Michael Shank Racing Quickest in "Roar Before the Rolex 24" Opening Session

Michael Shank Racing Quickest in "Roar Before the Rolex 24" Opening Session

Valiante fastest driver in three practice sessions Saturday; Sunday's testing starts at 9 a.m.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 3, 2009) - Michael Valiante ran the fastest lap of the day in the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley, leading the opening round of the "Roar Before the Rolex 24" at Daytona International Speedway.

Valiante ran a lap of 1:41.760 (125.943 mph) to lead the first day of the three-day session in preparation for the 47th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona Jan. 24-25, the opening round of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.

The "Road Before the Rolex 24" continues Sunday with practice for the Rolex Series and Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. The test concludes Monday, with practice from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Spectator admission is $10 both days, and includes access to the Sprint FANZONE and Grand-Am garage areas.

"The car is working real well, and the team has been phenomenal," said Valiante, who will be running his first race with Michael Shank Racing, co-driving with AJ Allmendinger, John Pew and Ian James. "The team is working well together in the short amount of time I've been here, and they've made it real easy for me to come in and drive the car. We've been working well since the first test here in October."

Meanwhile, Scott Pruett led the opening session with a lap of 1:42.163 (125.459 mph) in the No. 01 TELMEX Target Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley. While Pruett is seeking his fourth career and third consecutive overall victory in the Rolex 24, Ganassi Racing is going for a fourth consecutive triumph, dating back to a 2006 triumph by the team's No. 02 entry.

"It's always nice to pick up after a winning season," said Pruett, who won second Daytona Prototype championship last season. He will be joined by defending co-champion Memo Rojas and Juan Pablo Montoya in the No. 01 entry.

"Last year was huge for Ganassi Racing, winning our third in a row. Now, we're going for four, and that says a lot about the team and the commitment Ganassi has made. We haven't been in these cars since the end of last season, and we missed the testing here in October and November. To come here right out of the box and be fastest in our opening practice is a great way to start the year."

Montoya will be seeking his second consecutive victory in the event.

"I'm pretty excited, because the car is pretty quick," said Montoya, the 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner. "It's probably a little easier to drive around here, so we'll have to wait and see what happens."

Dario Franchitti was part of the 2008 winning Ganassi lineup. For 2009, he shifts to the No. 02 entry, co-driving with Target Chip Ganassi IndyCar Series teammate Scott Dixon and 2007 Indy Lights champion Alex Lloyd. Dixon is the defending Indianapolis 500 winner and IndyCar Series champion, while Franchitti accomplished both fetes in 2007.

"Chip's going for four in a row, so it should be pretty exciting," Franchitti said. "That's an amazing statistic, and it speaks volumes for the job that this team does. The team has done a great job preparing the car, as usual, and it's always exciting to come back to Daytona. It's good to be in the car with Scott. We've raced against each other for a long time, so it's nice to be in the same car now, because it gives us a chance to work with each other. My engineer, Chris Simmons, is engineering the No. 02 car, so that will also help get us ready for the IndyCar season.

"If you look at the entry list, there are many, many strong teams," Franchitti added. "But these guys are up to the challenge."

David Donohue led the evening session, waiting until the closing minutes to run a lap of 1:42.217 (125.380 mph) in the No. 58 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley co-driven by Darren Law, Buddy Rice and Antonio Garcia.

"The Brumos guys did a great job, because we had issues with the engine in the afternoon session," said Donohue, who missed October and November testing while recuperating from shoulder surgery. "It started making funny sounds, so the guys went ahead and changed it between sessions. We went out towards the end of the session, and what can I say, the car is good. We've done a lot of testing here, so we're pretty pleased."

Also on Saturday, Childress-Howard Motorsports announced its driver lineup for the 2009 Rolex 24. IndyCar Series regular Danica Patrick and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Casey Mears will join three-time Rolex 24 winner Andy Wallace and Rob Finlay in the No. 2 Pontiac Crawford.

"We think we've got a real good package, running with Richard Howard and Max Crawford," said Richard Childress, a six-time championship-winning car owner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. "We've got a great driver lineup. Danica will do a real good job here. She's a great road racer, and we're excited to have her in the car. Casey's real excited. He won this race three years ago with Chip Ganassi, and he called me and said, If you've got a seat, put me in.'"

A total of 49 cars - 20 Daytona Prototypes and 29 GT - participated in the opening day's testing, with 52 teams filing entries for the event.

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For additional information contact Grand-Am:
J.J. O'Malley, Manager of Communications, 386-681-6910, jjomalley@grand-am.com

Ford Mustangs Dominate Saturday's Opening Day of KONI Sports Car Challenge Testing at Daytona

Ford Mustangs Dominate Saturdays Opening Day of KONI Sports Car Challenge Testing at Daytona

Rehagen Racing and ICY/Phoenix Racing strongest in GS and ST respectively in first of three test days

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 3, 2009) - Ford Mustang GTs were the class of the Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge field in Saturday's "Roar Before the Rolex 24" test session at Daytona International Speedway, sweeping the top six Grand Sport (GS) practice times on the first of three test days to open the 2009 campaign.

The lead car belonged to Ken Wilden, who set the fastest time of 2:00.918 (105.989 mph) late in the afternoon session in the No. 59 Rehagen Racing RehagenRacingProducts.com Ford Mustang GT. Wilden passed fellow Rehagen Racing driver Nick Gullatta, who had set a time of 2:01.262 (105.689 mph).

