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NHRA had a big weekend at Houston last week with wins from Tony Schumacher and Ashley Force-Hood - and promoters plan on an even BIGGER weekend coming up in Las Vegas. Here all the 4-1-1 you need to know to attend, watch and enjoy this week’s events:

SUMMITRACING.COM NHRA NATIONALS FACT SHEET

WHAT: 10th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, the fifth of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Drivers in three categories — Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock — earn points leading to 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships.

WHERE: The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas. Track is located approximately 15 miles north of downtown Las Vegas off Interstate 15

SCHEDULE:
THURSDAY, April 2 - Sportsman qualifying begins at 8 a.m.
FRIDAY, April 3 - Sportsman qualifying and eliminations begin at 8 a.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, April 4 - Sportsman eliminations begin at 8 a.m.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at noon and 3 p.m.
SUNDAY, April 5 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.
FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.
Read more…

Now how cool is this? Drag racing at the legendary Rockingham Speedway! Only one word of advice to the cameraman - you should drink AFTER the races not before… anyone else a little woozy after that video?

IHRA and Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits have a special ticket offer to experience the championship finals of the IHRA Spring Nationals at Rockingham Dragway April 24-26.

Participating Bojangles’ restaurants have special “Nitro Fast Pass” tray liners with a discount coupon allowing drag racing fans to purchase an adult Sunday ticket for a “family friendly” price of only $15.

“Successful. Popular. Those are only two words that describe Rockingham Dragway’s Bojangles’ Nitro Fast Pass. Sunday’s April 26 Spring Nationals final marks the fourth consecutive year of this part of a 10-year relationship between Bojangles’ and Rockingham Dragway,” said Rockingham Dragway owner Steve Earwood. “Bojangles’ is a valued and important teammate in what Rockingham Dragway offers: fast fun, good competition and great Bojangles’ food.”

Anyone who shows their Bojangles’ “Nitro Fast Pass” tray liner at the gate during championship Sunday will receive $20 off a regular adult ticket to see the world’s quickest and fastest drivers at one of the most prestigious events on the IHRA Nitro Jam circuit.

On top of the Bojangles’ discount, tickets for children 12 and under to attend 38th Spring Nationals are just $5 all weekend long.

All tickets also include free parking and a unique behind the scenes look into the “locker room” of the IHRA with free pit access.

This video features auto barrel racing in Anaheim, California on March 14, 2009.

Blaze Martin from Brandon, Florida streaked to the win in the 40-lap Parts Plus United Sprint Car Series main event on Sunday afternoon at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Georgia. Martin passed a former Parts Plus USCS Champion, Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkanasas for the lead on lap 5 and never looked back. It was Martin’s first USCS feature win and a career-first winged sprint car victory.

Martin started from the sixth position after drawing a six in the K&N Filters Pole Award drawing. His draw placed Skinner on the pole with Rookie of the Year candidate, Justin Carver from Drummonds, Tennessee outside the front row. Skinner who was in his first pavement appearance in seven years, took advantage of his field position to lead the first four laps. Martin charged to the front and led lap five before pulling out to a comfortable margin until lap twenty-four when the caution flew for a spinning Ben Fritz. On the re-start, Martin pulled to a six car length led at the end.

Past TBARA Champion, Shane Butler from Bushnell, Florida chased Martin across the finishline. Seven time USCS Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee followed Butler in third place. Marshall Skinner finished fourth. Ben Fritz from Ocala, Florida rounded out the top five finishers.

You’re only as old as you feel - WTG Grandma!

The Vodafone Rally de Portugal is the first pure gravel rally of the 2009 season and a key performance indicator for the six consecutive loose surface events which follow.

Rally Portugal is one of world class rallying’s classic fixtures. Having returned to the calendar in 2007, but taken a year off in 2008, it has been the scene of some of the most memorable moments in the history of the sport.

Historically based on Portugal’s west coast, the event was reborn in the WRC in 2007 in the Algarve holiday region in the south. It is based on the edge of Faro and the stages in the hills above the town blend fast, open roads with more technical sections on hard tracks, which are abrasive in the dry.

Organisers have made many changes since 2007 and more than 52 per cent of this year’s competitive distance is new, including two all-new stage venues. The rally is again based at Estadio Algarve, just outside the holiday resort of Faro. As well as hosting the single service park, the stadium complex also houses a Super Special Stage that opens the event on Thursday evening and closes it on Sunday afternoon.

The bulk of the stages are based in the Serra do Caldeirao hills, north of Faro. Each day of the rally comprises two identical loops of stages split by a return to the service park. In total drivers will tackle 18 stages and a competitive distance of 361.36km.

Tyres

The championship’s control tyre regulations dictate the use of just one pattern for the majority of WRC events, and in Portugal Pirelli’s 205/65R15 hard compound Scorpion gravel tyre is the only one available.

Each crew will have 46 tyres for the event. Competitors may carry two spares, but the ‘re-cutting’ of tread patterns is not permitted.

Now this looks like a lot of fun - should get that guy from Little People, Big World to bring down his bug from Oregon to do some racing here. AWESOME! I wonder if this is where he raced when he picked up his bug last season? He did pick it up in Bakersfield…

The best part about this “economic downturn” is that many tracks in the NASCAR circuit are seeing the benefit to lowering ticket prices and fan packages. Talladega already dropped ticket prices and rates for some of their tour packages earlier this year, and now they’ve taken it a step further, dropping their daily infield wristband prices 40%. Getting to Talladega just keeps getting easier and easier!

Race fans that want to experience the infield at Talladega Superspeedway will be able to do so at a 40% discount over previous years. The regularly priced $70 Sunday infield admissions have been reduced to $40 for the Aaron’s 499 on April 26th.

This is just one way that Talladega Superspeedway will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2009!

Check out the UARA Stars series from last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. These guys put on one helluva show each and every week…