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Featured Other Series

DENNY HAMLIN SHORT TRACK SHOWDOWN, BENEFITTING CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF RICHMOND AT VCU, RETURNS TO RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY APRIL 25

Late Model Event to Benefit the Denny Hamlin Cystic Fibrosis Research Lab

For the third year in a row, the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown is set to open the Spring race weekend at Richmond International Raceway. The race, which typically features a dozen NASCAR drivers and celebrities battling on the ¾-mile track with some of the best local Late Model Stock Car drivers, will serve as a fundraiser for the Denny Hamlin Cystic Fibrosis Research Lab at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.

In 2012, the Denny Hamlin Foundation committed to a 3-year grant totaling $150,000 for the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR). Funds from the grant, which are raised through events like this year’s Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown at Richmond International Raceway, will help accelerate the Denny Hamlin Cystic Fibrosis Research Lab’s ability to bring new therapies to cystic fibrosis patients. In addition, the newly established Denny Hamlin Foundation Summer Scholars program will help train the next generation of CF research scientists.

“Every dollar we give to cystic fibrosis makes a difference,” explained Hamlin, Virginian and driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. “You never know. This could be the year that we find a cure.”

The Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown at Richmond International Raceway has brought some of the best late model racing action to Hamlin’s hometown track for the past two years and is sure to provide another great show for fans who come out to support cystic fibrosis research.

“We are excited to once again host the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown at Richmond International Raceway,” said RIR President Dennis Bickmeier. “RIR is proud to partner with Denny to raise awareness and money that will assist one of the best research teams as they work to find a cure for cystic fibrosis.”

The Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown and BLUE OX 100 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races will run on Thursday, April 25, as part of an action-packed opening day of the Spring NASCAR weekend at Richmond International Raceway.

“The Showdown has had some of the best late model racing in the past,” added Hamlin. “This year will be no different. We’ve invited the region’s finest drivers to compete against some of my Sprint Cup Series friends. I can’t wait to get back to Richmond. It’s going to be wild!”

Cystic Fibrosis is a fatal genetic disease that affects about 30,000 children and adults in the United States. CF causes chronic infections in the lungs and inadequate digestion of nutrients. There is no cure for CF, but medical advances have doubled the life expectancy of children in the last 30 years and increased the overall median age of survival to 38.

Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR) has a large research staff focused on finding a cure for CF. This research group has been critical in developing new therapies for CF. They recently discovered a promising CF lung disease treatment that is in development and undergoing pre-clinical testing at CHoR. As the only accredited CF center in the region, CF patients cared for at CHoR have access to the latest therapies and can participate in groundbreaking clinical studies.

Click here or call 866-455-7223 to purchase tickets for the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown. All tickets are general admission and $25. Children 12 and younger are admitted free with a ticketed adult. Thursday’s ticket also includes the BLUE OX 100 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race.

Tickets are on sale now for the Toyota Owners 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Advance tickets, including seats in Turns 1 and 4, start at $45, and can be purchased online by clicking here or by calling 866-455-7223. Tickets for the ToyotaCare 250 start at $30 in advance and can be purchased online by clicking here or by calling 866-455-7223. Children 12 and younger are admitted free with a ticketed adult in general admission sections on Friday.

For additional information, please visit www.rir.com or call 866-455-7223. Stay up to date by “Liking” us on Facebook and following on Twitter.

February 7, 2013
Tyler Walker: A Man Who Had Potential To Be Great

Tyler Walker in 2007. (Getty)

Just who is Tyler Walker? Just what happened to the Tyler Walker that won four California state karting championships with 200 victories? At just the tender age of 16, Walker had already moved up to the All Star Circuit of Champions and won seven races in his rookie season. Walker then moved up to the World of Outlaws, winning their Gumout Series in 2002 with 16 wins in that season alone.

It was in fact Walker who started doing the back flip off of his race car before Carl Edwards. Walker began racing in the Truck Series in 2003, scoring just one career top ten finish before being suspended for violating NASCAR’s substance abuse policy. Where did things go wrong for Tyler Walker? I see a driver that was absolutely a star in the lower series, but struggled in his transition to NASCAR.

Since his suspension from NASCAR, Walker had run mostly in small heat races at local tracks across the country. His last win was the 2011 King’s Royal at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway. However; he had stopped racing for a while due to an inner ear injury that was causing him to have vertigo.

