Nevada’s premier driving ranch boasts $3 million luxurious members-only facility
Pahrump, Nev. - Club Spring Mountain Motorsports Country Club is a sport car aficionado’s paradise. Located on the Mojave Desert plain below the majestic Spring Mountains of Southern Nevada with a view of Mount Charleston, just less than an hour drive from the Las Vegas Strip, the facility’s 193-acres is dedicated to every level of auto enthusiast out there.
The only private motorsports country club in the southwestern United States, Club Spring Mountain is the brainchild of two California-based entrepreneurs and driving enthusiasts, John Morris and Brad Rambo. Together, they have created a world-class facility which includes a 3.5-mile private road course, 80 private single or double-bay garages, the recently-opened $3 million, 8,000 square foot resort-style clubhouse dedicated solely to the comfort and use of the club’s members, three high performance driving schools, flying club, karting, racquetball court and indoor shooting range.
“We’re selling memberships like a golf country club, but instead of golf, our members play with their own sports and exotic cars - Corvettes, Lamborghinis, Porsches, BMWs, Mercedes, Ferraris, Mustangs, or even Mini-Coopers,” said Club Spring Mountain CEO John Morris. “Drivers of all skill levels can drive at their own pace and experience the excitement of motorsports with the added convenience and exclusivity of a private club.”
Club Spring Mountain offers the opportunity for private track time on its 3.5-mile road course. Members are invited to drive their own vehicles, and there are three fleets of high-performance cars; 26 Corvettes, 16 Lotus Sports cars, and two-seater $80,000 Radical British racing cars available with certified instruction for additional fees. The track has also sectioned off a separate 1.2-mile course for the club’s fleet of 12 Rotax Karts which hit speeds up to 80 mph hitting elevations of 50 feet.
The new resort-style $3 million clubhouse, decorated in the cushy men’s club style with sink-in leather couches, body-enveloping Daddy Bear chairs, Persian-style rugs, potted orchids and graceful Areca palms, features a fully-stocked catering kitchen, a luxurious granite bar and service space, 75-seat dining area, men’s and women’s locker rooms, an executive conference room, nine-foot Connelly billiard table, custom poker facilities, and nine wall-mounted plasma television monitors equipped for closed-circuit action on the track or to broadcast sports. The amenities continue outside and include an oversized veranda with cooling misters, large BBQ area and fire pit for those cool desert nights. Members and their guests hoping to get a birds-eye view of the track’s activities are welcome to sit atop the 23-foot-tall elevated viewing tower that provides amazing views of the track and nearby mountain ranges.
Adjacent to the outdoor patio and viewing tower is a 40-foot outdoor swimming pool and adjoining 600-square foot workout facility with state-of-the-art equipment including free weights, elliptical trainers, treadmills and a universal gym. Members who want relief from an intense day on the track are invited to utilize the Club’s spa room complete with a heated massage table (by-appointment only) or indulge in the outdoor 14-person Jacuzzi.
For the budding racer, the Club has launched for its Club Members the Spring Mountain Radical, Sports and Exotic Car Race Series; which include two-day meets held ten weekends throughout the year and are open to qualifying members and their rolling stock. These races include official race flaggers, corner workers and an ambulance on stand-by.
More than just a driving school, Club Spring Mountain offers its members access to two Remo G-3s Light Sport Aircrafts, a nice compliment for those looking to discover the easy-to-learn aircraft with rides or flight lessons in two-seater planes. Using the track straight-away for the runway, members may reserve private flying lessons with certified flight instructor and master pilot Elisabeth Murillo for only $70 per hour. In as little as 20 hours of flight time, members can receive a Light Sport Aircraft license for only $2,300. A Columbia 400 high-speed plane is available for private charters, and the Club has purchased a lot at the nearby Calvada Private Airport and hanger for its flying club operations.
Club membership also allows guests to experience the thrill of firing top-of-the-line weapons inside its two-station indoor shooting range or to hone their athletic conditioning inside a climate-controlled racquetball court.
The club also features RV pads for rentals by members, a 1,500-square-foot automotive shop building, and 80 rentable garages. The Lotus building is also home to the Lotus Performance Driving Program’s maintenance and storage facilities, a PowerTec engine shop and Dyno machine shop.
An 83-room/17-suite Microtel franchise hotel will be built on the grounds with groundbreaking slated by spring 2009. Switchcars.com, a full-service automotive firm, is now open on the Spring Mountain premises with a full inventory of sports and exotic cars.
The Switchcars.com showroom features a race-inspired theme and an impressive array of rare and beautiful exotic cars for the auto aficionado.
Memberships to Club Spring Mountain are currently available and include one-time initiation fees of: Classic $15,000, Charter $40,000, and Corporate $100,000. In addition to the initiation fee, monthly dues are $200 per month for Classic members, $150 for Charter and $500 monthly dues for Corporate, with a $60 per day use fee, guaranteeing exclusive track time for up to 16 days per month. Members can invite guests to ride along in their cars, or to bring their own car to drive on the track, based upon the membership category.
For more information about memberships or driving programs, contact Club Spring Mountain sales staff toll free at 800-391-6891 or 775-727-6363, by e-mail info@clubspringmountain.com or visit the website at www.clubspringmountain.com.
About Spring Mountain Motorsports RanchSpring Mountain Motorsports Ranch is a 193-acre facility for motorsports enthusiasts located in Pahrump, Nevada (approximately 45 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip). Taking its cues from world-renowned courses, Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch’s exhilarating road course features elements of the Long Beach Grand Prix Street Circuit, as well as one corner that is an exact duplicate of Moss Corner at the Mosport International raceway in Ontario Canada. Demanding drivers will find banked corners, blind drops, technical off-camber corners and plenty of lightning-fast straightaways. Spring Mountain includes a variety of track configurations ranging from 2.2 miles to 3.5 total miles, and also includes a 5,000 square-foot administration building, an 8,000 square-foot building dedicated to Corvette Driving School operations, 80 garages for rental, and is home of the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School. Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch also features a Lotus Performance Driving School, a Racing school and an SCCA License Recommendation school. In 2006, Spring Mountain launched Club Spring Mountain, a Private Motorsports Country Club with special amenities including an 8,000 square-foot exclusive resort-style club house complete with a track viewing tower, pool, fitness center, massage center, BBQ area and adjoining firing range and racquetball court. The Club membership also includes guaranteed track time for its members. For more information visit clubspringmountain.com or racespringmountain.com.
Friday, January 30, 2009
AIM Autosport hosts launch of new BlackBerry smartphone on the Mike Network
WOODBRIDGE, ON - On Wednesday, January 28, AIM Autosport - fresh from participating in the Rolex 24 at Daytona Int'l Speedway - hosted the launch the New Push To Talk BlackBerry® Curve™ 8350i smartphone on the Mike Network. The new BlackBerry Curve 8350i is the latest Mike smartphone to hit the Canadian market.
While at AIM's shop, located in Woodbridge, ON, the assembled media toured the team's garage and chatted with AIM Autosport partner Ian Willis and driver Mark Wilkins about how AIM’s drivers and crew use Mike Direct Connect in real-time during races across North America.
Mark Applebaum of Telus Business Solutions also outlined some practical applications of the new smartphone. Guests also had an opportunity to sit in AIM's Daytona Prototype, which had just made it back from Daytona.
Below is the press release about the launch and the new phone:
Toronto, ON – TELUS today launched the new BlackBerry Curve 8350i smartphone, featuring support for the popular Direct Connect Push To Talk service and available only on the TELUS Mike Network.
The BlackBerry Curve 8350i smartphone is the ultimate productivity tool for professionals in the field and on the go who need instant communication with their teams along with instant access to their e-mail. The new smartphone is packed with functionality, including built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, and combines BlackBerry communications and multimedia capabilities with Mike’s Direct Connect Push To Talk, all in one.
“The BlackBerry Curve 8350i combines the convenience of our Mike Direct Connect Push To Talk technology and the trusted BlackBerry solution,” said Jim Senko, vice-president of Mobility Solutions at TELUS. “It’s a fantastic new addition to our extensive selection of business-ready smartphones operating on our Mike or PCS networks.”
Featuring integrated Global Positioning System (GPS), the new BlackBerry Curve 8350i smartphone from TELUS supports GPS tracking and dispatch solutions and also has Bluetooth-enabled support for accessories such as wireless headsets or hands-free car kits. In addition to being ready for work, the BlackBerry Curve 8350i is ready for play. It includes a robust media player, a 2MP camera with video recording and the capacity to store up to 16GB of music, pictures, video and documents per memory card. And with its built-in Wi-Fi, users have more ways to stay connected with the people and information that matter most.
“The BlackBerry Curve 8350i is a communications powerhouse that makes it easier than ever to stay connected,” said Mark Guibert, vice-president of corporate marketing at RIM. “We are very pleased to be working together with TELUS to bring this innovative and stylish smartphone to Canadians.”
Additional features include:
· High-resolution, 320 x 240 colour display
· 35 key backlit full-QWERTY keyboard
· Premium phone features including voice activated dialing, enhanced background noise cancellation and a low-distortion speakerphone
· Expandable memory via microSD/SDHC memory card slot supporting cards of up to 16GB for additional storage, 1GB microSD card included
· USB connectivity for charging and fast data file transfers between the smartphone and PCs
· Removable, rechargeable battery
· Robust messaging capabilities with support for popular instant messaging, multimedia messaging (MMS) and text messaging services
· DataViz Documents To Go preinstalled for editing Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the smartphone
· Support for thousands of applications, including business, lifestyle and entertainment titles
· BlackBerry Enterprise Server support, providing tight integration with Microsoft® Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, and Novell GroupWise and works with existing enterprise systems to enable secure, push-based, wireless access to e-mail and other corporate data
· BlackBerry Internet Service support for smaller businesses and individuals, allowing customers to access up to 10 supported email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts) from the handset
The BlackBerry Curve 8350i smartphone is available from TELUS for as little as $249.99 on a three-year contract or $599.99 without a contract. For more information about TELUS' full suite of Mike services on the BlackBerry Curve 8350i, please visit www.noordinaryphone.com.
About TELUSTELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $9.5 billion of annual revenue and 11.5 million customer connections including 6 million wireless subscribers, 4.3 million wireline network access lines and 1.2 million Internet subscribers. TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video. In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed $113 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered more than 2.1 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Nine TELUS Community Boards across Canada lead our local philanthropic initiatives. For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.
The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services.
While at AIM's shop, located in Woodbridge, ON, the assembled media toured the team's garage and chatted with AIM Autosport partner Ian Willis and driver Mark Wilkins about how AIM’s drivers and crew use Mike Direct Connect in real-time during races across North America.
Mark Applebaum of Telus Business Solutions also outlined some practical applications of the new smartphone. Guests also had an opportunity to sit in AIM's Daytona Prototype, which had just made it back from Daytona.Below is the press release about the launch and the new phone:
Toronto, ON – TELUS today launched the new BlackBerry Curve 8350i smartphone, featuring support for the popular Direct Connect Push To Talk service and available only on the TELUS Mike Network.
The BlackBerry Curve 8350i smartphone is the ultimate productivity tool for professionals in the field and on the go who need instant communication with their teams along with instant access to their e-mail. The new smartphone is packed with functionality, including built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, and combines BlackBerry communications and multimedia capabilities with Mike’s Direct Connect Push To Talk, all in one.
“The BlackBerry Curve 8350i combines the convenience of our Mike Direct Connect Push To Talk technology and the trusted BlackBerry solution,” said Jim Senko, vice-president of Mobility Solutions at TELUS. “It’s a fantastic new addition to our extensive selection of business-ready smartphones operating on our Mike or PCS networks.”
Featuring integrated Global Positioning System (GPS), the new BlackBerry Curve 8350i smartphone from TELUS supports GPS tracking and dispatch solutions and also has Bluetooth-enabled support for accessories such as wireless headsets or hands-free car kits. In addition to being ready for work, the BlackBerry Curve 8350i is ready for play. It includes a robust media player, a 2MP camera with video recording and the capacity to store up to 16GB of music, pictures, video and documents per memory card. And with its built-in Wi-Fi, users have more ways to stay connected with the people and information that matter most.
“The BlackBerry Curve 8350i is a communications powerhouse that makes it easier than ever to stay connected,” said Mark Guibert, vice-president of corporate marketing at RIM. “We are very pleased to be working together with TELUS to bring this innovative and stylish smartphone to Canadians.”
Additional features include:
· High-resolution, 320 x 240 colour display
· 35 key backlit full-QWERTY keyboard
· Premium phone features including voice activated dialing, enhanced background noise cancellation and a low-distortion speakerphone
· Expandable memory via microSD/SDHC memory card slot supporting cards of up to 16GB for additional storage, 1GB microSD card included
· USB connectivity for charging and fast data file transfers between the smartphone and PCs
· Removable, rechargeable battery
· Robust messaging capabilities with support for popular instant messaging, multimedia messaging (MMS) and text messaging services
· DataViz Documents To Go preinstalled for editing Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the smartphone
· Support for thousands of applications, including business, lifestyle and entertainment titles
· BlackBerry Enterprise Server support, providing tight integration with Microsoft® Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, and Novell GroupWise and works with existing enterprise systems to enable secure, push-based, wireless access to e-mail and other corporate data
· BlackBerry Internet Service support for smaller businesses and individuals, allowing customers to access up to 10 supported email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts) from the handset
The BlackBerry Curve 8350i smartphone is available from TELUS for as little as $249.99 on a three-year contract or $599.99 without a contract. For more information about TELUS' full suite of Mike services on the BlackBerry Curve 8350i, please visit www.noordinaryphone.com.
About TELUSTELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $9.5 billion of annual revenue and 11.5 million customer connections including 6 million wireless subscribers, 4.3 million wireline network access lines and 1.2 million Internet subscribers. TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video. In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed $113 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered more than 2.1 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Nine TELUS Community Boards across Canada lead our local philanthropic initiatives. For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.
The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services.
Stars of Canada (SERIES) heads to Ottawa and Quebec
TORONTO, ONTARIO – The Stars of Canada Karting and television Series announced today that it will be heading to Ottawa and Montreal, Quebec next week to conduct interviews with drivers that have sent in bios to the Stars of Canada offices.
Stars of Canada will be in Ottawa on Saturday, Feb 7th and in Montreal on Sunday February 8th.
“It is time to make the trip up there and see the other drivers that are interested in competing in the series,” said RBA’s Russ Bond. “We have had significant interest from other parts of the country, and as it is the Stars of Canada, not the Stars of Ontario, we will interview drivers from other areas of the country that wish to join the series.”
Drivers wishing to be interviewed for the series must send in a bio before an interview can be set. There is still time for drivers from the Ottawa and Quebec area to submit bios for next week.
Stars of Canada is a unique karting series that will feature a reality television series that will be based on the competitors in the series as it travels across the Southern Ontario karting facilities.
The Stars of Canada TV Series will showcase Kart Racers from across Canada in a 10 Event (5 Weekends) televised, 2-cycle karting championship with $100,000 in Prize Money up for grabs. The three classes being represented are Pro, Junior and Cadet, with the Pro class also having an over 30 yrs. group. The class structure and event locations will be announced shortly.
The first season will see the Series debut on the third weekend of every month starting in May at the World Renown Mosport International Raceway and concluding in September at Innisfil Indy Karting, Ontario where the $100,000 will be won.
