Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Month: June 2011

  • Another Fuel Mileage Finish = More Excitement; Jr. Wins Coming Soon

    Another Fuel Mileage Finish = More Excitement; Jr. Wins Coming Soon

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”243″][/media-credit]Fans were once again treated to another exciting finish as Brad Keselowski broke through to end his 60-race winless streak after conserving just enough fuel to hold off Dale Earnhardt Jr. by just over 2.5 seconds. For some Jr. fans this may appear as just another disappointing finish, but I see most of Jr Nation looking forward after the amazing progress that has been made since 2009 when the struggles began. With his second-place finish today, Jr. is now just 41 points out of first place and is in real contention for a championship run for the first time since 2004. I see Jr. finishing in the Top 5 this year in the championship. I don’t see a championship just yet, but still give major credit to Jr. and Steve Letarte.

    The race on the other hand was very exciting in my view. Kurt Busch had the dominant race car as he sat on the pole, but like last week when Jr. looked like he was going to secure the victory, Busch was forced to pit for fuel with a handful of laps to go and wound up in ninth place. Denny Hamlin recovered from last weekend’s sputter to finish in third while Jeff Gordon finished fourth after announcing his ‘Go For Broke’ strategy, but he wound up just a little short. Gordon was my pick to win this weekend based off how he did in practice. Carl Edwards rounded out the Top 5.

    Greg Biffle was the biggest surprise of the race. Biffle was my second pick to win this race along with teammate Carl Edwards as my third. Biffle dominated at Kansas last season for his second victory of 2010 and was the fastest during the first session of practice, but just what happened? Biffle finished in tenth, but this is a track where Roush Fenway Racing is usually top dog. Yes, this race did come down to fuel mileage, but Carl Edwards was the only Roush car in the field who actually led a lap and that is a shock for a lot of people, including me.

    Fuel mileage races add more excitement to the overall atmosphere of the racing when it comes down to that. I was asked earlier today, “Are there too many fuel mileage races?” Well…you can’t really answer a yes or no to that because you really never know when that is going to happen. I didn’t see the Coca Cola 600 coming down to fuel until the final 30-40 laps and the same with the race today. I love fuel mileage races because the suspense really shakes you and the result makes the feeling even better.

    Now, for next week we are at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania for the Pocono 500 and this will be the first race for TNT in 2011 as FOX says goodbye until 2012 and TNT takes over for the summer. Most people in the reporting business I know will pick Denny Hamlin because they just seem to follow what everyone else does, but I’m not going to do that. Hamlin actually didn’t have the best average finish at Pocono last season unlike what most people have heard. Tony Stewart actually did. Hamlin won the June event and Greg Biffle won the August event. Hamlin finished 1st and 5th at Pocono for the season while Stewart finished 3rd and 2nd.

    I’m afraid on picking any Joe Gibbs Racing car at the same time because of the engine problems they have been having this season and Stewart and his Stewart-Haas Racing team in general have had their fair share of bad races. However; I’m still going out on a limb and saying Tony Stewart will break through for his first win of 2011. Expect Roush Fenway to be a threat still for the win.

    Any questions or comments, you can leave them below, or email me at therhino.ryan@gmail.com or the twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ryan__ohara

    Rest in peace Grandpa.

  • Fuel Mileage In America’s Heartland, The STP 400 at Kansas

    Fuel Mileage In America’s Heartland, The STP 400 at Kansas

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”248″][/media-credit]For the second straight week, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series saw a race come down to fuel mileage once again involving Dale Earnhardt Jr. Like last week, Earnhardt came up short as it was Michigan’s Brad Keselowski taking the blue deuce back to victory lane in the inaugural STP 400 at the Kansas Speedway. Brad was able to stretch his fuel for the final 57 lap run to earn his second career victory. Keselowski said, “I didn’t even realize I was in the lead until two to go when I looked at the pylon.” It was the first victory for Keselowski since Talladega in the spring of 2009, and the first win for both Dodge and Penske for the 2011 season.

    So much for Kurt Busch having “undriveable” cars this season. Kurt took the lead on lap 18 from Juan Pablo Montoya and began to pull away. The elder Busch lead 152 laps. That’s quite a feet considering that prior to Sunday’s race, Kurt had only lead 123 through the first 12 races of this season. It wasn’t until lap 258 when the day went wrong for Kurt when he was forced to pit for fuel. Then, just one lap later, he struggled getting the car going as the fuel was not picking up to the motor. Kurt was still able to salvage a ninth place finish on the day catapulting him to sixth in the point standings

    Tony Stewart was another driver that got a much deserved good day. Kansas has always been a great track for Smoke as he is a two time winner in America’s Heartland( 2006 and 2009 respectively). Stewart ran up towards the front just about all race long and looked like he may challenge for his first win in 2011. That all came to and end when he like most drivers, had to pit for fuel late in the race. It wasn’t all for nothing though, Tony got an eighth place finish and moved up one spot to eighth in the points. Just the day Smoke needed to kick off the summer stretch of the season.

    As always, there were some notable performances from Sunday’s STP 400 that had an overall good day.

    Remember how everyone pretty much wrote off Denny Hamlin about five weeks ago? Well, don’t look now, but Denny is back. Hamlin had a very strong showing on Sunday once again. Hamlin was able to get out front, lead some laps, battle in the top five and ultimately came home in the third spot. Hamlin now sits eleventh in the Sprint Cup points which currently qualifies him for the wild card spot.

