Editors Note: In a nod to our 90 years of history, each week SPEED SPORT will look back at the top stories from 15, 30 and 60 years ago as told in the pages of National Speed Sport News.

15 Years Ago 2010

News: Calling it a circus-like atmosphere NHRAs Professional Racers Owners Organization has put its foot down when it comes to future four-wide points paying NHRA events.

In a letter to NHRA President Tom Compton, PRO says it will not participate in another four-wide competition involving championship points. The letter, also sent to Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Chairman 0. Bruton Smith, came just days after the inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, the first NHRA national event featuring all four professional categories racing four abreast, at Smiths zMAX Dragway on the Charlotte Motor Speedway complex.

During the zMAX event, the PRO board of directors surveyed both PRO member and nonmember team owners and drivers in Top Fuel. Funny Car and both Pro Stock classes asking, Do you want to participate in a four-wide national event for points again?

The result a 60-3 vote was an overwhelming no.

Though PROs letter praises Smiths efforts to increase awareness and visibility of NHRA drag racing, it explains competitors are not in agreement that a four-wide national event is in the best interest of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Specific concerns listed in the letter are:

• Decreased safety and an increased probability of accidents;
• Confusion among drivers. teams and fans. Particularly regarding starting-line procedures;
• Virtual non-existent sponsorship identification from the wide camera angle for television coverage; and
• A circus-like atmosphere where the race turned into a novelty-like event similar to that of the WWE, rather than a race for points toward the NHRA world championship.

While the letter emphasizes a wish to discontinue competing in a four-wide format for points, PRO is not opposed to discussing the possibility or a four-wide exhibition or all-star race in the future.

Winners: Ryan Newman slipped inside Jeff Gordon on the final restart to win Saturday nights Subway Fresh Fit 600, returning to a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory lane for the first time since the 2008 Daytona 500.

The green-white-checkered triumph at Phoenix Raceway, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver of the Tornados Chevy Impala said, was the most emotional victory Ive ever had in my career.

This 14th career victory in 303 starts was 77 races in the making and was Newmans first at the site of his NASCAR Cup Series debut Nov. 5, 2000. at age 22. He had earned four pole positions here. But his best finishes were second and third on the mile oval.

When that victory came. it ended Hendrick Motorsports streak of six victories at PIR. Newman said, I dont have enough words. lt was a long time coming for me personally: This is really awesome for our team.

He said in victory lane that team owner Tony Stewart was so proud of me. He told me he loved me and I told him I loved him back because its his name Im representing and (those of) a lot of people behind us. Im missing my mom and dad right now. Theyre hack home. taking care of my grandfather:

Newman said he didnt know what to expect on the restart.

Its hard to gauge when youre midpack. We were just at the right place at the right time.

Newman said he didnt feel like he had a great jump. I did the best I could, he said. When I saw that white flag, I thought, I aint got that far to go.

I held my line and got a good shot off of turn two. It was all we needed, Newman said.

reflecting on his suggestion and crew chief Tony Gibsons concurrence to take on only two fresh tires while most of the contenders took four on the final pit stop with two laps remaining. Track position was real important. I think the two tires were a good call because the track cooled off and it was little more grip with two (fresh) tires. Two tires earlier in the day werent good enough.

30 Years Ago 1995

News: Promoter Bruton Smith couldnt just put a shovel into dirt for a groundbreaking. With explosives sending dirt 100 feet in the air and celebrities galore present Smith, P. T. Barnum reincarnate, and friends broke ground for Texas Motor Speedway last week.

NASCAR Winston Cup drivers Jeff Gordon along with native Texans Terry and Bobby Labonte joined more than 2,000 racing enthusiasts for the official construction start for the worlds second largest sports facility. Smith also got a break from the weatherman who halted 2 days of rain for the ceremony.

Race fans, this is for you, Smith told the attendees of his north Ft. Worth site. Were going to start with 150,000 seats then we will go to a quarter of a million so that you can bring your friends.

The NASCAR drivers took part in the first groundbreaking as they helped set off explosives shooting Texas turf in the air. Smith then followed with a grander and larger blast that produced a fireball and showered dirt all over the site.

No we havent seen anything yet, Gordon told his admiring fans. We are all talking about Texas Motor Speedway.

Brutons already going to start on the parking, Gordon continued referring to the jammed temporary parking lot utilized for the ceremony. This is a great day for Texas, Terry Labonte commented. The people of Texas are used to doing things in big style but even Texans might be able to learn a few things from Bruton. The last time I raced Winston Cup in Texas, I dont think even this many people were in the stands. That will be different here.

