Category: Other Series PR

[media-credit name=”winchesterspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Winchester, Indiana (October 16,2012)

Nate Caruth had an eventful conclusion to his 2012 rookie ARCA/CRA Super Series season. Caruth said, “This has been a great year with Lorz Motorsports in our #76 Ford. We had an exciting rookie chase, and enjoyed ending our season at such a historical race and track.” The Iowa native competed in his first Winchester 400 race; but Caruth is no new comer to the high banks of Winchester Speedway. Team owner Mike Lorz added, “The Winchester 400 is such an exciting race. The team looked forward to Winchester throughout the season.”

The Midwestern native had competed at the historical track on multiple occasions throughout the 2012 ARCA/CRA Super Series Season. Caruth said, “Winchester Speedway is a great track. I always enjoy competing on the exciting high-banks.” Caruth began his weekend in the 41st annual Winchester 400 by starting the race in the 9th row after a 17th qualifying position. The table was set for Caruth as he strapped in for 400 laps around the high-banked 96 year old track. Caruth said, “I want to thank Brella Sports Group, Caruth Construction, and Carroll Construction Supply for being a part of our first running in the Winchester 400. I am proud to have had such great sponsors be included in the historical race.”

Caruth wasted little time after the drop of the green flag. The season rookie quickly made his way up to 11th by lap 25 before making his first appearance in the top 10 on lap 138. Caruth held his cards close, as he saved his equipment for the final 50 lap run. On lap 300, Caruth began to get his car in place for a champion run by moving to the 10th position. As the laps began wheeling towards 400, Caruth kicked it in gear; quickly landing in 4th among the field. The focused Iowa native had his eyes on the prize with a short 25 lap dash remaining. Caruth would have his Winchester 400 victory put on a temporary hold on lap 375, due to an unfortunate multi-car wreck. Caruth would end his day with a 13th place finish. Caruth said, “Overall, our #76 Lorz Motorsports Ford performed great. We saved our car till the end, and shot up to the top 5 in time for the final 50 laps. We had everything in place and planned for a successful Winchester 400. Wrecks are a part of racing, and we were unfortunately caught up in one with a mere 25 laps to go.” Caruth continued, “We truly had a great season, and improved so much as a driver and team.”

Caruth wrapped up his 2012 ARCA/CRA Super Series rookie season with finishing 2nd in points for the Rookie of the Year chase, and 7th in series points standings. Team owner Mike Lorz said, “Nate did so well this season. We are proud of his points finish this year. It shows the results of hard work and determination.”

October 15, 2012 – North Wilkesboro, NC

NORTH WILKESBORO, NC – STS Motorsports Inc. announced today they would begin work on saving North Wilkesboro Speedway once again, following the closure in 2011 after the PASS Super Late Models $100,000 To Win Race. While previous efforts to Save the Speedway have been met with pitfalls and mis-management, STS Motorsports Inc. has decided to reopen the issue and ask the community for help.

“In the past, no one has asked the community what they thought and how things could be done. We seemed to see people come in with grand ideas that fizzled out over time, while disenfranchising the motorsports community as a whole.” said Robert Marsden – Founder STS Motorsports Inc.

In the renewed effort, STS Motorsports Inc. will begin a donation campaign asking racing fans to join in this time and donate. In return, not only will you help save a historic motorsports landmark, but additionally, tickets, pit passes, and even get their name on a race or drive the pace car during one of the planned events once the donation campaign reaches it goal. “We will use our grassroots skills to bring the message to race fans giving them a return on their investment to lease and reopen North Wilkesboro Speedway” Said Steven B. Wilson

All fans and businesses interested in donating can find the campaign and information on Indiegogo at http://www.indiegogo.com/northwilkesborospeedway

The campaign will kick off using social media, word of mouth and help from the community willing to see North Wilkesboro Speedway reopened. All the information will be found on STS Motorsports website at www.savethespeedway.net or following along on Twitter @savethespeedway and on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/northwilkesborospeedway.