    Denny’s arch enemy from last year, Jimmie Johnson, also had a strong showing on Sunday. The five time champ battled his way up from the thirty-first starting position to finish a respectable seventh on the day. This shows that the 48 team does not need a good qualifying run in order to run well and get a good finish. They showed preserverance and determination as they took to the slick Kansas Speedway. Johnson now sits third in the points, 40 markers out of the lead. That’s nearly a whole race out. The 48 team will have to have runs just like this one, and better if they want a shot at Carl Edwards in the chase.

    Sunday also brings the NASCAR on FOX portion of the season to a close. 2011 marks the 11th season of the combination and arguably the best one of the relationship. The entire crew from the booth to the Hollywood Hotel and pit road stepped up to the plate and delivered a terrific presentation to the viewers at home. The coverage now switches to TNT and they kick off their fifth annual “TNT Summer Six Pack” which includes the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona and the inaugural Quaker State 400 at the Kentucky Speedway.

    Sunday’s race provided everything we normally see when we go to a 1.5 mile track. Side by side racing, long green flag runs, pit strategy and the occasional fuel mileage duel. We saw that many races may come down to fuel mileage which will create many tense moments in races to come. I personally can not wait to see whats to come next weekend in the Poconos.

    Next Race- Pocono 500 on TNT

  • Jason White Scores First Top 10 at Circuit ICAR in NASCAR Canadian Tire Series

    After having a frustrating weekend last week at Mosport, Jason White was ready to rebound strong this weekend at Circuit ICAR north of Montreal, Quebec. White did that as despite not having a lot of experience on the road courses, he brought home the No. 21 A&W Dodge in the top 10.

    “I knew there was going to be all kinds of carnage on those final two laps,” White said of the final green-white-checkered.  “I just kept my wits about me and stuck it in there when I had the chance and made a couple of passes in those last two laps.”

    This marks the first top-10 for White with his new crew chief Derek Lynch.

    “It’s been a long time coming” he said afterwards.  “My Crew Chief Derek Lynch and the whole team gave me a car I could drive and not have it drive me.  I’ve got to thank all the guys for their hard work this weekend.  This whole team is super excited to get back into our oval car and get to Delaware next weekend.”

    Following testing, White said he was just looking for a solid run on the 2.11 mile road course that was laid out on the Mirabel Airport.

    “It’s a very tight course and really technical,” White explained.  “Our team wanted to set the car up to run very consistently throughout the race” he added.

    Qualifying wouldn’t be as perfect as he would’ve liked as he’d qualify 17th for the 30-lap race.

    “I really wanted to get under a time of one minute forty for a lap and we just missed,” White said.  “But I was able to run those laps times all through practice and qualifying which set us up nicely for the race.”

    So when it came to the beginning of the race, White knew he had be patient and slowly work his way up front.

    “Through the first part of the race the #21 A & W Dodge Challenger was really consistent and we picked up a couple of spots and got up close to tenth and I thought we were in pretty good shape,” White said.

    The next event for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will be this coming Saturday June 11th at Delaware Speedway near London, Ontario.  The race from Circuit ICAR can be seen on TSN Sunday June 12th at 11AM Eastern.

    Race fans can follow Jason White through his website http://www.jasonwhiteracing.com and on twitter @racinjasonwhite

  • James Buescher Texas Motor Speedway Preview

    James Buescher No. 31 Wolfpack Rentals Chevrolet Texas Motor Speedway WinStar World Casino 400k June 10, 2011

    James Buescher NCWTS at Texas Motor Speedway   Date Start Finish LC/TL Status $Won 6/5/2009 20 18 164/167 Running $14,055 11/6/2009 10 17 146/147 Running $11,480 6/4/2010 3 6 169/169 Running $11,825   11/5/2010 21 6 147/147 Running $13,300

    Event Starts Poles Wins Top-Fives Top-10s LC/TL $Won Spring 2 0 0 0 1 333/336 (99.1%) $25,880   Fall 2 0 0 0 1 293/294 (99.7%) $24,780   Totals 4 0 0 0 2 626/630 (99.4%) $50,660

    No. 31 Wolfpack Rentals Chevrolet News and Notes

    * This Week’s Silverado… The No. 31 Wolfpack Rentals team will bring chassis TMS-203 to Texas Motor Speedway for Friday night’s 167-lap event.  TMS-203 is a brand new truck to the Turner Motorsports team.

    * Hometown Boy… James Buescher is a Texas native and considers Texas Motor Speedway his home track.  The 21-year-old was raised in Plano, TX and now resides in Katy, TX with his fiancé Kris.

    * Turner Motorsports is Texas Strong… Not only does driver James Buescher consider Texas Motor Speedway his home track but so does Turner Motorsports team owner, Steve Turner.  Turner along with his wife Sandra live outside of Houston, only four hours from the Great American Speedway.  Turner Motorsports captured its second win of the 2011 season last weekend at the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race with Justin Allgaier and the No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet.  The organization is in its sophomore season of NASCAR competition and has already captured two wins, one pole, along with 26 top-five and 60 top-10 finishes in both Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series competition. Turner Motorsports has expanded from a two-truck NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) operation in 2010 to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series, fielding three entries in the NCWTS and four entries in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS).

    * Strong Showing… James Buescher and the No. 31 Wolfpack Rentals team had a strong showing at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway in 2010.  The team finished well inside the top-10 in both races as Buescher’s Chevrolet Silverado came across the finish line in the sixth spot.  The Texas native also captured the pole position for the fall NASCAR Nationwide Series event.

    * Come and See Me… Buescher will participate in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series autograph session on Friday, June 10th from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. CST.  The autograph session will be held in the midway behind the main grandstand at the Texas Motor Speedway.

