Bloggin' is Racin'

Plenty of gift ideas for the DFW local motorsports fan

If you have a local motorsports fan on your holiday shopping list, you don't have to look hard to find a perfect gift.

For example, Cowtown Speedway in Kennedale is offering an All Access Pass for the entire 2010 racing season. This All Access Pass includes every 2010 event where pit passes are sold. Pass holders will have access to the pits and general admission grandstand area on all practice nights, all special events including the Cowtown Midget Nationals, Cowtown Sprint Nationals, November Sprint Shootout and any other event that may be added. Pass holders can upgrade to a reserved seat for $5 on any race night.

The price of the All Access Pass is $599 and the passes are available online through Dec. 31 or by mailing a check to the speedway on or before Dec. 31. The final details for the 2010 race season are still being finalized, but the schedule will feature approximately 35 nights of racing. Visit www.CowtownSpeedway.com to get more information or to purchase an All Access Passes.

Of course, Texas Motor Speedway always has great deals on tickets this time of year. For example, NASCAR fans can purchase two Samsung Mobile 500 fronstretch tickets for $99 or head to the backstretch and get an even better deal with tickets as low as $20. Go here for information about current fan deals for the 2010 NASCAR and IndyCar Series events.

The Texas Motorplex in Ennis offers gift certificates that can be used to purchase event tickets or merchandise. Go here to get more information.

-- Michele Vincze

This week's national racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central (U.S.)

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500
Site: Avondale, Ariz., Phoenix International Raceway (oval, 1.0 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (1 p.m., ESPN2), qualifying (4:30 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, practice (12:30 p.m., Speed; 2 p.m., ESPN2); Sunday, race (1:30 p.m., ABC)
Race distance: 312 miles/312 laps
2008 winner: Jimmie Johnson
Fast facts: Jimmie Johnson finished 38th at Texas after wrecking on the third lap, cutting his points lead to 73 over Hendrick teammate Mark Martin. Jeff Gordon is third in the points, 112 points behind Johnson. Kurt Busch (-171) is fourth, followed by Tony Stewart (-178). ... Martin won in April at Phoenix to snap a 97-race winless streak. He started from the pole and led 157 of 312 laps. ... In 12 Phoenix starts, Johnson has three victories, seven top-five finishes and 10 top-10s. ... Kyle Busch also is racing in the Nationwide and Trucks races, the second of three straight tripleheaders. He won the Nationwide and Trucks races in Texas and has 19 victories this year in the three series — four in Cup, eight in Nationwide and seven in Trucks. He also leads the Nationwide standings.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide
Able Body Labor 200
Site: Avondale, Ariz., Phoenix International Raceway (oval, 1.0 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Speed); Saturday, qualifying (11 a.m., Speed), race (3 p.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 200 miles/200 laps
2008 winner: Carl Edwards
Fast facts: Points leader Kyle Busch will clinch the title if he finishes the race with at least a 195-point lead. ... Greg Biffle won the April race at Phoenix.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Camping World Trucks
Lucas Oil 150
Site: Avondale, Ariz., Phoenix International Raceway (oval, 1.0 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, qualifying (3:30 p.m., Speed), race (6:30 p.m., Speed)
Race distance: 150 miles/150 laps
2008 winner: Kevin Harvick
Fast facts: Ron Hornaday Jr. has a 197-point lead over Matt Crafton with two events left and will clinch the title if he finishes the race with at least a 195-point lead. The 51-year-old Hornaday is winless since Aug. 1 in Nashville, the last of his series-record five straight victories. He has 45 career wins and three season titles, both series records. ... In the owners’ standings, Kevin Harvick Inc.’s Hornaday-driven No. 33 has a 75-point lead over Billy Ballew’s No. 51.
www.nascar.com

NHRA
Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals
Site: Pomona, Calif., Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (9:30 p.m., taped, ESPN2); Sunday, final eliminations (6 p.m., taped, ESPN2)
2008 winners: Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Chris Rivas (Pro Stock Motorcycle)
Fast facts: Funny Car driver Robert Hight enters the season finale with a 105-point lead over teammate Ashley Force Hood. ... Tony Schumacher, seeking his sixth consecutive Top Fuel title and seventh overall, has a one-point lead over Larry Dixon. Cory McClenathan, Schumacher’s Don Schumacher Racing teammate, is third — 48 points behind the leader. Antron Brown is fourth, 80 points back. ... In Pro Stock, Mike Edwards has a 139-point lead over Greg Anderson. ... Hector Arana leads the Pro Stock Motorcycles standings, 54 points ahead of Ed Krawiec. ... Ron Capps (Funny Car), Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) won in February at Pomona in the season-opening event.
www.nhra.com

This week's national racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central (U.S.)