James Gue, the 2008 KONI GS runner-up with Bret Seafuse, was third on the charts in the No. 37 JBS Motorsports Trumansburg Shur Save Ford Mustang GT, followed by Hugh Plumb and Jack Roush Jr. in the No. 61 Horsepower Ranch Sunset Hills Vineyard Ford Mustang GT; Matt Plumb and Mike Canney in the No. 60 Horsepower Ranch Sunset Hills Vineyard Ford Mustang GT; and Bryan Ortiz and Roberto Bengoa in the No. 57 Rehagen Racing Ford Mustang GT.

In Street Tuner (ST) competition, Kristian Skavnes was quickest of the two practice sessions, setting a best time of 2:11.162 (97.711 mph) in the No. 111 ICY/Phoenix Racing Subaru Legacy.

Overall, 30 cars made on-track appearances. Sunday's KONI Sports Car Challenge practice begins at 11 a.m., and the final session ends at 3:45 p.m.

Rehagen Racing Continues Where Team Left Off

Dean Martin had to rebuild the Rehagen Racing team after losing three of its drivers during the offseason.

However, the team showed Saturday its driver power and horsepower in claiming three of the top six positions in practice. Leading the way was Ken Wilden in the No. 59 Ford Mustang GT; he was flanked by Nick Gullatta in the No. 58 Ford Mustang GT and Bryan Ortiz in the No. 57 Ford Mustang GT.

Rehagen Racing finished 1-2 in the season finale at Virginia International Raceway last October, with Mike Canney and Hugh and Matt Plumb charging to victory. In the offseason, Canney formed Horsepower Ranch, taking the Plumb brothers and Jack Roush Jr. with him. Martin was in the second-place finishing car.

But Martin landed Wilden, whom he won with at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2007, and garnered the likes of Gene Martindale and Nick Gullatta for two cars on Saturday. Wilden will be a fulltime driver in 2009. Andrew Caddell was also driving the No. 58 car.

"I think this is a Mustang track for sure," Wilden said. "I don't think we are going any faster than we were last year. I think you'll see guys go for it tomorrow. Our car ran flawlessly today. We've got some issues we're going to try and sort out to make our car more manageable over the long run. We put on some new tires and I actually cooled down a lap before setting that fast one."

The newly-formed Horsepower Ranch didn't show any major issues Saturday. The cars came in at fourth and fifth on the charts Saturday, both cars faster in the afternoon session than the morning's practice. Hugh Plumb, who drove with Canney last season, was quickest on two of the three test days in the 2008 January Test Days, and said the No. 61 started out well.

"We're out to win a championship this year, and we need to be the best every weekend," Hugh Plumb said. "I think we're headed on the right course. Today, we did well, and we look to improve on that throughout the weekend. Come the race, we look to be on the top of the podium."

TRG Fastest Porsche on First Day

The fastest Porsche on the first day of KONI Sports Car Challenge was the No. 41 TRG Porsche 997, with Andy Lally and John Potter driving the car.

Lally drove for three teams in KONI competition in 2008, earning a victory driving for TRG with co-driver Scott Schroeder. TRG has two other cars - the Nos. 39 and 41 Porsche 997s - in its operation this weekend. Spencer Pumpelly and Duncan Ende drove the No. 39 and Schroeder and Beau Borders drove the No. 40.

Lally has several victories at Daytona in the past, but none have come in KONI action. TRG is also looking for its first KONI victory at the 3.56-mile track.

"We've got a very well set-up car," Lally said. "It's as finely tuned and about as good as it's going to get. It handles excellent, we've got a great brake package; we just can't go any faster.

"We're just going to have to have a perfect race," Lally said about having a shot to win the race. "The other thing is that we just have to have long runs."

Added Ende: "Daytona is exactly the perfect track for us, but we ran here very strongly last year before we fell out at the end of the race. Of course, a Porsche won last year (from BGB Motorsports) so it can be done. I think we're going to field the best Porsches, and if we call a good setup and stay up front we can have a good shot."

Ranger Sport Racing Team Starting Sixth Season in KONI Sports Car Challenge

Barry Ellis, Fraser Wellon and Frank Rossi will start their sixth season in KONI Sports Car Challenge GS competition in 2009, after debuting in 2004 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In that race, the three piloted the car to a career-best second-place finish.

After admitting progression throughout each season, the team drivers and owners are looking forward to running at Daytona at the end of the month. The team's No. 88 Ranger Sport Racing Hop-A-Jet Porsche 997, which will be piloted by Ellis and Wellon, was built last season, while the No. 89 Porsche 997 is a veteran machine, and will have Rossi and Marcelo Abello as co-drivers

Though the team struggled to find speed its drivers and owners say is needed to be competitive, Ellis said one advantage was the team's presence. Several teams decided to forego the three-day test and concentrate on the single test day prior to the Fresh From Florida 200.

"We certainly hope to get a lot accomplished during the test here," Ellis said. "We came here with a list of things we're going to try. We know we're not going to have the horsepower here, so we're working on the handling and trying to make it the best handling car we can."

The trio's best finish at Daytona came in 2007, with a ninth-place result.

ICY/Phoenix Racing Quickest ST Team of Day

Notching the fastest KONI ST time of the day was Kristian Skavnes, who turned a lap of 2:11.775 (97.257 mph) in the No. 111 ICY/Phoenix Racing Subaru Legacy. Skavnes, who paired with Andrew Aquilante, was among the fastest cars in last year's three-day test session at Daytona as well.

Second and third went to the same driver - Tom Long - who piloted two Mazda MX-5s for Freedom Autosport. His fastest time came in the afternoon session, when he lapped the track at 2:11.162 (97.614 mph) in the No. 145 machine. He was also third quickest in the No. 146 Mazda MX-5.

Skavnes was fourth in the KONI ST point standings in 2008 and won at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with Chuck Hemmingson. The New Jersey native led the points twice in 2008 before falling victim to problems at the end of the season.