    * Follow Me… Visit www.twitter.com/jamesbuescher or www.facebook.com/jamesbuescherracing for the latest news and updates on James Buescher and the No. 31 Wolfpack Rentals team.     * Watch and Listen…The WinStar World Casino 400kwill be broadcast live on Friday, June 10th on SPEED.  Race coverage will begin at 8:30 p.m. EST. The event can also be heard live on MRN Radio as well as Sirius Satellite Radio, channel 90. Check local listings for start times.

    James Buescher on driving at Texas Motor Speedway “Texas [Motor Speedway] is really fast.  The truck carries a lot of speed into the corners.  To be successful, the truck really needs to rotate so you carry your momentum off the corner and down the straightaway.  Our Wolfpack Rentals Chevrolet team has been really strong this season at the mile-and-a-half tracks and I think this weekend will not be any different. We just need to make sure we stay out of trouble all night and be there at the end.

    “We are really building momentum heading into the meat of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.  Our Chevrolet Silverado is fast right off the truck and [crew chief] Michael Shelton and my Turner Motorsports team are doing a great job making the right adjustments.  If we continue to run inside the top-five week in and week out the wins will come.”

    James Buescher NCWTS Career Statistics Races Wins Poles Top-Fives Top-10s DNFs Earnings 60 0 0 11 19 6 $893,089

    James Buescher 2011 NCWTS Season Totals Starts  Wins  Poles Top-Fives Top-10s DNF Money 7 0 0 4 6 0 $109,725

    James Buescher 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results   Date   Start Finish LC TC Status Money   2/18/2011 Daytona International Speedway 2 9 103 103 Running $19,200   3/12/2011 Darlington Raceway 7 5 147 147 Running $12,300   4/2/2011 Martinsville Speedway 6 35 134 250 Accident $7,525   4/22/2011 Nashville Superspeedway 17 5 150 150 Running $17,350   5/13/2011 Dover International Speedway 14 8 200 200 Running $15,500   5/20/2011 Charlotte Motor Speedway 5 4 134 134 Running $19,100   6/4/2011 Kansas Speedway 6 4 167 167 Running $18,750   6/10/2011 Texas Motor Speedway               7/7/2011 Kentucky Motor Speedway               7/16/2011 Iowa Speedway               7/22/2011 Nashville Superspeedway               7/29/2011 O’Reilly Raceway Park               8/6/2011 Pocono Raceway               8/20/2011 Michigan International Speedway               8/24/2011 Bristol Motor Speedway               9/2/2011 Atlanta Motor Speedway               9/16/2011 Chicagoland Speedway               9/24/2011 New Hampshire Motor Speedway               10/1/2011 Kentucky Motor Speedway               10/15/2011 Las Vegas Motor Speedway               10/22/2011 Talladega Superspeedway               10/29/2011 Martinsville Speedway               11/4/2011 Texas Motor Speedway               11/18/2011 Homestead-Miami Speedway

    Totals   8.14 10.00 1035 1151 89.92% $109,725

  • Childress Statement on NASCAR Penalty

    Childress Statement on NASCAR Penalty

    WELCOME, N.C. (June 6, 2011)-  The following is a statement by Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing, regarding the penalty announced today by NASCAR regarding an incident he was involved in June 4 incident at Kansas Speedway:

    First of all, I’m responsible for my actions, plain and simple. As you know, I am a very principled person and have a passion for what we do at Richard Childress Racing. I believe passionately in defending my race teams and my sponsor partners. In this instance, I let that passion and my emotions get the best of me. I accept the penalty NASCAR announced today and, as a company, we will now focus on this week’s races at Pocono Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway.

    About Richard Childress Racing 2011 Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 190 victories and 12 NASCAR championships, including six in the Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its 2011 Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Paul Menard (No. 27 Menard’s Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet) and Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet). Its Camping World Truck Series program includes 2010 Rookie of the Year Austin Dillon (No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Joey Coulter, Jr. (No. 22 RCR Development Chevrolet). Tim George Jr. (No 31 RCR Development Chevrolet) and Ty Dillon (No. 41 Chevrolet) will compete in the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

  • NASCAR Issues Probation and Financial Punch to Richard Childress

    NASCAR Issues Probation and Financial Punch to Richard Childress

    [media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]
    Permanent Press
    NASCAR announced season long probation and a fine of $150,000 against Sprint Cup team owner Richard Childress for an altercation involving Kyle Busch Saturday night at Kansas Speedway.

    It was reported that Childress grabbed Kyle Busch, administered a headlock and punched him several times about the face. The attack took place in the garage after Saturday’s Camping World Series Truck race.

    Shortly after publishing its findings, NASCAR released a statement.

    “The penalty we have announced today for Richard Childress reflects NASCAR’s response to the incident at Kansas Speedway on Saturday. We feel this action is appropriate and are confident all parties involved understand our position on this matter and will move forward appropriately.”

    Speculation about what provoked the incident centers around Busch and his recent on track aggression towards Childress drivers and equipment.

    Busch, already on probation for incidents at Darlington Raceway, was cleared of any wrong doing in the most recent altercation.

    Childress, owner of Richard Childress Racing, also released a statement about the altercation.

    “First of all, I’m responsible for my actions, plain and simple. As you know, I am a very principled person and have a passion for what we do at Richard Childress Racing. I believe passionately in defending my race teams and my sponsor partners.”

    “In this instance, I let that passion and my emotions get the best of me. I accept the penalty NASCAR announced today and, as a company, we will now focus on this week’s races at Pocono Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway.”

    Speculation about what provoked the incident centers around Busch and his recent on track aggression towards Childress drivers and equipment.

