Category: Other Series PR

Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:

 

1. Munoz gets to work after joining Andretti team 

2. Luyendyk seeks to compete 

3. Hunter-Reay impressed with Honda power in early going 

4. Read graduates to Indy Lights from Pro Mazda

 

1. Munoz gets to work after joining Andretti team: Carlos Munoz tried to take his first day as a full-time IZOD IndyCar Series driver in stride.

 

“Just another day at the office, eh?” James Hinchcliffe offered as the 21-year-old Colombian prepared to test for the first time as a full-time member of the Andretti Autosport team at Sebring International Raceway.

 

It didn’t matter to Munoz that his car was unnumbered. He pointed to his name below the Colombian flag on either side of the cockpit.

 

“I’m excited for this new year,” said Munoz, who officially joined the team Nov. 18.

 

Munoz, who placed third in the Firestone Indy Lights championship this year and competed in three IZOD IndyCar Series races, will drive a Honda-powered car in 2014 alongside Hinchcliffe, Marco Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay, who was testing the new twin turbocharged 2.2-liter V-6 at Sebring.

 

“I was in the car once during the Toronto weekend, and everything was sort of new for me today again,” Munoz said. “My main goal was to make sure the seat, the pedals, everything was OK. I’m really happy that Andretti Autosport has given me the opportunity. Not a lot of rookies get to go up with a top team. 

 

“I have to work a lot, but I’m ready for it. My first goal is accomplished. To be a part of this team, they believe a lot in me, and to pay them back would be to bring them great results.”

 

Munoz made his series debut in the 97th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, in which he started and finished second and earned Rookie of the Year honors. He also competed in the second race of the Toronto doubleheader as a fill-in for Ryan Briscoe (fractured wrist in Race 1) for Panther Racing in addition to competing in the Firestone Indy Lights race, and also did double duty at Auto Club Speedway as the substitute for E.J. Viso.

 

Overall, he recorded four victories (two each on road/street courses and ovals) and five pole positions in the 2013 Firestone Indy Lights season.

 

“Carlos stepped up this season and showed outstanding potential on track in Indy and Fontana,” team owner Michael Andretti said. “We are looking forward to welcoming him as a full time IndyCar driver and seeing what 2014 has in store. We are confident that his success in Indy Lights will carry on into his IndyCar career.” 

 

Garrett Mothersead, who worked with Munoz for the Indy 500 program, will be his race engineer.

 

“We worked together at Indianapolis and connected,” Munoz said. “He told me when I needed to push and when to hold back. I learned a lot that month, and I also learned from my experienced teammates at Toronto and Fontana. They always tried to help me.

 

“I don’t have the words to express right now how I feel. After so many years of racing and all the sacrifices — leaving my family in Colombia and going to Europe to race, then coming here to the U.S. — but finally, I’m a professional race car driver in the maximum category in America.”

 

2. Luyendyk seeks to compete: Two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Arie Luyendyk donned a headset and joined team owner Dale Coyne on the pit stand to watch his son, Arie Luyendyk Jr., get acquainted with the nuances of an IndyCar Series machine and Sebring International Raceway’s short course.

 

Luyendyk, 32, a former Firestone Indy Lights competitor, is intent on competing in the 2014 IndyCar Series season.

 

“I would have done it a lot sooner, but economically it was tough for a few years to raise the funds to go racing,” he said. “But now I feel like I’m in a situation where I’m very marketable and I’ve always wanted to be back in an Indy car. The goal is to run next year, hopefully a full schedule if we can find the partners, and if not I would love to be back for the Indy road course race and the ‘500.’

 

“I’ve never lost the passion. I’ve always stayed close to INDYCAR, driving the two-seater or being in the TV booth. When I went to Indy this year I mentally told myself I’d be back the following year. This is a good first step.”

 

Luyendyk began racing in go-karts in 1992 and has competed in various series from Formula Ford to USF2000 and the A1GP. He finished second, third and fourth in the Firestone Indy Lights championship. The test was his first time in an IndyCar on a road course.

 

“It’s my first opportunity with carbon brakes and paddle shifting since I did A1GP so there’s a lot to get used to because the last time I was in an open-wheel car was 2010,” he said. “Physically, it’s a lot tougher than I accounted for, but I’m learning every lap, the crew has given me a great car and it’s a great start to a relationship.”

