Backstretch Motorsports

Vickers’ No. 83 team wins Sprint Pit Crew Challenge

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Brian Vickers’ team kicked off NASCAR’s All-Star week activities by winning the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge on Thursday night, beating Denny Hamlin’s team in a battle of Toyotas in the final round.

Vickers’ crew, which includes a former college football player and two former college hockey players, changed four tires, filled the car with fuel and pushed it 40 yards in 22.902 seconds to collect the $70,000 first prize.

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MOTEGI, Japan - Danica.

Just mention the name and everyone in motorsports knows who you are talking about. Then the next word after her name would have been … ‘When?’.

Keep these facts filed away. April 20, 2008 Japan 300 at the Twin Ring Motegi.

She answered with a flurry of a finish at Twin Ring Motegi, becoming the first female to win a major auto racing event. Patrick, who turned 26 three weeks ago, won in her 50th IndyCar Series start.

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AGR’s Tony Kanaan Takes P1 for First Street Course of ‘08

You want drama, you’ve got it. The IndyCar Series day of “Knock-Out Qualifying” at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg provided.

After survivng the unfamiliar oval setting of the Homestead-Miami opener, the street course at St. Pete certainly made a huge difference for the former CCWS transition teams. The comfort zone of twisting turns provided a equalizing atmosphere for the new guys.

Will Power, Team Australia sponsored KV Racing Technologies Honda/Dallara/Firestone driver turned the fastest lap of the IndyCar weekend with a time of 1:02.1355 at a speed of 104.288

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ALMS — IN THEIR OWN WORDS: LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

“It’s all downhill from here.” Such an expression no doubt was circulating through the American Le Mans Series paddock following the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. America’s greatest sports car race traditionally has been the first event on the Series schedule and it prepares a driver, car and team to a degree that no other race in the world can for the grind of a full-season effort, which continues April 5 in St. Petersburg. Here’s how some of the newer faces in the Series paddock viewed Sebring and the rest of the 2008 season.

Christian Fittpaldi and Joel Feinberg both made their first starts at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

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Marco Andretti to Drive XM Satellite Radio Acura at 12 Hours of Sebring with Herta and Fittipaldi

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Andretti Green Racing announced today that Marco Andretti
will be the third driver of the XM Satellite Radio Acura at the season-opening American Le Mans Series event, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Andretti will join series regular Bryan Herta, and newcomer Christian Fittipaldi in piloting the Acura-powered machine.

Andretti was the 2006 IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year and became the youngest driver in history to win a major open-wheel race when he drove to victory at Infineon Raceway on Aug. 27, 2006. Andretti also finished second at the 2006 running of the Indianapolis 500, coming up a bit short in what was the secondclosest finish in the event’s history.

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