  • Rod Johnson Jr. Picks Up Third Win of Season at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale

    [media-credit name=”Position One Motorsports” align=”alignright” width=”175″][/media-credit]It’s been 4 weeks since Rod Johnson Jr stepped into his #03 King Taco/Sunrise Ford Super Late Model entry at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, but from tonight’s result there was absolutely no rust that this 21 year old had to shake off.  The driver from Canyon Country, CA put on a race tonight that displayed his incredible driving talent. Johnson and the Position One Motorsports team had much to do during the 4 week break, namely repairing the #03 entry, which was heavily damaged at the last event when a part failure sent Johnson into the turn #3 wall.   Arriving Saturday, the team was confident that the car was fixed and race ready.

    While taking the car around the 1/2-mile track during the first practice session of the day, the team and RJ were confident that there were no remnants from the wreck and the speed proved that.  Johnson finished the session in first with a fast time worthy of 1st on the timesheets (18.151).  The team opted not to go out for the 2nd practice session as there was nothing to be gained by it and RJ was comfortable with the car as is. Qualifying came and Johnson took the # 03 car around the track, immediately put it at the top of the charts with a time of 17.719.  The #17 of Jason Patison would end up snatching the pole away by the slimmest of margins, but the race would eventually even that out.

    “Everything came together for the race.  We had a really fast car and managed to get to the front in the beginning and we were able to set our own pace from there on after and everything worked out, said Johnson after the win.

    Starting in the 3rd spot, Johnson  took the green flag and charged forward in blazing fashion and by lap #2 he had managed to snag the lead.  He never looked back.  Johnson’s nearest competitor at the beginning, Kevin Thompson, was 3 car lengths away and RJ began putting himself in a commanding lead.

    Patison eventually got around Thompson for 2nd but would never really pose a threat to Johnson throughout the 75-lap race.  By lap # 20 Johnson’s lead had increased to 6- car lengths, where it would stay for most of the race.

    “Well today this team showed that it’s a championship caliber team.  We came back from a big wreck at the last event and dominated today, said John Schuetze Johnson’s crew chief. Schuetze also added that, “We missed qualifying a bit, but came back for the race and Johnson did an excellent job and showed what this team is capable of.

    “We were the fastest car and came home in one piece and I’m pretty sure we could have gone another 75 laps and been just as good.  The team did an excellent job as well, so my thanks to everyone”.

    Over the radio Johnson conveyed to the crew that the car was smooth and with every lap RJ smoothly hit his marks and would eventually take the checkered flag in first place, putting an exclamation point on his weekend’s performance.  This marks Johnson’s third race win of the season.  In addition to the win, RJ also had the distinction of running the race’s fastest lap of 18.022.

    Johnson also took time to thank those around him, “My thanks to the team and our sponsors King Taco, Sunrise Ford, Eibach Springs, DJ Safety, Bell Helmets, Jan’s Towing, Ron’s Rear Ends and Wilwood Brakes”.

  • RCR Post Race Report — Kansas and Chicago

    RCR Post Race Report — Kansas and Chicago  

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

    RACE: STP 400

    TRACK: Kansas Speedway  DATE: June 5, 2011

    Race Highlights:    

    * RCR teammates finished 11th (Kevin Harvick), 18th (Clint Bowyer), 19th (Paul Menard) and 25th (Jeff Burton).     

    * RCR teammates are fourth (Harvick), ninth (Bowyer), 20th (Menard) and 24th (Burton) in the Sprint Cup Series point standings following Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway.     

    * Harvick posted an average running position of 8.25, seventh best amongst the 43-car field.     

    * Bowyer made 104 green-flag passes during the race.     

    * Bowyer spent 117 laps running in the top 15.     

    * Menard ranked seventh in the category of Green-Flag Passes (102 passes) in NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics.     

    * Menard spent 135 laps (50.6 percent of his laps run) in the top 15.      

    * Burton has been running at the end of all contested races at Kansas Speedway under the RCR banner with eight.     

    * Brad Keselowski took home the checkers, beating Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Denny Hamlin to the line. Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards rounded out the top-five finishers.     

    * The next Sprint Cup Series race is the Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, June 12, televised live on TNT and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.   

    Menard and No. 27 Zecol/Menards Team Bring Home Top-20 Finish from Kansas

    Paul Menard and the No. 27 Zecol/Menards Chevrolet dealt with handling issues throughout the STP 400 to come home with a 19th-place finish in the first of two races this season at Kansas Speedway. Menard qualified the No. 27 Richard Childress Racing entry in the ninth position and started the race next to his RCR teammate Kevin Harvick, who had qualified 10th. The Eau Claire, Wisc., native was 11th on lap 44 during the first round of green-flag stops. Crew chief Slugger Labbe and the Zecol/Menards team made adjustments to the car over next 70 laps which resulted in the car being both loose and tight in the turns. Menard made minor contact with the No. 4 car on lap 118 but there was only minimal damage to the No. 27 Chevrolet. The team raced between 17th and 19th through lap 200 before green-flag stop on lap 202 dropped the team to 21st and a lap down to the leader. Menard battled back, however, running as high as 13th but, after a late-race stop to take on two tires and enough fuel to get to the checkered flag, he had to settle for the 19th-place finish.

    PAUL MENARD QUOTE: “We struggled throughout the race to find the right setup for the Zecol/Menards Chevy but were never able to get exactly what we needed. Slugger (Labbe, crew chief) and the team worked really hard to get the car’s handling balanced, making adjustments on almost every pit stop, but it seemed like we would be loose one run and then tight the next.”