About North Wilkesboro Speedway: North Wilkesboro Speedway was opened in 1947 at a dirt track in Western North Carolina by Enoch Staley, and Jack Combs. Hosted NASCAR for 50 years beginning in 1949 with the final race of the very first NASCAR until closing in 1996.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Bank of America 500 Pit Note #7

UNOH Southern Slam 150 Results

Brunnhoelzl takes championship and wire-to wire win at Charlotte Motor Speedway – George Brunnhoelzl III led every lap of the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour UNOH Southern Slam 150 race Thursday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway and, in doing so, also captured the series points championship.

“We had a good car tonight and were able to hold everyone off tonight,” said Brunnhoelzl. “And to win the championship on top of that is pretty amazing. We have had a real good year.”

Brunnhoelzl started from the pole and had several threats for the lead from second-place finisher Ryan Preece, but was able to fend them off to win by 1.812 seconds. Burt Myers finished third as Danny Bohn and Andy Seuss rounded out the top-five finishers.

The third annual 150-lap event was slowed several times by cautions, mainly for cars spinning out. Brunnhoelzl had qualified his car on a race setup, so he knew he would be good in the race. Preece had several chances to get alongside Brunnhoelzl but could never make the pass on the outside. After a couple of laps following a caution, Brunnhoelzl drove away from the field.

The race was slowed by cautions five times for 19 laps as the winner averaged 44.219 mph. The 150 laps were covered in 50 mins, 53 seconds. Rounding out the top 10 were Kyle Ebersole in sixth with Ted Christopher, Frank Fleming, Jason Myers and Gary Putnam following.

Winner – NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Champion George Brunnhoelzl III (No. 09 Phoenix Pre-Owned Chevrolet) – “It was a great race. We worked real hard all day in practice; the guys did great. We set up for the long run in practice for the race and were fortunate enough to sit on the pole, so that helped out, starting up front. We kind of just bided our time and rode it out from there. [On becoming the first driver to win three championships] It’s amazing. To win one is a really tough feat. To be able to win three and be the first team to win three championships, it’s unbelievable; I can’t put it into words.”

Second Position – Ryan Preece (No. 41 L.I. Mod Maniac/Mizzy Construction Chevrolet) – “It was a lot of fun. It was our first time here. About halfway when we started up, the battery was dying. So, I turned all of the fans off. The battery just kept dying and dying the further we went, and that hurt our chances. We finished second, which was good obviously, but we were a sitting duck if the cautions came out. I was real happy. It was a good finish.”

Third Position – Burt Myers (No. 1 Citrusafe/Adams Towing Ford) – “Well, it was kind of tough, walking byVictory Lanetonight after the experience we had here in 2010. The 09 (Brunnhoelzl) had a heck of a night, and they deserve to win the championship. As far as my run, with our halfway breaks we weren’t quite sure what to do to make the car better. We were kind of in the dark as to what to do with switching tires around. But, the car was real good. Off of the corner, we just didn’t have the drive we needed. I think that is what kept us out ofVictory Lanetonight. Hats off to my guys. It’s been a tough season for them due to my personal injuries and some bad luck on the race track. It’s good to be in the top three, though.”

Whelen Southern Modified Tour 2012 Rookie of the Year – Danny Bohn (No. 65 Rifenburg Construction/Rustoleum Chevrolet) – “It was a pretty good season. With the short schedule, we have we had a lot of good races and a couple of bad nights. By my math, I think we ended up second in the points. It’s just tough to go to some of these tracks, the only times you have ever turned a lap on them. My crew definitely worked their butts off this year. We learned a lot this year. So, hopefully next year we can give George a run for the title.”

