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Edwards wins United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals
One would think that after obtaining numerous polls and already racking up five NHRA Pro Stock victories during the first nine events on the 2010 tour, when a small break in the action would come along a team would take a moment to rest.
Mike Edwards at United Association Route 66 Nationals
Not the case for Mike Edwards Motorsports. The very next day after grabbing the win during the NHRA event in Topeka, Kansas, the entire team was back out on the track with Edwards making laps in his Penhall/K&N/Interstate Batteries Pontiac GXP.
For a team in hopes of maintaining their NHRA Pro Stock Champion status, they know like many others, there can never be enough testing.
"We test in all kinds of weather conditions and it just helps to add information to your notes," explains Edwards. "We have lots of computer data from the car and we use the same weather station that most other teams use. The Computech setup and it's pretty accurate as it can give you up-to-date information every fifteen seconds."
"You have two choices in Pro Stock, you can stop working and it will be only a matter of a couple races and the Pro Stock field will pass you by," he added. "This is easily the most competitive class in motorsports and some of the best minds are working countless hours to get better. The second choice is to try a work harder than everyone else and stay on top. We have elected to follow the second path."
The NHRA professional teams had a weekend off following the Topeka event before rolling into Joliet, Illinois for the United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals, where Edwards between event testing paid dividends back to the team.
The Joliet event was yet another on the 2010 NHRA tour that was plagued by weather, even numerous tornado warnings a little too close for comfort. Even with all the weather delays, professional qualifying for the Route 66 Nationals was only shortened by one session.
Edwards' 6.629 E.T. during qualifying session two, would be all that he needed to grab and hang on to the number one spot all while adding to his points lead for the coveted K&N Horsepower Challenge. The highly sought after crown for the 2010 Challenge Championship will be contested for in just a few short weeks during the Norwalk, Ohio NHRA event.
Air conditions changed drastically over the course of the event keeping teams on their toes, by going from thick-sultry air during the first sessions to almost the complete opposite for race day on Sunday.
"The weather was a lot better for the first two rounds on Sunday and then it was even better for the second two rounds after the long-long rainouts in the middle of everything," noted Edwards.
Edwards started off race day by laying down the quickest Pro Stock pass of the weekend to that point, a 6.605 in his winning effort over the number sixteen qualifier, Rich Stevens in round one.
That would pair him up with multi-time champ Greg Anderson, where Edwards continued to tweak the E.T. in his Penhall/K&N/Interstate Batteries Pontiac GXP by posting a 6.603 over Anderson's best effort of the event, a 6.634.
Edwards and the other three remaining Pro Stock competitors would have plenty of time to think about their upcoming semi-final rounds, as Mother Nature dumped on the facility just outside of Chicago shortly after 3p.m.
As if "she" was listening for the call to the lanes, shortly after 5p.m. when the track was ready and professional rounds were to resume, yet another torrential downpour struck the event, this time with enough winds to even blow away several of the advertising inflatables.
When the rain finally ceased and the officials finalized track prep, for what must have seemed like the umpteenth time during the event, it was time for some unusual night competition.
Edwards notes that the semi-final round was the one where a little luck might have come into play from him. "We really felt like we got away with the win against Rodger (Brogdon). We were not at our best and we were real fortunate to win that one I thought."
His final round opponent would be Jason Line and with identical (6.601) semi-final E.T.'s, it would be Line with lane choice due to his faster MPH.
"It was dark by the time we ran the final and I will say I'm not a fan of running in the dark," commented Edwards. "These cars are pretty hard to see out of because even though the track is lit very well, all those lights actually cause quite a glare though the windshields on our Pro Stock cars going down track."
While neither Line nor Edwards had been stellar in the reaction time department throughout earlier rounds, they certainly seemed to have saved them all up for when it truly counted, both posting "double-oh" lights and were only .001 apart when they left the starting line. It was Line with the ever-so-slight advantage.
And even though Line managed to just nudge into the 6.50's and post his quickest pass of the weekend, Edwards still managed to nip him at the stripe by a mere four thousandths of a second, giving the fans who stuck it out one very exciting final round.
His ongoing testing paying off, Edwards left the event with his sixth event championship for 2010 in seven final rounds and claimed his twenty-sixth NHRA Pro Stock win.
Competition for Edwards and his Penhall/K&N/Interstate Batteries Pontiac GXP moves next to the 41st annual NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey June 11-13, 2010.
Bracket racers rely on good reaction times and honest predictions for how fast they feel their cars can travel a quarter of a mile.
Drag racers in Northern Ohio were chomping-at-the-bit - too much rain made for too little racing. Things are looking up though and they're racing now. Last Sunday afternoon, in the final round of Bracket Racing at Pittsburgh Raceway Park, the guaranteed bet was that Baehr Racing would take home the five-thousand dollar check. A sure thing because it was a brother against brother affair.
This was the second time the Baehr brothers have met in a final, and this time Rick got the win over Brian, evening the score.
"There was a little bit of pressure running Brian in the finals" admitted Rick Baehr. "I knew how well Brian was driving all day and how good his car was leading up to the finals. Brian and I had run once before, also in the finals, but that was eleven years ago when we were still both in high school. Brian smacked me around with a double '0' light and was close to his dial-in where he went on to win the High School Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park. This time though I narrowly escaped to even up the score."
The final round of Bracket Racing at Pittsburgh Raceway Park delivered a five-thousand dollar payoff to Baehr Brothers Racing.
"Brian and I met up for all the marbles. Brian turned it -.0005 red dead on .007. In the other lane I was .023 dead on 2 for the win. What an unbelievable feeling that was to race off with my younger brother in the finals of such a great paying race. Then on Monday he got a .009 package dropped on him third round. I got beat fourth round, when I was .019 under .012, taking a .005 stripe. All-in-all not too bad of a start to the year for the Baehr brothers," remarked Rick.
For those unfamiliar with drag racing speak, Rick will now translate. "In Bracket Racing, we rely on good reaction times and honest predictions for how fast we feel our cars can travel a quarter of a mile. In this style of racing you can actually lose a race by getting to the finish line first and going faster than you had predicted."
"In the attempt to get to the finish line first, but take the smallest amount time possible, we may sometimes make the mistake of 'giving back the stripe,' or letting the opponent cross in front of you while tightening up the finish line margin. On the flip side, we may also get to the finish line first by taking 'too much stripe' and be eliminated from competition by going faster than we predicted."
The Baehr brothers say they completely rely on K&N products each and every time they get into an automobile. They run K&N oil and air filters in their racecars and daily drivers.
"We also rely on K&N to get us to the track with a Cold Air Intake system in our car hauler, "adds Rick. "K&N is a brand and company we believe in and we are grateful to be part of the K&N team."
Brian and Rick plan on competing for a local track championship at Summit Motorsports Park, located half way between Cleveland and Toledo, Ohio, in PRO/No Box class.
"We also plan to hit a dozen or so big dollar races where we will be racing for purses between $2500 and $20,000," says Rick. "I will be competing in a handful of NHRA Full Throttle National Events in Stock and Super Stock Eliminators along with a few NHRA Lucas Oil Divisional Races as well."
Adds Rick, "Baehr Racing really would like to thank K&N for their superior products and support – we rely on them to win races and for mile after mile of reliable transportation to and from the racetracks."
With his first feature win of the year, Morseman takes over the points lead for the first time this season.
Russ Morseman is working on his dream one step and one race at a time and things are coming together just fine for the up-and-comer from Addison, New York. His targets include winning track championships at both Woodhull Raceway and Blackrock Speedway in the same year, and then to pursue a professional racing career in NASCAR or other series. With his first feature victory of 2010 Morseman took one more step towards the fruition of that dream.
