There is a huge event this weekend at the Salem Speedway (Salem, Indiana)!  The Fall Brawl Championships take place Saturday at the half-mile high banked track about an hour from downtown Louisville in Southern Indiana. If mother nature cooperates, fans will see the GAS and Crown Vics battle. It is Championship weekend! Gates open Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Make sure to check track social media and its website for late schedule and event changes as well as special ticket deals. Also in action Saturday Legends and Scrappers compete!    ​

 

  This hasn't been a year where NASCAR Cup driver Kyle Larson has truly stood out. You might say he's showed up and simply done his job as a racer. Nothing spectacular. With that said, his Hendrick Motorsports team has stayed on top of their game. When there's been a setback, they didn't wait weeks to try and turn things around. The team and driver acted quickly. Why? Points. Consistency is what the newest championship calculations are all about. True everyone wants to win. But top 5 and top ten finishes and those important stage points are all so critical.  Kyle Larson and team have magnified this attitude and right now the 2-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion is in position to win a 3rd Cup title. He has now take home two playoff events. This past weekend at Kansas and also previously at Worldwide Technology Raceway.  Total Focus.  Only a handful of drivers stand in his way to grab another title.  Las Vegas is this weekend.  Can't wait to watch!

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    The O' Reilly Auto Parts Series also battles at Las Vegas this weekend. Louisville's Ben Rhodes doesn't compete again in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series until The Roval at Charlotte on October 9.  (The 2-Time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion talks  racing and playoffs below. Be sure to check it out.)

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     The NHRA is in Illinois this weekend. Things are heating up as events are winding down as the series gears up for championship weekend in mid-November at Pomona, California. At the last event in Rockingham the winners included Shawn Langdon in Top Fuel, Matt Hagan in Funny Car, Richard Gadson in Pro Stock Motorcycle, and Greg Stanfield in Pro Stock. Lucas Oil is a longtime sponsor of the NHRA and Kentuckiana Motorsports. It's main manufacturing facility is located in Corydon, Indiana. 

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     In the INDY Car series has wrapped up.  Alex Palou won the 2026 Indy Car Series Championship.  Indy car fans will have to wait until March before the new season begins. Many driver changes will take place.    

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  Locally, track championships are all but over. Strill, tracks in the region continue to hold some other events through late October (See our vintage video below on fan excitement at Salem Speedway) . Congrats to all the competitors, drivers, and teams. And the fans too!  The Sportsdrome Speedway, just off I-65 in Jeffersonville, Indiana is a small flat track full of fun and excitement. It is just 10 minutes from the bridges in downtown Louisville.  The Salem Speedway is only an hour from Louisville in Southern Indiana. Other area tracks include the Ponderosa Speedway (the Baddest Bullring in the Bluegrass state) located in central Kentucky at Junction City near Danville (About an hour and fifteen minutes southeast of Louisville). The 2026 event schedule may be the best in years!  Just south in Bowling Green (KY) and you'll enjoy Beech Bend. There is an amusement park, camping, and racing. The Beech Bend dragstrip brings in the fans and has a wide range of events. And if you like local drag racers, one fun place to witness side-by-side battles is in West Point Kentucky, the Ohio Valley Dragway. It is a 1/8th mile track on Dixie Highway, less than a half-hour from downtown Louisville.  A reminder, be sure to check out track websites and social media for the latest news and information, and that includes any late schedule changes and potential weather issues.   

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  ​  We always thank our sponsors and supporters, including our main sponsor, Lucas Oil Products!  Also, Herrings Outdoor Sports!  It is a great place for all of your summer, fall, and year round attire. They carry the most famous and best clothing beach-lake outdoor brands. & accessories!  They ship throughout the US!  Other sponsors include locally owned Bright Pest Control and Bright Retail in Louisville, (Offering Do-It-Yourself Professional Pest Products with a retail store), PNC Bank (Sponsor of Scott Dixon's Indy Car Series Car), Sportsdrome Speedway  (Celebrating nearly 80 years of Racing!), VoiceTel Kentucky (Offering consulting, telephone service, security, and network installation to businesses throughout Louisville and Southern Indiana. When experience counts: Call VoiceTel, locally owned and operated (502-493-3200), Jim Ellis/Attorney-At-Law [Personal Injury, Criminal Defense, and Contract Law (502) 58-Ellis], ICA Dumpsters, Dynamic Chiropractic Louisville, Lyndon Mower Repair, Temco Roofing, and Apple Appliance Repair Service in Louisville.  

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   We also thank our media connections in all series, NASCAR/NASCAR Media, Indy Car, Monster Jam, ARCA, Google Images, media directors, other contributors, and NHRA for helping us bring the sport to the fans!  ​​ 

  Check out the Lucas Oil Online Race Report !  2-Time NASCAR Champion Ben Rhodes talks about what it takes to win races and championships!