Category: Other Series PR

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, June 12, 2013) – Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios announced today that the speed and excitement of the IZOD IndyCar Series will be included in the simulation racing game “Forza Motorsport 5,” which will be available on the Xbox One console.

 

Indianapolis 500 champion Tony Kanaan, two-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon and 2011 Firestone Indy Lights champion and current IZOD IndyCar Series driver Josef Newgarden were present for the announcement during the “Forza Motorsport 5” Showcase in Los Angeles as part of E3 2013, an event celebrating the upcoming release of the game. 

 

“INDYCAR fans have been asking to see IZOD IndyCar Series cars in a console game for some time, and partnering with industry leaders such as Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios certainly satisfies that wish,” said Greg Gruning, executive vice president for Corporate Business Development, INDYCAR. “We couldn’t have better partners to showcase our sport to a young, technology-driven demographic than with the platform provided by the Xbox One and ‘Forza Motorsports 5.’ ”

 

“Forza Motorsport 5” will feature cars representing IZOD IndyCar Series teams Andretti Autosport (Ryan Hunter-Reay), Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (Graham Rahal), Target Chip Ganassi Racing (Scott Dixon) and Team Penske (Will Power).

 

“Including open-wheel cars in ‘Forza Motorsport 5’ brings Forza fans a whole new world of racing action,” said Alan Hartman, studio manager for Turn 10 Studios. “Players will be able to drive these incredible cars on a collection of world-famous race circuits. In addition, the brand new graphics engine in Forza Motorsport 5, powered by the Xbox One, will let Forza players get closer than ever to these amazing cars and to really build an appreciation for these masterpieces of race engineering.”

 

“Forza Motorsport 5” will be available exclusively on Xbox One at launch this fall. Players can reserve their copy of the “Forza Motorsport 5 Day One Edition” now at www.xbox.com.

 

Web: www.forzamotorsport.net

Twitter: @ForzaMotorsport #Forza5

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ForzaMotorsport

WATERTOWN, Conn.—June 12, 2013— Visiting new tracks has become the norm for David Gravel this season with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series. He’s visited 15 venues for the first time, which equates to nearly half of the races the series has contested thus far in 2013. Following appearances at three new venues last week, Gravel will buck that trend — for at least two races this weekend, away — as he’ll make a pair of stops at tracks he has raced at in the past, the historic Jackson Speedway in Minnesota, and the legendary Knoxville Raceway in Iowa.

The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series will make their first visit to Jackson Speedway since 2010 on Friday, June 14, for the Eyecon Trail Cameras Presents the Big Game Shootout. The series then heads to Knoxville for their second and final tune-up for the Knoxville Nationals with the running of the Mediacom Shootout on Saturday, June 15.

Gravel, who pilots the FMR Racing/JRC Transportation/Musco Fuels/Model Craft J&J under the Bill Rose Racing banner, raced at Jackson Speedway with the UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions last season during the annual Thunder Through the Plains mini-series, finishing sixth. He opened the night by turning the fourth-fastest lap in time trials at the semi-banked, half-mile. The native of Watertown, Conn., would line up third in the first heat race and win that contest to earn a spot in the dash, where he would finish second.

“Jackson is a very big and high-horsepower track,” said Gravel. “We’re putting a new engine in for this weekend, so hopefully we can qualify up front. It’s no mystery that we’ve been struggling in qualifying and against the Outlaws you have to qualify well in order to put yourself in a position to get in the dash. Our car has been good, especially in the feature races and we’ve been able to pass cars, we just need to qualify better. The engine we’ll be using has done well at big tracks in the past.”

The East Coast racer competed at Knoxville Raceway last month, coming home 11th after starting the 25-lap main event in the 25th position. He was running third in the B-main, when a power steering line came off, forcing him to use a provisional to start the main event. A season-high 51 cars took part in that event, with a five heat race program being used. Gravel finished fifth in the fourth eight-lap heat race, coming up just one spot short of transferring to the A-Feature, as only the top-four in each heat moved on.

“We had a very good car earlier this year at Knoxville, we just had some bad luck,” he noted. “If we would have gotten in the dash that night, I think we would have had something for them. It’s good to race on the bigger tracks, especially Knoxville, to see how you stack up against everyone else. There are a lot of big events coming up in the summer on big tracks, with the (Knoxville) Nationals being the biggest and we want to make sure we are ready.”

Last season, Gravel finished a career-best second at the half-mile during the new Friday-portion of the Knoxville Nationals, after leading a number of laps early in that race. He also qualified for the A-Feature of the Knoxville Nationals for the first time in his career in 2012. Gravel claimed Rookie of the Year honors at the Nationals in 2010.

“I’ve been to Knoxville a few times now over the last couple of seasons and feel like I get better each time I go there,” Gravel noted. “That is definitely a track where having experience is very important and you see that with the veteran drivers and how well they run there. Like I said, if we qualify well, we can put ourselves in a good position and have a chance over there.”

Entering this weekend’s two races, Gravel is seventh in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship standings. He has recorded 12 top-10 finishes, with four of those being top-five showings, including a season-best runner-up performance at Tri-State (Ind.) Speedway in April.

Keep up-to-date with David Gravel and DDR Motorsports by visiting www.DavidGravel89.com. Follow David on Twitter @davidgravel89gand like David on Facebook.

 
Race Broadcast
Saturday, June 15
4 p.m. (ET)
NBC Sports Network

Track
The Milwaukee Mile
(1-mile oval)

Distance
250 laps/250 miles

Radio
IMS Radio Network XM 211/Sirius 211

2012 Race Winner
Ryan Hunter-Reay

2012 Pole Sitter
Dario Franchitti
(168.737 mph)

Track Records

Single Lap:
Patrick Carpentier
(20.028, 185.500 mph)
May 30, 1998

Two-lap Average
Dario Franchitti
(43.3100, 168.737 mph)
June 15, 2012

First Indy car Race
7/17/1933

Race Notes:

• The Milwaukee IndyFest will be the ninth IZOD IndyCar Series event at The Milwaukee Mile. Past winners Ryan Hunter-Reay (2004 Champ Car and 2012) , Dario Franchitti (2011 and 2004 INDYCAR), Scott Dixon (2009), Tony Kanaan (2006-07) and Sebastien Bourdais (2006 Champ Car) are entered in the event.

• Andretti Autosport has won four of the eight previous IZOD IndyCar Series races at Milwaukee.

• Target Chip Ganassi Racing has won two of the last three IZOD IndyCar Series races at Milwaukee (Dixon in 2009 and Franchitti in 2011).

• Team Penske has seven Indy car wins at Milwaukee. Andretti Autosport has four wins. Target Chip Ganassi Racing has three wins.

• Helio Castroneves has won three poles at Milwaukee (1999, 2006 and 2007).

• Marco Andretti has four top-five starts in six races at Milwaukee.

• Dario Franchitti has finished no lower than sixth in six of his last seven starts (2004-2007, 2009, 2011).

• Tony Kanaan has finished in the top 10 in eight of his last 10 starts at Milwaukee.

• Ryan Hunter-Reay and Dario Franchitti are the only drivers to win at The Milwaukee Mile and win the IZOD IndyCar Series championship in the same season. Hunter-Reay accomplished the feat in 2012 and Franchitti accomplished the feat in 2011.

• Since the first Indy car race at Milwaukee in 1939, 18 drivers have won at Milwaukee in their Indy car championship-winning seasons: Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Dario Franchitti (2011), Sebastien Bourdais (2006), Al Unser Jr. (1994 and 1990), Nigel Mansell (1993), Michael Andretti (1991), Johnny Rutherford (1980), A.J. Foyt (1975 and 1964), Joe Leonard (1972), Al Unser (1970), Mario Andretti (1966),  Rodger Ward (1962 and 1959), Jimmy Bryan (1956), Chuck Stevenson (1952), Tony Bettenhausen (1951), Johnnie Parsons (1949), Ted Horn (1947), Rex Mays (1941).

• Since 1993, a driver has won the ninth race of the season and the championship eight times. Ryan Hunter-Reay won at Iowa in 2012, Dario Franchitti won Richmond in 2007. Sebastien Bourdais won at Denver in 2004 and 2005 and San Jose in 2006 Juan Pablo Montoya won at Cleveland in 1999, Kenny Brack won at Atlanta  in 1998 and Alex Zanardi won at Portland in 1998.

• Since 1993, three drivers scored their first win at Milwaukee: Ryan Briscoe 2008, Michel Jourdain 2003 and Greg Moore 1997.

Season to Date:

• James Hinchcliffe won the season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. It was the first win of his Indy car career. He was the 207th driver to win an Indy car race.

• Will Power won his 30th career Indy car pole at St. Petersburg.

• Tristan Vautier started his first career IZOD IndyCar Series race at St. Petersburg.

• Ryan Hunter-Reay won his 10th Indy car race when he won the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park from the pole position. It was the second time he had won a race from pole.

• Takuma Sato won his first Indy car race when he won the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. He was the 208th driver to win an Indy car race and first Japanese driver to win. It was A.J. Foyt’s first win as a car owner since 2002.

• Dario Franchitti won his 30th career Indy car pole at Long Beach.

• James Hinchcliffe won the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 with a last-lap, last-turn pass of Takuma Sato. It was his second win of 2013 and the third win in four races for Andretti Autosport.

• Ed Carpenter won his first pole position since 2010 at Kentucky when he won the pole for the 97th Indianapolis 500.