Morseman is the defending Woodhull Raceway Street Stock Track Champion and he’s looking strong to repeat.
He had two races recently at Woodhull Raceway in Woodhull, New York, one on Saturday and one on Monday. Saturday he won his heat, giving him six heat wins total for the season. Morseman started twelfth in the feature and nabbed the lead on lap five. Then drove away and won by over a straightaway.
In Monday's race he started last in the heat and drove up through the field finishing third. Then in the feature he started thirteenth, and without a single caution, he drove up through and finished fourth. "We just ran out of time," remarked Morseman. "It was a good weekend though."
"Yes, it was a very busy weekend," added Morseman. "The car was a rocket, but I feel that I drove the best I have ever driven - focused and determined. First I focused on getting to the front, and then after I got into the lead, I just focused on hitting my marks lap after lap. Next thing I knew I was a straightaway ahead."
Morseman is the 2009 Woodhull Raceway Street Stock Track Champion and with this recent stellar performance he has taken over the points lead for the first time this season. Clearly he's looking strong to defend his title. Morseman attributes his success this year to the experience he gained last year and to a car he says is tuned to its maximum potential week-in-and-week-out.
"Plus, my father and I never stop trying to make the car go faster, even if we dominate one week," says Morseman. The track conditions change each week and the team that adjusts best to them will win."
According to Morseman, it also helps to have support from sponsors like K&N. "K&N is great, they are very friendly and when you call them they help you out the best they can. I hope that K&N can stay with me throughout my career, and be with me as I step into bigger and better things. I use just about every product they make; oil filters, air filters, air filter flow control system and valve cover breathers. I trust them 100 percent. They perform flawless every week."
After this season Morseman says he will be moving to dirt modified - it's the highest class at Woodhull Raceway and in his general area.
"I plan to run that for a couple of years then my goal is to get on some asphalt. I want to run in the K&N Pro Series East too. We will continue to take it one step at a time. So far everything is working according to plan."
Brett Moffitt wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Martinsville Speedway
NASCAR K&N Pro Series rookie Brett Moffitt won his first race of the year and Ryan Truex took over the lead in the East Series standings at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Martinsville Speedway
Moffitt, a 17-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing development driver, won the rain-shortened UNOH Performance 200, taking the lead from Truex on lap 161 and staying out front for the final 14 laps of the race.
"The guys have been working really hard all season," Moffitt said after the race. "The last three races, we've been running either first or second, and have been taken out by the car behind us. That made this win even more sweet -- knowing that all our hard work paid off."
Moffitt led a race-high 36 laps in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Phoenix International Raceway in April, but finished 11th. He led for 54 laps at the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at Iowa Speedway, but ended up 17th after getting collected in a four-car crash.
He stayed out of trouble at Martinsville and won his first race of the season. It was the third East Series win of his career.
Truex, the reigning East Series champion, finished second and took over the lead in the East Series standings. He is eight points ahead of Darrell Wallace Jr. It was the third top-five finish in four races for Truex.
"It was a great points day," said Truex, who has yet to win an East Series race this year, "but I'd rather have the win."
He had to work his way through the field after he was relegated to the back of the pack to start the race. He missed driver introductions and had to start the race in the rear.
"That was my fault," said Truex of the penalty that dropped him back from his fourth-place qualifying spot to the rear of the field. "We had our work cut out for us. We were fast. Man, I followed Darrell up through there. Pretty much, he'd move them out of the way or get under them and I'd follow him through there. I just kept the fenders on it.
Wallace finished third after leading for 15 laps midway through the race. It was his third top-five finish of the season.
"It was a fun race," said Wallace, who earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award. "You just had to use a lot of patience. I had to work my way up through there."
Truex led a good chunk of the race, from laps 137 to 160, but Moffitt got by him on lap 161.
"I knew I was going to have to get around him," Moffitt said. "I was just hoping he'd spin his tires or I'd be able to get a little bit of an advantage. Being able to get ahead of him there was what helped us win the race."
