Blogginisracin

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

This week's national, international racing schedule (March 26-28)

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

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500
Site: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (oval, 0.526 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (11 a.m., Speed), qualifying (2 p.m., Speed); Saturday, practices (9:30 a.m. and 10:50 a.m., Speed); Sunday, race (noon, Fox)
Race distance: 263 miles/500 laps
2009 winner: Jimmie Johnson
Fast facts: The race marks the switch to the traditional spoiler from the rear wing that was introduced in 2007. NASCAR decided during the off-season to go back to the spoiler, partly in a hope that it improves competition. Martinsville was the earliest the change could be made because of the planning needed for such a technical change. ... Jimmie Johnson has won five of the last seven races at the track and six of the last 11. He has 50 Cup victories to tie Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson for 10th place on the career list. ... Denny Hamlin won the 2008 spring race and 2009 fall event at Martinsville. ... Kevin Harvick leads the series standings with 774 points, one more than Matt Kenseth. Johnson is third, 14 points behind Harvick. ... Richard Petty won a record 15 Cup races at the track, four more than Darrell Waltrip. Jeff Gordon leads active drivers with seven Martinsville victories.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Camping World Trucks
Kroger 250
Site: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (oval, 0.526 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (noon, Speed), qualifying (3:30 p.m., Speed); Saturday, race (12:30 p.m., Speed)
Race distance: 131.5 miles/250 laps
2009 winner: Kevin Harvick
Fast facts: Kevin Harvick, who won at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 6, has won three straight starts in the series and five of his last nine. He finished last season with consecutive victories at Phoenix and Homestead-Miami, then skipped the season-opening race at Daytona. He has seven victories in 102 Trucks starts. ... Johnny Benson, the 2008 series champion, is driving the No. 15 Toyota for Billy Ballew Motorsports. Benson won the 2008 fall race at Martinsville for the last of his 14 series victories. ... Former Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan is making his Trucks debut. The first series driver from India, Karthikeyan will race the No. 60 Chevrolet for newly formed Starbeast Motorsports. ... Rick Crawford is making his series-record 325th start, all for Tom Mitchell and Circle Bar Racing. Crawford has five victories, including the 2004 Martinsville spring race. ... Todd Bodine leads the season standings with 340 points, four more than Daytona winner Timothy Peters. ... Peters won the October race at Martinsville. ... Toyota has won six of the last eight races at Martinsville.
www.nascar.com

IZOD IndyCar
Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
Site: Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. (street course, 1.8 miles)
TV schedule: Sunday, race (2:30 p.m., ABC)
Race distance: 181 miles/100 laps
2009 winner: Ryan Briscoe
Fast facts: Australia’s Will Power won the rain-shortened season opener on March 14 in Sao Paulo, passing Ryan Hunter-Reay with three laps to go. The race ended at the two-hour time limit with only 61 of the 75 scheduled laps completed. ... Dario Franchitti is making his 200th major open-wheel start. He has 23 victories, 13 in 84 IndyCar races. ... Helio Castroneves won at St. Petersburg in 2006 and 2007. ... Danica Patrick was 15th in Sao Paulo.
www.indycar.com

NHRA
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
Site: Concord, N.C., zMAX Dragway
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (6 p.m., taped, ESPN2); Sunday, final eliminations (4 p.m., taped, ESPN2)
2009 winners: Inaugural event.
Fast facts: Six-time defending series champion Tony Schumacher won the Gatornationals on March 14 for his first Top Fuel victory of the year. Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won. ... The event is the first in NHRA history with racing in four lanes instead of the traditional two. A center wall separates the second and third lanes. ... Schumacher leads the Top Fuel standings. ... John Force, the Funny Car leader, won the season-opening race in Pomona, Calif., to end a 20-month victory drought. The 60-year-old Force has an NHRA-record 127 victories and 14 season titles. ... The series will return to zMAX Dragway in September for the Carolinas Nationals.
www.nhra.com

Formula One
Australian Grand Prix
Site: Melbourne, Australia, Albert Park (road course, 3.3 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (12:30 a.m., Speed); Saturday, qualifying (1 a.m., Speed); Sunday, race (1 a.m., Speed)
Race distance: 191.12 miles/58 laps
2009 winner: Jenson Button
Fast facts: Spain’s Fernando Alonso led Ferrari to a 1-2 finish March 14 in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher was sixth in his first race in three years. ... Schumacher is driving for Ross Brawn-led Mercedes GP. The 41-year-old German star has won a record 91 races, four at Albert Park. ... Jenson Button is driving for McLaren. Button was seventh in Bahrain, while new teammate Lewis Hamilton was third. ... Teams are no longer allowed to refuel during races, forcing them to start with about 330 pounds of fuel.
www.formula1.com

