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Bid on chance to ride with IndyCar drivers during parade lap at Texas Motor Speedway

Race fans need to look no further than Ebay to get the chance to enjoy a parade lap ride with IZOD IndyCar Series drivers during the Firestone 550k pre-race festivities at Texas Motor Speedway. The online auction will benefit the Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter. Beginning on Thursday, May 20, fans can visit Ebay to bid on the opportunity to ride around during the parade laps with Dan Wheldon, Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon, Will Power, Milka Duno, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Sarah Fisher. The auctions concludes June 3 at 11:59 p.m.

Speedway Children’s Charities also will offer the opportunity to purchase parade laps with Danica Patrick, Helio Castroneves, Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti during a live auction at the Life in the Fast Lane Condo Tour and Progressive Feast on June 3 at the Lone Star Tower. A limited number of spots for the event are available at $275 for couples and $150 for individuals. To purchase, tickets contac Speedway Children’s Charities at 817- 215-8421 or visit www.scctexas.org.

-- TMS release

IndyCar driver autograph session scheduled for June 3 in Dallas

Fans can visit with Danica Patrick, Helio Castroneves, Dario Franchitti and more during a IZOD IndyCar Series autograph session at NorthPark Center on Level 1 in front of Macy’s on June 3, from 6-7 p.m.

The autograph session will feature all the drivers competing in the Firestone 550k along with motorcycle daredevil Robbie Knievel, who will attempt to jump over 200 feet of City of Roanoke service vehicles for the “Kaptain Robbie Knievel: Above The Law” jump at Texas Motor Speedway. Knievel’s jump is the highlight to the pre-race festivities leading up to the Firestone 550k on June 5.

-- TMS release

Country artist Hough to perform during family event at Texas Motor Speedway

Country music recording artist and former Dancing with the Stars champion Julianne Hough will perform a live concert to headline charity-driven Family Fun Day! on June 5, at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track.

The inaugural family entertainment event will be held from noon to 5 p.m. with proceeds benefiting the Family Support Foundation For Mental Illness and Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter.

Hough, who won the dancing title with IndyCar Series superstar Helio Castroneves in 2007, will headline Family Fun Day! with a one-hour concert beginning at 3:30 p.m. on the frontstretch of the 10,994-seat dirt track. Prior to her performance, Christian singer Eric Orson will provide a 45-minute live musical set. Concert seating will be general admission.

In addition to the musical entertainment, Family Fun Day! will feature games, rides, storybook characters and food and beverage. The concourse area of the dirt track facility will have a petting zoo; bounce houses; mini-train rides; face painting; clowns; and Cinderella and Snow White characters among its family entertainment.

Tickets for Family Fun Day! are $20 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under, and free to children under 2. Parking is free. Families can make an evening of it as well as TMS plays host to Castroneves and the IndyCar Series for the Firestone 550k race. Special ticket packages for that event begin as low as $49 for a pair of frontstretch tickets.

To purchase tickets for this event or additional information, please visit www.texasmotorspeedway.com or call the Texas Motor Speedway ticket office at 817-215-8500.

-- TMS release

IndyCar test session at Texas Motor Speedway open to fans

IndyCar testing at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday night (May 7) will be open to the public at the Speedway Club.

IndyCar stars Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon, Marco Andretti and Davey Hamilton are scheduled to be on track under the lights from 6-10 p.m.

Doors open at 5 p.m. and fans can park for free in the Crystal Lot and enter the speedway through the Speedway Club main entrance. Fans have the option of taking the elevator upstairs to the eighth floor to watch testing in the Starlight while enjoying dinner, drinks and the NASCAR Nationwide Series race on TV. The Speedway Club will offer Happy Hour drink specials and a bar menu. A chef's table dinner will be available for $25.

Those who want to watch the testing action for free can do so from the grandstand by entering from the second level of the Speedway Club, just up the escalators.

TMS will not allow coolers in the facility during testing, but concessions will be available for purchase in the grandstand area.

-- Michele Machado

Knievel to attempt another jump before IndyCar race at Texas Motor Speedway

It just wouldn't be an IndyCar weekend at Texas Motor Speedway without a spectacular pre-race show.

Motorcycle daredevil Robbie Knievel is returning to TMS this summer to attempt the “Kaptain Robbie Knievel: Above The Law” jump at TMS on June 5. Knievel, the 47-year-old son of the late iconic daredevil Evel Knievel, will attempt to break his personal best by jumping more than 200 feet of City of Roanoke (Texas) service vehicles. Knievel's jump is scheduled for 6:15 p.m., approximately 90 minutes prior to the start of the Firestone 550k IndyCar race.