• Tony Kanaan won the 97th Indianapolis 500 to record his 16th Indy car victory.

• Mike Conway and Simon Pagenaud split the wins in the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit. It was Conway’s second Indy car win and Pagenaud’s first Indy car victory.

• Will Power won his 31st career Indy car pole at Texas.

• Helio Castroneves won his 28th Indy car race when he won the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway.

• There were four race leaders and four lead changes in the season-opening race at St. Petersburg.

• There were four race leaders and six lead changes at Barber.

• There were seven leaders and nine lead changes at Sao Paulo.

• There were a race-record 14 leaders and race-record 68 lead changes at Indianapolis.

Milestones & Records:

• Should Dario Franchitti win the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series championship, he will join A.J. Foyt as the only drivers to win at least five Indy car titles in their career. Franchitti won the title in 2007 and again from 2009-2011. Foyt won seven championships in his career.

• With their next victory, either Dario Franchitti or Sebastien Bourdais will move into sole possession of seventh place on the all-time wins list. Franchitti and Bourdais are tied with Paul Tracy with 31 wins.

• With a victory in 2013, Scott Dixon will extend his streak of consecutive seasons with a win to nine.

• With his next victory, Scott Dixon will move into sole possession of ninth place on the all-time wins list. Dixon won his 29th race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Aug. 5, 2012, to tie Rick Mears for 10th place on the all-time wins list.

• Helio Castroneves moved into sole possession of 11th place on the all-time wins list with his win at Texas Motor Speedway on June 8. Castroneves had been tied with Johnny Rutherford for 12th with the victory.

• Helio Castroneves needs three earned poles to reach 40 career poles in his Indy car career.

• Will Power recorded the 30th pole of his Indy car career at St. Petersburg and his 31st pole position at Texas.

• Dario Franchitti recorded the 30th pole of his Indy car career at Long Beach and his 31st pole position at Detroit 1.

• Scott Dixon needs two earned poles to reach 20 in his Indy car career.

• With one pole in 2013, Scott Dixon will extend his IZOD IndyCar Series streak to seven consecutive seasons.

• Scott Dixon’s second-place finish at Barber was the 30th of his Indy car career. It tied Helio Castroneves, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Jr., and Bobby Unser for fifth on the all-time list.

• Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves recorded their 109th top-five finish at Texas to remain tied for 10th on the all-time list.

• Scott Dixon recorded the 100th top-five finish of his Indy car career at Barber Motorsports Park. With a pair of top-five finishes at Detroit, Dixon tied Paul Tracy for 12th on the all-time list.

• Tony Kanaan will attempt to make his 205th consecutive start. Jimmy Vasser holds the all-time record of 211. Scott Dixon with 146 straight starts (7th all-time) and Marco Andretti with 122 straight starts (15th all-time) are the only other active drivers with a streak of more than 100 consecutive starts.

• Ryan Hunter-Reay needs three starts to mark his 100th consecutive IZOD IndyCar Series starts.

 

At-Track Schedule (all times local):

Friday, June 14

10- 11 a.m. – IZOD IndyCar Series practice (Two groups: 10-10:30 a.m. – Outside top-10; 10:30-11 – All cars)

1-2 p.m. – IZOD IndyCar Series practice (all cars)

4:15 p.m. – IZOD IndyCar Series qualifying for Verizon P1 Award. (Single car/Two-lap average)

 

Saturday, June 15

11:15-11:20 a.m. – IZOD IndyCar Series systems check

3 p.m. – Milwaukee IndyFest pre-race

3:45 p.m. – Milwaukee IndyFest (250 laps/250 miles), NBC Sports Network (Live)

Concord, NC (June 12, 2013) – Last year, not a single driver in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards could match Brennan Poole in speedway racing, and that’s a major reason the 22-year-old Texan will make his ARCA return Friday at Michigan International Speedway.

Poole has not raced in the series since the 2012 season finale last October at Kansas Speedway, but will suit up and strap in Venturini Motorsports’ No. 15 Toyota for the Michigan ARCA 200, set to air live on SPEED at 5 p.m. Friday.

Last year, Poole and only one other driver scored six top-10 finishes in seven speedway races. Even then, Poole edged nine-time champion Frank Kimmel in five of those, including a June win at Pocono Raceway. Series champion Chris Buescher was no match for Poole on larger tracks either, as the Venturini driver finished ahead of him in six of seven attempts. Those results led Poole to Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge honors and a third-place series finish in 2012, not to mention a certain role as a contender this week in Brooklyn, Mich.

“I’m definitely really excited about it,” said Poole, who led the first 59 laps at Michigan last year before tire issues put him out of contention and sent him to 11th place. “Michigan was really good to me to start last year and we were running away with it, but one of those things out of our control happened where we blew a tire.