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Tums Fast Relief 500
Site: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (oval, 0.526 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (10:30 p.m., Speed), qualifying (2 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, practice (9 a.m., 5:30 p.m., ESPN2); Sunday, race (noon, ABC)
Race distance: 263 miles/500 laps
2008 winner: Jimmie Johnson
Fast facts: Points leader Jimmie Johnson earned his second straight victory and third in five Chase events Saturday to open a 90-point lead with five races left. Mark Martin is second in the standings and Jeff Gordon (135 points behind Johnson) is third, all three driving for Hendrick Motorsports. Tony Stewart is fourth, 155 points behind, and his first-year Stewart-Haas Racing team uses Hendrick engines. ... Gordon leads active drivers with seven Martinsville victories. He swept the 2005 races for his last wins at the track.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide
Kroger On Track for the Cure 250
Site: Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park (oval, 0.75 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (3:30 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, qualifying (9:45 a.m., ESPN2), race (2 p.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 187.5 miles/250 laps
2008 winner: Carl Edwards
Fast facts: Kyle Busch has a 195-point lead over Carl Edwards with four races left. Casey Atwood will stand in for Busch — racing at Memphis for the first time since 2004 — during practice and qualifying because of conflicts with the Sprint Cup event at Martinsville. ... Sprint Cup driver Matt Kenseth is making his first Memphis start since the inaugural series race at the track in 1999. ... Landon Cassill, the 2008 Nationwide rookie of the year, will drive the No. 1 Miccosukee Resort Chevrolet in his first series appearance of the year. ... Kenny Wallace is making his 450th series start.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Camping World Trucks
Kroger 200
Site: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (oval, 0.526 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, qualifying (noon, Speed); Saturday, race (11:30 a.m., Speed)
Race distance: 105.2 miles/200 laps
2008 winner: Johnny Benson
Fast facts: Ron Hornaday Jr. has a 197-point lead over Matt Crafton with five races left. The 51-year-old Hornaday won five straight races this summer and has a series-high six victories. He has 45 career wins and three season titles, both records. ... Mike Skinner is making his 200th series start. The 1995 champion has three victories at Martinsville, matching Dennis Setzer for the lead. Skinner has three wins this year and is third in the standings, 255 points behind Hornaday. ... Johnny Benson lost his ride in June when Red Horse Racing failed to find sponsorship, then was injured a week later in a Supermodified event at his home track in Michigan.
www.nascar.com

2009 Dickies 500 events and driver appearances (updated Oct. 20)

Texas Motor Speedway Dickies 500 events and driver appearances (all times Central)

Here are some events to plan for as the Dickies 500 weekend (Nov. 5-8) at Texas Motor Speedway gets closer.

Speedway Children’s Charities events

Beretta Celebrity Clay Shoot, Nov. 5
Ross Perot Jr.’s Circle T Ranch, Texas 114 at Trophy Club, Westlake, Texas
Sponsored teams will pair with local and national celebrities and NASCAR personalities for the fifth annual event. Sponsorship opportunities (that include the clay shoot) start at $5,000. For more information, visit http://texas.speedwaycharities.org/events/beretta_celebrity_clay_shoot_presented_by_coors_/

AutoTrader.com Sam Hornish Jr. Celebrity Bowling Tournament, Nov. 5
Main Event, Grapevine, Texas
Event begins at 6 p.m. Sponsored teams ($2,500 for lane sponsorship) will be paired with a celebrity guest. Bowling begins at 7:45 p.m.
This year fans can watch the bowling action when they purchase a $20 Public Viewing Area pass. The pass also includes a $10 Main Event fun card and unlimited game play for that evening. Visit http://texas.speedwaycharities.org/events/sam_hornish_celebrity_jr_bowling_tournament/ or call 817-215-8564 for information about lane sponsorship packages. Visit www.scctexas.org for more info about the Public Viewing Area passes.