“We always try and provide our fans with the best pre-race entertainment available and Robbie continues to be a huge fan favorite at Texas Motor Speedway,” speedway president Eddie Gossage said in a release. “If fans thought they were going to get plenty of drama from Indy cars running side by side at 225 miles per hour, we just upped the ante on the drama with Robbie performing a death-defying jump.”

This will be Knievel’s third jump at TMS, all of which have been paired with an IndyCar Series race weekend. His first jump at the speedway came on Oct. 6, 2001, when he jumped the entire IndyCar Series starting field. Knievel returned June 7, 2008, and jumped over 21 Hummer vehicles.

Fans can buy tickets for the upcoming NASCAR Camping World Truck Series/IndyCar Series doubleheader weekend by calling 817-215-8500 or visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com.

-- Michele Machado
Photo: Star-Telegram archive

Joining Texas Motor Speedway on Facebook could net fans some free tickets

Fans of Texas Motor Speedway on the social networking site Facebook will get an exclusive chance to win tickets to the upcoming WinStar World Casino 400k and Firestone 550k races.

Beginning May 5, fans can enter the weekly “WinStar Wednesdays” trivia contest to win two tickets to the WinStar World Casino 400k NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race June 4.

“Firestone Fridays” begin on Friday, May 7 and will give fans an opportunity to win a pair of tickets to the Firestone 550k IndyCar Series race June 5. Get all the details at facebook.com/texasmotorspeedway.

-- TMS release

National, international racing schedule (April 16-18)

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central (U.S.)

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Samsung Mobile 500
Site: Fort Worth, Texas Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (noon, Speed), qualifying (3:30 p.m., Speed); Saturday, practice (11:30 a.m., Speed); Sunday, race (2 p.m., KDFW/Ch. 4)
Race distance: 501 miles/334 laps
2009 winner: Jeff Gordon
Fast facts: Ryan Newman won at Phoenix International Raceway last week to snap a 77-race victory drought. Newman won for the 14th time and first with Stewart-Haas Racing, taking the lead after a late caution and holding off Gordon in a two-lap shootout. ... Jimmie Johnson leads the series with three victories and 1,073 points in seven races. Matt Kenseth is second 36 points back. ... Carl Edwards has a series-high three victories at the track, winning in November 2005 and sweeping the 2008 races. ... Jeff Gordon is winless in 35 starts since his victory last year. ... Kurt Busch won the November race at the track.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide
O’Reilly Auto Parts 300
Site: Fort Worth, Texas Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
Schedule: Friday, practice (10:30 a.m., ESPN2), qualifying (1:30 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, race (2 p.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 300 miles/200 laps
2009 winner: Kyle Busch
Fast facts: Kyle Busch recovered from a wild sequence — losing the lead on a disputed restart and falling 20 seconds back after a drive-through penalty — to win at Phoenix International Raceway last week. Busch has two victories this year and 32 overall. ... Busch is trying to become the third driver in series history to win five straight races at a track. Jack Ingram won five in a row at South Boston Speedway (1985-86) and Dale Earnhardt accomplished the feat at Daytona (1990-94). ... Brad Keselowski leads the season standings with 974 points, four more than Carl Edwards. Busch is third, 15 points back.
www.nascar.com

IZOD IndyCar
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
Site: Streets of Long Beach, Calif. (street course, 1.97 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (5 p.m., Versus); Sunday, race (2:30 p.m., Versus)
Race distance: 167.2 miles/85 laps
2009 winner: Dario Franchitti
Fast facts: Helio Castroneves won the inaugural Grand Prix of Alabama last week to give Penske Racing its third victory in three races this season. Scott Dixon was second. ... Will Power swept the season-opening races in Brazil and St. Petersburg, Fla. The Penske driver leads the season standings with 136 points. Teammate Castroneves is second, 32 points behind. ... Danica Patrick is 15th in the standings. She was 15th in Brazil, seventh in St. Petersburg and 19th in Birmingham.
www.indycar.com

Formula One
Chinese Grand Prix
Site: Shanghai International Circuit (road course, 3.39 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (1 a.m., Speed); Saturday, qualifying (1 a.m., Speed); Sunday, race (1:30 a.m., Speed)
Race distance: 189.7 miles/56 laps
2009 winner: Sebastian Vettel
Fast facts: Sebastian Vettel won the Malaysian Grand Prix on April 4, leading from start to finish. Red Bull teammate Webber was second. ... Michael Schumacher, the seven-time world champion driving for Ross Brawn-led Mercedes GP following a three-year retirement, won the 2006 race for the last of his record 91 victories. The 41-year-old German star was sixth in the season-opening race in Bahrain, 10th in Australia and 21st in Malaysia. ... Ferrari’s Felipe Massa leads the season standings, two points ahead of teammate Fernando Alonso and Vettel. Alonso won in Bahrain.
www.formula1.com

