor sports: there are large air intake openings in the front bumper which the engineers used to achieve optimal cooling for the engine and the brakes, and an integrated front spoiler as well as the bi-xenon headlights. At the rear end, the roof edge spoiler, which is much larger than on the standard model, a striking shining black diffuser and the chrome tailpipes of the dual exhaust system dominate the design. The side view of the vehicle is characterised by the powerful sill panels as well as the specially-designed 18" alloy wheels "Talladega". Volkswagen will demonstrate the potential of the new Scirocco R during the 24- hour race with this racing version.

With a total of five Sciroccos, driver teams including Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, member of the Volkswagen board of management for technical development, the rally world champion Carlos Sainz as well as this year's Dakar winner Giniel de Villiers, will be at the start line.

Note: Comprehensive information on the 24-hour race can be found at www.volkswagen-motorsport.info.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Coverage of the race starts mid morning this Sunday with the green flag at 1pm and for once might be something more than a example of who spends the most will win the race. Personally, I've got my money on Graham Rahal: You?

CBS Radio VS. The TRUTH

The funny part is the douche bag in the background comparing how "other" stations do what KUFO will never do - and then flat did to the R.E.S.

Please help save the R.E.S. from CBS by clicking here.

Chrysler: What now?

If you were wondering "what now"

A Fiat 500 built in Canada, Mexico or the United States may be the first product of the newly minted Chrysler LLC-Fiat Auto alliance. Chrysler LLC filed for bankruptcy and completed its deal with Fiat after the United Auto Workers agreed to concessions and four major banks agreed to cut debt to one third of current value in exchange for 15 percent of the new company. Only one group held out for more. "Investment firms and hedge funds decided to wait for an unjustified government bailout," President Obama said. "Some demanded twice what others were getting." Obama's hope is that Chrysler will emerge in 30 to 60 days a financially healthier company. The UAW gets 55 percent of Chrysler, Fiat gets 20 percent, the U.S. government gets eight percent, and the governments of Canada and Ontario split two percent.

CEO Bob Nardelli leaves Chrysler after the bankruptcy is completed, but expects to remain in Cerberus's employ. Co-president Tom LaSorda will retire, probably before the bankruptcy process concludes. Co-president Jim Press, the Toyota veteran, is considered likely to stay on. There's speculation that Fiat chairman Sergio Marchionne will replace Nardelli, serving as a Carlos Ghosn-like two-company chief. Marchionne can run an American automaker, goes the speculation, because he was trained -- as an accountant -- in Canada. As for the Fiat 500, co-president Tom LaSorda said, "it is a product highly considered to be built in the NAFTA region."

WHAT CHRYSLER GETS: "Billions of dollars in advanced technology and intellectual property" plus Fiat's global distribution network. UAW concessions on wages, benefits, and retiree health, four large creditors taking $2 billion for their $6.9 billion in secured claims. Daimler gives up its 19.9-percent share of Chrysler and contributes $600 million to pensions. A new board, with the Treasury department picking four directors and Fiat choosing three, one of them a Fiat employee.

WHAT FIAT GETS: Manufacturing, distribution of Fiats and Alfa Romeos in the U.S., the Fiats probably as Chrysler and/or Dodge models, the Alfas as Alfas, within 18 months. 20 percent of Chrysler initially. It can earn up to 35 percent in five-point increments if it meets such performance metrics as introducing a Chrysler factory-produced vehicle that gets 40 mpg, provides Chrysler with distribution in various foreign markets and manufactures state-of-the-art, next-generation engines at a Chrysler factory. The U.S. will loan what it calls New Chrysler an additional $4.7 billion, the final payment due in eight years.

Fiat cannot take majority stake in Chrysler until the federal loans are paid off. Call it good, call it bad, call it what ever you like. Chrysler will stick around and as long as cars like the Viper, Charger and Challenger continue to hold a place on the showroom floor.

Hennessey HPE550 Camaro Video

The Hennessey HPE550 which was recently reported putting down 530rwhp, has run a 11.67 @ 121.2mph on a quarter mile run.

Click now on video to see this impressive run!