“I’m looking forward to going back. We shook the car down last Wednesday at Pocono and we were really, really fast. Pocono’s different but a place I’m really comfortable at, so being able to shake down the car there gave me a lot of confidence. I’m sure every race car driver that’s been around the place will tell how much they love (Michigan), because it’s so fast and a lot of fun. Of course, we have that Joe Gibbs Racing power, so I’m excited about our chances. I think if we can go there and take it one lap at a time and minimize mistakes, we should be able to come out winning the race.”

Though not a competitor in recent months, Poole has stayed busy in the ARCA ranks while also looking for opportunities in the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series. He’s tested with Venturini Motorsports at Motor Mile Speedway in Virginia and attended each race this season, acting as a spotter for Taylor Ferns or John Wes Townley. Studying film of past races keeps him sharp and refreshes his memory of tracks like Michigan or the dirt ovals in Illinois, both of which he’ll compete at later in the summer.

“Being able to see it, and then getting in and knowing where to put your car, makes a big difference right out of the trailer,” he said.

Moreover, Poole has developed a friendly and advisory relationship with Venturini rookie Justin Boston, who not only succeeded Poole as the No. 25 driver but also became a best friend, a claim both drivers support.

“It’s been cool to see him grow, from when we were just testing together at Motor Mile in the winter, to now,” Poole said of Boston, sixth in points in his first season. “He’s really starting to get pretty good at the short tracks. He’s led at places like Salem and Elko, and had the pole at Salem. He hasn’t been able to race in the past few years, so he’s trying to find his rhythm and get back in the groove of things. I feel like he’s close, like he’s just around the corner from it.

“We’re a couple of guys who really love racing, and through having that bond, we spend a lot of time together. We hang out every week; we probably see each other every day. We’re playing Xbox, and we’re playing golf together. He’s been a really good friend to me, and I try to do the same for him. He’s a great listener, and he tries to do the best that he can every single week. You’ve got to respect a guy like that.”

In addition to golf and video games, Poole and Boston often grill together and hang out on the lake. Poole gave Boston advice on driving at tracks like Elko and Pocono, two places where he won last season, and the rookie found those tips valuable.

“It’s cool to have a guy like Brennan there in the garage to help bank on,” Boston said. “He’s been through the things I’m going through this year, so whenever I have anything going on that I’m not sure about, he gives me a straight and honest answer. We’re two friends, and he’s pretty much my best friend in the garage.”

Wednesday night at 7 ET, Poole will be a guest on “Inside ARCA” with hosts Charlie Krall and Tim Clagg. The show airs at ARCARacing.com.

Thursday and Friday, Poole will represent BreakTheCycle.org while at Michigan. The site promotes the empowering of youth to end domestic violence.

“One in three teens in a dating relationship experiences some form of abuse,” he said. “This is something that’s very important to me, close to my heart and close to my family’s hearts.”

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.

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

The OSCAAR Modifieds are less than a week away from their second race on the 2013 calendar. The series shifts this Saturday, June 15 to Barrie Speedway where defending champion Gary McLean (No. 8 McLean Industrial Design Chevrolet) will look to win his second consecutive race at the Oro Station, Ont. oval.

Despite the near one month layoff since the season opening race at Sunset Speedway on May 19, much has been happening behind the scenes. A number of drivers are preparing to make their season debut either this weekend at Barrie, or on June 21 at Delaware Speedway.

Brad Pearsall (No. 1B) will make his season debut this Saturday at Barrie. Pearsall ran the majority of the inaugural tour last season and has confirmed he will make the remaining 14 stops after missing the season opener.

Pearsall secured a new sponsor in Plaza Kia, located in Thornhill, Ont., which has allowed him to run the full tour. Pearsall will also have sponsorship support from Ponderosa Nature Resort, Performance Signs, Syracuse National Car Show, Hwy.400 Transmission, Hosking Race Engines, Murfs Manufacturing, Scott Reinhart Trailer, KRP Vehicle Source, and Newmarket Rust Check

The Gilford, Ont.-based pilot enlisted the help of accomplished Ontario setup specialist Jeff Walt over the off-season and has made significant changes to his car as a whole, including a new graphics package.

“This year should be a much better year performance wise with (Walt’s) knowledge on our side,” said Pearsall in a recent email interview. “Performance Signs has done an outstanding job on the new colours this year.”

With his sponsorship in mind, Pearsall’s ‘Mod’ is being billed a Kia Optima, making him the first driver in OSCAAR history to drive a Kia.

Dave Osborne (No.11) will debut a new paint scheme this weekend at Barrie Speedway. Osborne has made two career starts with the OSCAAR Modified tour, including the 2012 Autumn Colours Classic.

Osborne finished a solid sixth on opening night at Sunset and is looking for his first top-five finish. He will face a tough task at Barrie with a stiff field of drivers along with a tight, narrow racetrack.