As recently as July of 2012, Walker was involved in an altercation at the Williams Grove Speedway following an on-track incident at a qualifying race. Walker broke a track rule by going off the racing surface. Walker stormed through pit road to the officials stand to scold them for the ruling, but also made obscene gestures to both the officials and fans of the event. Walker was suspended following the outburst. It was ugly. There was a female official that was struck by two different men and Walker threatened to beat up a couple of people. And it was hard to even recognize Walker if you look at his 2007 team photo.

Then there came January 30th, 2012. Walker was arrested after leading police on a high speed chase across three states before police set down spike strips to apprehend Walker. After running over the spike strips, Walker fled on foot, but was apprehended. Police found meth, marijuana, and paraphernalia inside his vehicle. This man needs some serious help before it’s too late. And heck, it might already be too late. But there has been success after stopping drugs. Tim Allen and Josh Hamilton are two examples that I can think of. I wish Walker the best and I hope he recovers and gets his life back.

February 3, 2013
CHIP GANASSI RACING TEAMS SET THE PACE UPDATING FREE MOBILE APPLICATION

Ganassi enhances fan engagement and race day experience through digital marketing

CONCORD, N.C. (January 31, 2013) – Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) and SapientNitroSM, part of Sapient (NASDAQ: SAPE), today announced the re-launch of their updated mobile app, which was one of the first mobile applications for the high-velocity world of racing. The application brings fans the latest news for driver and event information, and exclusive content in one centralized and expansive mobile experience, bringing the rich heritage and legendary success of CGRT right to the palms of your hands.

The CGRT mobile app update will introduce a weekly interactive game called “Call the Race”, which allows fans to predict the outcome of the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race and ranks the game players on a leaderboard based on their correct answers throughout the season. Each week, the top-three players with the highest score will receive a digital gift card by email.

The Chip Ganassi Racing Teams mobile app provides up-to-date, behind-the-scenes video content straight from the Team’s official YouTube Channel Ganassi TV, a one-stop shop for breaking news stories and at-track social media updates from all seven drivers and six teams, as well as a FanCam, which is an interactive element that allows fans to be creative with CGRT images. The mobile application conveys the high-octane rush of racing for a team that competes at the highest levels in three touring series – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the IZOD IndyCar Series and the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series – allowing fans to make their iPhone and iPod Touch a unique part of their race-day experience.

Key App Features:

· Up close and personal information about all of the CGRT drivers including: bios, stats, photos, and racing resumes

· Real-time breaking news straight from the team

· Aggregated Twitter feeds from all your favorite CGRT drivers, live tweets from the track and links to the official team Facebook and Instagram pages.

· Behind-the-scenes video on Ganassi TV and photography from race events, interviews, and events

· Upcoming race event details including series’ calendars, event dates, and locales with notifications

· Current driver statistics and points standings after every race

· Updated race data for each driver and overall post-race results

· Engaging fan interactions, including promotions and giveaways, racing trivia with leader boards and scoring, FanCam photography, and Call the Race weekly competition

· Clickable sponsor interactions including a store location finder and special offers

To download the Chip Ganassi Racing application:

Click here to view the iTunes Application Store

Notes of Interest

App Summary: To bring fans the full spectrum of the racing experience, SapientNitro spent much time at the racetrack to better understand everything about what the race fan wants to experience. From being down in the pits with all the sounds and smells of racing to conversations with drivers, crew members, support personnel, and even interviewing dyed-in-the-wool fans. With this enhanced knowledge of the racing world, SapientNitro and Chip Ganassi Racing Teams worked closely together to craft an easy-to-use mobile application that provides a valuable brand experience for fans and partners alike.

Quote Board:

Michael Leonard, Vice President and General Manager Mobile Experience Studios, SapientNitro: “The racing industry continues to evolve each year as fans look for new ways to connect with the sport across multiple digital channels. Our ongoing strategic partnership continues to improve the event experience for CGRT fans, increases driver star power, attracts new audiences to the racing community and allows fans to engage with the brand through mobile commerce. We’re honored that Chip Ganassi Racing Teams continues to enlist us in this partnership.”

