Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Category: Other Series PR

Other series racing press release

  • Right Back At It: Kraig Kinser Returns to Action at Clay County & Deer Creek

    Right Back At It: Kraig Kinser Returns to Action at Clay County & Deer Creek

    BLOOMINGTON, Ind.— Sept. 12, 2013— After a stretch of eight races in ten nights, what do Kraig Kinser and the rest of his fellow World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series competitors do for an encore? Travel over 1,800 miles from California to Iowa and get right back to racing just a few days later.

    First up for Kinser in his Mesilla Valley Transportation/Casey’s General Store/King Racing Products Maxim will be a visit to Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa, on Friday, Sept. 13 for the Arnold Motor Supply Shootout. The series then makes a trek north to Minnesota on Saturday, Sept. 14 for the Asgrow/DeKalb Clash at the Creek at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley.

    “It’s good to be back in the Midwest,” said Kinser. “The last few weeks have been pretty busy, and while I enjoy racing every night, it’s tough on all of the crews and they are the ones that need a few days to catch their breath, especially after the long drive to Iowa this week. We are looking forward to getting back to the shop after the weekend and getting caught back up on things next week.”

    Kinser has raced six times at Clay County Fair Speedway in his career. He led 26 laps in his debut at the three-eighths-mile in 2008, finishing second in that race to five-time series champion Donny Schatz. Kinser made a pair of starts at Clay County last year, coming home ninth in June and 15th in September. The 2005 winner of the Knoxville Nationals has recorded top-10 finishes four times in his career at the track.

    “We’ve always run pretty well at Spencer (Clay County Fair Speedway), and came pretty close to winning in my first race there,” he shared. “There is a lot of racing room at that track and you also carry quite a bit of speed. It’s a pretty neat atmosphere out there with the fair going on at the same time, and a lot of the people there only see us race once a year.”

    Kinser finished sixth at Deer Creek Speedway last season, which marked his best-career finish at the high-banked three-eighths-mile located just outside of Rochester, Minn. The third-generation driver made his debut at the track in 2009, the same year that the World of Outlaws made their first visit to the venue. Kinser has finished among the top-10 in each of his last two visits to Deer Creek. The native of Bloomington, Ind., finished fifth earlier this season in Minnesota at I-94 Speedway, which is also a three-eighths-mile.

    “Deer Creek usually has a couple of grooves and is a very racy track,” Kinser said. “We’ve run pretty well there each of the last two years and it’s a track that really suits my driving style. It’s a three-eighths (mile), but it drives more like a smaller track and you carry a lot of momentum around the top by the wall when you run up there.”

    Heading into the last 10 races of the season, Kinser is 12th in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship standings. He has one win this season and has recorded 30 top-10 finishes, of which eight are top-five showings.

    “We’re back to racing just on the weekends now as the season wins down and we want to finish the year on a strong note,” he stated. “We’ve had some stretches this year where we have been very strong and then some where we have struggled. Our goal is to find consistency as the year winds down so that we have some momentum going into the off-season as we prepare for next year.”

    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.

    Kraig Kinser By the Numbers: Clay County Fair Speedway & Deer Creek Speedway
    0.375- Miles around both Clay County Fair Speedway and Deer Creek Speedway
    2- Best finishing position at Clay County in 2008
    3– Tracks in Iowa that the World of Outlaws compete at this year
    4- Career starts at Deer Creek Speedway; Tracks in Minnesota the series races at in 2013
    6- Best-career finishing position at Deer Creek Speedway, coming in 2012
    8- Top-five finishes thus far in 2013
    8.3- Average finishing position in six starts at Clay County Fair Speedway
    12- Average finish in four starts at Deer Creek
    26- Laps led in debut at Clay County in 2008
    30- Top-10 finishes this season through Sept. 8
    177- Miles from Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa, where the World of Outlaws compete on Sept. 13 to Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn.
    1804- Distance in miles from Antioch Speedway in California, where the World of Outlaws raced on Sept. 8 to Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa
    2008- Year of first start at Clay County Fair Speedway
    2009- Year of first start at Deer Creek Speedway
    7879- Points earned this season through Sept. 8

    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/kraigkinser11k and receive live updates from the track each and every race night.

    Tune in
    Listen live to each and every World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series event on DIRTVision.com with “The Voice of the Outlaws” Johnny Gibson on the call. Visit www.DIRTVision.com for live audio of each and every World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event.

  • Salem homecoming always a thrill for Kimmel

    Salem homecoming always a thrill for Kimmel

    SANDUSKY, Ohio (Sept. 12, 2013) — The Salem Speedway is one of the most unique venues on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule, but it’s home turf for nine-time series champion Frank Kimmel, ARCA’s current point leader, and with three races left in the 21-race season, Kimmel will take any advantage he can muster.

    Salem, the site of Saturday night’s Kentuckiana Ford Dealers Fall Classic presented by Federated Car Care, doesn’t owe Kimmel and his No. 44 Ansell / Menards Toyota team a thing — even though Kimmel was handily leading the Salem spring race with less than 10 laps to go when a lapped car and some aggressive driving by his competitors relegated Kimmel to a badly-rumpled sixth-place finish.

    Kimmel says the circumstances of last spring aren’t in the front of his mind.