This week's nationall/international racing schedule

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

IZOD IndyCar
Sao Paulo Indy 300
Site: Streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil (street course, 2.6 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (1 p.m., Versus); Sunday, race (10:30 a.m., Versus)
Race distance: 195 miles/75 laps
2009 winner: Inaugural event
Fast facts: Danica Patrick is back in her No. 7 Andretti Autosport ride after racing in three NASCAR Nationwide races and an ARCA event. ... Brazilian drivers Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Vitor Meira, Mario Romancini, Raphael Matos, Bia Figueiredo and Ana Beatriz are set to compete in the season-opening race, the country’s first Indy-style event since the CART ran in Rio de Janeiro from 1996-2000. ... The circuit features a nearly mile-long straightaway and runs through the Anhembi Sambadrome, a stadium-like venue that is the site of Carnival parades. ... Dario Franchitti is the defending series champion. He won five times last year. ... Sao Paulo also will host the Formula One finale in November.
www.indycar.com

NHRA
NHRA Gatornationals
Site: Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (11 p.m. taped, ESPN2); Sunday, final eliminations (5 p.m., taped, ESPN2)
2009 winners: Bob Tasca (Funny Car), Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle)
Fast facts: Kurt Busch, coming off a NASCAR Sprint Cup victory Sunday at Atlanta, is making his NHRA debut in the Super Gas class. He’s driving his rebuilt ’70 Dodge Challenger, powered by a stroked 6.1-liter Hemi that produces 1,167 horsepower.
www.nhra.com

Formula One
Bahrain Grand Prix
Site: Sakhir, Bahrain, Bahrain International (road course, 3.914 miles).
TV schedule: Friday, practice (5 a.m., Speed); Saturday, qualifying (5 a.m., Speed); Sunday, race (6:30 a.m.,live; 12:30 p.m., taped, Speed)
Race distance: 191.634 miles/49 laps
2009 winner: Jenson Button
Fast facts: Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher is returning to racing after a three-year retirement. The 41-year-old German star, the winner of a record 91 races, is driving for Ross Brawn-led Mercedes GP. Schumacher won the first F1 race at the track in 2004. ... Lotus is returning to F1 after a 16-year absence, backed by the Malaysian government and a consortium of businessmen. Lotus won 79 races and seven constructors’ titles between 1958 and 1994. Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen will race for the team. ... Jenson Button is driving for McLaren.
www.formula1.com

This week's national racing schedule

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

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Auto Club 500
Site: Fontana, Calif., Auto Club Speedway (oval, 2 miles).
TV schedule: Friday, practice (2 p.m., Speed), qualifying (5:30 p.m., Speed); Saturday, practice (1:30 p.m. and 2:45 p.m., Speed); Sunday, race (2 p.m., KDFW/Ch. 4)
Race distance: 500 miles/250 laps
2009 winner: Matt Kenseth
Fast facts: Jimmie Johnson won the October race at the track for the third straight year en route to his record fourth straight series title. He has a series-record four victories at the track. The No. 48 Chevrolet was 35th last week in Daytona. ... Joey Logano won the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown last month at Irwindale, Calif.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide Series
Stater Bros. 300
Site: Fontana, Calif., Auto Club Speedway (oval, 2 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., Speed); Saturday, qualifying (11:30 a.m., Speed), race (4 p.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 300 miles/150 laps
2009 winner: Kyle Busch
Fast facts: Danica Patrick is making her second Nationwide start for JR Motorsports. The IndyCar star finished 35th in her NASCAR debut at Daytona after getting caught up in a 12-car wreck just past the halfway point. She also drove in the ARCA race at Daytona, finishing sixth. ... Kyle Busch won nine times last year and took the series championship for Joe Gibbs Racing, unifying the driver and owner titles for the first time since 2006. He has 30 wins in 174 Nationwide starts. ... Joey Logano won the October race at the track.
www.nascar.com

NHRA
NHRA Arizona Nationals
Site: Chandler, Ariz., Firebird International Raceway
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (1 a.m. Sunday, taped, ESPN2); Sunday, final eliminations (6 p.m., taped, ESPN2)
2009 winners: Ron Capps (Funny Car), Antron Brown (Top Fuel) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock)
Fast facts: John Force, who ended a 20-month victory drought when he won the season-opening Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., leads the standings for the first time since winning his 14th series championship in November 2006. ... Ron Capps broke his right middle finger playing racquetball in December.
www.nhra.com