Burrows, Hopwood Pleased with RSR Motorsports' Mini Cooper S

Driving their third car in as many seasons, Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood are set to regain momentum from the middle portions of the 2008 season and claim their second championship since moving into the KONI Sports Car Challenge in 2007.

Burrows finished second and Hopwood sixth in the 2008 ST point standings, after winning the 2007 title despite not winning a race. This season, they will drive for RSR Motorsports in the No. 198 Mini Cooper S after signing with car owner Randy Smalley's team last fall.

Both noted brakes when discussing their first on-track performances, which came during the morning session. Burrows said he had "never driven so deep into a turn before and came out without crashing," and Hopwood said he was ecstatic with the handling.

"There is no question these guys have done a lot of detail work on these cars," Burrows said. "You can tell the quality and craftsmanship is there. The handling is amazing; the braking is great. These cars are well put together, and it's going to be a lot of fun."

The team's No. 196 Mini Cooper S also made on-track appearances with Smalley, veteran Owen Trinkler, Joe Toussaint and rookie Jade Buford behind the wheel.

Other News and Notes

Several drivers made rounds in the KONI Sports Car Challenge garage area looking for rides for Daytona and the season. Among them were Mark White and Chip Herr...The No. 5 Blackforest Motorsports Dodge Challenger made its on-track debut with Tom Nastasi behind the wheel. The car managed only five laps during the first session.

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For additional information contact Grand-Am:
Michael Harker, PR Coordinator, 386-681-6379, mharker@grand-am.com

PHOTO GALLERY: ALSTAR at Barrie Speedway - July 17, 1999 by Dave Franks

This is a photo gallery from Barrie Speedway on July 17, 1999. The ALTAR Series was at Barrie that night, along with some of the track's regular classes. Thanks to Dave Franks for sharing his photos. You can see Dave's website here.

FW: Grand-Am Rolex Series Set for Three-Day Test at Daytona International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 1, 2009) - Teams from the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 will get a head start on the 2009 season Jan. 3-5 with three days of testing at Daytona International Speedway.

Known as the "Roar before the Rolex 24," the session is the lone scheduled testing at the speedway prior to the 47th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Jan. 24-25. All three days of the session are open to the public for $10 admission, which includes access to the infield, Sprint FANZONE and garage. Saturday's session also includes fan forums, including drivers from GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Banner Racing and Hyper Sport.

Saturday's schedule opens with Rolex Series practice at 9 a.m., and includes night practice running through 8 p.m. Sunday's schedule runs from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m., with Monday's activities running from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. The Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge will also test all three days in preparation for its Jan. 23 season-opening Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona.

Nearly 50 entries have been received for the test, which will feature 19 Daytona Prototypes and 29 GT entries.

TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates will have a pair of Lexus-powered Rileys in preparation for a potential fourth consecutive victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, including the No. 01 of defending series champions Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas.

Five-time Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Hurley Haywood is part of a two-car Brumos Racing entry, with Michael Shank Racing, Penske Racing and Krohn Racing also entering two cars. Other entries include 2007 co-champions Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty for GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, with three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson set to join them for the Rolex 24; 2005 Rolex 24 winners and series champions Max Angelelli and Wayne Taylor; 1995 Rolex 24 winner Christophe Bouchot, for Level Five Motorsports; Childress-Howard Motorsports, making its Rolex 24 debut with three-time event winner Andy Wallace; and Spirit of Daytona Racing, featuring motorcycle champions Scott Russell, Jeff Ward and Jason Pridmore.

Several of the teams, including Ganassi, Penske and Shank, are also expected to announce their Rolex 24 driver lineups at the test.

TRG and Farnbacher Loles Racing both have five Porsche GT3s entered in the test to head the GT lineup. Defending Rolex 24 class winner SpeedSource will have a pair of Mazda RX-8s, while 2008 champions Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards share the No. 07 Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R with Jan Magnussen.

The GT entry also includes three Corvettes and a pair of Ferrari 430s.

For additional information, including the complete entry list for the Daytona Test Days, please visit www.grand-am.com.

From J.J. O'Malley, Grand-Am Manager of Communications

CHRISTIAN MILLER RE-JOINS COMPASS360 RACING IN 2009

December 31st, Toronto, Canada -- Compass360 Racing has added another long-time Grand-Am competitor to their driver roster. Christian Miller, who drove full-time with the team last year, returns to drive one of C360R's Honda Civic Si's in 2009.

"We're so glad Christian's joining us again," enthused Team Principal Karl Thomson. "He had a great year in 2008, but I feel we have a little unfinished business to take care of: Chris really deserved a podium last season!"

In fact, although Miller had six top-ten finishes (including a remarkable five sixth-place results), he and initial co-driver Kevin York were the only C360R driver pairing who were denied a top-three finish in 2008. Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood took two wins last year (at Watkins Glen and Trois Rivieres) and were second at VIR, while Thomson and Travis Walker were third (at Daytona), as were Jeremy Willard and Ken Wilden (at Iowa).

"After Mosport last year we did our best to give Christian a good co-driver who would help him to bring that top-three finish home, and for a variety of reasons, it never worked out," noted Thomson. "We're looking to resolve that this year!"

Miller worked with the team developing the new Civic Si platform throughout 2008, and is bullish on the car's prospects. "I've come to know these cars pretty well," he remarked, "and (Technical Director) Ray Lee sure has put together one heck of a package. We worked on improving a lot of little things last year and I think the new C360R Hondas will be strong from the get-go."

Interestingly, all of the drivers signed to the team are alumni: Travis Walker has been with the team since 2005. Matt Pritiko began his KONI Challenge career with Compass360 Racing in 2007, and Thomson's been part of the Grand-Am community since 2003. "We've got a solid group of drivers who have proven results in the series, and specifically with our team," noted Lee. "We'll be finalizing our line-up for our Hondas over the next few weeks and are confident we can once again field equal team cars that can challenge for race wins and the KONI championship."

