Category: Other Series PR

WATERTOWN, Conn. — Oct. 16, 2013— David Gravel got his first taste of Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif., earlier this year with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series. After a successful first visit to the high-banked, one-third-mile he was looking forward to hopefully returning to the track next season. Thanks to opportunity to drive for Rod Tiner in the prestigious Trophy Cup, Gravel won’t have to wait that long, as he’ll return to Tulare this week.

The 20th Annual Southwest Contractors Trophy Cup is set for Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19 at Thunderbowl Raceway. The event benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A full race program will be contested on the opening night, with event points earned. On Saturday, heat races and features will be run, with the night culminating with a 50-lap main event that is completely inverted based on event points. The driver that earns the most overall event points following the 50-lapper will be crowned the Trophy Cup Champion and take home the $25,000 top prize. Over 90 cars/drivers are currently entered for the winged sprint car portion of the Trophy Cup.

“The Trophy Cup is the biggest race of the season in California and it’s definitely an honor for me to get to race in it,” said Gravel. “I’m looking forward to the competition there. It sounds like there are going to be a ton of cars and a lot of great drivers. Tulare (Thunderbowl Raceway) was fun when I raced there with the Outlaws and it should be a great time again this weekend.”

Gravel finished fourth in his debut at Thunderbowl Raceway in March with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series. He was filling in for the injured Bill Rose during that span of the season. The native of Watertown, Conn., opened the night as the eighth-fastest qualifier of the 32 drivers in attendance. Gravel started third in the fourth heat race and finished third to earn a spot in the dash. He came home fourth in the dash and lined up on the outside of the second row for the 35-lap main event. Gravel would run among the top-five for the entire 35-lap event in his first-ever feature event start in the state of California.

On the second night of that event, Gravel came home 16th after suffering a flat tire near the halfway point of the main event. He opened the evening by recording the 14th-quickest lap in time trials. He both started and finished fifth in the second heat race, which transferred him directly into the 35-lap A-Feature. He was running 13th when he suffered the flat tire and after a visit to the work area was able to get back out and gain a few more positions.

“We’ve raced in a lot of big events this year, so we know what to expect when the stakes are high,” he noted. “The main thing is to treat the race the same way you would any other one and not look at how many cars are there or this or that. You have to focus on what you are doing do the best you can each time you are on the track. With the unique format, it’s definitely important to gain positions and move forward anytime you are out there.”

Gravel, who is the leading contender for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series, has won twice in 2013 with the series. He was victorious on the opening night of the Knoxville Nationals at the famed Knoxville Raceway in Iowa, and also picked up a checkered flag at I-94 Speedway in Minnesota.

The 21-year-old made eight starts in the state of California this year during the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series first West Coast swing, earning three top-10 finishes. He finished among the top-15 in seven of those eight races and qualified 14th or better in all of them. Gravel missed the second West Coast swing of the season as he battled a case of mononucleosis, a double ear infection and an enlarged spleen.

“Tulare (Thunderbowl Raceway) was a bit tricky in the spring when we were there, but that was a good learning point,” said Gravel. “Having raced a couple of different cars this year should help me adapt to the getting in a different car this weekend. I know I will have a good car and mechanic and I am up to the challenge of the competition. It should be a fun weekend.”

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.

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

1. IZOD IndyCar Series Team Fresh Engine Status Update

2. Plenty at stake for teams in MAVTV 500

3. ABC Supply Co. to sponsor Milwaukee IndyFest

1. IZOD IndyCar Series Team Fresh Engine Status Update: INDYCAR provided an update today regarding the status of fresh engines for each entry for the MAVTV 500, the final event of the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season.

 Officials also announced 10 grid spot penalties for the following cars for the Oct. 19 race at Auto Club Speedway: #3 Castroneves (Rule 15.5.1 and 15.1.4.), #6 Saavedra (Rule 15.5.1), #9 Dixon (Rule 15.5.1 and 15.1.4.), #14 Sato (Rule 15.5.1 and 15.1.4.), #15 Rahal (Rule 15.5.1 and 15.1.4.), #67 Newgarden (15.5.1 and 15.1.4.)

