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Featured interviews from SpeedwayMedia.com

  • Kasey Kahne Riding the Momentum Wave

    Kasey Kahne Riding the Momentum Wave

    [media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]From an abysmal 29th place finish at Daytona and with even more bad luck in the next few races at the start of the season, Kasey Kahne has made a phenomenal turnaround, with top-10 finishes in the last seven races and a win in the Coke 600.

    So, there is no wonder that the driver of the No. 5 Farmer’s Insurance Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports is riding high on the wave of momentum.

    “Well, momentum and confidence has a lot to do with running well in racing and being up front,” Kahne said. “Our team has been building that momentum and seems like we get more of it each week.”

    “So, it’s been really positive,” Kahne continued. “It’s tough to do this without momentum and confidence and once you get it, it can really turn your season around.”

    Kahne is also riding the wave of momentum as the rookie member of the Hendrick Motorsports team. He joins teammates Jimmie Johnson, who won last weekend’s race at Dover, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. who is third in the point standings, in the HMS surge.

    “I feel like our company is really strong right now,” Kahne said. “The cars are great. The engines are great.”

    “They’re always trying to get more and trying to get better,” Kahne continued. “I’m really enjoying working with my teammates.”

    Kahne does, however, feel for one of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Jeff Gordon, who is struggling even more than he has this season. But he thinks that the driver of the No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet just has to gut it out before he too finds that momentum upswing.

    “Jeff’s been as fast as any of us but he just hasn’t had the best of luck,” Kahne said. “I have no advice for Jeff.”

    “When it turns around, it turns around,” Kahne said. “There is nothing you can do about it.”

    To what does Kahne attribute his own turn-around and momentum-gathering?

    “We’re just getting a little more familiar with things,” Kahne said simply. “At the start of the year, we were probably as fast as we are right now but we just weren’t able to finish the weekends off.”

    “We’ve been fortunate enough the last six or seven weeks to put the full race together and finish it off,” Kahne continued. “It’s been a lot better for us.”

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”223″][/media-credit]Kahne admits that, because of his difficult season start, his momentum currently has also helped his position in the point standings, with potential to even make the Chase. Kahne sits currently in 14th in points, with the one win.

    “Well, I’ve had to think about the points as bad as we started out,” Kahne said. “We were getting ready to miss races, we were so far back in points.”

    “So, I had to think about points and where we’re at and how to get back in the hunt,” Kahne continued. “And we’ve been able to do that. So, we’ve got to keep that mentality the rest of the season.”

    Has the point situation changed the way Kahne races?

    “Well I mean in certain situations, you probably are more cautious because you know what the end result can be if you’re not,” Kahne said candidly. “So, at times you need to be cautious and at other times you just race as hard as you can.”

    “And if you don’t race as hard as you can with this group of guys, you’re going to get passed or left behind,” Kahne continued. “So, it’s tough.”

    “You just think about points in certain circumstances,” Kahne said. “But other than that, you race as hard as you can.”

    Kahne is looking forward to continuing to ride the wave of his momentum at Pocono Raceway, especially on the repaved track and with the shortened race format.

    “I think that 400 miles is great,” Kahne said. “500 miles was just a long time at this track.”

    “The repave is perfect,” Kahne continued. “It’s as nice as I’ve seen and felt and the transitions on the track are really good.”

    “Hopefully we can get enough rubber on the track to create some racing,” Kahne said. “I know as time goes on the track will open up and be a really good one to race on but the first one’s going to be tough.”

    “But with the two days of testing prior to the race weekend, it will really help everything and hopefully we’ll be able to do some passing on Sunday and move up if we have a car that can move up.”

    While Kahne acknowledges that Pocono will be a challenge, particularly with the one groove currently and the chaos expected in the turns, he knows that with time the track will be even better.

    “It will slowly rubber in and open up and you’ll be able to pass but it will be a little more difficult than what you’d want as a driver and as someone running a race track,” Kahne said. “But when you have a repave, it takes a little bit of time and that’s part of it.”

    “Eventually it’s going to be really good,” Kahne continued. “But on Sunday, you’ll be able to pass but it will be difficult at times.”

    “Yeah, I think Turn One will be utter chaos,” Kahne said. “The big thing will be making sure you’re in a good position off the corner to where you can be in a good spot getting to the Tunnel Turn.”

    “That’s where you’re going to be where it’s going to be treacherous, especially if you try three-wide.”

    Kahne’s wave of momentum also continues off, as well as on, the track. The young driver has also been busy with a variety of events run by the Kasey Kahne Foundation, created in 2005 to help chronically ill children and disadvantaged youth.

    “Our Foundation is doing well,” Kahne said. “We’re setting up different events and things to make sure we raise some money each year.”

    “The ‘Five Kahne 5K’ will be in October again during the Charlotte weekend, which is always pretty cool,” Kahne continued. “A lot of people in the Charlotte area really enjoy it.”

    “We have a lot of fun running and trying to raise some money to put some smiles on some kids’ faces.”

  • Jeff Burton Shares Life Lessons From the Track

    Jeff Burton Shares Life Lessons From the Track

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”223″][/media-credit]After a great run at Dover International Speedway went bad due to engine problems, it is no wonder that Jeff Burton, driver of the No. 31 Armed Forces Foundation Chevrolet, might be just a bit philosophical.

    But, according to Burton, every lesson is a life lesson when it comes to NASCAR racing.

    Burton’s first lesson is that persistence and never giving up is critical to success both on and off the track. And he most certainly feels that his team is starting to turn it around because of their persistence and willingness to work together.

    “I feel like we’re starting to turn the corner,” Burton said. “Our performances are starting to be much better.”

    “The better you run, the better your luck gets,” Burton continued. “When you teeter on not running well, little things are big things.”

    “Fortunately the last couple weeks, we did have fast cars,” Burton said. “So, that’s what really feels good to me. We’re making gains on the types of tracks we’ve been struggling on.”

    Burton also credits learning lessons together with crew chief Drew Blickensderfer, who came over toward the end of last season from Roush Fenway Racing.

    “I feel like we’re starting to learn each other,” Burton said. “Whenever you bring somebody new in like Drew, there’s a period of time it takes to get acclimated.”

