ASALMS PR – November 4, 2009
Champions and royalty go together, at least they do at the last event of the season for the ASA Late Model Series Teams. On Saturday, November 7th at Memphis Motor Sports Park we will put on a Finale Spectacular with the top short track drivers in the country. This will be a historic event being held in Memphis, the last race ever to be put on at Memphis Motorsports before it closes its doors for good. Gates will open at 10am, racing starts at 12pm, autograph session at 1pm and at 2:30pm the O’Reilly’s Auto Parts ‘King’s Ransom 300’ Presented by Suncoast Plastering.

Steve Carlson from Sparta, Wisconsin will do all he can to hold on to the title he earned last season as ‘2008 King of Short Track’. This Midwest legend is just one of the many talented teams going for the title of king. The O’Reilly’s Auto Parts ‘King’s Ransom 300’ Presented by Suncoast Plastering will have Champions door to door in one of the most highlighted events of the season.

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota celebrates by smashing the Gibson Guitar given to the winner after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Federated Auto Parts 300 at the Nashville Superspeedway. (Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty ImagLEBANON, Tenn. -– Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch said he thought he was like Ozzy Osbourne after winning Saturday night's Federated Auto Parts 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.

He may have been more like The Who's Pete Townsend when he slammed the special trophy the track gives to race winners, a Sam Bass-designed Gibson Les Paul guitar.

"Ozzy's done it, right?" Busch said

"(Ted) Nugent," crew chief Jason Ratcliff suggested.

"Pete Townsend?" Busch wondered. "I think Ozzy's done it, too. I think Kiss has even done it. Everybody's done it, expect race car drivers. All them sorry saps, they take it home in one piece and put it on their shelf, man. I break that thing up and spread it within the team so everybody's got a piece."

by Candida Benson, NHRA.com
Tony Schumacher successfully defended his NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals title, defeating Doug Kalitta to score a second straight Top Fuel victory at Bristol Dragway. Joining “the Sarge” in the winner’s circle were Funny Car’s Del Worsham, who won his second straight, and Pro Stock’s Mike Edwards, who won his second of ’09.

Though 10 races still remain in the Countdown to 10 portion of this year’s championship chase, the manner in which Schumacher, Worsham, and Edwards won in Bristol certainly lifted them into the role of a championship favorite. All three had arguably the best cars in their classes on Sunday, running low e.t. of the round multiple times during the course of the day. Worsham and Edwards clocked the quickest times of the weekend in their categories with respective runs of 4.075 and 6.633 in their final-round bouts.

by Candida Benson, NHRA.com
Cory McClenathan (Top Fuel), Ashley Force Hood (Funny Car), and Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) lead their respective categories after the first of two days of qualifying at the ninth annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, race eight of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

McClenathan is looking to improve upon his second-place start at the series’ last event, in Madison, which was his best qualifying position this year. If McClenathan’s 3.874 holds through tomorrow’s two sessions, it would give the Fram-backed driver the 33rd No. 1 start of his career. Force Hood is seeking her second top start of the 2009 season, which would also bring her overall total to five No. 1s during her two-plus years in the Funny Car category. Should Edwards hold on to the Pro Stock lead, it would be his fourth start from No. 1 this season and the 10th of his career.

NHRA Media PhotoBRISTOL, Tenn. – Brandon Bernstein must feel like his Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster has assumed the shape of a B-2 Stealth Bomber.

Just like the Air Force’s highly-sophisticated undetectable aircraft, he’s powered along this season at a rapid pace, quietly knocking out round wins and accumulating points. However, mission control hasn’t turned him loose to bag the big one yet.

With runner-up finishes in Phoenix, Las Vegas and St. Louis, and six races of qualifying in the top five positions, Bernstein has put himself in solid position in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship. A top-three player in the points standings all season long, Bernstein hopes a victory at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol will provide the boost his team needs to move to the top of the standings where they can pursue their ultimate season goal – winning a world championship title.