This week's national racing schedule

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

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Daytona 500
Site: Daytona Beach. Fla., Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles)
TV schedule: Thursday, Gatorade Duel at Daytona 150-mile qualifying races (noon, Speed, replay 8 p.m, Speed); Friday, practice (noon, Speed); Saturday, practice (9:30 a.m., Speed); Sunday, race (11 a.m., KDFW/Ch. 4)
Race distance: 500 miles/200 laps
2009 winner: Matt Kenseth
Fast facts: Hendrick Motorsports teammates Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. earned the top two starting positions in qualifying Saturday. At 51, Martin became the oldest 500 pole winner. Fifteen drivers — including two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip — are fighting for the final four spots in the 43-car field. Martin Truex has replaced Waltrip — running a partial schedule this year — in Michael Waltrip Racing’s NAPA-sponsored Toyota. ... Jimmie Johnson won his record fourth straight series championship last year for Hendrick. The 2006 Daytona 500 winner has consecutive seven-victory seasons and 47 wins overall. In December, he became the first driver to be selected AP Male Athlete of the Year. ... Tony Stewart won the Coke Zero 400 in July at Daytona. ... Earnhardt was a career-worst 25th in points last year.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide Series
Drive4COPD 300
Site: Daytona Beach. Fla., Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles)
TV schedule: Today, practice (10:30 a.m., ESPN2); Friday, qualifying (2 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, race (11 a.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 300 miles/120 laps
2009 winner: Tony Stewart
Fast facts: Danica Patrick is making her NASCAR debut, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. In her stock car debut Saturday, the IndyCar star was sixth in the Daytona ARCA race. She’s set to run 13 Nationwide races this year. ... Kyle Busch won the series championship last year for Joe Gibbs Racing, unifying the driver and owner titles for the first time since 2006. Busch won nine times and had 11 second-place finishes last season. He has 30 wins in 173 Nationwide starts. ... Chrissy Wallace is attempting to join father Mike, uncle Kenny and cousin Steve in the field. If she qualifies, it will mark the first time that a father and daughter have raced together in the series. They broke that barrier in the Trucks series last year at Talladega. It also would be the first time four members of the Wallace family have competed in a NASCAR national series event. ... Clint Bowyer won the July race at Daytona.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Camping World Trucks
NextEra Energy Resources 250
Site: Daytona Beach. Fla., Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles)
TV schedule: Today, practice (8 a.m., Speed), qualifying (5:30 p.m., Speed); Friday, race (6:30 p.m., Speed)
Race distance: 250 miles/100 laps
2009 winner: Todd Bodine
Fast facts: The series has adopted shootout-style, double-file restarts and lifted its year-old ban on changing tires and adding fuel on the same pit stop. ... Ron Hornaday Jr., driving the No. 33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc., won his series-record fourth title last season. The 51-year-old Hornaday, also the champion in 1996, 1998 and 2007, won six times last year to push his series record to 45. ... Kyle Busch is making his first start as an owner-driver in the No. 18 Toyota. A seven-time winner in 15 starts last year for Billy Ballew, Busch also is fielding Tayler Malsam’s No. 56 Toyota. ... Rick Ren stepped down as Hornaday’s crew chief to join Busch’s operation. Dave Fuge replaced Ren at KHI. ... Johnny Benson is driving the No. 95 Ford for Danny Gill. After winning the 2008 series title, Benson lost his ride last season when Red Horse Racing failed to find sponsorship, then was injured in June in a Supermodified event in Michigan. ... Bodine also has two series wins at Talladega.
www.nascar.com

NHRA
Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals
Site: Pomona, Calif., Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (10 p.m., ESPN2); Sunday, final eliminations (7 p.m., ESPN2)
2009 winners: Ron Capps (Funny Car), Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Jason Line (Pro Stock)
Fast facts: Tony Schumacher won his sixth straight and seventh overall Top Fuel championship Nov. 15 at Pomona, beating Larry Dixon by two points in the closest title race in NHRA history. Robert Hight (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won championships.
www.nhra.com

Plenty of gift ideas for the DFW local motorsports fan

If you have a local motorsports fan on your holiday shopping list, you don't have to look hard to find a perfect gift.