    “We haven’t won in six or seven races right now, so that’s why I want to win another one,” Kimmel said, laughing. “The fact that it’s Salem makes it a bonus if we’re able to do it — but these kids we’re racing every week were a handful there.”

     

    Kimmel, who’s won an ARCA-record nine times at the legendary southeastern Indiana short track — including five Salem events in a row between 2000 and 2002 — would like nothing better than to boost his 270-point advantage in the standings over Tennessee teenager Mason Mingus, but he’s ready to see how the day develops. 

    “The car was fairly decent in the spring and last year we were really good at Salem,” Kimmel said. “So we’ll probably look back at some notes and see what we can do to pick it back up and get it there, again.”

    How well the team’s run at recent short tracks such as Berlin and Madison gives Kimmel optimism, but only to a point.

    “Salem’s a different animal — a completely different racetrack than what we’ve raced here, lately,” Kimmel said. “But our car has been good all year and we won at Winchester, which is kind of a sister track to Salem, though Salem’s a little bit rougher, of course.

     

    “But it’s just like we always do. I expect to be good and I think the car will run good and I can’t wait to get back there and try it.”

    Kimmel’s optimism is particularly bolstered by the fact his team has engineered his current career-best streak of 28 consecutive top-10 finishes stretching over the last two seasons. That streak includes two top 10s at Salem.

    The prospect of winning his 80th career race also has Kimmel enthused, even though he’s already missed the chance to claim sole possession of ARCA’s career record for victories in the last eight races since he won his 79th race in June at Winchester.

    Kimmel is locked in a tie for that honor with ARCA legend Iggy Katona, and would cherish nothing more than the chance to claim the honor in front of his home fans and family.

    Kimmel has another goal on his radar at Salem, clinching the prestigious ARCA Bill France Four Crown title, a race-within-the-series competition that rewards the most successful competitor in a stretch of ARCA’s most diverse races.

    Kimmel currently has a 15-point lead in the Four Crown standings over ARCA Rookie of the Year leader Justin Boston, after BFFC races at Michigan (superspeedway), New Jersey (road course) and Springfield (dirt track).

    But as he is with the overall ARCA championship, Kimmel’s not getting too wrapped-up in anything but concentrating on the race at the Salem short-track.

    “The Four Crown title is way too close to get too charged up over it,” Kimmel said. “It’s still way up in the air, but it’s something I’m very aware of. The award speaks to the diversity of the series, and I think that over the years it’s really become one of ARCA’s most meaningful awards.

    “We won’t change our strategy going to Salem. We’ll do what we always try and do there — keep our nose clean and hopefully have the fenders on the car so we have something to race with at the end. Salem will bite you in a heartbeat. You don’t ever go into Salem thinking you’ve got anything wrapped up. Salem doesn’t quite work that way.

    “Justin won the pole at Salem in the spring, and was one of the fastest cars in the race. If we win the thing, I’m sure he won’t make it easy on us — none of those kids ever do — and there’s a bunch of them we have to contend with.”

    Salem’s one-day format has a pair of ARCA Racing Series practices, from 12:30-1:15 p.m. ET and 1:45-2:30 p.m. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell, which will set the race’s starting lineup, is scheduled for 4 p.m.

    The public’s invited to an autograph session featuring Kimmel and the full field of ARCA drivers on the track’s frontstretch, from 4:45-5:15 p.m., right before opening ceremonies and a 50-lap race for Salem’s Street Stock division.

     

    The Kentuckiana Ford Dealers Fall Classic is scheduled to take the green flag at 7:15 p.m. ET. Live timing and scoring and audio coverage is available all day on the Web at www.arcaracing.com.
    ABOUT MENARDS:

    With 280 stores in 14 Midwestern states, Menards has the tools, materials and supplies for all your home improvement needs whether just needing a light bulb or can of paint to building a deck or new home.  Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader; it’s no wonder their famous slogan – “SAVE BIG MONEY” – is so widely known and easy to remember.  Menards does things right – the company’s strength and success can be seen in the well-stocked and maintained stores, the lowest prices in town and the way guests are always treated like family in a hometown hardware store atmosphere.

     

    ABOUT ANSELL:

    Ansell is a world leader in providing superior health and safety protection solutions that enhance human well-being. With operations in North America, Latin America/Caribbean, EMEA and Asia, Ansell employs more than 11,000 people worldwide and holds leading positions in the personal protective equipment and medical gloves market, as well as in the sexual health and well-being category worldwide. Ansell operates in four main business segments: Medical Solutions, Industrial Solutions, Specialty Markets and Sexual Wellness. Information on Ansell and its products can be found at www.ansell.com.
    ABOUT THORSPORT RACING:
    ThorSport Racing, based in a state-of-the-art 100,000-square-foot facility in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest-tenured NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. Thorsport, which has run full-season Truck Series schedules annually beginning in 1998, in 2013 will run the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by Matt Crafton, the No. 98 Carolina Nut Co./Curb Records Toyota Tundra driven by Johnny Sauter and the No. 13 SealMaster Toyota Tundra driven by Tracy Hines in the Truck Series and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry driven by Frank Kimmel in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.
  • INDYCAR NEWS AND NOTES – Sept. 12, 2013

    INDYCAR NEWS AND NOTES – Sept. 12, 2013

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

     

    1. Pagenaud eyeing title as series heads to Houston 

    2. Teams allowed to increase brake cooling for Houston

    3. Bumgarner to make Pro Mazda season debut at Houston

     

    1. Pagenaud eyeing title as series heads to Houston: Simon Pagenaud is clear in his goal for the rest of 2013.

     

    “I’m going into Houston thinking I can win the championship,” Pagenaud said. “We have a good car on street circuits so we’re going to go for it in Houston.”

