Category: Other Series PR

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich.—Sept. 22, 2013 — Taylor Ferns has had some busy days at the racetrack, but none quite like the one she had on Saturday, Sept. 21. She began the day at Kentucky Speedway by finishing 12th in an afternoon race with the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards at the 1.5-mile superspeedway. Ferns then headed 150 miles north to the famed Eldora Speedway in Ohio, for the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series and Honda USAC National Midget Series portions of the 4-Crown Nationals. She finished 11th in the Midget, and then capped the night with a career-best fourth-place finish in the 50-lap Silver Crown event.

“Overall it was a pretty good day,” said Ferns. “To race all three cars was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed it. It definitely took a toll on me today (Sunday), and I slept a lot of the day, but it was a great experience. Kentucky (Speedway) and Eldora (Speedway) are so different and so are each of the three cars I raced. To be able to have consistent runs in each and very a strong showing in the Silver Crown car was definitely a confidence booster.”

In her first Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series race at Eldora, Ferns lined up on the inside of the seventh row for the 50-lap A-Feature at the high-banked, half-mile. She worked her way into the top-10 by just the second lap and continued her march forward, in what turned out to be a caution-filled race. Ferns powered her way up to seventh by the eighth circuit and was into the top-five by lap-22.

Just one lap prior to the halfway point of the 50-lapper, the 2011 USAC D1 Midget Series found herself in fourth. For the final 15 laps of the race, Ferns had a spirited battle with Matt Westfall for the fourth spot. The pair traded the position no less than five times officially at the line and several more unofficially, lap after lap. Ferns would take the checkered flag fourth, which marked the best finish of her career with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series. It was also her second straight top-five finish and fourth consecutive top-10, piloting the No. 35 Toyota-powered Beast.

“To finish fourth in my first start in a Silver Crown car at Eldora was great,” Ferns shared. “Originally, I wasn’t even going to race the Silver Crown car at Eldora, so it was a last minute decision last week. Our main goal was to go and learn for next year. The car was fast all race long and it was a fun race. We didn’t qualify where we were hoping to, but were able to make up quite a bit of ground in the feature. Racing at Eldora is great, and you learn every time you are on the track.”

In the Honda USAC National Midget Series portion of the 4-Crown Nationals, Ferns finished 11th in her family-owned No. 55 Motor City Transport Inc. Spike. She lined up 15th for the 25-lap A-Feature and ran a steady race, picking up spots where she could. The native of Shelby Township, Mich., opened the night by recording the 16th-fastest lap in time trials and followed that up with a fifth-place effort in the third heat race.

“In the midget, I struggled a bit transitioning from the heavier stock car in the afternoon to a 900-pound car,” she explained. “We moved up during the race, from where we started, so that was a positive to take away. I can’t say I’m disappointed, I just wish we could have had a little better of a finish. We’ll keep working hard with the midget the rest of the season.”

At Kentucky Speedway with the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards, Ferns completed all 100 laps of the race, which was postponed by rain on Friday, Sept. 20, and thus completed in the afternoon on Saturday, Sept. 21. The starting field was lined up by owner points, which put Ferns seventh on the grid in the No. 55 National Auto Placement Toyota for Venturini Motorsports. She ran just outside of the top-10 during the first 25 laps of the race. Following a round of pit stops just prior to the halfway point, she was up to eighth. During the second half of the 100-lapper, Ferns ran as high as seventh, before finishing 12th. In eight ARCA starts this season, she finished among the top-15 in seven of those races.

“Our main goal going into Kentucky was to learn about the mile-and-half racetrack,” Ferns said. “It’s been a challenge adapting to the bigger racetracks and I just have to learn what my limits are at the speedways. I learned a ton during the race and was very satisfied with that and we finished on the lead lap, so that was good. The car just got a little too tight at the end and that allowed a few cars to pass me.”

Ferns ended up eighth in the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series championship standings, despite not competing in all of the races. She recorded four top-10 finishes in six starts. The No. 55 Venturini Motorsports team, for which she has raced in the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards, is seventh in owner points as the season winds down.

Ferns will return to action with the Honda USAC National Midget Series, Oct. 3–5 in the Gold Crown Midget Nationals at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill.

