With the temperatures falling in the Midwest and all of the non-wing sprint car racing events in that part of the country in the books, that means one thing for Tracy Hines and his fellow USAC competitors. It's time to head west to wrap up the 2013 season in warmer locales, mainly the desert of Arizona, as well as Southern California.
For the eighth consecutive year, the IZOD IndyCar Series champion was determined in the final race -- 500 high-speed, high-drama miles played out over 3 hours under the lights at Auto Club Speedway.
Dale Coyne Racing driver Justin Wilson was released from Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, Calif., on Oct. 21 and returned to his home in Colorado. Wilson sustained non-operable pelvic fractures and a small pulmonary contusion in a multi-car accident on Lap 111 of the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway on Oct. 19.
Big events traditionally dot the calendar during the last few weeks of the sprint car season. Last weekend, it was the Trophy Cup at Thunderbowl Raceway in California, taking the spotlight and this weekend, the COMP Cams Short Track Nationals will be front and center at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. David Gravel made a strong statement in his debut at the Trophy Cup, coming home second in a photo finish with Tim Kaeding in the opener and was 10th in the finale, with a field of over 80 cars in attendance.
A week after dueling for the Firestone Indy Lights championship at Auto Club Speedway in California, Sage Karam and Gabby Chaves will be karting teammates in the inaugural Dan Wheldon Memorial Pro-Am Karting Challenge at New Castle (Ind.) Motorsports Park.
The recipe for success at the sprawling five-eighths-mile Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in Elbridge, N.Y., requires pure speed and also some track position. Kraig Kinser was able to combine the two on Saturday, Oct. 12, as he finished fifth in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series event that accompanied the Super Dirt Week XLII festivities.
Taylor Ferns has one main goal for the last handful of races on her 2013 schedule and that is to record solid finishes and build a foundation for next year. She was able to keep with this plan on Saturday, October 12 at Columbus Motor Speedway in Ohio, finishing fifth in the season finale for the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship.
The reigning two-time Southern 500 from Mitchell, Indiana, led 51 of 267 laps and fended off teammate Christopher Bell to record his sixth Cup Series career win in Joliet, Illinois.
Enzo Fittipaldi completed a flawless weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, leading every lap for the second straight race to sweep the INDY NXT by Firestone doubleheader.
