NHRA Media PhotoThere’s a first time for everything.

However, in the world of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, those milestone opportunities come and go at rapid speed, often at more than 320 mph. Those drivers who are able to break through and become the first to accomplish a feat are long-remembered for their achievements.

Drag racing fans remember Kenny Bernstein as the first to eclipse the 300-mph barrier in official NHRA competition. Shirley Muldowney achieved legendary status for becoming the first female to win an NHRA Top Fuel race and world championship crown. Pro Stock legend Warren Johnson was the first to post a 200-mph speed in his category. Two years ago 14-time Funny Car champ John Force became the first driver to record 1,000 round wins in NHRA competition. Earlier that same year he watched his daughter Ashley become the first female to win a Funny Car race.

So now, the big question looms as to who will be the first drivers to win four-wide races in their respective categories?

The inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, one of the most anticipated NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events in NHRA history, will be held at the spectacular zMAX Dragway, March 25-28. The track is the only drag racing facility in the world to feature four all-concrete lanes for racing. The historic race will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD.

Not only is a solid place in the record books waiting for the four winners of the inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, but also critical NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championship points will be up for grabs. This is no exhibition. This event will be important for teams who are working to position themselves for a strong finish in the Countdown to 10, NHRA’s 17-race regular season.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Tony Schumacher raced to his first victory of the season and in the process moved into the NHRA Full Throttle Series points lead Sunday at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

Tim Wilkerson, Jason Line and Eddie Krawiec also were winners in their respective categories at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event.
Schumacher earned his fourth Gatornationals win and 62nd of his career by powering his U.S. Army dragster to a performance of 3.797 seconds at 322.04 mph while teammate Antron Brown’s Matco Tools dragster lost traction in the runner-up effort.

The seven-time Top Fuel world champ beat Terry McMillen, Doug Foley and rival Larry Dixon to advance to the final round.

“It was a perfect win for this team,” said Schumacher, who posted the national speed record at 324.98 mph in a thrilling side-by-side win over Dixon in the semifinals. “This is something we needed to do. Now we’re in the points lead and that’s important as we go to Charlotte for the four-wide race.”

Wilkerson scored his 14th career victory by holding off defending race winner and teammate Bob Tasca in the Funny Car final. Wilkerson’s Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang finished in 4.097 at 303.78, while Tasca’s Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang trailed with a 4.192 at 287.17.

Wilkerson beat Jeff Arend, top qualifier Matt Hagan and two-time world champ Tony Pedregon to advance to the final round, his first at the Gatornationals.
“When you run well and you run consistent, people will show you enough respect to try pretty hard against you,” Wilkerson said. “We did have a good day today. I’m not going to say we were world-beaters, but we made some pretty darn good runs to keep them on their toes.”

Kurt Busch celebrates in Victory Lane after winning his third NASCAR Sprint Cup series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. (Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)NASCAR Media Report
Kurt Busch won two races Sunday: the Kobalt Tools 500 and the Carl Edwards 25.

In a race that went 16 laps—nearly 25 miles—past its scheduled distance, after Edwards retaliated against Brad Keselowski for an incident earlier in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Busch took advantage of a strong restart to grab the lead during the second attempt at a green-white-checkered-flag restart and crossed the finish line .482 seconds ahead of runner-up Matt Kenseth.

Juan Pablo Montoya, who was closing in on Busch near the end of the regulation 325 laps, finished third but lost his chance to battle for the victory when Edwards hit Keselowski’s No. 12 Dodge on the frontstretch and sent it flying on Lap 323.

Keselowski’s car landed on its roof in the tri-oval, righted itself and slid into the Turn 1 wall. After extensive clean-up, NASCAR restarted the race on Lap 332—without Edwards, who was black-flagged on Lap 326—with Busch assuming the lead from Clint Bowyer, who had taken the point on a two-tire pit stop under caution on Lap 324.

Before Busch could take the white flag, however, a seven-car pileup in Turn 3 caused the 11th caution of the race and set up the second try at the green-white-checkered.

Edwards’ aggression toward Keselowski was payback for a Lap 40 wreck in Turn 2, where Edwards felt Keselowski didn’t give him enough room.

“Brad knows the deal between him and I,” said Edwards, who returned to the track on Lap 191 after losing 150 laps in the garage. “The scary part was that his car went airborne, which was not at all what I expected.

By ARCA Media (arcaracing.com)
Justin Marks made ARCA history Saturday afternoon, winning the rain-shortened Tire Kingdom 150 presented by ModSpace at Palm Beach International Raceway.

Marks, in the Construct Corps Dodge for Win-Tron Racing, earned his first career ARCA Racing Series victory utilizing rain tires provided by Hoosier Racing Tire, the first time ARCA has used a "wet" tire compound in its 58 year history.

"It was a great race - a great win for me...for Win-Tron, for Construct Corps," a soaked Marks proclaimed in victory lane. "It was the perfect rain conditions to run a rain race. The track was just wet enough to slide around, get on rain tires and find that line, but it never rained too hard, except for the last three laps when it just poured, and we could barely see."

Marks led on two occasions, first pacing the field on laps 41 through 56, and opening up leads as much as 15 seconds. Marks would give up the point to Robb Brent during the final round of pit stops of the day on lap 56 but would resume the lead when Brent pitted on lap 59. From there, the Rocklin, CA driver maintained a comfortable 30 car length cushion over Brent until the skies opened up on lap 68, and the 3rd and final caution flag of the day waved over the speedway. Marks crossed under the yellow and checkers waving together in a torrid down-pour, and the celebration was on.

Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR - Jamie McMurray celebrates winning the Daytona 500 in his first race with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. McMurray led two laps, the lowest total for a Daytona 500 winner.DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. -- What a storybook finish! Jamie McMurray won the 52nd annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 but it took three green, white, checkered flag attempts and an unbelievable shove from the sport's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., to pull the curtain down on one of the most exciting 500's in the sport's history.

After two red flags to repair a hole in the track's bumpy surface, McMurray wound up in the front pack when it came to the two-lap showdown for NASCAR's biggest prize. And Earnhardt provided the help he needed to hold off a snarling, hungry pack of professional stock car drivers trying to add their names to the Daytona 500 record book.