Fabrizio and Spies spilt wins in Monza

Congratulations to Michel Fabrizio and Ben Spies who spilt wins in Italy at the fifth round of the World Superbike Championship, but not without a host of madness and turmoil at the historic Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

















Michel Fabrizio: "I don’t know what happened at the end of the first race with Ben Spies, may have been the fuel, but it was a shame. I was going well and had a bit of a problem in the middle of the race with my gearbox when I touched with Ben, but I was able to get back up and get going. To win the first and be second after is the greatest weekend I have ever had. Thank you so much to my team and all of the Italian fans. This is amazing."











Ben Spies: "It was a tough pill to swallow after Race One. But we put our head down in Race Two and got into a good rhythm in the first 12-14 laps because we knew we had an issue there and had to short-shift and slow down some at the end to make it on fuel. I took the two warm-up laps a bit differently and the last few laps of the race two, but I can't complain about the bike, it was great during the race.".

The WSBK be back racing at the next event at Road America.

NASCAR: Stewart wins the All-Star million

On the final restart with five laps remaining and Kyle Busch holding the lead, many might have thought, 'well this race is over.' But never count out the drive of a racer who has yet to win his first victory of the year, let alone still seeking his first All-Star win. Plus the added factor of the one-race payoff.

While the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series non-points All-Star race has changed formats over the years, the race still has many waiting for the final laps to see who will take it to the limit. For the 2009 edition it was Tony Stewart that stole the show. "Oh, it's awesome. I've got to thank our fans. Man, when I got out over there in 2 the response from this crowd was awesome. They've been behind us all year. This is for two people and one group of people: That's Gene Haas and Joe Custer and then for all these fans," smiled Stewart. "We couldn't do it without Rick Hendrick and his engine and chassis department."

Now his own team Cup owner, Stewart has taken risks many times, on and off the racing surface. Tonight he went low to follow Matt Kenseth around Kyle Busch on the restart. Kenseth had his Roush Fenway Racing Ford on the high side of the 1.5-mile Lowe's Motor Speedway quad oval. "I can't believe he gave me the bottom. I just cannot believe he gave me the bottom. But I'll take it. Matt is a guy you can trust. We got to second there, got by the No. 18 and I thought all right, we have a shot at this thing," said Stewart. Stewart and Kenseth were close enough to trade paint but the two showed respect. When Stewart edged his Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet's nose ahead of the Ford, Kenseth replied back as they went side-by-side before Kenseth played Stewart's hand and went down to the low line. That did not work for long and with two laps to go, it was the red Chevy out in front coming out of turn two. Points versus a one-race paycheck of $1,022,975, is nothing when you have already shown that your new team has been up-front with consistent finishes and not just from Stewart, but also his teammate Ryan Newman.

It proved that the team's first points Cup victory cannot be that far away. Stewart became the second owner/driver to win the event. The first was Geoffrey Bodine in 1994.

Johnson Bows Out in Quarterfinals

Mopar JnJ Racing Dodge Stratus R/T NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson's quest for victory at his home track of Bristol Motor Speedway will have to wait another year.

The Greeneville, Tenn. native was dealt a quarterfinals loss by Greg Anderson at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals on Sunday, May 17.

Willamette Speedway: SRTV on Location.

Special thanks to Willamette Speedway for their hospitality and to the racers that put on a great show. Look for this and other interviews coming up in June on SRTV: Speed and Racing Television.

GM Regarding Dealer Network

As noted in our recent S-4 filing and updated Viability Plan, General Motors plans to reduce its dealer network from 5,969 stores today to approximately 3,600 by the end of 2010.

This process starts today, as GM begins contacting dealers regarding its long term planning. Approximately 1,100 underperforming and very small sales volume U.S. dealers will be advised that GM does not see them as part of its dealer network on a long-term basis.

In most cases, existing franchise agreements run through October of 2010. In addition, we will be updating about 470 Saturn, HUMMER and Saab dealers on the status of those brands and we will be discussing how the remaining dealers will support our retail plans going forward. While additional cuts will be made, we believe the vast majority, over 90 percent, of the remaining dealers will be offered a chance to remain with GM. However, specific dealer issues, further attrition and additional possible dealer network actions are expected to bring the number of future GM dealers to around 3,600 by the end of 2010, as described in the Plan.

The actual number could vary given levels of attrition, etc. outside of GM’s control. “We have said from the beginning that our dealers are not a problem but an asset for General Motors,” said Mark LaNeve, GM Vice President of Sales Service and Marketing. “However it is imperative that a healthy, viable GM have a healthy, viable dealer body that can not only survive but prosper during cyclical downturns. It is obvious that almost all parts of GM, including the dealer body, must get smaller and more efficient.” “In response, we are letting them know about our long term plans. GM’s viability plan calls for fewer, stronger brands as well as fewer, stronger dealers. We have taken a very difficult step by identifying those dealerships we’d like to keep in the GM dealer network and those with whom we will have to wind down our business relationships,” LaNeve said. As independently owned businesses, dealer owners will make their own decisions if and when they want to make this information public. GM is not releasing the names of any dealers. “We are not terminating any dealerships today,” LaNeve clarified, “We will be talking to all of our dealers over the next few weeks, letting them know now in the spirit of open communication, so they are advised well in advance, about our long-term plans and their role in them.

Long term, GM should have fewer, healthier dealers, maintaining GM’s current high customer satisfaction ratings, with more sales per outlet.”

Sunset Speedway: Track Video

Pure racing at the "gotta love it" level. To all the put on the show - THANKS

The HAWG WILD: A Night of Comedy

Johnson tops All-Star qualifying

Jimmie Johnson and his Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet team were the fastest performers in NASCAR Sprint All-Star qualifying at the Lowe's Motor Speedway Friday evening.

Qualifying for the Sprint All-Star race is unique in that it entails three laps around the 1.5-mile track, including a pit stop to change four-tires. Penalties were assessed against those exceeding the pit-road speed limit and for loose lug nuts.

Johnson, one of 18 qualifiers, had the lowest overall time at 2 minutes and 1.41 seconds. Among the quality measurements were the speed of the first lap, elapsed time in the pits and pit road exit speed. The reigning Sprint Cup champion had the fastest opening lap (28.34 seconds) and the fastest exit speed - 119 miles per hour, which helped propel him to the pole position for Saturday's non-points race. "We had a good lap, and I feel like we did a good job," Johnson said upon exiting his Chevrolet. "I am so proud of these guys. We made no mistakes, and it was all teamwork tonight. And I did my part, too." Hendricks Motorsport teammates Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon were immediately behind Earnhardt, giving the Hendricks team four of the top-six starting positions.

UPDATE: Rick Emerson Show

NOTE: THIS IS A RE-POST OF THE MOST IMPORTANT KIND.
I worked for the WW for years and even though I did not fit in, I have always respected the journalistic integrity of the paper and their writers.

THIS IS GREAT LOCAL WRITING: As I have said time and time again.
"Without Rick Emerson, I would have no broadcast career"

Well, apparently a lot of Rick Emerson Show listeners have been doing some talking and typing of their own. Since I posted news that KUFO had recently slashed the amount of time Emerson and co-hosts Tim Riley and Sarah X. Dylan spend jawing about local news and geek-fabulous topics to a paltry 90 minutes over the course of four hours last Monday afternoon, more than 120 fans have commented in varying modes of anger or anguish—most in favor of CBS Radio changing RES back to its more talk, less rock format.

But according to both CBS Radio’s General Manager for Portland Dave McDonald and KUFO programming director Chris Patyk it’s not that simple. I spoke with both managers this past Wednesday and Thursday. (My apologies, I would have posted their responses earlier but I’ve been on deadline for other projects. I suck.) Host Rick Emerson and crew still have no official comment on the format changes.

So, what’s the hell was CBS thinking when it moved a meandering, beloved local pop culture talk show to a hard rock station’s morning slot?

“We didn’t look at this as moving the Rick Emerson Show. We looked at it as making the best show for KUFO,” McDonald says. “We’re trying to create a broadly appealing show using the terrific talent of Rick Emerson… There’s a different context to a midday show to opposed to a morning drive show where people’s lives are operated at a different pace—especially a station known for its music…"

KUFO programming director Chris Patyk had much the same reaction. “Morning listening is different,” he told WW. “We need to look at all angles and figure out what the right combo of service elements: news, weather, traffic…to make the show appealing for a broader audience."

It’s that very attitude that seems to get longtime RES listeners riled up. When the KUFO move was announced in March, host Emerson as well as Patyk both noted on air that the format of RES would not be changing substantially. Super fans, many of whom have been listening to the talk show for years on one station or another, see the big move toward more music as a bait and switch; a violation of terms. And they’re pissed.