 

3. Hunter-Reay impressed with Honda power in early going: Ryan Hunter-Reay was involved in the early development of 2.2-liter, twin turbocharged V-6 engine as Chevrolet rejoined the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2012.

 

The Andretti Autosport driver, who rode that engine to the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series championship and two victories this past season, now is involved in the offseason development of Honda Performance Development’s twin turbocharged engine.

 

Andretti Autosport announced at the season finale Oct. 19 that it would switch to Honda power for the 2014 season. Hunter-Reay joined Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Simon Pagenaud of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in testing the engine Nov. 18 at Sebring International Raceway.

 

“I’m very impressed with the power and delivery,” Hunter-Reay said. “We’re all happy with how we started testing. The development side of it is a lot of fun. You have an opportunity to customize and personalize and have your impact on a program. What we do right now is important, to get every bit of data out of every day, is crucial to the 2014 championship.

 

“All the hard work going into it will make a big difference come the season opener at St. Pete. It’s great to get back to it.” 

 

4. Read graduates to Indy Lights from Pro Mazda: Lloyd Read will race in Indy Lights in 2014 as part of the joint effort of Bryan Herta Autosport and Jeffrey Mark Motorsport.

 

The 22-year-old Welsh-born driver, who has lived in California since his was six, competed in the Pro Mazda Championship in 2013 and impressed the BHA team when he tested the team’s Lights car.

 

“I am unbelievably excited to be selected to drive for Bryan Herta Autosport in the 2014 Indy Lights season,” said Read. “Bryan Herta, Steve Newey and Jeffrey Mark have given me the chance to drive for an Indianapolis 500-winning team in just my rookie season and I cannot express how grateful I am for this opportunity.

 

“Bryan knows how to win races and a championship in Indy Lights, so having him as a mentor is going to be exactly what every up-and-coming driver needs. Being able to sit in on IndyCar debriefs and observe the IndyCar program is going to expedite my learning process. It’s a huge advantage that I know I have over the competition.”

 

Read raced in both the Sports Car Club of America and Formula Car Challenge before joining the Mazda Road to Indy ladder in 2013.

 

“We are very pleased to welcome Lloyd Read to the team,” Team owner Bryan Herta said. “We have a strong focus this winter on strengthening our Indy Lights team, and Lloyd demonstrated to us when he tested our car that he is ready for this next step in his career. We look forward to getting to work in a couple weeks at the Chris Griffiths Memorial Test.”

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Nov. 18, 2013— Each race may be a sprint, but the season is definitely a marathon when competing with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series. The 70-plus race campaign begins in the middle of February and stretches to early November. In between, there are usually peaks and valleys and nearly everything else imaginable with the numbers of races and vast amount of travel that is part of the equation. Kraig Kinser experienced just about all of this in 2013, as he completed another season on the road.

Kinser opened the year at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida for the running of the DIRTcar Nationals. He came home ninth on opening night and followed that up by finishing on the podium in third on the second night. Kinser wrapped up the three-night event in the 11th spot and left the Sunshine State fourth in points in the Mesilla Valley Transportation/Casey’s General Store/King Racing Products Maxim.

An 11-race West Coast swing was up next, and the native of Bloomington, Ind., had an up-and-down go during that trip. He picked up four top-10 finishes, including a fifth-place showing at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif.  Kinser would head back to the Midwest 10th in the standings.

Following a fifth-place finish in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series inaugural event at El Paso Speedway Park in Texas, Kinser returned to a track he knows very well — Tri-State Speedway in his home state of Indiana. The 29-year-old powered through the field to finish eighth after starting 17th.

The first East Coast Swing of the season was next on-tap and Kinser finished a solid seventh at the famed Williams Grove Speedway with a stout field of 46 cars in attendance. The second night of that event was rained out, giving teams some extra time to make the trip to Orange County Fair Speedway in New York. Kinser made the most of this trek, as he led all 25 laps to score his first win of the season and the first of his career in the Empire State. He would wrap up the East Coast Swing with a top-10 at New Egypt Speedway in New Jersey.

Returning to Indiana for a Memorial Day event at Lawrenceburg Speedway, Kinser notched a seventh-place finish. Later that week he would finish seventh again in the series only visit of the season to the state of Michigan at I-96 Speedway. The final stop of the season for the series in Indiana was at Kokomo Speedway and Kinser crossed the line eighth in that event.

