Defending ASA Midwest Tour Champion Andrew Morrissey talks about getting his first win in the race honoring his childhood hero.
NHRA Media PR PhotoTOPEKA, Kan. – As one of the most accomplished students of the great history of NHRA Championship Drag Racing, Ron Capps gets goosebumps just thinking about returning to Kansas to compete in a professional drag race.
Due to the flat landscape and its central proximity to the rest of the country, in 1955 Kansas served as the official host for NHRA’s first “National Event,” on an airstrip near the town of Great Bend. It was simply called “The Nationals,” and with that event, hot-rodding enthusiasts across the U.S. could test their machines against the best of the best.
That race evolved into what is today the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, but Kansas has solidified its place in NHRA drag racing history. Topeka’s Heartland Park has hosted NHRA Full Throttle Series events since 1989 and in some seasons hosted two events per year. Today the track is regarded as one of the fastest on the circuit and every year drivers get to return and pay homage to the sport’s roots.
“What is so special to me is just going to Kansas to race where it really all started,” Capps said. “I’m a West Coast guy, but the first NHRA national event 57 years ago was held here in Kansas at Great Bend. Now, Heartland Park Topeka is a long way from what it was like at Great Bend, but the spirit of competition is still there.”
Capps’ competitive spirit is at an all-time high right now as the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger driver is riding a wave of momentum from his first victory of the season two weeks ago at Atlanta Dragway. After Capps failed to qualify for the Las Vegas event in April, team owner Don Schumacher made a change to Capps’ team, reassigning veteran crew chief Rahn Tobler to the job. Since then, the team has produced great results and has advanced to three consecutive finals rounds, ultimately winning at Atlanta.
Capps is ready to keep his hot streak going at the Dollar General NHRA Summernationals, May 18-20 at Heartland Park Topeka. Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Shane Gray (Pro Stock) are the defending winners of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event that will be televised on ESPN2HD.
NASCAR Team Owner Rick Hendrick talks about what made the 200 wins possible.
TJ Harron Photography | TJHarron.comby Kari Shear-Carlson
May 14, 2012 - The American Speed Association® Midwest Tour presented by SCAG Power Equipment and Lester Buildings wrapped up its first event of the 2012 season this past Saturday, May12th. Andrew Morrissey won the 4th Annual Joe Shear Classic at Madison International Speedway.
MORRISSEY FINALLY ENDS ASAMT WINLESS STREAK
The 2011 ASAMT Champion, Andrew Morrissey has been looking for that first win for the past six years in the ASAMT. After capturing his first championship last year without a win, he still just wanted to win. He finally did it on Saturday. He started on the outside front row and led the field for all but two laps. It was not until the last few laps that last year’s Rookie of the Year, Skylar Holzhausen, started to make his charge. He had the lead on laps 98 and 99. The two battled side-by-side, swapping positions from corner to corner. It was a replay of last year’s $10,000 to win event at Elko, but this time Morrissey came out ahead at the finish line.
CHRIS WIMMER SETS A NEW TRACK RECORD
The previous track record for a super late model at MIS was held by none other than, Andrew Morrissey with a 17.413 set back in 2004. But records are made to be broken and ECHO and ECHO Bear Cat Touring Star, Chris Wimmer did just that, shattering the record turning a 17.245 and getting his first ECHO Quick Cut Qualifier award of the year. In fact a total of six drivers broke the previous record in qualifying on Saturday.
ECHO AND ECHO BEAR CAT TOURING STARS HAVE SOME HIGHS AND LOWS
Seven of the top ten finishers of Saturday’s event were Touring Stars. Andrew Morrissey and Skylar Holzhausen were one and two. Nick Panitzke was the Hedman Husler Hedders Hard Charger after starting 12th and finishing 3rd. Chris Weinkauf, Nathan Haseleu, and Chris Wimmer rounded out the top six, followed Jonathan Eilen in 9th. Jacob Goede, Tim Schendel, Jeff Storm, and Nick Murgic each struggled a little bit in this first event finishing 13th, 14th, 17th, and 23rd.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS OFF TO A GOOD START
Five Rookie of the Year contenders raced in the 4th Annual Joe Shear Classic. Jason Weinkauf was the highest finishing rookie with an impressive run and 11th place finish. Cardell Potter and Ty Majeski were 15th and 16th followed by Matt Tift in 18th and Jeff Holtz finishing in 24th. The last chance race was a nail-biter for Tift and Holtz as they were both hungry to make it into their first ASAMT event of 2012. With a couple laps to go, Tift started to make his move for the last transfer spot. The two made contact a few times but put on a good show. Tift did not make the pass, but got into the event with a provisional.
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The King dominates features at Williams Grove, tightens championship points race
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. - May 12, 2012 - Steve Kinser cruised to a pair of victories Saturday at a packed and rowdy Williams Grove Speedway, first snapping his 27-race winless streak with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and later claiming the Morgan Cup on behalf of the series.
Kinser, the World of Outlaws career wins leader, entered the event with only five feature laps led this season. That changed dramatically as he led the final 23 laps of the $12,000-to-win main event and then dominated all 12 laps of the Morgan Cup - a race featuring five World of Outlaws drivers and five Pennsylvania Posse drivers in a showdown about bragging rights, a sterling silver trophy and an additional $4,000 prize.
"We had been running top fives, but hadn't been able to get to Victory Lane," Kinser said. "We got two tonight."
It was his 571st World of Outlaws feature win and 38th total Outlaws victory at the famed half mile. Both numbers are more than double the next closest driver.
The win combined with trouble from Sammy Swindell and Donny Schatz, who entered the race 54 and 46 points ahead of Kinser, respectively, created an even closer points battle.
Swindell, who had a tire issue while running fifth on lap 23, finished 24th. He holds an eight-point advantage over Kinser. Schatz, who violently flipped in turns three and four on the restart following Swindell's caution, is third in the standings - 12 points behind Swindell.
Kinser qualified fourth quickest of the 41 drivers and charged from fourth to second in his heat race to lock himself into the dash. The random inversion was a six, starting Kinser on the inside of the second row - which is where he finished.