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 and Racing2Cure.

Keep up to date
For the latest news, results and information on Taylor Ferns and Ferns Racing and to view a full 2013 schedule, visit the recently redesignedTaylorFerns.com. Follow Taylor on Twitter at @TaylorFerns and like her on Facebook.

Concord, NC (September 23, 2013) – Despite losing power in the final stretch of the ZLOOP™ 150, Justin Boston ensured he would not experience a total wash at Kentucky Speedway for the second consecutive day.

Following a delay for over 17 hours after heavy precipitation washed out the 1.5-mile racing surface Friday night, Boston started fifth in his 20th ARCA Racing Series presented by Meanrds event, the first for ARCA at Kentucky since 2009.

Boston’s eighth-place finish might not have totally been up to the standards of a driver with four top-fives in seven recent races, but it did return him to the top 10 after finishing outside that group in consecutive races for the first time in his ARCA career.

“I guess you can call it a recovery, because we finished, but I’m a little disappointed in myself,” said Boston, who had finished 16th at Iowa Speedway and 23rd at Salem Speedway earlier this month. “I didn’t make all good decisions and I didn’t put us in a good position. I feel like we should finished at least top five, and we ended up eighth. Definitely at the end there, we lost some horsepower, but I still should have been better today.”

Horsepower was indeed an issue for Boston, whose No. 25 ZLOOP™ Computer & Electronic Recycling Centers Toyota sustained an unusual broken engine part late in the race. That kept him from improving his position over the final 25 laps.

Before that, though, Boston had already rebounded from a minor issue once. He had trouble with the initial start of the race, falling to seventh by Lap 6. He moved back to fifth soon after that, though, and stayed there through a Lap 36 pit stop for tires, fuel, and adjustments.

With fresh tires all around, Boston improved to fourth right after the Lap 40 green flag. He then moved up to third when leader Chase Elliott slowed down on the next lap.

Boston struggled at the race’s halfway point, and he was back in fifth for the Lap 62 restart that would tell his story for the finish.

“With this compound of tire we have here at Kentucky, it’s really hard and you’ve got to keep it as warm as possible,” he said. “I think I just screwed up on the restart, and it was compounded by having cold tires. I didn’t get a good run down the backstretch and I got passed by a couple of cars. We could never find a way to get back by them.”

Boston fell back to seventh there. Despite Venturini Motorsports general manager and No. 25 crew chief Billy Venturini encouraging him with 30 laps left that this was “the time to go,” Boston could not make the full improvement he needed.

He fell back to eighth, nearly eight seconds off the pace, at Lap 77. Teammate Erik Jones passed Boston soon after that, and Boston maintained eighth place over the final 20 laps to earn his 15th top-10 in 20 ARCA starts. With the finish, Boston gained an advantage over Mason Mingus in the Scott Rookie Challenge standings.

“We gained some points, so we’ll go to Kansas and try to keep the 32 behind us,” he said. “I hope everything can fall into place and I can win the rookie of the year award.”

Mile-and-a-half tracks are one place Boston says he could use some more experience, so he’s thankful that’s where the October 4 ARCA season finale is scheduled.

“I can’t wait, because I really think we did well at the Kansas test,” said Boston, who was third fastest in that session. “I’m learning on these bumpy tracks. It’s just different, because out of any races this year, I think I’m struggling most on the mile-and-a-half tracks. The more of those I get to run this year, the better I’ll be next year.”

Corey LaJoie won the race, which finished in one hour, 12 minutes, and 33 seconds and at an average speed of 124.149 mph. Thirty-two cars started the event.

Practice for the Kansas Lottery 98.9 at Kansas Speedway will begin at 9 a.m. on Friday, October 4, with qualifying following at 5:35 p.m. The 99-lap, 148.5-mile race will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 7:30 p.m., and ARCARacing.com will present live timing and scoring of all on-track events. All listed times are Central.

About ZLOOP™ Computer and Electronics Recycling Centers
ZLOOP™ Computer and Electronics Recycling Centers (ZLOOP™) make eWaste recycling easy. Founded in Hickory, North Carolina in 2012, ZLOOP™ guarantees eWaste is recycled domestically and that computer hard drives are permanently purged of all information. ZLOOP™ is extremely mobile and able to handle any size job on-site with a commitment to security, speed and auditing. ZLOOP™ also is compliant with federal, state and local government regulations for the safe and secure destruction of highly sensitive data, and is working toward certifications from the Responsible Recycling Practices for Electronics Recyclers (R2), U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Department of Defense, National Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, ITAD, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACIA), Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). For more information on ZLOOP’s eWaste recycling services, call today at 1-855-WHY-EASY (1-855-949-3279) or visit the website, zloopit.com. eWaste is Serious Waste. Recycle™. 

About Venturini Motorsports
Venturini Motorsports (VMS), fielding cars for over 30-years in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, is one of the premier NASCAR driver development programs in the country. Multiple team championships and consistent on-track success, VMS has evolved into one of the most recognizable names in motorsports. Since 2007, VMS has assisted in the career development of notable NASCAR drivers such as Joey Logano, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Brian Scott, Kevin Swindell, Miguel Paludo, John Wes Townley, Josh Richards and Johanna Long.

In 2012, VMS and the Venturini family was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame and now find themselves enshrined with such sports icons as Joe DiMaggio, Mario Andretti, Vince Lombardi, Tommy Lasorda and Rocky Marciano, among others.

After nearly two decades away from NASCAR, 2013 marks VMS’s modern day return to the series with John Wes Townley driving the team’s familiar No.25 in selective NASCAR Nationwide Series events.

Official: www.VenturiniMotorsports.com  |  Twitter: @VenturiniMotor  |  Facebook: Venturini Motorsports

Becomes First 3-Time Champion In NASCAR Canadian Tire Series

FRASERVILLE, Ont. (Sept. 22, 2013) – Scott Steckly has been battling back all season. He won the Pinty’s 250 at Kawartha Speedway in a green-white-checkered finish on Sunday to come from behind to win the 2013 championship in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 by just two points.

The Milverton, Ontario driver had to win the race and lead the most laps to earn the maximum 48 points to overcome a five-point deficit coming into the event in order to become the first three-time series champion. Steckly led a race-high 113 laps en route to the victory.

“It’s just great,” said Steckly. “I really can’t put into words what this means to everyone involved in 22 Racing. My crew works hard to give me good cars and my thanks goes out to them. (Thanks) to the fans. We get great support we get from the fans week in and week out. To do this is just amazing.”

After beginning the 2013 campaign with a pair of finishes outside the top 20, Steckly mounted a charge that included three straight wins in July. He entered the final race, which was delayed a day by rain, trailing defending champion D.J. Kennington in the championship standings.

Steckly, whose previous titles came in 2008 and 2011, demonstrated the strength of his No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge early in the day on Sunday, topping the practice charts and winning his 12th career series pole.

He led the early portion of the race, making a point of staying ahead of Kennington. After pitting twice during the second caution, Steckly and Kennington restarted 12th and 13th, respectively. The pair steadily worked their way to the front as Jason Hathaway, who entered the event with a mathematical shot at the title, pulled away with a big lead.

All three title contenders stopped for right side tires during a caution on Lap 150 and from there set sail to the finish. Jeff Lapcevich led initially, but soon gave way to Pete Shepherd III.

The trio of title contenders battled among themselves as they closed in and moved by Lapcevich for second. Hathaway, who slipped by Kennington, challenged Shepherd for the lead following a restart – but saw his hopes dashed with a spin in Turn 4.

Steckly took advantage on the restart and raced Shepherd side-by-side for the lead – eventually getting the top spot for good after contact coming out of Turn 4. Steckly went on to win by a margin of .580 seconds over Shepherd.

“The lapped cars make it difficult sometimes and we just stayed as patient as we could,” said Steckly. “The caution there at the end is pretty much a given in this race and we were able to hold everybody off.”

Shepherd, who was looking for his third win in four starts this year, came up just short in that bid.

“Scott just outdrove me there at the end,” said the driver of the No. 7 National Exhaust Dodge. “I didn’t make it easy for him to pass me, but he was able to get around me. If I could have gotten to the outside of him in Turn 1, I would have bound him down pretty good, but I respect the championship battle he was in and he earned every inch of it today.”