Steve Lauletta, President, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams: “Our mobile app has been a great tool to engage with the fans and also show the diversity of our team. This latest update pushes the envelope in the motorsports industry as we continue to work towards giving our fans a unique race-day experience through second screen technology. It is also reassuring to have a partner like SapientNitro that can help us expand our digital footprint in both fun and innovative ways.”

About SapientNitro

SapientNitroSM, part of Sapient® (NASDAQ: SAPE), is a new breed of agency redefining storytelling for an always-on world. We’re changing the way our clients engage today’s connected consumers by uniquely creating never-ending stories across brand communications, digital engagement, and omni-channel commerce. We call it Storyscaping, where art and imagination meet the power and scale of systems thinking.

SapientNitro’s Idea Engineers represent a connected powerhouse of creative, brand and technology expertise – one global team collaborating across disciplines, perspectives and continents to create game-changing success for our Global 1000 clients. We partner with industry-leading clients such as Chrysler, Citi, The Coca-ColaCompany, Lufthansa, Target, and Vodafone, in 31 cities across The Americas,Europe and Asia-Pacific. For more information, visit www.sapientnitro.com or follow us on Twitter @SapientNitro.

About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include three cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Overall his teams have 15 championships and over 150 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and five Rolex 24 At Daytonas. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.

January 31, 2013
Petty – Winning ARCA Daytona race one of fondest memories

(TEMPERANCE, Mich.) – The Petty family name has long been synonymous with Daytona International Speedway and stock car racing.

And, as the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards gets ready to descend on Daytona for its 50th annual race at the famous speedway on February 16, the Petty name is once front-and-center.

That’s because none other than Kyle Petty picked up a victory in his first-ever stock race, the 1979 Daytona ARCA 200. His grandfather, Lee Petty, won the inaugural NASCAR Daytona 500 in 1959 and his father, Richard Petty, won seven Daytona 500 races.

“Winning the 1979 Daytona ARCA 200 is still one of my fondest moments in racing,” Kyle said this week. “To win at Daytona, where my grandfather and father had so much success was a dream come true.”

Kyle cruised to Victory Lane at Daytona in one of his famous father’s mothballed 1978 Dodge Magnum race cars. At that time the third generation Petty became the youngest driver to win a major-league stock car race.

“To win in my very first career start was unthinkable and amazing,” Petty said.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will be celebrating its 50th race at Daytona this year with the Lucas Oil 200 Presented by MAVTV American Real. Prior to the race, which will be shown live on SPEED, more than a dozen past ARCA Daytona winners will be introduced to the crowd, including Petty.

“The entire ARCA community is just very proud and appreciative of the opportunity to race at Daytona,” said Ron Drager, president of ARCA. “It’s been a great relationship, and it’s evolved into the longest-running annual race on our schedule.”

The annual ARCA event at Daytona has helped launch the careers of some of the biggest names in the sport, including drivers like 1969 winner Benny Parsons and 2004 winner Kyle Busch.

“Looking back, to have your name on the same list as Benny Parsons, Ramo Stott, Nelson Stacy and Tim Richmond is an honor,” Petty said. “To win in my very first career start was unthinkable and amazing.”

For more information about the ARCA Racing Series, to set up interviews with series officials or drivers, contact ARCA Communications Director Doug Donnelly or ARCA Communications Manager Don Radebaugh.

RACE FACTS

RACE: 50th annual Lucas Oil 200 Presented by MAVTV American Real

TRACK: Daytona International Speedway

LOCATION: Daytona Beach, Fla.

SERIES: Event No. 1 of the 2013 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards

TELEVISION: SPEED

DEFENDING RACE WINNER/CHAMPION: Bobby Gerhart

Facebook.com/arcaracing
Follow on Twitter @ARCA_Racing

January 30, 2013
Jarett Andretti, Third Generation Racer, Just Enjoying the Ride

Photo Credit: jarettandretti.com

Jarett Andretti may have a famous racing last name and racing in his blood, but for now he is simply enjoying the ride.

And for this third-generation driver, grandson of Aldo and son of John Andretti, the ride not only includes pursuing a college education but also racing sprint cars for the company owned by second cousin Michael Andretti.

“It started last year,” Andretti said. “Me and my dad were talking about what we wanted to do in the 2012 season.”

“And he said we should do dirt sprint cars,” Andretti continued. “And at that point, I had never even been in a dirt sprint car or driven too much on dirt.”