Texas Motor Speedway Track Walk, Nov. 7
Walk begins 30 minutes after the conclusion of the O’Reilly Challenge Nationwide Series race. NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie Joey Logano is scheduled to walk with fans. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the track. Children 16 and under can walk for free. On-site registration times are: 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. on Nov. 6 and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Nov. 7.
Visit http://texas.speedwaycharities.org/events/texas_motor_speedway_track_walk/ for more information.

Live NASCAR Memorabilia Auction, Nov. 7
Texas Motor Speedway Hospitality Village
Event begins immediately after the O’Reilly Challenge Nationwide Series race. Auction is open to the public.
Visit http://texas.speedwaycharities.org/events/live_nascar_memorabilia_auction_44118/ for more information.

Track events/contests/hospitality packages

Win a trip to the NASCAR Sprint Cup awards ceremony
Texas Motor Speedway will give one fan the chance to attend the Sprint Cup awards ceremony this year in Las Vegas. The ceremony, scheduled for Dec. 4 at Wynn Las Vegas, will be open to a limited group of fans this year. The TMS prize includes two tickets to the ceremony, airfare, transportation and hotel accommodations. Fans can register online from Nov. 2-11 at www.texasmotorspeedway.com or at select kiosks located on the souvenir midway during the Dickies 500 weekend.

Race car rides, Nov. 7, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.
Texas Motor Speedway along with Team Texas High Performance Driving School will be giving race car rides around TMS. Cost is $150 per person. Call 817-215-8593 for more details and to reserve your spot. A limited number of tickets are available. Must be at least 16 years old. Schedule and weather permitting.

Time Warner Cable Pit Stop Pavilion pass, Village of Champions
Pass includes access to an exclusive Q&A session with Jeff Gordon, a continental breakfast and buffet lunch in the Time Warner Cable pavilion, and a VIP pit pass with pre-race access to pit road for the Dickies 500 on Nov. 8. Combo packages include the pass and a Dickies 500 frontstretch ticket for $199. Fans that already have a race ticket can purchase the Time Warner pass for $149. To purchase the passes, call the TMS ticket office at 817-215-8500.

Raceweek transportation

Media partner bus packages
Texas Motor Speedway has partnered with local and regional media outlets to provide bus trips departing from Dallas/Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Tyler/Longview, Ennis, Weatherford, Hillsboro and Ardmore, Okla.
Each bus trip consists of round-trip motorcoach transportation to Texas Motor Speedway, VIP pit tour, complimentary food and beverage, and a frontstretch ticket for $159.
Media partners 98.7 KLUV(DFW), The Oklahoman & wimgo.com (Oklahoma City), 105.7 KYKX (Tyler/Longview), 106.9 KRVF (Ennis), 95.9 KFWR (Weatherford), 92.1 KTFW (Hillsboro) and 95.7 KKAJ, 92.7 KTRX, 107.1 KYNZ and 1240 KVSO (Ardmore, Okla.) will facilitate the bus trips from each location.
For more information about departures from each respective location, visit the media partners’ websites or contact the TMS ticket office at 817-215-8500.

Victory Lane Express
The Victory Lane Express bus service from Fort Worth to Texas Motor Speedway will provide race fans with economical roundtrip service for the Sprint Cup Dickies 500 on Nov. 8 and the Nationwide Series O’Reilly Challenge on Nov. 7.
The Victory Lane Express will offer fans roundtrip transportation from the Tarrant County Community College Northwest Campus to the speedway for $10 per person.  Drop off and pickup at the speedway will be in the facility’s bus lot located adjacent to Highway 114 that allows for expedited service.  Departures from the college will begin at 8 a.m. on race days and end at 10 a.m. Busses will begin returning 30 minutes after the race ends with the last bus running 90 minutes after the checkered flag.
For more information on the Victory Lane Express, call 817-215-8600 or visit www.the-t.com.

Driver/celebrity appearances

David Ragan, Nov. 5, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
Ragan is scheduled to appear at the Discount Tire store at 2405 Grapevine Mills Circle in Grapevine.

