NASCAR
Jimmie Johnson wins rain delayed race at Bristol: #48-Jimmie Johnson won the rain delayed (was supposed to run Sunday) Food City 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway for his 2nd win of the season, 2nd win at Bristol and 82nd career win. It is the 11th win at Bristol by a Hendrick Motorsports driver. Johnson led 81 of the 500 laps.
#14-Bowyer finished 2nd (his best finish since a 2nd at Richmond in April 2013) followed by #4-Harvick, #20-Kenseth, #22-Logano, #42-Larson (led the most laps 202), #24-Elliott, #78-Truex Jr., #17-Stenhouse Jr. and #11-Hamlin.
#88-Earnhardt Jr. had an oil cooler break and caused him to wreck. #18-Busch had tire issues and hit the wall.
#14-Clint Bowyer (second) posted his 11th top-10 finish in 23 races at Bristol Motor Speedway. It is his fourth top-10 finish in 2017.
#4-Kevin Harvick (third) posted his 16th top-10 finish in 33 races at Bristol Motor Speedway.
#13-Ty Dillon (15th) was the highest finishing rookie.
#42-Kyle Larson leads the point standings by 27 points over #24-Chase Elliott.
NEXT RACE: This weekend at Richmond International Raceway; TV live on FOX at 11:30 a.m. PT
NHRA
PRITCHETT, CAPPS AND BUTNER PICK UP VICTORIES AT THE 2017 NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS
Leah Pritchett piloted her Papa John's dragster to the Top Fuel victory Sunday at the 30th annual NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway. Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Bo Butner (Pro Stock) were also winners in their respective categories at the fifth event of 24 on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.
Pritchett raced a 3.781-second pass at 321.96 mph to defeat Steve Torrence who ran a 3.787 at 322.11 in his Capco Contractors dragster. This is Pritchett's fourth career victory and third of the season. Pritchett raced past Scott Palmer, Doug Kalitta and defending champion Antron Brown en route to the victory. Torrence faced Shawn Reed, Troy Coughlin Jr. and No. 1 qualifier Clay Millican before seeing Pritchett in the final round.
Defending Funny Car champion, Ron Capps, claimed his first victory of the season when he outran Robert Hight with a 4.004 pass at 284.33 in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T. Hight pushed his AAA Texas Chevy Camaro to a 4.107 at 202.88 in his first runner-up effort this season. It is Capps' 51st career win and third at Houston.
Hight experienced engine problems and crossed the center line before the finish line while Capps' engine violently exploded as he reached the finish.
Butner obtained the first Pro Stock win of his career when he raced his Jim Butner's Auto Chevy Camaro to a 6.550 pass at 212.26 to defeat No. 1 qualifier Jeg Coughlin Jr. Coughlin Jr. raced his JEGS.com / Elite Performance Chevy Camaro to a 6.562 at 212.03 in his first final round appearance since Seattle in 2015. This was Butner's seventh final round appearance.
Butner defeated Allen Johnson and Greg Anderson before facing Coughlin Jr. in the finals. Coughlin Jr. lined up against Chris McGaha and Tanner Gray en route to his finals appearance.
VIDEO: Pro Stock teams have confrontation in Houston: http://motorsports.nbcsports.com/2017/04/23/nhra-pro-stock-teams-get-into-confrontation-during-houston-race/
NEXT RACE: This weekend at the eighth annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Charlotte; TV Sunday on FS1 at 2:30 p.m. PT
INDYCAR
Newgarden races to second Barber Motorsports Park win, first with Team Penske
Josef Newgarden added to the growing bank of fond memories he is accumulating at Barber Motorsports Park, driving to victory today in the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama presented by America's First. Newgarden's win by 1.0495 seconds over Scott Dixon is his second on the 2.3-mile, 17-turn permanent road course and comes two years after he secured his first career Verizon IndyCar Series victory at the same track. It also is the 26-year-old American's first win since joining Team Penske, which took three of the top four finishing positions in the 90-lap race.
Driving the No. 2 Fitzgerald Glider Kits Team Penske Chevrolet, Newgarden took the lead for the first and only time on Lap 77 when teammate Will Power was forced to pit in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske with a punctured left rear tire.
Dixon finished second for the fifth time at Barber and for the 34th time in his Indy car career, tying Michael Andretti for fourth all time. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has reached the podium seven times in the eight races on the Alabama track but never won.
Simon Pagenaud, last year's Barber race winner and Verizon IndyCar Series champion, placed third in the No. 1 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet, just ahead of teammate Helio Castroneves in the No. 3 AAA Insurance Team Penske Chevrolet. Alexander Rossi, winner of last year's historic 100th Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil, gained the most positions from start to finish of any driver, going from 18th on the grid to wind up fifth in the No. 98 Andretti Autosport/Curb Honda.
Power, bidding for his third win at Barber, led 60 laps but wound up finishing in 14th place.
VIDEO: Fast Forward Honda Grand Prix of Alabama: http://www.indycar.com/Videos/2017/04/04-24-Fast-Forward-Barber
NEXT RACE: This Saturday night at Phoenix Raceway; race coverage begins at 6 p.m. PT on NBCSN.
AT SONOMA RACEWAY
- Full week of motorcycles this week:
- CLASS Motorcycles today
- 3J's Motorcycle Track Days on Wednesday: https://www.sonomaraceway.com/events/3j-s-motorcycle-days/
- AHRMA Vintage motorcycle racing Thursday and Friday: https://www.ahrma.org/
- AFM on Saturday and Sunday: http://afmracing.org/
- No Wednesday Night Drags & Drift this week.