Osborne has received sponsorship support for this season from O’Neil Farm Equipment, Ohsweken Speedway, Lonewolf Fireworks, Breman Construction, Renway Fuels, The Bait Shop, and Case IH.

Michael Ford (No. 04) is in the process of finalizing his ride for this season. Ford is hoping to make his season debut at Barrie this weekend, but some issues securing last minute parts are holding back the team.

Ford purchased the chassis formerly driven by Super Late Model driver Charlie Gallant and has taken on the task of converting it to a modified over the course of the winter.

Mike Westwood (No. 91) is putting the finishing touches on his machine in preparation for his first start of 2013. Westwood is hoping to make his first start of the year at Barrie, but may be postponed until Delaware on June 21.

Here is the progress on the Milton, Ont. driver’s car as of last Sunday.

Chuck Marsh (No. 38) originally announced his intent for an OSCAAR Modified debut at Barrie after purchasing a chassis from Kluth Motorsports in New York. However, parts delays have also put the team behind schedule.

The team is without a radiator ahead of the event, but hopes to have the car in working form prior to the Delaware event. If a part can be secured, Marsh may make the trip to Barrie on Saturday.

Shane Stickel (No. 39) continues to progress on the Troyer chassis he purchased from NASCAR Whelen Modified driver Rob McCormick out of Calverton, NY.

Stickel stripped the car to a bare chassis and has painted it his familiar electric green. Stickel has publicly stated he will make his first OSCAAR start at Delware next week.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—June 12, 2013— When it comes to historic half-mile dirt tracks in the Upper Midwest, two venues quickly come to mind — Knoxville Raceway in Iowa and Jackson Speedway in Minnesota. Kraig Kinser knows both tracks very well and has had success at each during his career with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series. He’ll return to the pair of tradition-laden venues this weekend as series opens a four-race stretch in the Upper Midwest.

Kinser will take to the track at Jackson Speedway on Friday, June 14, for the Eyecon Trail Cameras Presents the Big Game Shootout, followed by his second visit of the season to Knoxville Raceway on Saturday, June 15 for the Mediacom Shootout. Each event will encompass a full racing program, capped with $10,000-to-win features.

The native of Bloomington, Ind., has made three starts in his career Jackson Speedway. He made his debut at the half-mile in 2004, finishing second, after starting on the pole. He most recently raced at the track in 2010, finishing 11th. Kinser, who has made one start in the state of Minnesota already this year, finishing 15th at Elko Speedway, has one career win in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” with that coming in 2008 in his first-ever start at North Central Speedway in Brainerd.

“A lot has changed since the last time we raced at Jackson, so that should put everyone on a pretty equal playing field,” said Kinser. “That’s one of those places where track position is pretty important, especially being in clean air with the speeds you reach there. We’ve been working hard on our qualifying package this week and hopefully we can time in near the front and start up front in a heat and work our way into the dash.”

Last month at Knoxville, Kinser finished 13th, after lining up 21st. He was 26th-fastest in time trials with a season-high 51 cars in attendance. He finished fourth in the first heat race to transfer to the main event. The third-generation driver has two career wins at Knoxville, with both of those coming in 2005, including claiming the Knoxville Nationals that year.

“Knoxville was very racy last time we were there,” he noted. “We made up quite a few spots in the feature and so did a few other guys. We had the car working pretty good in the feature and we able to move around. There will probably be quite a few cars there again this time, so that will put a premium on qualifying, and that really seems to be the case just about every race nowadays.”

In his career with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series at Knoxville, Kinser has made a total of 29 main event starts, including preliminary features. He has a pair of wins to go along with 11 top-10 finishes, of which six are top-five showings. Kinser made his debut at the half-mile with the World of Outlaws in 2001.

With 31 races in the books this season, Kinser is currently 11th in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship standings. He has one win, along with 14 top-10 finishes, with four of those being top-five performances.

“It was good to get three races in last week and to have a little extra time to work on stuff this week doesn’t hurt either,” Kinser stated. “The next couple weeks we’ll just have weekend races and as a driver those are the week’s that can be the toughest, as you want to be out there racing every night. We’ll make the most of the time between the races and keep tweaking things.”

Kraig Kinser Racing would like to thank Casey’s General Stores, Mesilla Valley Transportation, 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: Jackson Speedway & Knoxville Raceway 
0.5- Miles around both Jackson Speedway and Knoxville Raceway
1- Win in the state of Minnesota in his career- North Central Speedway in 2008
2– Career main event wins at Knoxville
3- Career main events starts at Jackson Speedway
4- Nights of racing in Minnesota this season for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series
6- Total nights of racing for the series at Knoxville this season, including the Knoxville Nationals
9.7- Average finish in three career main event starts at Jackson Speedway
14- Top-10 finishes earned this season through June 8
29- Career feature events starts at Knoxville with the series, including preliminary features
275- Miles from Jackson Speedway where the World of Outlaws race on June 14 to Knoxville Raceway
402- Miles from Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., where the World of Outlaws raced on June 8 to Jackson Speedway in Minnesota
2001- Year of first start at Knoxville Raceway with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series
2004- Year of debut at Jackson Speedway
2005- Year of win in the Knoxville Nationals
2010- Year of most recent start at Jackson Speedway
3733- Points earned through June 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 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.

