McMurray Completes Ganassi’s Trifecta at Brickyard
By Reid Spencer, Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

July 25, 2010: INDIANAPOLIS — Car owner Chip Ganassi got the expected result from an unexpected source in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as race winner Jamie McMurray joined one of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing’s most exclusive clubs. Restarting second thanks to a two-tire call on a Lap 140 pit stop, McMurray powered his No. 1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet past Kevin Harvick’s No. 29 Chevy on a restart with 11 laps left and pulled away to beat Harvick to the finish line by 1.391 seconds.

“I get to kiss the bricks,” McMurray said after he crossed the stripe, adding another milestone to his career and Ganassi’s unbelievable year.

JOHNSON CONTINUES BANDIMERE DOMINATION IN PRO STOCK

MORRISON, Colo. – Allen Johnson raced to his first Pro Stock victory of the season and his third win in the last four years at Bandimere Speedway to finish off a successful weekend for his team Sunday at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals.

More ODRA action
Saturday, July 24 at Montgomery Motorsport Park

The ODRA Summer Showdown event was the best Outlaw drag racing we've seen in a while. The series is only a few years old and catching on. It brings a whole different class of drag cars to a major event that attracts the Pros and weekend racers. ODRA aims to make it exciting, affordable and fast paced action. Here's the rest of our photos taken by Fred Hanyon and Leon McVay. For more info on the ODRA, visit www.odraracing.com you can find the results in the Forum.
(Above: Neco the Rotweiller from Carrollton, GA beat the heat of the dog days of summer in the pits at MMP!)

First Look at ODRA action
Saturday, July 24 at Montgomery Motorsport Park

Fred Hanyon and Leon McVay sent us these photos of dragsters on the second day of the Summer Showdown event at MMP. The ODRA has only been around for a couple of years now, but the series and drivers have made some noise especially with the competitive purses in all classes.

This is their fourth and final event for the season according to their schedule, but we're secretly hoping there will be a Fall event before 2010 is over. We'll let you know! www.odraracing.com

There will be more photos coming... so check back!

Photo courtesey of Gresham Motorsports Park

In another masterful drive, Augie Grill captured the victory for the U. S. Auto Sales World Series of Speed 100 at Gresham Motorsports Park! This was his second win of the season at this beautiful facility. He won the opener back in March.

It was a warm July evening with a slight drizzle in the air … hoping that this race would see the checkered, race fans had their fingers crossed as the green flew and launched the spectacular field of CRA Super Series Late Models on their way to turn one!

Featured in August issue:
Faith and Racing
Sitting behind the wheel of a Top Fuel Hydro Drag boat that reaches speeds of nearly 270 mph tests the nerve and ability of the best drivers in the world. Here in Augusta GA, successful top fuel hydro drivers like John Haas and Glen Wilson take on the Savannah River in the richest drag boat payout this year at the 25th annual IHBA Southern Nationals. Success, however, doesn't make a driver's heart beat any slower or his mind race any slower. Each time a driver goes to the starting line he or she is taking a risk, a calculated risk, but never the less a risk they might not wal away at the end of the run.

Whitesburg comes back to life
July 21, 2010
by Dale Terry, GEORGIA STOCK CAR RACING

Phillip Swofford, of Bremen, is the new leasee and promoter at West Georgia Speedway in Whitesburg. He's already at work on a track facelift, painting everything and upgrading the bathrooms. He's making West Georgia into a Friday night track, and will have divisions and rules similar to Saturday night at nearby Senoia: late models, mod minis, hobby, B-cadet, pur mini, and enduro street stocks. He hopes to include a crate class too.

Watch for our NASCAR coverage of
Pocono - August 1st and
Watkins Glen - August 8th

If you see us grab a copy of MSA!

25th Annual
Augusta Southern Nationals
July 16 - 18, 2010 On the Savannah River in Augusta, GA

Motorsport America visited the drag boat racing in Augusta this weekend. The basics of drag boat racing are very similar to those of land drag racing. It is an acceleration race over a measured quarter mile straightaway on water between two high performance race boats. It's LOUD, exciting, just like a land race, except you can set up camp and lounge on the banks of the river and enjoy the action.
Photos by MSA Staff

AWBA Poker Run
July 11, 2010 - Hiram, GA

This poker ride benefits Military Veterans with the American Wheelchair Bowling Association. The Poker Ride started at 1:30pm. There was an all day party at Pirate Printing in Hiram with food, fun and live entertainment for the whole family. There were tons of prizes and gifts. Pirate Printing of Hiram supports the AWBA every year with the Poker Run - this is the 2nd year for the event. With a 145 riders raising $5000 for the organization, a good time was had by all.