Lapcevich was able to hang on for a finish in third which gave him his third top-five finish of the season.

“Overall, the Tim Hortons Dodge was really good today,” said Lapcevich. “I had some trouble getting going on restarts, but all of the pit stops were good. We came in, I think, three times and we picked up positions each time. I’m satisfied with what we did today.”

Kennington ended up in fourth while Martin Roy came home fifth. Finishing sixth through 10th were Noel Dowler, Donald Chisholm, Mark Dilley, Ron Beauchamp Jr. and Ryley Seibert.

The Pinty’s 250 will premiere on TSN2 on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 5:30 p.m. ET and on the French-language RDS2 at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 18. Both shows are special 90-minute programs.

Steckly will be honored for his title run along with NASCAR’s other touring series champions on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the NASCAR Touring Series Awards in the Grand Ballroom of the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

NOFFICIAL

NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES presented by MOBIL 1-Pinty’s 250 Results

Saturday

At Kawartha Speedway

Fraserville, Ontario

Lap length: 0.375 miles

(Start position in parentheses)

1. (1) Scott Steckly, Milverton, Ont., Dodge, 256 laps, 49.791 mph.

2. (9) Pete Shepherd III, Brampton, Ont., Dodge, 256.

3. (13) Jeff Lapcevich, Grimsby, Ont., Dodge, 256.

4. (3) D.J. Kennington, St. Thomas, Ont., Dodge, 256.

5. (16) Martin Roy, Napierville, Que., Dodge, 256.

6. (8) Noel Dowler, Sherwood Park, Alta., Dodge, 256.

7. (4) Donald Chisholm, Antigonish, N.S., Dodge, 256.

8. (15) Mark Dilley, Barrie, Ont., Ford, 256.

9. (7) Ron Beauchamp, Jr., Windsor, Ont., Dodge, 256.

10. (22) Ryley Seibert, Williams Lake, B.C., Dodge, 256.

11. (11) Jason Hathaway, Dutton, Ont., Dodge, 256.

12. (17) Jason White, Sun Peaks, B.C., Dodge, 256.

13. (2) Brad Graham, Glencoe, Ont., Dodge, 256.

14. (25) Daniel Bois, Bracebridge, Ont, Dodge, 255.

15. (14) James White, Kamloops. BC, Dodge, 255.

16. (12) Joey McColm, Ajax, Ont., Dodge, 255.

17. (20) Alex Guenette, Terrebonne, Que., Dodge, 254.

18. (21) Howie Scannell Jr., Milton, Ont., Dodge, 254.

19. (18) Hugo Vannini, Repentigny, Que., Ford, 253.

20. (19) Derek White, Kahnawake, Que., Chevrolet, 253.

21. (10) L.P. Dumoulin, Trois-Rivieres, Que., Dodge, 252.

22. (24) Ray Courtemanche Jr., Montreal, Que., Dodge, 251.

23. (23) Trevor Monaghan, Hamilton, Ont., Dodge, 249.

24. (26) Jason Hankewich, Kindersley, SK, Dodge, 236.

25. (5) J.R. Fitzpatrick, Ayr, Ont., Chevrolet, 167, electrical.

26. (6) Larry Jackson, Oakville, Ont., Dodge, 162, oil leak.

Race Statistics

Time of Race: 1 hour 55 minutes 41 seconds

Margin of Victory: .580 seconds

Fastest Qualifier: S. Steckly (75.817 mph, 17.806 seconds)

Caution Flags: 8 for 69 laps.

Lead Changes: 7 among 7 drivers.

Lap Leaders: S. Steckly 1-81; D. Kennington 82; J. Fitzpatrick 83-94; J. Hathaway 95-149; B. Graham 150-156; J. Lapcevich 157-165; P. Shepherd III 166-224; S. Steckly 225-256.

Standings: 1. S. Steckly, 473; 2. D. Kennington, 471; 3. J. Hathaway, 442; 4. M. Roy, 429; 5. L. Dumoulin, 418; 6. J. Fitzpatrick, 411; 7. N. Dowler, 378; 8. J. White, 375; 9. R. Beauchamp, Jr., 373; 10. A. Guenette, 368.

