Fernley races are still happening

Contrary to rumors of cancellation, the folks at Reno-Fernley Raceway's 3/8-mile clay oval assure me that the two-day Fernley Jackpot races on Oct. 9-10 are definitely a go.

Spectator gates open at noon on Saturday, as do the tailgate area gates. Overnight parking/camping is allowed for this event. Hot laps are scheduled for noon until 2 p.m. on Saturday, with heat races beginning at 3 p.m. Main events are scheduled to run from noon until 5 p.m. on Sunday, with tailgate area gates opening at 10 a.m. and spectator gates at 11 a.m.

Four divisions will be racing: Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Hobby Stocks, and Dwarf Cars, and up to 200 total entries are anticipated. General admission is $15 for each day, with a two-day combo ticket $25. To get to the track from Carson City, take Highway 50 East to Silver Springs and turn left onto Highway 95A. The track will be on the left-hand side just before you get to Fernley High School. Call Reno-Fernley Raceway at 775-575-7217 or visit www.reno-fernleyraceway.com for more information.

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It wasn't a surprise that Childress Racing's appeal of penalties issued to Clint Bowyer and the No. 33 Sprint Cup team was rejected last Wednesday. The four-person panel affirmed the findings of NASCAR's technical inspectors and affirmed all penalties. Richard Childress immediately appealed the decision to to the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer, NASCAR's version of the Supreme Court. Of the 12 cases that have been appealed to the highest level, eight were affirmed, three modified, and only one overturned. The suspensions of crew chief Shane Wilson and car chief Chad Haney are on hold until the final appeal is heard.

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Although the 150 point penalty, if upheld, effectively ends Bowyer's chance at winning the 2010 Sprint Cup championship, the top eight Chase contenders are separated by only 83 points. Denny Hamlin still holds the lead, but Jimmy Johnson's win at Dover last weekend put him into second, only 35 points behind. At this point, I would not bet against Johnson winning a fifth consecutive title. The Busch Brothers, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Jeff Burton, and Jeff Gordon occupy the next six Chase spots. Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, and Matt Kenseth are still mathematically viable, but another bad race for any of the three would seriously jeopardize their chances.

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Bowyer didn't do himself any favors in qualifying for tomorrow's race at Kansas Speedway, where he will start 27th. Only Carl Edwards has a worse starting spot , 31st, among the finalists. Bowyer's Childress teammates Burton and Harvick qualified 23rd and 24th, respectively. Perhaps the Childress team, smarting from Bowyer's penalty, is being conservative with adherence to the rules? Only four Sprint Cup chasers will start the race in a top-10 starting position - Gordon in 3rd, Biffle in 5th, Kenseth in 8th, and Kurt Busch in 9th.

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The IndyCar series season finale is scheduled for this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. As has been the case for the last few seasons, the race for the championship is going to be a real nail-biter. Dario Franchitti overcame a five-point deficit going into the final race last year, winning the race and the championship with a three-stop strategy and a bit of luck in a caution-free race. This year he trails points leader Will Power by 12. Power, not considered one of the better oval racers in the series, has shown surprising strength in the last three oval outings. Pit mistakes and circumstances have led to poor finishes in two of the races and a third place two weeks ago at Motegi. If the team can keep it together this weekend, we could see a first-time champion crowned.

Franchitti's Target/Ganassi team and Power's Penske Racing organization have dominated IndyCar racing for the past two years. I expect more of the same for 2011, but the series is changing to a new car design with opportunity for more diversity in aerodynamic and engine choices for 2012. Hopefully this will lead the way to more teams running up front, especially at the premier event, the Indy 500. Those of us old-timers who remember the glory days of the Speedway certainly hope that's the case.