“We acquired different cars and we put together our best car to run,” Andretti said. “We didn’t run as good as we hoped to run.”

“So, this year we really knew what we were going to do,” Andretti continued. “We hired our crew chief, bought cars and a motor and Superior Auto came on board as a sponsor.”

“Everything fell in line to do 30 or 40 races this season in Indiana.”

Andretti’s new sponsor, Superior Auto, is also excited about partnering with the young driver as his career blossoms.

“Jarett is the next line of great racers in the Andretti family,” Chad Melchi, President of Superior Auto, said. “He’s proving himself to live in the footsteps of his great family name.”

“All of us at Superior Auto want to be a part of his journey as he continues to grow.”

Andretti actually has a unique racing resume, especially since he did not even start racing until he was 17 years old. Prior to that, he was a devoted soccer player and would have played in college except for being bitten by the racing bug.

“I played soccer for a long time and then my dad bought a go kart,” Andretti said. “He thought it would be fun to spend some time together but he might regret it after all this.”

“We didn’t know what the next step was but decided to go dirt sprint car racing,” Andretti continued. “I also got an opportunity to run Oswego Speedway in a super-modified class and won Rookie of the Year last year.”

“My career is like my father’s in a sense because I drive whatever I get the opportunity to be in,” Andretti said. “That’s why we wanted to do dirt sprint car too.”

“In Indiana you can run three nights a week,” Andretti continued. “So, when I’m not running on pavement, I’ll just get in the dirt sprint car and that will be great experience for me.”

In addition to racing whatever he can get his hands on, the young Andretti is also a sophomore at North Carolina State University, where he is studying business administration and marketing. And of course, his is all in at school where he participates in the honors program.

“It’s alright,” Andretti said about his classroom career. “On Thursday and Friday, I take online classes so I can go racing on the weekends.”

“But it’s tough to get back Sunday night or Monday morning and go to school and keep up with it all,” Andretti admitted. “There’s homework and studying during the week so I can go racing.”

“It balances out,” Andretti said. “You care about school and you want to go racing.”

“It’s a challenge to make it all work but it’s worth it.”

What also motivates the young racer is the support of his family, especially since they have allowed him to find his own way in the sport.

“There was no pressure about racing from my family,” Andretti said. “In fact, my mom has been quoted as saying “I kept him out of it this long.” So, that was her accomplishment.”

“But my family has been nothing but supportive,” Andretti continued. “My father has been supportive and has given me guidance.”

“My mom is supportive as well with me being away at college and then away racing too,” Andretti said. “She takes care of my two younger sisters and they have been supportive as well.”

“So, it’s a family effort, even with my grandfather Aldo, who comes to the track and is over there washing the car,” Andretti continued. “Mario, Michael and Marco are also supportive as well.”

“Michael let me test in October so it’s all a family effort like most things.”

So what does the future hold for the youngest Andretti racer?

“I think it’s tough to answer because it’s where the opportunity falls,” Andretti said. “I’d be happy to run Le Mans and Daytona and run dirt the rest of the year.”

“I’m not picky about where I go,” Andretti continued. “I think the opportunity will be something with fenders, either in sports cars or NASCAR.”

“IndyCar right now doesn’t seem to have many opportunities for young kids and that’s disappointing,” Andretti said. “But that’s the way it is.”

“Really, I just want to win races,” Andretti said. “And I just like to drive race cars.”

“Right now, I’m just enjoying the ride.”

January 29, 2013
Baldwin Determined to Make the Most of Rookie Season in NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour

Photo Credit: daltonbaldwin.com

Dalton Dalton’s love of racing began as a young child. If there was a NASCAR race on the television, he stopped whatever he was doing to watch the action on the screen. His career began at the age of nine when he began racing go-karts with his father, Bobby.

He was a natural, winning 3 feature races and multiple heat races running a part time schedule at the East Bay Raceway Park dirt track. Dalton eventually progressed to modifieds at Desoto Super Speedway and became known for his hard charging, on the edge, aggressive racing style. In 2009, he won the Flyin’ 4 Rookie of the Year award.

Dalton’s father, Bobby, was known as one of the best Florida Modified drivers in the state. In 2010, he made the decision to step aside and put Dalton in his car. It was a bold move. His son would be moving up from a 100 horsepower car to a 600 horsepower open wheel modified. Much of the racing community thought Dalton was not ready for the transition. They were wrong.