    “You hope it’s going to work out quickly, but when we hired Drew we didn’t hire him because of what we thought he could do today but what we thought he could do for us long-term,” Burton continued. “We didn’t believe that he was going to bring stuff over from Roush and make us better because we’ve been through all that before.”

    “Long-term, we felt like that was the right thing to do and given some time, as we’ve had to grow together and him get accustomed to what I’m feeling  and what I like to feel, we’re starting to get better and run well.”

    Burton said that he has always been optimistic and, even after last weekend’s heartbreak at the Monster Mile, reiterated that he is one that never gives up. One of the prime motivators for the veteran driver is that he fully intends to grab that championship ring before his run is over.

    “I’ve always been like that,” Burton said of his tenacity. “I’m not here just to be here.”

    “I’m here for a reason,” Burton continued. “I want to win a championship before I get done.”

    “That drives me,” Burton said. “I’ve never been a guy that believes that people are out to get more or that there’s some sort of conspiracy for me not to run well. I believe it’s in our hands.”

    “I haven’t forgotten how to drive a race car,” Burton continued. “I drive for a really good company.”

    “I believe that if we do keep fighting and swinging, we’ll get back to where we want to be.”

    But before Burton can score the championship, he has to get into the Chase hunt. And he still feels there is that chance, in spite of the troubles they have had so far this season.

    “Unfortunately three of the races where we had engine trouble, we were running the best that we have run,” Burton said. “That’s really hurt us in the points. But barring that, we’d be sitting there twelfth in points with a team that’s improving.”

    “So, there’s still a chance for us to make the Chase, although the days are dwindling,” Burton continued. “We’ve got to get it together and start having good finishes.”

    “We’re in the growth process,” Burton said. “We’re taking a team that was 20th in points last year and trying to put it in championship contending form.”

    “It takes a little time to do that.”

    Along with the rest of his competitors, Burton will be tackling the ‘Tricky Triangle’ this race weekend. Burton feels already that the lesson learned for the newly-repaved Pocono Raceway is all about track position.

    “I think, as with any newly paved race track, that track position will be important,” Burton said. “I don’t think we’re going to see multiple grooves this week.”

    “Having said that, we really weren’t seeing multiple grooves the other way because it had gotten so slick and it was hard to make things happen,” Burton continued. “The track is definitely an improvement.”

    “The first couple of races you’re probably not going to see a second groove develop,” Burton said. “But long-term, the race is going to be better here.”

    Burton is also pleased about the shortening of the race at Pocono. In fact, he would like to see some of the other races on the circuit trimmed back a bit as well.

    “I’m a proponent of shorter races,” Burton said. “I think it’s the right thing to do.”

    “I think we need some 300 mile races,” Burton continued. “Having said that, the Coke 600 has its place. The Southern 500 has its place. The Daytona 500 has its place.”

    “I’m not advocating a shorter for every race thing,” Burton said. “I just think on average our races should be just a little bit shorter.”

    Burton’s biggest concern about the sport, however, is the number of people coming, or not coming, to the races. And as the unofficial ‘mayor’ of the garage area, Burton thinks this is a critical lesson that NASCAR must tackle.

    “The concern I have is the number of people coming to the races,” Burton said. “I think our competition level is really good. Honestly, from a competition standpoint I’m not sure how we could do a whole lot better.”

    “The economy is a tough thing,” Burton continued. “And when the economy is bad, we’re not going to have the viewership.”

    “We just have to get through this,” Burton said. “I think we’re several years away from being back to whatever ‘normal’ is.”

    “There’s a snowball effect to the bad economy that runs through our sport for a long time,” Burton continued. “But all in all, in a down economy, we’re pretty healthy.”

    In spite of the struggles and challenges of the sport, Burton credits NASCAR and racing for teaching him most, if not all, of his life lessons.

    “Most lessons in my life have been learned through racing, although they might not have been learned on the race track,” Burton said. “They might have been learned by something involved in racing.”

    “To me, persistence is a core value,” Burton continued. “These are simple things.”

    “When you complicate things, it makes life harder,” Burton said. “When you treat people the way you want to be treated, it may not always be the easiest thing to do but sometimes the right thing is not the easiest.”

    Burton shared that his biggest life lesson from the track, however, is to follow you dream and your passion, as well as sinking all you have into that dream.

    “Pick something you love and give everything you’ve got to it,” Burton said. “And you may or not be successful.”

    “But at the end of the day and if you’ve done it the right way, then you can sleep at night,” Burton continued. “If you’ve given a half effort and you know it, then you’ll never sleep well.”

    “You have to give it all,” Burton said. “You have to choose the way you’re going to conduct your life and not waver from that.”

    “Those values to me carry through to whatever you’re doing, whether school, marriage, life or whatever you’re doing,” Burton said. “Those lessons will take you a long way.”

  • Samantha Busch: A Woman of Many Passions

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”231″][/media-credit]While NASCAR race fans may know of Kyle Busch’s passion on the track as driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, they may not be as familiar with the many passions of his wife Samantha.

    One of her biggest and most obvious passions is, of course, her husband, as they are still newlyweds in the midst of a sport that where the spotlight is often on them.

    But Samantha Busch is also very passionate about family, hers, Kyle’s and the family they hope to start together sometime in the future.

    “We still go and do date nights and I cook dinner for him,” Samantha Busch said. “We still hold hands, so we still feel like newlyweds.”

    “I think the biggest thing is that you always lean on each other,” Busch continued. “We’re each others’ rocks. When he has a bad day, I’m here for him and when I have a bad day, he’s there for me.”

    “Also, we have learned the importance of family,” Busch continued. “Kyle’s parents have been married for thirty some years and my parents have been for 26 years, so just learning from them, like what things to not fight about, has been helpful.”

    “I’ve also learned from the other couples here,” Busch said. “We’re talking about having kids in two or three years, so picking the brains of all the girls here that are pregnant or have kids about how they do it has also been helpful.”

    In addition to her passion about her family, Samantha Busch has also become focused on her interactions with women, especially young women who seek her advice on everything for fashion to healthy eating and a better body image.