Drivers please contact tina@russbondagency.com to get details on the times, locations of the interviews in Ottawa and Quebec
Stars of Canada office is now open 7 days a week. Please feel free to contact the office at 905-564-6363. // 1020 Meyerside Dr. Suite 5 // Mississauga, ON // L0L 1R0 // Fax: 905-564-5518 Toll Free: 1-888-819-8208
Related links: http://starsofcanada.com
Stars of Canada will be in Ottawa on Saturday, Feb 7th and in Montreal on Sunday February 8th.
“It is time to make the trip up there and see the other drivers that are interested in competing in the series,” said RBA’s Russ Bond. “We have had significant interest from other parts of the country, and as it is the Stars of Canada, not the Stars of Ontario, we will interview drivers from other areas of the country that wish to join the series.”
Drivers wishing to be interviewed for the series must send in a bio before an interview can be set. There is still time for drivers from the Ottawa and Quebec area to submit bios for next week.
Stars of Canada is a unique karting series that will feature a reality television series that will be based on the competitors in the series as it travels across the Southern Ontario karting facilities.
The Stars of Canada TV Series will showcase Kart Racers from across Canada in a 10 Event (5 Weekends) televised, 2-cycle karting championship with $100,000 in Prize Money up for grabs. The three classes being represented are Pro, Junior and Cadet, with the Pro class also having an over 30 yrs. group. The class structure and event locations will be announced shortly.
The first season will see the Series debut on the third weekend of every month starting in May at the World Renown Mosport International Raceway and concluding in September at Innisfil Indy Karting, Ontario where the $100,000 will be won.
Drivers please contact tina@russbondagency.com to get details on the times, locations of the interviews in Ottawa and Quebec
Stars of Canada office is now open 7 days a week. Please feel free to contact the office at 905-564-6363. // 1020 Meyerside Dr. Suite 5 // Mississauga, ON // L0L 1R0 // Fax: 905-564-5518 Toll Free: 1-888-819-8208
Related links: http://starsofcanada.com
2009 Stars of Canada Event Schedule
Events 1 & 2: Mosport International Raceway DDT (North & South Combined)
Saturday, May 16 and Sunday May 17, 2009
Bowmanville, Ontario
Events 3 & 4: Cameron Motorsports Karting Complex
Saturday, June 20 and Sunday June 21, 2009
Hamilton, Ontario
Events 5 & 6: 3S Go-Karts
Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sutton, Ontario
Events 7 & 8: Goodwood Kartways
Saturday, August 15, and Sunday, August 16, 2009
Stouffville, Ontario
Events 9 & 10: Innisfil Indy Karting
Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, 2009
Innisfil, Ontario
***The Friday preceding each race event will be a series hosted practice day.
From Tina Isaac (Russ Bond Agency) // Series Administrator
Siemens WEST 2009 Pre-Season News
Saskatoon, SK, - Even though it is bone-chilling cold out west, the Siemens Western Elite StockCar Tour “WEST” is heating up for 09! The Siemens WEST is a division of race car that sprang up from the ashes of the old CASCAR West Series and Sportsman division in Saskatoon.
It began under the leadership of a couple of Executive members in the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association, “SSCRA”, and a solid partnership with Siemens Transportation Group Inc., its 1700 employees, and ten transportation subsidiaries. After two years of developing the series it has evolved into a partnership between the WEST Division Competitors and the SSCRA and the strong commitment by both to work together to strengthen the series and increase car participation.
The Siemens WEST aims to be the top show in Western Canada, providing the race fan with professional appearing race cars, and teams with fender to fender competition. The Steering Committee wants to make the series attractive to new drivers, with clear rules and keeping the series affordable.
A very competitive list of drivers is set to hit the track in 09. They include:
#08 Raichelle Wagner, Hague, SK
#1 Les Harding, Warman, SK
#3 Kevin Kozack (Car owner) Saskatoon, SK
#5 Fred Whiteman, Edmonton, AB,
#11 Shannon Harding, Warman, SK
#13 Shawn Hill, Saskatoon, SK
#14 James VanDomeslar, Ft Saskatchewan, AB
#16 Goran Jablan, Saskatoon, SK
#21 “Nitro “Nick Allen, Saskatoon, SK
#26 John Rees, Saskatoon, SK
#41 Travis Deforest, Prince Albert, SK
#46 Dan Shirley, Saskatoon, SK
#49 Ben Bush, Prince Albert, SK.
#50 Wheeler Boys, Calgary, AB
#53 Scott Kessler, Calgary, AB
#77 Cal Vance, Medicine Hat, AB
#88 Nathan Weenk, Lethbridge, AB
#89 Nathaniel Wagner, Hague, SK
#94 Jason Hankewich, Kindersley, SK,
#95 Paul Savoie, Saskatoon, SK
#99 Rob Howlett, Pike Lake, SK
The tentative schedule will include a total of 7 races for the 2009 season, with stops at race tracks in Regina, SK, Medicine Hat, AB, possible date in Hythe, AB and of course Saskatoon, SK.
• Season Opener – Saturday May 23 - Auto Clearing Motor Speedway, Saskatoon, SK
• Saturday, June 6 (Tentative Date) - Kings Park Speedway, Regina, SK , Medicine Hat Speedway, Medicine Hat, AB or Hythe Speedway, Grande Prairie, AB
• Saturday, June 20 - Auto Clearing Motor Speedway, Saskatoon, SK
• Saturday, July 11 (Tentative Date) - Kings Park Speedway, Regina, SK , Medicine Hat Speedway, Medicine Hat, AB or Hythe Speedway, Grande Prairie, AB
• Saturday, July 25 (Tentative Date) - Kings Park Speedway, Regina, SK , Medicine Hat Speedway, Medicine Hat, AB or Hythe Speedway, Grande Prairie, AB
• Saturday, August 15 - Auto Clearing Motor Speedway, Saskatoon, SK
• Saturday, August 29 - Auto Clearing Motor Speedway, Saskatoon, SK
• Saturday, September 19 – POINTS FINAL - Auto Clearing Motor Speedway, Saskatoon, SK
For more information please check the Siemens WEST website at www.siemenswest.ca or Acting Director of Race Operations, Kevin Kozack at 306-934-0776; Current Champion, Dan Shirley at 306-343-6200; Herm Hordal, Business Development at 306-956-3225.
Kelly Wood Named Development Driver for Wide Open Solutions; #9 Mark Dilley
Kelly has been named as a development driver for Wide Open Solutions. At a recent Late Model test session, veteran NASCAR driver Mark Dilley was very impressed by the talent and maturity shown by this young 18 year old driver.
“She is showing the abilities of drivers with years of experience already,” stated mentor Mark Dilley. “She has a great future in racing and with some further tutoring and a couple of years under her belt I fully expect Kelly to be racing with the best in Canada.
Having now relocated to the Uxbridge area, a full season of Late Model racing has been planned for 2009 at Kawartha Speedway. “Last Season was great and I certainly learned a lot,” said Kelly.” But this year is going to be tough racing against these guys who have been racing ovals for many years, myself and my team have so much to learn.” The season kicks off at the end of May. For a full schedule, please go to: www.kellywoodracing.com.
As well as Kelly’s racing this year, a Show Car Program has been scheduled. Kelly and the team’s first appearance will be at the Canadian International Auto Show Feb 13-23. “This is the first of many shows for the year; the show car will give me the opportunity to showcase my racing,” said Kelly.
For more information on Kelly’s racing, please visit: www.kellywoodracing.com.
From Garry Edwards
Glenn Dee 'Hooks' a Third Consecutive Top 5 Finish in Kawartha Speedway Mini Stock Points
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By Jim Clarke, Kawartha Speedway PR/Clarke Motorsports Communications
Kawartha Speedway’s Mini Stock field is one of the most competitive in motorsports. In 2008, nearly 40 drivers started at least 1 race in the track’s entry-level division. Peterborough, Ontario’s Glenn Dee doesn’t mind. He enjoys racing through the pack and running with a variety of different racers. The 46 year-old does a great job on the track, finishing inside the top 5 in final points in each of the last 3 season.
There is also an ironic twist to Glenn Dee’s racing endeavours. Kawartha Speedway has an on-site casino, with a large number of slot machines...formerly known as one-armed bandits. A workplace accident in 1992 necessitated the amputation of his right arm below the elbow. Using a low-tech prosthetic arm with a hook and a bit of effort, he wheels his 4 cylinder racer around the 3/8th mile oval with the best of them. While some might see his situation as a disability, Dee looks at it in exactly the opposite way.
“I’m thrilled to have the ability to get behind the wheel of a racecar”, he says. “It’s a lot of fun and I’ve made some lasting friendships in my 5 years of racing. There’s no handicapped lane on the racetrack and I don’t think I’d get as much out of the sport if there was. Everyone races me the same way I race them. When the green flag drops, its hammer down. We all have the same chance at winning”.
Sometimes, Glenn Dee’s upbeat personality and positive attitude takes a backseat to his mischievous sense of humour. “One week at Kawartha, we were taking the car through the pre-race technical inspection”, Dee remembers with a smile. “A visiting driver saw us pushing the car up to the scales and asked if I’d like a hand. I turned around, looked at the guy and said ‘sure’. I wasn’t wearing my prosthesis at the time...the look on his face was priceless. I think he was worried he’d hurt my feelings until everyone else started laughing”.
Along with his good friend Craig Willoughby – driver of the #00 Thunder Car at Kawartha – Dee is part of Team Moovit. The cars are sponsored by MOOVIT the High Performance Penetrating Lubricant, identically painted and featured on the web-site www.welove2race.com.
Both Dee and Willoughby race for fun and the love of the sport. In 2005 and 2006, the pair donated their race winnings to Princess Margaret Hospital’s Breast Cancer Research Program, while in 2007 and 2008; Peterborough-Northumberland Crimestoppers was the beneficiary of the Team Moovit’s efforts. For 2009, the drivers will support a yet-to-be named charity.
Always smiling, his willingness to help others – at or away from the racetrack – earned Glenn Dee the Mini Stock division’s most sportsmanlike driver honours at Kawartha Speedway’s 2008 award celebration.
Like any racer, at any level Glenn Dee says he’d be lost without the contributions of some very special people. His ‘right hand’ and webmaster, Lori James and the MOOVIT’s, his crew of Jeremy and Taya Heigh, his son Griffith and dad Larry keep the team on-track throughout the year. Always an amateur motor-vational speaker, Dee has simple words of encouragement for anyone – regardless of their situation. “Find something you enjoy doing, and then practise your craft. Soon, you’ll find you’re hooked and you’ll be off to the races”.
Photo attachments:
#1). Glenn Dee (4th from left) collects the most sportsmanlike driver for Kawartha Speedway’s Mini Stock division. (Rick Young photo – www.rickattheraces.com.
#2). Team Moovit driver Glenn Dee (3rd from left) with the hardware from his 3rd consecutive top 5 point finish at Kawartha Speedway. (Rick Young photo – www.rickattheraces.com.
#3). Team mate Craig Willoughby flies the Team Moovit colours in Kawartha Speedway’s Thunder Car division. (Jim Clarke photo)
ARCA: Ansell and Menards to Sponsor Frank Kimmel in ARCA RE/MAX Series
From: Jackie L. Franzil / ARCA
TOLEDO, Ohio (Jan. 29, 2009)--Officials from Ansell Protective Products Inc. and Menards Home Improvement Stores announced today that they will become co-primary sponsors of nine-time ARCA RE/MAX Series Champion Frank Kimmel in 2009.
“We are pleased to announce a comprehensive, multi-faceted marketing program in conjunction with Menards Home Improvement Stores and ARCA,” said Sean Sweeney, Sr. Market Development Manager for Ansell. “Together, Ansell Gloves and Menards have partnered to sponsor nine-time ARCA Champion Frank Kimmel for the 2009 season.”
The marketing program is anchored by a business-to-business relationship between Ansell, the world’s largest manufacturer of protective gloves and clothing, and Menards, a Midwestern-based chain of home improvement stores. As a result of the sponsorship, the Ansell line of hand protection products will be available for purchase in each of the nation’s 245 Menards Home Improvement Stores.
“This sponsorship program is really neat,” said Kimmel. “It has been designed to promote the availability of Ansell’s safety glove line to the contractor and installer markets at Menards retail locations. The support of Ansell and Menards helps me to continue to pursue my goals of attempting to earn a tenth ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship and hopefully surpass Iggy Katona on the all-time ARCA win list.”
Kimmel is the ARCA RE/MAX Series’ all-time active leader, with records in the categories of championships won, most laps led, superspeedway pole awards, superspeedway challenge championships, top-five finishes, top-ten finishes and career earnings. With 74 career wins, he is just five wins shy of tying Katona’s all-time win record in the ARCA RE/MAX Series.
Menards is very excited to sponsor Frank Kimmel’s run for a tenth ARCA Championship in 2009,” said Jeff Abbott, company spokesperson for Menard, Inc. “We feel his strong work ethic is a good fit with our family-owned, customer service oriented, home town hardware stores.”
Retail offerings at Menards range from lawn and garden supplies to lumber, tools and supplies for landscaping, building and remodeling. The home improvement stores cater to the do-it-yourself consumer and the professional contractor, jobber and installer. Menards is based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and currently has 245 locations in 12 states.
“As business needs evolve, so do our marketing efforts,” said Steve York, Director of Channel Development for Ansell. “The opportunity to partner with ARCA and Menards as well as expand our value proposition into the retail market further promotes our worksite safety initiatives. We are excited to partner with Menards, Frank Kimmel and ARCA.”
Ansell is the world's largest manufacturer of protective gloves and clothing, providing leadership in the areas of development, design, manufacturing and marketing. Ansell has led the personal protective equipment industry with "Ideas that Fit™" for more than 100 years. The global manufacturer has provided comprehensive safety solutions and product innovations to help manufacturers across a wide range of industries reduce worker injuries and boost productivity.
Beginning with the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on Saturday, February 7 at Daytona International Speedway, Kimmel’s family owned team will sport the familiar “Day-Glo” yellow color scheme carried by other Menards sponsored teams.
For more information about the ARCA RE/MAX Series, visit www.arcaracing.com. For more information about Ansell, visit www.ansellpro.com, and for more information about Menards, visit www.menards.com.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
NASCAR: Joey Logano Slated To Be Youngest Driver To Start A Daytona 500
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.(Jan. 29, 2009) – When Joey Logano climbs into the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota for the 51st running of the “Great American Race,” on Sunday, Feb. 15, he will make history as the youngest driver to start a Daytona 500 – NASCAR’s biggest, richest and most prestigious race.
If Logano, who will be 18 years, 8 months and 22 days old on the date of this year’s Daytona 500, can get the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota and his Joe Gibbs Racing team into Gatorade Victory Lane in his first Daytona 500 start, he will surpass Jeff Gordon as the youngest driver to win “The Great American Race.” Gordon won his first Daytona 500 back in 1997 at the age of 25.
“I went down there last five or six years and I’ve had to watch from the sidelines and to be involved in it (this) year is really exciting,” Logano said. “There’s just so much history there and to be able to be on the same track that so many legends have won at is really an honor. It’s Daytona and that’s the Daytona 500. Even though I’ve never run in the race, I know how much of a big deal it is.”
Logano began racing at age six and signed on with the Joe Gibbs Racing driver development program back in 2005. In three short years, Logano already posts an impressive resume of racing accomplishments including a 2007 Camping World East Championship and a 2008 win at his ARCA/REMAX Series debut at Rockingham.
Before Logano suits up for the 51st annual Daytona 500, he will first compete in a rare “Daytona double” on Saturday, Feb. 7 when he races in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 ARCA/REMAX Series season opener and the Budweiser Shootout All-Star race.
In addition, Logano will participate in Daytona 500 Qualifying Presented By Kroger on Sunday, Feb. 8, the Gatorade Duel At Daytona on Thursday, Feb. 12 and the Camping World 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series season opener on Saturday, Feb. 14.
“I’m doing it,” Logano said of his busy DIRECTV Speedweeks 2009 schedule. “I’m running both races (ARCA and Budweiser Shootout) and then I’ve got the Nationwide race with the GameStop Toyota and then running the Cup race with the Home Depot Toyota. Between all that, I’ve got my hands full.”
From Andrew Booth / DIS
Star Mazda Sebring Test Day 2
DAY 2 RESULTS -- STAR MAZDA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES TEST AT SEBRING
Showing the positive effects of a long night of data evaluation and fine-tuning of setups, the second day of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear series test at Sebring produced – eventually -- some new names at the top of the time sheet.
Session 1 / 8 – 9 am
After dominating both 1-hour afternoon sessions on Tuesday, Adam Christodoulou again appeared at the top of the morning time sheet on Wednesday. Driving the #21 Andersen Racing Mazda in the cool of the morning during the 8 – 9 am first session, the 2008 British Formula Renault champion posted a 2:00.150 (110.861 mph) on his 8th lap. This would prove to be the fastest lap recorded during the two day test and is just less than 2/10ths of a second off the Star Mazda Sebring lap record of 1:59.986 held by 2007 series champion Dane Cameron… altogether a remarkable result with just two days to sort out an upgraded car featuring new aerodynamics, suspension, shock absorbers and engine mapping.
The result was not unexpected however, as Andersen Racing, the Star Mazda Championship's largest and most diversified team (also competing in karting, Formula BMW, F2000 and Indy Lights), had already run more than 2,000 miles during a 2-day test earlier this month. While the test was run with 2008-spec cars, the amount of seat time meant team drivers were already familiar with the track and in rapport with their engineers, speeding up the development process of the new cars.
Conor Daly, after posting the 3rd and 4th fastest times in the Tuesday sessions, jumped up to second-fast Wednesday morning with a lap of 2:00.753 (110.308) in the #5 Andersen Racing Mazda. Last year's championship runner-up and MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder scholarship winner, Joel Miller, remained at the sharp end with a third-fast time of 2:00.945 (110.133 mph) in the #20 JDC Motorsports Mazda. Rounding out the top-5 were Ciao Lara, second-fastest on Tuesday afternoon, with a lap of 2:01.345 in the #19 JDC Motorsports Mazda and David Ostella, the young Canadian racer who competed in the Formula BMW series in 2008. He was 10th and 8th in the two Tuesday sessions, but moved up to 5th with a lap of 2:02.128 (109.066 mph) on Wednesday morning driving the #71 Mazda from 2008 series champions AIM Autosport.
Also on the pace, after running out of the top-10 in both Tuesday session was 2008 FF2000 champion Anders Krohn, who turned a 7th-fast lap of 2:02.913 (108.369 mph) in the #27 Mundill Mazda. Notable morning performances also included Kristy Kester, the lone female driver at the test and the distaff half of the brother/sister Kester Racing team who was 8th-fast with a lap of 2:02.914 (108.368 mph) in the #48 Kester Racing Mazda.
Session 2 / 11 – 12 pm
Session two, from 11 am to Noon, saw a familiar name finally assume his accustomed place at the top of the time sheet, Joel Miller. His time of 2.00.790 (110.274 mph) did not match the fast time of the morning session, but it did come during the warmer time of day when Star Mazda races are typically held. Miller has yet to finalize his 2009 plans, but was assisting his 2008 team, JDC Motorsports, with gathering data on the new car.
“I like the feeling that the new upgrades give the car in overall performance,” Miller stated. “The biggest changes are the increased rpm limit means we aren't bumping off the rev limiter in the draft and the new shocks are much better over high-speed bumps. Overall, it's more comfortable to drive and easier to tune. The JDC team took the approach of adding one piece at a time, so we ran the new wings on Tuesday and added the new shocks and the rest of the upgrades on Wednesday, so I think we've got a good handle on how to make the car behave the way we want it to. We weren't faster with the new car at this test, but I think once the series gets to an actual race weekend where the track has lots of rubber down from the other cars, that's when we'll see what it can do."
We never put on a set of new tires to really see what the car could do, but the goal for the test was to evaluate the new parts. However, we attempted a new tire run in the last ten minutes of the final session, but a red flag ended our chance to see what the car could have done with new tires.”
Christodoulou was relegated, for the first time, to the second spot on the time sheet with a lap of 2:01.541 (109.593 mph). Making his first appearance near the top of the time sheets was Richard Kent, yet another Andersen Racing driver. He very nearly threw a monkey wrench into the works in the 2008 Star Mazda Championship season finale by winning his first race of the season from the pole (although both Joel Miller and 2008 championship winner John Edwards also won their first-ever Star Mazda race from the pole, Miller at Sebring and Edwards in Round 2 at Miller Motorsports Park). Kent, a driving instructor and European Formula Palmer Audi racer, was third-fastest with a lap of 2:01.620 (109.521 mph) in the #77 Andersen Racing Mazda – the same car he won with in Round 12 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
The top-5 was rounded out by Conor Daly (2:01.692/109.457 mph) and Anders Krohn (2:01.793/109.366 mph). Also of note was Kevin Toledo, an 18 year-old driver from Chile who has been competing in the South American Formula Renault Championship and ran one Star Mazda Championship race in 2008, finishing 10th. After posting times well out of the top-10 on Tuesday, Toledo jumped up to 8th with a lap of 2:02.904 (108.377 mph) in the #31 Andersen Racing Mazda.
Session 3 / 2:50 – 3:50 pm
The final session of the day, and of the 2-day Star Mazda Championship pre-season series test, saw Brazilian racer Ciao Lara, the 2007 FF2000 'Rookie of the Year' with ten podium finishes, top the time sheet with a lap of 2:01.363 (109.753 mph) in the #19 JDC Motorsports Mazda. Lara ran with JDC Motorsports in the 2008 Star Mazda Championship, scoring two 5th-place finishes in the final two races and finishing 8th in the championship battle. He has announced he will run with JDC again in 2009.
Rounding out the top-5 were the 'usual suspects', Christodoulou in second with a 2:01.667 (109.479 mph) and Anders Krohn in third with a 2:01.869 (109.298 mph), followed by Joel Miller 92:02.004/109.177 mph) and Conor Daly (2:02.062/109.125 mph).
Jorge Goncalvez, a Venezuelan racer moving up from Formula BMW with 2008 Star Mazda series champions AIM Autosport in the #7 Mazda that American John Edwards drove to the championship, put in a consistent performance over the two days. After finding his way with a cautious 12th-fast time in the first session Tuesday morning, he posted the 5th-fastest time Tuesday afternoon and ran in the top-7 during all three Wednesday sessions, posting his best time of the day during Session 2, a 2:02.464 (108.767 mph).
Also of note:
Multi-Car Expansion -- Goshen Motorsports, a highly-professional 'family' team that fielded son Billy Goshen in 2008 is one of several Star Mazda Championship teams that have stepped up to a multi-car effort for 2009. Billy Goshen scored one podium, two top-5 and seven top-10s, finishing 7th in the 2008 championship. He ran in the top-10 during both test days, posting a best time of 2:03.200 (108.117 mph) for the 9th-fast time in the first session on Wednesday. His new teammate, Ryan Booth, a Formula TR Pro Series competitor in 2008, also made the top-10 list both days with his fastest lap in the #83 Goshen Motorsports Mazda, 2:03.790 (107.602 mph) coming in the second session on Tuesday. And, although he did not run at the Sebring test, Japanese racer Toshiro Deko will also join the team on the Star Mazda Championship starting grid in 2009.
New Team - A new team joining the Star Mazda Championship in 2009 is Juncos Racing, a three-car effort based out of Fort Pierce, Florida. At the wheel of a trio of Star Mazda race cars will be rookies Michael Furfari and Sean Burstyn, with Walt Bowlin contesting the Masters Class Championship for drivers 45 and older. Furfari is a Canadian driver with experience in karting, Skip Barber and Formula Renault 1600, Burstyn ran the Formula Renault 1600 SCCA championship in 2006 and competed in the Star Mazda Championship season-opener at Sebring in 2007. In 2008, he competed in the FARA championship F-1 (Formula Mazda) class. Walt Bowlin is an oral surgeon and graduate of both the Bondurant Racing School and Juncos Racing School. Furfari did not attend the Sebring test, but Burstyn was 9th-fast in Wednesday's second session, turning a lap of 2:03.194 (108.122 mph) in the #6 Juncos Racing Mazda.
New Sponsors – While other open wheel racing series are struggling, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear with its recently-renewed 5-year commitments from both title sponsors and a new promotional partnership with iRacing.com, is a stable, increasingly high-profile opportunity for both young drivers and sponsors. Mitchell Motorsports driver Rusty Mitchell not only ran in the top-10 with 9th-fast lap of 2:03.707 (107.674 mph) in the afternoon session on Tuesday, but will also be racing the #22 Mitchell Motorsports Mazda with increased support from Motorola and new sponsor Petro Comm. Fast newcomer Anders Krohn will race the #27 Mundill Mazda with support from industrial equipment manufacturer (and developer of the world's first spray paint robot) Tralfa and health care services provider Colosseum. Juncos Racing's Sean Burstyn will compete with support from Miami exotic car dealer The Collection, while Walt Bowlin features Tampa Bay Jaw Surgery on the side of his car.
Star Mazda/IRL Development Team – Making them the second team in the Star Mazda Championship (along with Andersen Racing, which is the official development team of Rahal Letterman Racing) Kester Racing and IndyCar racing’s newest team, Team 3G, have announced they will partner to field entries in the Star Mazda Championship in 2009. The new team will become the first rung in the development ladder for drivers, engineers, and sponsors to move with Team 3G to the Indy Lights and IndyCar Series. The Star Mazda team will continue to be based at the Texas World Speedway, with experienced brother and sister drivers J.C. and Kristy Kester. Former NASCAR driver Stanton Barrett will pilot the Team 3G car for the 2009 IndyCar Series season.
From Star Mazda
Rahal-Letterman withdraws from IndyCar for 2009
Rahal-Letterman just announced that it won't participate in the IndyCar series in 2009 due to a lack of sponsorship. TSN has the full story here.
Drivers and Fans Pick Kawartha Speedway as Their Racin' Vacation Destination
Drivers and Fans Pick Kawartha Speedway as Their Racin’ Vacation Destination.
By Jim Clarke, Kawartha Speedway PR
It’s not quite a field of dreams thing, but the management and staff at Kawartha Speedway have built a great racetrack and people just naturally want to be there. Serious race-chasers like to build their career ‘totals’, but the 3/8th mile oval has proven to be a destination for casual race fans as well. General Manager and Promoter Derek Lynch says the track is always happy to welcome visitors.
“We don’t have an on-site guestbook, but maybe we should”, says Lynch. “It would be interesting to see how many people from outside the area have come to the track throughout the year. It would help us build a mailing list and we could keep in contact with people. I know the cruise nights (weekly displays of classic and custom cars) always bring out some strong numbers. I’ve spoken to a number of people before our shows and I’m sure the rest of the staff has as well”.
The summer of 2007 saw Craig Scott of Moncton, New Brunswick bring his Thunder Car to Kawartha for a special. His story is hardly unique. Lynch says the Mini Stock invitational events usually draw a pretty good crowd. The rules for the 4 cylinder runners are practically universal, whether the regulars are used to a dirt or pavement track. In August of 2008, Mike Smith of Port Elgin, Ontario towed his Dodge Neon to Kawartha. The Sauble Speedway regular was in the middle of a vacation and finished 4th in his heat race. Smith also brought a group of followers with him. The video of his qualifying event is posted on his web-site, www.speedysmith.com <http://www.speedysmith.com/> . A week or so later, Bill Pearsall – who runs at Delaware – came to Kawartha with his #38 Mini Stock. He started last in his heat race and wasn’t much of a factor in the feature race, but told track officials he had a great time and hoped to be back. Donald Chisholm from Antigonish, Nova Scotia made only 2 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series starts in 2008. One was at his hometown event – the other, September 27th at Kawartha where he recorded a 10th place finish.
“We put our tentative schedule on the web-site back in November”, says Lynch. “The official version went up a few weeks ago. The goal is to give some of the racers who like to travel a little a chance to plan their schedules. The Mini Stock division had more than 45 different drivers in ’08. The class has a pair of 50 lappers – Friday, July 3rd and Friday, September 4th – in 2009. Plus, the Fan Appreciation Night Friday, July 17th is sponsored by Discount Car and Truck Rentals. They’re the presenting sponsor for the Mini Stocks, so you never know who might show up or where they’ll be from”.
Kawartha Speedway’s schedule is on-line now. The ’09 campaign kicks-off with an open test session Friday, May 22nd. Drivers and teams from any speedway or series can take to the spacious oval for some track time. There are extra-distance runs in each of the track’s weekly classes. The headline Late Models have 3 100 lappers, plus the American-Canadian Tour Summer Sizzler 200 Sunday, July 12th. The year wraps-up with the Dodge Dealers of Ontario Dodge Ram 250 Saturday, September 26th. Full details on the 2009 schedule are available at www.kawarthaspeedway.com <http://www.kawarthaspeedway.com/> .
Photo attachments:
#1). Port Elgin, Ontario’s Mike Smith brought his #66 Mini Stock to Kawartha for a mid-season run in 2008. (Jim Clarke photo)
#2). Bill Pearsall’s sharp looking #38 Mini made its maiden Kawartha voyage late in the 2008 season. (Jim Clarke photo)
#3). Antigonish, Nova Scotia’s Donald Chisholm brought his NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Monte Carlo to Kawartha for a top 10 run in the ’08 season finale. (Jim Clarke photo)
Star Mazda Sebring Test Day 1
DAY 1 RESULTS -- STAR MAZDA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES TEST AT SEBRING
Sebring, FL (Feb. 27, 2009 ) -- Amid a field of twenty-one cars piloted by faces both familiar and fresh, it was a newcomer with a distinctive moniker who set the fast time in both sessions of the first official series test day for the 2009 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear. Driving the #21 car for Andersen Racing, Adam Christodoulou, winner of the 2008 British Formula Renault championship, set a fast time of 2:00.945 (110.133 mph) in the first of two one-hour sessions held Tuesday afternoon.
In the later session, from 4:30 to 5:30 pm, with temperatures lower and the wind picking up, some cars were slower, some faster, but Christodoulou again put in the fast – albeit slightly slower -- lap of 2:01.372 (109.745 mph).
The Star Mazda Championship track record at Sebring International Raceway is held by 2007 series champion Dane Cameron with a 1:59.986. Times are a bit off in this first test because all of the teams are still working to install, and discover the optimum settings for, the upgrade package of aero, suspension and engine pieces that the Star Mazda Championship has made available for 2009.
Second-fast was second-year driver Caio Lara, at the wheel of the #19 JDC Motorsports Mazda, with a second-session lap of 2:01.644 (109.500 mph), a dramatic improvement over his 5th-fast lap of 2:04.135 (107.303 mph) in the first session. Lara finished 8th in the 2008 Star Mazda Championship standings, his best finishes a pair of 5th-places in the final two races.
Third-fast was Joel Miller, who won the 2008 Star Mazda Championship season-opener at Sebring on his way to second place in the championship with a record of one win, two poles, seven podiums and two top-5 finishes. Although his 2009 plans are still pending, he was once again at the wheel of his familiar #20 JDC Motorsports Mazda when he turned a lap of 2:01.775 (109.382 mph) in the second session.
Unsurprisingly, given his pedigree and past success, among the front runners was Conor Daly, son of racing legend Derek Daly. In the #5 Andersen Racing Mazda, driven to one win, two poles and two podiums last season by Tom Gladdis, Daly turned a lap of 2:02.134 (109.061 mph). Daly, the 2008 Skip Barber National Championship winner with five victories, will race this season with sponsorship from the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder, the same unique ladder program that provided funding for Joel Miller, who moved up to the Star Mazda Championship after winning 2007 Skip Barber Championship.
Rounding out the top-5 on the first-day time sheets, was Jorge Goncalvez, a Venezuelan racer moving up from Formula BMW. Driving the #7 AIM Autosport Mazda that American John Edwards drove to the 2008 Star Mazda Championship, Goncalvez turned a second-session lap of 2:02.340 (108.877 mph).
Other notables in the field include Alex Ardoin, a two-season Star Mazda veteran who finished fourth in the 2008 championship. Helping Team GDT and Expert Series veteran J.W. Roberts develop their new car, he turned the 6th-fastest lap of the day at 2:02.709 (108.549 mph). And Gerry Kraut, the runner-up up on the 2008 Star Mazda Master Series for drivers 45 and older with three class wins and five podium finishes, was 7th-fast with a lap of 2:03.085 (108.218 mph). Kraut, who is Chairman and CEO of Dougherty and Company and Dougherty Funding LLC, is also a co-owner of JDC Motorsports and drives the #55 JDC Motorsports/Dougherty and Company/Dougherty Funding LLC Mazda.
The significance of these lap times, and the order in which they appear, will become more apparent during Day 2 of the Star Mazda Championship pre-season test at Sebring. During Day 1, some of the teams had fully-updated cars that they were still in the process of sorting, some ran a mix of new and old parts in an effort to quantify the changeover and some are still running cars unchanged from the 2008 season as they test new drivers. All cars, however, are running new ECU maps and an additional 300 rpm (up to a redline of 8,600 rpm from 8,300 rpm) and the cars are both visibly faster on the straights and sounding much more 'snarly.'
Engineers and drivers will have worked late into the night evaluating the data from the two one-hour Tuesday sessions as crews work to further upgrade and optimize the cars for the three sessions scheduled on Wednesday.
The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear 2009 season consists of 13 races on 11 weekends, beginning with its traditional date at the 57th annual Mobil1 12 Hours of Sebring on March 2. The most substantial change to the schedule involves the series' return to ovals for the first time since 2006 with 100-lap events immediately before the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the Milwaukee Mile on June 20 and under the lights with ARCA at the 7/8-ths mile Iowa Speedway tri-oval on July 10.
The schedule also includes double-headers at New Jersey Motorsports Park on June 13-14 and a new addition to the schedule, the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Illinois on July 25-26. Both will be MAZDASPEED Motorsports weekends at which the Star Mazda Championship will be a featured race. The 2009 season winds up at the Monterey Sports Car Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on October 10.
NASCAR: Richard Petty Motorsports Signs AJ Allmendinger
From Drew Brown
STATESVILLE, N.C. – Richard Petty Motorsports announced today that AJ Allmendinger has agreed to a contract that calls for him to race in the 2009 season with the team retaining an option for 2010.
Allmendinger, 27, will drive the team’s No. 44 Dodge in the Budweiser Shootout plus the first eight races of the 2009 Sprint Cup season as well as the Daytona race in July. The team is looking to put together a sponsorship package that would guarantee the No. 44’s participation in the remaining 2009 races and the 2010 season.
“This is pretty awesome news for me,” said Allmendinger who posted two top-10 finishes in 2008 and a victory in the Sprint Showdown. “I just want to get behind the wheel of a race car and race. We have a lot of work to do on the track and need to sell some sponsorship, but this team has great equipment and I think there is a lot of chemistry here based on how we did at the end of last season.”
Allmendinger begins his third full season in Sprint Cup racing after driving the final five races of the 2008 season with the RPM team. He posted the 14th most points of any driver during that five-race period.
“I cannot put into words how excited I am to run the No. 44 in 2009,” Allmendinger said. “I raced with these guys five times last year and loved everything about it. The cars were great, the guys were great and we put up some pretty good results. I’m just very grateful to have this opportunity.”
Allmendinger, a Los Gatos, Calif. native, is a five-time winner in the Champ Car World Series but is relatively new to the world of the heavier, full-bodied stock cars.
“AJ has a ton of potential,” said team owner Richard Petty. “I went testing with him a few weeks ago. When he climbed out of the car I think he went to everyone working on the car asking them questions and wanting to know what was going on. That’s the kind of thing you want out of your driver. He’s a young guy and I think we can help him and he can help us.”
Allmendinger joins Richard Petty Motorsports’ teammates Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and Reed Sorenson. Sammy Johns will serve as crew chief on the No. 44. An agreement in principle to merge Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Holdings to form Richard Petty Motorsports was announced earlier this month.
NHRA suspends oil down penalties for 2009 Full Throttle season
From Anthony Vestal / NHRA
GLENDORA, Calif. (Jan. 28, 2009) - NHRA announced it will suspend oil down penalties for the 2009 season in both the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. The move is designed to save teams money and is possible given the success in recent years to minimize oil downs during national events to enhance the fan experience.
The oil down policy, which was first enacted in 2000 in the professional class and later in the sportsman categories, was created to improve the quality of the show for fans attending NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events. The policy has been effective in reducing the amount of down time caused by oil downs in the professional and sportsman classes at national events.
"This move is designed to ease the financial burden on the race teams, given we have experienced cooperation among the racing community to minimize oil downs at national events with much success," said Graham Light, senior vice president of racing operations, NHRA. "We are confident that the fans will continue to see a great show come the start of the season at the Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals."
With that said, NHRA will monitor the situation closely during the course of the year. If the new policy results in lengthy clean-up efforts due to excessive oil downs, some form of a penalty will be considered.
In 2008, NHRA removed the monetary fines associated with oil downs at national events midway through the year but kept the points penalties in place for the professional categories. This year, both monetary and points penalties have been eliminated in both the professional and sportsman ranks.
Teams, at all levels, experiencing chronic problems with oil downs at national events will continue to be reviewed by NHRA and further action may be taken.
Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. It presents 24 events through its NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The NHRA has 80,000 members and 140 member tracks. The NHRA-sanctioned sportsman and bracket racing series provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels. The NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by offering the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Summit Racing Series, and NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. The NHRA also offers the Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 8 to 17.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
NASCAR Driver Reed Sorenson Takes Off Flying
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Capt. Dustin Ripley, an F-15 pilot with the 95th Fighter Squadron, gave NASCAR driver Reed Sorenson the ride of his life on January 21 at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida.
“Taking a ride in an Air Force jet is unlike any training I’ve done for NASCAR,” said Reed Sorenson. “I have great respect for the Air Force and I’m honored to represent them in the No. 43 car.”
The incentive flight at Tyndall AFB was part of an effort by Air Force Recruiting Service to prepare Mr. Sorenson for the 2009 NASCAR season, and educate him what it really means to be an Airman.
"We wanted Reed to learn about the Air Force first hand and there is no better way to do that than flying with an Air Force unit," explained Col. Tim Hanson, chief of strategic communications for the Air Force Recruiting Service. "Reed and his crew chief, Mike Shiplett, met dozens of Airmen and talked about the similarities of launching a fighter mission or preparing a winning race car. Both take dedicated professionals and lots of teamwork. We are confident the experience helped give Reed and Mike a better understanding and appreciation for the Airmen they will represent on the track."
The incentive flight will be followed this week by a two-day visit to San Antonio, Texas where Reed will meet with Air Force trainees going through Basic Military Training.
While at Tyndall AFB, Mr. Sorenson and his crew chief, Mike Shiplett, were filmed for a series of webisodes in which the NASCAR men compare notes with Air Force pilots. The series, "Switching Seats," is set to debut on airforce.com in March 2009. This campaign in addition to sponsorship agreements and all U.S. Air Force advertising is handled by Austin-based GSD&M Idea City.
In November 2008, the Air Force announced both a primary and associate sponsor with Richard Petty Motorsports, formerly known as Gillett Evernham Motorsports, for the No. 43 car driven by Reed Sorenson. As a primary sponsor, the car will feature the Air Force paint scheme in four of 38 NASCAR races this season.
From Drew Brown
<<Tyndall 7.jpg>> <<Tyndall 4.jpg>> <<Tyndall 1.jpg>> <<Tyndall 2.jpg>>
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Ohsweken Speedway's Top 10... with Cody McPherson
Ohsweken Speedway's "Top 10"...with Cody McPherson
by Tommy Goudge (January 26, 2009) - With plans and schedules already coming together for the 2009 racing season, Ohsweken Speedway's "Top 10" gives us an opportunity to catch up to the drivers and other racing personalities who will entertain us this year and find out what they're up to. For the 2nd edition of "Top 10", we sat down with Cody McPherson to look back at his amazing 2008 season, and look ahead to what is sure to be a bright future for the young driver.
McPherson dominated the Ohsweken Speedway ESSO Thunder Stocks division during the 2008 season, winning 8 of 14 features he competed in. So dominant was the #777 with Cody behind the wheel that he only finished out of the top 3 feature positions once on his way to claiming the 2008 track championship. The 16 year old is already a veteran in the racing world, having started in go-karts at Merrittville Speedway at the age of 6. By the time he moved to the Thunder Stocks division at age 13, he already had 3 karting championships under his belt. Currently attending West Park Secondary School in St. Catharines, Cody will have already graduated out of 2 racing divisions by the time he graduates from high school - currently a Grade 11 student, Cody is moving out of the Thunder Stocks and into the Sportsman division full time in 2009.
"Top 10"...with Cody McPherson:
TG: After running a handful of Sportsman races in the past, you're moving up to that division full time this season. What do you think your biggest challenge will be, what have you already learned behind the wheel of a Sportsman car, and which track(s) are you going to focus on racing for points titles this season?
CM: "The biggest challenge for me will be running the Sportsman tour. It's where the best of the best Sportsman drivers come out to race. Last year I learned a lot when it comes to racing a Sportsman. The key thing for me that I learned was turning the car - it's completely different trying to turn a Sportsman then it is a street stock. As soon as you try to drive it like a street stock, you're pushing like a truck. Luckily for me I drove just Sportsman at the end of last year and learned a lot. I am going to be focusing on Merrittville Speedway, Humberstone Speedway, and the Sportsman tour this year."
TG: "You are part of a racing family. Was becoming a race driver a foregone conclusion for you, or were there other things that interested you and might have led you in another direction?"
CM: "Well I grew up watching my dad (Guy McPherson), My aunt (Tammy Willard), and my Uncle (Billy Willard) racing so it was only fitting that I do the same. I grew up at the races and there's no other place where I would wanna be. Another sport that I also enjoyed playing was hockey - I grew up play hockey, playing AAA for St. Catharines, but I never felt the same way for hockey like I do for racing. Racing is pretty much in my blood, seeing how I'm the 3rd generation of my family to race."
TG: "You had a dominant 2008 season at Ohsweken in the Thunder Stocks division, despite racing against a much larger and more competitive field than we have seen at the Speedway - To what do you attribute that success, and why do you think the field grew so much this season?"
CM: "I would have to attribute that success to my crew chief and car owner Mikey Granton, as well as all my sponsors that helped out. Every week Mikey worked hard to make sure that I had a winning car every Friday night. He worked his butt off after the races to tear the car down for tech, and there's no way I would have won all those races if it wasn't for him. I think the class grew because the racing was getting better, there were more guys willing to make the trip down from the Merrittville or Humberstone Speedways, and since the track is so wide you don't have to worry about getting wrecked as much."
TG: "You've progressed through the ranks quickly, and we have seen the Sportsman division become a jumping-off point for a lot of drivers to move into a variety of other racing divisions such as Small Block and Big Block Modifieds, Sprint Cars, and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series - What would you like your next step(s) beyond Sportsman to be?"
CM: "After running Sportsman I would really want to try driving Sprint Car or Late Model. If I was good enough at that level then I would want to move up and rip it with the big boys in the World of Outlaw series. Travelling North America racing every week is something I would love to be doing."
TG: "You've raced at a few different tracks now - which one is your favourite to race on, and which track that you haven't yet raced on would you really like to try?"
CM: "My favourite race track by far would be Syracuse. I got the privilege to race there this year in the Sportsman and I had a blast. One track that I want to race at would be Can-Am - I was there last year but it got rained out both times."
TG: "Shayne Pierce, another young up and coming driver, is taking over behind the wheel of the #777 this season, which should help him to be even more of a contender. Who else do you think will be stepping up to challenge for feature wins and track championships in the Thunder Stocks division in 2009?"
CM: "I told Mikey (Granton) all last year to put Shayne in the car for this year. I grew up racing go-karts with him and I always liked his driving style. Shayne has always been fast, and even though he doesn't have as much money as most of the guys out there, he could still run with them. This year, driving Mikey's car he's going to win a lot of races and I'm picking him to win a championship as well. Another guy that will step up and challenge Shayne will be Billy Bleich Jr."
TG: "Tell us something about yourself that might surprise a lot of fans."
CM: "Something that will surprise my fans will be that I just got my (driver's) license last week!"
TG: "Away from racing, what other interests and hobbies do you fill your spare time with?"
CM: "During the summer I'm very busy racing, mostly three nights a week, but I do like to take some time out and hang out with friends and I also enjoy playing summer hockey."
TG: "If money were no object, what race event, track, or series would you most like to try?"
CM: "If money was no object then I would be travelling around the world, racing. I would travel across North America to run all the big shows and during the winter I would go to Australia to race."
TG: "Drivers like you and Shayne represent the next generation of dirt track racers in Southern Ontario. We've seen big changes in rules in some divisions lately, and things will continue to change and evolve in the coming years. With that in mind, what do you think the local short track scene is going to look like in 5-10 years, and what would you like to see changed?"
CM: "I think with the Sportsman coming out with the crate program you will get a lot more young drivers coming out to race. I think DIRT will always be trying to find a way to make racing as cheap as possible and still make it competitive. I would like to see more exposure for racing up in Canada - you don't see many Canadians racing in the big series just because they don't take racing as seriously in Canada as they do down in the States."
Got a question you've always wanted to ask your favourite Ohsweken Speedway personality? Got a suggestion for who you would like featured in a future edition of "Top 10"? Send it to Media@OhswekenSpeedway.com and make sure to include your name and hometown! Stay tuned for future editions of "Top 10" this winter on www.OhswekenSpeedway.com, and make sure to reserve your seats for all of Ohsweken's special events in 2009, including the World of Outlaws Late Models, World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, and Canadian Sprint Car Nationals! Tickets are on sale now! The full 2009 Ohsweken Speedway schedule was released recently and is also available on www.OhswekenSpeedway.com, along with the new online store featuring official Ohsweken Speedway DVD's, apparel, and souvenirs!
Rick Young's 'Rick at the Races'... Beauharnois, QC Jan. 25 2009
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Beauharnois, Quebec
PIC 1 A photo taken in late 2008 before the Seaway froze, showing a ship going over the Beauharnois road tunnel.
PIC 2 Directions how to get on the Seaway in Beauharnois
PIC 3 to 11 Action from the Beaharnois ice racing
PIC 12 That's me and my car parked in the middle of the frozen St Lawrence Seaway at Beauharnois
If we could turn back the clock to 1970 , you'd find me in my final year at the Millvale Secondary School in Dunstable ( Bedfordshire, UK) .
One of my chosen subjects was Geography and I can remember, my teacher , Mr Ferris telling us about the great St Lawrence Seaway that linked the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. It allowed access to ships from all over the world to reach the industrial centers of Detroit and Chicago.
I recall one of my home work projects was to draw a map of it's path from the Atlantic Ocean, through Montreal to Lake Ontario. At that time, I had no idea I'd end up living within walking distance of that famous stretch of water, or that on a Sunday afternoon in January I'd be standing in the middle of it !
Well, during the winter it's not uncommon for temperatures to drop to minus 25 centigrade and as a result the Seaway freezes over . For a few months each year the shipping traffic comes to a halt and the race car drivers come out to play. One of the longest running venues for ice racing is at Beauharnois, close to Montreal (Que). It's about an hours drive from my place in Long Sault (Ont) and it was the first place I witnessed ice racing back in 2003.
I usually try to get back there at least once each year and that was my destination this past weekend. Each year the tracks actual location seams to change slightly and this time it was further out from the shore. In the past It's been possible to see the racing from a small park close to the band stand on 'land' . I'm not keen to drive my car on the ice unless I really have to, but in order to get a better view I had no choice.
I joined the many other spectators who watched the action from the warmth of their cars parked around the track. The oval is about 3/8 of a mile and the race cars are seperated from the spectators by man-made snow banks. Their are two divisions for cars (4 and 8 cylinders) which were joined this year by quad-bikes.
Beauharnois was not my in my original plans for this week, as I'd hoped to claim a new track (ice) at Black Lake, close to Watertown, New York. The event was on the 2009 schedule for the CNYIRA (Central New York Ice Racing Association), but due to insurance issues they had to pull the plug on it. This weekend I'm hoping for better luck when the AMEC ( Adirondack Motor Enthusiasts Club) make their debut on at Tupper Lake , near to the US Olympic resort of Lake Placid. Check out their website. www.icerace.com
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NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES ENTERS EIGHTH YEAR ON CANADA'S TSN
From NHRA Communications
GLENDORA, Calif. (Jan. 27, 2009) – For the eighth consecutive year, NHRA announced today that The Sports Network (TSN) in Canada will televise the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series’ entire 24-event schedule in 2009, dedicating nearly 75 hours of programming to NHRA, the fastest and most exciting motorsport in the world.
Highlighting TSN’s 24-event, 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series broadcast schedule will be coverage of final eliminations.
The season begins with the 49th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals from the fabled Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California and stretches the entire season, concluding with the 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals, also at Pomona. The coverage also includes programming from the world’s largest and most prestigious drag racing event, the 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals from O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis.
NHRA sanctions seven member tracks in Canada, offering many of its popular grassroots sportsman racing programs. NHRA’s Canadian member tracks include: Luskville, Quebec (Luskville Dragway); Napierville, Quebec (Napierville Raceway); St. Sparta, Ont. (St. Thomas Dragway); Medicine Hat, Alberta (M.H.D.R.A. Dragstrip); Mission, B.C. (Mission Raceway); Ashcroft, B.C. (Nl'Akapxm Eagle Motorplex); Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Saskatchewan International Raceway).
Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. It presents 24 events through its NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The NHRA has 80,000 members and 140 member tracks. The NHRA-sanctioned sportsman and bracket racing series provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels. The NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by offering the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Summit Racing Series, and NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. The NHRA also offers the Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 8 to 17.
KRC DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES POWER STEERING PUMPS
Kennesaw, Ga. -- January 27, 2009 -- KRC Power Steering is proud to introduce a new line of lightweight (2.66lbs.) Direct Drive/PTO power steering pumps specifically designed for today's dirt late models. These pumps come standard with a 1600psi. pressure relief valve and 3.3 gallons per minute of fluid flow.
Current dirt late model steering systems and suspension setups put a whole new demand on the power steering pump. Cars that use a high ratio steering rack, and/or short steering arms, require a pump that can handle the pressure and fluid requirements. In addition, suspension setups that load the right front tire in the corner place even more pressure on the steering system. With a 1600psi. pressure relief and 3.3 gallons per minute of fluid flow, you can be assured this pump will handle your steering and suspension setups. Available in 17-Splined and 3/8" Hex Drive PTO, with or without a fuel pump drive. Part No. KRC 19502DLM, 19512DLM, 19602DLM, 19612DLM. Also available with HTD pulley for bellhousing mounted steering pumps, with or without fuel pump drive. Part No. KRC 19700DLM and KRC19702DLM.
For additional information, contact KRC's tech department at (770) 422-5135 or at techhelp@krcpower.com.
KRC Power Steering is the industry leader in manufacturing and designing of high performance power steering pumps and pulley systems. In business since 1997, KRC has become the standard in power steering pumps for oval track, road racing, street, off-road and marine applications. With an in house CNC machine shop, KRC is able to manufacture innovative products to the strictest of tolerances. For more information on the many products KRC offers, contact a KRC dealer near you, or call KRC's tech line at (770) 422-5135 or visit http://www.krcpower.com/
Current dirt late model steering systems and suspension setups put a whole new demand on the power steering pump. Cars that use a high ratio steering rack, and/or short steering arms, require a pump that can handle the pressure and fluid requirements. In addition, suspension setups that load the right front tire in the corner place even more pressure on the steering system. With a 1600psi. pressure relief and 3.3 gallons per minute of fluid flow, you can be assured this pump will handle your steering and suspension setups. Available in 17-Splined and 3/8" Hex Drive PTO, with or without a fuel pump drive. Part No. KRC 19502DLM, 19512DLM, 19602DLM, 19612DLM. Also available with HTD pulley for bellhousing mounted steering pumps, with or without fuel pump drive. Part No. KRC 19700DLM and KRC19702DLM.
For additional information, contact KRC's tech department at (770) 422-5135 or at techhelp@krcpower.com.
KRC Power Steering is the industry leader in manufacturing and designing of high performance power steering pumps and pulley systems. In business since 1997, KRC has become the standard in power steering pumps for oval track, road racing, street, off-road and marine applications. With an in house CNC machine shop, KRC is able to manufacture innovative products to the strictest of tolerances. For more information on the many products KRC offers, contact a KRC dealer near you, or call KRC's tech line at (770) 422-5135 or visit http://www.krcpower.com/
Tim Russell Is Red Hot Heading into World Series at New Smyrna
From Matt Dillner, 51 Sports
CONCORD, NC (January 27, 2009) – Tim Russell has done just about everything you can possibly do in a Super Late Model in the state of Florida. The two-time FASCAR Sunbelt Champion and two-time Bright House Champion has had an impressive run during the last few seasons. One goal that still awaits Russell is the Super Late Model Championship from the World Series at New Smyrna Speedway (FL). The nine-night series is a true test of driving ability and stamina.
“It would be really cool to go there and win a championship and the Pete Orr 100,” said Russell. “We are on a pretty good streak, having just won the pole and the race at the Red Eye last month. My dad won the World Series title a few times back in the early 90s, so it’s only fitting that I add my name to the list of winners.”
Russell watched his dad, David Russell, win the week-long season championship back in 1996. Perhaps winning the week-long finale Pete Orr Memorial 100 would be just as special, as Orr served as a driver for the elder Russell many years back.
“We can’t think about the last race yet,” added Russell. “We have to go there and try to get as many wins as we can and let the points fall where they may and then worry about the championship. I would love to win the Pete Orr Memorial 100, but it’s a long week of racing and that’s why we’ll have two cars ready for the week of racing.”
When you add up the laps for each class, it translates to a full season of racing in only a week’s time. For the true racer like Russell, there’s nothing better.
“It’s one year of racing all in one night,” explained Russell. “You have to be careful each night, but at the same time you have to race hard every night. Some of the races are only 30 laps, and that’s not a lot of time to get the job done.”
One of the toughest challenges about the World Series is the change in the track from night to night. Last year, with little rain during Speedweeks, the track became a handful for all of the drivers.
“Last year the track change a ton,” added Russell. “The more rubber all the cars put on the track also made it very tight. We almost needed that typical Florida rainstorm to come and help us wash off the track, but it never came. We had a strong showing last year; hopefully we can improve and keep our hot streak going.”
The nine nights of the 43rd Annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing begins on February 6th and runs through February 14th. Seven divisions of racing from Super Late Models to Modifieds to Pro Trucks will be on the track during the week. The week ends with the crowning of the champions and the seventh annual Pete Orr Memorial 100.
For more information on Tim Russell, please contact Matt Dillner at (704) 788-2134 x 9, and be sure to check out the website at www.timrussellonline.com
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Addinol Oil now available in Canada
Unicoatings Canada is pleased to announce its appointment as a Canadian distributor for Addinol Oil products; please see http://www.addinol.de
Addinol is a line of extremely long lasting, environmentally friendly, oil products manufactured in Germany. Addinol lubricating oils for wind turbines, for instance, carry a 4 year warranty, will not support oxidation, micro pitting or allow sludge build-up. The low coefficient of friction (0.05 to 0.06) helps produce more power with less energy. Conversely, machinery will turn easier with less energy used, i.e. either carbon fuels or electricity.
Unicoatings is a world wide distribution network and Unicoatings Canada is part of this system dedicated to supplying the highest quality nanocoatings (Unicoatings brand line of products), Rewitec Nanocoating, Kustom Shop Quality Automotive Products and now the Addinol line of lubricating oils and greases.
For more information on Addinol (or Uni-Coatings products) please contact: info@unicoatings.ca or 519-652-8573 (London, Ontario).
Addinol is a line of extremely long lasting, environmentally friendly, oil products manufactured in Germany. Addinol lubricating oils for wind turbines, for instance, carry a 4 year warranty, will not support oxidation, micro pitting or allow sludge build-up. The low coefficient of friction (0.05 to 0.06) helps produce more power with less energy. Conversely, machinery will turn easier with less energy used, i.e. either carbon fuels or electricity.
Unicoatings is a world wide distribution network and Unicoatings Canada is part of this system dedicated to supplying the highest quality nanocoatings (Unicoatings brand line of products), Rewitec Nanocoating, Kustom Shop Quality Automotive Products and now the Addinol line of lubricating oils and greases.
For more information on Addinol (or Uni-Coatings products) please contact: info@unicoatings.ca or 519-652-8573 (London, Ontario).
Monday, January 26, 2009
Racing Community Mourns Passing of Lou Blaney
From World Racing Group // Chris Dolack, VP Media/PR
Racing Community Mourns Passing of Lou Blaney
CONCORD, N.C. — Jan. 26, 2009 — The World Racing Group, Lernerville Speedway and DIRTcar Racing join countless others who are saddened to learn of Lou Blaney’s passing on Sunday, Jan. 25.
Blaney was an incredible competitor on the track, piling up more than 600 victories and more championships than he could count in Sprint Cars and Modifieds during a legendary career that ultimately earned him a Hall of Fame induction in 2000.
Off the track, Blaney was a gentleman. He was calm, quiet and extremely knowledgeable. He was highly respected not only as a racer, but as a person. Few men have represented the racing community with such grace and elegance as Lou Blaney, who called Hartford, Ohio, his home.
His feats at Lernerville Speedway are matched only by the elite drivers in the track’s 41-year history. He is second to only Bob Wearing Sr. in career feature wins (118) and track championships (seven). In one incredible stretch from 1972 to 1975, Blaney captured 49 wins and four consecutive track titles in Sprint Cars. He then moved into a Modified and reeled off championships in 1980, 1991 and 1996, along with a division-leading 69 feature wins. He also drove a Modified to a career-best second-place finish in 1981 at the New York State Fairgrounds during Super DIRT Week events.
“I grew up watching the red No. 10 and have to admit that my favorite nights at Lernerville were when my Dad (Lynn Geisler) won the Late Model race, Ed Lynch Jr. the Sprints and Lou Blaney the Modifieds,” said Pennsylvania native and WRG Chief Marketing Officer Ben Geisler. “It never mattered where he started, because you knew he would always be in the mix at the end. He set the bar high, will live long in our minds, and will be known for generations to come in the history books.”
Blaney was athletic and passed his competitiveness on to his sons, Dave and Dale, each of whom has achieved success behind the wheel of a race car. In recent years, the Blaney family, including Lou’s wife Kate, has owned and operated the legendary Sharon Speedway, site of several World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and World of Outlaws Late Model Series events.
“Lou was a true racer’s racer,” said Lernerville GM Gary Risch Jr. “He was a gentleman on and off the track. Lou has done so much for racing in our area, from being one of the best drivers in the country to working on rebuilding Sharon Speedway. He will be missed.”
“It’s honestly difficult to find the words to express what Lou Blaney meant to Lernerville Speedway and the local racing community in general,” said Lernerville PR Director Eric Westendorf. “It sounds cliché, but he truly transcended the sport. He was a rival, a mentor, a hero for multiple generations of drivers and fans. He made everyone around him want to be better — a better driver, a better promoter, a better person. He will be sorely missed for a very long time.”
While many in the coming days will recount the stories of Blaney’s incredible and numerous epic performances on the track, some will recite the win totals and countless championships in a racing career that started in 1958. For others, Blaney is a measuring stick. To achieve, or surpass, a mark he established is truly a career accomplishment.
But ultimately numbers don’t define this man. He had as much fun watching Dave and Dale race as he did himself.
“Working in Pittsburgh, I had the opportunity to cover Lou Blaney toward the end of his racing career,” said Chris Dolack, the World Racing Group VP of Public Relations. “He still dominated every week, but he carried himself so differently than many others. He was quiet, but even when he was busy, he had time to talk. I never saw him without a smile no matter what was going on around him. It’s the smile and quiet conversations in the pits that I will always remember.”
Visitation is from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at the Hartford United Methodist Presbyterian Church on State Route 305 in Hartford, Ohio. A funeral will be Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Cards can be sent to the Blaney family at P.O. Box 159, Hartford, OH 44424.
Jimmie can drive, but he's not much of a chef...
The injury occurred above the knuckle and happened while Johnson was attempting to cut a small hole in his firesuit in order to feed a tube from a cooling shirt through the pocket of his suit.
Johnson flew from Daytona Beach to Charlotte for further evaluation and outpatient treatment with a hand specialist at Carolinas Medical Center.
The injury will not keep Johnson from driving in the season’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup event Feb. 7 at Daytona International Speedway.
“That certainly wasn’t the way I wanted to end the Rolex race,” said Johnson, who ran with the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing team. “I really appreciate all the hard work by the guys this weekend. I’m just sorry I wasn’t there at the end with them. The doctors did a great job in Daytona and Charlotte and I can’t thank them enough. Everything feels good and I’ll be ready to roll for Daytona.”
Johnson is still scheduled to appear on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” tonight and will co-host his Super Skins charity golf tournament and party with Nick Lachey this weekend in Tampa, Fla.
From Kristine Curley
KONI: Pritiko podiums at Daytona
Matt Pritiko earn first career podium in Koni Challenge
TORONTO, ONTARIO - Matt Pritiko made the most of his return to the Compass360 Racing Team at the season opener of the 2009 Koni Challenge Series at Daytona in the Fresh from Florida 200. Pritiko, who qualified the #76 Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si in sixth place, was able to move the car forward into second place.
"I was able to work my way up to second with some help from Christian Miller in the #74 compass360 Honda. We drafted on the tri-oval, then pitted to get Travis in the car."
Pritiko had done his job for the team well. He had kept the car in one piece and handed it over to his teammate to finish the job. Walker was able to lead for a while, but a late yellow bunched up the field and the duo finished third overall.
"That was a great race. We had a great start. There was a lot of teamwork going on with all the team cars up there. The car started to fall off a little at the end, and that's the way it goes. I've got to thank Travis for keeping it in there, and we're going to be back in Miami raring to go."
For Pritiko, it was his first podium in the Koni Challenge Series, but with the success at Daytona, Pritiko is already looking forward to round two.
"The whole Compass360 Racing team worked well together this weekend. The new Hondas are awesome, and now we are in good shape to challenge for the win in Miami," Pritiko said.
Next up for Pritiko and the Compass360 Racing Team is round two of the Koni Challenge Series at Homestead Miami on March 13-15.
Matt Pritiko Fast Facts: Matt Pritiko is one of Canada's up and coming stars of motorsport. He is from LondonOntario. In 2007, Pritiko completed his rookie season in Koni Challenge, finishing 15th in the standings, with a top five and four top tens. Pritiko was a member of Sunoco's Team Ultra 94 and collected 1 win, 2 poles and five podiums in the Bridgestone F2000 Series. In 2002, Pritiko is was 2nd in F125/80cc in the Point Pelee Championships and took home the 2002 Most Sportsmanlike award. Pritiko is supported by Burwell Auto Body.
Compass360 Racing Fast Facts: Compass360 Racing (C360R) is the Motorsports division of Compass360, a marketing communications firm based in Toronto, Canada. Compass360 offers Brand Development and Deployment to clients in financial services, entertainment, advocacy and automotive sectors. Their work includes traditional advertising in television, radio and print, as well as corporate identity, logo creation, documentary film, website development and communications in non-traditional on-line media and event marketing. Compass360 Racing will field four Acuras in Grand Am's KONI Challenge in 2008, building on their third straight Manufacturer's Title and a strong second-place finish in the Driver and Team Championships in 2007.
Release prepared by Russ Bond Agency, Inc. (www.russbondagency.com)
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A1GP: Carena West Wins Miss TW Steel Australia-New Zealand
Carena West Wins Miss TW Steel Australia-New Zealand
Taupo, New Zealand (January 25, 2009) – TW Steel (www.twsteel.com), the ‘Official Watch and Timing Partner’ of A1GP World Cup of Motorsport hosted the fourth round of the ‘Miss TW Steel’ competition at Taupo Motorsports Park in New Zealand today as Adam Carroll led A1 Team Ireland to Sprint victory and Neel Jani scored a Feature race win for A1 Team Switzerland to kick start the 2009 leg of the 2008-09 season.
Off-track there was just one winner, Auckland’s Carena West as she triumphed over a select group of ‘Miss TW Steel Australia-New Zealand’ contestants. The 22-year-old proved to be the unanimous choice with the judging panel, winning a TW Steel watch and a $1500 US prize in the process.
Miss West will now head to the United Kingdom later in the year for the grand finale of the ‘Miss TW Steel’ competition, where the winners from the national rounds, all held at A1GP events, will go head-to-head for the overall title, a cash prize of $25,000 US and a photo-shoot with a leading lifestyle magazine.
Currently studying for a Bachelor of Business degree and having recently filmed a TV programme focusing on learning to drive race cars, Carena was a popular winner with the Taupo crowd. Today’s judging panel consisted of Steven Rom, the Australia/New Zealand distributor for TW Steel, A1GP race winner and Kiwi favorite, Jonny Reid, local Taupo radio host, Brendon Weatherley and A1GP’s Scott Smith.
“It was certainly a close call today but no doubt Carena’s a worthy winner of this title,” commented Steven Rom. “Needless to say her win was well received by the Kiwi crowd but all the contestants, representing both Australia and New Zealand, did a terrific job and they’ve been great ambassadors for TW Steel throughout the weekend in the paddock.”
Carena West was thrilled to win and equally excited about the prospect of going to London for the first time later in the year.
“I’ve had a great time here this weekend and I’m obviously really excited to have won ‘Miss TW Steel Australia-New Zealand’,’ enthused West. “I’ve never been to the United Kingdom so I’m happy to be going there for the grand finale and making the most of the opportunity to be there. The atmosphere at Taupo was fantastic so it was well worth making the trip from Auckland to compete here this weekend!”
The 2008-09 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport heads to South Africa next month for Round 5 hosted for the first time at the Kyalami Circuit near Johannesburg, Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd February.
From Stuart Morrison – TW Steel Motorsport PR Manager
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A1GP: Switzerland Claims Feature Race Victory in New Zealand
Date: 25 January 2009
Press release number: 0393
Embargo date: For immediate release
Event: A1GP Taupo, New Zealand (Round 4 of 9)
Switzerland Claims Feature Race Victory in New Zealand
Taupo, New Zealand A1 Team Switzerland claimed its second win of the season in this afternoons Feature race in A1GP Taupo, New Zealand. Neel Jani finished ahead of Irelands Adam Carroll and Portugals Filipe Albuquerque with Ireland retaining its position at the top of the A1GP championship standing.
Ireland had a clean getaway from pole position but the Netherlands Robert Doornbos was slow off the mark from the front row, allowing Portugal to take advantage, and so dropping back to fifth. Albuquerque was right on the gearbox of Ireland as the field headed into turn one, tapping the Irish car and briefly losing momentum allowing a quick-starting Jani to move up from fourth on the grid to second.
Australias John Martin made an aggressive start to his Feature race, getting Jackeroo ahead of the Netherlands after first dropping behind Switzerland but remaining in fourth. New Zealands Chris van der Drift had a problematic start having to pit with a puncture after a collision with Lebanons Daniel Morad. Morad retired in the pit lane, but New Zealand was able to rejoin, albeit a lap down.
By the end of lap one Ireland led from Switzerland, Portugal, Australia, Netherlands, France and Malaysia, Brazil, USA and India.
Ireland began to pull out a small gap at the front, which was 0.874-seconds from Jani by the end of lap four. Carroll continued to record fastest laps while Monacos Clivio Piccione capitalised on a mistake from Indias Narain Karthikeyan to take ninth.
On lap eight the first pit stop window opened and the emerald green far was first in the pit lane. A good stop from the Irish squad saw the Celtic Tiger retain the lead, while another great stop from the Australian squad got Martin out closer to the leader. Switzerland pitted but wasnt able to take the lead, while Portugal stayed out deep into the pit window in an attempt to make up ground. After recording the fastest lap Albuquerque dived into the pit lane, but with Carrolls new tyres working well he rejoined in third place.
On lap 10 Monaco and Brazil were running wheel-to-wheel when the young Brazilian seemingly closed the door causing the pair to touch, with the result being Brazil spinning across the track and Piccione losing his front wing and running off-track.
After the first round of pit stops the order settled and was Ireland from Switzerland, Portugal, Australia, France, Netherlands, Malaysia, India., USA and Great Britain. Ireland now had a comfortable 3.773-second lead over Switzerland.
On his return to A1GP action Chinas Congfu Cheng had a spin shortly before Great Britains Dan Clarke spun under braking into turn 11 on his race debut for the British team. The 25-year-old kept the engine running and rejoined in fifteenth.
On lap 22, the second mandatory pit stop window opened with Australia being first in this time around. Ireland and Switzerland both pitted on the same lap with the Irish team getting their man away a fraction quicker than the Swiss. However, after Carroll had pulled away from his pit box and looked to have retained his lead the anti-stall system kicked in and halted his progress. The car then stalled and as Carroll got his machine moving again Switzerland took the opportunity to get ahead and snatched the lead of the race. Switzerland, Ireland, Portugal was now the top three after Albuquerque had another clean stop to retain position. China had a problematic second stop with Cheng leaving the pits with the rear jack still attached, resulting in a drive-through penalty a few laps later.
On lap 29 the order was now Switzerland leading from Ireland., Portugal, Australia, France, Netherlands, Malaysia, India, Italy, USA and South Africa.
Switzerland had a 1.6-second advantage over Ireland and Portugal was continuing to push, with Albuquerque setting the fastest lap of the race, a 1m 14.898s on lap 30.
On lap 37, Clivio Piccione went off at Turn 11 and beached the Monaco car at the gravel resulting in the Safety Car being deployed. As the field closed back up the scene was set for the final exciting laps of the race. Switzerland controlled on the re-start on Lap 41 as the field made its way through Turn 1 incident-free.
USAs Marco Andretti moved ahead of Italy to take ninth before Indonesia's Satrio Hermanto spun at Turn 12, closely followed by Malaysia's Fairuz Fauzy, who lost seventh and a solid-points finish at the same time at the same corner. While the action at Turn 12 was going on, Netherlands' Robert Doornbos took advantage and made a move to pass France's Loc Duval.
As the chequered flag came out the top three crossed the line only a few seconds apart. An extremely happy Jani took victory for Switzerland, an even more remarkable achievement given that he was rushed into hospital last week with suspected meningitis, and only came back to full fitness today.
Irelands points haul means it retains the championship lead with 65 points while Switzerland (52) move up to second ahead of Portugal (49).
What a weekend in the end, said race-winner Neel Jani. On Monday I still felt really bad, but I just got better every day with the warm weather in New Zealand, and it looks like the clean, fresh air helped me as well, so that is good.
The first race was already good, a great pit stop put me up to second, but here coming up from fifth to first was nothing we had ever thought of. I had a great start from fifth to second and I was already next to Adam. I settled for second, but then we had a little problem on the first pit stop as I didnt really get off well as I had a problem with the clutch, and then the second pit stop was fantastic, very quick from the guys. I saw Adam next to me and heard his engine revving on the limiter and thought there must be a problem, and I just kept on my side then and was able to take him like that. Then I was just able to control the race.
It was a great, great weekend and a fantastic car. This was the most points we have scored on a weekend this season and so now it is starting to come good for us, but there are still a lot of points needed to catch up Ireland.
Commenting on the first corner tap from Portugal, Irelands Adam Carroll commented: I needed just a little push to get off the line from behind, and Felipe (Albuquerque) gave me that.
It was all a bit close and quite interesting, he continued. But everything was going well until the second pit stop. Basically as I left the engine just went. It didnt stall immediately as to begin with it was okay. Actually the anti-stall system came in, then it stalled completely and I had to bump start it and go again. I dont really know what happened. I was actually lucky not to lose more places. It was unfortunate but second place is still good.
I pushed hard and got some decent times in. Then the guys did a fantastic job in the pits for the first stop and we were able to come out with a good gap, which I was maintaining until the second stop where it all went wrong.
Portugals Filipe Albuquerque said: I think the race pace and our speed this weekend was really there, but it was just a question of being in front. It was interesting to see the gaps between us when Adam was leading and I would have liked to be in front to see if I could have gone at the same pace. I need to congratulate Neel for a good start. I could not do much as I was pushing a lot and here you never rest.
Offline was really dirty, and once I almost disappeared as it was so grippy on the normal track, but if you went off there was no grip. But I think it was just whoever didnt make a mistake would get third place.
Home favourite Chris van der Drift had a disappointing weekend, ending the Feature race in thirteenth: The first lap was what gave us the problems during the whole race. We had the anti-stall problem at the start which was unfortunate. Then on the first lap, I dont know who it was, but someone ran into the back of me. It was unfortunate as after that you cant really do much when you are a lap down.
It was just a pity we couldnt have a better result here for team New Zealand.
From A1GP www.a1gp.com
Merrittville Speedway set to cruise into Seaway Mall
2009 Marks Merrittville’s 58th Racing Season
For Immediate Release - January 23, 2009 - From Jim Irvine - Merrittville Public Relations - 905-685-7223 (Winter Office)
(Thorold, ON) January 23 - Merrittville Speedway has announced a partnership with Seaway Mall that could pit one lucky race fan with the ultimate prize package, which includes a 2009 Grandstand Season Pass!
The contest will take place during the week of March 16th to the 22nd, when cars and stars of Merrittville Speedway’s Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series Division will be on-hand at the Mall providing fans with a one-of-a-kind racing experience.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Mall providing race fans from across the Region an opportunity to meet some of their favourite drivers and to get a first-hand look at their race cars,” said Erica Bicknell, GM of Merrittville Speedway. “This year marks our 58th season, so what better way to treat our fans than with an up-close race experience in an intimate setting,” she added.
As part of the Speedway’s 58th season and in conjunction with St. Patrick’s Day, shoppers showing a receipt from the Seaway Mall Store during the week will receive a shamrock shaped ballot for entry into the Grandstand Pass and Seaway Mall Gift Certificate prize giveaway. From all the shamrocks collected during the week, one lucky winner will be chosen to win the Grand Prize of a 2009 Merrittville Speedway Grandstand Season Pass. The pass will provide entry into all Merrittville Speedway events throughout 2009. The prize is valued at $240.00. Second place winner will win $100 in Seaway Mall Gift Certificates.
Other highlights and participants of race week at the Mall will include:
* Roger Gilbert, Rob Goulding and Rick Grundy will show their Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinder Race Cars
* Kellie Mason, Paul Klager and Shawn Sliter will represent the Modern Corporation Open Wheel Lites.
* Hoosier Stock Point Champion Rob Murray will be joined by other full-fendered stars Rob Disher and Billy Bleich Jr.
* Veterans Jim Johnstone and Rick Bellante will be joined by 2009 rookie Cody McPherson to showcase their Original Pizza Logs Sportsman Cars.
* Welland’s own Rob Pietz is set to make his return to the L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modifieds official by showing off his new car. Joining him with be Bill Bleich and Derek Wutzke.
The Seaway Mall located at 800 Niagara Street features over 120 friendly stores and services and offers free wireless internet throughout the mall.
The Seaway Mall is open Monday to Friday from 10 AM to 9 PM, Saturday from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM and Sundays from 12 to 5 PM.
Shoppers can also visit the Seaway Mall on line at www.seawaymall.com.
Merrittville will officially begin the 2009 season on April 25th. For further information and a preview of Merrittville Speedway’s 58th consecutive season, please visit www.merrittvillespeedway.com
MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY SPONSORS: The 2009 Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series for Merrittville Speedway’s 5 Divisions is brought to fans by division sponsors – L. St. Amand Enterprises, Original Pizza Logs, Lucas Oil, Hoosier Tire Canada and Turn 4 Collision.
About the Seaway Mall: Seaway Mall goes WAY beyond your expectations! Seaway Mall offers a variety of unique shopping and dining experiences and is home to over 120 stores and services including Le Chateau, the Shoe Warehouse, Bonnie Togs, and a brand new Pennington’s. Seaway Mall is simply the best place to shop for everything you need for your family, home and for yourself. For those looking to take-in some tasty treats, the Mall offers a wide-variety of food choices. Recently, the Mall welcomed Ye Olde Squire, which features a Scottish Pub theme and is well known for it’s homemade dishes.
Sunset Speedway to host Don Biederman Memorial on July 4
STROUD, ON - Sunset Speedway's Wes Good is reporting that the Innisfil-area speedway will play host to OSCAAR's Don Biederman Memorial on July 4. The race moves around the province each year. This year's 75-lap race is the 11th annual Biederman race and is one of the most coveted short track events on the schedule.
Scott Steckly gets caught up in early wreck at Irwindale
STECKLY GETS CAUGHT UP IN WRECK AT IRWINDALE
IRWINDALE, CALIFORNIA, Sunday January 25, 2009: After making the long trek from Ontario to Southern California, the No. 22 Racing Team of Scott Steckly had high hopes for a great Toyota All-Star Showdown. But an early race incident left Steckly in the wall with the Bollegraaf / Tow Truck in a Box / Canadian Tire / Erb Group / AW Millwrights Chevrolet damaged beyond repair.
Steady rain on Friday washed out all but a late half hour practice. With 56 cars in attendance the 22 team got only about 15 laps practice before the short session ended. These cars are significantly different than the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series cars Steckly piloted to his 2008 championship so practice was crucial for him to get the feel of the car.
On Saturday prior to qualifying, the drivers were each given five hot laps in groups of 15 before their two time trial laps. When qualifying was complete Steckly was scored in the twenty fifth starting position for the forty car field. “We didn’t qualify as well as we had hoped,” said Steckly. “The car was really tight in the short practice we got so we loosened it up a bunch for qualifying and we picked up about half a second.”
At the drop of the green flag for the Toyota All Star Showdown, Steckly quickly found himself in a pack of cars who appeared determined to win the race on the first lap. They were racing three and four wide from the very first lap.
A car in front of Steckly got into another car and when the dust settled Steckly with nowhere to go was up against the wall with another competitor in turn 4. “I am so disappointed for my team and all of our sponsors for this event,” said Steckly. “I was just getting comfortable in the car and was going to use the first 100 laps as our practice session. We just wanted to stay on the lead lap, make adjustments on our pit stops and work our way to the front. I want to thank Bollegraaf, Tow Truck in a Box, Canadian Tire, Erb Group and AW Millwrights for sponsoring us for this event and wish we could have put on a better show for them.”
A last lap, turn 4 incident saw Joey Logano, who crossed the finish line in first penalized to 40th position and the win given to the No. 40 car of Matt Kobyluck.
It’s back to Ontario now as work continues to prepare the 22 Racing stable of Dodge Avengers for the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, with the first event scheduled for Cayuga late in May.
From Linda Jones // Wide Open Motorsport Solutions
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"Dirt from the Stands" by Greg Cybulski
"Dirt from the Stands" by Greg Cybulski
Intelligent Entrepreneurship Launches New Car Class for 2009
Well race fans, open wheel racing will take on a new and exciting look in 2009. Affordable, entry-level, grass roots racing is just around the corner for the open wheel enthusiast. Enter the Northern Lightning Sprint Association which will make it's debut at Red River Co-op Speedway in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Saturday, April 28th along with the 4 and 8 cylinder enduros. The Lightning Sprints feature a uniform rules package including 130 horsepower 750 c.c. motorcycle engines which will provide fast, exciting and competitive action on the dirt for this coming season.
What sets this new class apart from other regional classes is that it is being promoted with an entrepreneur's touch. By definition, an entrepreneur is one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise. Included in the risks is the promotional end of the business. In this regard, the NLSA is ahead of the curve. Positive, energetic promotion is the single most important aspect of business that sadly gets left behind by most and will generally be picked up by a few self-motivated individuals who wish to see their business succeed.
To date, the NLSA has been mentioned and/or made an appearance by display at the MTS Centre for a Manitoba Moose hockey game for NASCAR night, three Sobey's grocery stores, two in the city of Winnipeg and one in Portage La Prairie (each for a two week period), a Safeway grocery store for a breast cancer benefit, Prairie Dirt Digest podcasts, various regional websites and soon to be seen in an exhibition by thousands of motorsports fans at the MTS Centre for Monster Jam on February 7th and 8th. Not bad for a car class that has not turned a wheel at a speedway yet.
Promoting an event or car class is not just about printing posters and selling tickets. It's about getting out, meeting people and getting exposure in as many avenues as one can think of. It requires thought, determination and a desire to succeed. The true promoter knows this to be true. It is a thankless job in which he/she will hear the word "No" many times. However, for every "No" they hear, they will get an answer of "Yes". Every "Yes" fuels the promoter's desire to carry on and THAT ladies and gentlemen is what builds success. Having said this, the Northern Lightning Sprint Association is on the right track and Prairie Dirt wishes this new group well on its maiden voyage in 2009.
Imagine what could be accomplished if more of our dirt track racing brothers and sisters took this concept to heart.
For more information about the Northern Lightning Sprint Association, go to www.nlsprints.com
Until next time...
Take care and good racing,
Greg Cybulski
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Brumos Racing Takes Closest Rolex 24 At Daytona in History
Brumos Racing Takes Closest Rolex 24 At Daytona in History to Kick Off 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Series Season; Donohue celebrates 40th anniversary of father's triumph by edging Ganassi team in Rolex 24
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 25, 2008) - David Donohue passed Juan Pablo Montoya with 39 minutes remaining and held on to win the 47th Rolex 24 At Daytona - on the 40th anniversary of his father, Mark Donohue's, victory in the 1969 event.
Donohue joined Darren Law, Buddy Rice and Antonio Garcia to give Brumos Racing its first Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 victory since 2003, denying TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates its fourth consecutive triumph in America's premier sports car event by .167 seconds, the closest finish in event history.
"These guys have put a lot of effort into this," Donohue said. "I'm glad to be able to carry the flag. The Brumos team is just a tenacious bunch of guys, they never give up and today proves the point. We came here ready to run and we ran hard the whole time."
Montoya pressured Donohue throughout the final 39 minutes, but the No. 01 Lexus Riley could not overcome the power of the Brumos Porsche on the Daytona banking.
"Every corner it was 110 percent everywhere," said Montoya, who drove for Ganassi in the team's 2007 and 2008 victories. "And it was fun, because we drove like that the last two hours. And we didn't make any mistakes. I gave it 110 percent, and I know I couldn't go any faster if I had done anything different."
Joao Barbosa finished third in the No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley shared by JC France, Hurley Haywood and Terry Borcheller - 5.504 seconds back -- while Max Angelelli took fourth in the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Ford Dallara co-driven by Wayne Taylor, Pedro Lamy and Brian Frisselle, 10.589 seconds behind.
Scott Dixon, the 2006 event winner, took fifth in the No. 02 Target/TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley shared by Dario Franchitti and Alex Lloyd.
The record-breaking event had the closest margin of victory, most finishers on the lead lap and most cautions, 25 for 117 laps. The top four finishers covered 735 laps - most in the Daytona Prototype era. The previous record for the closest Rolex 24 finish was 2000, 30.879 seconds. The 53 lead changes among 22 drivers and nine cars were the second-highest total in event history.
The final hour was run under green flag conditions, with the top four running nose to tail part of the way.
The GT race came down to a one-two finish for TRG Porsche, with Andy Lally and Justin Marks joined by Jorg Bergmeister, Patrick Long and RJ Valentine in the winning No. 67 Porsche GT3. Second, one lap behind, was the TRG No. 66 of Spencer Pumpelly, Tim George Jr., Richard Leitz and Emmanuel Collard.
The opening two hours and 45 minutes of the race were run under green flag conditions, with Penske Racing joining the Brumos and Penske teams in setting a torrid pace.
Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Ryan Briscoe combined to lead 191 laps in the debut of the Penske Racing Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Porsche Riley before the team lost 15 laps in the early morning hours to replace the rear-end assembly, dropping out of contention. The team went on to finish sixth, 18 laps down.
The GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty - joined by three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and Jimmy Vasser - rebounded from early mechanical problems to take seventh. Another team coming back after a slow start was the No. 2 Childress-Howard Motorsports Gentlemen Jack Pontiac Crawford of three-time Rolex 24 winner Andy Wallace, Rob Finlay, Casey Mears and Danica Patrick, which finished eighth.
The No. 09 Spirit of Daytona Racing/Boy Scouts of America Porsche Coyote of motorcycle standouts Scott Russell, Jeff Ward and Jason Pridmore - joined by Guy Cosmo - rebounded from two spins and a pit fire to take 11th in the Daytona Prototype class.
Heavy attrition struck the Ford-powered teams, with a mechanical problem - traced to a wheel on the crankshaft - sidelining six of the seven teams. This included the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Riley, which suddenly slowed with AJ Allmendinger at the wheel near the five-hour mark. Only 10 minutes later, Darren Turner coasted to a stop while running third in the No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Riley. Similar problems would sideline the contending No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Westfield Insurance Riley, the No. 61 AIM Autosport Riley and the No. 77 Doran Racing McDonald's Dallara, which led four laps with Brad Jaeger at the wheel.
Also failing to finish was the new No. 45 Victory Junction - Orbit Racing BMW Riley of Kyle Petty, Bill Lester, Darren Manning and Leo Hendry, which exited after 216 laps with engine problems.
Brumos Porsche fielded winning entries in the Rolex 24 in 1973, 1975 (as Peter Gregg Racing), 1976 and 1978, and also sponsored the winning Joest Porsche in 1991. The team also won its class in 1962, 1968 and 1972. Porsche's last overall victory in the Rolex 24 was in 2003, when TRG put a GT entry in victory lane.
The Donohues became the third father-son combination to win overall in the history of the event, three days after the pair joined Dan and Alex Gurney as the race's lone father-son pole winners. Mark Donohue won the 1969 race in a Lola-Chevrolet T70, joined by Chuck Parsons. Al Unser and Al Unser Jr., and John Paul and John Paul Jr. also were overall winners of the Rolex 24.
TRG Takes 1-2 Finish in Rolex Series GT Class
With arguably one of its best driver lineups ever, TRG earned the top two positions in the Rolex 24 in the Rolex Series GT class, with Andy Lally anchoring a team which included Jorg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Justin Marks and RJ Valentine to the GT victory and a ninth-place finish overall in the No. 67 TRG Construct Corps/CRG Porsche GT3. It marked the second straight season two GT cars finished in the top 10 in the overall standings.
Lally earned his second class victory in the Rolex 24, finishing a dominating weekend for TRG, which led 301 of the 695 laps. In fact, TRG drivers never looked back after Andy Lally inherited the lead from Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche GT3 driver Kevin Roush, who pulled off the course on Lap 553 with a broken driveshaft.
Porsche clearly made a statement from the beginning, as Lally traded the lead with defending race winner and 2009 polesitter Sylvain Tremblay in the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 early in the 2009 race. But when Tremblay pulled the Mazda off the track with a ruptured fuel cell in the race's first hour, the Porsches dominated. Of the 695 laps, Porsche led all but 72 of them, and at the 24 one-hour intervals, only three times did a Porsche not lead.
It was a battle between TRG and Farnbacher Loles Racing thereafter. Dominik Farnbacher, Matthew Marsh and Kevin Roush put the No. 86 Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche GT3 up front a race-high 268 laps, and during the late-night and mid-morning hours, the No. 86 and Nos. 66 and 67 TRG Porsche GT3s swapped the lead multiple times.
But when Roush pulled off the track - in nearly the same fashion as Farnbacher Loles Racing's No. 87 Porsche GT3 hours earlier - during the final four hours, it gave TRG all it needed to earn the team's first Rolex 24 victory since 2003, when Bergmeister and team owner Kevin Buckler won overall and in the GT class with Michael Schrom and Timo Bernhard.
The victory was the third in Rolex 24 competition for Bergmeister, and the first for Long, Marks and Valentine, a 62-year-old Massachusetts native who became the oldest Rolex 24 class winner since Joe Policastro won at 62 years, 10 months and 13 days.
Spencer Pumpelly - who shared the No. 66 TRG AXA/Mitchell Rubber Porsche GT3 with Ted Ballou, Tim George Jr., Emmanuel Collard and Richard Lietz - gave his team a second-place finish, one lap behind the No. 67. The car actually led 152 laps - three more than the No. 66 - and as late as the final three hours.
Not only did TRG sweep the top two positions, but Porsche swept the podium. B.J. Zacharias, Phillip Martien and Porsche factory drivers Sascha Maassen and Patrick Pilet took the No. 33 Wright Motorsports Phillips Way Racing Porsche GT3 to third. The quartet never led, but ran among the top five for more than half the race.
Others led but trailed off at the finish. Defending Rolex Series GT champions Paul Edwards and Kelly Collins, who shared the No. 07 Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R with Jan Magnussen, paced 66 circuits in the only to finish fourth.
Roush, Farnbacher, Marsh and Eric Lux didn't go away completely empty-handed, however. The crew made the changes and took the checkered flag fifth, seven laps behind the GT winners. Two other Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche GT3s also finished in the top 10.
For their efforts, the No. 70 SpeedSource team finished 17th in class, breaking a three-race Rolex Series winning streak at the 3.56-mile track.
The next action for the Grand-Am Rolex Series will be April 26, with the Bosch Engineering 250 at Virginia International Raceway.
POST-RACE NEWS & NOTES
- This is the first overall Rolex Series victory for Darren Law, Antonio Garcia and Buddy Rice and the fourth career Rolex Series victory for David Donohue.
- This is the first Porsche overall victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona since 2003, when TRG took overall and GT honors. The Porsche overall victory also broke a three- race winning streak in the Rolex 24 by Lexus.
- David Donohue became the third second- generation driver to join his father, Mark, as a Rolex 24 overall winner. Other father- son winners were Al Unser Sr. and Al Unser Jr., and John Paul Sr. and John Paul Jr.
- The winning margin by Donohue over Juan Pablo Montoya was 0.167 seconds, the closest 1- 2 finish in Rolex 24 history, and the top four cars were separated by only 10.589 seconds. Both marks bested the previous best margin of victory of 30.879 seconds, set in 2000. The 0.167- second margin of victory was also the fourth closest in Rolex Series history. Ironically, Law, Donohue and Garcia were all involved in the closest finish in Rolex Series history in 2008 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.
- The margin of victory made the Rolex 24 not only the 1- 2 closest finish in race history, but also the closest 1- 2- 3 and 1- 2- 3- 4 finish.
- Five of the top six closest finishes in Rolex Series history have included Scott Pruett.
- The victory by Brumos Racing was the team's first since 2003 at Le Circuit de Mont- Tremblant.
- Buddy Rice became the 12th driver in history to win the Indianapolis 500 and the Rolex 24 At Daytona, joining Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Arie Luyendyk, Al Unser Jr., Al Unser, A.J. Foyt, Bobby Rahal, Dan Wheldon, Mario Andretti and Mark Donohue.
- Antonio Garcia became the first driver from Spain ever to win the Rolex 24 overall.
- The 52 car lead changes in the Rolex 24 were the second most in Rolex Series and Rolex 24 history (64, 2008).
- The last time three drivers from the U.S. were involved in the overall winning team in the Rolex 24 was 2004.
- The victory extended a four- year streak in which at least one driver from the U.S. was part of the overall Rolex 24 winning team.
- The 735 laps completed by the winning drivers were the fourth most in Rolex 24 history, despite setting Rolex Series and Rolex 24 records for most cautions (25) and laps run under caution (116). The Rolex 24 lap record stands at 762 in 1992.
- The 2009 victory for Donohue came in the 40th anniversary of his father Mark's win (1969) and the 40th anniversary of Lola's one and only win in the Rolex 24. Ironically, Mark's victory came with Roger Penske, whose team David battled for the lead for much of the first 18 hours.
