Regional Lucas Oil series set to return to Bullring

One of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring's most popular series returns Saturday with one of the track's most popular drivers leading the points standings.

Doug Hamm, the 2008 Bullring Modified champion, is atop the standings in the regional Lucas Oil series, which will compete along with the regular NASCAR All-American Series program beginning at 7 p.m.

Hamm has yet to win a Modified race this season, but consistency and four top-five finishes have helped the Las Vegan to a four-point lead over Larry Gerchman with four races left.

Gerchman, of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., has five victories this year, including four in a row. He won May 22 at the Bullring.

The nine-race Lucas Oil series races in Nevada, Arizona and California. More than 30 cars have entered Saturday's 75-lap Modified feature, which awards double points.

■ NHRA -- The NHRA released its 2011 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule. One change moves the first of two events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to April 1 to 5, two weeks earlier than its traditional date. The speedway's fall race next year will be Oct. 27 to 30.

The April race week will return to having nighttime qualifying sessions.

The biggest change is starting the season two weeks later, with the Winternationals from Feb. 24 to 27 in Pomona, Calif.

Go to lvrj.com/blogs/heavypedal/ for the entire NHRA schedule.

■ TRUCK RACE -- NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader will compete in the Sept. 25 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at LVMS. Schrader will drive the No. 52 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc.

The event will feature a "charity track walk" to benefit the Las Vegas chapter of Speedway Children's Charities.

■ DESERT RACE -- Rick D. Johnson and Brian Sallee of Barstow, Calif., won last Friday's Vegas to Reno race in the Best in the Desert series. Their winning time was 9 hours, 10 minutes and 42 seconds.

Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247.