Everett, Wash.
Published: Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Auto racing notes: Las Vegas offers "rematch" to NASCAR truck crews

Also items on NHRA's Jeg Coughlin Jr. and the Grand Am championships

Associated Press

 Race fans got more than they bargained for at the end of Saturday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at New Hampshire when two of the pit crews slugged it out on pit road.

Since there was no clear winner in the fray, Las Vegas Motor Speedway has invited both teams to settle the matter Saturday night before the start of the Qwik Liner Las Vegas 350. Speedway officials have invited the Germain Racing crew of Todd Bodine and the Red Horse Racing crew of David Starr to square off in a tug of war as part of prerace activities.

"I'm sure both of those teams left New Hampshire feeling that nothing was settled," Las Vegas general manager Chris Powell said. "They were nice enough to entertain the fans at New Hampshire with some extracurricular activities, and we just want to afford these teams the opportunity to get their aggression out before the race in Las Vegas this Saturday night. We're happy to supply the rope."

There was no immediate word if the teams would accept the invitation.

For those who missed it, Bodine was spun out by Starr near the end of the Camping World RV 200 and retaliated by ramming the rear of Starr's truck on the cool-down lap after the race. When a member of Bodine's crew confronted Starr on pit road, an altercation ensued between the teams that drew a throng of NASCAR officials.

HORSE RACE: Reigning NHRA Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. knows a thing or two about winning.

Coughlin has four series titles to his credit as well as 53 national event victories. So, when he picked Badlands Nitro to win the Little Brown Jug harness race, which takes place Thursday in Coughlin's hometown of Delaware, Ohio, people with horse sense took notice.

The handlers of the horse with the decidedly drag racing-themed name invited Coughlin for a visit on the eve of the five-day 63rd annual Little Brown Jug slate of races that began Sunday. It was their way of saying thanks for helping Badlands Nitro become the prohibitive favorite in the half-mile race that is the second leg of pacing's Triple Crown.

"If he can win a half-mile race, just a little of his mojo should help me out tremendously on the quarter-mile," said Coughlin, currently third in the pro stock rankings. "I think we're in for a horse race of our own down the stretch of the Countdown to 1, so I'm going to root for Badlands Nitro to take the win this week and then we'll try to follow up in Dallas."

Since its inception in 1946, the Little Brown Jug has been the setting for many of the fastest half-mile performances in harness racing history.

Mosley wants a common F1 engine FIA president Max Mosley favors the introduction of a common engine across the board for Formula One race cars.

He told a French newspaper Wednesday that the measure would help put a lid on the sport's exploding costs. Mosley also said development of a common engine would help make F1 research more applicable to ordinary automobiles.

Mosley has called on teams to work together to create common suspensions, tires and gear boxes.

In an interview in sports daily L'Equipe, Mosley said the main challenges facing F1 are rising costs and public awareness of environmental problems.

The report quoted him as calling teams' investment in technology development "irrational."

TITLE TIME: The Daytona Prototype and GT championships will both be settled Saturday when the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series visits the 24-turn, 4.486-mile Miller Motorsports Park circuit in Tooele, Utah.

Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, who already have wrapped up the prototype team championship, will also share the driver title if each drives at least 30 minutes in the final race of the season. The 48-year-old Pruett, who shared the title with Max Papis in 2004, would become the first repeat prototype champion.

The GT championship is expected to go down to the final lap. Paul Edwards and Kelly Collins, driving the No. 07 Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R, have a six-point lead over the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R co-driven by Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis.

Also in contention are Sylvain Tremblay and Nick Ham, 13 points out of the lead in the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazdaspeed Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8.

DIESEL DUEL: Peugeot has entered two of its diesel-powered 908 HDi FAP prototypes in Saturday's ALMS Petit Le Mans, hoping to end Audi's 11-race unbeaten string at Road Atlanta.

Peugeot entered one 908 at in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring last spring and finished 11th overall in its first start in North America. It went on to finish second, third and fifth at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June as the lead 908 finished on the same lap as race winners Allan McNish, Dindo Capello and Tom Kristensen in an Audi R10 TDI.

"With Peugeot entering two cars, Petit Le Mans has the potential of literally being a continuation of the epic battle that raged between them and the diesel Audis for 24 hours at Le Mans," said Scott Atherton, president and CEO of the American Le Mans Series.

A year ago, Audi remained undefeated at Road Atlanta by capturing the 10th Anniversary Petit Le Mans by the closest margin in the history of the 1,000-mile ALMS showcase event. Capello of Italy outdueled Romain Dumas of France in a 22-lap sprint to finish following a record eighth caution that wiped out Dumas' 30-second lead in a Penske Porsche RS Spyder.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA