Matt Kenseth talks about the great start to the season.

SÃO PAULO, Brazil - Will Power overtook Ryan Hunter-Reay in Turn 11 on Lap 58 of 61 to win the rain-shortened IZOD IndyCar Series season opener, the inaugural Sao Paulo Indy 300 on the Streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Power, driving the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car, won by 1.8581 seconds. Vitor Meira was third, followed by Raphael Matos, Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon. PEAK Pole Award winner Dario Franchitti, who claimed the pole earlier in the day, finished seventh.

Power and Meira suffered 2009 season-ending injuries (Power in August, Meira in May), and both wound up on the podium in their first race back in the series.

The race was red-flagged for 36 minutes after a thunderstorm swept over the Anhembi section of the city, and it became a timed race. It was also the first time that an IZOD IndyCar Series event held qualifying and race on the same day.
SAO PAULO INDY 300 POST-RACE QUOTES:

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske, winner Sao Paulo Indy 300): "It was probably the most mixed up race that I have ever been in, but it created an opportunity for me to come back through the field and end up winning the race. The improvements that they did to the track last night, were like night and day. Not a problem at all going down the frontstraight. I think it is just a really good day for racing. If you were fast you could pass, because there is such a good track layout here. I'm pretty sure it was an exciting race for the fans.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Tony Schumacher raced to his first victory of the season and in the process moved into the NHRA Full Throttle Series points lead Sunday at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

Tim Wilkerson, Jason Line and Eddie Krawiec also were winners in their respective categories at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event.
Schumacher earned his fourth Gatornationals win and 62nd of his career by powering his U.S. Army dragster to a performance of 3.797 seconds at 322.04 mph while teammate Antron Brown’s Matco Tools dragster lost traction in the runner-up effort.

The seven-time Top Fuel world champ beat Terry McMillen, Doug Foley and rival Larry Dixon to advance to the final round.

“It was a perfect win for this team,” said Schumacher, who posted the national speed record at 324.98 mph in a thrilling side-by-side win over Dixon in the semifinals. “This is something we needed to do. Now we’re in the points lead and that’s important as we go to Charlotte for the four-wide race.”

Wilkerson scored his 14th career victory by holding off defending race winner and teammate Bob Tasca in the Funny Car final. Wilkerson’s Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang finished in 4.097 at 303.78, while Tasca’s Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang trailed with a 4.192 at 287.17.

Wilkerson beat Jeff Arend, top qualifier Matt Hagan and two-time world champ Tony Pedregon to advance to the final round, his first at the Gatornationals.
“When you run well and you run consistent, people will show you enough respect to try pretty hard against you,” Wilkerson said. “We did have a good day today. I’m not going to say we were world-beaters, but we made some pretty darn good runs to keep them on their toes.”

American Speed Association PR
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (Friday, March 12, 2010) - Larry Pond's phone has been ringing off the hook and his e-mail box is overflowing as ASA Member Tracks have been getting in contact with him about becoming part of the 2010 ASA Educational Series program. The ASA ES started as a pilot program at Madison International Speedway, an ASA Member Track, last season and will expand to be available at all ASA Member Tracks in 2010.

"The ASA Member Track promoters have really shown a lot of interest in this program and they see it as a big positive for their tracks," Pond, the ASA Educational Series National Director said. "We have formed a great partnership with Ohio Technical College to give high school kids the opportunity to be eligible for a scholarship to their very well known school."

The program is a co-sponsorship between Ohio Technical College and the ASA-Educational Series. The purpose of the program is to involve young ladies and men that are currently in high school in the auto racing industry and reward them with scholarships to Ohio Technical College based upon their performance.

High School students may apply for the program through their contacts with Ohio Technical College. Applications will be forwarded to the ASA-Educational Series for evaluation. Students that are accepted will become ASA-Educational Series members and will be assigned to a specific ASA race team competing at an ASA Member Track. They will earn points based on their performance with the race team during the race season.

Last year, Pond along with Pete Raskovic, a founder of the program and now consultant along with Randy Dziadowicz of Ohio Technical College, handed out $250,000 in OTC scholarship credits to 30 students at Madison International Speedway in its pilot program. Madison is already on board for the 2010 season.

Danica Patrick is excited to get back into the stock car as soon as she can.