    Much of this interaction has been possible through social media, including Facebook, Twitter and even her own website. And while Busch most certainly shares updates from the racing world, she also knows that for many of these young women, she has become a role model and even mentor.

    “This year has taken off with a lot of women in racing via Twitter,” Samantha Busch said. “I kind of give them the whole racing aspect with updates and what not, but I also add more of the girlie touch.”

    “It’s really taken off this year and I love it,” Busch continued. “I have girls that I help with for prom and other events.”

    “A lot of women email me for all kinds of tips, from how to eat healthy, to my work out videos to even makeup product reviews,” Busch said. “I try to be honest and I have really enjoyed that this year. It has really taken off.”

    Samantha Busch is careful to practice what she preaches and so is devoted to trying to eat healthy and exercise, a challenge for both her and her husband while spending so much time on the road. And yes, she admits that she does have her own ‘guilty pleasures.’

    “The bus is my work out area,” Samantha Busch said, who regularly exercises even in those close quarters of their motor home. “I love to work out.”

    “And I love to cook,” Busch continued. “I really never enjoyed cooking until I married Kyle because it was just me. It’s easy to know what to eat but it’s making that call to choose the non-fat or the low-fat or the vegetables over this or that.”

    “We splurge, don’t get me wrong,” Busch said. “Our decadent passion is ice cream. Kyle and I could eat ice cream every day if we had the choice.”

    “I tell girls that I don’t follow a super-strict diet because when you do then you’re just tempted,” Busch continued. “So, if you give yourself a little bit of something, then you’re good.”

    Samantha Busch also admits to one other ‘guilty pleasure’, one that is shared by many others involved in Facebook. She just loves to pin.

    “I’m addicted,” Busch said. “It’s bad. It’s like 2 AM and Kyle will wake up and say, ‘Get off of Pinterest’.”

    “And I’m like, ‘Just let me pin one more thing.’ Busch continued. “It’s so addictive. But it’s really cool.”

    “I planned a baby shower off of Pinterest for my best friend,” Busch said. “I love it. Whoever created that, I’ve lost countless hours to Pinterest.”

    While Busch loves fashion and fitness, especially in sharing that with girls and young women, she also is passionate about education. In fact, she just accomplished a major milestone in her own academic life, achieving a Master’s degree from Austin P. State University.

    “I graduated!” Busch said proudly. “I have a Master’s in industrial organizational psychology.”

    “I actually did my thesis on Joe Gibbs Racing and how they reward their crew members and different things they can do in an ailing economy, such as health and wellness, as well as verbal rewards,” Busch continued. “I defended my thesis and they loved it.”

    “It’s good to be done,” Busch said. “People are like, what are you going to do with your degree, but I think it applies a lot to racing and also to Kyle Busch Motorsports. “

    “I hope it will help people around us.”

    Speaking of the team that bears her husband’s name, Samantha Busch is also passionate about that endeavor as well.

    “Kyle Busch Motorsports is awesome,” Samantha Busch said. “We thought it was going to be easy and then the first five races came and it was tough and was really hard.”

    “It was kind of nice to go through the struggle as a whole family,” Busch continued. “Kurt and Kyle are so close this year.”

    “Obviously, they are brothers and have had struggles, but this year them racing together, they are together for hours,’ Busch said. “I think it’s been really great for them and it’s fun to watch.”

    “And even better, we got our first win under our belts, so it’s good.”

    So, what does the future hold for Samantha Busch, especially given her passions, from education to fashion to helping young women with self-esteem and body image issues?

    “I don’t know,” Busch readily admits.”I’m like a moving target.”

    “I always travel with Kyle and his racing is our life,” Busch continued. “But I have to find something that is my own and in my own realm.”

    “I would love to be more in front of the camera,” Samantha Busch said, after a stint with the SPEED channel. “I love working with Speed, especially in the social garage.”

    “It’s really fun and I’d do whatever they asked me to do,” Busch continued. “I’m not shy so that’s a plus.”

    But Busch would also like to work more on the retail and foundation side of the Kyle Busch Motorsports business as well.

    “I don’t know anything about cars honestly,” Busch admitted. “My involvement with the team crew guys is that I like to bring them food and treats. That’s my role on the car side of things.”

    “But I do a lot with the retail,” Busch continued. “I have four or five shirts out right now; one has glitter, one is a V-neck and one is more graffiti-ish.”

    “We submit our designs to the sponsors. I’m going to be designing more for Monster Energy and also for the 18 team,” Busch said. “So, hopefully they will let me do more.”

    “With the Kyle Busch Foundation, we’re kind of taking this year off to revamp and expand it to get partnerships with other, already established foundations,” Busch said. “We support the five homes and always will, but we’re looking at other kinds of partnerships right now and how we can help each other.”

    “Maybe in the future, I’d love to do a foundation event with Zumba where everyone donated to dance together.”

    But most of all, Samantha Busch is passionate about finding that perfect blend and balance between wife, fashionista, fitness guru, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. And all of that with a focus on helping young women achieve their life goals.

    “One of my favorite things is getting to meet the women fans and hearing their stories,” Samantha Busch said. “At our fan day, I had this lady tell me she’s already lost 40 pounds.”

    “I’ve had a girl who said she had image problems and now she’s gotten over them,” Busch continued. “That’s one of the best things.”

    “I just want to show girls how to be healthier and I really take to the women out here,” Busch said. “I love the guys that follow me on Twitter but I relate more with the women and I love helping them.”

    “I’m open to anything that helps someone else.”

     

  • Landon Cassill All About Improvement

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”125″][/media-credit]Landon Cassill, driver of the No. 83 BK Racing Burger King/Dr. Pepper Toyota, is all about improvement having come off his best finish of the season last week in Charlotte. The team started 18th and finished 18th, starting and finishing inside the top-20 for the first time ever.

    “It’s really big for us,” Cassill said. “To run in the top-25 is great for us, but to run in the top-20 is even better.”

    “We like that, we keep trying to learn from it, and just keep doing it and being consistent.”

    Cassill credits his team as the cause for the improvement as they begin to gel and understand one another. He especially credits the upswing in performance to crew chief Doug Richert.

    “We’re a new team, so everybody is learning their place,” Cassill said. “The pit crew has been getting better and the cars have been getting better.”