Rookie Ryan Gifford won the pole and led the first 99 laps of the race. He battled with a faulty battery and pulled off the pace to finish 12th.
Max Gresham entered the race as the leader in the East Series standings and winner of the previous two East Series races. He had tire troubles and finished 17th at Martinsville. He dropped from first to fourth in the East Series standings.
The next NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race is at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 25.
Eric Holmes wins Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts Bonus Challenge 150 at Douglas County Speedway
Eric Holmes is slowly climbing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West standings. After winning the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts Bonus Challenge 150 at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Ore., on Saturday night, Holmes nearly cut the lead of David Mayhew in half.
Eric Holmes is Second in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West points
Holmes and Mayhew battled throughout the race at Roseburg. Mayhew won the pole and led the first 52 laps of the race. Holmes squeezed past Mayhew on lap 53 and led the rest of the way.
The race ended with a 15-lap shootout that bunched up the field after a red flag. Mike Self's car, which was running in fourth place at the time, blew its engine and dumped oil around the track during a yellow caution period. The race was stopped as track safety crews cleaned up the oil. When the race resumed, Holmes was in the lead, but Mayhew was right next to him. Holmes nudged out in front and slowly pulled away in the closing laps of the race.
"That was tough," Holmes said. "There was dry sweep all around the track. The track was already slick. Going into turn 3, I didn't know what to expect. David and I got together a little bit. I just had to patient and hold my line, run my line, run my line and not make a mistake. That's all I did the last 15 laps: Be patient and not make a mistake."
The real action took place behind Mayhew and Holmes. Blake Koch weaved his way past Paulie Harraka for third place after the final restart.
"We knew we had one last chance to gain a position," said Koch, who posted his career-best finish in the West Series. "We qualified fourth and we lined up fourth with about 15 to go and Paulie's a tough racer. I knew I had to take advantage of any little thing I could. I was following the 17 of David Mayhew and he got a good restart. I sucked up to his bumper and we got him there on the restart. He ran me clean. I'm very happy that he did that and I appreciate it."
Moses Smith managed a late surge and passed Harraka on the final lap to take away fourth place.
Harraka crossed the finish line in fifth. He was followed by Greg Pursley, rookies Todd Souza, Troy Ermish and Justin Funkhouser. Jonathon Gomez rounded out the top 10.
For Holmes, it was his third West Series win in a row at Douglas County Speedway. It was also his second win of the season. He won the race at Phoenix International Raceway in April.
"It's a track that fits my driving style," Holmes said about the Douglas County Speedway .375-mile oval. "You have to be patient and aggressive at the same time. Use your head the whole race and it just fits into my driving style. Definitely tonight was the toughest one. Mayhew gave me a run for my money and the crew did a great job preparing the car. We had a great car the whole race."
Bill McAnally Racing has won seven of the past nine West Series races at Douglas County Speedway, including the most recent on Saturday night.
"The boss, Bill McAnally, this is the first race he ever promoted," Holmes said. "The first time I ever drove for him was in this race. I've always had incentive to come out and win this race. We have NAPA and Toyota and all our sponsors support this race. We supposed to win it. There's a little added pressure to come here and win."
Mayhew has four top-five finishes in four West Series race this year. He leads the West Series standings by 42 points over Holmes, a two-time West Series champion.
"The points lead is important to us," Mayhew said. "It's real early in the season. These short tracks, we know Eric's going to be tough. We feel like we have a little bit better program on the road course stuff. All the others are kind of a toss up. We really just need to put our heads down and if we can't win the thing, finishing second's the next best thing. As long as we can keep doing that and reel off some wins on a couple road course races, we'll see what happens."
Pursley is third in the West Series standings, 103 points out of first.
Gomez is fourth in the West Series standings followed by rookie Josh Combs in fifth.
The next West Series race is at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., on June 19.
