Coons Jr Earns Team Mopar a Title Trifecta at Turkey Night

Jerry Coons Jr., (shown in action below) celebrates his USAC National Midget Car Series championship, which he clinched with a Top-10 finish in the 66th Turkey Night Grand Prix at Irwindale Speedway in Southern California. Coons Jr.'s triumph earned Team Mopar its third title in 2006.

Team Mopar captured its third title of the season on Thanksgiving night, as Jerry Coons Jr., wrapped up the USAC National Midget Car championship during the 66th Running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix, held at Southern California's Irwindale Speedway. Along with Josh Wise's USAC National Sprint Car title and Samuel Hubinette's Formula D Drift Series title, Team Mopar has earned three professional racing championships in 2006.

Coons Jr., and the No. 11w Wilke-PAK Motorsports team earned an eighth-place feature event finish to win the series title over the second place Wise by 39 markers. The championship marks the first USAC National Midget Car Series title for Coons Jr., who also finished second in the Weld Racing National Midget Driver of the Year championship.

Wise and the No. 20 Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises team ended the season with a solid third-place run in the Turkey Night event, which helped Wise earn his second Earl's Fast Qualifier of the year. Teammate Levi Jones wrapped up the season with 13th-place in the feature, and was sixth in the USAC National Midget Car Series points championship. Team owner Tony Stewart also piloted the No. 2 machine for Team Mopar. Stewart battled his way through traffic before brake issues ended his night prematurely. He was credited with a 24th-place finish.

Brad Kuhn also competed in the event, driving the No. 74 machine to ninth. Kuhn ended the season on a high note, earning his second straight Weld Racing National Midget Driver of the Year championship. The Avon, Ind., driver won 12 feature events and captured the Badger Midget and POWRi Midget Series titles in 2006. He was also 10th in the USAC National Midget Car Series championship.

Also competing in the Turkey Night Grand Prix event were Wilke-PAK's Tracy Hines and Venture Racing's Kevin Swindell. Hines drove the No. 11 machine to a sixth-place finish, while Swindell was credited with a 25th-place finish after his night ended early.

For more information regarding USAC Racing or the 66th Running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix, log on to usacracing.com or irwindalespeedway.com.

Capps Serves as Grand Marshal of Sun Bowl Parade

By Judy Stropus & Trenton Hilburn

It wasn't all turkey and trimmings on Thanksgiving Day for Team Mopar's Ron Capps. The Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car driver also served as the grand marshal for the 70th annual FirstLight Federal Credit Union Sun Bowl Parade, held in El Paso, Texas, on Thanksgiving morning.

Last year, more than 350,000 people attended the event, which precedes the NCAA college football Sun Bowl in El Paso, scheduled this year to be played on Dec. 29. Capps becomes the 11th sports figure to serve as grand marshal of the FirstLight Federal Credit Union Sun Bowl Parade, joining a group that includes sports icons Don Haskins, Bobby Dobbs, Lee Trevino, Mickey Mantle and Don Maynard.

"To be a part of a parade that is over 70 years old is a tremendous honor, not to mention being on a list of some pretty incredible athletes who have been part of this parade in the past," said Capps.

Capps, driver of the Brut Revolution Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, was a five-time NHRA Funny Car winner this season and has won 22 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series national events in his career. He led the point standings through the majority of the 23 races this year, ending up third in the rankings. He finished in the top 10 for the ninth time in the last 10 years.

For more information on the NHRA, log onto nhra.com.

"They invited the whole family to ride in the float. I am thrilled to be a part of it with my family."

— Ron Capps, on serving as the grand marshal of the 70th Annual FirstLight Federal Credit Union Sun Bowl Parade, which took place in El Paso, Texas, on Thanksgiving Day.

Bryan Clauson is one of six drivers in the running for the RACER Magazine Rookie of the Year honors. Clauson finished in the Top-10 in both the USAC National Sprint Car and USAC National Midget Car standings, despite being sidelined for the last part of the season after a racing accident in September.

Clauson Nominated for RACER Magazine Rookie
of the Year Honors

USAC competitor Bryan Clauson is one of six young drivers to be nominated in the RACER Magazine Rookie of the Year competition. Clauson, who was named to the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates driver development program in early 2006, is in the running for the honor along with the IndyCar Series' Marco Andretti, Dan Clarke of ChampCar, Colin Braun of the GrandAm Series, NASCAR's Denny Hamlin and Formula One driver Robert Kubica.

The RACER Rookie of the Year winner will be featured in the April 2007 edition of the magazine. As of last week, SPEED TV has been airing nominees for the fan-vote categories, allowing SPEED viewers to vote for their favorites at SPEEDtv.com. The winners will be announced as part of a 60-minute special in February.

Clauson battled for the USAC National Sprint Car and USAC National Midget Car Series titles throughout the 2006 season, until a racing accident in September sidelined the young competitor. With strong early season performances, Clauson was able to hang on in the points chase to earn a fifth-place finish in the USAC National Midget Car Series championship and a seventh-place finish in the USAC National Sprint Car Series championship. Clauson's achievements include becoming the youngest driver to win an event in both the USAC National Sprint and USAC National Midget Car Series.

For more information regarding Clauson, RACER Magazine or SPEED Channel, log on to bryanclauson.com, racer.com or SPEEDtv.com.