But, when it comes to corporate radio, it’s not all about small groups of loyal fans. McDonald, who has been in the Portland radio biz for a quarter-century, admits that he doesn’t think that the station has at something “comfortable” for Rick or his listeners yet. “No one’s thrilled with the way it’s going right now. And I don’t say that in any mean way,” McDonald says. “It’s a work in progress and it will find its rhythm."

And that rhythm might make for a show that longtime fans don’t connect with. According to Patyk, radio stations have to take what’s happening in their industry seriously. He mentions the fact that the “Portable People Meter” a new Arbitron electronic ratings tracking device that monitors not only what radio shows listeners tune in to, but when they change the dial during ads, talk and music, will be coming to Portland in September.

“CBS Radio is seeing patterns on what works and doesn’t work for PPM,” he says. “Ad buyers look upon Arbitron to make decisions. The business of radio is a very different landscape than it was 10, 15 years ago. So, we’re all feeling the pinch of the economy."

McDonald says that CBS Radio operated RES at a loss on 970 AM “for a long time.” [I wasn’t able to confirm this info with Emerson or his crew]. And, to be blunt, that’s what this is about—ratings and ad sales (oddly enough, that’s what fans say the new format will kill). “The entertainment biz is built on people who like [the shows] and numbers that can help it sustain it,” he says. “When [Rick] has guests or does celebrity interviews I don’t think there’s anyone better. I hear that brilliance and I just can’t resist trying to make that work on a platform that is commercially viable."

So, is there a place for a local, all talk radio show in ratings driven contemporary radio anymore? “Well, the news stations do that. The last free-for-all show that got ratings was Howard Stern,” McDonald says. “If you go back through history, most shows were variety shows that stars grew out of. Look at Mark and Brian, Howard Stern…they don’t play records anymore. Anything can happen…."

When I asked McDonald, bottom line, whether CBS would consider lessening the amount of music on a morning show, his answer was non-committal. “We might,” he admits. “Whatever it takes to make the show successful as it can be on KUFO."

As for the fans, Patyk says he understands their anger. “We’re listening to them. We appreciate their candor and passion. That’s something you don’t see for a lot of programs these days,” he says. “[People] have really grown to love the show. I’m just as much a fan of radio and TV and when things get tinkered with and changed I understand the outcry. I used to love Freaks and Geeks. -When it was canceled- I wrote letters myself.”

All I say is, complete hogwash.....

Hornaday Rallies for Win at LMS

Ron Hornaday rallied from a lap down to win the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 on Friday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway. It was Hornaday's first win of the season, second at LMS and 40th of his career.

He retook the points lead by 84 over Mike Skinner, who was credited with a 29th-place finish after a horrific crash that sent his truck flying. Hornaday pitted under green when Kyle Busch got into race leader Colin Braun, bringing out the caution. But Busch was penalized for rough driving, and Todd Bodine spun out a few laps later as the leader. That gave Hornaday a chance to race back to the front, and he passed Matt Crafton for the lead and held off Kyle Busch for the victory.

Busch, who earlier had been penalized for having too many men over the wall during a pit stop, finished second and Crafton was third. Ryan Newman finished fourth and Terry Cook fifth. David Gilliland finished sixth, followed by David Starr, Tayler Malsam, Stacy Compton and Dennis Setzer.

Burton's crew wins pit crew challenge

Avoiding mistakes on pit road has been a key to victory in Sprint Cup competition this season. The same can be said of the fifth Pit Crew Challenge, which the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team of driver Jeff Burton won in record fashion Thursday night at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Burton's over-the-wall crew of gas man Curt Bowman, catch-can man Andrew Childers, front-tire changer Daniel Blizzard, front-tire carrier Jon Wallace, rear-tire changer Terry Spalding, rear-tire carrier Chris Martin and jackman Adam North completed their respective skills and the 40-yard car push in 22.115 seconds, an event record, to defeat the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge team of driver Reed Sorenson in the finals.

TC Motorsports Preview: Mustang Challenge

TC Motorsports Heads to California for Mustang Challenge

TC Motorsports heads to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA this weekend for Round 6 of the 2009 Ford Racing Mustang Challenge. The event will be held May 14-17 in conjunction with the Verizon Festival of Speed.