15.5.1. The minimum mileage threshold (“Change-Out Mileage”) is 2000 miles.

15.1.4. Each Full-Season Entrant may use no more than five fresh built Engines from the first Open Test until the end of the Race season. Using more than five fresh Engines in this period will result in a penalty. Engines beyond the fifth fresh Engine may be fresh or part-used.

Teams that are utilizing an engine outside of their allotment of five engines are not eligible to score points for the manufacturer’s title. Honda and Chevrolet are  tied in the manufacturer standings.

Click HERE to view and download the fresh engine update.

2. Plenty at stake for teams in MAVTV 500: Helio Castroneves and Scott Dixon will contest for the $1 million championship bonus in the MAVTV 500 on Oct. 19 at Auto Club Speedway.

There are seven others who can earn year-end bonuses from INDYCAR by finishing in the top five of the standings.

Simon Pagenaud, driver of the No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports car, is third in standings entering the 250-lap season finale at 8 p.m. (ET) on NBC Sports Network. Depending on results, he could overtake Castroneves for second and claim the $250,000 bonus. The third-place driver will earn $175,000, with Justin Wilson of Dale Coyne Racing, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti of Andretti Autosport and Will Power of Team Penske also in contention.

All those drivers plus James Hinchcliffe of Andretti Autosport and Charlie Kimball of Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing are eligible for the fourth-place prize of $125,000. Fifth place pays a $75,000 bonus.

“We have been dominant in the 500-mile races and have led a lot of laps, but Fontana is about leading the right lap, and that’s what we need to do,” said Andretti, who earned the pole for the 2012 race. “I’d really like to end the season with a ‘W’ for the Dr Pepper team. Auto Club Speedway is a tricky place to get right with the seams, but will be rewarding if we do.”

Additionally, the manufacturer championship will be decided in the race as Chevrolet and Honda are tied in points. Both have nine victories.

Click HERE to view and download an infographic detailing the races within the point standings beyond the championship battle.

3. ABC Supply Co. to sponsor Milwaukee IndyFest: Wisconsin-based ABC Supply Co. returns as the title sponsor of the IndyCar Series race in Milwaukee for 2014 and ’15. The 2014 date will move from mid-June to Aug. 16-17, placing it in the heart of the drive for the series championship.

Tickets for the ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 at Milwaukee IndyFest will be available Nov. 13 at www.milwaukeeindyfest.com.

“We have a large number of associates and customers in the Wisconsin area and are happy for the opportunity to support the oldest and longest operating motor speedway in the world,” ABC Supply Co. founder and board chairman Diane Hendricks said of The Milwaukee Mile. “As a sponsor of A.J. Foyt Racing for almost 10 years, we’re thrilled to play a small part in open-wheel racing in Wisconsin.”

ABC Supply Co. Inc. is the largest wholesale distributor of roofing in the United States and one of the nation’s largest distributors of siding, windows and other select exterior building products. It is the primary sponsor of the No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing car driven by Takuma Sato.

“Racing at the Milwaukee Mile, the world’s longest running race track, is always exciting,” said Kevin Healy, managing director for event promoter Andretti Sports Marketing. “We’re thrilled to announce the ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 at Milwaukee IndyFest, a new title sponsor and a new date to continue the tradition of IndyCar racing at the Mile.

“We appreciate the leadership of Diane Hendricks and ABC Supply Co, Inc. has provided to ensure that an international motorsports event remains in Wisconsin.”

In addition to the IndyCar Series, two of the Mazda Road to Indy series — Indy Lights and the Pro Mazda Championship — will return for the Aug. 16-17 Festival of Speed that will again feature an infield midway, beer garden and live music.

***

The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the MAV TV 500 on Oct. 19 at Auto Club Speedway. The race will be televised live by NBC Sports Network at 8 p.m. (ET) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network, including on Sirius and XM Channels 211, www.indycar.com and the INDYCAR 13 App for most smartphones and tablets. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Lefty’s Kids Club 100 on Oct. 19 at Auto Club Speedway. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 7 p.m. (ET) on Oct. 19.

NEW CASTLE, Ind. — Oct. 17, 2013— Just one more outdoor open wheel event remains in the state of Indiana in 2013, and that is the Kokomo Klash this week at Kokomo Speedway. Tracy Hines has included the event on his calendar for the last several years and has had quite a bit of success at the quarter-mile in the late-season special, which he has won the midget portion of, in each of the last two years.

The sprint car and midget segment of the seventh edition of the Kokomo Klash at Kokomo Speedway is set for Friday, Oct. 18. Hines will take part in both the sprint car and midget programs again this year.

“It’s always a long off-season for the fans in Indiana, so it’s great to have a late season event to get them a couple more races before the cooler weather begins to set in,” said Hines. “Kokomo (Speedway) has really made the Klash into a ‘Must See’ event over the last handful of years. It’s certainly is a good way to wrap up the Midwest part of our season by getting to run both the sprint car and midget.”

Last season in the Kokomo Klash, Hines started on the pole for the 25-lap main event for the midgets and ran second on the opening circuit, before taking the lead from Thomas Meseraull on the second lap. The home state driver quickly opened a lead and paced the final 24 circuits in the race, which was slowed by a couple of cautions. He was victorious over fellow veterans Shane Hollingsworth and Bobby East. Hines opened the night by winning the first heat race.

“We’ve been pretty good in the midget at Kokomo the last few years,” he shared. “We had some bad luck during Indiana Midget Week this year, so we are looking to make up for that. There is plenty of room to race a midget at Kokomo and you carry quite a bit of speed and momentum when you run around top there.”

The native of New Castle, Ind., started near the front in the sprint car portion of the Kokomo Klash last year. He was running among the lead pack when the first stoppage of the night occurred on the second lap for a flip. He restarted third, and fell back to fourth, before working his way into third following a caution just past the halfway point of the race. Hines would take the checkered flag in third to earn the final spot on the podium, which was one of seven top-five finishes he has at the track in a sprint car in 2012.

“It’s been a while since we won a sprint car race, and we’ll be giving it everything we got,” he noted. “The folks at Kokomo always give us a good surface to race on, so you know you’ll have multiple grooves and can move around the track to make things happen. It’s definitely a racy little place.”

This season at Kokomo Speedway, the veteran driver has made five starts, with four of those coming with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series and one with the Honda USAC National Midget Series during Indiana Midget Week. He finished a season-best sixth at the quarter-mile on the second night of the Sprint Car Smackdown in August and was ninth in the finale of that three-night event.

Hines has won a total of five races this year in three difference types of machines. He has two wins on the dirt with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series, as well as a pair of triumphs on the pavement with the Honda USAC National Midget Series. Hines was also victorious with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series at the famed Belleville High Banks in Kansas.

“You always want to wrap up the year on a strong note and doing well this weekend can give us some momentum as we head west,” said Hines. “Kokomo will be the last short track of the year and we’ve gotten better as the year has gone on at the smaller tracks. Like everywhere else, it takes a combination of a fast car and a little luck to be up front.”

Tracy Hines Racing would like to thank: Parker Machinery, Powered by Toyota, Hansen’s Welding Inc., 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.

TORONTO, ON, October 17, 2013 – Event organizers announced today that, following a successful event weekend in 2013, 2inT.O. will return to the Honda Indy Toronto. For a second consecutive year, the INDYCAR Series will race twice in one weekend when it comes to Toronto next summer from July 18-20.

“The 2013 edition of the Honda Indy Toronto was a historic one,” said Charlie Johnstone, President of the Honda Indy Toronto. “Not only did we see INDYCAR race twice in one weekend, but fans also had the opportunity to see the first-ever standing start for the series. The formula of having two races in one weekend worked very well here in Toronto. We look forward to hosting another memorable weekend of racing in 2014.”

