Category: Other Series PR

Watertown, Conn.—April 3, 2013 — David Gravel is getting to know the state of California pretty well, after making his first-ever trip to the Golden State last month to race. Over the last three weeks, he has visited four different California tracks with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series and will add another two to that list this weekend as he continues to fill-in for the injured Bill Rose in the Firetext Response Maxim.

The weekend opens for Gravel at Antioch Speedway on Friday, April 5, followed by a stop at Calistoga Speedway. Both events will be comprised of a full racing program, capped by $10,000-to-win A-Features.

“It’s been a bit of an adjustment the last couple of races at the smaller tracks, since I’m used to bigger tracks, so I’m really looking forward to this weekend,” said Gravel. “It’s definitely a challenge when you go to places you’ve never compared to places that you know, but we’ve been adapting pretty well so far out west this year. I feel pretty comfortable in Bill’s car right now.”

After racing on two of the smallest tracks in California each of the last two weekends, first at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, where he finished sixth, and then at Merced Speedway, where he came home 11th, Gravel will race on a pair of bigger tracks this weekend, beginning at the three-eighths-mile Antioch Speedway. He has made a pair of starts on tracks that size with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series this season, finishing eighth at Tucson International Raceway in Arizona and coming home 13th at Stockton 99 Dirt Track in California. This weekend’s race will mark the World of Outlaws third visit to Antioch Speedway, which is one of two stops at the track in 2013.

“I went over to Antioch last weekend to watch the 360-race there, so I have an idea of the layout and shape of the track,” he shared. “It’s kind of a tight track, but it has some banking to it. As long as the track conditions are favorable, it should be pretty good and lend itself to some passing and good racing.”

Prior to the event at the historic Calistoga Speedway, the sprawling half-mile has been reconfigured. All-new clay has been applied to the surface along with adding banking to the track, which is located on the grounds of the Napa County Fairgrounds, and is hailed as one of the most picturesque venues in the entire country. Gravel has raced at two half-mile with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series this season. He opened the year with the series at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida in his familiar No. 89G and piloted Rose’s No. 6 in a pair of races in Las Vegas.

“Changes to tracks keep everyone on their toes, like this week going to Calistoga,” noted Gravel. “For the guys that have been there before, the track will obviously be different than the last time they were there, so that should level the playing field a bit. Having raced at Las Vegas last month in Bill’s car should help us as well.”

Gravel enters the weekend sixth in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship standings on the strength of five top-10 finishes in 11 races. He finished a season-best fourth in the finale of the two-night event in Las Vegas in early March and matched that result in his debut at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. The native of Watertown, Conn., is just 15 markers out of the top-five in points. Gravel will complete the West Coast swing in Rose’s car, as four more races in California remain.

“I always wanted to come to California and race and am getting the chance to do it now and it’s great,” he shared. “I’m just going to try to continue to make the best of it. Each night our first goal it to make it in the show and then after that, we want to be in the top-10 and the top-five if possible. We would definitely love to win a race out west.”

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

Bloomington, Ind.—April 3, 2013— Last weekend, Kraig Kinser visited a track he had been to before, but this time it had been reconfigured a little bit. This weekend, that same situation will present itself as the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series West Coast swing continues at a track that is relatively new to the series, Antioch Speedway, and one that has been around since the early days of the Outlaws, Calistoga Speedway, which recently received a major makeover.

The pair of races this weekend begins for Kinser in the Casey’s General Store/Mesilla Valley Transportation Maxim on Friday, April 5 at Antioch Speedway in Antioch, Calif., and is followed by a trip to Calistoga Speedway in Calistoga, Calif., on Saturday, April 6.

“We are definitely looking forward to getting back to the track after the tough go we had at Merced (Speedway) last weekend,” said Kinser. “We’ve been consistent in both races at Antioch the last two years and have always been pretty good at Calistoga. It will be good to get a couple of races in this weekend.”

Kinser finished 10th at Antioch Speedway last fall in the World of Outlaws second-ever appearance at the high-banked, three-eighths-mile. The third-generation driver was eighth-fastest in time trials of the 27 drivers that hit the track. He lined up on the outside of the front row in the second eight-lap heat race and won that contest to earn a spot in the dash, where he finished eighth. Kinser made his debut at Antioch Speedway in 2011, finishing 10th in the 30-lap A-Feature.

“Antioch can be a pretty fast track and you can get some momentum going around the top there,” he noted. “Qualifying and track position have been pretty important this season, especially in feature events, so our first goal for the weekend is to qualify well at Antioch and put ourselves in a good position in the heat race and then we can go from there.”

The native of Bloomington, Ind., finished ninth at Calistoga Speedway last season to earn his fourth career top-10 finish at the historic half-mile located in the scenic wine country of the Napa Valley in Northern California. Kinser was sixth-fastest in time trials at the high-speed oval and finished fourth in the third eight-lap heat race. He started 12th in the 25-lap main event and steadily worked his way forward to finish ninth.

Kinser has made seven career starts at Calistoga Speedway with the World of Outlaws dating back to 2004, when he finished a career-best seventh at the half-mile. He set fast time during the opener of the Harvest Classic in 2005. Kinser has qualified among the top-10 in six of his seven World of Outlaws starts at Calistoga.

“It’s going to be interesting to see the changes to the track at Calistoga,” he noted. “That’s always been a big, flat and wide open track. Hot laps will certainly be important to get a baseline and get a feel for it, especially with the banking they have added. Traditionally, we’ve been fast early in the night at Calistoga, so hopefully that’s the case this time around.”

With 11 races complete thus far in 2013, Kinser is currently 11th in points, just one market out of the top-10. He has five top-10 finishes this year, including a season-best third-place performance on the second night of the season at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida.

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: Antioch Speedway & Calistoga Speedway
0.375- Miles around Antioch Speedway
0.5- Miles around Calistoga Speedway
2- Career starts at Antioch Speedway
4- Top-10 finishes in career at Calistoga
5- Top-10 finishes this season
7- Career starts at Calistoga Speedway
10- Finishing position in two starts at Antioch Speedway with the World of Outlaws
11.563- Track record at Antioch Speedway
16.057- Qualifying record at Calistoga Speedway
72- Miles from Antioch Speedway where the World of Outlaws race on April 5 to Calistoga Speedway
101- Miles from Merced Speedway in Merced, Calif., where the World of Outlaws competed on March 29 to Antioch Speedway in Antioch, Calif.
1323- Points earned this season through March 29
2004- Year of first start at Calistoga Speedway
2011- Year of first appearance at Antioch Speedway
15,055- Dollars earned through March 29

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.

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

1. Daly to make debut at Indianapolis 500

2. Servia to sport Charter colors at Barber

3. Dallara to mark 200^th Indy car win at Barber

1. Daly to make debut at Indianapolis 500: As a native of suburban Indianapolis, second-generation racer Conor Daly has spent most of his life wondering what it’s like to race in the Indianapolis 500.

This May, the 21-year-old will be seeing the race from the cockpit of an IZOD IndyCar Series car.

Daly, son of former Formula 1 and Indy car driver Derek Daly, will drive A.J. Foyt Racing’s No. 41 ABC Supply Honda in this year’s Indianapolis 500, joining Takuma Sato who drives the No. 14 ABC Supply Honda in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

“I almost can’t describe what it means to have the opportunity to race in the Indianapolis 500,” said Daly, of Noblesville, Ind. “I am so thankful that A.J. and (team director) Larry (Foyt) have given me my first shot at the greatest race in the world. I know this will sound cheesy but I’ve never been happier in my life; this race means so much to me.”

Daly tested with the team in mid-December (two days before his 21st birthday) at Sebring International Raceway. He competed the past two seasons in the European-based GP3 series, and has won in nearly every formula — Firestone Indy Lights, GP3, Star Mazda and Skip Barber — he’s competed. He won national titles in the Star Mazda (2010) and Skip Barber (2008) series. Daly made his GP2 debut March 22-24 at Sepang International circuit in Malaysia with seventh- and 13th-place finishes.

“He ran well at Sebring when we needed someone to do some testing in the offseason,” said A.J. Foyt, the first four-time Indianapolis 500 champion. “He was fast, smooth, and didn’t get in trouble. When we made a change on the car he felt it. I found him to be very savvy on the chassis setups. In fact, when we made a minor change which was really nothing, he thought about it and said it felt no different. I told him that was the right answer because we didn’t do anything he’d be able to feel, so that impressed me, too.