Im a native Texan and my sponsor Interstate Batteries is a Texas company, Bobby Labonte said. This is a great opportunity that gives both of us something to be proud of in our home state. I think the people of Texas will be thrilled with our sport.

Winners: Ken Schrader drove through the field to overcome a penalty and take the $29,500 winners check in the NASCAR SuperTruck Series by Craftsman event at Saugus Speedway Saturday night.

A record crowd estimated at 10,000 jammed the flat one-third-mile oval for the 200-lap event. Schrader, driving his AC-Delco Chevrolet started third, and ran with the leaders until lap 12, when he was sent to the rear of the field for knocking P.J. Jones into the wall. P.J. knocked me out of the way, so I knocked him back harder, was Schraders explanation after the race.

At the green flag, polesitter Mike Skinner shot into the lead, and stayed there until the lap 101 half-time break.

Although there were several yellow fiag periods, the race proceded at a steady pace until lap 82, when the red flag was waved. The track crew bad to do some lengthy and serious clean-up after the engine on Jones truck let go, spreading oil around the entire track.

Jones truck also caught fire briefly, but was quickly extinguished. When the green came out again, Skinner was able to go right to the front again, and stayed there until the half time break. He was trailed by Geoff Bodine and Butch Miller.

At around lap 114, Skinner was helped into the turn-two wall when he made contact with Jerry Glanville while trying to lap the former NFL coach. Miller inherited the lead.

The ASA late model champion paced the next 30 laps until he had a similar encounter with Joe Ruttman and spun his Ford truck. Schrader then inherited the lead. Both Glanville and Ruttman were penalized by NASCAR for their efforts.

The 11th and final yellow waved on lap 158 when Walker Evans smacked the wall. The race ran green the rest of the way with Schrader followed home by Bodine, Bill Sedgwick, Miller and Skinner.

60 Years Ago 1965

News: The widest variety of engines, chassis and drive in the 4.9-year history of the Indianapolis race is reflected in the entry list of 68 cars for this years running of the 500-mile classic on May 31.

The entry, up seven cars from last years 61, shows 46 of the cars being of the rear-engined variety. The remaining 22 front-engined cars include a pair of four-wheel drive machines and a new front-drive creation.

The list indicates there will be 21 Ford engined cars, however, Ford Motor Co. reports that 24 ears will use their new four overhead cam V-8 engine. Four-cylinder Offenhauser engines will be in 33 cars, of which 17 are rear-englned. One Offypowered car, entered by Gordon Lao Liew, will be supercharged.

Supercharged eight-cylinder Novi engines will be in three cars, two of which will be four-wheel drive. There are four Chevrolet-engined cars entered, two rear-engined Lotuses by Frank Harrison, a rear-engined model by Joe Scopa and a front-drive, front-engined car by Mickey Thompson.

A rcar-engined Maserati has been entered for Al Unser to drive by Frank Arciero and Bob Wilke has added a front-engined Ford roadster to his team.

One of Dan Gurneys four All-American Racers entries and the second McManus car are believed paper entries as Ford does not show them on their customer list. It is also believed that the third factory Lotus will be used for practice only.

Three former winners-Rodger Ward, A. J. Foyt and Parnelll Jones along with Scotlands Jim Clark head the entry list. All have their pick of at least two cars with Foyt having his choice of three, a Lotus-Ford, a Lola-Ford and his Offy-engined roadster.

Of the 68 cars entered, only 46 had drivers assigned, with Foyts and Bobby Unsers name appearing twice on the official list.

Winners: Jud Larson, driving the A. J. Watson Offy sprinter, cleaned house at the Eldora. Speedway Sunday afternoon in the USAC sprint car feature before a capacity crowd.

Larson, who won the first sprint car race or the year at Reading, Pa., several weeks ago, had little trouble leading the 30-lap feature all the way after starting on the pole by virtue of setting the fastest qualifying time of 18.81 on the short half-mile dirt track.

Defending sprint car champion Don Branson finished second in another Offy-powered car, with Bobby Unser finishing third in the K. E. Y. Chevy, wrenched by Don Shepherd. Jerry Daniels and Bob Harkey rounded out the first five finishers.

Mechanical troubles forced five cars from the feature event. They included: AI Smith, Dave Norris, Rollie Beal, Gary Congdon, and Jerry Richert.

Heat winners were Larson, Unser and Harkey. Gary Congdon, a product of the midget ranks, was very impressive in his 10-lap semi final victory. Starting in third spot in the Smith Chevy, he beat out Dave Norris and Jim McCune and knocked more than three seconds off the track record set by Gordon Johncock in 1964.