Backstretch Motorsports

By Reid Spencer

MADISON, Ill. (July 19, 2008) – It took three days for Carl Edwards to get to Gateway International Raceway from his home in Columbia, Mo. – on a bicycle.

Once at the track, however, Edwards picked up his pace considerably for Saturday night’s Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. In the final 55-lap green-flag run, Edwards’ No. 60 Ford streaked away from the No. 20 Toyota of Joey Logano, taking the checkered flag 6.877 seconds ahead of the 18-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing phenom.

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WILKERSON, FULLER, K. JOHNSON AND HINES WIN; FORCE EARNS 1,000TH ROUND WIN

MADISON, Ill. - Tim Wilkerson denied John Force Racing’s Mike Neff his first career win on the same day Neff’s boss made history at the 12th annual O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals presented by Castrol.

Rod Fuller, Kurt Johnson and Andrew Hines also were winners in their respective categories Sunday at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis.

Wilkerson earned his first win at his hometown track, his second of the season and seventh of his career when he drove his Levi, Ray & Shoup Chevy Impala SS to a 4.874-second finish at 317.27 mph to Neff’s 4.886 at 321.58 in his Old Spice Ford Mustang.

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Anderson, Ellis also lead on first day of quals

MADISON, Ill. – Melanie Troxel’s black clouds lifted literally and figuratively during Friday qualifying at Gateway International Raceway.

Troxel drove her ProCare Rx Dodge Charger to a 4.802-second pass at 327.59 mph to lead the NHRA POWERade Series Funny Car field into the second day of qualifying at the O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals presented by Castrol after early morning thunderstorms.

Her Dodge started to skate on the track but Troxel never lifted off the throttle for her best run of the year, after making the field only twice in six races so far this season.

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WORSHAM SEEKS A MONUMENT TO TROPHY-CASE EXPANSION

ST. LOUIS — It sits at the foot of the Mississippi River, a mammoth 630-foot inverted catenary curve made of stainless steel, and has become one of the most iconic National Monuments in the United States. It is, of course, the Gateway Arch in downtown St. Louis, and it can be easily seen from the staging lanes at Gateway International Raceway, in nearby Madison, Ill., where the NHRA tour heads this weekend for the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals. Though most simply call it “the Arch” it is more officially part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, which commemorates rapid westward expansion during the early history of the United States. With most pioneers setting off from St. Louis, the last great western outpost, the city became known as the “Gateway To The West” and the Gateway Arch symbolizes that history to this day.

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INDEPENDENT TEAMS FARE WELL IN OPENING EVENTS AS POWERade SERIES MOVES ON TO ST. LOUIS

ST. LOUIS – Some teams don’t know they’re hot.

When Alan Bradshaw (above) qualified No. 1 in Gainesville, his crew didn’t believe it. It took a visit from an NHRA official, a trip to the media center for Bradshaw and a run sheet before they finally did – and then the Vegas Fuel Top Fuel dragster team followed it up with another No. 1, in Houston, proving they weren’t just lucky.

The 2008 season has been good to the one-car teams.

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