The weekend will feature races from the Grand Am Daytona Prototype and GT series, the Koni GS and ST series, as well as the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup. TC Motorsports is rolling into California with its three red and blue-liveried cars ready for action. After traveling to races across the country in Florida, Alabama, and New Jersey, Laguna Seca in California is almost like a home race for the Washington State-based team.

Joining the team for his second time in Ford Racing Mustang Challenge is Steve Miller from Seattle, WA. Miller will drive the #8 TC Motorsports FR500S, in which he made his series debut last year at Miller Motorsports Park during the final two races of 2008. Rick Edwards will continue his run in the championship driving the #7 TC Motorsports FR500S, and Ted Anthony, Jr. will shoot for his 5th win in the series and attempt to move closer to the championship lead driving the #9 TC Motorsports FR500S. TC Motorsports is a unique motorsports company in that it offers winning arrive and drive opportunities to talented drivers in all levels of motorsports, from local club racing to national level professional racing series, across the country.

For more information go to www.tcmotorsports.net

RALLY AMERICA: Oregon Trail Rally Preview

The battle for top points in the Rally America championship is heating up the Pacific Northwest as the series moves to Oregon for the fourth round, the Oregon Trail Rally - This Week Starting May 15th through the 17th.

A tight race at the top of the standings sees NOS Energy driver Andrew Comrie-Picard with a three-point lead over Subaru Rally Team USA's Travis Pastrana and Rockstar Energy's Tanner Foust who are tied for second-place. Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom could have the edge. The driver has scored two wins in three starts this season and scored the event win in 2008. Meanwhile, Comrie-Picard and co-driver Robbie Durant, and Foust and co-driver Chrissie Beavis, have shown they can set a top pace this season. Pastrana's Subaru teammates Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino, are always a threat for the win. Block and the Polish team of Andi Mancin and co-driver Maciej Wislawski are hungry for points to boost their standings after a slow start to their respective seasons. Block has one win and two DNFs to his record this year, while Mancin has been expected to gain ground as the season progresses and he becomes accustomed to the U.S. style of rally competition.

The new, hotly contested Super Production Class will also see a strong field at this event, with drivers including Piotr Wiktorczyk, Matt Johnson and Subaru Rally Team USA's Dave Mirra expected to fight hard for class honors and maintain their top-10 standings. Promising young Dillon Van Way is another driver to watch as continues his national campaign the for two-wheel drive title, while a number of popular competitors from the Pacific Northwest including Dave Hintz, Paul Eklund, and Mark Tabor are sure to put on a great show for their hometown crowds.

The event features over 100 miles of competition over a course that promises a mix of twisty, hard-packed forest conditions and wide-open farming roads. The Mount Hood area's hilly terrain means plenty of elevation changes throughout the contest. For more information go to www.rally-america.com

NASCAR: CUP SERIES PREVIEW

The 25th running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the all-star preliminary event, the Sprint Showdown, is set for Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will once again have a 10-lap segment as its finale. The 80-lap event will have three other segments of 50, 20 and 20 laps. There is plenty of historical precedent for bringing back the 10-lap run. Some of the all-star event’s most exciting finishes, including Dale Earnhardt’s 1987 “pass in the grass” that allowed him to scoot by Bill Elliott for a dramatic victory.

The winner of the all-star race will receive a payout in excess of $1 million. The field will consist of NASCAR Sprint Cup race winners from 2008 and 2009, past all-star champion Kevin Harvick, past series champion Bobby Labonte, the two top finishers in the Sprint Showdown preliminary race and the winner of the Sprint Fan Vote.

Fast Facts The Race: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
The Date: Saturday, May 16
The Track: Lowe’s Motor Speedway
The Time: 9 p.m. Et The Distance: 100 laps/150 miles
The Channel: SPEED TV 8:30 p.m. PST

NASCAR: TRUCK SERIES PREVIEW

Mike Skinner heads into this weekend as the series points leader but with only 25 points separating him from Ron Hornaday Jr. who sits in second. If the 1995 series champion wants to hold on to that lead, he’ll need to turn his past performances at Lowe’s Motor Speedway around. Skinner has started in the top five in each of his five starts, including three times from the pole. However those top five starts have yet to produce a top five finish. His best was an eighth place finish in 2007.

