Las Vegas Weekly

November 23, 2009 · 1:15 PM

Photo Galleries: SuperNats @The Rio; Jimmie Johnson’s historic win

By Robin Leach

Michael Schumacher at the 13th Annual Superkarts USA SuperNationals at The Rio.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

Thousands of fans turned up for the souped up 13th Annual Superkarts USA SuperNationals in the parking lot of The Rio that had been turned into a near 1-mile course. Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue was given extraordinary access to seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher racing the karts for the first time ever, which also was his premiere appearance in Las Vegas.

Rumors were running rampant at The Rio that the $100 million racer from Germany would make a comeback to the sport. They picked up intensity when Michael confirmed that he’d met with Mercedes chiefs, and that’s become a sporting world headline this morning.

A neck injury and his age raise concerns, but champions can never just fade away (look at Brett Favre!), so expect the drumbeat of him joining the Mercedes-Daimler team for the next Mercedes Grand Prix to grow louder.

Michael was definitely the top draw at The Rio races, even though Bas Lammers of the Netherlands won the SuperNats. Michael (No. 2) finished seventh, with Formula 1 driver Nelson Piquet (No. 80) in eighth. Our local hero Matt Jaskol (No. 5) placed 22nd. In all, drivers from 26 countries competed in the nine classes, including 2004 Indianapolis 500 champion Buddy Rice (No. 11) leading one of the other divisions.

Johnson wins NASCAR title

Meantime, over in Homestead, Fla. last night, Jimmie Johnson finished fifth in the final NASCAR race of the year, and that made NASCAR history. With the total points from all the 2009 races (he needed to finish at least 25th yesterday), Jimmie won a record fourth consecutive championship, and that ties him with only three other drivers in history. He joins Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and teammate Jeff Gordon as the only other drivers to win three-plus consecutive years.

Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue captured these exciting photos of Jimmy when he raced at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this year.

Now with the promise that he plans to grab a fifth consecutive title next year, the El Cajon, Calif., native heads to Las Vegas, and right after Thanksgiving, during the first week of December, he will lead the first-ever Champions Week drive on the Strip. Jimmie also will be our guest on the Stewie Awards broadcasting live from The Rio with Tony Stewart and yours truly on Dec. 3 -- that’s one week from Thursday.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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