Under his father’s guidance, Dalton was soon racing up front with the veterans. He finished the season third in points and won Rookie of the Year.

He found even more success in 2011. In only the second race, he started on the pole, led every lap and collected his first win. The season ended with an impressive four wins and the Florida Modified Championship at Desoto Super Speedway.

2012 would be a year of transition as the team prepared to move forward into the Modified Touring Series. In August, they drove to North Carolina and bought the necessary car. The remainder of the year was all about gaining experience and soaking up knowledge from more experienced drivers.

This year, Dalton will run a full-time schedule in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour division. His goals are to win at least one race and to earn the Rookie of the Year award.

“But ultimately,” he says, “I’m really just trying to prove myself to everyone. So, I want to just be competitive and up front, showing that we can compete with these guys.”

Dalton also has another reason for wanting to succeed this season. He’s a proud advocate for the World Motorsports Breast Cancer Foundation and will donate part of his winnings to the organization.

“This is our first season together,” he said, “and I really hope we can make big things happen for the foundation.”

Dalton Baldwin Racing is a family owned and operated business without the resources of many other teams. When asked about the sacrifices his family had to make, Dalton offers a different point of view.

“Well, to us, racing is our lives. So, we don’t have to make many sacrifices, it’s just what we do. We don’t want to do anything else but racing. Anything we put towards this isn’t a sacrifice to us; it’s a way of life.”

What they lack in funds, they make up for with passion and the will to succeed.

“It’s taken a lot to just get here and we’re just scratching the surface,” Dalton told me. “We’re underfunded compared to a lot of these guys, especially the northern tour teams. But we make up for that with determination and integrity. I don’t believe any other team has a will to win as high as we do.”

More information on the UNOH Battle at the Beach can be found at hometracks.nascar.com.

For more information about Dalton Baldwin Racing including driver bio, race schedule, pictures and videos, please visit www.daltonbaldwin.com. You can also find his Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/DaltonBaldwinRacing and Twiiter at https://twitter.com/Dalton_Baldwin.

January 29, 2013
Ontario Short Tracks to Daytona High Banks, Andrew Gresel ready for ARCA race

Photo Credit: Joe Chisholm

From the Ontario, Canada short tracks to the high banks of Daytona International Speedway, Andrew Gresel is looking for success this February in Daytona. The second generation driver has teamed up with Wes Gonder Racing to run the ARCA Series Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on February 16^th.

For Gresel, it’s all about qualifying well.

“Qualifying is a big day,” he said. You want to qualify good there; you don’t want to start mid-pack. If we have to, that’s just something we’ll have to deal with this. But qualifying is a major thing that we’ll have to deal with.”

Running a race at Daytona was a goal that Gresel had and the pieces came together with Wes Gonder Racing through success at New Smyrna Speedway during their Florida Speedweeks event.

“We have been running New Smyrna Speedway the last couple down years down near Daytona and we’ve had quite a bit luck down there, ran good down south,” Gresel said.

Gresel hit the high banks of Daytona in December as part of ARCA’s pre-season testing, which marked a considerable jump up from the 1/3 to ¼ mile short tracks in Ontario.

“Hitting the track for the first time was very intimidating at Daytona,” he said. “Just being in the racecar and hitting the corners at a high speed around 180 mph, super fast and just the corners themselves are real intimidating.”

The 2011 Delaware Speedway Champion got started in racing as a teenager, helping his dad at Sauble Speedway with a pure stock.

“It wasn’t too long after that I had my own car and we were racing against each other,” he said.

Since then, Gresel has become a major threat to win across the province and is a two-time winner of the Beat the Heat 150 at Sauble and won the Great Canadian 200 at Delaware Speedway in 2011.

Beyond running the ARCA race this February, the plan right now for Gresel is keep their open late model program going, traveling to the different invitationals across Ontario. However, if they are also looking to sell the car.

“I’ve got the car – new body going on the car, everything like that,” he said. “Just getting it ready for anybody that is looking for a good car that can go out and win races.”

If they can sell the car, Gresel says the team is looking to step up their program by either running a super late or maybe some more ARCA races.

With regards to long term goals, Gresel says that it’s hard to say where he’ll be in five years.