     

    The second-year driver from France is third in the IZOD IndyCar Series standings – 70 points behind championship front-runner Helio Castroneves – with three races remaining.

     

    That goal isn’t lofty for the No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports team. In the past three races, Pagenaud has vaulted two positions in the standings and outscored Castroneves by 46 points and second-place Scott Dixon by 66 points.

     

    Pagenaud’s second victory of the season at Baltimore on Sept. 1, which followed a runner-up finish at Mid-Ohio and fifth place at Sonoma, fuels much of the ammunition heading into the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston presented by the Greater Houston Honda Dealers on the 1.7-mile, 10-turn street course at Reliant Park.

     

    “I think we have a really hot car right now. We just need to keep going,” said Pagenaud, who secured his first series victory in Race 2 at Belle Isle in June. “It’s looking good. We’re actually the team that has scored the most points the past three races, so it’s interesting to be up here and for people to realize we’ve had a good season. Last year we were a lot more quiet; we were consistent and always there, but this year we’re just that much stronger.

     

    “I think we’ve been very competitive though the competition is a lot stronger this year than it was last year. Our consistency, with two wins, has put us up there.”

     

    Pagenaud has 11 top-10 finishes in the 16 races, including an early season streak of four in a row following a mechanical issue in the St. Petersburg opener that relegated him to 24th place. Overall on road/street courses, he has an average finish of 8.1. He’s recorded three top 10s in the five oval races, with back-to-back sixth-place finishes at Iowa and Pocono. The season comes to a head at the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway oval Oct. 19.

     

    Through the initial five races of the season, Pagenaud had to roll through the field following non-advantageous qualifying results (18.8 average on four road/street courses and the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval).

     

    “The start of the season was difficult because I was expecting to start as strong as I finished,” said Pagenaud, who finished fifth in the 2012 standings and claimed the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award with six top-five finishes. “It took a while to understand how the tires provided by Firestone were working, and I think we’re just scratching the surface now.

     

    “The trust (race engineer Ben Bretzman) has in me and the trust I have in him is a big part of it. We know each other and we’re also good friends; we spend many hours on the phone discussing the race car and challenging each other’s mind. Plus, it’s a whole group of really good engineers here and everything combined gives good results.

     

    “I knew if I had the right car I would be fighting for wins. Once we did it, it clicked.”

     

    2. Teams allowed to increase brake cooling for Houston: INDYCAR officials will allow IZOD IndyCar Series teams to modify their cars for the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston in order to increase brake cooling.

     

    A bulletin issued to teams on Sept. 12 allowed teams to trim the front end plate wicker (Dallara Part #IR12-04B023) to increase brake cooling. Teams can also modify front and rear brake ducts and brake duct backing plates to increase rotor and caliper cooling.

     

    “Based on what we saw at Baltimore, where we saw the hottest temperatures of the year, and with hot temperatures expected again in Houston , we’ve decided to allow these changes to help teams improve cooling to the brakes, ” said Derrick Walker, president of competition and operations, INDYCAR.

     

    3. Bumgarner to make Pro Mazda season debut at Houston:  Michele Bumgarner will run the final two Pro Mazda races of the season — the Allied Building Products Grand Prix of Houston. 

     

    Bumgarner, a native of the Philippines, will enter the event as a tune-up for 2014. She plans to join the series for a full season of competition with support from Mazda Philippines.

     

     

    “I am really excited that all of this has come together,” said Bumgarner, who competed in a limited Star Mazda season in 2008. “I am looking forward to getting back in the seat and getting some laps in the car.  To be able to have a race this season in preparation for next year is a real gift and I want to thank Mazda Philippines for that opportunity.”  

     

    Bumgarner will race with Sonoma, Calif.-based World Speed Motorsports alongside the team’s regular driver Kyle Kaiser. She tested her car with WSM at Sonoma Raceway on Sept. 11.

     

    “Michele has an impressive racing background,” noted World Speed Motorsports president 

    Telo Stewart. “She has been very focused, and doing extremely well in preliminary testing in the updated Pro Formula Mazda, which is quite different from the car she raced in 2008. Michele is a consummate professional on and off the track, and we are glad to add her to our team. We are looking forward to helping her reach her goals on the Mazda Road to Indy.”

     

    ***

    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 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 Houston’s Reliant Park. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 4 p.m. (ET) on Oct. 6

  • NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Driver Connelly Penalized For Barrie Speedway Incident

    NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Driver Connelly Penalized For Barrie Speedway Incident

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 11, 2013) – NASCAR announced today that NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 driver Dave Connelly has been penalized following his involvement in a Sept. 8 incident at Barrie (Ontario) Speedway.

    Connelly, driver of the No. 28 car, was found to have violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing – involved in an altercation in another competitor’s pit area.) of the 2013 rule book.