Villeneuve to Drive a 22 Racing Prepared Dodge at Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres

Tuesday June 11, 2013, Mirabel, Quebec:   Following a press conference on Monday at Circuit ICAR to promote the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event at Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres, the Dodge Dealers of Quebec introduced their driver.

Jacques Villeneuve will compete in the 2013 edition the Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres in a 22 Racing prepared Dodge Challenger with partners Dodge, Couche-Tard and Julia Wine.

“I am thrilled to have Jacques racing one of our cars at Trois Rivieres,” commented team owner and driver Scott Steckly.  “It is an honour for us to have him in the seat of a 22 Racing Dodge for this event as Jacques is a world class driver. With the talent of our three teams we should be a threat to win.”

“It was a great test day today,” stated Dumoulin Competition and Scott Steckly teammate LP Dumoulin.  “It was awesome to test with Jacques in his Dodge Dealers of Quebec sponsored car prepared by Scott and his 22 racing team.  He will be a great addition to our team in Trois Rivieres.”

Jacques Villeneuve won the 1995 CART Championship, the 1995 Indianapolis 500 and the1997 Formula One World Championship, making him only the third driver after Mario Andrettiand Emerson Fittipaldi to achieve such a feat.  Jacques Villeneuve last raced at the Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres in 2009.

“I was very pleased with the set up that Scott and the team put under the car today,” said Jacques Villeneuve after practice.  “This is probably only once in my career that I jumped into a car and it was good right out of the box.  I am very excited to race at Trois Rivieres.”

The JuliaWine100.com at Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres is the 8^th event of the twelve race 2013 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule set for Aug 11th.  For more information please visitwww.gp3r.com

About 22 Racing:   Scott Steckly owner of 22 Racing fields cars for his Canadian Tire team and the #47 Dumoulin Competition team of Louis-Phillipe Dumoulin in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.  Jacques Villeneuve will drive the #24 Dodge sponsored Dodge Challenger for a single event at the Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres.  Steckly is a two time NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion in 2008 and 2011. In only one event in 2013, they have posted a win with the 47 Dumoulin Competition team of LP Dumoulin at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.  There are seven race ready cars in the 22 Racing stable. www.22racing.ca or follow on twitter @ScottSteckly22

For more information please contact:

Linda jones

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Concord, NC (June 11, 2013) – Mixing his team’s recent results at Michigan International Speedway with his own increased confidence from three straight top-10 finishes, Justin Boston can easily be considered a contender for Friday’s Michigan ARCA 200.

Boston (No. 25 ZLOOP™ Computer & Electronic Recycling Centers Toyota) has never visited Michigan’s two-mile oval, and ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards teams did not test in the Irish Hills this spring, an opportunity that was readily available to Venturini Motorsports and others in previous years.

However, Boston has previously tested at another speedway that he believes will prepare him for his first trip to Brooklyn, Mich.

“I’ve tested before at Kentucky, and I know it’s a half-mile shorter than Michigan, but getting used to it should be pretty easy,” Boston said. “The Venturinis have really good cars and we’ll be fast off the truck. It’s the same deal of getting me comfortable each and every week at tracks I haven’t been to. As long as we do that, we’ll keep having strong runs.”

In the past three races, Boston has achieved his career-high finish of fourth twice, at short tracks Toledo and Elko Speedways. He finished ninth Saturday at Pocono Raceway.

Still, those top-fives leave Boston unsatisfied and searching for better results. Since returning from Pocono Saturday night, Boston has spent time at the Venturini shop in Concord studying film and trends of previous Michigan races, along with working on a simulator.

“We didn’t have the best run we could have at Elko – I felt we could have won that race – but we were trying to back up what Brennan (Poole) did there last year (a win),” he said. “I’m trying to get a little more prepared this week than I was at Pocono. I had a couple of issues with my brakes there, so this week we’re trying to get a really strong run for us and contend for the win.”

One person joining Boston on the Venturini roster Friday is last year’s driver of the No. 25 car, Poole himself, who led 59 laps at Michigan before blowing out a tire while leading the race finished 11th last June. Still, that result was Poole’s lowest in ARCA’s seven speedway races, and his impressive work helped him win the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge at season’s end.

It’s important, then, that Boston and Poole have become such good friends in recent months and will have the chance to work together this week as Poole makes his first ARCA start of the year.