UNOH Southern Slam 150 Unofficial Results (150 laps): 1. George Brunnhoelzl III; 2. Ryan Preece; 3. Burt Myers; 4. Danny Bohn; 5. Andy Seuss; 6. Kyle Ebersole; 7. Ted Christopher; 8. Frank Fleming; 9. Jason Myers; 10. Gary Putnam; 11. Tim Brown; 12. Jonny Kievman; 13. Thomas Stinson; 14. Dalton Baldwin; 15. Bryan Dauzat; 16. Johnny Sutton; 17. John Smith; 18. AJ Winstead; 19. Brian Weber; 20. Joe Scarbrough.

[media-credit name=”World of Outlaws” align=”alignright” width=”234″][/media-credit]Watertown, Conn.—Oct. 11, 2012 — David Gravel has had a very consistent and solid season with the UNOH All Star Circuit of Champion this year, sitting near the top of the leaderboard in a number of categories with the series, and he has one more chance to add to his stats this weekend. He looks to wrap up the All Stars 2012 campaign on a high note as the series heads to the famed Eldora Speedwayin Ohio.

Gravel will be in action twice on Saturday, Oct. 13 at Eldora. In addition to the season-ending event for the All Stars he will also compete with the NRA Sprint Invaders, a series with which he has won at in the past at the high-banked half-mile.

“We’ve been pretty fast at Eldora this year and have had some good luck there as well,” said Gravel. “Hopefully we can put in a good run in each of the cars and head into the World Finals with some more momentum. It all starts with time trials and getting a couple of good laps and then transferring from your heat race into the main event and making it into the dash, so you can start near the front.”

The native of Watertown, Conn., has made four starts at Eldora this season, all with the World of Outlaws. He was fastest in time trials in each of his first three starts in 2012 at the legendary oval with the series. Gravel finished fourth in the finale of the Outlaw Thunder by Goodyear weekend back in May. He was battling for the lead in the opener of that two-night event when contact with another car led to a violent flip that ended his night.

Gravel continued his qualifying dominance at Eldora during the Knight Before the Kings Royal in July, again turning the fastest lap. He would finish 12th in the 30-lap A-Feature that night. Gravel just missed qualifying for the Kings Royal by two spots in the B-main the following night. The East Coast racer has two career Top-10 finishes with the World of Outlaws at Eldora Speedway.

The 20-year-old will pilot Dave Jessup’s No. 7 in the NRA Sprint Invaders program on Saturday night. Gravel was victorious at Eldora during the Knight Before the Kings Royal in 2011 with the NRA, aboard his own No. 89G.

“Running two races at Eldora, you definitely have to stay up on the track,” he noted. “It can be a challenge to focus on both cars, but it’s a plus to have twice as many laps on the track. I’ve done it before and run well in both cars, so hopefully we can do that again this weekend. Dave (Jessup) has a good car and good equipment and we’re looking to have a good night.”

Gravel enters the final event of the season third in the All Stars National championship standings on the strength of one win and 28 Top-10 finishes. He has been fastest in time trials with the series seven times in 2012. The UNOH Sprintacular this weekend will also serve as the season finale of the All Stars Ohio Region, where he sits sixth in points.

Last weekend, Gravel raced with the World of Outlaws at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in New York, finishing fifth in that 25-lap event. In a limited number of starts with the series in 2012, he has recorded 10 Top-10 finishes, of which eight have been top-five performances.

“Last weekend showed how good we are on the bigger tracks,” Gravel stated. “Having a solid run like that with the Outlaws helps us enter this weekend with confidence. It would be awesome to win this weekend, but if not, we’d certainly be happy with a top-five or a podium finish. We’ve been working hard all week and we’ll try our best to get a win before the season is over.”

David Gravel and DDR Motorsports would like to thank: J&J Chassis, JRC Transportation, Kistler Engines, Musco Fuels and P&M Transportation for their continued support.

Keep up-to-date with David Gravel and DDR Motorsports by visiting www.DavidGravel89.com. Follow David on Twitter atwww.Twitter.com/DavidGravel89g. Like David on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Gravel-Racing/143538695709198.

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. (October 9, 2012) – Green Savoree Racing Promotions announced a pair of agreements with Pirelli World Challenge and Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda.

These partnerships ensure the owners of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and Honda Indy Toronto will have both exciting series run at each track through 2014. Pirelli World Challenge and Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda will support the IZOD IndyCar Series events at all three tracks next year, competing at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 22-24, the Honda Indy Toronto on July 12-14 and the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on August 2-4 in 2013.

“Both World Challenge and USF2000 have been great series for everyone involved from manufacturers, tracks, drivers and of course, the fans,” said Kim Green, owner, chairman and CEO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions. “We’re looking forward to having great racing at our tracks in 2013 and beyond and these series will no doubt help us fulfill that mission.”

Pirelli World Challenge made its first appearance at Mid-Ohio in 1994 and has had the track on its schedule 14 times, including every year since 2002. The series has run at St. Petersburg eight times since 1990, each year from 2010 to present. Toronto has played host to World Challenge twice previously, in 2007 and 2010.

“The Pirelli World Challenge Championships looks forward to once again opening the season in St. Petersburg. Signing this multi-year global track agreement secures the series to some of the best and most popular events on our schedule. The teams, drivers and all of our partners are thrilled to visit these tracks. We thank Green Savoree for working with us to secure such an asset to our series,” said Scott Bove, president and CEO of WC Vision, marketing and license holders of World Challenge.

USF2000 debuted at Mid-Ohio in 1995 and has run at the Lexington, Ohio circuit 12 times, returning on the schedule in 2011 after a five-year break. The series made its first appearance at St. Petersburg in 2010. USF2000 will be holding its inaugural pair of races at Toronto in 2013.

“I am delighted to confirm an extended relationship with Green Savoree for three fantastic events,” said Dan Andersen, owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions, the series promoter. “Our history with Mid-Ohio extends well into the past, and we have always enjoyed bringing our show to this premier road course. St. Petersburg has become our ‘home’ venue, with our main offices and facilities nearby, and Toronto has long been on my wish list of events to add. Green Savoree provides one of the best operational organizations and we are very pleased to become a long-term partner. I know our young stars of tomorrow will put on great shows for the fans.”

Founded in 2009 by veteran motorsports executives Kim Green and Kevin Savoree, Green Savoree Racing Promotions is a privately held motorsports event ownership and management company. In working together since 1993, Green and Savoree have won four IndyCar championships, three Indy 500s and the 12 Hours of Sebring as team principals, and established the Indy Racing League’s first street race in 2004. Headquartered in Indianapolis, the firm owns and promotes multiple professional racing events in North America, including Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, The Mid-Ohio School, Honda Indy Toronto and Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. More information about the company is available at gpstpete.com, hondaindytoronto.com and midohio.com.

[media-credit name=”World of Outlaws” align=”alignright” width=”234″][/media-credit]Bloomington, Ind.— October 11, 2012— Doubleheaders have around for years on the baseball diamond, and this weekend, the World of Outlaws will do their best imitation of America’s Pastime, as they take to the track twice in one day for a doubleheader at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo. Kraig Kinser is set to contest both events in his Hendrickcars.com Maxim as the 2012 season winds down.

First up on Saturday, Oct. 13, at approximately 3:30 p.m. Central will be the Federated Auto Parts Ironman 55 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, which was originally scheduled Aug. 4, and postponed by rain, just as the 55-lap main event was set to push. Following the completion of that $20,000-to-win event, will be the make-up of the race program from April 14 that was also rained out.

“It’s going to be a busy day for sure,” said Kinser. “The last few years the Ironman has been run on some of the hottest days of the year, so it will be a little bit of a relief in a sense to have some cooler weather for that 55-lapper. Having two features in one day, you have to be on your game and make sure everything is ready to go on the car. We’ve been working hard in the shop all week and will definitely be ready.”

In preliminary action for the Ironman 55 back in August, Kinser turned the fastest lap in qualifying of the 30 cars that were in attendance. He started fourth in the first 10-lap heat race and finished fifth to earn a spot in the dash. The 2004 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award winner lined up eighth in the dash after the inversion and finished seventh, which will put him on the inside of the fourth row for the completion of the Ironman 55.

“We have a pretty good starting spot for the Ironman,” he noted. “At Pevely you have to always be on your toes and try your best to keep your nose clean, especially running as many laps as we are on Saturday afternoon. It will take a good car to be in contention as well as some luck as well.”

Kinser made his debut with the World of Outlaws at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in 2001. He was victorious at the high-banked 1/3-mile bullring for the first time in 2005. In 15 career starts with the World of Outlaws at Pevely, Kinser has six Top-10 finishes, with three of those being Top-Five performances. He finished sixth last season in the Ironman 55 and was fourth in the finale of that event in 2010, when it was a two-night show.

“I’ve always enjoy racing at Pevely and it reminds me a lot of some of the smaller tracks I raced on early in my career,” shared Kinser.“We’ve had some good runs in the Ironman the last few years and are really looking forward to it. We’re going to be trying a few things as well this weekend as we continue to prepare for next season.”

Kinser enters the pair of events this weekend at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 sixth in the World of Outlaws point standings on the strength of four wins, along with 42 Top-10 and 18 Top-Five finishes this season. The third-generation driver has been fastest in time trials on six occasions this season, which is third best with the series, and he has led 101 laps in main events.

Kraig Kinser By the Numbers:Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55
0.333- Distance around Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in miles
2- Main events that will be contested at I-55 on October 13
5- Races on one-third-mile tracks this season for the World of Outlaws
6- Current position in points
10.189- Track record at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55
10.705- Qualifying lap on Aug. 4 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 to earn quick time honors
13.2- Average finish in 15 main event starts with the World of Outlaws at Pevely
15- Career feature event starts at Pevely
18- Top-Five finishes earned this season
40- Laps scheduled for the main event on Saturday night
42- Top-10 finishes earned this season
55- Laps in the Ironman 55
902- Miles from Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in Elbridge, N.Y., where the World of Outlaws competed on Oct. 6, to Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo.
2001- Year of first World of Outlaws start at I-55
2005- Year of first win at Federated Auto Pars Raceway at I-55

Keep up with all the action 
For the latest news on Kraig Kinser, visit the recently redesigned http://www.kraigkinser.com, and follow Kraig on Twitter athttp://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.

New Castle, Ind.—Oct. 11, 2012— Once the calendar reaches October, races in the Midwest are usually few and far between for short track open wheel drivers. That’s not the case this year as a handful of events still remain over the next two weekends. For Tracy Hines, first up is a trio of USAC races this weekend in Indiana and Michigan over a three-day stretch.

Hines opens the weekend with the USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series on Friday, Oct. 12, with the running of the rescheduled Jim Hurtubise Classic at the Terre Haute Action track. The event was postponed by rain back in August. Also on the docket at Terre Haute will be the Sumar Classic on Saturday, Oct. 13, for the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series, a race that was also rained out in August. Hines will then head north to I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Mich., on Sunday, Oct. 13, for yet another race that was postponed by rained earlier in the year.

“It’s going to be a busy weekend for sure,” said Hines. “Anytime we can race three times in a weekend is great. It’s always a challenge when we race a couple of different cars in the same weekend, but we’re up to it and look to turn in three good showings. Having just one race each night allows you to focus a little more on each of the cars during that particular night.”

The 2002 USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series champion has made two starts this season at Terre Haute in his MP Environmental DRC, finishing on the podium during Indiana Sprint Week, with a third-place showing. In his first start of the season at the legendary half-mile, Hines finished 12th in the Tony Hulman Classic. The native of New Castle, Ind., has three career USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series wins at Terre Haute, with those coming in 1999, 2001 and 2003.