Heading to the Upper Midwest in late June, Kinser finished fifth at River Cities Speedway in North Dakota and Jackson Speedway in Minnesota in consecutive races. In the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series return to LaSalle Speedway in Illinois, Kinser finished ninth.

The series spent the night before the Fourth of July at Huset’s Speedway in South Dakota, with Kinser coming home sixth. The long trip to Dodge City Raceway Park in Kansas was fruitful for the 2005 winner of the Knoxville Nationals as he recorded performance of third and seventh at the three-eighths-mile.

Kinser kicked off the Month of Money with an eighth-place showing in the Brad Doty Classic at Limaland Motorsports Park in Ohio. He carried that momentum into the Kings Royal at the legendary Eldora Speedway, recording a sixth-place finish in that 40-lap crown jewel event. During the series first trip of the year north of the border to Canada, Kinser finished third at Autodrome Drummond in Quebec.

Following the Knoxville Nationals, Kinser ran sixth at Nodak Speedway in North Dakota. In the annual Oil City Cup at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, the 2004 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award winner, finished 10th in the opener.

The second West Coast Race of the season saw the series compete eight times in 10 nights at six tracks in three states. Kinser finished sixth in the opener at Skagit Speedway in Washington, and was eighth on Labor Day night at Grays Harbor Raceway, also in the Evergreen State. He recorded 10th-place finishes in both of the races in Oregon, first at Willamette Speedway and then Cottage Grove Speedway. Kinser concluded the second West Coast Swing with a ninth-place performance at Antioch Speedway.

Back in the Midwest, he finished eighth at both Clay County Fair Speedway in Iowa, and Deer Creek Speedway in Minnesota. Down the stretch, Kinser finished among the top-five in two of the last three races of the season. He was fifth at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in New York as part of Super DIRT Week and wrapped up the season with a fourth-place run at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, during the World Finals, flying the Bad Boys Buggies colors as a teammate to his father, Steve, the 20-time World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series champion.

Kinser wrapped up the year 11th in points with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series. He was victorious once, while garnering 34 top-10 finishes, with 10 of those being top-fives. He stopped the clocks first in time trials once. Kinser picked up the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award three times in 2013. Over the course of the season, he won five heat races and raced his way into the dash on 22 different occasions.

Kinser will spend some time in the off-season racing competing in Australia as he prepares for the 2014 campaign.

Kraig Kinser Racing would like to thank Casey’s General Stores, Mesilla Valley Transportation, King Racing Products, Maxim, Aerodine Composites, Sander Engineering, Integra Shocks, All Star Performance, FK Rod Ends, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bell, KSE Racing Products, ButlerBuilt, Schoenfeld Headers, Donovan Engineering, Fel-Pro, Brodix, Wilwood, Dyer’s, Barnes Systems, Ringer Gloves, Jakes Custom Golf Carts, and Ben Cook Racing Limited for their continued support.

Keep up with all the action 
For the latest news on Kraig Kinser, visit http://www.kraigkinser.com, and follow Kraig on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kraigkinser11kand receive live updates from the track each and every race night.

Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:

1. If You Missed It: Chip Ganassi conference call

2. Conway to drive road/street courses for Ed Carpenter Racing

3. Luyendyk to test for Coyne team

1. If You Missed It: Chip Ganassi conference call: Earlier today, Target Chip Ganassi Racing owner Chip Ganassi participated in an INDYCAR Conference Call to discuss the MAVTV 500.

Selected quotes from the call are below. 

MODERATOR:  Everybody knows by now that yesterday we had some unfortunate news that Dario Franchitti is going to be unable to continue his driving career.  We have Chip Ganassi on the line, owner of Target Chip Ganassi Racing. We’ll let what Dario said in his statement yesterday speak for the medical piece of this. Hopefully at some point in the near future we’ll have the opportunity to get Dario on a conference call with everybody when the time is right.  With that, I’m going to turn it over to Chip and ask you, what is it going to be like in 2014 to have the No. 10 Target car without Dario in it?

CHIP GANASSI:   One thing I want to say.  I don’t want anybody to read into comments that Dario is not going to make a full recovery. Medically, he has been told he’ll make a 100 percent recovery. We’ve been told that from day one. It’s not like he has any injuries that he won’t recover from.  These are all injuries that are recoverable. I don’t want anybody thinking he’s maimed for life or anything like that.  I think it’s unfortunate.  He’s been told by his doctors to not race again basically.  Obviously, having Dario part of our family for so many years, enjoying so much together, it’s unfortunate.  I think we all feel on the team that nobody wants to go out of the sport. They like to leave any sport or any avocation on their own terms.  To be told that you can’t continue is pretty disheartening, to say the least.  I think we’re all dealing with that initially.  I don’t think there’s any reason to read anything more into that.  I mean, I think Dario is a professional.  He loves the sport.  He understands the sport.  He wants to stay involved.  His involvement, like I said, like you’ve read, will probably continue with the team in some capacity.

I know he’s very interested in the series, where it’s going.  Obviously, you know, his name, when you look at it, I hate to say these kind of things when you’re active in a career, I’ve always shied away from saying this, but because he won’t be driving again, I guess, I think it’s safe to say that his name is up there with all the greats, like Foyt, Andretti, Unser.  We’ve all seen the statistics.  I was reminded yesterday of him winning the Daytona 24 Hours, the Indianapolis 500, the Sebring 12 Hours, all within a year period.  These are things that no one has ever done in consecutive races. Again, you look at 31 career wins, tied for eighth all time.  Only driver in history to win three titles consecutively.  Those are no small feats.  We kind of take them for granted sometimes in our team because we’re so focused on next week’s race, you never really turn around and look back at things.

Like we said in the release, I think this is just the turning of a page of sorts and the beginning of a new chapter in his career.  I think he’ll make a great ambassador to the sport.  I can’t think of anybody who would be better, as somebody that has worldwide recognition and a true interest in the sport of Indy car racing. We want to help him with that.  We have a common interest in the sport, in furthering the sport, and we’ll do it together I’m sure. 

2. Conway to drive road/street courses for Ed Carpenter Racing: Mike Conway, who has recorded IndyCar Series on the streets of Long Beach and Belle Isle, will drive the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka car for Ed Carpenter Racing in the 12 road and street course events in the 2014 season.

Carpenter, who has won two IndyCar Series oval races, will compete in the six oval races, beginning with the 98th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in May.

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome Mike Conway to the Ed Carpenter Racing family,” said Carpenter, the only owner/driver in the IndyCar Series. “My partners, (team manager) Tim Broyles and I are committed to building an organization based on culture, sustainability, and performance.  We are very proud of the group of people we have assembled and bringing Mike into the fold creates an opportunity for us to show even more value to our partners and strengthen our team by competing for victories at every single event in the 2014 IndyCar Series.”

Carpenter, who qualified on the pole for the Indianapolis 500 in May, recorded five top-10 finishes (high of second at Auto Club Speedway in the Oct. 19 finale) at the six ovals this season. He had a best finish of 13th (Toronto1) and best qualifying effort of 14th (Sao Paulo) on road/street circuits. The team has scheduled its first preseason test for Dec. 18 at Sebring International Raceway.

“Ed has invested his heart and soul in his organization and is willing to put the team, his employees, and his partners first,” said Eric Timmerman, CEO of Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka. “His commitment to excellence and willingness to invest in the team positions the entire organization, ourselves and other partners included, for long-term success.”

Conway, 30, of England, won the first race at Belle Isle in the IndyCar Series’ inaugural doubleheader and started from the pole and finished third in the second race in a Dale Coyne Racing car. He recorded consecutive seventh-place finishes in the doubleheader races in Toronto, scored a top 10 in the second of the Houston doubleheader and also competed at Long Beach in a Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing car.

Overall, Conway has made 60 IndyCar Series starts, and made his debut in 2009 with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.

“It is great news to be back in IndyCar next year for all the road and street courses,” said Conway, who also has competed this year in the FIA World Endurance Challenge. “I had a lot of fun this year in the select races that I could do and I hope that I can continue my success with Ed Carpenter Racing next year.”

3. Luyendyk to test for Coyne team: Arie Luyendyk Jr. will return to the wheel of an IndyCar Series car with Dale Coyne Racing during a private test on Nov. 18 at Sebring International Raceway.

“This is a huge opportunity and I am very grateful Dale Coyne Racing has given me this test,” Luyendyk said. “I think it’s very important that the IndyCar community, as well as the fans, know I am 100 percent committed to returning to the IndyCar Series. My goal for the test is to get acquainted with the DW12 chassis and, hopefully, surprise some people with my pace. I’m sure I will be smiling ear-to-ear in the car on Monday, and I can’t wait to see how the IndyCar performs.”

Luyendyk, the son of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Arie Luyendyk, will drive an open-wheel car for the first time since 2010.

The 32-year-old has competed in various racing series from Formula Ford to USF2000 and the A1GP. From 2003 to 2006, Luyendyk was voted “Most Popular Driver” in Indy Lights while finishing second, third and fourth in the point’s Championship. He also qualified for his first Indianapolis 500 in 2006.

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013) – INDYCAR released the following statement today regarding the announcement that Dario Franchitti will end his auto racing career:

 

“As a four-time IndyCar Series champion and a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Dario Franchitti has etched his name among the greats of this sport, and his legacy will continue to influence future generations of competitors. His passion was born, in part, from a deep love for the sport and a reverence to its history, and Dario carries that heritage everywhere he travels and shares it with everyone he meets. Dario’s leadership on and off the track has helped shape INDYCAR, and we look forward to him remaining involved in the sport he loves.”

NEW CASTLE, Ind. — Nov. 13, 2013— The Western World Championships have been around for over 40 years, and while sprint cars have always been the mainstay on the bill for the event, what type of sprinters has varied over the years. This year, it will be non-wing 360s, paired with midgets. Tracy Hines is a past winner of the historic event and looks to continue to add to his success at Canyon Speedway Park, in Peoria, Ariz., during the event this week.

Hines will pilot the familiar Parker Machinery/Powered By Toyota No. 24 Spike in the midget portion of the Western World Championships with the Honda USAC National Midget Series. In the sprint car segment, he looks to drive the No. 21 of Rick Pollack, with details of that arrangement still in the works.

The 46th Annual Sands Chevrolet Western World Championships presented by the Racers Advantage Store is scheduled to open on Thursday, Nov. 14, continue on Friday, Nov. 15 and will conclude on Saturday, Nov. 16. The Honda USAC National Midget Series will compete all three nights, with points earned on each of the two preliminary nights being used to determine the feature lineups for the finale.

The sprint car portion of the Western World Championships, which is sanctioned by the USAC Southwest and USAC West Coast Sprint Cars Series, will see the field split in two on Thursday and Friday, setting the stage for the finale on Saturday night. The winner of both the midget and sprint car A-features on the final night will collect $7,500, with a $5,000 bonus courtesy of E&K Construction on the line if one driver can win both features.

“The Western World has always been one of the biggest events of the year,” said Hines. “With the extra money they are putting on the line this year, that makes it even bigger. It looks like there will be a very strong field for both the midgets and sprint cars. We’ve done pretty well at Canyon (Speedway Park) in the past, so hopefully we can keep that up this week.”

Last season in the Western World Championships, Hines earned a pair of podium finishes. He was second on the first preliminary night and came home third in the finale in the event that was sanctioned by the American Sprint Car Series Canyon Region. Hines lined up fourth for the preliminary feature after passing points from the heats and the qualifier were tallied to determine the lineup.

Hines started in the fourth position for the 30-lap championship race, after a coin toss was used to determine inside/outside row starting positions. The native of New Castle, Ind., moved into third at the drop of the green and would remain in that position for the remainder of the race. The yellow flag flew once, on the sixth lap, bunching the field back up.

“We had a pretty good run last year,” he noted. “After winning it the year before, we really wanted to back that up with another strong performance. With the field of cars that was there, it was definitely tough competition. Everything has to be spot-on and you also need a few breaks to fall your way to be in contention.”

With the Honda USAC National Midget Series last season, Hines finished fourth at Canyon Speedway Park. That originally scheduled two-night event was cut to a single day show, due to inclement weather. Hines opened that night as the seventh-fastest qualifier of the 28 cars that took to the track. He followed that up with a fourth-place finish in the third eight-lap heat race to earn a spot in the 30-lap A-Feature.

“We’ve been so close to winning a midget race on the dirt this year, and have a few more chances to get that done,” said Hines. “We were decent in the midget race at Canyon (Speedway Park) last year and learned a few things that should help us this time around. It’s been a while since we ran the midget on dirt, so hot laps will be pretty important to make sure everything feels good.”