- The podium was the third straight for No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley drivers Scott Pruett and Juan Pablo Montoya in the Rolex 24 and second consecutive for Memo Rojas. The trio won the 2008 Rolex 24 overall with Dario Franchitti.
- Brumos Racing also claimed third overall in the Rolex 24, with drivers JC France, Joao Barbosa, Terry Borcheller and Hurley Haywood.
- The 1- 2 finish by TRG in GT was the first 1- 2 finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona since 2000 (GTO class, Viper Team Oreca).
- The Rolex 24 victory was the first for TRG drivers RJ Valentine, Justin Marks and Patrick Long, while Andy Lally and Jorg Bergmeister both own multiple victories. All five drivers had previously won Rolex Series GT class races.
- The victory was the first for Porsche in the GT portion of the Rolex 24 since 2003, when TRG also won overall.
- Porsche dominated the top 10 in the GT class, taking four of the top five and seven of the top 10.
POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES
DAVID DONOHUE (No. 58 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley): "I'm not sure how to begin after all what I just heard. We tested for like 3,000 miles here. "We" being the team. And Darren I wasn't doing much of the testing, and came up with a real efficient package, if anyone notices. Yes, we got them on the straight. Ever noticed how he closed up in the breaking and the chicane and so forth. I'll leave it at that. It's ridiculous at this point.
"Emotions run high mostly for our team. We've been at the bottom of the barrel for a while through '04 and '05. And these guys just, I've said in the past pretty much racing has got a lot of tenacity there. Just a tenacious bunch of guys, never give up and today proves the point. We came here ready to run hard and we ran hard the whole time.
"There were a lot of tears out there. Harris Snodgrass was in victory lane. Bob Snodgrass, our late boss, and he was kind of Brumos, and the passion and spirit behind Brumos, passed away two years ago."
ANTONIO GARCIA (No. 58 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley): "It's incredible. I thought Leman last year was really tight. It was different, and here it was tight. Awesome. I could not see the last hour.
"A lot of things came in my mind. Also the Montreal race, because they were involved in that as well. I mean, I cannot describe it. I just want to thank Brumos, these guys, Porsche, everybody."
DARREN LAW (No. 58 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley): "I don't know if anyone knows, we rolled off that trailer this weekend and never touched the car. Setup was spot on. We did a lot of homework. The car is really, really good. Porsche gave us a great motor. The team did a great job. All the drivers did good. So we're really happy.
"Honestly, it's just sour grapes on their part. We have the smallest motor. Two fewer cylinders than everybody. Porsche just built a good motor. Like David said, we've done our homework. The car was hooked up, trimmed out. And as David mentioned, look, they crossed the line 50 feet behind us. It was a fight the whole way through."
BUDDY RICE (No. 58 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley): "I'm still shocked by it. To think my face is on the BorgWarner trophy. That was an elite group. But now to also have all the people who have won the 24 hours at Daytona, and also for me to be able to do both, it's unbelievable. It's hard to believe. I'm just really happy to be coming in with Brumos Racing for the last three, four years, running on both the bookends of the series. I run here and run with Miller with them and it's a great thing.
"Darren and I have known each other for years since I was in high school and started working with them, and it's just really cool. It's awesome. I can't be any happier. I'm grateful to see that Brumos, like David said, the last two years we've been quite strong.
"We had a selfinflicted wound two years ago, we had a car that was capable of winning. Last year we had a bit of a mechanical issue. It's not like a big shock that we're running up front. But this year we made sure we had all of the Is dotted and the Ts crossed and we came here and executed. That's what Penske does. That's what Ganassi and Wayne Taylor does. There's guys that win races. They execute. You could see how close the qualifying was. You can see how close all times are, but it comes down to execution and not making mistakes. That's what it takes to win these 24hour races and Brumos did it the best this weekend."
JOAO BARBOSA (No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley): "It was a great race, everybody was 100 percent, sprint race all the way through the race and no one wants to lose laps. No one wants to lose touch with the first car. We all pushed really hard, and sometimes traffic played a big part of it.
"Personally I got held up in traffic in the bus stop, like 15 minutes ago and that was it. But that was really tough to fight for any other position. But we were really pushing and the car was great. So I probably could have got a shot at 2nd place. It's tough to say, but we just had a great race and we're really pleased with 3rd place at this point."
TERRY BORCHELLER (No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley): "I started with them last year and it was just awesome. I really enjoyed the team. The friendship with the drivers and with all the boys on both cars. Darren and I, I've known Darren for probably almost 20 years and Buddy Rice. And it's just a great, it's a great definition of a team to be with Brumos. And I hate not winning.
"But today, when Joe got caught in the traffic, I knew it was over for us. And I was, up until that point I was still pulling for our car and our lineup. But as soon as that happened, I couldn't be happier for the 58 car and what they accomplished. And they really deserve it. They did a heck of a job, all of them."
JC FRANCE (No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley): "I was pretty much overcome with emotion there at the finish, see my teammates in the 58 car to get a welldeserved victory and for us to have a great finish right behind them is everything we could ask for. It's a great start to the season. I'm proud of all my codrivers here. They really stepped up and carried the load last night and today and just an overall great team effort on Brumos.
"I don't know. The 58 car was pretty strong. Both our cars were working real well. To try to say ifs and buts and what would have happened out there in racing conditions, when you come across traffic and stuff. But the track position is definitely a key factor. It's easier to block than it is to pass. That had some impact on it."
HURLEY HAYWOOD (No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley): "We've got to remember that Brumos is a team with two cars, and the success of the 58 car is shared by everybody on the 59 car and all the drivers and all the crew members, because it is a team.
"And our team worked very, very hard. We had a setback. We were the first team to come on board with the Daytona prototype when it was first introduced, it came with the fab car.
"We had some issues with that chassis. But we stuck to it. We changed over to the Riley. Bob Snodgrass was our spearhead. He led us and gave us encouragement and made it all possible for us to compete in this great series"
"I think the trophy will probably go back to Jacksonville to add to our trophy case that's in our Porsche dealership. It's got quite a few of our trophies from the 24hour races. So I think it will end up there. It might move back and forth because the guys deserve to share that."
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA (No. 01 TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley): "I don't think I ever made any attempts to go back by it. I tried, but the amount of power they have on the straights. I'm actually surprised we finished second. I think everybody at Chip Ganassi were making jokes. They drove their ass off well and we stayed in the lead most of the race. And it's one of those deals.
"I was actually surprised we even fought for the win, to be honest. Everything the rumors and the Penske would drive away from us easily. I drove my butt off. I knew if I would get any traffic in the backstop I was done. And I did. And I did, and I was done. And it didn't matter how many times they made mistakes. And they just kept driving off and driving off for me, even when I was in the draft.
"But it's what it is. And they're going to have a fun year."
SCOTT PRUETT (No. 01 TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley): "I couldn't be more prouder for the whole Ganassi operation, with TELMEX and Lexus. And, of course, the job that Juan Pablo and Memo did. We gave it 110 percent. It was actually a little bit better than what we expected. And congratulations to the Brumos guys for finally getting their first victory. I know they've been chasing after that.
"But it is a little frustrating. I mean, when guys just drive by you, it just never seems right, no matter what you do. Everything will get evened out. I can't say enough about the whole Ganassi organization, with Lexus and TELMEX to come back here and run as strong as we did the whole time and never miss a beat. Again, the car never had a problem at all. The car didn't have a problem."
MEMO ROJAS (No. 01 TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley): "I agree with Scott and Juan. I just want to congratulate my team. They did an awesome job all weekend. We have the car to win. We didn't have the power to win, but I mean Juan and Scott, literally, it was a very difficult race. We had to drive 10, 10 through most of the race. Although there wasn't much rain, there was few yellow flags as compared to previous years. And you could see how it came up for a 24hour race to be that tight in the end with Juan driving like a qualifying, like in a onehour qualifying session. That was pretty impressive.
"So congratulations to Brumos again; and, well, they have won the season."
JORG BERGMEISTER (No. 67 TRG Porsche GT3): "It's been a while since 2003. Back again with TRG, winning again is just awesome. Kevin put together a great program. Great driver lineup. And I'm just excited to have another watch."
PATRICK LONG (No. 67 TRG Porsche GT3): "Stellar. Just has been an unbelievable month. Being here with Jorg, a teammate for a long time. Kevin gave me my first run here at the Rolex back in 2004.
"I said it time and time again, I thought this was the one race that would elude me for my whole career. Having some early success with thanks to Porsche and many other big endurance races, this Rolex has slipped away from me a few times. Personally this is really sweet. But just a really congrats and well done to the whole team. Thanks to Kevin and TRG."
ANDY LALLY (No. 67 TRG Porsche GT3): "I don't look at myself as team leader. I'm fortunate to be part of TRG five years and be a small part of an awesome program and it's an honor.
"This is Daytona for me is the pinnacle of the endurance racing. A lot of people look at Leman, but this place holds a special spot in my heart. And the 24 is the moment and the day that I think of when I'm looking for energy and inspiration during my workouts and how to keep going, and this is what I want and this is the drive. And to be able to win here at Daytona anytime, whether it's the summer race but especially this race, the Daytona 24, is the most amazing thing."
JUSTIN MARKS (No. 67 TRG Porsche GT3): "It's a great way to get back into sports car racing. I knew coming into it we would have a real legitimate shot at this. So much talent on the team and in the TRG organization.
"So it was just really excited to get the thing kicked off with this race and knew we were going to have a good run. And I've been lucky enough to win the summer sports car race here twice, the 250 twice. But this is just on a scale that's so far beyond that it's just awesome. To be able to do it in, do it for Kevin and do it with the team that I made my 24 hours debut with in 2001 is pretty special, too, because I spent the next couple years racing for BMW. To come back to Porsche TRG, winning the thing, it's awesome, great momentum for the season and for Andy."
RJ VALENTINE (No. 67 TRG Porsche GT3): "For me, this is my 23rd race, racing over 30 years. To win your Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona is a thrill beyond imagination for me.
"Having participated with some of the greatest drivers in the world is also a thrill for me. I don't mind telling you I'm 64 years old. I've been in this a long time. What happened for me today is a thrill beyond comprehension.
"There's not much more I can say. I'm still in shock. I still can't believe I was involved with a team that won it. And TRG and Deborah and Kevin and Porsche Motorsports did a tremendous job with our car."
TED BALLOU (No. 66 TRG Porsche GT3): "It is a great way to start. Spencer has done a great job of bringing me along this year. I'm looking forward to spending the whole year with him. We just signed a new sponsor in AXA. They're actually a French company. Nice to have Collard on the team. And obviously Richard did a great job in the middle of the night fighting with Farnbacher. And Spencer and obviously Tim. So it really was a great event for us."
EMMANUAL COLLARD (No. 66 TRG Porsche GT3): "The race was really exciting. We were fighting for the win, for the race. We had a problem at the end with the brakes. But overall the car was well prepared by the team, TRG. And I think it was a great weekend also for Porsche overall, because they won with the GT, with the GT also. Wonderful weekend for them."
TIM GEORGE JR. (No. 66 TRG Porsche GT3): "It was awesome to be a part of TRG again. With the 66, same colors, different number this year. Step up to the podium, with Collard and Pumpelly last year and as well this year, it's awesome. Welcome Richard and Ted on the team. And it's really good racing with everybody here. Speedweek is coming up, Arthur Remax Series for me. And February 7th is the race there. So being in that No. 2."
RICHARD LIETZ (No. 66 TRG Porsche GT3): "It was my first race with TRG. We finished second on the podium. They organized everything really well. When you go with five cars in a 24hour race, it's really, really difficult. And they did it well. And position 1 and 2 for a team says everything. And I'm happy that we finished on the podium and maybe we do it next year again and thank you very much."
SPENCER PUMPELLY (No. 66 TRG Porsche GT3): "I was actually in the car at the time when the 86 broke, and that was the first I'd heard of the deal. But we had a similar deal last year. And it's tough being in that situation knowing that when we pitted, they took the lead, and when we take the lead, there's a fifty/fifty shot that that happened.
"So we just kind of came out on the unlucky side of that deal. But at the same time you can't win the 24 without some luck, as anyone who has won it knows. And it was the right decision to be made. And we're part of a historic finish in 12. And, again, it was not a big deal as far as when I look back on the race, what I look back is having the opportunity to run with these guys here and work with such a good group of people."
PHILLIP MARTIEN (No. 33 Wright Motorsports Porsche GT3): "It's the best birthday present ever! Third place in my first Rolex 24! It is the best day of my life. I still don't really comprehend
what's going on. It's going to be tomorrow morning before I really realize what we did. I can't thank John Wright and the Wright Motorsports team for all their work that enabled us to bring the car to the podium. It's a total dream come true. I also want to thank Porsche Motorsports for giving us Sascha and Patrick. And of course Wright Motorsports' lead driver is B.J., who is wonderful.
"The best moment was to see us in P3 on TV. We had the good sense to not get rattled when we had problems in the last hour. We got a drive-through penalty, and then a potential flat tire, but we managed to hold onto third place. The last hour was so exciting. It's true what they say; it's never over until the fat lady sings. And what do I want for my next birthday? To come back here and win!"
SASHA MASSEN (No. 33 Wright Motorsports Porsche GT3): "I'm happy for Brumos of course, and for us as well. We had a plan. First, we wanted to finish the race, but I thought that wasn't going to be easy. Then we wanted to try to get on the podium, and I thought that was going to be hard too. Phillip hasn't even done a 24-hour race, but I'm happy with his performance because he made no mistakes. You can only finish a race in a good way if you do not make mistakes. Wright Motorsports is a great crew; they didn't make any mistakes either, and that's why we got on the podium. It was a great result!"
PATRICK PILET (No. 33 Wright Motorsports Porsche GT3): "This was only my second Rolex 24 and my first podium in this race, so the day was a great success. The team did a very good job. I knew John Wright had a good team. The car was very consistent. The pit stops were very quick. The podium finish was a very nice present for Phillip. We don't know why the throttle wasn't working correctly. It was only about 90 percent. Next time we'll come back with it 100 percent and maybe we can win! I don't know exactly what happened at the end; I don't think I was hit. There was a vibration in the rear and smoke came out of the left rear. We thought it was a puncture. We came in and tore off the rear bumper in case something was rubbing the tire, but luckily it was OK. I hope to be here next year with the same team, only next time we want to win!"
BJ ZACHARIAS (No. 33 Wright Motorsports Porsche GT3): "Of the six Rolex 24s I've done, this one was the biggest rollercoaster. We were second pretty early, and then we fell behind a bit. We didn't have full throttle all day, and of all the tracks where you need full throttle, Daytona is it. I'd say it was about 97 percent at best. The crew worked hard to make it handle better all day, and John Wright called a great race. We also had one problem when we changed a brake caliper; only one front caliper was working after that stop, so we had to make another stop to change the right front caliper again. That was at about the 15-hour mark.
"We're an independent team. There are some advantages to running a big, multicar team, and I think there are some disadvantages too. We're the little team that could. We had a great car and a great driver line-up and great support, and we want to thank everyone involved."
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For additional information contact Grand-Am: J.J. O'Malley, Manager of Communications, 386-681-6910, jjomalley@grand-am.com // Michael Harker, Public Relations Coordinator, 386-681-6379,mharker@grand-am.com
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