“Dallas: Matt Smith preview - Motorsport.com” plus 4 more

Dallas: Matt Smith preview - Motorsport.com
BUB breaks world record - Union
BUB Racing Sets New Motorcycle Land Speed Record - Wired News
Witnesses Say Fatal Motorcycle Accident Was Difficult To See - KWCH.com
This week's top auto races - Honolulu Advertiser

Dallas: Matt Smith preview - Motorsport.com

Posted: 24 Sep 2009 04:08 PM PDT

MONDAY'S CONCORD TESTING ENCOURAGES RIDER SMITH FOR TEXAS

KING, N.C. (Sept. 24, 2009) - Following his first-round finish at the NHRA Carolina Nationals on Sunday in Concord, N.C., Nitro Fish Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Matt Smith and the team, led by tuner Steve Tartaglia, tested at zMAX Dragway on Monday. Solid results show promise as the Nitro Fish team prepares for the NHRA Fall Nationals this weekend at the Texas Motorplex.

"Testing went really well," said Smith, who is sixth in the Countdown to 1 playoffs for the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, which began in Concord for the remaining five races for the PSM class. "We made five runs and we ran three all-out passes and I'm hoping that we're on our game.

"We took the motor out of the bike that we ran in Concord and found a problem with the cam shaft and we stuck another motor in for Monday's test. We put another set of carburetors on it, and I think it's the carburetors more than anything that's been plaguing us all year long.

"First pass we went 7 (seconds) flat, second pass we went 6.93 at 191 mph, and the next time, when it got really hot, the track got really bad, the sun stayed out, we went 6.99 at 191. Every run we made down the track we went quicker and faster than we did on the race weekend.

"I'm feeling really good," added Smith, who was runner-up at the NHRA Fall Nationals in Ennis last year. "I'm actually excited. Steve and I had a 35-minute meeting Sunday evening, in which we discussed what we were going to do, what we want to do. We really got on the same page.

"We know we have to step our program up these last four races, and that's what we've done. We decided to stay and test and do everything it took to get it done. I'm really excited about Texas."

-credit: dsr

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BUB breaks world record - Union

Posted: 24 Sep 2009 05:56 PM PDT

A world record once owned by the BUB Racing Streamliner Seven team is now back in hand.

According to www.Wired.com, Chris Carr piloted the Grass Valley-based bike to an average speed of 367 miles per hour over the 12-mile course at the Bonneville Salt Flats Thursday. The run by the Seven team bested the previous motorcycle land speed record of 360 mph held by Grass Valley driver Rocky Robinson aboard the Ack Attack.

Robinson broke the record in September of last year, eclipsing the previous mark of 350 mph set by Carr and BUB Racing team owner Denis Manning.

And the now the world record is exchanged once again.

Wired.com reports that Eric Manning, the son of the team's owner, said the Streamliner Seven recorded an exit speed of 372 mph and an overall top speed of 380 mph.

Robinson and his Ack Attack team did not make a run during the International Speed Trials by BUB earlier this month, as no team was able to top Robinson's record run.

There was no word whether the Ack Attack team would be taking to the Salt Flats this week in order to try and take back the title of "World's Fastest Man on Two Wheels," which is now owned by Chris Carr of the BUB Streamliner Seven team.

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BUB Racing Sets New Motorcycle Land Speed Record - Wired News

Posted: 24 Sep 2009 03:47 PM PDT

The bat-phone just rang and on the other end was Eric Manning, "We just broke the record!" he screamed. The Bub Racing Streamliner Seven has reclaimed the motorcycle land speed record.

"We're still driving down the course to catch them," Manning told us as they drove down the 12-mile course.

With a first run setting an average speed of 367 mph over the recorded-mile they were well into record setting range. But get this, the telemetry is showing a recorded-mile exit speed of 372mph and an overall run top-speed of a blistering 380mph!

Piloted by Chris Carr, their brand new turbocharged "big-bang" V4 motor running on alcohol did the trick. With its 525 horsepower and 425 foot-pounds of torque, they have taken the record from the Top Oil-Ack Attack streamliner for a second time in three years. That means Eric Manning's father Denis, the founder of Bub racing and the god-father of the Streamliner Seven crew, has now held the record three times to date. Although BMW has held the honor of winning-est with six titles since 1937, we have faith that the Bub crew will catch up.

So what is the new target? "366 mph and some change," Eric Manning told us. The recorded mile on the way back was one mile-per-hour slower than the first but is still plenty for the record.

Stay tuned for more video and picture candy. We just have to wait for them to catch up to it first.