“I just got to do everything I can do to improve myself and to make my way up to a bigger series,” he added.

To put together a huge program, it does take a lot of support from a lot of people.

“I would like to thank, right off the bat, my dad for supporting us – Sauble Falls Tent and Trailer Park is his company,” Gresel said. “Without him, we wouldn’t be racing at all. I’d like to thank him and his company. London Recreational, they’re helping us out quite a bit with this ARCA deal. Stewarts Farm Equipment. I also want to thank all my sponsors that help me out on the late model, all my sponsors that helped me out all year so CUSW, McRobert Fuels, Overland Heating and Cooling and Spira Fire Protection. I just like to thank everybody that helps us out.”

Beyond the sponsors mentioned, they are also receiving support for the race from Marvin Freiburger and & Sons, Andy Schmidt, Shear Metal Products and SpeedwayPhotos.ca.

The team is always interested in adding more sponsorship. Any interested sponsors can contact his promoter Joe Chisholm at motorpromotions@gmail.com.

January 25, 2013
Shell and Pennzoil Extend Penske Alliance

January 23, 2013
Chip Ganassi Racing Teams Set to Take-Off in Multi-year Partnership with Cessna, a Textron, Inc. Company

Partnership will encompass all three series in which Chip Ganassi Racing Teams compete – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the IZOD IndyCar Series and the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, predominately using the Cessna Brand

CONCORD, N.C. (Jan. 23, 2012) – Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) announces a multi-year partnership with Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron, Inc. company, to sponsor cars across all three series in which CGRT competes. The world’s leading general aviation company will sponsor multiple races on the No. 1 Chevrolet SS of Jamie McMurray in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) sharing assets with sister Textron companies Bell Helicopter and E-Z-GO golf carts. Cessna will also sponsor one race on the No. 10 Honda with Dario Franchitti in the IZOD IndyCar Series and one race with Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series on the No. 01 Dinan-Prepared BMW.

Each of Textron’s brands can be and often are, incorporated into every race event where CGRT competes. From a team’s air travel to and from the host city, helicopter transport from airport to venue and ground transportation onsite, Cessna and Textron have options for all of it. The partnership offers a new connection to an industry that relies heavily on private aircraft travel.

Notes of Interest:

· About the Partnership: In addition to the full primary sponsorships, a Textron brand will have placement on every team, race car, driver uniform and transporter, across all of CGRT’s diverse reach of racing assets. Those assets including each of the seven full-time drivers; NSCS drivers McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya, IZOD IndyCar Series drivers Franchitti, Scott Dixon and Charlie Kimball and GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series drivers Pruett and Rojas.

· Cessna: Cessna is the world’s leading general aviation company. Since its inception in 1927, Cessna has designed, produced and delivered more than 193,500 airplanes around the globe. This includes more than 6,300 Citation business jets, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. Today, Cessna has two principal lines of business: aircraft sales and aftermarket services. Aircraft sales include Citation business jets, Caravan single-engine utility turboprops, single-engine piston aircraft and lift solutions by CitationAir. Aftermarket services include parts, maintenance, inspection and repair services. In 2011, Cessna delivered 689 aircraft, including 183 Citation business jets.

· E-Z-GO: E-Z-GO is the preferred light transportation solution for golf courses, companies and consumers worldwide with innovative, reliable and energy-efficient vehicles. Headquartered in Augusta, Ga. E-Z-GO manufactures more than 50 different vehicle models under the E-Z-GO, Cushman and Bad Boy Buggies brands. Its products range from the E-Z-GO RXV fleet golf car, with its innovative, highly energy-efficient AC Drive technology, to the Bad Boy Buggies Ambush, a “parallel hybrid” utility vehicle with dual independent gas and electric powertrains, either of which can power the machine in two-wheel-drive, or which can work in tandem for four-wheel-drive operation.

· Bell Helicopter: Bell Helicopter is a world-leading manufacturer of vertical lift aircraft. Bell Helicopter currently produces a wide variety of transport and executive aircraft which includes the Bell 429, 412, 407 and 206L-4, in addition to military programs including the AH-1Z, UH-1Y, OH-58D and the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor. Globally recognized for world-class customer service, innovation and superior quality, Bell Helicopter’s global workforce serves customers flying a combined total of more than 13,000 commercial and military Bell aircraft in more than 120 countries.

