USAC Kicks Off the Season at Manzanita/ Leffler Looking Forward to Home Cooking/ Honda Miffed Over Danica Sprawled on a Ford/ Later this Week
USAC Kicks Off the Season at Manzanita
USAC will head to the Valley of the Sun this weekend to kick off their season. Manzanita Speedway will host all three national series in the “Copper on Dirt” this Friday and Saturday. This weekend will mark one of only two USAC national triple headers this season (the other one being the Four Crown Nationals at Eldora) although Iowa Speedway will host all three national series, just not on the same weekend.
The schedule for Friday calls for qualifying, heat races and 10-lap shootouts for each series. Saturday’s slate calls for semi features followed by 25-lap midget, 40-lap sprint and 50-lap Silver Crown races. The opener also offers Lucas Oil USAC/CRA Sprint and Western Midget points. Defending USAC series champions are Jerry Coons Jr. (K & N Silver Crown and National Sprints), Cole Whitt (Mopar National Midgets), Mike Spencer (Lucas Oil USAC/CRA Sprints) and Nic Faas (Western Midgets).
All are expected to compete in all three programs. Accomplished winged and non-winged sprint car driver Jesse Hockett is hoping to repeat his success from late November of 2008 when swept the three-day ASCS Western World race. 
“For obvious reasons we’re looking to put last week behind us,” said the Long Beach native. “The real season starts at California because your performance there will be a pretty good indicator of where you stand in comparison with everyone else and what areas you need to work on for the first part of the season.”
Jason Leffler and his No. 38 Great Clips Toyota team are one of the series-only regulars predicted to be a major player in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship this year. Leffler’s best finish at Auto Club Speedway was seventh in 2005. The year prior, he sat on the pole.
“There’d be nothing better than to win there,” he said. “It’s a place that we’ve never run well at but we’re always striving to. I’ve got a lot of family and friends out there. I think we’re going to have all that in our favor this year.”
Honda Miffed Over Danica Sprawled on a Ford
According to PressDog.com, the folks at Honda were not happy with Danica Patrick half nude on the hood of a Sheby Cobra. Oh the humanity of a female bikini clad driver gracing the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue lying on top of a Ford.
USAC will head to the Valley of the Sun this weekend to kick off their season. Manzanita Speedway will host all three national series in the “Copper on Dirt” this Friday and Saturday. This weekend will mark one of only two USAC national triple headers this season (the other one being the Four Crown Nationals at Eldora) although Iowa Speedway will host all three national series, just not on the same weekend.
The schedule for Friday calls for qualifying, heat races and 10-lap shootouts for each series. Saturday’s slate calls for semi features followed by 25-lap midget, 40-lap sprint and 50-lap Silver Crown races. The opener also offers Lucas Oil USAC/CRA Sprint and Western Midget points. Defending USAC series champions are Jerry Coons Jr. (K & N Silver Crown and National Sprints), Cole Whitt (Mopar National Midgets), Mike Spencer (Lucas Oil USAC/CRA Sprints) and Nic Faas (Western Midgets).
All are expected to compete in all three programs. Accomplished winged and non-winged sprint car driver Jesse Hockett is hoping to repeat his success from late November of 2008 when swept the three-day ASCS Western World race.
“I like Manzanita Speedway because it is big and fast,” said Hockett. “I like the speed of it and there are a lot of different lines and ways to run the track.”
Other drivers to keep an eye on include Jeremy Sherman and Kevin Swindell.
Leffler Looking Forward to Home Cooking
After a rough start to his 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, Open Wheeler Jason Leffler is looking to get back on the horse and try for a win again, this time at home in California. Last week Jason Leffler was penalized for five laps for what NASCAR deemed “rough driving” when he started this three car pile up at Daytona.
Other drivers to keep an eye on include Jeremy Sherman and Kevin Swindell.
Leffler Looking Forward to Home Cooking
After a rough start to his 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, Open Wheeler Jason Leffler is looking to get back on the horse and try for a win again, this time at home in California. Last week Jason Leffler was penalized for five laps for what NASCAR deemed “rough driving” when he started this three car pile up at Daytona.
“For obvious reasons we’re looking to put last week behind us,” said the Long Beach native. “The real season starts at California because your performance there will be a pretty good indicator of where you stand in comparison with everyone else and what areas you need to work on for the first part of the season.”
Jason Leffler and his No. 38 Great Clips Toyota team are one of the series-only regulars predicted to be a major player in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship this year. Leffler’s best finish at Auto Club Speedway was seventh in 2005. The year prior, he sat on the pole.
“There’d be nothing better than to win there,” he said. “It’s a place that we’ve never run well at but we’re always striving to. I’ve got a lot of family and friends out there. I think we’re going to have all that in our favor this year.”
Honda Miffed Over Danica Sprawled on a Ford
According to PressDog.com, the folks at Honda were not happy with Danica Patrick half nude on the hood of a Sheby Cobra. Oh the humanity of a female bikini clad driver gracing the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue lying on top of a Ford.
Note: the following link will take you to a false story with a lot of sarcasim.
http://pressdog.typepad.com/dogblog/2009/02/honda-miffed-over-danica-sprawled-on-a-ford.html
This link will take you to the photos on SI.com:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009_swimsuit/?eref=FromAOLSwim09
Later this Week
We have a few good stories that I am working on for later this week in the blog. We will answer questions regarding Wind Tunnel, recap the best TV moments from Daytona and have an updated TV schedule for this weekend.
Ideas, thoughts, questions? Drop me a line at bjohnson_292@comcast.net.
Images appearing in this blog courtesy of SI.com, ESPN2, Speed and NASCAR Images.
http://pressdog.typepad.com/dogblog/2009/02/honda-miffed-over-danica-sprawled-on-a-ford.html
This link will take you to the photos on SI.com:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009_swimsuit/?eref=FromAOLSwim09
Later this Week
We have a few good stories that I am working on for later this week in the blog. We will answer questions regarding Wind Tunnel, recap the best TV moments from Daytona and have an updated TV schedule for this weekend.
Ideas, thoughts, questions? Drop me a line at bjohnson_292@comcast.net.
Images appearing in this blog courtesy of SI.com, ESPN2, Speed and NASCAR Images.
posted by Blake Johnson at 9:17 PM
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