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Witnesses Say Fatal Motorcycle Accident Was Difficult To See - KWCH.com

Posted: 24 Sep 2009 03:26 PM PDT

by Cliff Judy (WICHITA, Kan.)

Police say an overnight motorcycle accident was bad enough, the 25-year-old driver died before paramedics could do anything to help him.

Zachariah Burkes was pronounced dead on the scene in the 9400 block of West 12th Street shortly after 3:30 Thursday morning after his motorcycle hit a curb. A friend tells Eyewitness News Burkes was on his way to a friend's house nearby to spend the night.

A cable company employee working in the neighborhood overnight saw Burkes driving at a high speed and called 911 after he couldn't make a curve in the road. People who heard the crash say it sounded like a jet engine in the middle of their neighborhood.

"I saw the motorcycle, and I thought, 'My heavens! What's that motorcycle doing in our yard?'" says Darlene Smith, who says she couldn't bring herself to look at the driver also laying in her yard.

Smith spent a good part of her day picking debris from the crash out of her yard.

Julie Riedel says the scene was a difficult one to see.

"I wanted to go over and hold his hand," says Riedel. "I felt so bad. You see someone laying there, and you want to go help them."

Riedel says she hopes she doesn't see anymore accidents like this one in her neighborhood.

"I know it's fun to drive (motorcycles) fast, but you can lose control of them very quickly and life's over," says Riedel. "Life is precious. Death is common."

Wichita Police say they are still investigating the cause of the crash, but they say Burkes was wearing a helmet. This is the 17th traffic fatality in Wichita this year and the sixth motorcycle death.

by Jennifer Montenegro (WICHITA, Kan.)

A man is dead after crashing his motorcycle in West Wichita.

An official says the man was racing his motorcycle when he slid onto the lawn by the front porch. The accident happened at 3:30 Thursday morning in the 9400 block of West 12th Street.

Location of Motorcycle Accident

Emergency responders arrived on scene and pronounced the man dead.

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This week's top auto races - Honolulu Advertiser

Posted: 24 Sep 2009 01:02 PM PDT

All Times EDT

NASCAR

SPRINT CUP

AAA 400

Site: Dover, Del.

Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.), qualifying (ESPN2, 3-4:30 p.m.); Saturday, practice (ESPN, 7-8 p.m.); Sunday, race, 2 p.m. (ABC, 1-6 p.m.).

Track: Dover International Speedway (mile oval).

Race distance: 400 miles, 400 laps.

Last year: Greg Biffle swept the opening two chase races, following his New Hampshire victory with a win on the high-banked concrete track. Biffle held off Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards in an all-Roush Fenway Racing top three.

Last week: Mark Martin won the Chase opener for his series-high fifth victory of the year, beating Juan Pablo Montoya in a three-lap sprint at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The 50-year-old Martin slowed in front of Montoya's to block a pass with two laps to go, upsetting Montoya. Martin extended his lead in the standings to 35 points over three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin.

Fast facts: Johnson won the May race at Dover, overcoming a slow pit stop to beat Tony Stewart. ... Martin, Johnson and Jeff Gordon lead the 12 Chase drivers with four Dover victories. Martin has 21 top-five finishes at the Monster Mile.

Next race: Price Chopper 400, Oct. 4, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

___

NATIONWIDE

Dover 200

Site: Dover, Del.

Schedule: Friday, practice (ESPN2, 1:30-3 p.m.); Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 10:30 a.m.-noon), race, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2, 3-6 p.m.).

Track: Dover International Speedway (mile oval).

Race distance: 200 miles, 200 laps.

Last year: Kyle Busch raced to the eighth of his 10 series victories in 2008, leading 157 laps and winning in a green-white-checker finish.

Last race: Carl Edwards took the lead on pit road with 24 laps to go at Richmond on Sept. 11, then held off Kevin Harvick for his fourth victory of the season. Racing with a broken right foot, Edwards started at the back of the field because his team made adjustments after the cars were impounded.

Fast facts: Brad Keselowski won the May race at Dover for the first of his three 2009 series victories. ... Busch leads the standings and has a series-high six victories, the last at Gateway International in July. He has a 201-point lead over Edwards with eight races left. Keselowski is third, 297 points behind Busch.

Next race: Kansas Lottery 300, Oct. 3, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

___

CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS

Las Vegas 350

Site: Las Vegas.

Schedule: Saturday, practice, qualifying, race, 9:30 p.m. (Speed, 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.).

Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles).

Race distance: 219 miles, 146 laps.