“I’ve run a lot of rookies at Indy and I think Conor will do a good job for us.”

Wade Cunningham, the 2005 Firestone Indy Lights champion, was the most recent Indy 500 rookie with Foyt’s team (starting 26th and finishing 31st because of an electrical issue in 2012). A.J. Foyt Racing last won the Indianapolis 500 in 1999 with Kenny Brack behind the wheel.

Daly will be the fourth driver scheduled to participate in the Rookie Orientation Program on April 11 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Candidates must complete two of the three phases of car control, placement and consistent driving on the 2.5-mile oval (10 laps at 200-205 mph, 15 laps at 205-209 mph and 15 laps at 210-plus mph) during the day. Drivers may complete the third phase during the first week of practice.

A.J. Allmendinger (Team Penske), Tristan Vautier (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports) and Carlos Munoz (Andretti Autosport) also are scheduled to participate in the program led by IZOD IndyCar Series driver stewards Arie Luyendyk and Johnny Unser.

Opening Day is May 11, Pole Day is May 18 and Race Day is May 26.

“I’m excited about bringing Conor to Indy for his first race at the 500,” Larry Foyt said. “I’ve been watching him come up through the open-wheel ranks, and when we met at the F-1 race in Austin, Texas, last year, we hit it off immediately. Doing the test at Sebring confirmed he could make the step up to an IndyCar. With my dad’s guidance, the potential is there for a great month of May.”

2. Servia to sport Charter colors at Barber: Oriol Servia’s Panther DRR Chevrolet will feature the colors of Charter Communications during the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park.

Servia, whose best finish at Barber is fifth in 2011, carried Charter’s colors to a fourth-place finish at Milwaukee in 2012.

“We had a very good test at Barber a couple of weeks ago and we are coming from the first race of the season where we led and showed great pace, so we couldn’t be more excited to start the weekend,” said Servia, who led 16 laps in the season-opening race on the streets of St. Petersburg on March 24. “I will be driving the green and blue car for Charter, another one of our great sponsors and supporters and I truly feel we can give them a great weekend.”

Charter Communications, Inc. is a Fortune 500 company and the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States. Charter provides advanced video, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to about 5.2 million residential and business customers in 25 states.

3. Dallara to mark 200^th Indy car win: Dallara will present a commemorative trophy to the winner of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama to mark its 200th IZOD IndyCar Series victory on April 7 at Barber Motorsports Park.

Since 1997, Dallara has designed and built chassis for teams competing in the IZOD IndyCar Series and has been the sole chassis supplier to the series since 2006.

“When Dallara and INDYCAR met in 1997, we began a relationship that has lasted many years,”
said Stefano De Ponti, head of Dallara operations in the United States. “We went through these battles against other important manufacturers (G Force and Riley & Scott) and here we are. We celebrate our 200^th victory and it’s remarkable.

“(The relationship between INDYCAR and Dallara is) a technical relationship, a business partnership, but mainly a personal relationship. You have professional ethics on both sides and we carry on under these principles, the way we think, the way we progress with the good of the sport in mind.

“I’ve been in motorsports basically all my life and (reaching a milestone) is a personal satisfaction, and thinking not of the results that have been achieved but thinking of the job that has been done for people on both sides. It will be good feeling to move forward and achieve another 100 victories.”

Dallara Victories by the numbers

1st — Jim Guthrie at Phoenix for Blueprint Racing (1997)

50th – Scott Sharp Twin Ring Motegi for Kelley Racing (2003)

100th – Tony Kanaan at Twin Ring Motegi for then-Andretti Green (2007)

150th – Will Power at Sao Paulo for Team Penske (2010)

199th – James Hinchcliffe at St. Petersburg for Andretti Autosport (2013)

Most wins by driver

Scott Dixon – 23

Dario Franchitti – 21

Helio Castroneves – 21

***

The 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the Honda Indy Grand Prix Alabama on April 7 at Barber Motorsports Park. The race will be televised live at 3 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 andwww.indycar.com. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Legacy Indy Lights 100 on April 7 at Barber Motorsport Park. The race will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network at 1 p.m. (ET) on April 7, immediately preceding the IZOD IndyCar Series race broadcast.