    As a result of this violation, Connelly has been fined $1,000 and indefinitely suspended from NASCAR.

  • INDYCAR NEWS AND NOTES – Sept. 10, 2013

    INDYCAR NEWS AND NOTES – Sept. 10, 2013

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

    1. Firestone Tire Test lays groundwork for future 

    2. Franchitti reunites with Clark’s Indy winner for Goodwood 

     

    1. Firestone Tire Test lays groundwork for future: A two-day test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway involving six drivers/teams is part of the IZOD IndyCar Series’ official tire supplier’s short- and long-term objectives, according to Firestone Racing chief engineer Dale Harrigle.

    “We’re laying the foundation for the future,” he said.

     

    Firestone Racing periodically conducts testing of current and development tire compounds and specifications on the oval for future superspeedway events. The 2013 Indianapolis 500 tire was utilized as the baseline, and more than two dozen compounds and specs will be run on the 2.5-mile asphalt racing ribbon. Participating are reigning Indy 500 champion Tony Kanaan, three-time race winner Dario Franchitti, Marco Andretti, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power and Justin Wilson. 

     

    “Firestone never stops trying to give us a better product as a race tire,” Wilson said. “There are various things that they are working on, whether it be compound or construction. We’re just here to give them feedback on how something feels.”

     

    Firestone is also working with INDYCAR regarding the introduction of aerodynamic configurations for IZOD IndyCar Series cars in 2015 and a potential assault on the qualification speed record in conjunction with the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 2016.

     

    “INDYCAR has come up with this plan that they want to slowly creep the speeds up at Indianapolis and we want to be on the forefront of that curve,” Harrigle said. “We want to be working with them to see what we need to do now to develop for the future years when the speeds increase. INDYCAR has kept us in the forefront of aero kits and we’ve been talking with them about how they think it’s going to affect the tire.

     

    “We have a pretty good window to operate in. We’ll stay on top of it.”

     

    Short term, Harrigle said Firestone Racing is seeking to “give the cars a little bit more grip” for the 2014 500 Mile Race scheduled for May 25.

     

    “Tire performance was good this May and we think we can make it a little better,” he said. 

     

    2. Franchitti reunites with Clark’s Indy winner for Goodwood: Dario Franchitti is happiest when he’s driving a race car. 

     

    A student of the sport, Franchitti has grown to appreciate the history of those who came before him. That’s why he jumped at the chance to drive participate in the Goodwood Revival on Sept. 13. 

     

    Franchitti will drive the Lotus 38 driven by Jim Clark when he won the 1965 Indianapolis 500 around the road course as part of the event’s tribute to Clark. Other drivers slated to participate in the Clark tribute include Sir Jackie Stewart, Sir Stirling Moss and John Surtees

     

    “It’s only a demonstration (lap), but I’m absolutely delighted to drive the Lotus 38 again,” Franchitti said. “It’s the 50th anniversary of Jimmy’s first world championship and (Goodwood is) going to be a great celebration of his life and what he achieved as a racing driver.”

     

    It’s the second time that Franchitti has driven the car, which was conserved by the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Mich. He last drove the car around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2010, but he’s looking forward to getting back in the car.

     

    “To take the Lotus back to Goodwood and drive it in front of the British fans is going to be great,” Franchitti said. “There’s only one small problem. The car is designed to only turn left and Goodwood is 90 percent right-hand corners. 

     

    “(Because of that) I won’t be pushing the limits by any means, but it’s going to be great let the British fans hear that four-cam Ford on full song.”

    ***

    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 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 Houston’s Reliant Park. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 4 p.m. (ET) on Oct. 6

  • Matt Poole Will Make His Return to Racing at Caraway Speedway

    Matt Poole Will Make His Return to Racing at Caraway Speedway

    As a result of scheduling conflicts, and the lack of available dates to race, Matt Poole’s race at Hickory Motor Speedway, which was originally scheduled for August 31st, has been re-scheduled for Saturday, October 12th, at Caraway Speedway, near Asheboro, North Carolina. Matt will be in the Lafferty Motorsports Street Stock, competing in the “Carolina Big Ten Street Stock Series” The race is being sponsored by Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil.

    “I’m really excited to get back in the race car again, and I’m proud to have Peak on the car for the race,” said Matt Poole. “Peak gave me a great opportunity to prove myself to them when they invited me to participate in the Peak Stock Car Dream Challenge, and I’m looking forward to showing them that they made the right choice when I get back in the car at Caraway Speedway. I hate that we had to push back the race, but we want to do it right for Peak. We only had a few dates to choose from since it’s the end of the season, and scheduling conflicts made it even harder, but we want to make Peak proud. I’m really looking forward to this latest opportunity they have given me, and I can’t thank them enough for coming on board as a marketing partner for this race.”

    Chris Lafferty of Lafferty Motorsports is equally excited about Matt Poole being back in his Street Stock car, saying “I’m very excited for Matt to climb behind the wheel in the Street Stock Series at Caraway Speedway. Matt has gone through our driver development program and he has shown the drive that it takes to overcome adversity and find himself behind the wheel to take the green flag.”