“Brennan has really helped me from day one, and it’s an added bonus that we’re pretty much the same guy,” Boston said. “We share a lot of common interests and have grown as good buddies the last couple of months. It’s pretty cool to have someone you can hang out with off the track, and then as soon as you get to the track, be professional with to help each other out. It’ll be a cool story if we’re contending for the win.”

In addition to Poole, other recent drivers of Venturini’s No. 25 car have succeeded at Michigan. In 2010, Mikey Kile led 26 laps and won; the following year, Max Gresham led only four but finished second. In the last three years, no team has led as many laps at Michigan as Venturini’s No. 25 entry.

Laps Led and Wins at Michigan Since 2010:
Venturini Motorsports, No. 25 – 89 laps led, one win (2010) 
Eddie Sharp Racing, Nos. 81 and 6 – 80 laps led
Kevin Harvick, Inc., No. 33 – 64 laps led
Richard Childress Racing, No. 41 – 22 laps led, one win (2011)
Coulter Motorsports, No. 16 – 19 laps led
Roulo Brothers Racing, No. 17 – 14 laps led, one win (2012)
Cunningham Motorsports, No. 22 – 12 laps led

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.

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

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich.—June 11, 2013 — With other racing commitments taking up a large portion of her time and also Mother Nature interrupting her schedule, it’s been quite a while since Taylor Ferns has raced a midget on dirt. The season-opening Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in January to be exact. She’ll make up for that this week as she’ll race five times in five nights at five different tracks as part of Indiana Midget Week for the Honda USAC National Midget Series.

The 2013 edition of Indiana Midget Week kicks-off on Wednesday, June 12 at Gas City Speedway. The mini-series then heads to Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville on Thursday, June 13, with a stop at Bloomington Speedway to follow on Friday, June 14. The second to last round of Indiana Midget Week is set for Saturday, June 15 at Lawrenceburg Speedway, with the five-race stretch wrapping up on Sunday, June 16 at Kokomo Speedway.

“It definitely has been a long time since I’ve raced a midget on the dirt, but after a lap or two in hot laps, I should have the feel for everything again,” Ferns said. “I’ve been watching a lot of You Tube videos of the tracks we’ll be racing at and that always helps. I raced the Silver Crown car at the Indiana State Fairgrounds a few weeks ago, so having been on dirt for that should help as well this week.”

After the inaugural Kokomo Grand Prix was rained out in April and the Hut Hundred at Tri-City (Ill.) Speedway postponed by inclement weather last month, Indiana Midget Week will serve as the season opening set of events for the Honda USAC National Midget Dirt Championship. Last season, Ferns competed in 17 dirt events aboard her family-owned No. 55 Motor City Auto Transport Inc., Spike, combining starts with the Honda USAC National Midget Series, POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series and Badger Midget Auto Racing Association.

Ferns took part in Indiana Midget Week for the first time in her career last year. She timed in 14th in the opening round at Gas City Speedway with a very strong 41-car field in attendance. The 17-year-old matched that qualifying effort the next night at Lincoln Park Speedway with 40 cars checked in. Ferns recorded her best performance in time trials at Kokomo Speedway in the final round of the five-race mini-series, stopping the clocks 12th-quickest.

Last season during Indiana Midget Week, Ferns visits four of the five tracks for the first time. The one venue that she had turned laps at previously was Kokomo Speedway. She finished eighth at the quarter-mile bullring last fall during the Kokomo Klash, and in 2011, raced twice at Kokomo Speedway with the USAC D1 Midget Series, finishing fourth and eighth.

“Most of the tracks on the Midget Week schedule, I had never been to before last year, so it took a little extra time to get the feel for them,” she noted. “Going back this year things will feel a lot more natural, because I have a good idea of all the tracks and have run on them all. One thing I have to keep in mind is that the races are a lot shorter than most of the races I’ve run this year, so while I have to be patient to a certain extent, I can’t be too patient and have to be on it, especially in the heat races.”

The native of Shelby Township, Mich., has made three starts with the Honda USAC National Pavement Midget Championship this season, finishing 11th on the second night of the season at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida back in February. She made her most recent start in the Night Before the 500 at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, finishing 13th. The winningest female in USAC history also made her first dirt start with the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series at the Indiana State Fairgrounds last month. She will have veteran open wheel driver and two-time Indiana Midget Week champion Tracy Hines turning the wrenches on her car, as he too competes in the five-race mini-series.

“Having someone you can trust and lean on is very important and that’s what I feel we have with Tracy (Hines) helping us,” shared Ferns. “I can bounce ideas off him and he’s raced at all of these tracks so many times and has so much experience and knowledge that most people will never have. It’s huge to be able to work with him and even more importantly, learn from him.”