Watertown, Conn.—March 31, 2013 — Not only does it take a fast race car to run up front with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series, but it also takes a little bit of luck. David Gravel had a very fast car on Friday, March 29 at Merced Speedway in California, though in the third heat race, luck was not as his side, as he was caught up in a first-lap incident that changed the complexion of his evening, as he continued to fill-in for the injured Bill Rose in the Firetext Response Maxim. Gravel soldiered on and when the final checkered flag flew in the 40-lap main event he would cross the line 11th, which helped him move up a spot to sixth in points.

Gravel began the night by turning the third-fastest lap in time trials of the 31 drivers that were in attendance at the third-mile bullring. The native of Watertown, Conn., lined up fourth in the third 10-lap heat race and would be assured of a spot in the dash and a top-10 starting spot in the A-Feature if he finished among the top-six in that heat race. He made it back out for the remainder of the heat race, after a trip to the work area, following the first lap accident, finishing ninth, which put him in the B-main.

The 20-year-old won the B-main to earn a spot in the 40-lap main event, where he started 11th on a track that was very tight and challenging to pass on. Gravel ran as high as eighth just prior to the halfway point of the race and was in the top-10 for most of the 40-lapper, which was slowed by two cautions and one red flag period. He would end up 11th when the final checkered flag of the night flew.

“That was an unfortunate situation in the heat race,” said Gravel. “We knew starting position would be very important at Merced, so to not make it in the dash was definitely a setback, after qualifying third. We kept after it and were fast in the B-main and had a pretty good car in the feature, but it was just so tough to pass out there. We made the most of the hand we were dealt, learned a few things and will be ready for next weekend.”

By virtue of his 11th-place finish in the A-Feature, Gravel moved up a spot in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series standings to sixth and is just 15 markers out of the top-five. In the eight races thus far during the West Coast swing, he has finished 13th or better in seven of those races aboard Rose’s No. 6 machine.

“We’ve been pretty consistent on the West Coast and each time I’m in Bill’s car, I feel more and more comfortable,” he noted. “We seem to be adapting to the new tires fairly well also, which is a good thing. It’s definitely been a blast visiting all of these new tracks and racing against a bunch of new people. There are some very strong cars in California and some great fans as well.”

Gravel will be back in action next weekend in California with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series at Antioch Speedway and Calistoga as he continues to fill-in for Rose. The East Coast racer has five top-10 finishes this season, which is tied for fifth-most in the series. Of the seven tracks he has competed at with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series thus far in 2013, six have been venues he has made his debut at.

“With just one race last weekend, I can’t wait to get back in the car at Antioch and Calistoga,” Gravel stated. “We have plenty of time this week to go through the car and work on a few things and see if we can get a little faster, especially for the big track at Calistoga.”

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

MILVERTON, Ontario, Canada – Scott Steckly, driver of the 22 Racing Dodge in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, has been chosen to judge a high school video contest called, Is It Worth It?

Created by teens for teens, the Is It Worth It? campaign aims to change teen driver and passenger perceptions and attitudes to ultimately reduce the number of people hurt or killed by distracted, impaired or aggressive driving. Young people between the ages of 16 and 24 make up just 13 percent of Canada’s licensed drivers, but account for 24 percent of the nation’s traffic deaths and 26 percent of serious injuries. In an effort to significantly reduce these preventable outcomes, Parachute has rolled out a  video contest in Canadian high schools, inviting them to submit public service announcements that get to the root of what is worth it behind the wheel.

This campaign is built on the success of last year’s pilot program, which generated strong, positive, national engagement from teens through the video public service announcement contest. This year, Parachute is honored to have a panel of experienced judges commit their time and expertise to the campaign, drawing attention to a very important issue.

Submission deadline for the competition is March 31 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The public will be able to view the top 16 videos and vote for their favorite PSA from April 15 to May 10 at www.isitworthit.ca. 

Steckly, a two-time NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion, has been racing since 1992 at various levels of motorsports. His 22 Racing team is located in Milverton just outside of Stratford, Ontario where he grew up and started his racing career.