Date:                           September 21, 2013

Event:                         ZLOOP 150 (Race 20 of 21)

Series:                         ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards

Location:                    Kentucky Speedway (1.5 -mile oval)

Start/Finish:               2^nd/6^th (Running, completed 100 of 100 laps)

Winner:                      Corey Lajoie of Roulo Brothers Racing

17-year-old Erik Jones concludes his season in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards with a sixth place finish at Kentucky Speedway. Starting second, Jones’ afternoon began in a dominating fashion but quickly turned into a scramble after a miscue on pit road sent the No. 15 Toyota Care/Matrix Protection Toyota to the ground without a left rear tire in place. Dropping from first to thirteenth Jones was suffering from an extremely loose racecar and in an attempt to pass for eighth just after the halfway point he lost control of his machine sending him spinning into the front stretch grass. Rebounding in typical Jones fashion the rookie made his way back through the field and took home his eighth top-10 in 14 ARCA starts.

“We just made a huge mistake on pit road today,” said Jones. “We were taking a big swing during the stop because of how loose the car became and unfortunately didn’t take a big enough one because it was still wicked loose which caused us to spin. All together though it was another solid day – I can’t thank my Venturini crew enough for this season and I’m looking forward to returning to the ARCA series in the future.”

The ZLOOP 150 that was originally scheduled for Friday night was delayed for over 17 hours due to heavy rains that swept over northern Kentucky. Unable to hold qualifying, the field was set by owner points placing Jones on the outside of the front row next to nine time series champion, Frank Kimmel. As soon as the green flag waved, for the 100 lap race, the first of four yellows slowed the field due to Venturini Motorsports teammate Milka Duno backing hard in the turn two wall. Restarting single file, according to ARCA rules, Jones was able to power by Kimmel and take the lead racing into the first turn.

Jones maintained the lead until a mishap while pitting for four tires and fuel sent him out of the top 10. Recovering from thirteenth to ninth by the half-way point the teenager was doing everything he could to keep control of his extremely loose racecar. On lap 54 however, Jones was sent spinning through the front stretch grass bringing out another caution. Pitting a second time for four fresh tires, a wedge adjustment and fuel, Jones restarted once again in thirteenth on lap 62. Picking off cars one by one he was able to make the best of the day and bring home a sixth place finish to wrap up his season in the ARCA Racing Series.

Corey LaJoie won the race, which finished in one hour, 12 minutes, and 33 seconds and at an average speed of 124.149 mph. Thirty-two cars started the event and there were only four cautions totaling twenty two laps.

Jones will be making one last appearance with Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Phoenix International Raceway on November 8^th, along with a handful of late model races to wrap up his 2013 schedule.

-EJR-

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

1. Turning two at Houston could be key to Dixon’s title hopes

2. Texas race extended for 2014

3. Fans design helmets for Hinchcliffe, Rahal

1. Turning two at Houston could be key to Dixon’s title hopes: Scott Dixon knows a strong weekend at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Speedway at Reliant Park will help his chances in chasing down points leader Helio Castroneves.

The Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston doubleheader on the 1.683-mile, 10-turn temporary street circuit features full points in both 90-lap races, which provides another opportunity for Dixon to make up ground. It’s also a chance to claim another $50,000 for earning another SONAX Perfect Finish Award with a Houston sweep.

Dixon, who trails Helio Castroneves by 49 points heading into the Oct. 5-6 races, has been the top performer of all drivers who have competed in the two doubleheader events this season with top-five finishes in each race. 

He won a $100,000 bonus by winning the SONAX Perfect Finish Award at Toronto – part of a three-race win streak in July that saw him vault from seventh in the championship to second. Dixon has a pole and a pair of fourth-place finishes at the Raceway of Belle Isle to give him an average finish of 2.5 in the four previous doubleheader races.

“The last couple of races probably haven’t gone as smooth as we would have liked. In short, we need to close the points gap (and) make sure we’re in the championship fight for the last race at Auto Club Speedway,” said Dixon, who has finished first, second or third in the standings each of the past six seasons. “We’ll dig deep and try to make sure we have a good shot at it.”

