What’s On Tap This Weekend?

Camping World Truck Series!

The Too Tough to Tame 200 on Darlington’s famous “Lady in Black” 1.366 mile track will unravel Saturday evening with one of our own, none other than Gene Haddock, in attendance at what I’d say is his home track.

As it stands right now, 38 entrants, including last season’s series champion, Todd Bodine, this season’s current point leader Matt Crafton (who just happens to be from Tulare, California or about 14 miles from my hometown!), former Sprint Cup driver Elliot Sadler and current Cup driver Kasey Kahne (making only his 4th CWTS career start driving Kyle Busch Motorsport’s number 18 Toyota Tundra) are set to go along with a mix of names including a group of foreign drivers. Nelson Piquet Jr. (London, England), Max Pappis (Como, Italy) and Miguel Paludo (Nova Prata, Brazil) will certainly add spice to the mix along with series standouts Ron Hornaday, James Buescher and Timothy Peters and a crew of young up and comers, Austin Dillon, Jeffrey Earnhardt and Cole Whitt.

Tune in to SPEEDTV at 5:00 PM to get your racing fix if winter still has you cooped up.

The Tire Kingdom Gatornationals at Gainesville (Florida) Raceway…

One of the premier events on the NHRA schedule will include Kurt Busch trying his hand at fulfilling a long-time dream when he makes the quarter mile run in a brand new Pro Stock ride. When asked why the interest in drag racing, Kurt commented, "This is just something to challenge myself to do another discipline of motorsports. It's four rubber tires and a race track, but, man, it's just night and day difference on how you have to be prepared for a drag race versus a NASCAR event."

A year ago at the Gatornationals Kurt strapped himself into a 1970 Dodge Charger in the Super Gas category in his first attempt on the professional level of NHRA but was smoked, never making it out of the first round. After obtaining his Pro Stock license in Bradenton, Florida, where he posted one run at 210.43 MPH passing through the lights at 6.576 seconds, Kurt appears prepared to show well this season driving the Shell Dodge Avenger pictured below…

Good Luck Kurt!

My Local Track...

Here’s what’s happening at the Citrus County Speedway this Saturday:

With a 5:30 PM start time there will be Open Wheel Mods, Sportmans, Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks, PRO Figure-8’s and Outlaw Mod Mini’s… on the 3/8th mile paved oval next door to the Citrus County fairgrounds in Inverness, Florida.

That’s a lot of exciting, live racing for just $13 per adult ticket… And the track’s only a 30 minute drive from my house!

Check out your local tracks, there are all sorts of fun auto racing events taking place around the country…

If you can, support your local races, the breeding ground of the future NASCAR greats!