The KONI Challenge race schedule starts on January 22nd in Daytona, Florida, and will be televised on SPEED.

Compass360 Racing (C360R) is the motorsports division of Compass360 Marketing Communications, a firm offering branding expertise to clients in diverse industries across North America. For details visit http://www.c360r.com/ or http://www.compass360.com/

PR inquiries about the Compass360 Racing team should be directed to Team Principal Karl Thomson at (416) 465-2299 x21 or email karlt at compass360 dot com

Rick Young's 'Rick at the Races' 2008 Review... Part 1

2008 SEASON REVIEW     (Part One)

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY AND PROSPOROUS NEW YEAR!

PIC 1      SUPERSTOX action at ARENA ESSEX (Thurrock, UK)

PIC 2    TRACKCHASERS at CLARENCE CREEK (Ont) .. L to R . Randy Lewis ( Calif),Yours Truly (Ont), Carol Lewis (Calif), Will White (Pa) Guy Smith (Pa), PJ Hollebrand (NY) Mike Knappenburger (Pa) Paul Weisel (Pa)

PIC 3    Action at the  BERTRAND FABI CIRCUIT, SHERBROOKE , QUE

PIC 4    KASEY KAHNE at the WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY (Pa)

PIC  5   Action at the CAYUGA COUNTY FAIR SPEEDWAY, WEEDSPORT (NY)

PIC 6   Action at the MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY (Ont)

PIC 7   Action at the HUMBERSTONE SPEEDWAY, PORT COLBORNE (Ont)

PIC 8   Action at the CAPITAL CITY SPEEDWAY,OTTAWA (Ont)

PIC 9   Rain stops the action at the AUTODROME ST EUSTACHE (Que)

PIC 10  JESSICA ZEMKEN wins at the BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY

PIC 11  'KID ROCKET' JOSH RICHARDS before his win at the CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont)

PIC  12  WoO LATE MODEL Victory Lane celebrations at the CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

As 2008 comes to an end , it's time to reflect on the year that's just passed. Last January I had no idea how eventful 2008 would be for me. This fall, after living in Maxville, Ontario since 1996, I sold my house and moved to Long Sault nearer to my work in Cornwall (my regular 'day job' is based in the city, and I'm also part of the media team at the Cornwall Motor Speedway).

The relocation kept me busy but I still managed to attend 75 racing events , including two trips back to the UK. Somehow I still found time to launch the www.rickattheraces.com web-site, as well as taking on additional media commitments at the Capital City Speedway (Ottawa). It definitely was an eventful year!

Things started early (Jan 19) when I attended the Arena Essex track in England. It was my Dad's eightieth birthday on Jan 16 so my brother Chris, and sister Anne, secretly arranged for a flight back to the UK, so I could make a surprise appearance at the celebrations. I was only over there for a few days but managed a trip down to 'Arena' located East of London , near to the Dartford Tunnel (that goes under the River Thames).

Once back in Canada, I attended ice racing events during January and February at Mont Carmel, St Eulalie, Kahnawake, Sherbrooke and Beauharnois in Quebec as well as gaining my first 'new track' of the year, at Clarence Creek in Ontario. At Clarence Creek I met up with many of my TRACKCHASING friends who'd traveled far and wide to claim the new track

My Easter weekend (21/22 March) was spent at the Williams Grove and Lincoln Speedways in Pennsylvania. The original plan was to be at the 'Grove' for Sprint Cars on Good Friday and then at Hagerstown (Maryland) on Saturday for the ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES for Big Block Mods. This didn't materialize as once again Hagerstown canceled due to predicted bad weather. I have now made four attempts to see racing at this track and I've only been lucky once.

It's a ten hour drive to get there, so it's got to be my unluckiest track for 'long distance' rain-outs. Thankfully, like on one of my previous visits, the Lincoln Speedway ( about 50 miles away) were in no haste to cancel. Once again they saved many long distance race fans from a wasted trip. The highlight of the Sprint Car racing witnessed at the 'Grove' and Lincoln was the appearance of NASCAR SPRINT CUP driver Kasey Kahne in the spare Joey Saldana car ( owned by Kahne).

In April I had two racing weekends away from home. I went to the Can Am Speedway at Lafargeville NY  on April 19 , where I slept overnight before moving on to the Cayuga County Fair Speedway at Weedsport NY the next day.

The following week (April 26 ) I was down in the Niagara Falls region where I attended the Merrittville Speedway (Ont), opener of the 358 SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES. This was won by Dale Planck .The next day (April 27) I gained my second 'new track' of the year when I payed a first time visit to the nearby Humberstone Speedway at Port Colborne Ont.

In May, my local tracks had their season openers, so I took a break from the long distance treks for a while. I have five tracks which I consider my 'locals'. They are the Cornwall, Brockville and Capital City Speedways in Ontario, the Autodrome Edelweiss in Quebec and the Mohawk International Raceway just across International Bridge in Hogansburg NY.

Another track that's not far away from me which I rarely visit is the Autodrome St Eustache, just north of Montreal. On June 1 the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series was taking place there so I decided to go along. Unfortunately, like so many other big races in 2008 it got rained off.

In between dodging wet weather at my local tracks I made a trip to the Fulton Speedway NY  on June 7 for the ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SUPERDIRT CAR SERIES , which was won by Billy Decker.

During May and June, Jessica Zemken was making a name for herself at my local tracks with three feature wins. Driving the 358 Modified # 96z of Mike and Lori Lasalle she picked up two wins at Brockville and one at Edelweiss. 

