MOTOR SPORTS ROUNDUP: HORNADAY WON'T LET SURGERY STOP HIM.Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services Ron Hornaday Jr., three days removed from an appendectomy Appendectomy Definition Appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix. The appendix is a worm-shaped hollow pouch attached to the cecum, the beginning of the large intestine. , is expected to race in tonight's NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Craftsman Truck Series race at Gateway International Raceway Gateway International Raceway is a race track in Madison, Illinois, USA, just minutes from Downtown St. Louis, Mo. It hosts a NASCAR Busch Series event and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on a 1. in Madison, Ill. Hornaday, driver of the No. 6 Chevrolet Silverado for Kevin Harvick Inc., had surgery to remove his appendix on Tuesday. He was testing at Lowe's Motor Speedway Lowe's Motor Speedway (formerly Charlotte Motor Speedway) is a speedway in Concord, North Carolina, north of Charlotte. It features a 1.5 mile long quad-oval track that seats 167,000 people, with room for 50,000 more spectators in the infield. in North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. when he experienced stomach pains and was taken to a hospital in nearby Mooresville. Kevin Harvick Inc. teammate Tony Raines is at Gateway International Raceway in case Hornaday is not able to race. ``I am focused and ready to race,'' said Hornaday, a former Saugus Speedway champ from Palmdale. ``I feel fine and look forward to driving the GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Saturday night in St. Louis.'' - Tim Haddock --A female presence: Sam Hornish Jr. won the pole position for the Indy Japan 300 and will be joined on the front row for today's race by rookie Danica Patrick, the only female driver competing in the Indy Racing League The Indy Racing League, better known as IRL, is the sanctioning body of a predominantly American based open-wheel racing series. The League consists of two series, the premiere IndyCar Series this season. Driving a Honda-powered Panoz for the Rahal Letterman Racing Rahal Letterman Racing (RLR) is an auto racing team that currently races in the Indy Racing League. It is co-owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal and television talk show host and comedian David Letterman and is based in Hilliard, Ohio. team, Patrick raced a lap of 204.504 mph on the 1.5-mile Honda-built oval. The 23-year-old would have earned her first pole if not for a late charge by Hornish, who beat her with a speed of 204.740 mph. It was Patrick's best qualifying effort of her brief IndyCar Series career. Her previous best start was ninth at Homestead-Miami Speedway in March. ``I was so mad when we lost the pole,'' Patrick said. ``We were so close. I still have a lot to learn and just need to make sure tomorrow that I get in and out of the pits quickly and feel comfortable with the cars around me.'' Patrick is the first woman to qualify on a front row in an IndyCar event since Sarah Fisher at Richmond International Speedway in 2003. --A special occasion: Kevin Harvick marked the birthday of the late Dale Earnhardt by winning the pole for the Aaron's 499 Nextel Cup NASCAR event at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. It was the third pole for Harvick, who moved into Earnhardt's seat at Richard Childress Racing RCR Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Richard Childress Racing, is a NASCAR team fielding Chevrolets for Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, and Scott Wimmer in the NEXTEL Cup Series as well as the #2 BB&T Chevy for Clint Bowyer, the #21 AutoZone Chevy for Harvick a week after the seven-time NASCAR champion was killed in the 2001 Daytona 500. ``Obviously, it's really special for everybody at RCR RCR Richard Childress Racing RCR responsible conduct of research RCR Royal College of Radiologists (UK; also seen as RCOR) RCR Royal Canadian Regiment RCR Rockcliff Resources Inc (Sudbury, ON, Canada) and the whole GM Goodwrench crew,'' Harvick said. ``Hopefully, we can open a new chapter in the long book of history that Dale and everybody at RCR have shared here and get a win on Sunday.'' Earnhardt, who would have been 54 Friday, won nine races at Talladega, making Childress the winningest car owner to compete here. Harvick has two second-place finishes in eight starts on the 2.66-mile track. Harvick picked up considerably from his practice speeds Friday with a qualifying lap of 189.804 mph that was virtually unchallenged. Jeff Gordon was next at 188.988, putting Chevrolets on the front row. ``I think when you go back and look at most of the restrictor- plate races, we usually make one run and try not to overwork overwork the condition produced by working a draft animal or working dog, an eventing or endurance horse too hard. See also exhaustion. our motor,'' Harvick explained. ``That's always been the philosophy of (crew chief) Todd Berrier, to run as few laps as possible. ``We put everything we think we have on the car, and that's pretty much what we've got. There's no reason to beat a dead horse.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Danica Patrick readies for qualifying Friday at the IRL's Japan 300, where she ended up on the front row for today's race. Robert Laberge/Getty Images |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion