Category: Other Series PR

MOORESVILLE, NC (June 18, 2013)– Rusty Wallace Racing announced today that Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches will be the primary sponsor of Steve and Kenny Wallace’s No. 66 and No. 36 super late models in the July 9th Howie Lettow 150 ARCA Midwest Tour event at The Milwaukee Mile.

Based in Champaign, IL, Jimmy John’s was founded in 1983 by 19 year-old Jimmy John Liautaud. He’s still rockin’ out sammies and the company has grown to over 1600 locations in 42 states across the U.S. The company is known for fresh quality products, but it’s the freaky fast speed and delivery that really puts Jimmy ahead of the rest.

In four NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Milwaukee, Steve Wallace posted his best finish of 6th in the in the track’s 2009 event.  Meanwhile, his uncle Kenny has a Milwaukee career that began with the ASA series in the mid-1980s.  In 11 Nationwide Series starts at Milwaukee, Kenny posted two top-five and four top-ten finishes.

Noted team owner Rusty Wallace, “We had a lot of fun with the race at Milwaukee last year and I’m really excited about having Jimmy John’s on board again this time around. They’re a really fun brand. Hopefully, we’ll have a pair of “freaky fast” hot rods and can deliver a win for Jimmy John’s up there.”

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About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary history of its founder, NASCAR Hall of Famer and ESPN Lead Auto Racing Analyst, Rusty Wallace. The team has campaigned entries in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and other stock car sanctions. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit rustywallace.com.

Brooklyn, MI (June 15, 2013) – On two occasions late in the Patriot Pumps 200 at Michigan International Speedway, Venturini Motorsports and ZLOOP™ Racing driver Justin Boston looked to have not only his best speedway finish on the horizon, but also, perhaps, a victory.

Boston (No. 25 ZLOOP™ Computer & Electronic Recycling Centers Toyota) achieved one of the two, matching his career-best finish of fourth, which easily topped his past speedway results. Brennan Poole, a teammate and mentor to the rookie Boston, earned his fourth career win.

Driving into the second turn on Lap 89 of 100, Boston had led 15 laps in search of his first ARCA win in eight attempts. He had recovered from losing the lead under the yellow flag less than 15 laps before, meaning less than 25 miles separated the Maryland driver from Victory Lane.

But as Poole approached in that second turn with a hard-charging car and a shrinking gap, Boston spun across Michigan’s wide backstretch apron. Luckily, he did not make contact with a wall or any other car, and came back to action in seventh place. He improved from there with a fast car that had earlier in the day qualified fourth, and then matched that qualifying spot in the finishing order by passing a fellow rookie and two ARCA veterans.

“We were bad fast today,” Boston said in a television interview shortly after the race. “It’s unfortunate we had that mishap in the end; I thought we were going to have a good one today. (With) pit strategy, everything was on point and we were smooth sailing there but Brennan started running us down and I started getting loose off the corners. He drove down under me and I just got loose and lost it. Thankfully, I saved the car and we rebounded to fourth, so I’ll take it. We’re going to get one soon.”

After starting fourth and finding himself fifth following a Lap 27 pit stop, Boston improved to third on Lap 36 with Poole just behind him. After another caution period, the Venturini duo passed Kimmel for second and third on Lap 55, with Boston still in front of his friend.

When leader Ryan Blaney pitted under the green flag on Lap 70, Boston had the lead for a third race in his still-new career. Poole followed closely until the caution flag flew on Lap 73, giving the Venturini cars a chance to pit under yellow and preserve their advantage.

Grant Enfinger led the field to a Lap 79 green flag, but Boston was second and easily passed for the lead one lap later. Poole quickly approached, though, and finally matched Boston at what turned out to be the race’s fateful moment on Lap 89.

“I felt like it was air that got me loose when Brennan got up to my bumper in (Turns) 2 and 4,” Boston said to a group of reporters in the track media center. “I’m just happy we didn’t get torn up there.”

After restarting seventh on Lap 93, Boston improved to fifth within two laps, and then passed Enfinger for fourth the next time around. He held that spot until the checkered flag, just missing his first victory, but earning key points to improve two places to fourth in the series point standings. Unofficially, Boston stands just 35 points short of third place. He also won SCOTT® Rookie Challenge honors for the race and closed in on Mason Mingus for the category lead.

Through only eight races, Boston says his patience is improving, which was evident as he kept his car unharmed and returned it to the top five late in the race.

“I think composure is the thing I’ve learned the most,” he said. “It’s a big deal to remain composed and that showed today. We’re doing all we can to get back up there, and we made up points today. It’s been a really good year and I feel like I’m learning really quickly. We’re going to take it one step at a time and try to find ourselves in Victory Lane soon.”

Boston and Venturini Motorsports will next compete in the SCOTT® 160 at Road America in Wisconsin. The race is the first of two road course events scheduled for 2013. Practice will begin Friday. Qualifying is set before the 40-lap, 160-mile race, which is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. Central Saturday.

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

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (Saturday, June 15, 2013) – Ryan Hunter-Reay, whose victory in the Milwaukee IndyFest last June was the springboard to claiming the IZOD IndyCar Series championship, repeated the achievement at the historic Milwaukee Mile.

The 32-year-old Fort Lauderdale, Fla., resident overtook race leader Takuma Sato on Lap 198 of 250 and went on to win by 4.809 seconds over Helio Castroneves.

Will Power finished third for his first podium of the season. E.J. Viso and James Hinchcliffe — Andretti Autosport teammates to Hunter-Reay — also were in the top five.

The last back-to-back winner at Milwaukee was Tony Kanaan in 2006-07, when he was driving for the Andretti team. It was the 47th IZOD IndyCar Series victory for the team and the fifth at Milwaukee.

Third in the standings entering this Father’s Day weekend race, Hunter-Reay heads into the June 23 Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by DEKALB 16 points behind the front-running Castroneves. Hunter-Reay won at Iowa Speedway last year, and made it three victories in a row at Toronto two weeks later.

An electrical issue on the No. 25 RC Cola car ruined the day for pole sitter Marco Andretti, who entered the race second in the standings and led 61 laps early on. Following repairs, Andretti re-entered the race on Lap 137 and soldiered on to not lose any additional points. He is third in the championship (50 points behind) after placing 20th.

Also on June 15, Sage Karam overtook Zach Veach on Lap 57 of the Milwaukee 100 and went on to become the third first-time winner and fourth in five Firestone Indy Lights races this season.

Karam, 18, of Nazareth, Pa., led Carlos Munoz across the start-finish line by 1.0808 seconds. Veach earned his first podium finish.

“The first one is always big. Star Mazda, my first win was Milwaukee also,” said Karam, the pole sitter who drove the No. 8 Schmidt Peterson with Curb-Agajanian car. “I had to stay mentally strong and that’s what we did. I saved my tires pretty well in the beginning and ran him down and made a good move.”

Karam closed to 18 points of Munoz in the standings with the series heading to Iowa Speedway next week and then to Pocono Raceway on July 7.

Brooklyn, MI (June 14, 2013) – Brennan Poole made the most of his first start since 2012 in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, taking his fourth career win in the Patriot Pumps 200 at Michigan International Speedway.

Poole’s win gave Venturini Motorsports its second win of the year, following John Wes Townley’s triumph at Daytona, and 28 in its history. As in Townley’s victory, Poole won in a No. 15 Toyota.

“The guys worked really hard and gave me a great car and we were able to fight through,” Poole said. “It was a fun day trying to get to Victory Lane, and especially for these guys.”

The 22-year-old Texan led the final 12 laps after leader and teammate Justin Boston (No. 25 ZLOOP™ Computer & Electronic Recycling Centers Toyota) spun in front of him on Lap 89 as the two friends battled. Boston went spinning across Michigan’s wide backstretch apron but did not make contact with a wall, and Poole drove on to the lead over pole winner Ryan Blaney and series points leader Frank Kimmel.

Both drivers were uncertain at first as to whether the two cars touched, but Boston’s spin was determined to be just a result of the aerodynamics in close racing. Boston had led 15 laps in search of his first career win, and ended up finishing fourth despite the spin.

“I thought that I had hit him,” Poole said. “Justin and I are really good friends. I kind of felt bad about it but I guess, looking at the pictures, that we didn’t touch.”

Poole’s win did not come without some adversity of his own. Of course, a blown engine in practice Thursday kept him from driving as many practice laps as his Venturini teammates. Crew chief Kevin Reed and the No. 15 crew worked diligently through practice to replace the engine and help Poole qualify second Friday.

“We had a pretty long weekend,” Reed said. “The guys dug deep and got it back out. Everything worked out. The car was flawless all day.”

But after starting second and following Blaney over the first 25 laps, a slow pit stop on Lap 26 sent Poole from second back to 10th.

“It was a hard-fought day,” Poole said. “We had to come from the back a couple of times with pit stop miscues, but it’s just part of the deal.”

After taking the green flag at Lap 31, Poole advanced to fifth within four laps. He and Boston teamed up to pass Josh Williams on Lap 34, with Boston assuming third and Poole fourth. Blaney, a former Venturini competitor, continued to lead Kimmel ahead of the teammates.

After another caution period, the Venturini duo passed Kimmel on Lap 55, with Poole continuing to trail the rookie Boston. Blaney pitted on Lap 70 under the green flag, losing his track position to the two, and a timely caution flag at Lap 73 greatly improved the Venturini team’s chances. Both drivers pitted one lap later, and Boston and Kimmel both beat Poole off of pit road.

Grant Enfinger led the field to the the Lap 79 green flag, but Boston passed almost immediately, taking back the lead on Lap 80. Poole followed.

With only Boston between him and the lead, Poole closed the gap on his friend and teammate. Driving closely out of the second turn on Lap 89, Poole drove inside Boston, causing the fateful spin.

“It was crazy behind Justin there,” Poole said. “I’d get behind him and I couldn’t turn. I almost went into the wall a few times, which was kind of exciting; I almost blew out my elbow there.”

Boston said over the radio that Poole simply forced Boston to break sideways without making contact, leaving blame only to the physics of racing. This caused the race’s final caution period, and Poole led Kimmel and a hard-charging Blaney with eight laps to go when the green flag flew again.

Blaney passed Kimmel immediately and set his sights on Poole, but Poole maintained a healthy advantage of seven to eight car lengths to drive to the win.

After a busy two days, Poole’s crew chief had the final word on the victory.

“Brennan Poole’s an awesome little driver,” Reed said. “He deserves a shot in way more than ARCA, and he’s going to get it at one point in time.”

In addition to Poole’s win and Boston’s fourth-place finish, Venturini Motorsports drivers Milka Duno and Chad Boat finished 11th and 15th, respectively.

Venturini Motorsports will next compete in the SCOTT® 160 at Road America in Wisconsin. The race is the first of two road course events scheduled for 2013. Practice will begin Friday. Qualifying is set before the 40-lap, 160-mile race, which is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. Central Saturday.

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

By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia) – It will have been 26 days since most OSCAAR Modified drivers sat in their cars come Saturday night at Barrie Speedway. Most series regulars have had nearly a full month to tinker and make changes following their opening day results at Sunset Speedway. The extended time for  adjustments should level the playing field for round two of the 2013 campaign as everybody took the opening race to see their equipment in race action for the first time.

In the series’ inaugural visit to Barrie one year ago, Gary McLean (No. 8) dominated the event, beating Brandon Crumbie (No. 72) and Josh Gruntz (No. 31) to the checkered flag. Neither Crumbie or Gruntz will make starts this Saturday, so McLean will be faced with a new set of challengers this time around, but they are likely to be the same ones who challenged the wily veteran last month. Regardless McLean will be looking for double-digits, his 10^th OSCAAR victory in 14 starts.

Brent McLean (No. 7) should be a big factor in determining whether Gary earns his second victory of 2013. Brent finished second at Sunset to open the season and is the only other modified driver to win multiple OSCAAR features. McLean got tangled with a lapped car last year, ending his night with a DNF. If the team avoids trouble, look for them to be in contention.

Sophomore pilot Matt Barton (No. 2) had his best career OSCAAR finish to start the season when he tallied a third place result. Barton led part of the event and is second in the championship standings as a result. Barton had a strong showing in his first trip to Barrie last season, and should be able to improve on it given the upgrades his MDB Racecars team made over the offseason.

Davey Terry (No. 14) narrowly missed the podium at Sunset. Terry’s fourth-place finish had him itching for more, so the Erin, Ont.-native is aiming for a podium result at Barrie this week.

Brad Pearsall (No. 1B) will make his season debut this weekend and will make history as the first OSCAAR driver to compete in a car under the ‘Kia Optima’ moniker. As announced earlier this week, Pearsall secured major sponsorship from Plaza Kia for this season which will allow him to run the remaining 14 races this year.

Brian McLean (No. 47) makes his first start of the year as well. The veteran driver won one OSCAAR race at Peterborough in 2012 as part of a limited schedule.

Rookie Bobby Tolton (No. 13) makes the second start of his young career as well. Tolton tested this week at Flamboro Speedway to try and rectify some of the problems the team uncovered on May 19. The team feels they have fixed the major issues and will now be able to focus on car setup for the remainder of the year.

Mike Westwood (No. 91) is nearing completion on his Modified. Westwood has fabricated the car himself and after numerous hours in the shop, the Milton, Ont. driver appears to be ready to make his season debut at Barrie.

Former Kawartha Speedway Late Model regular Max Beyore (No. 91N) is also hoping to make his seson debut. Beyore is the brother of veteran Super Late Model driver Mike Beyore (No. 54). Both Max’s Jeff Hanley-built modified and Mike’s Super Late Model are race ready for Saturday Barrie. A kink, however, was thrown in to the mix this week when Mike became ill with pneumonia. Since the pair travels together, if Mike’s health does not allow him to race Saturday night, both drivers will hold off another week before making their season debut.

The OSCAAR Modifieds are joined by the OSCAAR Super Late Models on Saturday night. The two OSCAAR series are the only divisions on tap for the night, marking the first time an OSCAAR event has been held without support divisions.

Spectator gates for the event open at 5:00pm before the first green flag at 6:30pm. Fans will be able to take part in an on-track autograph session with OSCAAR drivers from 5:45pm to 6:15pm prior to qualifying heat races.

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Directions: Barrie Speedway is located on the 8th Line of Oro-Medonte between Barrie and Orillia just off of Highway 11, 10 minutes north of Barrie and 10 minutes south of Orillia.

Directions from Barrie: Hwy 400 North, follow Hwy 11 North to the 8th Line of Oro-Medonte, Turn Right – Track 1km on the right side.

Directions from Orillia: Hwy 11 South to the 7th Line of Oro-Medonte, take the overpass back to Hwy 11 North to the 8th Line of Oro-Medonte, Turn Right – Track 1km on the right side.

For more information, visit www.barriespeedway.com.

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.

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By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia) – The OSCAAR Super Late Models return to action Saturday night after nearly a month-long layoff after round two of the 2013 campaign was rained out at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on June 1. Saturday’s event at Barrie Speedway marks the first time OSCAAR is the only racing on the schedule without local support divisions. If the race plays out anything like the 2012 edition, there will be no shortage of excitement.

One year ago, Jesse Kennedy (No. 10) entered OSCAAR as a rookie Super Late Model driver with a ton of Pro Late Model experience. The Oneida Nation, Ont. driver surprised many, including himself, last season at Barrie when he passed Brandon Watson (No. 9) late in the 50-lap feature to earn his first OSCAAR victory. Kennedy ran third for most of the 2013 season opener at Sunset Speedway before a mechanical failure with five laps to go handed him an undeserved DNF. Look for Kennedy to get rolling this weekend.

Multi-time OSCAAR champion Glenn Watson (No.22) is a former Barrie Speedway Late Model regular and always enjoys returning to his old stomping grounds. Glenn finished second to open the season at Sunset, but is still looking to end a 14 race winless streak. Barrie provides an excellent opportunity for the hometown driver to grab the points lead and his first win of the season.

Brandon Watson opened his season with a victory at Sunset Speedway. He was strong last year at Barrie, finishing second to the aforementioned Kennedy. Brandon will need another top-five finish to maintain his spot at the top of the championship standings as he continues his title defense. A win would extend a streak of four consecutive victories, dating back to the Sunset Velocity 50 on September 23, 2012.

Tyler Hawn (No. 42) also has deep roots at Barrie Speedway. Hawn struggled to adjust to his new chassis on opening night, but battled through the carnage to an 11^th-place finish. Hawn will look to find the top-ten again tonight as he did for much of his rookie season in 2011. Hawn will spend the morning promoting the race at Fox’s Bakery in Barrie from 10am to 12:30pm.

Current Barrie Late Model regular Ian Bourque (No. 83) will make his first OSCAAR start of the season. Bourque ran a partial schedule with OSCAAR for several seasons before returning to Barrie fulltime in 2013. Bourque already has one feature victory this year.

Brandon Vanderwel (No. 97) makes his return to OSCAAR tonight after a year absence due to a hand injury. Vanderwel has partnered with Protect the Children to help raise awareness against childhood abuse. He will have honourary pit crew members tonight as part of the program.

Mike Beyore (No. 54) is hoping to make his season debut on Saturday night as well, but is currently battling illness. Beyore hopes to fend of the bug in time to race at the tight 1/3-mile oval. Beyore’s Jeff Hanley-prepared car is in race-ready condition.

Andrew Gresel (No. 81) will finally be able to debut his brand-new chassis on Saturday as he searches for his first OSCAAR top-five finish. The team was prepared to unload the new Hamke-built car at CTMP on June 1, but the car was kept in the shop another two weeks due to rain. The Hepworth, Ont. driver competed in his template body Pro Late Model to open the season after delays preparing the final Outlaw-bodied car.

Gresel will battle fellow rookies Kevin Cornelius (No. 17) and Sean Cronan (No. 8) for the top spot amongst newcomers at Barrie. Cronan also has considerable experience at Barrie, and may hold the advantage among rookies entering round two. Cronan will hope to get his first feature finish in a Super Late Model following a disappointing DNF to open the season. Cornelius will be hungry for a top-five finish after falling just short at Sunset.

Spectator gates open at 5:00pm on Saturday, June 15 ahead of a 6:30pm green flag. The OSCAAR Super Late Models and OSCAAR Modifieds are the only two divisions on hand and will take part in an on-track autograph session with fans from 5:45pm to 6:15pm prior to the first race of the night.

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Directions: Barrie Speedway is located on the 8th Line of Oro-Medonte between Barrie and Orillia just off of Highway 11, 10 minutes north of Barrie and 10 minutes south of Orillia.

Directions from Barrie: Hwy 400 North, follow Hwy 11 North to the 8th Line of Oro-Medonte, Turn Right – Track 1km on the right side.

Directions from Orillia: Hwy 11 South to the 7th Line of Oro-Medonte, take the overpass back to Hwy 11 North to the 8th Line of Oro-Medonte, Turn Right – Track 1km on the right side.

For more information, visit www.barriespeedway.com.

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.

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

1. Hunter-Reay hopes for another springboard performance at Milwaukee

2. Andretti drivers top Open Test

3. Beatriz returns to Coyne for Milwaukee

4. Of note

1. Hunter-Reay hopes for another springboard performance at Milwaukee: Every IZOD IndyCar Series champion has a key moment – a race result that served as a springboard to their season-long accomplishment. 

Reigning series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay singles out the 2012 Milwaukee IndyFest.

The victory and bonus point for leading the most laps in the eighth race of the season vaulted the Andretti Autosport driver from seventh in the standings following the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway to fourth.

“It was an important win for so many reasons,” said Hunter-Reay, who led Tony Kanaan across the start-finish line by 5.1029 seconds on the one-mile oval.

Hunter-Reay gained additional traction with successive victories at Iowa Speedway and Toronto, and added a victory on the streets of Baltimore in September to remain the protagonist to Team Penske’s Will Power. With a fourth-place finish in the finale at Auto Club Speedway, Hunter-Reay clinched the title by three points.

The top five in the standings are separated by 65 points (front-runner Helio Castroneves to Takuma Sato), so with the depth of competition (seven different drivers representing five different teams have won) the 250-lap Milwaukee IndyFest on June 15 again will be a marker in the championship chase.

“(The season has) been amazing. Any weekend it could be any driver in this series,” said Hunter-Reay, who posted a victory at Barber Motorsports Park in mid-April and was runner-up in the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway on June 8. “I would say 15 to 20 drivers any weekend could be theirs, which is a great thing.

“You go into every race thinking you can win it. There’s not a whole lot or other any series out there that’s like that. It’s great to see all the change-ups, but I’d like to make a move.”

Hunter-Reay is ahead of last year’s standing – in third place, 27 points behind Castroneves and two behind Andretti Autosport teammate Marco Andretti. Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan, who vaulted to fourth in the standings with third place at Texas, is a two-time winner at Milwaukee and the 2012 runner-up. He could easily be the eighth winner of the season.

“I don’t think you’ll see anybody dominating,” said Kanaan, the 2004 series champion. “Consistency is going to be the key. You have to maximize winning; but if you didn’t, you’ve got to finish in the top five, that’s because what’s going to play down at the end.

“We have seen a lot of inconsistency. That’s why we have it bunched up the way it is. The next two tracks (Milwaukee and Iowa Speedway), we finished on the podium the last three years; so it’s hard not to think that we are going to have a shot. But, having said that, I’d be very confident at two places one year to the other and been nowhere, so there’s no guarantee.”

Predicted Hunter-Reay: “I think (the title chase is) going to come down to the end, the last race like it always does. There will probably be three drivers in it this year again for the last race, and hopefully we are one of them.”

TOP FIVE IN POINTS AT MILWAUKEE:

• Helio Castroneves (12 races) — 0 wins, 2 top fives, 3 poles. Best finish of second.

• Marco Andretti (6 races) — 0 wins, 1 top five, 1 pole. Best finish of fifth.

• Ryan Hunter-Reay (7 races) — 2 wins, 2 top fives, 1 pole.

• Tony Kanaan (13 races) — 2 wins, 6 top fives, 0 poles.

• Takuma Sato (2 races) — 0 wins, 0 top five, 0 poles. Best finish of eighth.

2. Andretti drivers top Open Test: Andretti Autosport drivers Carlos Munoz and Zach Veach were fastest in two Open Test sessions as Firestone Indy Lights drivers tuned up for the Milwaukee 100 on June 15 at The Milwaukee Mile.

Munoz, the series championship points leader heading into the fifth race of the season, was fastest in the morning on the one-mile oval with a lap of 145.707 mph (25.077 seconds) in the No. 26 Dialy-Ser car. Veach topped the speed chart in the afternoon at 145.619 mph (25.0929 seconds) in the No. 12 K12 entry.

Eight drivers logged 1,040 laps. They’ll return to the track for the first practice session 10 a.m. (ET) June 14. Qualifications are at 4:30 p.m., with the race at 2 p.m. (ET) June 15.

“The Andretti Autosport cars are working really well, right now,” said Veach, who earned his first pole two years ago at The Mile while competing in USF2000. “We still have a lot of work ahead of us for the race, but the K12 guys have done a great job, so far. I’m excited to see how we are tomorrow. We just need to go back tonight and look at what we have for practice and qualifying.

“The team and I have been working very hard in preparing for this weekend. We had a successful test there last week and took a lot away with us that’s going to carry into the race and hopefully allow us to start one step ahead of everyone else. With our race being just one day before Father’s Day, I’d love to be able to celebrate with my dad having our first Firestone Indy Lights win.”

Sage Karam, driving the No. 8 Schmidt Peterson with Curb-Agajanian car, was third overall (144.505 mph; 25.2863 seconds). Teammate Gabby Chaves (144.035) was fourth and Juan Pablo Garcia (143.013) was fifth in the No. 2 TMR-International-Euclid Chemical car.

3. Beatriz returns to Coyne for Milwaukee: Ana Beatriz, who competed in the first five IZOD IndyCar Series events for Dale Coyne Racing, will drive the team’s No. 18 car with support from her longtime sponsor Ipiranga.

Beatriz recorded a season-best finish of 14th at Long Beach in the No. 18 Honda and finished 15th in her last start at Indianapolis. She will be making her second start at Milwaukee where she qualified 11th and finished 17th in 2011.

4. Of note: Kimberly-Clark North America will be the primary sponsor of the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car driven by Dario Franchitti in the Milwaukee IndyFest. The company is based in Neenah, Wis.  Franchitti has two wins (2004, 2011), two poles (2011, 2012), six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes at The Milwaukee Mile. … Dads competing in the Milwaukee IndyFest on this Father’s Day weekend: Sebastien Bourdais, Ed Carpenter, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan, Takuma Sato and Justin Wilson. … Since 1993, three drivers scored their first win at Milwaukee: Ryan Briscoe 2008, Michel Jourdain Jr. 2003 and Greg Moore 1997. … IZOD IndyCar Series driver James Hinchcliffe, USF 2000 driver Andrew Hobbs and Pro Mazda driver Anders Krohn visited patients at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin on June 13.

***

The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Milwaukee IndyFest on June 15 at The Milwaukee Mile.  The race will be televised live at 4 p.m. (ET) by the NBC Sports Network (Verizon FiOS 90/590, DirecTV 220, DISH 159 and AT&T UVerse 640) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network, including on Sirius and XM Channels 211 and www.indycar.com. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Milwaukee 100 at 2 p.m. (ET) on June 15 at The Milwaukee Mile. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 3 p.m. (ET) on June 15.

Concord, NC (June 12, 2013) – Chad Boat visited Michigan International Speedway as a child to watch his father race, and Venturini Motorsports is giving the second-generation driver an opportunity for his own success in the Irish Hills this week.

Boat, who has made four prior ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards starts, is teaming with Venturini for the first time in Friday’s Michigan ARCA 200, as he’ll drive the No. 55 Corvette Online Toyota in his second start this year.

Boat raced in the season opener at Daytona, finishing 10th as a follow-up to three races in his first ARCA season. He ended an impressive third in his career debut at Iowa last July, led six laps before finishing eighth at Lucas Oil Raceway soon after that, and also competed at Kansas Speedway.

Though the mile-and-a-half experience at Kansas may help Boat for Michigan’s two-mile oval, his first real look at the speedway came over a decade ago, when he attended an IndyCar race to support his father, Billy. The elder Boat, who continues to support his son’s racing efforts, finished 14th at the Brooklyn, Mich. track in 2002.

Now, Chad Boat joins Venturini for what he hopes will be the next step in his speedway development.

“Obviously, their record speaks for itself, especially on the mile-and-a-half and larger tracks,” said the 21-year-old Charlotte resident and Univ. of North Carolina-Charlotte junior.

“They have the equipment. Brennan (Poole) was able to win and Kevin (Swindell) won for them last year, and they’re always up there on the speed charts. (Team general manager) Billy (Venturini) called a couple weeks ago and we were able to put together a deal. It’s pretty cool, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Boat spent some time at the Venturini shop in Concord Monday, getting fitted and learning more about the people he’ll work with Friday.

“I’ve been getting acquainted with the guys at the shop, just trying to get to know them,” he said. “Dan Deeringhoff’s going to be the crew chief this weekend so I’ve been talking to him about where they’ve got the car. I’m trying to get a feel for it so when we get to the track, we’re ready to move forward with the wheels rolling and, hopefully, get to the top of the board.”

A fresh pavement job at Michigan last year led to a new ARCA qualifying record, and Boat knows that speed will continue to be the name of the game.

“From everything I’ve looked at in videos, it seems like the line you run entering the corner is very important, especially with keeping your momentum with the tapered spacer (new for ARCA teams at Michigan in 2012). It’s going to be about staying in the gas as much as you can and keeping the speed up in the car.

“With a Joe Gibbs engine and an old JGR car, we should be right there. With no mechanical issues or anything like that, I think we can contend for a win.”

Looking forward, Boat plans to run five more televised races – at Chicago, Pocono, Iowa, Kentucky, and Kansas – for his family’s team, Billy Boat Motorsports. This weekend, though, his efforts are all for his first outing with the Venturini group.

“I’m excited about what we have going on our front at Billy Boat Motorsports, but this weekend, I’m really focused and giving it my all in the 55.”

The garage will open for the 32nd ARCA Racing Series event at Michigan International Speedway at 8 a.m. Thursday, with a single practice scheduled that afternoon from 1:05-3:30. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell will begin at 10 a.m. Friday, hours before the Michigan ARCA 200 at 5:15 p.m.

SPEED’s live television coverage from the Irish Hills will begin at 5 p.m. ARCARacing.com will carry live timing and scoring coverage for all on-track activity. 

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.

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