“Racing this weeked - Memphis Commercial Appeal” plus 4 more

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• Racing this weeked - Memphis Commercial Appeal
• Beach driver in April crash pleads guilty to lesser offense - HamptonRoads.com
• 'Raising Kahne for Kids' Motorcycle Ride to Benefit Kasey Kahne ... - Who Won
• Schumacher won't think of later comeback - ninemsn
• Race Attracts ‘Noisier and Smokier’ Motorcycles - Chronicle

Racing this weeked - Memphis Commercial Appeal Posted: 13 Aug 2009 10:06 PM PDT NASCAR Sprint CUP Carfax 400 Site: Brooklyn, Mich. Schedule: Today, practice (Speed, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.), qualifying (Speed, 2:30-4 p.m.); Saturday, practice (Speed, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.); Sunday, race, 1 p.m. (ESPN, noon-4:30 p.m.). Track: Michigan International Speedway (oval, 2 miles). Race distance: 400 miles, 200 laps. Last race: Tony Stewart won the rain-delayed race at Watkins Glen on Monday, holding off Marcos Ambrose over the final 21 laps for his Cup-record fifth victory at the New York road course. It was the series leader's third win in his first season as an owner-driver and his seventh career road-course victory. Last year: Carl Edwards completed a weekend sweep, beating Kyle Busch off pit road on their last stops and pulling away for the fifth of his series-high nine 2008 Cup victories. Edwards won the Nationwide race the previous day. Next race: Sharpie 500, Aug. 22, Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn. NASCAR Nationwide Carfax 250 Site: Brooklyn, Mich. Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, 1:30-3:30 p.m., 5-6 p.m.); Saturday, qualifying (Speed, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.), race, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2, 3-6 p.m.). Track: Michigan International Speedway Race distance: 250 miles, 125 laps. Last race: Marcos Ambrose won at Watkins Glen for the second straight year. The hard-charging Tasmanian passed points leader Kyle Busch with a daring move through the chicane and held on to win for JTG-Daugherty Racing. Last year: Carl Edwards raced to the third of his seven 2008 series victories, taking the lead in the pits and easily holding off Brian Vickers. Edwards won the Cup race the next day to complete a weekend sweep. Next race: Food City 250, Aug. 21, Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn. NASCAR CAMPING WORLD Trucks O'Reilly 200 Site: Bristol, Tenn. Schedule: Wednesday Track: Bristol Motor Speedway Last race: Ron Hornaday Jr. raced to his series-record fifth straight victory, beating Brian Scott in a green-white-checker finish Aug. 1 at Nashville Superspeedway. The 51-year-old Hornaday has six wins this year for Kevin Harvick Inc., and a series-record 44 overall. He also has a record three season titles. Next race: Chicagoland 225, Aug. 28, Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Ill. NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals Site: Brainerd, Minn. Schedule: Today, qualifying; Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 5-6 p.m., 10-11 p.m.); Sunday, final eliminations (ESPN2, 9 p.m.-midnight). Track: Brainerd International Raceway. Last event: Antron Brown swept the NHRA's Western swing, beating McClenathan on July 26 in the Top Fuel final at Infineon Raceway. Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won. Last year: Tony Schumacher raced to his fourth straight victory and the ninth of his 15 2008 wins, beating Cory McClenathan in the Top Fuel final. Tony Pedregon (Funny Car), Kurt Johnson (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won. Next event: Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals, Aug. 21-23, Maple Grove Raceway, Mohnton, Pa. Local scene Memphis Motorsports Park drag strip Today-Sunday: Mid South Bracket Nationals presented by TRW Motorsports Riverside Speedway Saturday: Winged Sprints, Non-Wing Sprints, Modifieds, Mini-stocks, Stocks, 600-mini-sprints This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Beach driver in April crash pleads guilty to lesser offense - HamptonRoads.com Posted: 13 Aug 2009 09:16 PM PDT VIRGINIA BEACH A Virginia Beach man charged with felony racing and causing the death of a motorcyclist in April has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. Christopher Allen Ballard, 26, pleaded guilty in General District Court last week to misdemeanor racing. He was ordered to serve about eight months in jail and pay a $500 fine, and his license was suspended for three years. Prosecutors agreed to the misdemeanor charge because they were unable to prove Ballard's vehicle made contact with Joshua A. Schools' motorcycle before it crashed April 27 on Lynnhaven Parkway, said Julie Pickell, spokeswoman for the Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's Office. A toxicology report, she said, also showed Schools, 24, had a blood-alcohol concentration that exceeded Virginia's legal driving limit of .08. Schools died at the scene of the crash near Primrose Lane. Police arrested Ballard on June 10, about six weeks after the crash. Shawn Day, (757) 222-5131, shawn.day@pilotonline.com This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