The 2002 Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series champion raced at Canyon Speedway Park last month with the series, earning a pair of runner-up finishes. In his career at the one-third-mile, Hines has three wins, with all of those coming during the Winter Freeze event in January of 2012.

Entering the Western World Championships, Hines is third in points with the Honda USAC National Midget Series Dirt Championship. He has 11 top-10 finishes on the dirt this year with the series, with nine of those being top-five performances. In a sprint car in 2013, the veteran driver has won twice, while earning 19 top-10 finishes, with eight of those being top-five showings. He finished sixth in points with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series.

Tracy Hines Racing would like to thank: Hansen’s Welding Inc., Parker Machinery, Powered By Toyota, Turbines, Inc., Afco Racing Products, Daum Crop Insurance, Schoenfeld Headers, Allstar Performance, Kenny’s Components, Race Bumpers and Bell Racing.

For more information on Tracy Hines Racing, visit http://www.tracyhinesracing.com. Follow Tracy on Twitter atwww.Twitter.com/TracyHinesRacin.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich.—Nov. 13, 2013 — It’s been over a month since Taylor Ferns last raced, and she is chomping at the bit to return to the track. That wait will come to an end this week as she travels to the desert of the southwest to compete in the famed Western World Championships at Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Ariz., with the Honda USAC National Midget Series Dirt Championship.

The midget portion of the Western World Championships for the Honda USAC National Midget Series Dirt Championship is set for Thursday, Nov. 14, Friday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 16 at Canyon Speedway Park. Points earned on each of the two preliminary nights will set the feature lineups for the finale on Saturday.

“Racing at Canyon last year was a ton of fun,” said Ferns, who pilots the Motor City Transport Inc. Spike. “It rained the first few days we were there last year, so the surface was slimy, but as the track came in there was some grip. It was a pretty fast track last year.”

In her debut at Canyon Speedway Park in 2012, Ferns qualified 15th among the 29 entrants for the Honda USAC National Midget Series event, which was shortened to a one-night event due to rain. She finished second in the third heat race to eventual race winner Kyle Larson. The native of Shelby Township, Mich., lined up 15th for the 30-lap main event and was forced to the pit area with mechanical problems during the race, ending her night in the 22nd position.

Ferns made her most recent midget start on the pavement at Columbus Motor Speedway in Ohio, last month, finishing fifth with the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship. She earned three top-10 finishes in a limited number of midget starts on the asphalt this season, including a pair of top-fives.

Ferns last raced on the dirt in a midget in early October at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill. She qualified for the preliminary feature on each of the first two nights of that three-day event, winning a heat race on the second night to earn a spot in the dash. Ferns had engine trouble in her primary car in the finale, as well as a struck throttle on her backup machine, that led to contact with the wall that ended her night.

“It always helps having a few ‘practice nights,’ I guess you could say to get ready for Saturday,” she noted of the three-night format at Canyon Speedway Park. “Especially being off for the past month or so, I may have to get some of that rust off. As a racer whenever you go on the track you always want to go out and win and it’s been a long time since we’ve been in Victory Lane so hopefully we can have some solid finishes at Canyon this weekend.”

The 2011 USAC D1 Midget Series champion has competed in 12 events with the Honda USAC Midget Series Dirt Championship this season. She took part in all five of the races that comprised Indiana Midget Week, and also has made starts in Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin in a dirt midget. Ferns has raced on a wide range of tracks from the one-fifth-mile Belle-Claire Speedway to the blazing fast half-mile at the famed Eldora Speedway.

In addition to competing with the Honda USAC National Midget Series in 2013, Ferns also competed in six Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series events, earning four top-10 finishes. She earned a career-best fourth-place finish in September during the 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora. The high school senior also made eight starts with the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards, earning three top-10 finishes, including in both of the events on the one-mile dirt ovals in Springfield, Ill., and DuQuoin, Ill.

“We just put a new car together for the races out west,” said Ferns. “Kevin (Besecker-crew chief) has been working so hard in the shop to get it ready, so hopefully we can get it running to where we want it, or do even better then what we did at Columbus a few weeks ago, and come home with some good finishes.”

Taylor Ferns and Ferns Racing would like to thank their valued partners: Motor City Auto Transport Inc., National Auto Placement,FK Rod Ends, Lucas Oil, K&N Filters, Lansing Sanitary Supply (LSS), Simpson Race Products, Indy Race Parts, ButlerBuilt, Allstar Performance, Stanton Racing Engines, Hoosier Tire Midwest, Lyn St. James Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation, Race4Girls andRacing2Cure.

Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:

1. Visit with Hinchcliffe, get free Milwaukee race weekend ticket 

2. TNT Energy Drink to back Kanaan’s entry at Ganassi

3. Dixon featured on New Zealand’s “60 Minutes”

4. Paralyzed racer Johnson moves up Mazda Road to Indy ladder

 

1. Visit with Hinchcliffe, get free Milwaukee race weekend ticket: David Hobbs Honda (6100 N. Green Bay Ave. in Glendale, Wis.) will host IZOD IndyCar Series driver James Hinchcliffe on Nov. 13 to promote the 2014 ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 at Milwaukee IndyFest.

 

Hinchcliffe, a three-time race winner this season, will greet fans from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (local) at the dealership, which is a presenting sponsor of the 2014 race weekend. The first 50 in line at 11 a.m. will receive a voucher for an Aug. 16 general admission ticket. In addition, the first 10 fans will receive a Hinchcliffe-autographed GoDaddy hat.

 

2. TNT Energy Drink to back Kanaan’s entry at Ganassi: Chip Ganassi Racing Teams announced a mutli-year deal with TNT Energy Drink, continuing Indianapolis 500 Winner Tony Kanaan’s longtime relationship with the brand.

 

“TNT first came onboard with me at the end of 2010 and they were the first ones to tell me I would stay in the IndyCar Series when I had no sponsor and no team to race, so I’m more than excited to have them join Chip Ganassi Racing for this new chapter of my career,” Kanaan said. “I’m looking forward to a strong season with them at Chip Ganassi Racing.”

 

TNT Energy Drink is the third-largest energy drink brand in Brazil.Chip Ganassi Racing Teams and Kanaan announced last month a multi-year deal for the Brazilian to drive a fourth IndyCar Series entry beginning in 2014 with sponsorship from NTT DATA, a leading global IT services provider.

 

“Bringing TNT Energy Drink into our partnership lineup further enhances Tony’s program for the No. 8 team heading into 2014,” said Steve Lauletta, President, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams. “They are one of Tony’s longtime sponsors and we’re excited they are continuing their relationship in the IndyCar Series with us. We look forward to helping them further grow their business both in the US and globally.”

 

3. Dixon featured on New Zealand’s “60 Minutes”: 2013 IZOD Indy Car Series Champion Scott Dixon will be the subject of a prime-time segment on the New Zealand version of leading news and current affairs show “60 Minutes” on Nov. 18.

 

A television crew from New Zealand traveled to New York to spend the day with Dixon as part of his championship-winning media tour. The crew also visited Indianapolis to spend time with members of the Target Chip Ganassi Racing team, including chief mechanic Ricky Davis and crew member Blair Julian (also originally from New Zealand) along with trainer Jim Leo and friend and fellow IZOD IndyCar Series racer Alex Tagliani.

 

“We wanted to give New Zealand viewers an in-depth insight as to what makes up the three-time IndyCar champion and his path to that third championship title,” said David Turner, who produced the segment.

 

4. Paralyzed racer Johnson moves up Mazda Road to Indy ladder: Michael Johnson will return to JDC MotorSports  in 2014, but will be making the move up the Mazda Road to Indy ladder, contesting the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. 

 

“I’m really excited to make my Pro Mazda debut,” said Johnson, who raced the last two seasons with the Minnesota-based team in the USF2000 Championship. “It’s a new car and a fresh start. I can’t wait to get the season started.”

 

The 21-year-old Michigan native, who was injured in a motorcycle dirt racing accident in 2005 is the first paralyzed racer in series history. He drives a one-of-a-kind racer that features hand controls designed and build by JDC.

 

“Michael has adapted very well to the more powerful Pro Mazda car in early testing,” team owner John Church said. “He seems much more comfortable in the cockpit with the new controls.”

WATERTOWN, Conn. — Nov. 10, 2013— Starting in the 24th position in the 30-lap finale of the World Finals for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series on Saturday, Nov. 9, at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, David Gravel had his work cut out for him. He masterfully used all 30 laps to slice his way through the field, finishing sixth, earning the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award aboard his familiar No. 89 FMR Racing/JRC Transportation/Musco Fuel/Model Craft J&J with a Kistler Mopar under the hood.

