August 2009 Archives

The NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Auto Club Speedway on Oct. 10 will be named the Copart 300, the result of an agreement between the track, Camping World, and Copart.

The race was previously the Camping World RV Service 300 presented by Coleman.

Copart sells damaged cars for the insurance industry and non-damaged cars from banks and finance companies, fleet operators, dealers, and the public.

From the Associated Press:

Landon Donovan, who was born in Ontario and raised in Redlands, has tested positive for swine flu, although the Galaxy is optimistic he can play Saturday night.

Donovan will be evaluated by a doctor Friday and Saturday, the team said. Donovan, David Beckham and Chris Birchall were all given the day off from training Friday after returning from games with their national teams.

The Galaxy are home Saturday night against the Seattle Sounders.

"We're still hoping he'll be available and ready to go," team spokesman Justin Pearson said. "Even Landon said it hasn't hit him as hard as the normal flus have hit him."

Donovan is not infectious, coach and general manager Bruce Arena told the Los Angeles Times. Arena said Donovan is believed to have contracted the virus from two Galaxy staff members who came down with it during last weekend's game at New England.

The team's chiropractor and administrator have both returned to work, Pearson said.

From the Associated Press:

Authorities say a drag racer was killed when his custom car smashed into a trailer at more than 100 miles an hour at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.

California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff Briggs says the crash occurred Saturday in the pit area while 53-year-old Ronald F. Marcum was conducting a transmission-brake test on his dragster. Briggs says the vehicle's transmission suddenly engaged and Marcum was propelled into the parked trailer and killed.

No one else was hurt.

Briggs says National Hot Rod Association rules require transmission-brake tests to be conducted with a vehicle's tires off the ground, but Marcum failed to follow these procedures.