    Start – 9                       Finish – 19                   Laps Led – 0                Points – 20 

    Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser Team Finish 11th in Kansas  As fuel mileage came into play for the second week in a row, Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team finished 11th in Sunday’s STP 400 at Kansas Speedway. Harvick started the race from the 10th position and remained inside the top 10 through the team’s first trip to pit road on lap 44 as he battled a tight-handling race car. Crew chief Gil Martin called for a four-tire stop with air pressure adjustments to try to help get the car to turn better in the corners. The team made adjustments throughout the race, but Harvick continued to deal with a tight-handling Chevrolet for the first seven to 10 laps of a run and then, all of a sudden, the car would come to him before developing a loose handling condition. Despite the handling problems, Harvick continued to run inside the top 10 after the field cycled through green-flag stops. Toward the end of the race, a few teams elected to come down pit road while a majority of the field stayed on the track. Those teams stretched their fuel mileage in the closing laps of the race, making only one trip to pit road while the other teams, including the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team had to pit twice. Harvick came down pit road under green in eighth position at lap 241 for the final stop of the day. As the green-flag stops cycled through in the remaining laps, he ended up 11th, losing spots only to the three cars that were able to stretch their fuel mileage at the end of the race.  Start – 10                      Finish – 11                   Laps Led – 0                  Points – 4

    KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:”We fought it up and down; tight and loose. We had a decent car; not a great car. We gambled a little bit and just had to come in there for gas. But, that’s what we’re supposed to do, gamble.”

      Burton, Cat Racing Team Finish 25th in Kansas  Jeff Burton and the Cat Racing team endured a tough outing at Kansas Speedway in Sunday’s STP 400, finishing 25th in the rundown. Saturday’s time trials session led to an outside row eight starting spot for the South Boston, Va., native – a position that he, unfortunately, could never advance from. Immediately after the drop of the green flag, an ill-handling machine transpired and crew chief Todd Berrier used every opportunity the Richard Childress Racing team had to apply doses of medicine to the ever-so-touchy No. 31 entry. However, nothing seemed to remedy the condition and Burton spent most of his afternoon running in and around the 20th position. Adding a complex race car to a track notorious for track position and long green-flag runs made it that much more difficult for the 21-time Sprint Cup Series race winner to make up any ground. In the end, he found himself one lap down to the leader with 27 laps to go, dropping as low as 27th, but was able to notch two spots before the checkered flag waved.     Start – 16             Finish – 25            Laps Led – 0            Points Position – 24  

    JEFF BURTON QUOTE:”Today wasn’t a very good day for the Cat Racing team. We could never get the Caterpillar Chevrolet handling well which made for a long day. It’s definitely frustrating to post a 25th-place finish.”

    No. 33 American Ethanol Team Brings Home Top-20 Finish at Kansas Speedway  

    Clint Bowyer and the No. 33 American Ethanol Chevrolet fought loose conditions all day long in 90-degree summer heat and salvaged a top-20 finish in the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway. After qualifying 27th on Saturday, the Richard Childress Racing driver was loose when the green-flag dropped as hot temperatures and sunny skies led to a slick racing surface on the 1.5-mile oval. Despite the loose conditions, Bowyer worked his way up to 21st position over the first 50 laps and gained five more spots by lap 100. He moved into 16th while routine pit stops gave crew chief Shane Wilson and the “Helping Hands” pit crew opportunities to make chassis adjustments to the No. 33 Chevrolet to gain more grip throughout the 267-lap affair. On a lap 111 yellow-flag pit stop, the “Helping Hands” pit crew gave another great performance, which included track bar and air pressure adjustments, and Bowyer left pit road in 14th. Over the next long green-flag run, Bowyer settled into 13th on the race track and by lap 168, the black, silver and green Impala moved into the top 10. The Emporia Kan., native maintained the top-10 running position over the next 50 laps until a green-flag pit stop on lap 201 shuffled him back to 13th. For the remainder of the race, the four-time Sprint Cup Series race winner struggled to find grip and pit strategy, once again, came into play at the Kansas City Kan.,-based facility as the last 102 laps of the race were run under green-flag conditions. After a four-tire pit stop on lap 243, Bowyer went a lap down to the leaders, but was able to gain three positions in the last 24 laps and come home with a top-20 finish in 18th. Bowyer is now ninth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings and sits 94 markers out of first.

    Start – 27                  Finish – 18                       Laps Led – 0               Points – 9

    CLINT BOWYER QUOTE: “Obviously, I wanted to run better than 18th, especially at my hometown track. It was really hot and we just couldn’t find any grip the entire day and it got worse as the day went on. Somehow, we turned it into a top-20 finish. I am proud of everyone on the American Ethanol Chevrolet team. It was great to have American Ethanol on the car this weekend. The paint scheme looked awesome. I can’t thank them enough for being great partners of RCR and our sport.”

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 

    RACE: O’Reily Auto Parts 250 

    TRACK: Kansas Speedway  

    DATE: June 4, 2011

    Race Highlights:     

    * RCR teammates finished fifth (Joey Coulter) and 12th (Austin Dillon).     

    * Dillon earned the ninth pole award of his career on Saturday morning, and was one of five trucks powered by Earnhardt-Childress Engines to start in the top five.     

    * Coulter started eighth and passed Kyle Busch on the final lap to earn his career-first top-five finish.     

    * Coulter was the highest finishing rookie and earned a bonus championship driver championship point by leading a lap.     

    * Coulter spent 127 laps of the race in the top 15.     

    * Coulter made 73 green-flag passes, 46 of them were quality passes (made while running in the top 15), according to NASCAR Loop Data Statistics.     

