Team Mopar's Samuel Hubinette, the inaugural 2004 Formula D champ, set forth on a mission in 2006 to reclaim his title, after finishing second in the '05 points battle. The "Crazy Swede" can now say "mission accomplished," as his third-place showing on Saturday at Southern California's "House of Drift," Irwindale Speedway, earned him the 2006 title and brought home Mopar's first championship of the year.

Hubinette entered the "Final Fight" at Irwindale, before the largest crowd ever to witness a drifting event, with a 36-point lead on Rhys Millen, and claimed the title by advancing to the Final Four round. The "Crazy Swede" qualified his NuFormz Racing Mopar Dodge Viper SRT10 second, and then defeated Mitsuru Haraguchi to advance to the Elite Eight. Millen kept the heat on with round wins of his own, making Hubinette's second-round match-up against Kenji Yaminaka all-important.

Hubinette and Yaminaka both went all-out, but a mistake in the corner by Yaminaka proved the difference, as the judges advanced Hubinette, earning him the championship. Hubinette and his team, the NuFormz crew of Shaun Carlson (owner) and crew members Kenny Nevins and Tim Dunbar, along with team manager and DaimlerChrysler Youth/Urban Marketing Manager B.J. Birtwell, high-fived in celebration in pit lane.

In the Final Four round, Hubinette was unable to advance past event winner Daijiro Yoshihara. With Tanner Foust unable to stage for the third-place race, Hubinette took the last podium spot and marked his championship with a victory lap in his trademark style, hanging out the door of his Mopar Dodge Viper and unleashing plumes of tire smoke on the cheering Irwindale crowd. The outing was Hubinette's fifth podium finish in seven races, and his three wins were the most on the series this year.

"It's been a pretty big year," observed Hubinette. "I took part in my first feature film [The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift] as a stunt driver, I got engaged, I became an American citizen, I won my second championship, and I'm getting married in December. Wow! 2006 has rocked for me. We're going to come back just as strong next year and look to capture our third championship, this time in the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT8."

For more information regarding Samuel Hubinette, Mopar or the Formula D Drift Series, log on to samuelhubinette.com, mopar.com, moparspeed.com or formulad.com.

The third time was the charm for Kasey Kahne and the No. 9 Evernham Motorsports team at Lowe's Motor Speedway in North Carolina on October 14, as Kahne drove the Mopar "Midnight Camo" paint scheme into victory lane in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Bank of America 500. Kahne had piloted cars carrying Mopar's colors to the lead at the October Charlotte race in both 2004 and 2005, before blown tires both years prematurely ended his and Mopar's hopes for a victory.

Kahne kicked off the weekend by qualifying the No. 9 Mopar Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger in the second position, locking himself into an outside first row starting spot for the 334-lap race. When the green flag dropped, Kahne spent little time in taking the No. 9 to the front of the field. He took the lead on several occasions, and grabbed the top spot for the final time on lap 308 to set the stage for his win.

At press time, Kahne had won a NASCAR Nextel Cup series-high six races, and moved into the eighth position in the NASCAR Nextel Cup championship standings. The team's win at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Saturday night was its second at the facility this season, as Kahne also won the Coca-Cola 600 event at the facility in May. The victory was also the first NASCAR Nextel Cup win for a car carrying Mopar's colors as the primary paint scheme.

The Mopar "Midnight Camo" paint scheme that adorned the No. 9 Evernham Motorsports Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge entry has been a staple of Team Mopar's 2006 racing efforts and is carried by the brand's factory-backed USAC National Silver Crown, Sprint and Midget Car teams. It is also featured on Team Mopar's factory efforts in the NHRA Pro Stock Series.

Kahne and the No. 9 Evernham Motorsports team will resume action on October 22 in the Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. For more information regarding Kahne, Evernham Motorsports or the Mopar "Midnight Camo" paint scheme, log on to dodgemotorsports.com or competitiongraphics.com.

Team Mopar's USAC National Midget Car Series stable returned to action at Thunder Hill Raceway in Kyle, Texas, over the weekend. Saturday's program saw Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises' Josh Wise set fast time over the field, turning a lap of 13.981 mph around the 3/8-mile pavement oval. Wise transferred through the first heat race en route to a ninth-place finish in the feature event. The No. 20 team's efforts moved Wise into the second position in the USAC National Midget Car Series championship standings.

Wilke-PAK's Motorsports Jerry Coons Jr., and Tracy Hines also turned in strong performances on Saturday. Coons Jr., and the No. 11x team earned a 10th-place finish to extend their USAC National Midget Car Series Championship points lead over the field. Hines drove the No. 11 to a second-place finish in the feature event.

Kevin Swindell also competed in the event, driving the No. 25 Venture Racing machine to a second quick qualifying effort and transferring through the fourth heat race event. Swindell brought the No.25 across the finish line in fourth to end the weekend. Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises' Levi Jones also competed in the race, qualifying seventh quick before mechanical issues retired the No. 21 machine from the feature prematurely. He is currently ranked sixth in the USAC National Midget Car Series point standings.