NASCAR:
Camping World Truck Series
Dillon dominates for first truck series win
By Charles Krall
Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(July 11, 2010) NEWTON, Iowa—Rookie Austin Dillon scored his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win Sunday, dominating the Lucas Oil 200 at Iowa Speedway. In his 12th truck start, Dillon, 20, led 187 of 205 laps and beat Johnny Sauter to the finish line by .635 seconds.

Dillon, grandson of owner Richard Childress, gave Richard Childress Racing its first truck series victory since Sauter’s brother Jay won at Texas in October 1999.

Reutimann Holds Off Edwards For Chicagoland Win
By Reid Spencer, Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

July 10 – David Reutimann held off Carl Edwards in a green-flag run after the final round of pit stops Saturday night and picked up his second career NASCAR Sprint Cup victory in the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

Reutimann, who is expected to re-sign with Michael Waltrip Racing, won for the first time since May 2009, when he went to Victory Lane in the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.

Bike Night at Stix Bar and Grill
Villa Rica, GA - Thursday, July 8, 2010

Spectacular night at the popular billiards facility. The bikes numbered near 100 mark and the place was packed wall-to-wall. J.B. Walker & the Cheap Whiskey Band provided the musical entertainment.

Here's the photos Fred Hanyon took that night. For more info on Stix Bar & Grill, visit www.stixbarandgrill.com for directions, menu, pool leagues and more.

Atlanta Motorsports Park
Dawsonville, GA:
New track under development in North GA
Jermey Porter gave Motorsport America a tour of the future Atlanta Motorsports Park located in Dawson County, 33 miles from Alpharetta.

Designed to be the first in terms of technology, environmental concerns and racing - the private track will be the first of its kind to implement practices for a eco-friendly facilty. With the "Green" approach to building and maintaining the track, Atlanta Motorsports Park has already captured international attention, with a German firm heading up the track development.

Crash Spangled Banner!

MSA's photographer, Rhonda "Crash" McCole was at Daytona International Speedway this Fourth of July weekend and sent us these pictures!

The old Daytona track took down a lot of racers - wonder what it will be like when they resurface the track??

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:
Harvick Wins Daytona Thriller
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. (July 3, 2010) -- It was a wild one Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway – so wild you had to wonder whether there were going to be any cars running at the finish. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings leader Kevin Harvick won the last race on the track’s current pavement after running up front all night. He managed to dodge the on-track fireworks that littered the Coke Zero 400 Presented by Coca-Cola from start to finish, a race that set a new event record with 18 different leaders and may spark conversation for years. The 2.5-mile Daytona track is scheduled for repaving beginning immediately, but the old worn-out asphalt went out with a bang that left more than half the field beat-up and battered.

Nationwide Series: Earnhardt drives No.3 Chevy to emotional Daytona win
By Reid Spencer, Sporting News

(July 2, 2010) DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—Driving the No. 3 Wrangler Chevrolet in honor of his late father, Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke a NASCAR Nationwide Series drought of almost four years in winning Friday night's Subway Jalapeno 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Earnhardt's emotional win was the result of a collaboration between owner Richard Childress, Teresa Earnhardt, JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports, which supplied the engine for the No. 3 car.

Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Thursday Thunder Week Five Notes: Fireworks Display Provided by Marco’s Pizza
Fireworks are expected on and off the track during Atlanta Motor Speedway’s fifth week of Thursday Thunder as the track hosts a fireworks display sponsored by Marco’s Pizza to celebrate America’s upcoming Independence Day. Week five will feature critical points racing as four classes are separated by just single-digit leads. Meanwhile, Skip Nichols will continue to chase his 28th-career Thursday Thunder win to set the all-time wins mark. Week five’s action will include seven classes of short-track action featuring Bandolero, Legends and Thunder Roadster vehicles racing on Atlanta Motor Speedway’s “Thunder Ring,” a quarter-mile oval located on the frontstretch of Atlanta’s 1.54-mile quad oval track. Each week of Thursday Thunder also includes family concourse activities, grandstand games and an autograph session with the stars of Thursday Thunder.