NASCAR artist Sam Bass, Nov. 6, 10-11 a.m.
Bass will be signing limited-edition prints of the Dickies 500 program cover inside the Speedway World Gift Shop located at the TMS ticket office. The signed posters will be available to the first 200 fans that purchase $25 or more in merchandise/tickets at gift shop.

This week's national/international racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central (U.S.)

NASCAR Sprint Cup
NASCAR Banking 500
Site: Concord, N.C., Lowe’s Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Today, practice (2 p.m., Speed), qualifying (6 p.m., ESPN2); Friday, practice (4 p.m., Speed; 5:30 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, race (6:30 p.m., ABC)
Race distance: 501 miles/334 laps
2008 winner: Jeff Burton
Fast facts: Points leader Jimmie Johnson has a 12-point edge over teammate Mark Martin with six races left. Juan Pablo Montoya is third, 58 points back. Tony Stewart (-84) is fourth, followed by Jeff Gordon (-105), Kurt Busch (-121), Greg Biffle (-188), Carl Edwards (-192), Denny Hamlin (-219), Ryan Newman (-223), Kasey Kahne (-306) and Brian Vickers (-351). ... Johnson has five victories at Lowe’s — four in a row in 2004-05 — in the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, matching Gordon for the active lead. ... In May at the track, Stewart won the All-Star race and David Reutimann took the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide
Dollar General 300
Site: Concord, N.C., Lowe’s Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Thursday, practice (5 p.m., ESPN2); Friday, qualifying (2 p.m., ESPN2); race (7 p.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 300 miles/200 laps
2008 winner: Kyle Busch
Fast facts: Kyle Busch has a 155-point lead over Carl Edwards with five races left. Edwards cut 90 points off Busch’s lead last week with a third-place finish. Illness forced to Busch to give way to Denny Hamlin while leading early in the race, then a late wreck relegated the No. 18 Toyota to 31st. Busch has six victories this year, the last in July at Gateway. ... Mike Bliss won the May race at the track.
www.nascar.com

Formula One
Brazilian Grand Prix
Site: Sao Paulo, Brazil, Interlagos, Jose Carlos Pace (road course, 2.677 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (noon, Speed); Saturday, qualifying (noon, Speed); Sunday, race (10:30 a.m., Speed)
Race distance: 190.08 miles/71 laps
2008 winner: Felipe Massa
Fast facts: Felipe Massa is recovering from life-threatening injuries at the Hungarian GP in July, when he was knocked unconscious by a loose car part in qualifying and crashed into a safety barrier. He had surgery on the area around his left eye and later had a had a metal plate inserted. The Brazilian was cleared medically by FIA on Saturday and tested a car Monday at Ferrari’s private track, but isn’t expected to return to racing until next season. ... Toyota’s Timo Glock also will miss the race after cracking a vertebra during qualifying in Japan. Kamui Kobayashi is filling in for Glock.
www.formula1.com

This week's national racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central (U.S.)

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Pepsi 500
Site: Fontana, Calif., Auto Club Speedway (oval, 2.0 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (1:30 p.m., Speed), qualifying (5:30 p.m., Speed); Saturday, practice (2 p.m., ESPN2); Sunday, race (1:30 p.m., ABC)
Race distance: 500 miles/250 laps
2008 winner: Jimmie Johnson
Fast facts: Mark Martin has an 18-point lead over Jimmie Johnson, and third-place Juan Pablo Montoya is 51 points back. Tony Stewart (67 points back) is fourth, followed by Kurt Busch (-91), Denny Hamlin (-99), Jeff Gordon (-103), Greg Biffle (-114), Ryan Newman (-164), Carl Edwards (-165), Kasey Kahne (-190) and Brian Vickers (-250). ... Matt Kenseth won the February race to match Gordon and Johnson for the track victory record with three. Kenseth failed to qualify for the Chase. ... Martin won at the track in 1998.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide
Copart 300
Site: Fontana, Calif., Auto Club Speedway (oval, 2.0 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (11 p.m., taped, ESPN2); Saturday, race (3 p.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 300 miles/150 laps
2008 winner: Kyle Busch
Fast facts: Kyle Busch won the Nationwide and Trucks events on the same day in February at the track. He has a 245-point lead over Carl Edwards in the season standings with six races left. Busch has a series-high six wins, 10 second-place runs and 21 top-fives and has led a series-record 2,226 laps. ... Greg Biffle is making his final Nationwide start of the year. He won in 2006 at the track.
www.nascar.com