    “Doug (Richert) is knowing what to do with the car now that he is familiar with it and I’m learning my guys better,” Cassill continued. “That’s all a part of how it works.”

    “We are working really well together,” Cassill said of his crew chief. “He’s got a positive attitude like I do and we seem to communicate really well on things.”

    “So, I’m enjoying it,” Cassill continued. “I think that has a lot to do with our improvement and our success so far.”

    Cassill also credits some of the improvement to his versatility and ability to adjust to new teams. But a big factor for improvement, according to the young driver, is his years of experience at Hendrick Motorsports.

    “I’m kind of used to it lately because I haven’t had as solid of a ride,” Cassill said of his team changes. “So, it’s something I’ve been a little bit used to, but it’s my first time learning how to build at team.”

    “ I’m really proud to be a part of that and really focused on hoping that people can see that I’m capable of being a progressive driver who can build things and be a positive addition to a race team.”

    “I’ve also got five years of experience testing with Hendrick Motorsports and working with the 48 team,” Cassill said. “So, that’s where I’ve learned a lot about this sport.”

    “I’m not anything special but I’ve absorbed what I’ve learned,” Cassill continued. “I try to apply a lot of those fundamentals to the team that I’m on and there’s a lot of experience over here that applies to that.”

    “We’re all coming together.”

    Cassill credits one other factor, his physical conditioning, for his improvements so far in the season and his hopeful improvements at Dover. He also credits his mental focus with the upswing in his performance.

    “When I’m home, I work out and prepare for the next week and get focused for my job,” Cassill said. “We are professional athletes, so there’s an absolute requirement for strength and conditioning.”

    “I don’t think for a second that you could be out of shape and do this,” Cassill continued. “I do a cross fit type training and I work out for about an hour and a half every day.”

    “I’ve got a trainer from Iowa and he sends me work outs,” Cassill said. “Him and I communicate daily on the workouts.”

    “I have a gym where I live and a full gym at home and I spend a lot of time there.”

    “The mental training is something that I’ve dabbled in but mental strength comes naturally,” Cassill said. “It’s something that I feel really confident in, probably more than even my physical strength.”

    “I’m pretty competitive so when it comes down to it, you do whatever it takes.”

    Another important component of Cassill’s on track performance improvement is his relationship with his teammate Travis Kvapil.

    “Travis is a great teammate,” Cassill said. “He’s a good driver and a really good guy.”

    “He’s good to work with, gives good feedback and knows what he is talking about because he is familiar with these cars,” Cassill continued. “I’ve learned a lot working with him.”

    “I think all four of us, both crew chiefs and both drivers, are very compatible,” Cassill said. “We all communicate very well.”

    Cassill is definitely looking for improvement at Dover in the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks. But he acknowledged that the mile track really can be a monster, demanding constant focus and attention.

    Cassill has three Cup starts at the Monster Mile, with his best finish of 30th.

    “Dover is one of the most fun race tracks,” Cassill said. “It’s a good one and I have a lot of laps here.”

    “You’ve just got to be there all day and outlast the competitors,” Cassill continued. “You’ve got to race the race track for a long time.”

    “I’d really like to see us running 25th or better,” Cassill said. “I think that’s a realistic expectation. Another top-20 finish would be phenomenal.”

  • Dakoda Armstrong Hopes His Racing Teaches

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”175″][/media-credit]Dakoda Armstrong, behind the wheel of the No. 98 EverFi Toyota in the Camping World Truck Series, has racing on his mind. But he also hopes to educate his fans through his new season sponsor EverFi.

    EverFi is an education technology company that helps high school students and high school graduates with financial literacy. The company offers its technology online and it is in use at no charge in over 4,000 schools nationally.

    Armstrong’s sponsor includes curriculum covering everything from how to balance our check book to credit scores, student loans and mortgages.

    “Every day across the United States, students are in their own race to gain the critical skills they need to succeed in life,” Tom Davidson, EverFi Chief Executive Officer, said. “Dakoda Armstrong and his team embody the speed, dedication, and urgency on the race track that we feel every day in the classroom.”

    “EverFi couldn’t be more proud to support Dakoda Armstrong and the No. 98 ThorSport Racing team.”

    Armstrong could not agree more with his sponsor.

    “It was a good deal helping them out to get more awareness,” Armstrong said. “They’re really big about teaching these kids that come out of high school about financial literacy.”

    “ I wish I could have had more help on that when I got out of high school,” Armstrong continued. “It’s tough. You just get thrown into the real world and have to make your own mistakes.”

    Armstrong is also most impressed with his sponsor’s use of technology in their educational programming.

    “It’s good the way they do it with the gaming and the kids figure it out on their own by making their mistakes and getting with it,” Armstrong said. “I’m glad we can help EverFi out and hopefully we can keep giving them more and more exposure so they can get into more and more schools.”

    The relationship between Armstrong and his sponsor EverFi seemed to both to be a match made in heaven. And they hope it will continue all season long.

    “I have some people that work for me finding sponsorship,” Armstrong said. “They figured out it was a pretty good fit.”

    “They wanted to come into NASCAR and I just got out of high school so it was a good fit,” Armstrong continued. “I’m glad they’re a part of our 98 team for sure.”

    “We’ve had them on since the beginning of the year and are looking for more and more sponsorship to help them out and to stay on the truck,” Armstrong said. “It’s been a great deal and hopefully we can continue it forward.”

    With his sponsor on the truck, Armstrong turned his attention to trying to master the Monster Mile. His priority was to not only finish the race but also to continue to improve throughout the race, which he did, finishing 20th in the rain-shortened race.

    “This was a different place for sure,” Armstrong said. “It was very fast and challenging being on concrete.”

    “You go to a track that is a mile and you can almost hold it wide open, it gets your attention real fast.”

    “This place to finish was priority one,” Armstrong said. “The biggest thing was getting better, improving on where we start and making sure our pit stops get better each week.”

    Since his sponsor is all about educating high school students, Armstrong reflected on his season in terms of a letter grade.

    “I think we are probably a ‘B’, Armstrong said. “There are things we could improve on but we’ve gotten better and better each week. That was our goal. We’ve improved our finishes a lot.”