'Raising Kahne for Kids' Motorcycle Ride to Benefit Kasey Kahne ... - Who Won Posted: 13 Aug 2009 12:05 PM PDT   Thursday, August 13, 2009 'Raising Kahne for Kids' Motorcycle Ride to Benefit Kasey Kahne Foundation MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Washington native, Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and Sound Harley-Davidson, a Marysville, Wash. motorcycle dealer, have teamed up to present "Raising Kahne for Kids" benefit motorcycle ride on Sunday, Sept. 13th to raise funds for the Kasey Kahne Foundation, whose beneficiaries include local charities like the Ronald McDonald House in Seattle. Organizing the event is Washington State Patrol Officer Lance Ramsay, who met Kahne several years ago during a local appearance. "Kasey has given so much back to the communities throughout Washington over the past several years," Ramsay said. "The ride allows more people to get personally involved and directly support the Kasey Kahne Foundation. This is going to be a huge inaugural ride, which we hope becomes a much-anticipated annual event. So if you have a bike, no matter what make, model, or year, you definitely won't want to miss this event." The three-hour ride is scheduled to begin at 10:00 am PT at Sound Harley-Davidson (16212 Smokey Point Blvd. Marysville, WA 98271) located north of Everett, Wash. along Interstate 5. The friendly ride will take participants through scenic waterfront routes across Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties before returning to Sound Harley-Davidson for an auction and lunch. Auction items will include racing memorabilia, motorcycle merchandise, and Budweiser-supplied sporting event tickets to the Seattle Seahawks, Mariners and Sounders games. "Lance and I have talked about organizing this ride for a while now, so I'm glad we found the right partners and place to make it happen," said Kahne, who won't be able to participant in the ride as he will be racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Richmond, Va. that weekend. Advance registration at www.raisingkahneforkids.com is $50 per rider and $10 per passenger. On-site registration is $55 per rider and $15 per passenger. Registered riders and passengers will receive a free Raising Kahne for Kids bandana at check-in. The first 100 registered riders will receive an official event poster signed by Kasey Kahne. Non-riders or non-locals may still contribute by purchasing the event bandana and poster package for $25, which includes entrance to the lunch and auction. All net proceeds from registration and the on-site auction benefit the Kasey Kahne Foundation, which is a major supporter of the Ronald McDonald House, Make-A-Wish and other children's organizations. "Washington has great NASCAR fans, Harley-Davidson riders and people that want to give back to charity," Kahne added. "Every year the Kasey Kahne Foundation holds several events to raise funds and this year we are lucky to have Lance, Sound Harley-Davidson, and a large contingent of Washington State Patrol and local police officers helping us put this new charity event together. It should be lots of fun, whether you ride or not." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Schumacher won't think of later comeback - ninemsn Posted: 13 Aug 2009 03:54 PM PDT Former world champion Michael Schumacher says he's too disappointed at present to contemplate a return to Formula One later this year or in 2010. Schumacher on Tuesday announced that he had abandoned plans to replace injured Ferrari driver Felipe Massa at the European Grand Prix in Valencia on August 23 due to the consequences of a neck injury. "Speculation in this business is pretty natural, the fact is that I'm disappointed I'm not able to do what I looked forward to do ... that's how I feel for now," a downbeat Schumacher said on Wednesday after being asked about suggestions of a comeback at a following race in Monza or next season. The 40-year-old German, who won the world title seven times before retiring in 2006, had been primed to replace Massa in the Ferrari team for the race in Spain following the Brazilian's high speed crash last month. But he injured his neck in a motorcycle accident in February and medical exams after test runs in a Ferrari at a circuit in Italy in recent weeks showed that Schumacher had not recovered enough to withstand the strains of motor racing. "The consequences of the accident were the worst Michael has had in his career," Schumacher's doctor, Johannes Peil, revealed at a press conference. Schumacher sustained fractures to the base of the head, vertebra and a rib in the motorcycle accident on a racing circuit, although most had fully healed, Peil added. Ferrari announced that the team's test driver Luca Badoer would take the place for the European Grand Prix. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Race Attracts ‘Noisier and Smokier’ Motorcycles - Chronicle Posted: 10 Aug 2009 10:28 AM PDT For Chris Jones, 46, of Lacey, coming to the Chehalis Classic is a trip down memory lane. "We're out here reliving the past," Jones enthused. "I grew up riding all these old dirt bikes." Vintage dirt bike owners are a breed apart, Jones said, from riders who have the newer bikes. "The technology is different. You have your older two-stroke air-cooled engines, dual shock. Today, you have fuel-injected, water-cooled, single shock. It is the simplicity that attracts us. And, it's noisier and smokier." National motocross racing took place Sunday on the all natural terrain track at The Farm on Tune Road. Once you left the roadway and drove onto the packed hay field filled with hundreds of RVs, the roar of the track could be heard. "This is an old-school track," Jones said, pointing out the lack of jumps. Bikes with colorful riders lined the track, ready for the releasing of a band to take off. Motors revved, sounding like angry hornets. At the dropping of the band, the bikes leaped forward, some much faster than others. A dust cloud spun over the heads of bystanders. Bikes zipped past as riders of all ages and skill levels waited their turn on the track. Quincy Smith, 25, of Vader was waiting for his turn on the track. He was sitting on a 1974 Yamaha 125, built by Buck Murphy, a Legends of Motocross honoree and former professional motocross racer. "This was my wife's bike," Smith said. His wife, Barbara, started racing motocross when she was 17 years old. The Smith family racing tradition continues, with their 4-year-old son now in the act. All the classic bikes were present either in working order, as current projects brought to show off, or waiting on the backs of trucks with for sale signs on them. Jones walked past the rows of bikes enthusiastically listing them off one by one, pointing to such coveted collector's items as the Austrian KTM, the Swedish Husqvarna, the German Maico, the Italian Polini, and the highly collectible Jawa CZ made in Czechoslovakia. The field of racers that day were predominately men, but there were a few women riders. Pam Bast of California was one. "I've only been racing about three years," she said. "I come from a racing family and I decided I was just going to do it too." This day at the Chehalis Classic had gone fairly well for Bast, until the last lap. "I crashed," she said. "I'm switching bikes now (she rides a Honda 125). But I'm fine. I'm pretty resilient." For anyone, including other women who might be interested in racing, Bast is encouraging. "Come out here and have a good time. You don't have to set the world on fire," she said. ••• Victoria Stewart is a freelance writer and photographer. She can be reached at creative01writer@yahoo.com. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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