IndyCar Series
Firestone Indy 300
Site: Homestead, Fla., Homestead-Miami Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, qualifying (3:30 p.m., Versus); Saturday, race (3 p.m., Versus)
Race distance: 300 miles/200 laps
2008 winner: Scott Dixon
Fast facts: Scott Dixon took the series lead when he won the Indy Japan 300 on Sept. 19. Dixon has a five-point advantage over Target Chip Ganassi teammate Dario Franchitti and eight-point edge over Ryan Briscoe in the three-way race for the season championship. The race winner will earn 50 points and the runner-up will get 40. The pole winner will get a point and the lap leader will get two. The eight-point margin from first to third is the second-closest in IndyCar Series history with one race remaining. The five-point gap from first to second is the fourth-closest. ... Raphael Matos leads Robert Doornbos by 25 points in the rookie of the year competition. ... Homestead-Miami Speedway was the site of the season-opening race the past six years. Chicagoland Speedway had the last three season finales.
www.indycar.com

NHRA
Virginia NHRA Nationals
Site: Richmond, Va., Virginia Motorsports Park
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (10 p.m., taped, ESPN2); Sunday, final eliminations (6 p.m., taped, ESPN2)
2008 winners: Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), and Dave Connolly (Pro Stock)
Fast facts: Ashley Force Hood, trying to become the first female Funny Car champion, has a two-point lead over Robert Hight with three events left. Tony Pedregon is third, 25 points behind Force Hood. ... In Top Fuel, Tony Schumacher has a 54-point lead over Larry Dixon. ... Jason Line jumped from fifth to second — 78 points behind Mike Edwards — in the Pro Stock standings with his Memphis win.
www.nhra.com

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series
Grand Prix of Miami
Site: Homestead, Fla., Homestead-Miami Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, race (noon, Speed)
Race duration: 250 miles or 2 hours, 30 minutes
2008 winners: Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas (overall, DP), Paul Edwards, Kelly Collins (GT)
www.grand-am.com

American Le Mans Series
Monterey Sports Car Championships
Site: Monterey, Calif., Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
TV schedule: Sunday, race (1:30 p.m., taped, Speed)
Race duration: 4 hours
2008 winners: Lucas Luhr, Marco Werner (overall, P1), Franck Montagny, Tony Kanaan (P2), Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta (GT1); Dominik Farnbacher, Dirk Mueller (GT2)
www.americanlemans.com

This week's national, international racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central (U.S.)

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Price Chopper 400
Site: Kansas City, Kan., Kansas Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (noon, Speed), qualifying (3:30 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, practice (11:30 a.m., Speed; 5:30 p.m., taped, ESPN2); Sunday, race (1 p.m., ABC)
Race distance: 400 miles/267 laps
2008 winner: Jimmie Johnson
Fast facts: Jimmie Johnson has 44 career victories, 15 in Chase races after completing a season sweep at Dover, beating Hendrick teammate Mark Martin in the second of the 10 Chase races. Johnson is second in the standings, 10 points behind Martin with seven races left.. ... Juan Pablo Montoya (65 points behind Martin) is third in the standings, followed by Kurt Busch (-75), Tony Stewart (-106), Denny Hamlin (-108), Ryan Newman (-110), Jeff Gordon (-122), Greg Biffle (-138), Brian Vickers (-151), Carl Edwards (-153) and Kasey Kahne (-189). ... Gordon won the first two Cup races at Kansas (2001-02) and has a series-high five top-five finishes. ... Edwards is from Columbia, Mo. ... Clint Bowyer is from Emporia, Kan.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide
Kansas Lottery 300
Site: Kansas City, Kan., Kansas Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (2 p.m., Speed; 5 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, qualifying (9 a.m., Speed), race (2 p.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 300 miles/200 laps
2008 winner: Denny Hamlin
Fast facts: Kyle Busch has a series-high six victories — the last at Gateway in July — and leads the season standings. He won the 2007 race. ... Carl Edwards is second in the standings, 211 points behind Busch with seven races left.
www.nascar.com