For example, Cowtown Speedway in Kennedale is offering an All Access Pass for the entire 2010 racing season. This All Access Pass includes every 2010 event where pit passes are sold. Pass holders will have access to the pits and general admission grandstand area on all practice nights, all special events including the Cowtown Midget Nationals, Cowtown Sprint Nationals, November Sprint Shootout and any other event that may be added. Pass holders can upgrade to a reserved seat for $5 on any race night.

The price of the All Access Pass is $599 and the passes are available online through Dec. 31 or by mailing a check to the speedway on or before Dec. 31. The final details for the 2010 race season are still being finalized, but the schedule will feature approximately 35 nights of racing. Visit www.CowtownSpeedway.com to get more information or to purchase an All Access Passes.

Of course, Texas Motor Speedway always has great deals on tickets this time of year. For example, NASCAR fans can purchase two Samsung Mobile 500 fronstretch tickets for $99 or head to the backstretch and get an even better deal with tickets as low as $20. Go here for information about current fan deals for the 2010 NASCAR and IndyCar Series events.

The Texas Motorplex in Ennis offers gift certificates that can be used to purchase event tickets or merchandise. Go here to get more information.

-- Michele Vincze

This week's national racing schedule

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

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500
Site: Avondale, Ariz., Phoenix International Raceway (oval, 1.0 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (1 p.m., ESPN2), qualifying (4:30 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, practice (12:30 p.m., Speed; 2 p.m., ESPN2); Sunday, race (1:30 p.m., ABC)
Race distance: 312 miles/312 laps
2008 winner: Jimmie Johnson
Fast facts: Jimmie Johnson finished 38th at Texas after wrecking on the third lap, cutting his points lead to 73 over Hendrick teammate Mark Martin. Jeff Gordon is third in the points, 112 points behind Johnson. Kurt Busch (-171) is fourth, followed by Tony Stewart (-178). ... Martin won in April at Phoenix to snap a 97-race winless streak. He started from the pole and led 157 of 312 laps. ... In 12 Phoenix starts, Johnson has three victories, seven top-five finishes and 10 top-10s. ... Kyle Busch also is racing in the Nationwide and Trucks races, the second of three straight tripleheaders. He won the Nationwide and Trucks races in Texas and has 19 victories this year in the three series — four in Cup, eight in Nationwide and seven in Trucks. He also leads the Nationwide standings.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide
Able Body Labor 200
Site: Avondale, Ariz., Phoenix International Raceway (oval, 1.0 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Speed); Saturday, qualifying (11 a.m., Speed), race (3 p.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 200 miles/200 laps
2008 winner: Carl Edwards
Fast facts: Points leader Kyle Busch will clinch the title if he finishes the race with at least a 195-point lead. ... Greg Biffle won the April race at Phoenix.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Camping World Trucks
Lucas Oil 150
Site: Avondale, Ariz., Phoenix International Raceway (oval, 1.0 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, qualifying (3:30 p.m., Speed), race (6:30 p.m., Speed)
Race distance: 150 miles/150 laps
2008 winner: Kevin Harvick
Fast facts: Ron Hornaday Jr. has a 197-point lead over Matt Crafton with two events left and will clinch the title if he finishes the race with at least a 195-point lead. The 51-year-old Hornaday is winless since Aug. 1 in Nashville, the last of his series-record five straight victories. He has 45 career wins and three season titles, both series records. ... In the owners’ standings, Kevin Harvick Inc.’s Hornaday-driven No. 33 has a 75-point lead over Billy Ballew’s No. 51.
www.nascar.com

NHRA
Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals
Site: Pomona, Calif., Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (9:30 p.m., taped, ESPN2); Sunday, final eliminations (6 p.m., taped, ESPN2)
2008 winners: Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Chris Rivas (Pro Stock Motorcycle)
Fast facts: Funny Car driver Robert Hight enters the season finale with a 105-point lead over teammate Ashley Force Hood. ... Tony Schumacher, seeking his sixth consecutive Top Fuel title and seventh overall, has a one-point lead over Larry Dixon. Cory McClenathan, Schumacher’s Don Schumacher Racing teammate, is third — 48 points behind the leader. Antron Brown is fourth, 80 points back. ... In Pro Stock, Mike Edwards has a 139-point lead over Greg Anderson. ... Hector Arana leads the Pro Stock Motorcycles standings, 54 points ahead of Ed Krawiec. ... Ron Capps (Funny Car), Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) won in February at Pomona in the season-opening event.
www.nhra.com