    “PEAK is proud to support grassroots racers who continue to show the determination and passion that Matt has shown in his journey towards his dream.  Matt’s hard work and the community supporting him allowed us to see what Matt had to offer, resulting in his invitation to our three day PEAK Stock Car Dreams test at Charlotte Motor Speedway in July.  His involvement in that program enabled folks from PEAK and Michael Waltrip Racing to experience the passion that Matt has for the sport and gave us confidence that helping Matt continues his dream was something that PEAK wanted to be part of.  We wish Matt the best in his next race at Caraway,” said Bryan Emrich, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Peak Anti-Freeze and Motor Oil.

    For more information on Matt Poole Racing, visit his website at www.mattpooleracing.com. For more information on Lafferty Motorsports and the Lafferty Motorsports Driver Development Program, visit their website at www.laffertymotorsports.net. For more information on Peak Anti-Freeze and Motor Oil, visit their website at www.peakauto.com.

  • Kimmel battles for top-10 at Iowa

    Kimmel battles for top-10 at Iowa

    NEWTON, Iowa (Sept. 7, 2013) — For the second consecutive race Frank Kimmel showed the mettle of a nine-time ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards champion, as he battled to a 10th-place finish in Saturday night’s Prairie Meadows 150 at Iowa Speedway.
    Kimmel, who battled a variably-handling No. 44 Ansell / Menards Toyota all day on the .875-mile oval where he now has seven consecutive top-10 finishes, had a couple concerns about creating a good finish.
    First, when Kimmel scrambled back to 11th late in the race, it put him in position to re-pass Caleb Armstrong for 10th, which he did with less than two laps to go.
    That enabled Kimmel to extend his career-best string of consecutive top-10 finishes to 28, over the past two seasons with ThorSport Racing.

    Kimmel had come to Iowa, with four races left this season, with a 305-point lead over rookie Mason Mingus. Mingus didn’t run particularly well in practice, but he grabbed the top starting spot in Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell, in which Kimmel earned only the 14th starting position.

     

    Mingus, who received 15 bonus points for the pole, gained five more bonus points for leading the race’s first 26 laps and then picked up his final 15-point gain in the race by finishing seventh.

     

    Thus, Kimmel is unofficially 270 points ahead of Mingus with three races remaining, beginning next Saturday with the second race this season at the half-mile Salem (Ind.) Speedway, close by Kimmel’s home in Borden, Ind.

     

    “It’s always really comforting — and comfortable — to go back to Salem because it’s close to home and you’ve got a lot of good fans there,” Kimmel said. “I’ve always had a lot of people show up to see if we can win the race and I think we’ll have a good opportunity to win there.

     

    “We’ve been competitive in a lot of these races lately — we weren’t (Saturday) night but the car’s been good everywhere we go. Our pit stops have been good so if everything goes well and we make the right adjustments I think they’ll have to deal with us.”

    Saturday night’s Iowa race never achieved expectations for Kimmel and company. At the start, it took Kimmel 20 laps to reach the top 10. At the second caution most of the back half of the lead-lap cars pitted and Kimmel only went back to 12th at the restart after a good pit stop.

     

    From there, despite running a bunch of laps as good as the leaders Kimmel wasn’t able to advance too far into the top 10. But it looked like he was sitting pretty after his ThorSport pit crew moved him from seventh to fifth on their final stop, with 64 laps left. But the lack of consistent handling ultimately reared up and sent Kimmel back.

     

    There, he battled a horde of youngsters who used a variety of lines to send him back to 12th. The veteran Kimmel thought he knew why, even if he couldn’t work it in his favor.

     

    “They changed the tire (compound) this time,” Kimmel said of ARCA and Hoosier’s decision. “I think it was the same (Hoosier) tire we used at Pocono. Maybe it was too hard for here, but I don’t care because everybody had to deal with it.

     

    “I started running up the top — actually, I ended up there a couple times when I didn’t mean to (laughing) — and we worked on it from there. But it was such a fine line for my car to run up there. If I hit it right it was pretty good but if I didn’t I was hanging on.”

    In the end, Kimmel tried to draw solace from his pit crew.

     

    “We picked up a few spots on our (last) stop and that was great — our over-the-wall guys continue to develop and that’s what we need,” Kimmel said. “We came out of that stop in great shape and the car ran good for about 10 laps and then it started fading again.

     

    “We kind of fought that all night, where it ran really good at the beginning of the run and then it would slow down on us… We tightened it up a little and it got too tight in the middle (of the corners), so we freed it back up and it was too free in (to the corners).
    “Rich (Lushes, car chief) and Jeriod (Prince, crew chief) and all of the guys worked so hard to get the car to handle and we just didn’t hit it — we weren’t very good all day, really. But we battled along and got another 10th-place finish. That wasn’t what we wanted but it was a real handful (Saturday) night, and that was really frustrating.”
    ABOUT MENARDS:

    With 280 stores in 14 Midwestern states, Menards has the tools, materials and supplies for all your home improvement needs whether just needing a light bulb or can of paint to building a deck or new home.  Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader; it’s no wonder their famous slogan – “SAVE BIG MONEY” – is so widely known and easy to remember.  Menards does things right – the company’s strength and success can be seen in the well-stocked and maintained stores, the lowest prices in town and the way guests are always treated like family in a hometown hardware store atmosphere.