NHRA
O’Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals
Site: Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (9:30 p.m., ESPN2); Sunday, final eliminations (6 p.m., ESPN2)
2008 winners: Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Craig Treble (Pro Stock Motorcycle)
Fast facts: Tony Schumacher has a 27-point lead over Larry Dixon in the Top Fuel standings, Roberth Hight leads Ashley Force Hood by 13 points in Funny Car, and Mike Edwards has a 65-point advantage over Jeg Coughlin in Pro Stock.
www.nhra.com

Formula One
Japanese Grand Prix
Site: Omaya, Japan, Fuji Speedway (road course, 3.61 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (midnight, Speed); Saturday, qualifying (midnight, Speed); Sunday, race (11 p.m., Saturday, Speed)
Race distance: 191.12 miles/53 laps
2008 winner: Fernando Alonso
Fast facts: Brawn GP’s Jenson Button, the winner of six of the first seven races, leads the points race with 84. Brawn teammate Rubens Barrichello is second with 69 with three races left, followed by Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel (59) and Mark Webber (51). ... Toyota said on Monday that continued participation in the sport is still unclear and dependent on the automaker’s financial performance and F1 cost reductions.
www.formula1.com

$20 "Backstretch Buster" seats still available for Dickies 500 at TMS

Fans looking for a great value on tickets for the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway can still buy a limited number of "Backstretch Buster" seats for the Nov. 8 race. Only 250 of the $20 seats are available. The seats are located along the first two rows of the backstretch.

“There is no better bang for your buck than the 'Backstretch Buster’ seats,” TMS President Eddie Gossage said in a release. “We don’t want the tough economic times to stop our loyal fans from catching the excitement of the Dickies 500, and these seats allow them to truly stretch their entertainment dollar.”

In addition to the “Backstretch Buster” seats, fans also can take advantage of two other backstretch ticket specials for the Dickies 500. All other seating above the first two rows is available for $40 per seat or fans can opt for the 7-Eleven Family 4-Pack. The package consists of four backstretch tickets, four hot dogs and four Coca-Cola drinks for just $159.

Dickies 500 Weekend 4-Packs, which run between $133-$228, can still be purchased here.

To purchase individual tickets to any of the races during the Dickies 500 NASCAR weekend, visit www.texasmotorspeedway.com or call the Texas Motor Speedway ticket office at 817-215-8500.

-- TMS release

This week's national/international racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press

All times Central (U.S.)

NHRA 

O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals

Site: Ennis, Texas Motorplex

Tickets: texasmotorplex.com

TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (11:15 p.m., ESPN2); Sunday, final eliminations (6 p.m. ESPN2)

2008 winners: J.R. Todd (Top Fuel), Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car), Greg Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Chris Rivas (Pro Stock Motorcycle)

Fast facts: Cory McClenathan leads the Top Fuel standings with 2,162 points, 10 more than Antron Brown and Tony Schumacher with five events left. In Funny Car, Tony Pedregon has a one-point edge over Ashley Force Hood. Mike Edwards has a 56-point lead over Jeg Coughlin in Pro Stock, and Hector Arana is nine points ahead of Eddie Krawiec in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

www.nhra.com

NASCAR Sprint Cup

AAA 400

Site: Dover (Del.) International Speedway (mile oval)

TV schedule: Friday, practice (10 a.m., Speed), qualifying (2 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, practice (6 p.m., ESPN); Sunday, race (1 p.m., ABC)

Race distance: 400 miles/400 laps

2008 winner: Greg Biffle

Fast facts: Jimmie Johnson won the May race at Dover, overcoming a slow pit stop to beat Tony Stewart. ... Mark Martin, Johnson and Jeff Gordon lead the 12 Chase drivers with four Dover victories. Martin has 21 top-five finishes at the Monster Mile.

www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide

Dover 200 

Site: Dover (Del.) International Speedway (mile oval)

TV schedule: Friday, practice (12:30 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, qualifying (9:30 a.m., ESPN2), race (2:30 p.m., ESPN2)

Race distance: 200 miles,/200 laps

2008 winner: Kyle Busch

Fast facts: Brad Keselowski won the May race at Dover for the first of his three 2009 series victories. ... Kyle Busch leads the standings and has a series-high six victories, the last at Gateway International in July. He has a 201-point lead over Carl Edwards with eight races left. Keselowski is third, 297 points behind Busch.