“I just kind of put my head down in the feature and the car really came alive and we were able to make up a ton of ground,” said Gravel. “We had a disappointing night on Friday, so to come from the back to the front on Saturday and get the Hard Charger Award was the perfect way to wrap up the weekend and the season. We passed a lot of good cars on Saturday night and I am pretty proud of that.”

For his efforts with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series in 2013, Gravel earned the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award, adding his name to an impressive list of past recipients. Gravel was victorious twice this season with the series, first at I-94 Speedway in Minnesota, and then on the first preliminary night of the Knoxville Nationals at the famed Knoxville Raceway in Iowa. He wrapped up World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series campaign with 26 top-10 finishes, with seven of those being top-five showings. Gravel also stopped the clock first in time trials on two occasions.

Gravel started in the second-to-last position on the final night of the World Finals, before a sold-out crowd at the state-of-the-art four-tenths-mile, and quickly powered his way to the front. The race was slowed four separate times by caution flags, with the 21-year-old using strong restarts each time to continue his charge to the front of the field.

The native of Watertown, Conn., found himself in the top-10, just prior to the halfway point of the 30-lap contest. In the late going, he battled both Steve and Kraig Kinser for the fifth position, ultimately ending up sixth. It marked the young racer’s 26th top-10 finish of the season with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series.

The finale of the Seventh Annual World Finals began for the East Coast racer in the fifth, eight-lap heat race. He lined up fifth, with only the top-four transferring to the A-Feature. He got around veteran Randy Hannagan on the fifth circuit to earn a spot in the main event. In qualifying for the Saturday portion of the event, which was held on Thursday, Nov. 7, Gravel timed in 25th-quickest of the 52 cars that took to the track.

“That was an important pass in the heat race to get into the feature,” he shared. “With as many cars as were there, you want to try to avoid the B-main if possible and on Saturday we were able to get directly into the feature. You kind of wonder what could have been if we had started closer to the front, but we dealt with the hand we were given and made the best of it.”

During the Friday portion of the World Finals, Gravel ended his night in the C-main, after suffering a flat tire that forced him to the work area in that 10-lapper. In heat race action, he worked his way from eighth to sixth in the fourth heat, coming up two spots short of transferring to the main event. Gravel began the night by turning the 39th-fastest lap in time trials.

The World Finals wrapped up the 2013 season for Gravel, who will head to Australia during the off-season to compete in a number of races. The World Finals will air the CBS Sports Network on December 15 and December 22.

Keep up-to-date with David Gravel and DDR Motorsports by visiting www.DavidGravel89.com. Follow David on Twitter@davidgravel89g and like David on Facebook.

November 8th 2013 – It is being officially being announced that NASCAR driver Bobby Runyan Jr. has partnered with supplement retailer giant Bodybuilding.com.

The partnership will see Bodybuilding.com take primary position with Bobby for the NASCAR Phoenix K&N Race on November 9th. The relationship will extend through 2014 and see Bodybuilding.com as an associate level partner through the year.

The 20 year old up and coming NASCAR driver and fitness competitor, has competed in a number of NASCAR K&N West Series events throughout 2013.

“Fitness for me is part of my lifestyle, it’s an all-day everyday thing and staying in peak physical condition is an endless process. Bodybuilding.com has been a part of my life in multiple different ways, not only do I get my supplements from them, they also help educate on fitness and health in general and surround me with a great community of supporters. I’m very excited to partner with Bodybuilding.com and tell their story,” said Runyan.

Overseen by his motorsports marketing agency, Drive Motorsports International, Runyan will also be exploring Global RallyCross and Lucas Oil Off Road Truck Series as potential additions to his future race plans.

About Bodybuilding.com – is the largest online sports nutrition company in the world, based in Boise, Idaho. Their goal from the beginning was to make this website the best source for bodybuilding information and interactivity on the Internet while at the same time providing the largest bodybuilding cyberstore for quick and easy shopping! Bodybuilding.com has everything a person needs to succeed in health and fitness. They Help their Visitors Reach Their Health, Fitness And Appearance Goals Through Information, Motivation, And Supplementation.

For more info please visit: Bodybuilding.com

For more information on Bobby please visit: http://bobbyrunyan.com/

Follow Bobby onTwitter: https://twitter.com/BobbyRunyanJr