· McMurray on the Track: McMurray began his NSCS career with team owner Chip Ganassi in 2002 when he filled in for an injured Sterling Marlin and won his first NSCS race in just his second start at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 2010, the Joplin, MO, native became one of only three drivers to ever capture both Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 in the same season. In his 12th season driving in the NASCAR premier series, McMurray has six victories, eight poles, 41 top-five and 99 top-10 finishes.

· Franchitti By the Numbers: Franchitti, a four-time IZOD IndyCar Series Champion (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011) and three-time Indianapolis 500 Winner, returns to Target Chip Ganassi Racing in 2013 for his fifth season alongside two-time Champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500 Winner Dixon.

· Pruett and Rojas: The GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series tandem of Pruett and Rojas is the most-successful driving duo in GRAND-AM history. They will compete for their seventh consecutive season with Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. The pair has won four GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series championships together (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012) and two wins in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Quote Board:

Scott Ernest, Cessna’s President and CEO:

“We have been impressed with CGRT’s scope and success across all components of racing and are partnering to demonstrate how closely the concepts of speed, precision and performance bridge both the aviation and racing industries. Just like CGRT, Cessna is a demonstrated leader and is in the market to win.”

Chip Ganassi, Owner, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams:

“I am very pleased about this partnership with Cessna and Textron. It is always significant when big brands choose auto racing as a vehicle to market their products and Cessna is not only choosing NASCAR but also INDYCAR and GRAND-AM as well and we couldn’t be happier. Their products are vitally important to me. I have used their airplanes for a number of years and their performance is second to none and that is the same level of performance that we expect from our race teams.”

Jamie McMurray, Driver, No. 1 Chevrolet:

“I am really excited to have Cessna come on board with our team. I know that speed is an important part of their business, just like ours. We have a lot of excitement with the upcoming season and the new Gen 6 race cars. I am ready to get the 2013 season started, and I am looking forward to Cessna being a part of our entire organization.”

For more information log onto www.earnhardtganassi.com

About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include three cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Overall his teams have 15 championships and 150 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and four Rolex 24 At Daytonas. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.

January 23, 2013
Donovan Price to Raise Money for Breast Cancer while racing Legend

How would you like the opportunity to do something you love, while doing something to help other people? That is exactly what Donovan Price is doing. For his 2013 racing season, he will be racing in the Legends series across Ontario while raising money for breast cancer awareness.

“I decided to give back to the fans that have supported local short track racing and what better way to do it by racing for a cause – breast cancer,” Price said. ”One in nine women have a chance in their life to be effected by this so every Saturday night of racing, there are fans in the stands that have been effected by this one way or another.”

The goal is to raise money to help researchers find a cure so we can lower that number. Price has also been affected by breast cancer personally, as he knows two ladies that have had cancer and what they went through.

The idea came about when Price thought about painting his legend pink.

“You don’t see to many hot pink race cars on the track every weekend but I’m a bit of a goof ball so it suits me,” Price jokes. “I also tape my hockey stick with pink hockey tape and people always tell me ‘only Donovan can get away with it’. I also am trying to get a pink racing suit; nothing like a 6″2 250 lbs guy wearing a pink driver suit.”

Price has been in contact with the Canadian Breast Cancer foundation, receiving approval for the idea. The Canadian Breast Cancer foundation will be posting a page on their website about it, while being supportive to Price in his goal.

Price is set on raising over $5000 and if he can get enough sponsorship money, he will donate his winnings as well. Currently, he has five sponsors, but is looking for more as racing isn’t cheap and the more money he gets, the more he will be donating to charity. 50% of the sponsorship money goes to the racecar, while the other 50% goes directly to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Beyond collecting sponsorship money, when he races at Peterborough Speedway, they are letting him put donation jars at the gates to raise money. He will also be selling t-shorts with 100% of the proceeds going to breast cancer research.

“I figure if I can get enough media exposure on this neat way of raising money, people will donate more money and more companies will come forward and help me reach my goals and maybe raise more than $5000,” Price said.

With 12 years of racing experience, Price is hoping that it equals to success on the track while raising over $5000 for research.

Fans can follow Donovan Price’s progress by following him on twitter @donovanprice and by liking his ’96 Racing’ facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/96Racing?fref=ts).

January 18, 2013