Two full-length, points-awarding INDYCAR Series races will headline the Honda Indy Toronto in 2014. Building on last year’s success, six festivals will accompany the on-track action at the Honda Indy Toronto, ensuring something for everyone. The on-site attractions include elements of a Craft Beerfest, Motorfest, Adrenalinefest, Tastefest, Celebrationfest and Indyfest, each enhancing the level of spectacle and excitement of the three-day event.

Tickets to the 2014 Honda Indy Toronto will go on sale December 1^st. Fans who attended last year will have the first opportunity to renew their tickets beginning in early November. Both will be available online at HondaIndy.com.

About Honda Indy Toronto
The Honda Indy Toronto, Ontario’s largest annual sporting event, takes place July 18-20 on the streets surrounding Exhibition Place near Lake Ontario and downtown Toronto. In addition to world-class racing, the event features festival attractions, including craft beer, food trucks, adrenaline filled shows, interactive games and activities, live entertainment, charity events and celebrity appearances. For more information, visit HondaIndy.com.

Fans Vote For Favorite Drivers In Canadian Tire Series

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 9, 2013) – For the sixth consecutive year, fans can vote online for the Most Popular Driver of the Year Award in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 (Twitter hashtag: #NCATS).

The link to the 2013 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Most Popular Driver ballot will be hosted on www.nascarhometracks.com. Fans may vote once per day and are encouraged to vote everyday through Nov. 15 when the balloting closes.

Last year, Ray Courtemanche Jr. was voted by the fans as the Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

Voting for all regional touring series will be available on www.nascarhometracks.com.

The winner will be honored at the NASCAR Touring Series Awards on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center’s Crown Ballroom in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

In a joint effort between Michael Shank Racing, Ford Racing and Continental Tire, the 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona championship team with Colin Braun behind the wheel will aim to set a new track record at the “World Center of Speed” Wednesday (Oct. 9) by eclipsing the 210.364 mph lap laid down Feb. 9, 1987, by NASCAR champion Bill Elliott, who pushed his Ford Thunderbird to the top of the speed charts in qualifying for the Daytona 500. Braun spoke with Ford Racing’s Inside the Oval podcast to discuss the record run.

COLIN BRAUN, driver, Michael Shank Racing Ford EcoBoost DP – THIS IS AN EXCITING TIME TO HEAD DOWN TO DAYTONA AND TRY TO BREAK THE RECORD SET BY BILL ELLIOTT. “Absolutely. I am really looking forward to the opportunity to work with the Ford guys and work on the new engine. It is going to be a really cool day trying to break this record. I am sure it is sort of a bitter sweet day as Bill Elliott holds that record and I know there is a lot of nostalgia and really aura around the fact that he holds that record and he had such a great career himself. It is going to be neat to try to break that record and I think hopefully we can do it. I think we have a good shot at it.”

YOU HAVE A TWIN-TURBO 3.5L V6 ECOBOOST ENGINE, THE FIRST TIME IT IS GOING TO BE USED IN THE NEW TUDOR UNITED SPORTS CAR CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES. “I know some of the guys here in the Charlotte area that have been working really hard on that EcoBoost engine and they have been doing a lot of work on the dyno and I think they have that engine very well sorted out. It is going to be great to get on track with it and get a chance to feel the power that the engine is going to be making and it is going to be neat driving the Daytona Prototype car with a turbo charged power plant. I haven’t had a chance to do that. It will be a different feel but one I am looking forward to figuring out.”

FORD RACING HAS GONE IN AND ACTUALLY PUT A NEW LOOK ON THIS CAR WITH FORD PRODUCTION CUES AND AERODYNAMIC SUPPORT. IT LOOKS LIKE THIS CAR CAN BE VERY FAST, AND OBVIOUSLY IT NEEDS TO BE FOR YOU TO GO OVER 210 MILES PER HOUR. “It is a good looking car. I have seen some renderings and pictures but I haven’t had a chance to see it up close and in person just yet. It sure looks sexy and sleek though. I think Bernie Marcus and his gang have done a great job of building a lot of brand identity into the body work and the nose area. It is going to be a really cool car to drive and I think the fans will really enjoy being able to see it out there on the race track and be able to pick out the Ford brand pretty quickly.”