Ferns, who qualified fifth and scored a top-10 finish in her first career ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards start in March at Mobile International Speedway in Alabama, has made a trio of appearances with the full-bodied stock car series in 2013. She qualified ninth at Toledo Speedway in Ohio, in May and was running in the top-10 when an electrical problem ended her day. Earlier this month, Ferns raced at Elko Speedway in Minnesota, qualifying 11th and finishing 12th, after losing a couple of laps having to make a green flag pit stop.

Entering Indiana Midget Week, Ferns is 10th in the Honda USAC National Midget Pavement Championship standings, following the first three races of the season. She is scheduled to compete in the majority of races with the Honda USAC National Midget Series on both the dirt and pavement this season.

“Making the main event will be our first goal each night during Midget Week,” she said of her objectives during Indiana Midget Week. “Running good laps every lap is also something we want to make sure we do. We’ve had a lot of bad luck this year, so we definitely want to try and make up for that this week. With how much we’ll be racing, we’ll have plenty of chances to turn things around. If we can get solid finishes each night and run all the laps that will make it a good week for us.”

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

NEW CASTLE, Ind.— June 11, 2013— For short track open wheel drivers that hail from Indiana, two weeks each year really stand out on their calendars. One is the longstanding Indiana Sprint Week and the other — Indiana Midget Week, which was born in 2005. Tracy Hines has competed in both and won races in both, as well as claiming the Indiana Midget Week title in 2008 and a co-championship in 2010. Up first again this year is Indiana Midget Week, which takes to the track this week at five speedways across the Hoosier State in five successive nights.

The opener of the 2013 edition of Indiana Midget Week will takes Hines and his fellow Honda USAC National Midget Series competitors to Gas City I-69 Speedway on Wednesday, June 12. The mini-series then heads to Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville on Thursday, June 13. The third round will be on Friday, June 14 at Bloomington Speedway, with Lawrenceburg Speedway hosting the penultimate round on Saturday, June 15. Indiana Midget Week comes to a close on Sunday, June 16 at Kokomo Speedway.

“Indiana Midget Week is one of the highlights of the midget schedule each year,” said Hines. “It’s really taken off and the car counts have been very, very solid the last few years and I would expect a lot of drivers again this year. After racing three times last week out east, to get to race five this week — it doesn’t get much better than that for a driver.”

Hines finished second in the Indiana Midget Week standings last season, finishing among the top-10 in all five races that were contested. He has finished in the top-10 in each of the last 23 Indiana Midget Week events, dating back to 2008. Hines will pilot the Parker Machinery/Powered by Toyota Spike this year in all five rounds.

“We had a good run last year and just came up a few points short at the end of the week,” he noted. “Looking at the stats, we have had a pretty remarkable run the last handful of years during Midget Week. We haven’t raced on the dirt outdoors yet this year in the midget due to the weather, so hopefully we can get off to a strong start and go from there.”

At Gas City I-69 Speedway last season during Indiana Midget Week, Hines charged from the 14th starting spot to finish fourth. He has raced once at Gas City this season with the USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series, finishing eighth. Hines has a pair of USAC Sprint Car wins at the track in his career as he chases his first Honda USAC National Midget Series win at the venue. Hines finished eighth at Lincoln Park Speedway last year during Indiana Midget Week.

The veteran driver made one midget start last year at Bloomington Speedway, which was during Indiana Midget Week. He finished eighth in that 30-lap main event. This season in a sprint car, Hines has raced once at the high-banked, quarter-mile, coming home 12th with the USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series.

Hines finished fourth at Lawrenceburg Speedway last year during Indiana Midget Week. He has one win at the track during Indiana Midget Week, with that coming in 2010, which to-date remains his lone victory in the mini-series in his home state. Hines has raced at Lawrenceburg once this year with the USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series, finishing 12th.

The native of New Castle, Ind., will be making his first start of the season at Kokomo Speedway, after the inaugural Kokomo Grand Prix in April for the Honda USAC National Midget Series was rained out. He finished third in the finale of Indiana Midget Week at the quarter-mile last year and was victorious at the track in the fall during the Kokomo Klash. Hines has one win with the Honda USAC National Midget Series at Kokomo back in 2000.

Hines enters Indiana Midget Week fourth in the standings with the Honda USAC National Midget Pavement Championship. He finished third in his most recent midget start on May 25 in the Night Before the 500 at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. Indiana Midget Week will serve as the opener for the Honda USAC National Midget Dirt Championship campaign.

“The Chili Bowl back in January was the last time I ran my own midget on dirt, so it will be good to get a bunch of laps in this week,” noted Hines. “After having a good run in the sprint car in Pennsylvania, hopefully we can carry that momentum into Midget Week. With the quality of cars that will be at each race, we are really going to have to be on our game each time we hit the track.”

Tracy Hines Racing would like to thank: Parker Machinery, Motor City Auto Transport, 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.