2. Texas race extended for 2014: INDYCAR fans will get more racing at Texas Motor Speedway in June.

Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage announced the track’s 2014 schedule on Sept. 23, which includes the traditional IZOD IndyCar Series date two weeks after the Indianapolis 500. The June 7 race on the 1.5-mile oval will be 248 laps and been retitled the Firestone 600.

Practice and qualifying will be held June 6, followed by the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race (the series have been paired dating to the speedway’s opening in 1997).

Helio Castroneves, the championship front-runner, takes a 49-point lead over Scott Dixon into the Oct. 5-6 doubleheader race weekend in Houston. His victory at Texas Motor Speedway from the sixth starting position moved Castroneves into sole position of first place in the series standings, which he has held through eight succeeding races.

“It’s always fun racing for the fans in Texas so now they’ll have a little bit more to cheer about,” Castroneves said. “I’m also looking forward to going back there to try and defend our win from this season. Team Penske has had great success at Texas and I personally love racing there so hopefully we can make it five wins at Texas Motor Speedway in 2014.”

3. Fans design helmets for Hinchcliffe, Rahal: The design of Vincent Venegas, a graphic artist from Racine, Wis., was selected from five finalists to be painted on the helmet Graham Rahal will wear in the MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway on Oct. 19.

Following the race, the Graham Rahal Foundation will auction the helmet at to raise funds for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer and SeriousFun Children’s Network.

James Hinchcliffe will wear a helmet designed by fan Erick Vidal of Oakville, Ontario, who received the most votes for his winning design in the contest for the season finale. 

Vidal will receive a replica helmet signed by the Andretti Autosport driver.

***

The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston presented by the Greater Houston Honda Dealers doubleheader on Oct. 5 and 6 at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Speedway at Reliant Park. Both races will be televised live by NBC Sports Network (3 p.m. ET on Oct. 5 and 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 6) 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 Grand Prix of Houston on Oct. 5 at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Speedway at Reliant Park. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 4 p.m. (ET) on Oct. 6.

Pinty’s 250 Pushed Back To Sunday With Championship On The Line

FRASERVILLE, Ont. (Sept. 21, 2013) – The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 championship will have to wait another day as the 2013 season finale scheduled for Saturday at Kawartha Speedway has been postponed due to inclement weather.

The Pinty’s 250 has been rescheduled to Sunday, Sept. 22 with the green flag scheduled for 3:15 p.m. ET. Practice is slated for 10-11 a.m. and qualifying for the 26-car field is set for 1 p.m. Grandstands will open at 10 a.m. and the on-track autograph session will get underway at 1:45 p.m.

D.J. Kennington carries a five-point advantage over Scott Steckly into the race as the pair of two-time champions look to become the series’ first three-time titlist. The defending champion Kennington also is trying to become the first driver to claim back-to-back crowns. Jason Hathaway at 22 points behind Kennington is mathematically alive for the championship, as well.

Practice and qualifying will be streamed on TSN.ca. Click HERE to follow the action on Sunday.

NEW CASTLE, Ind.—Sept. 19, 2013— In the past, there used to be a few times each year when the three USAC National Series would all compete on the same bill. Nowadays, there is just one time a year that a blockbuster event like this dots the calendar and that is during the historic 4-Crown Nationals at the legendary Eldora Speedway in Ohio. Tracy Hines has won two of the four crowns during the event in his career, capturing three sprint car wins and a pair of midget wins during the 4-Crown, and looks to add to that list this weekend.

The USAC portion of the 32nd Annual 4-Crown Nationals is set for Saturday, September 21 at the half-mile Eldora Speedway. The event opens the night before with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series and UMP DIRTcar Modifieds taking to the track.

“Nothing beats getting to race all three cars on the same night, especially at a place like Eldora,” said Hines. “I’ve had pretty good success over the years at Eldora, especially in a sprint car. We’ve running well in all three this year, so we feel like we have a shot in each of the races. Along with being fast, it takes some luck as well.”

Hines was victorious in the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series portion of the 4-Crown Nationals last season. The 2002 series champion started on the pole for the 30-lap main event and quickly jumped out to the lead at the drop of the green flag. He would encounter a late race challenge from Dave Darland, withstanding a slide job from the fellow veteran on the last lap.