“With two young children of my own who will be driving in the near future, I understand the value and importance of this campaign,” said Steckly.  “I firmly believe in the adage that speed belongs in a controlled environment such as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and distracted or impaired driving needs to be stamped out at all costs.  I am honored to have been chosen to judge this video campaign.”

22 Racing is supported by Canadian Tire, Osram Sylvania, Mobil 1, Erb Group, Johnsonville, AW Millwrights & Reefer Sales.

About Parachute Canada
Parachute is a national, charitable organization dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives. Parachute officially came into being in July 2012 and unites the former organizations of Safe Communities Canada, Safe Kids Canada, SMARTRISK and ThinkFirst Canada into one leader in injury prevention. Parachute’s injury prevention programming and advocacy efforts are designed to help Canadians reduce their risks of injury while enjoying long lives lived to the fullest. For more information, visitwww.parachutecanada.org.

Motorsports Veteran Has Wide Variety Of Experience

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR announced today that Alex Nagy has been named as series director for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

Nagy, originally from Brantford, Ontario, brings a wealth of motorsports experience from both the technical and business aspects of the sport. Most recently he has served as spotter and driver coach for Alex Tagliani in the IZOD IndyCar Series. He also served as crew chief for Tagliani’s efforts in the Canadian Tire Series including a 2008 victory in Edmonton, Alberta. Over six seasons, he also led efforts for Steve Mathews, Pete Shepherd III, Ron Van Es and Jacques Villeneuve in the Canadian stock-car touring series.

Nagy, 50, succeeds Brad Moran, who was appointed as NASCAR Touring Series director in December 2012. Moran held the post for the last four seasons.

“We are excited to bring Alex aboard,” said Moran. “With his wide range of experience within the industry in Canada, particularly, makes him an excellent fit. He’ll be able to continue to build upon the foundation already in place and take Canada’s premier racing series to the next step.”

After beginning his racing career as a driver in CASCAR – the precursor to the Canadian Tire Series – Nagy worked his way into the business side of the sport as a CASCAR team owner and by managing some race specialty shops in Ontario. He also served as the track manager and promoter for Twin Fountains Raceway, a karting and legends car complex in Shelbyville, Tenn., along with launching the first legends car and pro challenge series in Ontario.

Nagy currently resides in Brantford, with his wife and two children.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series kicks off its seventh season on May 19 on the road course at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park near Bowmanville, Ontario.

(TEMPERANCE, Mich.) – With the 51st annual Talladega ARCA 250 right around the corner, the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards is preparing for one of its signature events on the 2.66-mile track with a scheduled two-day open test April 3 and 4 at Talladega Superspeedway.

The test will provide opportunities for aspiring rookies who seek to gain superspeedway experience and series approval to return for the race on May 3. It also provides opportunities for veterans like Bobby Gerhart to get that much further ahead of his competition.

“It really doesn’t matter how long we’ve been doing this; anytime you can go to the track and leave with information, it makes the team that much more prepared for the race,” Gerhart said, who won at Talladega in 2001.

“In a perfect world, we’d take the same car we raced last year with the same package, but we got crashed last year, so we’re starting over in some sense, searching for a baseline, set-up-wise.”

Gerhart, who also has eight Daytona victories to his credit, is often regarded as one of ARCA’s restrictor plate experts.

“For over 25 years, I’ve done this; but our track time (around the race) has gotten significantly smaller over the years as schedules, as a cost-cutting measure, have become more condensed. That said, it makes these tests even more valuable.”

Gerhart is bringing two cars for the test, a newer machine and an old reliable car he calls “Sweet Pea”. Gerhart’s Sweet Pea is the same car that he won in at Talladega in ’01. It’s also the same car that got wrecked in a multi-car pile-up at Talladega during last year’s race.

“Both of the cars we’re bringing are former Daytona winners. In fact, there are four Daytona wins between these two cars – two apiece. We’ll find out which one is the best, and we’ll leave it at that.”

Venturini Motorsports, who opened the season with a victory at Daytona with John Wes Townley driving, has also signed on for the test, bringing four drivers, one of which will be Townley. Venturini Motorsports fulltime drivers Milka Duno and Justin Boston are also scheduled to test as is rookie Caleb Armstrong. Armstrong is the cousin of former Talladega ARCA 250 winner Dakoda Armstrong.