Sunday's racing event was canceled due to inclement weather. The USAC National Midget Car Series will resume action on November 23 at Irwindale Speedway in the Turkey Night Grand Prix event. For more information regarding USAC Racing, log on to usacracing.com.

Paul McMahan and the No. 20 Tony Stewart Motorsports team wrapped up the 2006 National Sprint Tour Series season at the Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California, on October 13-14. Rain claimed night one of racing action, but the skies cleared and the cars hit the track on Saturday for the season finale. McMahan was second quick in qualifying and transferred through the second heat race to lock himself into the first dash event. After taking fourth in the dash, McMahan went on to claim a 10th-place finish in the red-flag-filled A-main event.

McMahan earned 11 Top-five finishes and 25 Top-10 finishes in National Sprint Tour Series action this year. The No. 20 Tony Stewart Motorsports team will wrap up the series championship ranked sixth in the points chase. McMahan and the No. 20 team will continue to compete in the World of Outlaws Sprint Series for the remainder of the 2006 racing season.

Joey Saldana and the No. 9 Kasey Kahne Racing team were in Wilmot, Wisconsin, over the weekend. The team transferred through the first heat race event to lock themselves into Saturday night's A-main event. Saldana drove to a 10th-place finish in the A-main to cap off the weekend's racing activity. Saldana has earned seven victories in the World of Outlaws Sprint Series thus far in 2006. The No. 9 team has also earned 24 Top-five finishes and 43 Top-10 finishes in series competition. Saldana is currently ranked third in the World of Outlaws Sprint Series points championship.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Series will resume action on October 20 at Manzanita Speedway. The series will then move on to the USA Race Park on October 21. For more information regarding the National Sprint Tour Series or the World of Outlaws Sprint Series, log on to nationalsprinttour.com or theworldofoutlaws.com.

Steve Francis returned to the South last week, as the "Kentucky Colonel" and the No. 15 team wrapped up its World of Outlaws Late Model season at Volusia Speedway Park on October 13-14. Francis qualified ninth and earned a second-place finish in the first heat race to lock himself into Saturday night's feature event. The No. 15 team started the race in the fifth position and drove to as high as second place, before taking the checkered flag in third.

Francis finished sixth in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship, earning two World of Outlaws Late Model Series victories this season. "The Kentucky Colonel" picked up 13 Top-five finishes and 23 Top-10 finishes en route to his sixth-place series finish. Francis was only 48 points behind series champion Tim McCreadie in one of the tightest point battles the series has ever seen. The No. 15 team utilized Gary Stanton built Mopar power throughout the season.

Earlier in the week, Francis participated in Lucas Oil Late Model Series action at The Dirt Track at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He qualified through the fourth heat race to lock himself into the Jani-King 100 feature. Driving through a star-studded field, Francis took the checkered flag in seventh.

For more information regarding the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, log on to woolms.com.

The Hemi-powered Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Charger R/T of Jack Beckman led Team Mopar and Don Schumacher Racing's NHRA POWERade Funny Car efforts at the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park over the weekend. Beckman advanced to the quarterfinals and collected his first NHRA Funny Car round win.

"The cool thing now is I've tasted a little bit of blood, so now in Vegas I want everything," said Beckman, who beat Del Worsham in the first round after Worsham lost traction. In the second round, Beckman suffered early problems, smoking the tires and giving Eric Medlen the win.

Mike Ashley, driving the Skull Gear Racing Dodge Charger R/T, also made a quarterfinals appearance, sending Tony Pedregon to the trailer, before losing to John Force in the quarters. The rest of the Mopar and DSR Funy Car stable had a rough go of it at Virginia, as Gary Scelzi, driving the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T, and Ron Capps, driving the Brut Revolution Dodge Charger R/T, both suffered first-round exits. Capps is now second in the NHRA Funny Car points battle, 46 points behind Force entering the final two events of the season.

Capps will look to catch Force at the next race, the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, scheduled for October 27-29. For more info on the NHRA, log on to nhra.com.

Larry Morgan notched a quarterfinals appearance at the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, taking the win in a first-round matchup against Kenny Koretsky. Morgan pulled off the win despite qualiying 14th, to Koretsky's third qualifying spot.

Morgan matched up with Tom Martino in the quarterfinals. His Hemi-powered ZMax Dodge Stratus R/T swerved right and left, as Martino executed a clean pass, taking the win over Morgan.

Team Mopar drivers Allen Johnson, Richie Stevens Jr., and Erica Enders suffered first round exits at Virginia. AJ had the better light in his Team Mopar J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T aqainst Jeg Coughlin, but serious shake during his run doomed his efforts. Running her Revive Dodge Stratus R/T, Enders bowed out in the first round despite a solid run, as she had the misfortune to meet No. 1 qualifier Jason Line, who laid down another record-setting run. Stevens Jr., had another close loss, as his stellar pass of 6.60 at 208.71 mph in his Team Mopar/Valspar Dodge Stratus R/T couldn't beat Mike Edwards' 6.589 at 209.36 mph run.

The Team Mopar Pro Stockers will look to get back on track at the next event, the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, scheduled for October 27-29. For more info on the NHRA, log on to nhra.com.