Winless So Far But No Time To Panic For Ron Hornaday Jr. Three time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. hasn’t made a trip to Victory Lane yet this season. But the veteran driver has no need to worry just yet. In nine previous full seasons he’s only gone this long without a win twice. Most recently it took Hornaday up to race number six to grab a win in 2007. The win was at Lowe’s and he went on to claim his third series title.

Matt Crafton Holding His Own Among Champions. After five races in the 2009 season Matt Crafton is sitting fourth in the series standings, holding his own among former series champions. So far this season the California native has finished outside of the top 10 only once with an 11th place finish at Atlanta in March. Crafton grabbed his first career NASCAR win a year ago at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and will look to become only the second driver to land repeat wins at the track.

Fast Facts: North Carolina Education Lottery 200
The Place: Lowe’s Motor Speedway
The Date: Fri., May 15, 2009
The Time: 8 p.m. ET Race Distance: 201 miles / 134 laps
The TV Channel: SPEED, 6:00 p.m. PST

Cash-for-Clunkers bill to get forced?

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have said they would like to fast track the Cash-for-Clunkers bill through the legislative process.

There's a legitimate fear that new car sales will further stagnate while buyers wait for the bill to pass, which could take a very long time if it's attached to the much broader climate change legislation. Says Reid "Cash for clunkers is really important. Every country in the world is selling less cars than they did before except one country: Germany. And in Germany they have a program for cash-for-clunkers. We need to do the same."

Germany, the first country to implement a car scrapping scheme, has seen new car sales improve by over 20% in each month since the plan's launch in February. Under the proposed legislation in the U.S., new car buyers would be eligible for a voucher worth up to $4,500 for trading in an older vehicle if the replacement manages at least 10 mpg better than their so-called clunker.

TEST DRIVE: 2009 Cadillac CTS

The next-generation Cadillac CTS is a small sedan that promises more horsepower, huge fun-to-drive attitude, an impressively finished benchmark interior and one large dose of style. The 2009 CTS highlights include a standard Bose audio system with eight speakers and both USB and auxiliary MP3-player jacks, a four-cam, variable valve-timing 3.6-liter V6 generating 263 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque and a driving dynamic that has not been found in a Cadillac in several years until now.

WOD: Keevan Motorsports '09 Update

Keevan Motorsports has a successful start to the 2009 season, giving their Rayburn chassis'd crate-motor late model a run against the open motors at Cottage Grove.

After being rained out for the Warriors of Dirt race last weekend, the boys from Keevan decided to take a road trip to Cottage Grove yesterday to give the car a shake down before the next W.O.D. race, May 30th in Madras Oregon. Not knowing what to expect from the car, having not turned a full-speed lap yet, driver Mike Keely was nervous going out for qualifying. However he put on his game face and got the job done. Turning in a fast time of 14.698, almost a full second better than any previous Keevan qualifying time at Cottage Grove. Even with some mishaps it turned out to be a successful night and Keevan Motorsports is happy with the result.

Next up for Keevan Motorsports: W.O.D. series race in Madras, May 30th.

F1: Ferrari departing series?

Ferrari has confirmed that it will not enter next year's world championship unless plans for a voluntary $40 million budget cap are changed. Although the team had expressed private reservations about the rule changes and governing processes for 2010, it finally went public with its intentions in a statement issued following a board meeting at Maranello on Tuesday afternoon.

"The same rules for all teams, stability of regulations, the continuity of the FOTA's endeavours to methodically and progressively reduce costs, and governance of Formula 1 are the priorities for the future," said the statement."If these indispensable principles are not respected and if the regulations adopted for 2010 will not change, then Ferrari does not intend to enter its cars in the next Formula 1 world championship. "Entries for the 2010 world championship close on May 29, with Toyota and Red Bull's two F1 teams having already announced in public that they will not enter if the rules remain unchanged. It is thought likely that the other manufacturer teams will also join a 'boycott' of lodging an entry by the deadline - with only the current independents Brawn GP, Williams and Force India outfits set to apply.

Is it just me, or is this the largest player in Formula One saying “If you don’t play the way I want, I’m taking my toys home and playing by myself” – My opinion, it would be a huge mistake for Ferrari.

ASA NW TOUR: Lewis Wins at SCR

Gary Lewis won the inaugural iRacing.com American Speed Association Northwest Late Model Tour feature at Spokane County Raceway on Saturday night May 9. Brent Harris was second followed by local favorite Shelby Thompson. There were 7 lead changes among five drivers during the 125-lap feature on the banked .500-mile oval. Lewis made the last change on lap 87.

Once getting the lead of the race it was evident that he was not going to lose it. During the post race interview he said “I was conserving tires during most of the race. The car was awesome.” Lewis won a Late Model Challenge Series race on at the same track in 2007. Lewis leads the chase for the first ever iRacing.com ASA NWLMT championship. Pole sitter Kevin Richards relinquished the lead early to Harris. Richards was forced to leave the race with mechanical woes. Harris led until fast qualifier Mike Longton took over on lap 57. Longton lost the lead a lap later to Thompson. Longton took the lead back a lap later. Thompson regained the lead on a restart after a caution on lap 62. Thompson led until overtaken by Lewis. Twenty-one cars were on the starting grid. The top performing ‘Port City Raecars’ Rookie Challenge driver was Amanda MacDonald finishing 12th. SRTV Friend Joey Tanner was a victim of bad luck even as he set fast laps in practice that would have guarenteed a top-5 five finish.

The iracing.com ASA Northwest Late Model Tour returns to the Inland Northwest on June 13 with a stop at Stateline Speedway for 125-laps on the high banked .25-mile oval. Next up for the iRacing.com American Speed Association Northwest Late Model Tour is in Ronan, Montana at Mission Valley Speedway on May 23 & 24 for a two day event capped by a $10,000.00 to win 150-lap feature. This event draws cars from all over the Northwest all vying for a portion of the $40,000.00 purse.

Hubinette takes early exit at Road Atlanta

Mopar NuFormz Dodge Viper SRT10 Formula Drift driver Samuel Hübinette suffered an earlier-than-desired exit on Saturday, May 9 in the Round Two: Proving Ground FD event at Road Atlanta.

Hübinette earned one round win before losing to eventual event winner Chris Forsberg in the Top 16 round of tandem eliminations. Hübinette qualified his Mopar-powered Dodge Viper No. 5 on Friday, then dispatched rookie Jeff Jones in the first round of eliminations on Saturday. The "Crazy Swede's" second-round battle with Forsberg was a fierce one. The judges saw things even after the first two runs, calling for a One More Time battle. Hübinette was on fire in the first OMT, closely shadowing Forsberg and posting one of the highest entry speeds of the event. However, the judges once again deemed the match too close to call, asking for a second and final OMT. During the second OMT Hübinette remained glued to Forsberg's tail and made contact.

The judges advanced Forsberg, handing Hübinette a rare Top 16 loss. "It was overall a great weekend," summed up Hübinette, who competes on BFGoodrich Tires. "We ran into several one more times with Forsberg. We felt we really came out strong there and we thought we had him, but the judges called for another One More Time.

Next up is the Round Three: The Gauntlet event at Wall Speedway in Wall, N.J., June 5–6. For more info on the Formula Drift Series, visit http://www.formulad.com.

WSBK: Spies takes race two at Monza

Ben Spies - Yamaha World Superbike immediately made amends in race 2 by dominating from start to finish. The Texan left everyone standing after just a few laps and went on to win his fifth race of the season.

This win, together with the crash at the Parabolica on lap 3 of points leader Noriyuki Haga - Ducati Xerox, who had been hit by a bird, keeps the championship battle wide open. Michel Fabrizio - Ducati Xerox now becomes a credible title candidate after crowning his Italian weekend with an excellent second place. Fabrizio managed to hold off Ryuichi Kiyonari in the final stages, the Japanese rider repeating his race 1 result. A superb fourth went to Jonathan Rea - Hannspree Ten Kate Honda, while Max Biaggi - Aprilia, in fifth place, could have been further up the standings had he not made a mistake while fighting amongst the group and he was unable to make up the gap again. Tom Sykes took another sixth place for Yamaha, while Leon Haslam - Stiggy Racing Honda made up for his race 1 retirement with a seventh place.

Troy Corser did not take the start in race 2 after his two crashes today, but BMW honour was held high by Ruben Xaus, who again finished in ninth place. Broc Parkes again scored more points for Kawasaki in thirteenth.