Last year: Mike Skinner beat Erik Darnell by two-hundredths of a second in a green-white-checker finish. Skinner also won the 2005 race.

Last week: Sprint Cup star Kyle Busch raced to his fifth Trucks victory of the year and third in his last three starts, holding off points leader Ron Hornaday Jr. at New Hampshire.

Fast facts: The 51-year-old Hornaday leads the series with six victories, winning a record five straight races in June, July and early August. Winless in five races, he has a series-record 45 career victories and a record three season titles. ... Skinner won consecutive races this month at Iowa and Gateway. He has three wins this year and 28 overall. ... Matt Crafton is second in the standings, 217 points back with six races left. Skinner is third, 246 points behind Hornaday.

Next race: Kroger 200, Oct. 24, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.,

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

___

FORMULA ONE

Singapore Grand Prix

Site: Singapore.

Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, 9:30-11 a.m.); Saturday, practice, qualifying (Speed, 10-11 a.m.); Sunday, race, 8 a.m. (Speed, 7:30-10 a.m., 2:30-5 p.m.).

Track: Marina Bay (road course, 3.148 miles).

Race distance: 191.97 miles, 61 laps.

Last year: Renault's Fernando Alonso won F1's first night race. He overcame a 15th-place starting position with help from teammate Nelson Piquet Jr.'s team-ordered crash that forced an early caution to earn his 20th career victory.

Last race: Rubens Barrichello won the Italian Grand Prix for his second victory in three races, beating Brawn GP teammate Jenson Button on Sept. 13 at Monza.

Fast facts: Renault escaped severe punishment Monday for ordering Piquet to deliberately crash last year, receiving a suspended two-year ban from Formula One's governing body. The team will be permanently disqualified from the sport if it breaks FIA rules within the next two years. Flavio Briatore, who quit as team principal last week, was banned indefinitely from any F1 activities by the World Motor Sport Council. Engineering executive director Pat Symonds, who also left the French team last week, was banned for five years. ... Button, the winner of six of the first seven races, leads the points race with 80. Barrichello is second with 66 with four races to go, followed by Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel (54) and Mark Webber (51.5).

Next race: Japanese Grand Prix, Oct. 4, Fuji Speedway, Omaya, Japan.

On the Net: http://www.formula1.com

___

NHRA FULL THROTTLE

O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals

Site: Ennis, Texas.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying; Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, Sunday, 12:15-2:15 a.m.); Sunday, final eliminations (ESPN2, 7-10 p.m.).

Track: Texas Motorplex.

Last year: J.R. Todd beat Tony Schumacher in the Top Fuel final, and Tim Wilkerson topped Tony Pedregon in Funny Car. Greg Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Chris Rivas (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won.

Last week: Cory McClenathan beat Shawn Langdon in the Top Fuel final in the playoff-opening Carolinas Nationals to take the top spot in the Countdown to 1. In Funny Car, Robert Hight edged Matt Hagan to jump from 10th to third. Mike Edwards won the Pro Stock division to take over the No. 1 spot, and series leader Hector Arana topped the Pro Stock Motorcycle field.

Fast facts: McClenathan leads the Top Fuel standings with 2,162 points, 10 more than Antron Brown and Schumacher with five events left. In Funny Car, Pedregon has a one-point edge over Ashley Force Hood. Edwards has a 56-point lead over Jeg Coughlin in Pro Stock, and Arana is nine points ahead of Eddie Krawiec in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Next race: O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals, Oct. 2-4, Memphis Motorsports Park, Memphis, Tenn.

On the Net: http://www.nhra.com

___

INDYCAR

Next race: Firestone Indy 300, Oct. 10, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Fla.

Last week: Scott Dixon took the series lead with one race left, winning the Indy Japan 300 for his fifth victory of the season. Dixon has a five-point lead over Target Chip Ganassi teammate Dario Franchitti. Ryan Briscoe is eight points behind Dixon.

On the Net: http://www.indycar.com

___

OTHER RACES

AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES: Petit Le Mans, Saturday (Speed, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.), Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga. On the Net: http://www.americanlemans.com

ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: Petit Le Mans, Friday, Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga. On the Net: http://www.atlantic-championship.com

WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Sprint Car: Friday, Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, Ohio; Saturday, Lernerville Speedway, Sarver, Pa. Super Dirtcar: Saturday, Rolling Wheels Raceway Park, Elbridge, N.Y. On the Net: http://www.worldofoutlaws.com

U.S. AUTO RACING CLUB: Silver Crown and Sprint Car: Saturday, Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, Ohio. On the Net: http://www.usacracing.com