This Week in Auto Racing July 31 - August 2 – NASCAR Sprint Cup News at Automotive.com
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This Week in Auto Racing July 31 - August 2

This Week in Auto Racing July 31 - August 2

This Week in Auto Racing July 31 - August 2

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - All three of NASCAR's national touring series are in action at different racetracks this weekend. The IndyCar Series heads to the "Bluegrass State" for a night-time running at Kentucky Speedway.
rown event there.

Iowa will be the third Nationwide "Dash 4 Cash" event where eligible drivers - full-time series regulars and part-time/limited series-only regulars - will collect a $25,000 bonus if they win. Since no eligible driver won at Nashville in April and Kentucky in June, the bonus has rolled over to $75,000. Kevin Harvick is the lone ineligible driver for the extra cash this weekend. The October race at Memphis is the fourth and final event on the insurance company's award program this year.

The Camping World Truck Series will also compete at Iowa on Labor Day weekend.

Camping World Truck Series

Toyota Tundra 200 - Nashville Superspeedway - Lebanon, TN

"The Drive For Five" - that's what Ron Hornaday Jr. has on his mind heading into Saturday's Camping World Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.

Last Friday at ORP, Hornaday became the first driver in the 15-year history of the series to win four races in a row. He also won at Milwaukee, Memphis and Kentucky.

"I'm not sure how we did it," Hornaday said. "I am having more fun than I ever have."

At age 51, Hornaday's fifth win this year placed him in a tie with Harry Gant and Joe Ruttman for most NASCAR wins in the same season by a driver over the age of 50. Gant did it in the Cup Series in 1991, and Ruttman accomplished the feat in the Truck Series in 1997. Mark Martin possibly will join that elite group, as the 50-year-old driver has four Cup wins so far this season.

Hornaday has not won at Nashville, which is one of eight tracks where he has yet to make it to Victory Lane. He finished second there in 2007. This year, Hornaday is looking to claim one of NASCAR's most treasured prizes, the Gibson Guitar Trophy.

"I've been so close to winning at Nashville," he said. "In 2007, we had the thing won but ended up missing it by just a little and finished second. I went by (artist) Sam Bass' studio a few weeks ago, and he showed me his guitar collection. It was very impressive, and I told him that I really wanted to win one of his specially- designed guitars."

If Hornaday wins, I seriously doubt he'll smash his guitar in Victory Lane, like Kyle Busch did after winning last month's Nationwide race at Nashville.

Travis Kvapil, the 2004 series champion and '07 race winner at Nashville, will drive the No.51 Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota at Nashville. Kvapil's last start in the series came in the 2008 season-finale at Homestead, where he finished sixth.

Thirty-three teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Toyota Tundra 200.

INDYCAR SERIES

Meijer Indy 300 - Kentucky Speedway - Sparta, KY

After scoring his first career IndyCar Series victory at Edmonton, Canada on Sunday, Will Power is looking forward to running on a 1.5-mile oval for the first time since last October at Chicagoland Speedway.

Power put on a dominating performance at Edmonton. He led 90 of 95 laps, relinquishing the top position only when he pitted. Power held a one-second lead over his Team Penske teammate Helio Castroneves before the race ended under caution for an incident involving Tomas Scheckter with less than two laps to go.

At the beginning of the year, Power joined Penske as a test driver and fill-in for Castroneves when he was on trial for federal income tax evasion charges. When Castroneves was acquitted and returned to racing in April at Long Beach, CA, Penske placed Power in a third entry for the team. He has run a limited schedule since then.

Last week, Power finished third on the streets of Toronto - his first start since a fifth-place run in the May 24 Indianapolis 500.

Power is competing at Kentucky this weekend and expects to run at Sonoma and Homestead later this year. Whether or not he secures a full-time ride with Penske next year remains uncertain.

"I'm not sure what more I can do," Power said. "I haven't been thinking forward. I've just been taking things one day at a time. That's one reason I'm enjoying my racing this year. In the last three years, I've always been stressed about not having a ride the next year. This year, I don't have a full-time ride, but I'm enjoying my racing more than ever."

Scott Dixon finished third at Edmonton and reclaimed the lead in the championship standings. Dixon, the defending series champion, holds just a three-point advantage over his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Dario Franchitti, who finished fifth.

Dixon won last year's Meijer Indy 300 at Kentucky. He passed Castroneves while exiting the final turn of the last lap, and went on to earn his series record- tying sixth victory of the season. Dan Wheldon won six races during his 2005 title campaign.

This year's IndyCar championship has been a seesaw battle between Dixon and Franchitti. With six races to go in the season, both drivers will likely fight for the title down to the wire, much like they did in 2007.

"I just want to be leading the championship at Homestead," Dixon said. "You've just got to make sure that you're consistent and don't fall out of the chase or out of the championship part of it with two races to go."

Franchitti and Dixon battled for the title all the way to the final lap in the season-ending race at Chicagoland in 2007, with Franchitti taking the checkered flag and the title. He drove for Andretti Green Racing at the time.