YOU ARE NO STRANGER TO DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY. YOU HAVE RUN THERE IN NASCAR AND GRAND-AM AND HAVE BEEN IN THE DP CARS BEFORE. WHAT ABOUT RUNNING A LAP LIKE THIS AND GOING FOR ALL OUT SPEED? HOW DOES THAT CHANGE THINGS? “Well, for us it is about working up through it. Obviously we do not have a lot of experience working with the Daytona Prototype car on an oval, so it is kind of a new thing for us. I know the guys at Ford have been working on their sim models and things like that trying to come up with a general starting setup. Again, we don’t have anything to fall back on or any notes. It is going to be a little slow at the start and we will build up to what we are trying to do and make sure we have a good stable, well balanced car to drive around Daytona at that kind of speed. It is a really quick speed and it will be neat being one of the first guys to go out there and do it. It is going to be a little nerve-wracking the first few runs because no one had done it before but I am looking forward to getting out there and getting after it.”

THIS IS SOMEWHAT OF A SHAKE-DOWN OF THIS CAR AT THE SAME TIME YOU ARE TRYING TO SET THE RECORD ISN’T IT? “Absolutely. I think that just goes to show the confidence that everyone has in the Roush Yates guys building great motors and the EcoBoost platform being a really good place to start from. It is going to be weird driving around the oval and not driving down into the infield there. I have done that so many times in the past in my career in DP cars. You dive off down into turn one and come back on the oval there kind of in the NASCAR turn two and then go through the bus stop. It is going to be weird driving like I used to do in my NASCAR truck and Nationwide days just around the oval. It will be a different feel but I am looking forward do it.”

YOU WANT SPEED BUT YOU BETTER HAVE DOWN FORCE AT OVER 210 MILES PER HOUR. “It is certainly a bit of a balance. Normally when we go to Daytona for the Rolex race we are concerned about speed but we are also concerned about being able to do the kink on the infield flat and concerned about how much down force we can run through the bus stop in the back. It is crucial to have the down force to get through the corners. Here just running the oval it will be all about just trimming out and looking for top speed. We won’t be too concerned with what kind of down force levels we have because the DP cars by nature have quite a bit of down force built into the body work. It will be all about trimming out, just like you hear about at Indianapolis with the Indy cars.”

WHAT IS IT LIKE BEING BACK AT FORD RACING WHERE YOU CUT YOUR TEETH EARLY IN YOUR CAREER? “It is going to be a great opportunity for me. I was very excited when the folks at Ford called me up and said they were doing this program and wanted me to come and drive it. It has been a great relationship that I have had with Ford since the start of my professional career and they have been a great company that have done a lot for me. It is going to be neat to hopefully be able to set this record together. Mike Shank has a really good team and a great group of people and it gives me a lot of confidence jumping behind the wheel of one of his cars.”

WHAT IS THE GAME PLAN TO GET THIS RECORD TOMORROW? “There is a game plan for sure and that is one of the great things about driving for a team like Michael Shank with the resources of Ford Racing. We have a good plan in place and we will run through our test plan and procedures and then hopefully by the end of the day we will have that record in hand.”

Following the events of the last lap of the Grand Prix of Houston IZOD IndyCar Series race on Sunday, Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver Dario Franchitti was admitted awake and alert to Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center in Houston for a concussion, two spinal fractures and a fracture to his right ankle.  Last night Dario had surgery to temporarily stabilize the ankle. 

He will remain in Houston for a few days, at which time he will be transported to Indianapolis for further evaluation.

“Thank you to everyone for all the well wishes.  They mean a lot to me.  I would also like to send my best to all the fans involved in the accident and hope that everyone is alright.” – Dario Franchitti

INDYCAR issued the following statement regarding the incident that occurred on the last lap of Sunday’s Grand Prix of Houston:

Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by yesterday’s accident. Thank you to the people of Houston for their support of the Grand Prix and their concern for Dario Franchitti, the fans and race personnel. INDYCAR is thoroughly reviewing the incident. Reducing the risks that are associated with racing is one of our highest priorities and receives our constant and on-going focus.