     

    ABOUT ANSELL:

    Ansell is a world leader in providing superior health and safety protection solutions that enhance human well-being. With operations in North America, Latin America/Caribbean, EMEA and Asia, Ansell employs more than 11,000 people worldwide and holds leading positions in the personal protective equipment and medical gloves market, as well as in the sexual health and well-being category worldwide. Ansell operates in four main business segments: Medical Solutions, Industrial Solutions, Specialty Markets and Sexual Wellness. Information on Ansell and its products can be found at www.ansell.com.
    ABOUT THORSPORT RACING:

    ThorSport Racing, based in a state-of-the-art 100,000-square-foot facility in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest-tenured NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. Thorsport, which has run full-season Truck Series schedules annually beginning in 1998, in 2013 will run the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by Matt Crafton, the No. 98 Carolina Nut Co./Curb Records Toyota Tundra driven by Johnny Sauter and the No. 13 SealMaster Toyota Tundra driven by Tracy Hines in the Truck Series and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry driven by Frank Kimmel in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards
  • Hathaway Rallies Late For Barrie Win

    Hathaway Rallies Late For Barrie Win

    Kennington Runner-Up To Maintain Canadian Tire Points Lead

     

    Barrie, Ont., Canada (Sept. 8, 2013) – While DJ Kennington and Scott Steckly are locked in a battle for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 championshp, Jason Hathaway played spoiler Sunday by coming away with the win in the Hudco Electric Supply 300 presented by G-Oil.

     

    Hathaway took the lead from Kennington on Lap 284, and the No. 3 Snap on Tools/Rockstar Energy Drink Chevrolet survived a green-white-checkered finish that pushed the race to 303 laps on the .333-mile tri-oval. It was hard earned victory in a physical race that saw 10 lead changes among seven different drivers.

    “I don’t think there’s a panel on this thing that doesn’t have a mark,” Hathaway said. “We’re at Barrie Speedway, and if anybody thinks they’re coming out of here with no scratches, they’ve got another thing coming.”

     

    Kennington settled for second in front of JR Fitzpatrick. Scott Steckly, who won the Heluva Good! Pole Award earlier in the day, finished fourth.

     

    Kennington entered the weekend with a three-point lead over Scott Steckly. Due to the physical nature of the event, Kennington made contact with the wall and other cars a number of times as he battled for position. When asked about his racing strategy, Kennington had a simple answer.

     

    “We wanted to win the race pretty bad.” In regards to the championship battle, Kennington then added, “All in all, big picture, it’s going to be a good battle. Scott (Steckly) and I raced pretty hard door-to-door tonight and I think that shows we’re both champions and we’re going to go to Kawartha to battle it out.” Kennington will take a five-point lead over Steckly heading into the season finale in two weeks.

     

    Rookie Alex Guenette finished fifth at Barrrie, followed by Martin Roy, Ryley Seibert, Mark Dilley, Ron Beauchamp Jr., and Joy McColm.

     

    It was the second win of the season and third career victory for the 36-year-old from Dutton, Ont. Hathaway won at Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, N.S., in August. Hathaway led a race-high 80 laps – one more than Steckly.

     

    The race was scheduled for Saturday, but persistant rain forced NASCAR officials to move qualifying and the race to Sunday.

     

    The Hudco Electric Supply 300 will air on TSN on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. ET, and on RDS on Friday, Oct. 4 at 8 p.m.

    The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series championship will be decided in the season finale Saturday, Sept. 21 in the Pinty’s 250 at Kawartha Speedway in Peterborough, Ont.

     

    NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES presented by MOBIL 1-Hudco Electric Supply 300 presented by G Oil

    Unofficial Results

    Saturday At Barrie Speedway

    Barrie, Ontario

    Lap length: 0.333 miles

    (Start position in parentheses)

    1. (6) Jason Hathaway, Dutton, Ont., Dodge, 303 laps, 60.049 mph.

    2. (3) D.J. Kennington, St. Thomas, Ont., Dodge, 303.

    3. (7) J.R. Fitzpatrick, Ayr, Ont., Chevrolet, 303.

    4. (1) Scott Steckly, Milverton, Ont., Dodge, 303.

    5. (11) Alex Guenette, Terrebonne, Que., Dodge, 303.

    6. (10) Martin Roy, Napierville, Que., Dodge, 303.

    7. (17) Ryley Seibert, Williams Lake, B.C., Dodge, 303.

    8. (9) Mark Dilley, Barrie, Ont., Ford, 303.

    9. (5) Ron Beauchamp, Jr., Windsor, Ont., Dodge, 303.

    10. (13) Joey McColm, Ajax, Ont., Dodge, 302.

    11. (18) Ray Courtemanche Jr., Montreal, Que., Dodge, 297.

    12. (14) Dave Connelly, Arnprior, Ont., Dodge, 297.

    13. (16) Jason White, Sun Peaks, B.C., Dodge, 297.

    14. (19) Howie Scannell Jr., Milton, Ont., Dodge, 288.

    15. (4) Larry Jackson, Oakville, Ont., Dodge, 236, mechanical.

    16. (8) L.P. Dumoulin, Trois-Rivieres, Que., Dodge, 220.

    17. (15) Noel Dowler, Sherwood Park, Alta., Dodge, 182, electrical.

    18. (12) Hugo Vannini, Repentigny, Que., Ford, 121, rear end.

    19. (2) Pete Shepherd III, Brampton, Ont., Dodge, 41, ring gear.

     

    Race Statistics

    Time of Race: 1 hour 40 minutes 49 seconds

    Margin of Victory: .255 seconds

    Fastest Qualifier: S.Steckly (83.558 mph, 14.347 seconds)

    Caution Flags: 9 for 71 laps.

    Lead Changes: 10 among 7 drivers.

    Lap Leaders: S. Steckly 1-79; J. Hathaway 80-88; L. Dumoulin 89-94; J. Hathaway 95-145; D. Kennington 146; J. White 147-152; R. Beauchamp,Jr. 153-154; D. Kennington 155-187; J. Fitzpatrick 188-255; D. Kennington 256-283; J. Hathaway 284-303.

    Standings: 1. D. Kennington, 430; 2. S. Steckly, 425; 3. J. Hathaway, 408; 4. L. Dumoulin, 395; 5. J. Fitzpatrick, 391; 6. M. Roy, 390; 7. J. White, 343; 8. A. Guenette, 341; 9. N. Dowler, 340; 10. R. Beauchamp,Jr., 338.

  • Kraig Kinser Earns Five Top-10 Finishes During the Gold Rush Tour

    Kraig Kinser Earns Five Top-10 Finishes During the Gold Rush Tour

    BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Sept. 9, 2013— Kraig Kinser had one major objective during the recent Gold Rush Tour for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series and that was to turn in consistent runs. He was able to achieve this, recording five top-10 finishes in eight events over a 10-day span at six different tracks in three states on the West Coast aboard the Mesilla Valley Transportation/Casey’s General Store/King Racing Products Maxim.

    In the opener of the Monster Energy Meltdown at Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash., on Friday, Aug. 30, Kinser finished sixth. He ran as high as second during the 25-lap main event, which was marred by several caution flags. Kinser opened the night by recording the eighth-quickest lap in time trials, which put him on the front row of the second heat. He would finish second to earn a spot in the dash, where he also finished second. In the finale of the Monster Meltdown on Saturday, Aug. 31, Kinser finished 11th

    The native of Bloomington, Ind., charged from the 19th starting spot to finish eighth at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash., on Monday, Sept. 2. After finishing seventh in the second heat, Kinser came home third in the B-main to earn a spot in the 30-lap A-Feature. A total of six yellow flag and one red flag slowed the main event, providing several restart to make up positions.

    In his second-ever visit to Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Ore., on Sept. 3, the third-generation driver finished 10th. Kinser ran as high as seventh over the course of the 30-lap main event, which saw the yellow flag fly four times and the red flag displayed twice. He was fifth-fastest in qualifying to open the night.

    Kinser finished 10th at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon, on Wednesday, Sept. 4. He opened the night as the fastest qualifier of the 31 entrants. He finished fifth in the first heat race to earn a spot in the dash. With an inversion of eight, Kinser lined up on the outside of the fourth row for the dash and finished ninth. In the 40-lap feature, which was plagued by three cautions and two red flag periods, Kinser ran as high as seventh before finishing 10th to earn his fourth career top-10 finish at the quarter-mile bullring.

    On the opening night of the Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 6, Kinser was caught up in a wreck on the opening lap of the B-main and had too much damage to restart the race. He opened the night 27th-fastest out of 53 entrants in time trials. Kinser came home sixth in the second, 10-lap heat race, with just the top-four transferring to the A-Feature.

    The finale of the Gold Cup on Saturday, Sept. 7, saw Kinser turn in the ninth-fastest lap in time trials of the 52 drivers that hit the quarter-mile. He finished fourth in the fourth heat race to earn a spot in the 40-lap main event. The third-generation driver took to the grid on the outside of the ninth row and wound up finishing 17th.

    Kinser wrapped up the Gold Rush Tour with a ninth-place finish at Antioch Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 8. He kicked off the night as the second-fastest qualifier of the 33 drivers that took to the one-third-mile. He finished third in the second heat race to earn a spot in the dash where he came home eighth. Starting on the outside of the fourth row for the 30-lap main event, Kinser ran among the top-11 for the duration of the contest, crossing the finish line ninth to earn his 30th top-10 performance of the season.

    The event at Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Ore., scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 5, fell to rain and was not rescheduled.

    Kinser will be back in action this weekend at Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa, and Deer Creek Speedway in Minnesota. He is currently 12th in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship standings and had accumulated 30 top-10 finishes. Kinser has one victory on the year, with that coming at Orange County Fair Speedway in New York in the spring.

    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.

    Gold Rush Tour Results

    Date Time
    Trials    		 Heat
    Start    		 Heat Finish Dash Start Dash Finish Feature Start Feature Finish Points
    Aug. 30 8th 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd 6th 12th
    Aug. 31 6th 3rd 4th N/A N/A 11th 11th 12th
    Sept. 2 20th 7th 7th N/A N/A 19th 8th 12th
    Sept. 3 5th 3rd 4th N/A N/A 11th 10th 12th
    Sept. 4 1st 4th 5th 8th 9th 9th 10th 11th
    Sept. 6 27th 6th 6th N/A N/A N/A N/A 12th
    Sept. 7 9th 3rd 4th N/A N/A 18th 17th 12th
    Sept. 8 2nd 4th 3rd 7th 8th 8th 9th 12th

    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/kraigkinser11k and receive live updates from the track each and every race night.

