Fernley 95A Speedway is back in action today with the second points race of the season. It will be the final “day race” of 2015, with gates open at 11 a.m. and racing starting at 2 p.m. Weather promises to be pleasant, so plan to take in some exciting dirt track action this afternoon at Fernley 95A Speedway. Ticket prices are $12 for adults 13 and up, $8 for kids 6-12 and seniors 63 and up, and free for kids 5 and under and active military with ID.
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After a dry racing weekend, nearly all the major racing series are scheduled to race this weekend. NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series is in action tonight with a night race at Texas Motor Speedway, televised on Fox at 4:30 p.m. Formula One races in China with TV coverage on NBC Sports starting at 10:30 p.m. tonight. The IndyCar series competes for the first time in Louisiana in the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of New Orleans, airing on NBC Sports at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. And the NHRA Mello Yello series is in Las Vegas, with TV coverage on ESPN2. Qualifying will air at 3 p.m. today for qualifying and at 5 p.m. tomorrow for final elimination rounds.
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Tonight’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas may see our second two-time winner of 2015 if the No. 48 Chevy is back in form. Jimmie Johnson has won four Sprint Cup races at Texas, and three of the last five including last year’s fall race. However, he has never won there in the spring, despite four runner-up finishes. Denny Hamlin has two wins at Texas and is coming of his first 2015 victory at Martinsville two weeks ago, so he’s considered a contender. Texas is also the site of last fall’s brouhaha between Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski in the wake of an incident that took Gordon out of the Chase. It’s early in the season, so I don’t look for a repeat of that particular fight. Martin Truex Jr., who has been having an outstanding season so far, led Friday’s first practice session in the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevy. See qualifying results in the Appeal’s statistics page.
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Kyle Larson is back in the No. 42 Ganassi Racing Chevy after sitting out Martinsville with a medical problem. And Ryan Newman has a full complement of crew in Texas, as Richard Childress Racing has appealed the penalty received after the Martinsville race for tire pressure tampering. The RCR team claims to have a “compelling case” for dismissal or reduction of the penalty. The appeal will be heard April 16.
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The Formula One circus visits Shanghai, China for the third race of the season. The Mercedes team is determined to avoid strategy blunders like the one that allowed Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel to snatch victory from it two weeks ago in Malaysia. Friday’s practice in Shanghai saw Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton at the top of the charts, but Ferrari and Red Bull appear to be closing the gap. Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari was less than half a second behind Hamilton, with Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull third and Vettel fourth.
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The IndyCar race in New Orleans should see fewer cautions for debris, as the series has mandated upgrades to the aero kits aimed at strengthening them. The inaugural race in St. Petersburg revealed a serious flaw in the front wings, causing them to come apart at the slightest contact, littering the track with debris. Hopefully the fix will be effective and we’ll see more green flag racing Sunday afternoon. The Penske team seems to have the advantage on the rest of the field based on the St. Pete results, with all four team cars finishing in the top five. Winner Juan Pablo Montoya is back to his old open-wheel form, and teammates Will Power, Helio Castroneves, and newcomer Simon Pagenaud have their hands full with their reinvigorated teammate, along with the rest of the field.