Cunningham Motorsports is also scheduled to test with two drivers – veteran Tom Hessert and rookie Korbin Forrister.

Current point leader (tied with Frank Kimmel) Mason Mingus has also entered with his Win Tron Racing Toyota team.

Other test entrants include Barry Fitzgerald, Buster Graham, John Ferrier, and a slew of drivers from Carter 2 Motorsports, including Dominick Casola, Galen Hassler, Joel Willman, Dustin Knowls, Mark Meunier and Eric Meisner.

ARCAracing.com will provide live timing and scoring coverage of the two-day open test at Talladega. The track will be open both days from 9:00 a.m. to 5, with an hour break for lunch.

The 51st annual Talladega ARCA 250 is live on SPEED at 5:00 p.m. eastern Friday, May 3.

Former Talladega ARCA winners include Ramo Stott, Mark Martin, Davey Allison, Red Farmer, Grant Adcox, Charlie Glotzbach, Jimmy Horton, Tim Steele, Mike Wallace, Paul Menard, Frank Kimmel, Justin Allgaier and Ty Dillon to name a few.

ABOUT ARCA
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.

ARCAracing.com
Facebook.com/arcaracing

By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia) – Veteran Ontario Pro Late Model driver Andrew Gresel has announced he will field a car for a full season with the OSCAAR (Ontario Stock Car Association of Asphalt Racers) Super Late Model tour in 2013.

Gresel, who has previously called Delaware and Sauble Speedway home throughout his racing career, will pilot a brand new Hamke Race Cars chassis from the Mooresville, NC company.

Gresel, a native of Sauble Beach, Ont., says he has wanted to make the jump to OSCAAR for the past two seasons.

“I’ve always liked the idea of OSCAAR,” said Gresel. “I like the way the series has been run the last few years.”

Gresel will enjoy sponsorship from Sauble Falls Tent and Trailer Park, London Recreational, the Canadian Union of Skilled Workers, Overland Heating and Cooling, McRobert Fuels, Spira Fire Protection, and Shoreline Property Management for his 2013 campaign and is in the process of securing more support.

A large influx of new talent has bolstered OSCAAR’s driver roster over the past three seasons, with Gresel the latest to throw his name in for the championship chase. The increase in driver talent in OSCAAR was a big reason for Gresel’s move to OSCAAR, he said.

As a veteran of Ontario short-track racing, Gresel has raced at each track on the 2013 OSCAAR schedule, with the exception of Barrie Speedway since it reconfiguration in 2004. However, Gresel isn’t sure he will be able to use any of his existing track notes as an advantage.

“It’s not going to play in a lot. Our setup will be totally different (from the Pro Late Model),” said Gresel. “The big concern with this car is they’re quite a bit more horsepower and actually lighter than what we’re used to running.

In terms of driving and getting the car on to the racetrack and performing, I should be alright that way.”

Regardless, Gresel won’t settle for a mediocre performance on the track and nobody would expect anything less from a proven winner.

“Hopefully we’ll have some top-five finishes right off the bat,” said Gresel. “It’s going to be hard to do. We’re kind of late starting to build the car so we might not get a whole lot of practice time.”

“We’re putting a lot of effort in to the way this car is going together, so I think it should perform well,” he said.

Gresel does have one advantage over the rest of the OSCAAR field: he’s already been behind the wheel of a stock car this calendar year. In February, Gresel raced at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL with the ARCA (Automobile Racing Club of America) tour as part of Florida’s Speedweeks.

Unfortunately for Gresel the trip didn’t go as planned as he failed to qualify for the main event, but says he gained valuable experience on the famed superspeedway against some tough competition.

“The competition down there is crazy. You’re up against some major teams with some major (sponsorship) support,” explained Gresel. “It’s a great experience. I would never have learned anything about the superspeedways if I didn’t do that Daytona deal. If I get another chance I know it’ll be different.”

Now that he is back on home soil, Gresel and his crew are focused 100 per cent on the OSCAAR tour.

“We are putting every effort in to being championship contenders out of the gate,” said Joe Chisholm Jr., one of Gresel’s crew members.