    * Dillon moved up one position in the NCWTS point standings, to third, and is now 30 markers shy of current point leader Johnny Sauter, while Coulter moved up five positions in the NCWTS’ point standings, to 11th.     

    * Kansasnative Clint Bowyer earned his third career NCWTS victory in front of a home-state crowd and was followed to the finish line by Sauter, Todd Bodine, James Buescher and Coulter.     

    * The next NCWTS race is the WinStar World Casino 400k at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, June 10, televised live on SPEED beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio beginning at 8:45 p.m. EDT.  Austin DillonMoves up to Third in the Point Standings despite a Challenging Afternoon in Kansas

    Austin Dillonfinished 12th in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway, moving up to third in the driver point standings despite a series of speeding penalties and a loose-handling No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet. Dillon led the 36-truck field to the green flag after earning his ninth career pole award during qualifying on Saturday morning. Soon after the start of the race, he reported to crew chief Danny Stockman that his Chevrolet was loose on entry to the corner, slipping to sixth in the running order. Stockman directed Dillon down pit road under green-flag conditions on lap 49 so that the team could make chassis adjustments and service the truck with fuel and four tires. Unfortunately, NASCAR officials called a speeding infraction during the stop, and the team was penalized with another trip down pit road, placing them one lap down to the leaders in 28th position. Even though he was one lap down, Dillon’s black No. 3 was still fast, and he was able to put himself in position for the Lucky Dog award when the caution flag was displayed on lap 65. Before green-flag racing resumed, Dillon pitted again for four tires, fuel and another chassis adjustment, as the truck was still extremely loose in traffic. Dillon was scored in 23rd position for the lap-70 restart, and worked his way up to 16th but received another penalty for speeding down pit road while pitting during a lap-98 caution period. As a result, Dillon had to restart at the tail end of the longest line in 24th. He pitted one additional time for yet another chassis adjustment, and worked his way to as high as ninth, but continued to battle a loose-handling truck, finishing 12th.

    Start – 1           Finish – 12       Points Position – 3               Laps Led – 0   

    AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE: “We had a terrible day on pit road with speeding penalties. It happened twice, and you just can’t recover from that. Twelfth is not the finish we were looking for, but I am happy we were able to move up to third in points. We will be better at Texas.”

    Rookie Joey Coulter Scores Career-Best Truck Series Finish with Top Five at Kansas

    In his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Kansas Speedway, rookie Joey Coulter powered his way to a career-best finish by bringing the No. 22 RCR Chevrolet home in the top five in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250. After qualifying eighth, the Miami Springs, Fla., native started off the 167-lap event fighting loose-handling conditions on his Chevrolet Silverado. Coulter ran the first 53 laps in the top 10 until bringing his truck down pit road under green-flag conditions for fresh Goodyear tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment to combat the loose conditions caused by the 90-degree summer heat at the Kansas City Kan.,-based facility. The caution flag flew 10 laps later while Coulter was still a lap down to the leaders and he qualified as a “wave around” truck, restarting 22nd on lap 65. Coulter spent the next 15 laps working his way back into the top 10 in the running order. However, the No. 22 Silverado became very loose on long green-flag runs and Coulter settled into 13th position before he was penalized by NASCAR officials for speeding on pit road during a lap-112 pit stop under caution. Coulter restarted in the 25th position, at the tail end of the longest line, but the Harold Holly-led crew was able to make chassis adjustments to the truck in preparation for a long green-flag run to the checkered flag. The changes worked and the 20-year-old rookie began picking off competitors one at a time and was in 18th before his final pit stop on lap 133 when Holly called for only four tires and 1.5 seconds of Sunoco E15. The No.22 pit crew, which was solid all day long, gained three spots on pit road after a lightning-fast pit stop. Restarting 15th with 30 laps to go, Coulter went on a tear through the field, passing six trucks in seven laps and, eventually, working his way up to sixth with 10 laps to go. After hard side-by-side racing with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular Kyle Busch in the final laps, Coulter made a dramatic last-lap pass in turn four to secure his first career top-five finish in any of NASCAR’s premier racing divisions. In the process, he gained five positions in the driver championship point standings.

    Start – 8                       Finish – 5                     Laps Led – 1                 Points – 11

    JOEY COULTER QUOTE:”It was a pretty wild day. It seemed like the truck just kept flipping back and forth all day. We also got caught speeding on pit road and that was my fault, but Harold (Holly, crew chief) and the guys played great pit strategy and we brought home the first top five of my NASCAR career. That was also really fun there at the end with Kyle Busch. It was a great learning experience for me and a great day for the No. 22 RCR Chevrolet team. I can’t wait to go to Texas next week.”

    ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards 

    RACE: Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 150

    TRACK: Chicagoland Speedway  

    DATE: June 4, 2011

    Race Highlights:  TY DILLON QUOTE: “Our game plan was to stay patient all day. We came in that second or third stop, and we were really loose. Something was wrong with our left-rear tire; it never gained any pressure. I told the crew we were going to have to come in and pit because we can’t win the race like this. Once we got fresh tires and got everything back to where it was supposed to, we came back through the field. By then, Chad (Hackenbracht) was so far out front – it was his race. It’s unfortunate what happened to him, but the caution helped us and put us where we needed to be. We had a really fast car.”

    “I can’t thank Scott Wimmer enough for getting that car where it needed to be while I was at graduation. I’m really happy for these guys. It’s Scott’s (Naset, crew chief) birthday Wednesday, and I graduated last night. I’m just really happy.”

        * RCR teammates finished first (Ty Dillon) and 32nd (Tim George Jr.).     

    * Dillon earned his third win of the season in the ARCA Racing Series, his fifth career ARCA win in nine races.     

    * Dillon increased his ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards point lead to 125 points over Frank Kimmel.     

    * George made his career-best ARCA start of second in Saturday’s Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 150.     

    * Dillon won by 0.307 seconds over Chris Buescher, Josh Richards, Chad McCumbee and Andrew Ranger.     

    * The next ARCA Racing Series race is the Pocono ARCA 200 at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, June 11, 2011. The race will be televised on SPEED starting at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Live audio, scoring and timing will be available at www.arcaracing.com.

     George Jr., No. 31 Applebee’s/Potomac Family Dining Group Leave Chicagoland with a Disappointing Finish

    Tim George Jr. qualified second for the Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 150 Saturday afternoon, earning his career-best ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards start, but made an early exit from the 100-lap event when he was involved in a single-car incident on the second lap. The Richard Childress Racing team started the race weekend with a practice session Friday afternoon where the No. 31 Applebee’s/Potomac Family Dining Group Chevrolet sat atop the speed chart for a majority of practice. George and team made minor changes during practice, and the fast RCR entry was ready for qualifying on Saturday. The New York, N.Y., native was the second qualifier and made a quick lap of 30.489 seconds, granting him the provisional pole position. George watched patiently as other teams made their qualifying runs. He held the pole until the closing moments of qualifying when another competitor took over the pole position by 0.068 seconds. Later that day, the start of the Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 150 was delayed by five hours and one minute due to inclement weather and forced ARCA and Chicagoland officials to revise the race schedule. The green flag waved at 10:01 p.m. local time and just two short laps later, George made contact with the turn-two wall. Unfortunately, the damage suffered by the No. 31 Applebee’s/Potomac Family Dining Group Chevrolet didn’t allow the RCR team to rejoin competition, resulting in a 32nd-place finishing position.    Start -2                       Finish -32                   Laps Led – 0                Point Position – 8

    TIM GEORGE JR QUOTE: “The car snapped loose on the second lap of the race, in the center of turns one and two. There wasn’t any time to think – it just shot sideways and it backed into the wall. My initial thought was that I clipped the apron, but there was oil or water down low on the track. I watched the replay several times and I was running a lower line than the cars in front of and behind me. I had been able to save (the car) in loose conditions in the center (of the corner) during practice several times, but this was more than just loose. My RCR team gave me a fast car and we nearly won the pole. Now, it’s on to Pocono where I’ll bring a positive mindset and a strong conviction to keep moving forward.”

    Ty Dillon Earns a High School Diploma and a Win at Chicagoland Speedway    

    Ty Dillon earned his third win of the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway after missing Friday’s practice session for his high school graduation from Forsyth Country Day School. Scott Wimmer filled in for Dillon on Friday and dialed in the No. 41 RCR Chevrolet for Saturday’s 100-lap event. Dillon rejoined his team on Saturday for qualifying where he posted the fifth-quickest time before inclement weather forced officials to start the Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 150 five hours after its original start time. Dillon took the green flag at 10:01 p.m. Central Time and, by lap 12, was scored in the second position. The first caution waved on lap 16, and the 19-year-old driver was directed to stay out during the slowdown. The field returned to green-flag racing on lap 20 and Dillon informed his team of a loose-handling car. On lap 38, the second caution of the night was displayed, and the No. 41 Chevrolet was called to pit road for four fresh Hoosier tires and a tire pressure adjustment. The high school graduate restarted fourth with 56 laps to go. The loose conditions continued on the RCR entry, but were remedied by a new set of Hoosier tires during the next caution. Dillon restarted ninth on lap 59 and by lap 71 he had made his way to second place. The soon-to-be five-time ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards race winner was catching the leader when the leader cut a right-front tire and struck the wall. Dillon took over the lead with 16 laps remaining in the 100-lap event and was directed to save fuel. The Lexington, N.C., native endured two restarts within the final 10 laps and drove his No. 41 RCR Chevrolet to his third victory of the 2011 season.

    Start -5                       Finish -1                     Laps Led -16               Points Position – 1 (leads by 125 points)

  • RON HORNADAY No. 33 Kroger/IAMS Chevrolet Silverado NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race 9 of 25 – Texas Motor Speedway

    RON HORNADAY No. 33 Kroger/IAMS Chevrolet Silverado NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race 9 of 25 – Texas Motor Speedway

    GOING FOR NUMBER THREE: Ron Hornaday will take the No. 33 Kroger/IAMS Chevrolet to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend for the WinStar World Casino 400k with the drive to capture his third victory at the 1.5-mile oval. The four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion will make his 17th series start in his Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Chevrolet at “The Great American Speedway.”

    TEXAS-SIZED SUCCESS:Hornaday found his way to victory lane at both Truck Series events in 2008 at Texas. Dominating the race in June, Hornaday led 81.4 percent of the race holding an average position of 1.215. The series returned on Halloween where Hornaday spent 139 of the 147-lap event in the top-15 and led 45 laps before grabbing the checkered flag.

    KHI & KROGER: KHI and Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic Region continue to build a strong relationship both on and off the track in 2011.  Kroger and their vendor partners have combined for five wins and 17 top-10 finishes since the beginning of their relationship in 2009.

    CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 33 team will be utilizing chassis No. 046 this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. This chassis was used twice during the 2010 season, at Iowa Speedway in July and Nashville Superspeedway in August. The No. 33 team also took this truck to Dover (Del.) International Speedway earlier this season where the team brought home a ninth-place finish.

    PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: The No. 33 Anderson’s Maple Syrup Chevrolet went into the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 with high hopes of bringing home the victory for the 400th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event. Unexpected tire failure early in the race took Ron Hornaday out of contention at Kansas Speedway and the team was relegated to a 30th-place finish.

    THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Ron Hornaday What are your thoughts heading into Texas? “This No. 33 team was here at Texas for the Goodyear tire test two weeks ago and I think the test gave us some different ideas for this weekend’s race. We won’t have to waste time in some of the setups because we know that it is not going to work. I have a great group of guys behind me, and we have ground to make up. Hopefully we can do it here.”

    THOUGHTS FROM THE CREW CHIEF: Jeff Hensley What is the advantage to the tire test at Texas you attended in May? “Any time you are able to spend time on the track, you are gaining knowledge. We had setups in our playbook that we thought were going to work for our Texas truck. After have the on track time during the tire test, we realized that combination wasn’t going to work.

    “We are at a point now where we can’t afford to stumble. That test saved us time at track because we now know that combination isn’t going to be best for that track. We have really worked hard on our down force program and we are taking on of our best down force pieces in Chassis No. 46. Ron won both races back in 2008, and we’re hoping to do the same this year.”

    About Kroger Mid-Atlantic:Kroger Mid-Atlantic, a division of the The Kroger Co., operates 125 stores and 60 supermarket fuel centers in Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and eastern portions of Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Kroger Mid-Atlantic focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, health and wellness initiatives, and local organizations in the communities it serves. For more information about Kroger, please visit

  • Matt Merrell; Win-Tron Racing Endure Tough Luck At Chicagoland

    JOLIET, Illinois (June 6, 2011) – Matt Merrell and Win-Tron Racing had high hopes for Chicagoland Speedway and much like the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has seen all season long, the No. 32 Champion Oil Toyota Camry was set to be a contender. Unfortunately, a blown tire early in the Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 150 resulted in a 24th place finish.

    Returning to an intermediate track for the first time since 2008 at Kentucky Speedway, Merrell was optimistic about his Chicagoland Speedway debut since the tracks share similar characteristics.

    In practice on Friday, Merrell and his Mike Chaffee led group maneuvered the 11th quickest lap. Not exactly thrilled with their performance in the lone session of the weekend, the team including Merrell, Chaffee and car chief Mike Resop went back to the drawing board hoping to find some speed for qualifying on Saturday.

    Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying saw a nice turnaround for the Lakeville, Minnesota-based team. Merrell mounted a lap of 30.886 seconds at 174.837 miles per hour lining up the No. 32 Champion Oil Toyota Camry sixth on the starting grid.

    An hour before the sixth race of the season was to take the green flag; Mother Nature invaded Chicagoland Speedway and completely drenched the facility, ultimately forcing officials from ARCA, NASCAR and Chicagoland Speedway to postpone the start of the event until the conclusion of the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ STP 300.

    Taking the green flag completely in the dark and almost 20 degrees cooler, Merrell quickly marched into the top-five by lap two.

    An early race caution would keep the No. 32 Champion Oil Toyota Camry at bay but on the restart, Merrell continued his charge through the field as he negotiated himself into the fourth position by lap 22.

    Checking out from fifth place competitor Josh Richards – Merrell would set his sights on the top three which included Kyle Fowler, Ty Dillon and Hal Martin.

    As green flag racing continued Richards would chase Merrell back down and move the No. 32 back into fifth by lap 26. A hard-charging Chad Hackenbracht passed the No. 32 Japanese nameplate by lap 30 moving Merrell back into the sixth position.

    The team’s night took a dramatic turn on lap 37 when the right front tire blew on the No. 32 Champion Oil Toyota Camry sending Merrell hard into the turn four outside retaining wall. The 26-year old was able to leave the scene under his own power but the team’s night would be cut short and posting their worst finish of the 2011 season thus far.

    “You cannot describe that,” said a disappointed Merrell. “We were really just biding our time in the No. 32 Champion Oil Toyota Camry. The car was good, we were going to make a few small adjustments during the first pit stop, but unfortunately, we never made it there. I really had no warning that the tire was going to go, I just went into the corner and up to the wall I went.

    I hate it for Champion Oil and these guys on the Win-Tron Racing team. I feel like we easily could have produced another top-five if not a win. All we can do is pick up and move on to Pocono next weekend and try again.”

    Nate Thiesse, co-owner of Win-Tron Racing commented on the night’s activities. “It was a tough break. You hate to have bad luck in any race. It just wasn’t our night. Matt, as always did a superior job. We really couldn’t ask for anything more. He was fast and in contention. Sometimes in racing, you just can’t explain circumstances and this was a true definition of that scenario.”

    Next up for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards is the first of two trips to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway for the running of the Pocono ARCA 200, round seven of 19 on the 2011 schedule. Merrell will make his third career start at the 2.5-mile triangle on Saturday, June 11 and look to better his runner-up finishing position in 2009 and claim his first stock car victory. Exiting Chicagoland, Merrell has 19career starts in the ARCA Racing Series presented Menards. In those 19 outings, Merrell has eight top-fives including runner-up finishes of second at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway and Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (August) in 2009 and 10 top-10s. His best start position for Win-Tron Racing occurred at the tricky triangle of Pocono (Pa.) Raceway where he qualified his No. 32 CollinsHope.org Dodge Charger second in June of 2009. Further information including driver opportunities with Win-Tron Racing is available by visiting win-tronracing.com or contacting Nate Thiesse at 952.469.1839.

    For more on Champion Oil, Champion Brands LLC and their products, please logon to championbrands.com or championsusechampion.com.