NHRA
SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals
Site: Las Vegas, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (5 p.m., taped, ESPN2); Sunday, final eliminations (6 p.m., taped, ESPN2)
2009 winners: Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock)
Fast facts: Larry Dixon won the NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park last week for his second Top Fuel victory of the year and 50th overall. Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won. ... John Force has two victories this year and leads the Funny Car standings. The 60-year-old Force has an NHRA-record 128 victories and 14 season titles. ... In the Top Fuel standings, Cory McClenathan has a 28-point lead over Dixon. ... The NHRA will return to the track in October for the Las Vegas Nationals.
www.nhra.com

American Le Mans Series
Tequila Patron American Le Mans Series at Long Beach
Site: Streets of Long Beach, Calif. (street course, 1.97 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, race (7 p.m., Speed)
Race duration: 100 minutes
2009 winners: Simon Pagenaud, Gil de Ferran (P1, overall); Luis Diaz, Adrian Fernandez (P2); Olivier Beretta, Oliver Gavin (GT1); Patrick Long, Jorg Bermeister (GT2)
www.americanlemans.com

This week's national racing schedule (April 9-11)

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central (U.S.)

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Subway Fresh Fit 600
Site: Avondale, Ariz., Phoenix International Raceway (oval, 1.0 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (noon and 2:30 p.m., Speed), qualifying (6:30 p.m., Speed); Saturday, race (6 p.m., Fox)
Race distance: 375 miles/375 laps
2009 winner: Mark Martin
Fast facts: Denny Hamlin won the rain-delayed race at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, giving up the lead to take four tires, then rallying from ninth in a pair of two-lap sprints. Joey Logano, Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, was second. ... Hamlin had surgery last week on his left knee. He was injured playing basketball in the off-season. ... Jimmie Johnson, the winner this year at California, Las Vegas and Bristol, leads the season standings with 898 points — 14 more than second-place Greg Biffle. Johnson won the November race at Phoenix, his fourth victory in the last five races on the mile oval. He has 50 career Sprint Cup victories. ...
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide
Bashas’ Supermarkets 200
Site: Avondale, Ariz., Phoenix International Raceway (oval, 1.0 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (10 a.m., Speed), qualifying (4 p.m., ESPN2), race (8 p.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 200 miles/200 laps
2009 winner: Greg Biffle
Fast facts: On Saturday, Kevin Harvick raced to his second series victory of the year, holding off Reed Sorenson at Nashville Superspeedway. Harvick has 36 Nationwide victories. ... Carl Edwards, the November winner at Phoenix, leads the season standings. Brad Keselowski is second, 16 points back. ... Biffle and Edwards each have a series-high three victories on the PIR mile oval. ... Jason Leffler was placed on probation for three races for intentionally wrecking James Buescher at Nashville.
www.nascar.com

IZOD IndyCar
Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
Site: Birmingham, Ala., Barber Motorsports Park (road course, 2.38 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (5 p.m., Versus); Sunday, race (2 p.m., Versus)
Race distance: 178.5 miles/75 laps
2009 winner: Inaugural race
Fast facts: Will Power won the rain-delayed Honda Grand Prix in St. Petersburg, Fla., on March 29 to sweep the first two races of the season. Barely seven months after breaking his back in a crash, the Penske Racing star held off Justin Wilson to become the first driver to win the first two events of a season since Sam Hornish in 2001. ... Power leads the season standings with 103 points. Wilson, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Dario Franchitti are tied for second, 44 points back. ... Danica Patrick was 15th in the opener in Brazil and seventh two weeks ago in St. Petersburg. ... The teams tested for two days in February at the 17-turn track.
www.indycar.com

NHRA
O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals
Site: Baytown, Texas, Houston Raceway Park
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (9:30 p.m., taped, ESPN2); Sunday, final eliminations (7 p.m., taped, ESPN2)
2009 winners: Ashley Force Hood (Funny Car), Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Ron Krisher (Pro Stock) and Craig Treble (Pro Stock Motorcycle)
Fast facts: John Force won the rain-delayed NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Concord, N.C., on March 29 for his second Funny Car victory of the season and record 128th overall win. The 60-year-old Force beat daughter Ashley Force Hood, Ron Capps and Matt Hagan in the final in the NHRA’s first four-wide event. Cory McClenathan (Top Fuel), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won. ... Force, the Funny Car leader, won the season-opening event in Pomona, Calif., to end a 20-month victory drought. ... McClenathan leads the Top Fuel standings.
www.nhra.com

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series
Porsche 250
Site: Birmingham, Ala., Barber Motorsports Park (road course, 2.38 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, race (12:30 p.m., Speed)
Race duration: 2 hours, 45 minutes
2009 winners: Jon Fogarty, Alex Gurney (DP, overall); Robin Liddell, Andrew Davis (GT)
www.grand-am.com