    Tune in
    Listen live to each and every World of Outlaws event on DIRTVision.com with “The Voice of the Outlaws” Johnny Gibson on the call. Visitwww.DIRTVision.com for live audio of each and every World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event.

  • OSCAAR Super Late Models Make Return to Flamboro`

    OSCAAR Super Late Models Make Return to Flamboro`

    The OSCAAR Super Late Models are set to make their first trip to Flamboro Speedway (Millgrove, Ont.) in three seasons on Saturday September 7. The series has not raced at Flamboro since Oktoberfest in 2009 where Jeff Hanley (No.70) was the winner. The series was originally scheduled to make its Flamboro return on July 20, but a power outage in the Hamilton-area forced the event’s cancellation.

    Series points leader Brandon Watson (No.9) is the most recent winner as he found Knightworks Design victory lane on August 24 at Peterborough Speedway. The win was Watson’s fifth this season and second at Peterborough. Flamboro, however, poses a different task for the 20-year-old who has raced only once at the tight 1/3-mile oval in a Super Late Model, but is ready for the challenge come Saturday evening.

    Four-time series champion Glenn Watson (No.22) is coming off his best finish of the season, a second-place result, at Peterborough two weeks ago. Glenn had one previous runner-up finish to start the season, but had battled difficulties all season long before the breakout on August 24. Look for the Barrie, Ont. driver to continue his luck as he felt he made significant gains on his Port City Chassis last time out of the box.

    After debuting a brand new Junior Hanley-prepared outlaw body car at Peterborough two weeks ago, Brad Corcoran (No.05) is set to return to his home track this weekend. The Milton, Ont. pilot has spent several  seasons in the track’s pro late model division before making the jump to OSCAAR this season. Corcoran confirmed at Peterborough he will run the remainder of the 2013 Super Late Model schedule, and will also bring his Pro Late Model to the 21st edition of the Autumn Colours Classic.

    Shane Gowan (No.39) will also return to his former home track this week in his Lucas Oil sponsored entry. Gowan suffered through mechanical problems at Peterborough which inhibited a fast racecar from achieving a top-ten finish. Look for Gowan’s experience to shine through as the night wears on.

    Guelph, Ont. native Todd Campbell (No.07) is also among the list of former Flamboro regulars making a return home this week. The 2011 OSCAAR Rookie-of-the-year has not yet scored a top-five this season, but will certainly have experience on his side this weekend. Saturday night will mark the first time Campbell has competed at Flamboro in a Super Late Model.

    Add Jim Bowman (No.63) to the list of wheelmen returning to old stomping grounds. Bowman has publicly stated his excitement to return to the 1/3-mile bullring. The Fergus, Ont.-based driver will have had plenty of time to prepare after sitting out the tour’s previous Peterborough event for work-related reasons.

    Andrew Gresel (No.81) came from the back of the field twice at Peterborough to finish fourth. The current rookie points leader already has two victories on the season and sits __ points back of Brandon Watson for the championship points lead. Gresel is among the drivers with little experience at Flamboro is his career and none in a Super Late Model. The Hepworth, Ont. driver is often quick to learn a new trade.

    Series regulars Derrick Tiemersma (No.7) and Tyler Hawn (No.42) are both looking to rebound from subpar performances at Peterborough. Tiemersma, who has finished outside the top-five only 3 times, lost his position inside the top-three late in the race. Tiemersma, however, remains a factor near the top of the standings and will need to finish ahead of Brandon Watson to reduce the lead.

    Hawn, meanwhile, has not raced at Flamboro in either his Late Model or Super Late Model career, but will attempt to improve on his ninth-place result at Peterborough two weeks ago. Look for the Oro Station, Ont. driver to tinker with his tire strategy in order to achieve a top-five finish.

    The OSCAAR Super Late Models will be joined by the OSCAAR Modifieds as well as three Flamboro Speedway weekly divisions and the Canadian Vintage Modified tour. To accommodate the extended schedule, racing is set to get underway at 4:00pm. Spectator gates open at 3:00pm.

    Directions: For directions to Flamboro Speedway, located in Millgrove, Ont. visit the following link: http://flamborospeedway.net/?page_id=60

    Tickets: For ticket pricing and information, please visit: http://flamborospeedway.net/?p=919.

    The OSCAAR Super Late Model tour is presented by a number of dedicated sponsors throughout Ontario, including: Knightworks Design, Hoosier Racing Tire, Klotz Synthetics Canada, Race2way.ca, Dave Franks Photos, Dickson Printing, Finishline Fabrication, McColl Racing Enterprises, McGunegill Engine Performance, Stefko Racing Engines, VP Racing Fuels, OntarioOval.com, RaceTime Radio, Inside Track Motorsport News, Jenco Equipment, Midas of Orangeville, Reinhart Trailer Sales, North Toronto Auctions, and South Shore Services.

    By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia) – OSCAAR Media and Public Relations

    Contact: oscaar.media@gmail.com

    Photo Credit: Dan Little Jr.

    -30-