Hines would lead all 30 laps en route to the victory, which was his second of the season and the seventh of his career with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series at the track. The native of New Castle, Ind., has made one start at Eldora this year, with that coming with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in July, an event he finished 13th in.

“That was definitely a great race for the fans last year those last few laps,” shared the driver of the Hansen’s Welding Inc/The Carolina Nut Company DRC. “In the driver’s seat, you always want to win by half a lap, but for the fans at a place like Eldora, trading slide jobs is as good as it gets. We’ve been strong on the bigger tracks this year, so hopefully we can use some of what has worked this weekend.”

In the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series portion of the 2012 4-Crown Nationals, Hines finished sixth in the 50-lap main event aboard the No. 16 for Lightfoot Racing. He was fifth-fastest in time trials of the 17 entrants that hit the track, which put him on the inside of the third row for the A-Feature. Hines ran among the top-five for a large portion of the 50-lapper, and was engaged in a spirited duel for third for a number of laps with Bobby East and Robert Ballou. He is one of five drivers battling for the Silver Crown title this weekend in the season-ending event.

“We know what we have to do at Eldora and that’s win the race to get as many points as we can,” Hines said. “We’ve been fast in the Silver Crown car all season and just had some bad luck like last race at DuQuoin (State Fairgrounds in Illinois). I’ve come close in the past to winning a Silver Crown race at Eldora and it would be great to cap the year off with one this time around.”

Hines, who has two career Honda USAC National Midget Series wins at Eldora during the 4-Crown Nationals, was running among the top-three at the start of the 25-lap main event last year, when engine trouble forced him to the pit area on the second lap, ending his night. He opened the midget portion of the 4-Crown Nationals by recording the second-fastest lap in time trials of the 17 drivers in attendance. He followed that up with a win in the second eight-lap heat race in the Parker Machinery/Powered by Toyota Spike.

“Racing a midget at Eldora is something pretty unique,” he noted. “The cars can really stretch their legs and there is plenty of room to race. You carry so much momentum around the top and keep the engine wound up all the way around that it certainly takes a toll on equipment, so you have to try to be as careful as you can in that regard. We were fast last year in the midget and want to make up for the bad luck we had in that one.”

Entering this weekend, Hines is currently third in the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series championship standings, just 16 markers out of the lead, having picked up a win and five top-five finishes this season. With the Honda USAC National Midget Series, the veteran driver sits third in points, on the strength of 10 top-10 runs. Hines is sixth in points with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series. He won twice with the series in 2013 and has recorded 15 top-10 finishes.

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

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Sept. 20, 2013) – The stars of the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights will cap the 2013 season with the Championship Celebration Oct. 20 at Universal Studios Hollywood theme park in Universal City, Calif.

The Championship Celebration will take place the day after the INDYCAR World Championships at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., and will be streamed live on www.indycar.com at 8:30 p.m. (ET). 

The festivities at Universal Studio’s Globe Theatre, a multi-purpose facility near the entrance of the theme park, will be highlighted by the presentation of the Astor Cup and $1 million bonus to the IZOD IndyCar Series championship-winning team and driver. The Firestone Firehawk Cup will be presented to the championship-winning Firestone Indy Lights team and driver.

“The championship celebration is a time to reflect on all the great competition that has defined the 2013 season,” said Mark Miles, CEO, Hulman & Co, the parent company of INDYCAR. “The ornate Globe Theatre at Universal Studios provides the perfect backdrop for INDYCAR to celebrate the tremendous accomplishments of our champion drivers and other award recipients.”

A limited number of tickets are available for purchase by the public by calling 800-822-4639.

A Southern California venue will host the Championship Celebration for the second time since 2005, when the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights champions were honored at the Paramount Theatre in Hollywood.

Other Championship Celebrations have been held at the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis (2000), the Speedway Club in Fort Worth, Texas (2001) and the House of Blues in Chicago (2002). Disney’s Epcot Center and the cruise ship Disney Wonder hosted the Championship Celebration in 2003 and ’04, respectively. Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted the event in 2006, 2007 and 2012, while the 2008 event was held at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The 2009 and 2010 Championship Celebrations were held at the W South Beach. The 2011 champions were recognized during a 2012 season kickoff event at the Hilbert Circle Theater in Indianapolis.