Rain couldn't stop 12 years of waiting as the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards returned to Texas Motor Speedway for a test session in preparation for the Rattlesnake 150 on Friday, April 16, that is part of the Samsung Mobile 500 NASCAR doubleheader weekend.

While the morning session was washed out due to heavy rains throughout Monday, the 1.5-mile superspeedway was dry by 1 p.m. CT today and ready for practice for the 21 drivers on hand. Tuesday's test marked the first time the ARCA Racing Series had raced at Texas Motor Speedway since the inaugural Z-MAX 250 on Sept. 18, 1998.

West Lake, Louisiana's Mikey Kile (left), in a Venturini Motorsports Toyota, led the charts circling the 1.5-mile speedway in 29.033 seconds, an average speed of 185.995 mph.

Brandon McReynolds, in an ESR Toyota, was second quickest overall at 185.752 mph. McReynolds is the son of former crew chief and current FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds. McReynolds hopes to make his first career ARCA Racing Series start in the Rattlesnake 150.

"It definitely helps chatting with Dad and other guys that have been around here a lot," said Brandon, whose father served as a successful crew chief for the likes of Dale Earnhardt and Davey Allison, among others. "It definitely helped being around the race tracks. I'm comfortable because I've been here before. I've seen the facility. Obviously, with Dad over here, it is amazing the things he can tell you even though he didn't drive the race car; he really knows what he's doing."

Steve Arpin, suffering from flu-like symptoms, took just 20 laps around the track but managed the third fastest speed (184.647 mph).

by Phil Burgess, National DRAGSTER Editor
Tony Schumacher, Robert Hight, Greg Anderson, and Hector Arana scored huge playoffs victories at the 24th annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec at Texas Motorplex, wins with huge points implications for all.

Schumacher and Hight used their wins at Texas Motorplex in Top Fuel and Funny Car, respectively, to springboard into the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series points lead as the Countdown to 1 playoffs hit the one-third mark with race two of six. Arana's win in Pro Stock Motorcycle kept him ahead of the two-wheeled pack, while former world champ Anderson moved from sixth up to third with his victory in Pro Stock.

The Top Fuel final was a continuation of the ongoing power struggle between the decade's only two world champs and a rematch of their Mac Tools U.S. Nationals final. The result turned out the same, with Schumacher leading Larry Dixon across the stripe, which was most unexpected here as no Top Fuel driver before Schumacher had won in the right lane all day. Schumacher got the win, the 60th of his career, 3.944, 312.86 to 4.23, 225.18.

ENNIS, Texas – Every time Tony Schumacher enters the gates of the famed Texas Motorplex a bit of a nostalgic feeling must sweep over his body.
All of the great drivers vividly remember their first time.

For Schumacher, his first career NHRA victory came at the sport’s first super track, during a wild and wacky 1999 season. After four runner-up finishes in ’99, and four straight runner-up finishes spread out over the three previous seasons, Schumacher must’ve been wondering if he was ever going to break through and finally get the job done.

But that lone victory in ’99, a gritty win over two-time Top Fuel world champ Scott Kalitta, provided all the momentum that the second-generation racer needed to go on and close the doors on his first series championship crown.

He had one race victory and one world championship trophy. Life was good.

At the time, he probably didn’t realize that his ’99 season was actually the launching pad for what has turned out to be a very special drag racing career. Since then, his trophy collection has grown. A lot.

By Tim Tuttle
Special for the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Todd Bodine won his fifth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race Friday at Texas Motor Speedway, finishing 1.321 seconds in front of runner-up Matt Crafton in the WinStar World Casino 400.

Bodine became the first driver in the history of the series to have five victories at one track. They've all been accomplished in a Toyota for Germain Racing. It was Bodine's 17th career victory in trucks, also all with Germain.

"It's incredible to win five races at one track," Bodine said. "It's hard to win anywhere."

Bodine took the lead on the 125th of 167 laps on the 1.5-mile superspeedway and was never threatened. He had a 2.5-second lead over Crafton's ThorSport Racing Chevrolet with 25 laps to go and 2.1 with five remaining. Making sure he had enough fuel to reach the checkered flag, Bodine backed off the throttle on the final lap.

Bodine had been running third behind Ron Hornaday Jr.'s Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet and Crafton when a sequence of green-flag pit stops began on lap 98.

BELLS, Texas (May 16) – First place in the Saturday, May 23 IMCA Modified main event will be worth $1,000 at Grayson County Speedway’s North Texas Nationals special.

The winner also joins the ballot for the 2009 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Southwest Racing Specialties Southern SportMods chase an $800 top check, with all applicable IMCA points to be awarded in both sanctioned divisions.

Pit gates will open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 6 p.m. Hot laps start at 7 p.m., with the first green flag set to wave at 8 p.m.

There’s a $50 entry fee for each class and pit passes are $30.

Grandstand admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, and $5 for children shorter than the counter height, with two and under admitted free.

More information about the North Texas Nationals special is available from promoter Greg Cooper at 661 205-9933.