Mother Nature was kind to us on Jun 22 when the Cornwall Motor Speedway held one of Canada's biggest dirt racing shows of the year. The Triple Crown was an event which headlined the WORLD OF OUTLAW Late Models and had a support program of ESS SPRINT CARS and 358 DIRTCAR Modifieds. It was held on a lovely sunny day in front of a massive crowd who saw 'Kid Rocket' Josh Richards take the big win.

PART TWO (July To December) to follow...

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2008 ARCA Racing: By the Numbers

From Jackie L. Franzil / ARCA

2008 ARCA Racing: By the Numbers

5…..Record setting number of different drivers who came into the final race of the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series at Toledo Speedway with a chance to win the championship.

6…..Number of race wins by Justin Allgaier, who broke Frank Kimmel’s streak of eight consecutive (nine overall) titles by earning the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship. Allgaier posted race wins on a variety of tracks on the diverse ARCA RE/MAX Series tour, including Salem, Cayuga, Pocono, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Talladega and Toledo. Six is also the number of SunTrust Rookie of the Year contenders who finished in the top-10 in the final point standings this season.

7…..Race wins in 2008 by Canton, Michigan’s Paul Hahn en route to the 2008 ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series title, bringing his career total to 22.

10…..Different ARCA RE/MAX Series race winners in 2008, including Matt Hawkins, Scott Speed, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Matt Carter, Michael Annett, Justin Allgaier, Frank Kimmel, Scott Lagasse, Jr. and Justin Lofton.

17…..Number of consecutive years that Frank Kimmel has finished in the top-10 in the final ARCA RE/MAX Series point standings. Kimmel’s career has included an unprecedented nine driving championships (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007) and a Series’ leading 9,958 laps led in 184 races among 74 career victories. He finished second in the 2008 point standings during his first year as a car owner/driver.

20…..Approximate number of cases of Red Bull that the No. 2 Eddie Sharp Racing team went through each race weekend while stocking the fridge next to their hauler. The supply usually consisted of ten cases of Red Bull and ten cases of Sugar Free Red Bull.

38…..Days until the 2009 Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

62.75…..Average percentage of green flag laps during ARCA RE/MAX Series races in 2008.

95…..Age of ARCA Matriarch Mildred Marcum upon her upcoming January birthday. Marcum founded ARCA in 1953 with her husband John Marcum and still works at the ARCA Home Office in Temperance, Michigan, on a daily basis.

100…..Total career ARCA sanctioned feature wins by Flat Rock-Toledo Speedway racer Ron Allen in ARCA Late Model, Street Stock and Sportsman division racing. Other drivers with more than 100 career race wins include Joey Fair and Bob Studt.

110…..Number of ARCA-sanctioned events in 2008; spread out among the ARCA RE/MAX Series, ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series, Flat Rock Speedway, Toledo Speedway and demolition derby racing at the Monroe County Fairgrounds in Michigan. The number does not include ARCA West-sanctioned events.

161…..Number of drivers that made ARCA RE/MAX Series starts in 2008. Drivers in the Series represented 31 U.S. states and four countries, including Canada, France, Belgium and Scotland. A total of 203 drivers attempted to make ARCA RE/MAX Series race events.

407…..Number of laps that Scott Speed led in 2008, spread out among 14 races, to clinch the Aaron’s Lap Leader award for Eddie Sharp Racing. Frank Kimmel and Tim Steele, who are ranked first and second among all time lap leaders, both have multiple seasons which they have led 1,000 laps or more in a single season of competition. Steele led 1,513 laps in 20 races in 1996 and 1,412 laps in 19 races in 1997. Kimmel led a career high 1,474 laps in 20 races in 2001 and went on to lead more than 1,000 laps in 2002, 2003 and 2004. In 2005, Joey Miller earned the lap leader award in his rookie season of ARCA RE/MAX Series competition with 1,002 laps led in 15 races.

1,159…..Racecars inspected by ARCA RE/MAX Series officials in 2008.

3,042…..Number of people who have signed up for ARCA Nation, the community-based social networking enhancement to arcaracing.com that allows fans, teams, sponsors and ARCA to communicate in real time.

3,406…..Miles of ARCA RE/MAX Series racing in 2008, spread out among 21 events.

30,424…..Highway miles logged by a typical full time Concord, North Carolina-based race team transporter driver to get to and from ARCA RE/MAX Series race events in 2008.

$3,607,850…..Total prize, point and contingency money paid to ARCA RE/MAX Series race teams this year.

For more information on the ARCA RE/MAX Series, visit www.arcaracing.com.

Brighton Speedway gears up for Winterfest January 31

 
The New Year is just around the corner and planning for the 2009 Brighton Speedway schedule is well under way!!
 
It promises to be jampacked with ultimate racing action starting with the 6th Annual Winterfest Oval Ice Races on Saturday, January 31st. The lineup includes snowmobiles, four wheelers and enduro cars taking their turns on the 1/3 mile iced oval.

Gates open at 9am and racing will begin at 11 am. Admission is only $10.00 for the grandstands or the pits. (All minors entering the restricted pit area must have current 2009 parental consent forms filed with the Speedway Office prior to their entry to the facility).

Further information including registration forms, waivers, consent forms and racing information can be found at www.brightonspeedway.com.

As the crew begins to brave the cold and prepare an amazing icy racing surface, the Rinaldi family and staff of Brighton Speedway wish all of our fans a safe and Happy New Year.

DIRTcar: Alan Johnson joins Thompson Motorsports to kick off '09 in Florida

Weedsport, NY – December 29, 2008 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director

All-time DIRTcar Racing Northeast Big-Block Modified feature winner Alan Johnson is all set to make the trip to Florida for a seventh straight winter come February. The car carousel continues to turn for ‘A.J. Slideways’ as 2009 will mark the sixth different team that he has opened the season with down south since the start of the new millennium.

When the mighty Modifieds compete in February for the 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Florida, Johnson will be buckled into a familiar no. 14J Troyer ride although this season sporting sponsorship from Chiefs Tobacco & Gas and owned by Dave Thompson.

“It’s definitely been hard to get into a good rhythm lately, but certainly better than not racing,” figured Johnson, now 51, who kicked off the ’08 campaign at Volusia steering the Sherlock Motorsports Tri-State Roofing TEO entry before closing out the season up north aboard the no. 1J Jake Spraker Used Cars & Trucks-Spra-King Racing/Bicknell machine.

“Dave actually wanted me to run his small-block a couple times over the summer but we just had too many conflicts. I stayed in touch and things finally came together when I went to his shop in November. It’s over a five hour drive from my place to Hogansburg (NY) so I’ll probably just be going back maybe one more time to get fitted (seat). I still don’t even know the guys on the team very well yet,” remarked Johnson, who owns a DIRTcar NE high total of 358 Big-Block wins and 114 more in a Small-Block although just one has come at VSP despite capturing Florida tour point titles in 1983 and ’89.

Johnson will have an entire week to get well acquainted with crew chief Mike Burdick and his new Troyer team when the Advance Auto Parts Modified mini-series at Volusia begins February 11 and runs through February 14. DIRTcar’s 21st trip to gator country for the Big-Blocks features three 30-lap main events and a $5,000-to-win 50-lap finale on Saturday with optional practice sessions offered Tuesday, February 10.

Thompson hopes to make a return trip to the Sunshine State in February and see his squad leave the same way it did two years ago when younger brother Danny Johnson dominated in the no. 27J car with two wins to sew up the 2007 Florida DIRTcar Nationals Championship. Thompson last attended race weeks ‘06 at Volusia with current Advance Series hotshoe Dale Planck and Canadian standout Stewart Friesen doing double duty in a pair of his King Enterprises/Troyer mounts.

“I thought about getting out this last season with the family getting bigger and the business taking up more time,” said Thompson, 32, who fielded a car in ’08 for Frankie Caprara that he drove to seventh-place in the final Mr. DIRTcar point standings. Before initially teaming up with Danny Johnson in July of 2006, Thompson made his Advance Series debut earlier in the season with third-generation driver Friesen and Planck followed up by a brief stint employing the services of Kyle Jacobs in his Quality Concrete rides.

“I’ve been good friends with Alan for awhile and helped him when he won Mr. DIRT in ’06 for Tony (Laughing) and the NativePoker.Com team. We talked more lately and the timing was just right. We’ll have three new Troyer cars and some new Bedell big-block motors. I’ve also got a couple small-blocks for Alan to use in special shows so we’ll see what we can do,” Thompson added.

Johnson won the first of two consecutive Mr. DIRTcar crowns for Elaine-James Motorsports in 2002 and drove the same Doughboy Racing no. 1 at Volusia the following February. Upon termination of that team he joined forces early in ’04 with Troyer Race Cars operator Billy Colton and the H&H Motorsports tandem of John Holland and Al Heinke.

Prior to finishing third in Florida points last winter, Alan made a trial run with Roby and Randy Sherlock in 2005 while the Laughing/Rudalavage duo kicked off their championship campaign at Volusia in ’06. Johnson teamed with Canadian car owner Wallace Stacey down south in 2007 and may use his equipment on weekends once again for the upcoming season.

“Right now I’m planning to drive for Dave in the Advance Series and on Sundays at Cayuga County, anything else is on my own,” noted reigning Cayuga County points king Johnson, a five- Mr. DIRTcar Big-Block Champion, who remains the only driver to win at least one Big-Block feature every year of DIRTcar’s existence beginning in 1976. “And that would mean using Wallace’s stuff on Friday and Saturday. It’s a long season, anything can happen. Hopefully, we’ll get off to a good start and keep things going the rest of the way.”

Joining Johnson on the list of more than 30 chauffeurs expected to make the haul south are all-time Alltel DIRTcar Nationals Big-Block feature winner and defending Florida Tour co-champion Brett Hearn, reigning Mr. DIRTcar points king Billy Decker and his Gypsum Express teammate Larry Wight, fellow New Yorkers Planck and Matt Sheppard, New Jersey star Jimmy Horton, Delaware driver Jamie Mills, Vermont invader Dave Camara, Massachusetts native Andy Bachetti plus Texans Doug and Jason Ingalls

Any drivers wishing to update team information for the pre-race roster, please contact DIRTcar Northeast PR Director Tom Skibinski by phone (585/350-8997) or through e-mail tskibinski@dirtcar.com correspondence. Specific questions regarding rules can be directed to Cory Reed (315/224-9009), DIRTcar NE Director of Competition & Track Sanctioning. <<JohnsonA_08.jpg>>

World of Outlaws: Countdown to 2009... A Look Back at Five Memorable World of Outlaws Races from 2008

From Tony Veneziano // WoO PR

Concord, NC— December 30, 2008—With just two days remaining in 2008, five of the most exciting races of the World of Outlaws season will be re-visited for five consecutive days in chronological order.

The fourth event that will be featured will be the October 17 race from Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, California. The race saw Jac Haudenschild battle Steve Kinser in heavy lapped traffic on the ¼-mile, nearly taking the lead a couple of times, before the 20-time series champion prevailed. Both drivers climbed out of their cars on the front straightaway after the race and gave each other high-fives.

“It’s always fun to run with Haud,” said Kinser with a smile after the win. “We have had some fun ones over the years. We’re both fortunate that we are able to stand up in the seat and still get the job done once in a while.”

For a full race report as well as complete results from this race and a photo of Kinser visit: http://www.worldofoutlaws.com/sprint/News/2008/October/101708_SP_RACEREPORT.aspx.

Kinser started sixth in the 40-lap contest, but moved up to the outside of the front row after Daryn Pittman and Terry McCarl who lined up second and fourth got together on the initial start after McCarl’s car broke, bringing out a red flag. On the second start, Kinser won a drag race down the front straightaway with Danny Lasoski and led high into turn one. Lasoski dove under him in the second corner to take the lead, which he would hold for the first eight laps.

On the ninth lap, Kinser looked high on Lasoski for the lead in turn three and then dove under him exiting turn four to take the point as the pair negotiated lapped traffic. He would lead the rest of the way, though Haudenschild closed in late.

Haudenschild made a bid for the lead on the 35th lap, on the high side of turns one and two, drawing even Kinser. He used the same line on the next lap to inch ahead of Kinser on the back straightaway as the latter was held up by a lapped car. As the pair entered turns three and four Haudenschild was bottled up, allowing Kinser to get back by. Haudenschild battled back and rode the high side of the track for the last three laps of the race as he tried to catch Kinser.

“The car felt good tonight and has felt good all year long,” said Haudenschild. “We are really glad to be driving that car. Leonard (Lee) has it working good. We have a good race car and have been hanging in there up front all year long.”

The 2009 World of Outlaws season opens on February 6 at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida, with the 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH.

BIKE DRAGS: 2009 CMDRA Western Race Schedule

The Canadian Motorcycle Drag Racing Association's All Bike Drag Series presented by Drag Specialties/Parts Canada featuring the Screamin' Eagle Nitro Series is pleased to announce our 2009 Western Race Schedule.

2009 CMDRA WESTERN RACE SCHEDULE

May 23-24 - N'lakapxm Eagle Motorplex, Ashcroft, BC - www.eaglemotorplex.com

June 20-21 - Grand Bend Motorplex, Grand Bend, ON - www.grandbendmotorplex.com

June 27-28 - Castrol Raceway, Edmonton, AB - www.castrolraceway.com

July 18-19 - N'lakapxm Eagle Motorplex, Ashcroft, BC - www.eaglemotorplex.com

August 8-9 - MHDRA Drag Strip, Medicine Hat, AB - www.mhdra.com

August 22-23 - Mission Raceway Park, Mission, BC - www.missionraceway.com

September 12-13 - Castrol Raceway, Edmonton, AB - www.castrolraceway.com

September 14 - Year-end Awards Banquet

The CMDRA was formed in 1993 by a group of West Coast Professional drag bike racers and motorcycle enthusiasts. The CMDRA has become known throughout Canada and the USA for its commitment to safety, development and enhancement of All Make Motorcycle Drag Racing. The CMDRA, a non-profit association, is the only fully sanctioned drag bike racing association in Canada.

For more information please contact: Shannon McNeney or Adele Tompkins // Canadian Motorcycle Drag Racing Association // info@cmdra.com // Website: www.cmdra.com

Inside Track Short Track Contingency Program

As noted in my last commentary in Inside Track, we didn't formally launch the Inside Track Short Track Contingency Program in 2008. We moved offices, underwent a difficult server upgrade, yada yada.

Our plan is to re-launch it properly for 2009.

That said, we were still very appreciative at how how many short track racers continued to display our stickers on their cars throughout 2008.

Therefore, we are going to make the same 'FREE AD to Thank your Sponsor(s)' offer as in the past to those who A) ran our decals in 2008, and B) finished in the top 10 in the points at their local short track.

For those eligible racers who are subscribers in good standing (i.e. all paid up) as of February 13, 2009, they will receive a larger ad (2x the size) with a photo. Non-subscribers are eligible for a text-only 'thank your sponsor(s)' ad.

It is up to the individual racers to download, complete and return the forms to us (either via fax at 416-962-7208 ... or email: contingency@insidetracknews.com).

It is also the responsibility of those who are eligible for photo ads to supply high-resolution JPG images (i.e. right-clicking and saving a web image isn't good enough!) for which they own the rights to distribute. The image should also include evidence of an Inside Track sticker on your racecar.

If you have any questions about the program, send me an email and I'll get back to you.

You can download the Word file version of the ITMN Short Track Contingency Submission form here.

You can download the PDF file version of the ITMN Short Track Contingency Submission form here.

You can see a sample PDF of the Contingency Program pages as they appeared in the magazine here.

Thank you again to those who ran our stickers in 2008!

Greg MacPherson

Rick Young's 'Rick at the Races' for Christmas 2008

Rick Young's Rick at the Races for Christmas 2008

PIC 1   A 1975 Brafield (UK) program scan that shows # 348 Tony Allen's light-weight BriSCA F1 he took to New Zealand when he emigrated.

PIC 2  The same light-weight stock car of Tony Allen ( now # 2) at the Waikaraka Park Speedway in Auckland NZ ( ANDRE REUTERMAN PHOTO)

PIC 3  Brian Holmes and his grandson Paul at the Westworld track in Cornwall (UK)

PIC 4   That's me sitting in Brian Holmes stock car during a visit back to the UK in 2000.

First of all let me wish you all a very happy and peaceful Christmas holiday , and to say a big thank you to all those who sent greetings.

We had three major snow storms hit Eastern Ontario over the past week, and it has guaranteed us a 'White Christmas'. The temperatures have been very low too ( nearly minus 30 centigrade, with the wind chill factor) . A bit chilly to say the least, but heh ! , we're Canadians, we can take it !

With a bit of luck the proposed ice racing events in Quebec and up-state NY should go ahead unhindered this season , but until they begin, I'll be confined to the warmth of home, sitting behind my PC.

The latest 'RETRO' report ( EPISODE 5) has now been added to www.rickattheraces.com

It deals with the year 1971 when I passed my driving test and became the owner of my first car. 1971 was the year that Lancashire's Doug Cronshaw # 396 won the BriSCA F1 World Final at Coventry and Dave Brown # 583 of Cornwall ( UK, not Ontario ! ) won the BriSCA F2 gold at Brafield. One of my long-time RICK @ the RACES recipients, Geoff Goddard # 294 , now residing in South Africa won the Superstox World Final at Wimbledon.

Following my latest 'RETRO' report Both Geoff and his son Kai have been in contact. Kai a racer now based in Phoenix AZ  has a new website www.kaigoddard.com.

He say's , << Please have a look, there is also some insight on Dad's Touring Car career. This Is not a solid deal yet, but we are planning to race together next year at Kyalami in an endurance race. It will be an emotional, exciting, awesome and long overdue experience. I will keep you posted on that .>>

That definitely is exciting news, I hope it happens Kai , and if it does please arrange for some pics for www.rickattheraces.com.

In last weeks RICK @ the RACES , I mentioned a contact I'd made with Gavin Evitt who is involved in collecting New Zealand stock car racing archives . I happened to mention to him that Tony Allen # 348 , one of my old buddies emigrated there over thirty years ago, and asked if he had any photos. Tony, who is mentioned in EPISODE 4 of the 'RETRO' report was one of the UK's top BriSCA F1 drivers and relocated to NZ in 1975. Just prior to his departure he built and raced a lightweight Jaguar engined car which was 'crated up' and taken with him to his new home. Thanks to Gavin, I have two photos ( taken by Andre Reuterman) of that very same car he raced both sides of the world ! . I've included one in the photo section.

One of my Christmas cards was from Brian Holmes, who is another name from the past, and mentioned in the latest 'RETRO' Report. I first met Brian in 1971 when I lived in the Totternhoe/Eaton Bray area of the UK. He was one of our local oval racers. He started Banger racing at Brafield in the late 1960's then progressed to BriSCA F2. Brian, now in his sixties, is still racing today alongside his grandson at the Westworld track in Cornwall (UK) near to his new home. Click on www.rickattheraces and check out Episode 5 of the 'RETRO' Report.

<<rickbh.jpg>> <<tony'sjag (Medium).jpg>> <<holmesy.jpg>> <<TAINNZ (Medium).JPG>>

World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series News & Notes

From: Tony Veneziano / WoO PR Director

World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series News & Notes

Concord, NC — December 26, 2008 — With only a few days left in 2008, a number of World of Outlaws drivers are getting a jump on the 2009 season by racing in a couple of different parts of the world over the holiday season. Craig Dollansky and Joey Saldana have been competing in New Zealand for the last couple of weeks, while three-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz, 20-time title winner Steve Kinser, 2003 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Kraig Kinser, Jason Sides, the series top rookie in 2004 and Kerry Madsen, the 2007 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, recently began a stint at Parramatta City Raceway in Australia. A number of other series drivers will also compete Down Under beginning next week.

Winning Down Under: Steve Kinser led all 30 laps on Friday at Parramatta City Raceway in Sydney, Australia to earn the win in the Valvoline Sprintcar Grand Prix for the first time in his career. The native of Bloomington, Indiana has eight total victories in his career at the track dating back to 1979. Jason Sides finished a very solid third in his first start of the off-season Down Under, with Australian native Kerry Madsen in fourth and Kraig Kinser, Steve’s son, rounding out the Top-Five. Donny Schatz lost a driveline in the main event, ending his night. All five drivers will be back in action on Saturday night, as they continue to gear up for the annual $50,000 to-win event which will be contested at Parramatta City Raceway on January 2-3.

Victorious in New Zealand: After finishing second in two consecutive events in New Zealand, Joey Saldana picked up a win on Friday at Springs Speedway as he gears up for the $20,000 to-win International championship on January 3. The native of Brownsburg, Indiana currently leads the standings in the chase for the International Sprintcar title. Saldana is driving for the always potent Salter Motorsport team as a teammate to Craig Dollansky, who will also be his teammate at Kasey Kahne Racing in 2009 on the World of Outlaws trail.

Pittman Takes on Aussie Speedweek: Daryn Pittman finished fourth on Friday at Speedway City in Adelaide, Australia in the opener of the annual Speedweek for the World Series Sprintcars. Pittman, the only American driver to ever win the World Series title, was the second fastest qualifier in the 42-car field. The native of Owasso, Oklahoma returns to action on Saturday at Murray Bridge Speedway aboard the Titan Racing machine.

DIRTcarNationals.com Up and Running: A new web site dedicated to the 38th Annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida is now up and running. Information pertaining to all 12 nights of action at the blazing fast half-mile can be found at www.dirtcarnationals.com. Tickets for the event can also be purchased by visiting the web site. The 38th annual Alltel DIRTcar National begins on February 3 and runs through February 14, with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series taking to the track February 6-8, for three full nights of racing, with the winner each night taking home $10,000. In the 11 events the series has contested at the track dating back to 1979, 11 different drivers have earned wins.

Thunderbowl Raceway Tickets: Tickets for the World of Outlaws two-day event at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California on March 20-21 are now on sale. For tickets call the track at (559) 688-0909 or visit www.thunderbowlraceway.com to find a seating chart for the race. Jac Haudenschild won in the series last visit to the track on October 18, in one of the most exciting races of the 2008 season, passing Steve Kinser in heavy lapped traffic for the victory on the high-banked 1/3-mile.