Three Team Mopar competitors will make a run at the $50,000 Impact Racing bonus in this week's Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic, as they'll compete in both divisions of the event. Josh Wise, Levi Jones and Tracy Hines will pull double duty for the event, which is scheduled for December 14-15 at Orlando Speedworld Raceway.

Wise, the 2006 USAC National Sprint Car Series champion, will pilot the No. 20 Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises entries in the midget and sprint car portions. Wise won the midget portion of the 2005 Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic, but he was unable to capitalize on the bonus, finishing 17th in the sprint car feature. Jones, the 2006 USAC National Sprint Car Series runner-up, and the No. 21 Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises team will also be looking to earn both feature events wins and the bonus after competing in only the sprint car portion in 2005.

Hines will drive the No. 11 entry for Wilke-PAK Motorsports in the midget event and pilot the No. 69 machine for Hoffman Auto Racing in the sprint division. Hines will be tough in both divisions, as his pavement racing experience places him at the top of the list for the victories and bonus award. Team Mopar's Jerry Coons Jr., will also compete in the Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic, driving the No. 11w for Wilke-PAK Motorsports in the midget division. Coons Jr., the 2006 USAC National Midget Car Series champion, will look to cap off his racing season by earning his 13th victory of the year.

The second annual Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic takes place at the Orlando Speedworld Raceway on December 14-15, in conjunction with the 19th Annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show (PRI). The event will feature the stars of the sprint and midget car series, legends cars and a return of the popular drifting exhibition.

Tickets for the Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic are available for purchase to PRI Trade Show attendees and exhibitors in the front lobby area of the show. Tickets can also be purchased at the Orlando Speedworld Raceway ticket office by calling 407-568-1367. The event will be televised on ESPN2 at a later date. For more information regarding the Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic and a complete schedule of events, log on to sprintandmidgetclassic.com.

Mopar is proud to announce that legendary motorsports journalist Chris Economaki has been named grand marshal for the second annual Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic event. Economaki, who is revered for both his work with the "National Speed Sport News" and motorsports television commentary, will give the midget car field the official send-off for the feature event.

The second annual Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic will be held at the Orlando Speedworld Raceway on December 14-15, in conjunction with the 19th Annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show. The event will feature the stars of the sprint and midget car series, legends cars, and brings a return of the popular drifting exhibition.

"I am looking forward with great anticipation to serving as grand marshal at the Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic at Orlando Speedworld," Economaki said. "The reason for my anticipation is that the extraordinary demands of open-wheel racing--like sprint cars and midgets--are such that graduates of these sectors, like Jeff Gordon, have won championship after championship in racing's major leagues."

Tickets for the Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic are available in the front lobby area of the PRI Trade Show for purchase by attendees and exhibitors. For more information regarding the Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic, log on to sprintandmidgetclassic.com.

Team Mopar drifter Samuel Hubinette will revisit the site where he clinched his second Formula D championship, as the "Crazy Swede" returns to Southern California's Irwindale Speedway this weekend for the D1 Grand Prix Series Finals and World All-Star events.

Hubinette secured his second Formula D title in three years in the Formula D "Final Fight," held at Irwindale, known as the "House of Drift," in October. His third-place finish in the event earned him the championship after waging a tight, season-long points battle. Hubinette led the series with three wins, and scored five podium finishes out of seven events. When Hubinette takes the Irwindale track again this weekend for D1GP action in his NuFormz Racing Mopar Dodge Viper SRT10, he'll face a stellar lineup packed with elite drifters from around the world.

Despite only competing in one 2006 D1GP event, at Irwindale in March, Hubinette remains among the Top 16 in points, and is the highest ranking American-based driver in the points standings. At the March event, Hubinette finished fourth, the best of any U.S-based entry, and qualified No. 1 out of a field of 58 drifters. The performance was his best ever in D1GP competition, and has the "Crazy Swede" looking for even better results.

The weekend action will also see newcomer Nick Hogan make a bid to acquire his D1 Grand Prix Series license in effort to compete on the circuit. The 16-year-old driver, son of professional wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, has honed his drifting skills by taking part in a number of test sessions with Team Mopar, Hubinette, and the crew from NuFormz Racing throughout the year. Hogan has already earned a Formula D provisional license at the series' Pro-Am Nationals, held in November at Laughlin, Nevada. Fans can watch as Hogan develops his drifting skills in episodes of the reality television show "Hogan Knows Best," airing on the VH1 network, which chronicles the lives of the Hogans.

Qualifying for the D1 Grand Prix Series Finals will be held this Friday, with the qualifying session scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. The D1 Grand Prix Series Finals will be held on Saturday, with opening ceremonies set for 5 p.m. Sunday brings the D1GP World All-Star match, with opening ceremonies to be held at 2 p.m. The Irwindale gates open all three days at 10 a.m.

For event information and ticket info, log on to d1gp.com or irwnindalespeedway.com. For information on Samuel Hubinette, log on to sameulhubinette.com, or Hubinette's new blog, blog.samuelhubinette.com.

By Judy Stropus

NHRA drag-racing star and Team Mopar driver Ron Capps, famous for his willingness and desire to drive just about anything on wheels if given the chance, will compete in the invitational Stars of Karting presented by the IRL All-Star Kart Race in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 14 against a star-studded list of professional kart racers and other celebrity racing pros.

Capps, driver of the Brut Revolution Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series for Don Schumacher Racing, will compete against established kart racers as well as celebrity guest drivers such as Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice, Indy 500 runner-up Marco Andretti, IndyCar standouts Tomas Scheckter and Bryan Herta, Champ Car's Alex Tagliani, fellow NHRA Top Fuel star Larry Dixon, and sports-car aces Patrick Long, Wayne Taylor and Memo Gidley, among others to be announced.

Racing action will start at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 14, on a temporary track constructed adjacent to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, site of the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show. Show attendees will be able to progress straight from the PRI Trade Show's Happy Hour directly out to the racing action. Admission will be free to anyone with a PRI Trade Show badge.

Joey Saldana drove to a win in the rain-delayed International Sprint Car Classic event at Western Springs Speedway in Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand on Sunday, December 10. Earning the $20,000 payday wasn't an easy night of racing action for the Kasey Kahne Racing driver, as it took him two cars and two heat races to make the A-main feature event field.

Saldana began the night in the No. 63 USA Salter Cartage machine, and after being third quick in hot laps, the engine let go during his first heat race event. Saldana's teammate, Dean Brindle, graciously gave up his seat to Saldana, who was able to drive the No. 22 Salter Cartage machine to a win in the fourth heat race event.

Starting outside of the front row for the event, Saldana wasted little time in battling for the lead. After capturing the top spot on lap 20, the "Brownsburg Bullet" never looked back to go on to win the $20,000 A-main.

Saldana and the No. 9 Kasey Kahne Racing team will begin the 2007 racing season with the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park on February 9-11, 2007. The event will serve as the season opener for the World of Outlaws Sprint Series. For more information regarding the World of Outlaws Sprint Series, log on to theworldofoutlaws.com.