When the 2013 OSCAAR schedule was released in early January, Gresel circled August 11 on his calendar, the series’ only stop at Kawartha Speedway in Fraserville, Ont.

“I’m really looking forward to the Kawartha deal. I’ve raced there a few times, but never in a late model series,” explained Gresel of the high-banked 3/8-mile oval. “I like the size of the track. It’s going to be fast, and that’s what I’m in to.”

Gresel’s announcement has only increased the buzz around Ontario’s fastest touring series. With less than two months until opening day, time is of the essence for Gresel who will make his OSCAAR debut on May 19 at Sunset International Speedway in Innisfil, Ont.

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

1. Season-opener shows depth of field will fuel competition

2. Inside the numbers – Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

1. Season-opener shows depth of field will fuel competition: James Hinchcliffe fessed up.

Tears, not sweat from 110 taxing laps, began to blur his vision as his Chevrolet-powered No. 27 GoDaddy.com car glided across the finish line 1.0982 seconds ahead of Helio Castroneves in the season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

The tears were from joy, relief and gratitude.

It was the second-year Andretti Autosport driver’s maiden IZOD IndyCar Series victory, the first by a Canadian in Indy car racing since Paul Tracy in 2007, and in the adopted hometown of 2005 race winner Dan Wheldon.

Hinchcliffe dedicated the victory to Wheldon, who was to drive the new GoDaddy.com-sponsored car in 2012 but died in an October 2011 racing accident. A monument was dedicated to Wheldon three days earlier, along with a column reserved for winners of the St. Pete event.

Hinchcliffe’s name will be added, joining luminaries Helio Castroneves, Dario Franchitti, Will Power and Graham Rahal – all of whom competed March 24 in a stout lineup that will challenge for the championship through Oct. 19 at Auto Club Speedway.

“I don’t think we can understate how deep the talent field is right now. It’s as good as it’s been arguably in the sport’s history,” said Hinchcliffe, who two seasons ago missed competing at St. Petersburg because of funding that didn’t come through until the second race.

“The guys in the heyday of the mid-90s will tell you that; the competition is great. You see great racing all the way through the grid, and with more of the drivers returning from last year and a couple of new guys coming in I think we’re set. With the same car, there’s no reason the racing shouldn’t be as good or better.”

The race was suspenseful and entertaining from green flag to checkered, with the top-six finishers unsettled with two laps remaining on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street course. Crashes involving pole sitter Power and four-time series champion Franchitti added to the drama. Mechanical issues that relegated reigning series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay to 18th place and rookie Tristan Vautier, who started sixth but retired in 21st place, supplemented the intrigue of ninth running of the race under INDYCAR sanction.

It was, as winning team owner Michael Andretti said, a hard-earned victory. He expects the remaining 15 events, including three grueling doubleheader weekends, to be just as jumbled in the second year of the chassis-engine package.

Empirical evidence and hard numbers from the 2012 season (Hunter-Reay securing the title in the final race by a scant three points, eight different winners and eight different pole sitters in the 15 races, 17 different podium finishers) and the 2013 opener (seven different teams represented in the top 10, five different teams in the Firestone Fast Six qualifying to determine the Verizon P1 Award and the first three rows) back his prognostication.

“We worked so hard over the winter because we knew it was going to be that much harder to be competitive this year,” said Andretti, whose team earned its 44th Indy car victory (two more than he had as a driver). “To come out the way we did, I think all weekend all of our cars were showing they had strength. For Hinch especially, he just was on it from the first practice on. He just did a heck of a job.

Hinchcliffe, of course, takes pride in the victory, but as he said the keen competition – and escalating from other young guns such as Simona de Silvestro (sixth place after starting third), teammate Marco Andretti (first podium finish on a road/street course since Toronto in July 2011) and Vautier – will require consistency to be a title contender.

“There are 18 races to go. It’s early to call anybody a contender or rule anybody out,” he said. “It’s a good place to start. To be a contender in this series, you cannot make mistakes. It’s so competitive, there’s so many guys willing to pounce on anything you do wrong, whether it’s in the pits, making a bad setup call or a driving error, people are going to take advantage of that.

“So I think the guy at the end of the year, or girl, that made the least mistakes as a team on the whole, those are going to be the ones you’re going to see hoisting the championship trophy.

“We hope to be the ones.”

2. Inside the numbers – Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg: Some numbers to note from the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the season-opening event of the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season.

1 – IZOD IndyCar Series win for James Hinchcliffe.

2 – Previous Honda Grand Prix of St. Peterburg winners that have gone on to win the IZOD IndyCar Series championship: Dan Wheldon in 2005 and Dario Franchitti 2011…Wins at St. Petersburg by Andretti Autosport.

3 – Races won by Pro Mazda Championship point leaders Matthew Brabham and Cooper Tires USF2000 National Championship points leader Scott Hargrove in 2013 after both drivers

4 – Consecutive Firestone Indy Lights races won by Schmidt Peterson Motorsports at St. Petersburg after Jack Hawksworth won on March 23. The previous three St. Pete winners (J.K. Vernay, Josef Newgarden and Tristan Vautier) all went on to win the series title.

7 -Teams represented in the top 10 of the series point standings… Drivers who have won the season-opening race and also won the IZOD IndyCar Series title: Buzz Calkins (1996), Sam Hornish Jr. (2001 and 2002), Scott Dixon (2003 and 2008), Dan Wheldon (2005) and Dario Franchitti (2011).

8 –Drivers who have won their Firestone Indy Light debut, including St. Petersburg 100 race winner Hawksworth.

15 – Positions improved by Scott Dixon and E.J. Viso, the most positions gained by any driver. Dixon and Viso both finished in the top-10.

197 – Consecutive Indy car starts for Tony Kanaan dating to the 2001 CART race in Portland. Kanaan is second to Jimmy Vasser’s 211 straight starts.

***

The 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the Honda Indy Grand Prix Alabama on April 7 at Barber Motorsports Park. The race will be televised live at 3 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 andXM Channels 211 and www.indycar.com. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Legacy Indy Lights 100 on April 7 at Barber Motorsport Park. The race will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network at 1 p.m. (ET) on April 7, immediately preceding the IZOD IndyCar Series race broadcast.

DHL to remain exclusive Official Logistics partner of Formula 1®

Plantation, Fla., March 26, 2013: DHL announced that it is extending its winning partnership with Formula 1® as Official Logistics and Global partner for motor sport’s elite competition. Continuing a longstanding partnership that officially began in 2004, DHL will also sponsor the DHL Fastest Lap Award in recognition of the driver who delivers the highest number of fastest laps throughout each FIA Formula One World Championship™ season.

“We are very pleased to be continuing our winning partnership with DHL over the coming seasons,” said Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One Group CEO. “We have a longstanding operational and commercial relationship with DHL, and we are more than happy to have DHL as one of our global brands again, who are dedicated to delivering exceptional quality. As Official Logistics partner, DHL continues to play an important role in Formula 1®, and they in turn will benefit immensely from the opportunity to showcase their brand to one of the most committed and passionate global fan bases of any sport.”

DHL will continue to provide a comprehensive range of logistics services in support of the FIA Formula One World Championship™, including express, ocean and air freight, customs brokerage and specialist handling at race circuits. The complementary strengths of DHL’s logistics and express divisions will ensure that the challenge of shipping diverse, sensitive and high value items such as race cars, components, broadcast equipment and fuel over 19 race locations across 5 continents within demanding timeframes is met.

“The real synergy of our Official Logistics partnership with Formula 1™ lies in the fact that we are both truly global brands with a commitment to excellence in performance,” said Wolfgang Giehl, Senior Vice President, Corporate Brand Marketing, Deutsche Post DHL. “DHL is able to share the positive emotions and thrills of Formula 1® not just with the existing fan base of the sport, but with over 285,000 employees and millions of customers in over 220 countries and territories worldwide. As a world leader in logistics, we are able to use a broad range of marketing platforms to demonstrate the values we share with Formula 1® and to tell the unique story of how DHL works behind-the-scenes to help make this high-octane, extremely demanding sport a continued success.”

Formula 1 in the U.S. will kick off in Austin, Texas at the Circuit of the Americas, November 15-17, 2013.

In the U.S., DHL is no stranger to high-speed racing as it continues to enjoy successful partnerships with some of the top names in auto racing, including Andretti Autosport and Kalitta Motorsports.