    “One thing we need to work on a lot is qualifying,” Armstrong continued. “It hasn’t been hurting us but starting in the back, it’s hard to make your way up with the level of competition.”

    “Hopefully, when we start up closer, we will finish up closer to the front as well.”

    But Armstrong’s focus was really all about the kids and his commitment to helping them achieve financial literacy. What would he say to each and every youth about EverFi?

    “Really just check it out,” Armstrong said. “It’s a tough deal getting thrown out into the world.”

    “I didn’t know a whole lot when I got out and fortunately I had my parents ,” Armstrong continued. “They were very smart with money and help me out a lot.”

    “Fortunately they help me still,” Armstrong said. “ But it is tough, so check out EverFi.”

    “It is free and we want to help kids,” Armstrong said. “It’s a good thing because what got our economy into trouble is people not knowing how to handle money.”

    “So, to teach everybody to be better and better with it is a good deal.”

     

     

  • Paulie Harraka: Graduate, NASCAR Truck Series Driver, and Entrepreneur

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”223″][/media-credit]In spite of being just 22 years old, Paulie Harraka is already wearing many hats, including graduate, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver of the No. 5 Wauters Motorsports Ford, and entrepreneur.

    One of Harraka’s most prized hats to wear is that of graduate, recently completing his walk for his college diploma from Duke. Harraka graduated with a double major in marketing management and sociology and a minor in history.

    “It’s amazing that it’s over,” Harraka said. “When you’re a freshman, it seems so far away.”

    “Four years just go by,” Harraka continued. “I look back and I got to do so much that I took advantage of. It’s been awesome.”

    “It’s exciting not to have to write papers and to not have to take exams anymore,” Harraka said. “But at the same time, I miss not living with all my closest friends within a quarter of a mile.”

    Now that he has had a chance to reflect on his college career, Harraka said that he learned so many lessons. In fact, there were so many, yet each and every one has made him the driver that he is today.

    “So much of what I did at Duke was about supporting my racing career and augmented what I do at the race track, whether that was networking with Duke alumni or leadership classes or marketing classes,” Harraka said. “There is no question that I would not be here right now without my Duke education.”

    Although Harraka had a double major, as well as a minor, he selected his college course with just one thing in mind, how they would impact his racing career.

    “Racing was really my focus at Duke,” Harraka said. “I took engineering classes, leadership classes, business classes, marketing classes and anything that would help me at track.”

    “If you looked at my Duke transcript not knowing that I race, you would think that’s a pretty random grouping of classes that don’t go together,” Harraka continued. “But understanding that they fit together into a racing context, it all makes sense.”

    As a race truck driver, Harraka is wearing another hat, that of debutante at Dover International Speedway, known as the ‘Monster Mile.’ And while he is looking forward to it, he acknowledged that the track is indeed a bit monstrous.

    “This is a tough place,” Harraka said. “Dover is different. You drive right off the straightaway and down into the corner and it’s like a three story drop.”

    “Matt Crafton described it as the best roller coaster ride you’ll ever have and I definitely understand what he means,” Harraka said. “It’s big. It’s fast. It’s a lot of fun, but it will be a challenge with 30 plus other trucks.”

    Harraka may be making his debut at Dover, but his Truck is sporting sponsorship from Phoenix International Raceway. Because of a close relationship between the PIR track president and Harraka, the two decided to do a special promotion for the Phoenix fall race.

    “Today is June 1st and the day that the tickets go on sale for the Phoenix fall race,” Harraka said. “So, they wanted to do a promotion around the first day of their ticket sales.”

    “Anyone that buys their tickets online or by calling today or this month gets a discount,” Harraka said. Second, anybody that tweets #GoPaulie during the race gets entered into a drawing and if we win, they get a whole package at the track.”

    While Harraka has Phoenix Raceway on the car, the Truck race driver is also sporting the familiar puzzle piece for the charity Autism Speaks for his Dover debut, calling awareness to the full spectrum of the disease which affects so many.

    “What Dover does with the whole weekend is great because they tie in Autism Speaks to the entire weekend,” Harraka said. “Everybody has met someone or has a friend or family member with autism.”

    “To be a part of that, in a micro way, is cool.”

    Harraka’s final hat, but probably one of the most important, is that of entrepreneur. And that hat is most critical as it is the basis for funding for his racing career.

    “A number of the investors will be at the race, which I’m excited about,” Harraka said. “That part of the business is going really well and I’m excited about that.”

    “A number of our investors have really become engaged in coming to a number of the races,” Harraka continued. “Our Executive Chairman, this will be his fourth race this year.”

    “We’re bringing this whole group of people as NASCAR fans that in the past have never had a connection to the sport,” Harraka said. “They are interested in getting involved both in my racing career and helping us improve our whole program.”

    “They’re not just silent cash,” Harraka continued. “They are people that are not intrusive or invasive but want to help however they can.”

    Harraka acknowledges that his business model may just be working a bit better than his on-track performance. And in many ways, he might just be the Jeff Gordon of the Truck Series, having just as much bad luck as the four-time champion.

    “At some point performance will affect the business model,” Harraka said. “But, we’re still moving forward and improving and as long as we are, we’ll be in good shape.”

    “Some of it’s been bad luck but some of it’s been self-inflicted,” Harraka acknowledged. “Some of it is situations that we’ve been put in, but at Charlotte, I screwed up.”

    “It happens,” Harraka said. “It’s the beginning of the season. It’s a new race team with a rookie driver. It’s a lot of things we need to work through.”

    “The worst thing you can do is to just put your head down,” Harraka continued. “You’ve got to keep your head up and look at what went wrong and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

    “Eventually, we’ll fix all the problems and have a good day.”

    One other hat that the young driver is wearing is that of perpetual learner.

    “You just got to keep learning,” Harraka said. “I was pulling in to the track and my phone rang and it’s Ricky Rudd, who has been a long-time mentor of mine.”

    “So, we start chatting and he said that he just wanted to remind me of something,” Harraka continued. “And he reads down the list of Sprint Cup drivers and how many cars they wrecked at the beginning of their careers.”

    “And the moral of the story is that Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch topped that list,” Harraka said. “So, he said that is what I needed to think about and work on.”

    The last hat that Harraka is wearing at the Monster Mile is that of hometown hero. In fact, a whole busload of family and friends are heading from Wayne, New Jersey to Dover, Delaware to watch their boy make his debut.

    “I have friends and family that are coming down,” Harraka said. “In fact, a whole busload with Paulie T-shirts will be filling the front stretch.”

     

  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Passionate About Racing, Points Battling and Singing

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”234″][/media-credit]Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has many passions, from sporting his Nationwide championship belt buckle from last year to racing hard in his No. 6 Cargill Beef Ford against the likes of Elliott Sadler and Austin Dillon for the points lead in this year’s Nationwide season.

    But who knew that he had another secret passion?

    “I really like to sing,” Stenhouse said. “I sing a lot, but I’m not really good at it.”

    “I like country music,” Stenhouse continued. “I know a lot of lyrics but I can’t get them to come out the right way.”

    “I karaoke to myself in the cars, but not on the stage or in front of anybody.”

    Unfortunately, the young Roush Fenway Racing superstar did not have much to sing about after last weekend’s race in Charlotte. He finished the History 300 in the 26th position after suffering mechanical problems.

    “You’ll have those bad races,” Stenhouse said philosophically. “We started out the season with a bad race at Daytona and then we had nine good races after that, with the worst finish being sixth.”

    “We kind of had a stumble last week,” Stenhouse continued. “Charlotte, I feel like normally I would be disappointed and look at the bad things that happened.”

    “But I feel like we got to look at the positives, in that we were really fast and we were able to learn some stuff when we got back out,” Stenhouse said. “Our guys changed a transmission and drive shaft in twenty green flag laps.”

    “So, all in all, there were a lot of things that were really good about our day and one little bad thing in that we didn’t get the result that we felt we could have.”

    Stenhouse also credits his ability to put things behind him as a major saving grace in the midst of his racing passion. Although he admitted that he does give himself just a little bit of time to brood after a bad session.

    “You put it behind you and go on,” Stenhouse said. “You have to take one race at a time, especially because it is a long season.”

    “The way I generally look at things is that I reflect on it for a day and then move on,” Stenhouse continued. “So, Sunday, I thought about it and Monday I was thinking about Dover.”

    Stenhouse Jr. is also pretty passionate about points racing, especially since it is with his nemesis Elliott Sadler, driver of the No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet. He currently has a 13 point advantage over Sadler in the point standings.

    “We always want to outrun him,” Stenhouse said of Sadler. “We want to be the highest finishing Nationwide guy each week.”

    “We want to win every week and beat all the Cup guys,” Stenhouse continued. “We’ve done it this year at the companion races and that always feels a little better.”

    “We’re focused on beating everybody, not just the 2 though,” Stenhouse said. “Like I said, when we race, we’re both going to be right there.”

    Stenhouse Jr. also acknowledged that he might not just be racing the No. 2 car exclusively for the championship. One other challenger may well be Austin Dillon, in the No. 3 American Ethanol/New Holland Chevrolet, racing for his grandfather on the Richard Childress team.

    “He’s definitely there every week, running really strong and really consistent, like we knew he would,” Stenhouse said of Dillon. “He’s really good and has a lot of seat time and has run a lot of these race tracks.”

    “He’s in really good equipment and has someone to learn from like Elliott,” Stenhouse continued. “I think he’s going to be there all year.”

    “Right now, everybody’s talking about Elliott and me but Austin is not that far out,” Stenhouse said. “One bad race for us or for Elliot and I and he is right there in it.”

    “It will be a tough battle all year.”

    Stenhouse Jr. will next unleash his racing and points battling passion on the Monster Mile, a track where he has not quite had the finishes that he would have liked.

    “Dover’s been good to us but we haven’t been the best,” Stenhouse said. “We’ve been really fast in practice but kind of missed it in the race.”

    “We’ve had some good luck and finished in the top-five,” Stenhouse continued. “This race last year, we were probably an eighth place car and finished fourth after the wreck coming to the front straightaway.”

    “There’s things we need to do to get better,” Stenhouse said. “It’s a fun race track and I really enjoy it.”

    “There’s  a lot of things you can do like move your car around or change your line on the race track to improve your car,” Stenhouse continued. “We’ve led laps here, just not at the right time.”

    Stenhouse Jr. is not, however, as passionate about racing on the concrete. But he also realizes that everything that challenges him at the Monster Mile affect the other drivers as well.

    “We’ve struggled a little bit on the concrete,” Stenhouse said. “We’ve been decent at Bristol and at Dover, but just haven’t been really, really great.”

    “The concrete creates some challenges as far as the seams and the expansion joints so it gets a little rough,” Stenhouse continued. “But I like tracks that are a little rough that makes it fun and really challenging.”

    “The way I look at it is that it’s the same race track for everybody so it really doesn’t matter,” Stenhouse said. “If it’s a problem for one, it’s a problem for everybody.”

    Stenhouse’s final passion was fulfilled prior to his ever setting foot on the track at Dover. He got to participate in the local golf tournament raising money for autism awareness.

    “I don’t have any family members or anything like that with autism but I was able to play in the Drive for Autism golf tournament and had a lot of fun doing it,” Stenhouse said. “It was my first time there and to meet all the kids and to try to find a cure, it was really cool to be a part of it.”

    “It was a great atmosphere and I won’t miss it ever again.”

     

  • Jason Hathaway: It’s a roller coaster season once the year starts

    Jason Hathaway: It’s a roller coaster season once the year starts

    [media-credit name=”Ashley McCubbin” align=”alignright” width=”266″][/media-credit]For NASCAR Canadian Tire (NCAT) Series driver Jason Hathaway, his roller coaster season began two weeks ago with the Vortex Brake Pads 200 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). The driver of the No. 3 Snap on Tools/Rockstar Energy Drink/Vortex Brake Pads Dodge started the race in sixth and came home with a sixth place finish.

    “It was a great weekend last weekend, as far as fans, the racing goes and Canadian Tire,” Hathway says. “With Vortex being the title sponsor, it was good for us. we had a good finish. We qualified sixth and finish sixth so that was a good start for us as well.”

    During the off-season, the track went under new ownership and went through some changes. Hathaway says the improvements they made were great and can’t wait to see what else they got planned.

    “They’re also talking about another NASCAR series racing there so excited to see if that happens,” he adds.

    Hathaway is looking for a solid season after finishing ninth last year in points. Hathaway raced the majority of the year with a broken arm as he broke it in the first race of the season last year at CTMP. He says for this year, he is hoping to finish top three in points while winning a couple races.

    “I haven’t won since 2008 so I’m due for a win for sure,” he says.

    This weekend, the series heads to Circuit ICAR, which will mark the second race at the track in Quebec for the NCAT series. Last year, Hathaway finished 15th, though that was due to the arm injury. In 2010, he was able to score five top 10s in six road course starts.

    Following ICAR, the series switches gears as they will have their first oval race of 2012.

    I know some guys are looking forward to that,” Hathaway says. “We’re ready to go. The car just got decalled the other day; it’s going to match the road course car, look the same. I know we got a lot of comments – looked sharp last weekend. Can’t wait to get started.”

    Hathaway got started in racing as a kid racing go-karts.

    “I used to run around D.J’s track at his truck shop in St. Thomas when I was a kid,” he says. “So started there and worked our way up.”

    He started with Delaware’s Enduro class, before moving up to the Super Stock class where he won a division championship. He then moved up to Late Model and began traveling across the country to different tracks.

    “Got a lot of seat experience, met a lot of people, kind of got the media attention to get hired by Ed Hakinson Racing,” Hathaway says.

    [media-credit id=4 align=”alignleft” width=”266″][/media-credit]Hathaway got back to his Late Model roots last week as he competed in round one of the McColl Racing Enterprises Pro Series at Sunset Speedway. While he did score a qualifying race win, the race didn’t go well as Hathaway got wrecked on lap 42 by Jesse Kennedy.

    The driver from Appin, Ontario calls Jeff Gordon his racing hero due to Gordon’s success, among other things.

    “When he started, he started winning, drove a chev, had a cool paint scheme and had a cool mustache for a 22-year-old,” Hathaway comments.

    For getting through a roller coaster season, it’s all about taking it easy even when frustration sets in.

    “Don’t get too hard on yourself when something happens and takes the highs and the lows and average them throughout the year,” he says.

    Hathaway adds there’s a lot of traveling with the different tracks they go to so it’s all about figuring where you are.

    “Keep the team focused, keep myself focused and just have one goal and aim for it,” he says.

     

  • Jeff Lapcevich Looks Forward To First Full NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Season

    Jeff Lapcevich Looks Forward To First Full NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Season

    [media-credit id=4 align=”alignright” width=”266″][/media-credit]With the first race of 12 in the books for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, the season is off and running. Jeff Lapcevich was one of the drivers who ran the Vortex Brake Pads 200 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and was able to come home with an eighth place finish after pit road problems.

    Before the race started, Lapcevich was looking forward to running CTMP as it has always been his favourite track. In his three previous starts on the 2.36 mile road course, he had finished in the top 10. Outside of NASCAR, success had come to Lapcevich at CTMP as he won a 24-hour race there in 1995.

    “We’re a little off the pace right now, but it’s a long race and we usually race well better than we qualify so looking forward to it,” he said before the race.

    Once the race started, Lapcevich would keep himself in the midst of contention, till a mid-race pit stop would set him back. On the stop, the gas man wouldn’t get the gas can out of the back of the car and Lapcevich would drive the No. 23 Tim Hortons, Cathcart Trucking and Castrol Dodge off pit road with the can still in hand. The gas can would fall out in turn five and result in NASCAR calling Lapcevich back down pit road for a stop and go penalty.

    A caution would allow Lapcevich to make up the lost time and was battling amongst the top five, before having to make a last-race pit stop under a late race caution due to a flat tire. Lapcevich was able to drive from where he started near the back to eighth before the 51-lap race was over.

    Moving forward towards the rest of this year, this will mark Lapcevich’s first time running the full NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule, after missing the races out west the last three years. Lapcevich says he’s excited about going out to tracks that he has never raced at before out west.

    “I’m excited about it,” he says. “We’ve changed a lot of things this year. We’ve revamped both the road course and oval car, a lot of new crew members.”

    The goal this season is this year for the Grimsby, Ontario driver is simple – win the championship.

    “If we didn’t think we could, I wouldn’t bother putting in the effort, the money that it takes to do this,” he says. “That’s what we set the goal at.”

    He also adds that he would like to win some races, noting that he has a good chance to pick some wins on the road courses.

    “I think we have as good a chance as anybody to win those ones,” he comments. “We’ve been decent on the ovals in the past. If we finish the season without a win, I will consider the year a disappointment.”

    [media-credit id=4 align=”alignleft” width=”266″][/media-credit]Lapcevich got started in racing through his father as his dad raced at Speedway Park, a dirt track up in the Hamilton area in the 1960s. When Lapcevich was about 12 years old, his dad got back behind the wheel.

    “He got back in it at Flamboro and he raced there for a few years,” he says. “Then he got into road racing, as I became 15 or 16. I started working on his crew.”

    Soon after, his dad hung up the helmet and allowed Lapcevich to drive. Lapcevich has had a successful road racing career as competed in the Camel Lights, World Sport Car, Players/GM Series, US Firehawk, Grand-Am Cup, Motorola Cup and Magna Enduro Series, while winning Canadian Road Racer of the Year in 2003 & 2004.

    When the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series was known as the CASCAR series, Lapcevich picked up six road course victories.

    Keeping him from competiting the full schedule in past years has been the focus he has put on his son Cayden’s career. Since Cayden was a little kid, Jeff has been traveling all over the U.S with him, racing in quarter midget events. Cayden, who is 12 years old now, has been success as he has won multiple championships.

    “Cayden never ceases to amaze me,” Jeff says of his son. “He’s always been a really hard racer. I’ve seen him win from the back, win from the front; I’ve seen barrel roll out of the park, land in the hot dog stand and come back and win. He’s relentless, he doesn’t give up. He’s got a huge passion that I’ve never seen anywhere else. He doesn’t like to lose, but he’s just an amazing feel.”

    This year, Cayden moved up to the Super Stock division at Sunset International Speedway in Innisfil, Ontario. Cayden marks the youngest competitor to run the division at the age of 12 as most drivers don’t start till they are 14 to 16 years old. This past Saturday, Cayden led 27 laps of the 30 lap feature, before contact with Shawn Chenoworth sent him for a spin.

    As Cayden continues to move up the ranks, Lapcevich sees Cayden racing in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series once he is old enough.

    “We’re going to stick it out for a couple more years before Cayden is able to drive here and you’ll probably see a different driver behind the wheel of the car,” he says.

    One of the biggest lessons that Jeff has learned behind the wheel and will certainly pass down to Cayden is patience.

    “You can’t win them all,” he says. “You can’t take a 10th place car and win. The guy that has a 10th place car, maybe he can get an eighth place run out of it, maybe seventh. You got to take what you got and make the best out of what you got and be there at the end.”

  • The teenage dream: The Kyle Fowler story

    The teenage dream: The Kyle Fowler story

    [media-credit name=”http://www.kylefowler.net” align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]Growing up just miles away from the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kyle Fowler developed a love for car racing. Fowler, now a 19 year old from Symrna, has grown to become a major prospect in the eyes of one small car operation.

    Randy Hill Racing, a team formed late last season, signed Tim Andrews to a full-time deal to drive the No. 08 Ford Mustang throughout the 2012 Nationwide Series campaign. But, due to sponsorship woes, the team decided to go with a different approach.

    Casey Roderick, along with Fowler, have each ran a minimal portion of the ten races completed this season.

    Fowler’s resume isn’t the most impressive.  However, the 19 year old has driven for three well-known figures throughout the world of motorsports including Eddie Sharp, Ken Schrader, and Billy Venturini, all of which came in the ARCA series.

    “My experience in the ARCA series was definitely very beneficial when I had to come over here to the Nationwide Series with the help of Randy Hill Racing. I was able to race on similar tracks like the ones I’m racing on here and it was great to have some experienced people behind me such as Mr. Schrader and the Venturini’s in ARCA,” said Fowler.

    Randy Hill has known Fowler for a few months now. Before the two met, Hill was an ordinary fan who wanted to own a team. Hill was able to accomplish this feat over time. When he had an open seat for the Las Vegas, Bristol, and Texas races, he set his sights on giving Fowler a shot at stardom.

    “Well honestly it was a last minute deal when I got the call before Vegas. I think it was Monday , the week before as Mr. Hill called that morning and I didn’t know, nor have a clue what he would say,” said Fowler. “A lot of times last minute deals don’t usually work out, but we’re very fortunate to get valuable seat time and get our first start under our belt.”

    At times, Fowler wasn’t sure if he was able to get back in the car again at any point throughout the remaining portion of the schedule. Fowler kept in mind that a return to ARCA would be something he would consider, yet it wasn’t his first option.

    In his three races behind the wheel this season, the Georgia native has qualified no worse than 21st, including his Texas Motor Speedway debut where he broke a crank on a practice qualifying run. The team bounced back though with an impressive 21st place finish after starting from the back of the pack.

    “It’s great to be able to do that. We’re a low budget team so we don’t have a lot of cars. If we tear one up, it’s hard to fix it and come back to the track so if we can keep the car out there and work between race to race, then we’ll definitely start gaining on it and I think that’s kind of what happened with us,” Fowler said. “We were able to make big gains throughout the race and with ten minutes to go left in practice, we blew a motor so that kind of put us behind the eight-ball there. We changed the motor, got it ready for qualifying and got a pretty decent lap out of it.”

    In his three Nationwide Series appearances, Fowler has experience a mechanical issue in each of the races. Even though that is just ol’ lady luck,

    Fowler has shown that he has the talent to take his equipment to the front of the pack.

    Fowler didn’t climb up to the Nationwide Series by himself. His family had a lot to do with his early success.

    Mike and Lisa Fowler, Kyle’s parents, have supported him since he began pursuing a racing career.

    “Well, ever since I started racing they’ve been my team. We’ve always been a low budget deal ourselves. Me and my dad have always worked on the cars at the track. Them seeing me race at this level is great. To have them there for support and everything , it’s hard to put into words the chance that I’m getting to do. I would have never thought when I first strapped behind a racecar that I would be able to race against some of these great guys like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, and some of those guys,” Fowler said.

    Fowler’s father goes to each race with him. When the motor expired during practice for the O’Reily Auto Parts 300 in April, he was one of the lone pit crew members putting the backup engine in the car in time for qualifying, even though the team was locked in on owner points.

    The elder Fowler is a perfect fit to help in at Randy Hill Racing. Though the team partnered with Go-Green Racing during the off-season, the team is still underfunded with a limited amount of resources.

    “Well, whenever I’m racing the car, my father is at the shop. We have our Car Chief and about two-three other guys working on the cars and with the partnership with Go-Green Racing, they have a few guys as well and we all kind of work together on that. But, we’re not the Penske, the Roush, and the Gibbs guys with hundreds of people back at the shop, so it’s great to be able to do what we’re able to accomplish with a limited budget, limited man power, and limited horse power,” said Fowler who shows a great knowledge for what his competition bears.

    Along the way, Fowler has seen hundreds of driver’s race. But, while racing legends cars at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he and his father met David and Ken Ragan.

    “I wasn’t really as close to him until I started asking him about some of the tracks when we were both racing. It’s great to ask him what the cars will do on the long run or what to expect when racing with different track conditions. It’s great to have that as far as that. “

    Ragan, whom of which drives for an underfunded team himself, has helped Fowler’s learning curve in a modest way. Besides Ragan, Fowler credits his knowledge of knowing how to get around new tracks to his IRacing simulator which has proven to help the 19 year old make his way around some of the toughest tracks the series has to offer.

    Fowler’s future remains a mystery. He, nor Randy Hill, nor anyone in the garage area is sure what he will be doing throughout the remainder of the season.

    “At this point but I’m taking it week by week and waiting to see what might come up,” said Fowler.

    Indubitably, something came up as Fowler returns behind the wheel with RHR at the Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend in the History 300.