RACING UPDATE — March 30, 2009

NHRA
The very hot — as in visually stunning — Ashley Force-Hood raced to her second career victory on a record-setting day at the 22nd annual O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals Sunday at Houston Raceway Park. The 26-year old Force-Hood defeated her former drag racing instructor to earn the win that vaulted her up from 10th to third place in the Funny Car standings.

NASCAR
Johnson put a 16-laps-to-go hit on Denny Hamlin to pass him and win the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 in Martinsville, Virginia. New team owner Tony Stewart finished third and his driver, Ryan Newman, finished sixth. Good short track race. Next weekend: Texas.

F-1
In the opening event of the 2009 F-1 season in Melbourne, Australia, Jenson Button led the Brawn GP team to victory in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, achieving his second Grand Prix win and capping a stunning debut race weekend for the British-based team. Teammate Rubens Barrichello brought his BGP 001 car home in second position to achieve the first one-two finish for a new team since Mercedes-Benz in 1954.

Speed Sailing — Water
Speaking of Down Under, the 50 knot sailing speed record was finally broken by Macquarie Innovation in Sandy Point, Australia. Unofficially they ran a 500 meter course at 50.43 (average of two runs). Max speed reached was over 54 knots.

Speed Sailing — Land
Earlier in the week, the British Greenbird, smashed the land sailing speed record with a run of 126.1 mph on the dry Lake Ivanpah, Nevada on March 26.

More links and photos to come later.

(UPDATE: Or not, as the case may be.)