www.nascar.com

NASCAR Camping World Trucks

Las Vegas 350 

Site: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)

TV schedule: Saturday, race (8:30 p.m. Speed)

Race distance: 219 miles/146 laps

2008 winner: Mike Skinner

Fast facts: The 51-year-old Ron Hornaday Jr. leads the series with six victories, winning a record five straight races in June, July and early August. Winless in five races, he has a series-record 45 career victories and a record three season titles. ... Mike Skinner won consecutive races this month at Iowa and Gateway. He has three wins this year and 28 overall. ... Matt Crafton is second in the standings, 217 points back with six races left. Skinner is third, 246 points behind Hornaday.

www.nascar.com

Formula One 

Singapore Grand Prix

Site: Singapore,  Marina Bay (road course, 3.148 miles)

TV schedule: Friday, practice (8:30 a.m., Speed); Saturday, qualifying (9 a.m., Speed); Sunday, race  (6:30 a.m., Speed)

Race distance: 191.97 miles,/61 laps

2008 winner: Fernando Alonso

Fast facts: Renault escaped severe punishment Monday for ordering Nelson Piquet Jr. to deliberately crash last year, receiving a suspended two-year ban from Formula One’s governing body. The team will be permanently disqualified from the sport if it breaks FIA rules within the next two years. Flavio Briatore, who quit as team principal last week, was banned indefinitely from any F1 activities by the World Motor Sport Council. Engineering executive director Pat Symonds, who also left the French team last week, was banned for five years. ... Jenson Button, the winner of six of the first seven races, leads the points race with 80. Rubens Barrichello is second with 66 with four races to go, followed by Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel (54) and Mark Webber (51.5).

www.formula1.com

American Le Mans Series

Petit Le Mans

Site: Braselton, Ga., Road Atlanta (2.54-mile road course)

TV schedule: Saturday, race (10 a.m., Speed)

Race duration: 1,000 miles/10 hours

2008 winners: Allan McNish, Emanuele Pirro (Overall, P1); Ryan Briscoe, Helio Castroneves (P2); Johnny O'Connell, Jan Magnussen, Ron Fellows (GT1); Jaime Melo, Mika Salo (GT2)

Fast facts: For the first time since 2001, Speed will show the entire Petit Le Mans live and uninterrupted. Speed will also show live video coverage from qualifying at 1:25  p.m. (Central) Friday via SpeedTV.com. ...  All class winners earn an entry into the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

www.americanlemans.com

Follow some of your favorite Chase drivers on Twitter

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship begins this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and fans can get an inside view of the drivers and teams through Twitter.

Several drivers have been using the social media site throughout the season to keep their fans in the know. Starting Thursday, Kurt Busch's entire Miller Lite team will be tweeting about preparing for and running in the Chase. Legal drinking-age fans can follow "BlueDeuce2win" on Twitter. For more information, visit the Miller Lite “Taste Nation” page on Facebook, PenskeRacing.com or Twitter.com/PenskeRacing.

According to a team release, members of the Busch's “inner circle,” including Miller Lite pit crew members, will be sending tweets at various times during the week and from the garages and trackside during race weekends.  Content will include race-related tweets about things such as adjustments made to the car and the mindset and strategy of the race team, as well as non-race tweets such as insight on appearances and what was on the team’s lunch menu.

“How cool is it going to be for fans to read that (crew chief) Pat Tryson really likes the way the race is setting up, or that our tire specialist has concerns about the wear and tear he is seeing on a set of tires,” Jackie Woodward, vice president of marketing services at MillerCoors, said in a release.  “It’ll be an unprecedented look at the Miller Lite Racing team during the pressure cooker that is the Chase, and we think fans will love it.”

Other Chase drivers who use Twitter daily are:

Juan Pablo Montoya @jpmontoya

Ryan Newman @RyanNewman39

Kasey Kahne @kaseykahne

Brian Vickers @brianvickers83

Go here for a complete list of NASCAR drivers who use Twitter. Texas Motor Speedway fans can get track news @TXMotorSpeedway

-- Michele Vincze