“We’ve been fast in the sprint car on the bigger tracks all season,” he noted. “With the cooler temperatures this weekend, we’ll be churning out a lot of horsepower for sure. We were close during Sprint Week at Terre Haute. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve won a USAC race there, and it would be great to return to Victory Lane at that historic track this weekend.”

The Sumar Classic 100 will serve as the season finale of the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series. Hines made his last start in a Silver Crown car at Terre Haute in 2010. He enters the event this week seventh in series points, having earned four Top-10 finishes thus far in 2012. The 2000 USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series champion finished sixth in his most recent start with the series at Eldora Speedway in Ohio during the 4-Crown Nationals, piloting the Lightfoot Racing No. 16.

“The Silver Crown car was pretty good at Eldora last month, so hopefully we can carry that momentum into the race at Terre Haute this weekend,” stated Hines. “We have a chance to move up a few more spots in points and we definitely want to end the Silver Crown season on a strong note. We’ll do our best to turn in a good qualifying effort and try to start at the front in the main event.”

Hines will be making his first start in a sprint car at I-96 Speedway this weekend. He raced earlier this season in Michigan at Hartford Motor Speedway, finishing sixth on that sprawling half-mile. Hines enters the weekend fourth on the USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series all-time win list with 43, just two shy of third-place Larry Dickson.

“We raced earlier this season in Michigan on a big track and I-96 should be similar from what I hear,” he noted. “It will be good to go from a half-mile at Terre Haute to the half-mile at I-96. If you find something that really works one night, you’ll probably be able to use that the next night and have a good baseline and some momentum.”

Hines is currently fourth in the USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series standings on the strength of two wins and 18 Top-10 finishes, of which 10 have been Top-Five performances. Including this weekend, six nights of racing remain for the series.

Tracy Hines Racing would like to thank: MP Environmental, Parker Machinery, FatHeadz, Turbines, Inc., Support Esophagus Cancer DRC, Shaver Specialties, AFCO Racing Shocks, Bell Race Gear, Kenny’s Components, Race Bumpers, Rod End Supply, Schoenfeld Headers and Stanton Racing for their continued support.

For more information on Tracy Hines Racing, including a complete 2012 schedule, visit http://www.tracyhinesracing.com. Follow Tracy on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TracyHinesRacin.

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 9, 2012) – Don’t try to tell Josh Berry that video games are a waste of time.

After meeting NASCAR superstar and Late Model Stock car owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. on iRacing in 2009, Berry got to the know Earnhardt after the two started chatting online after races. That evolved into a phone conversation that eventually led to a tryout for Berry in a JR Motorsports-owned Late Model Stock car.

Berry will be running the JR Motorsports car at Martinsville Speedway in a couple of weeks when he attempts to make the field for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300.

“Dale Jr. and I became friends through iRacing and he let me test the car and I must have done pretty good because I got the ride,” Berry added. “I was able to use iRacing as a way to connect and I think you might see more and more of that down the road.”

Berry enjoyed a solid campaign at Motor Mile Speedway this season and his performance – one win, 15 top fives and 17 top 10s – was good enough to earn Berry the 2012 Motor Mile Speedway track championship and also give JR Motorsports its first championship at any level of NASCAR racing.

Earnhardt was impressed with his team’s performance at Motor Mile.

“I think it’s been a great experience for Josh. It’s been fun to watch. That’s why we have the late model team, is to have people have these experiences and enjoy it, see them kind of grow, become better racecar drivers, people with possibilities and opportunities,” said Earnhardt. “It’s been fun in that regard. I’m glad that I’ve spent 15 years putting late models on the racetrack. Finally win a championship, that’s not been the ultimate goal for us. We try to just kind of tutor people along. But winning races and winning a track championship is definitely icing on the cake. “

Berry hopes his success this season leads to a solid showing in the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 at Martinsville Speedway on October 21.

“When we went to Martinsville last fall (for the Virginia Is For Racing Lovers 300 Late Model classic) that whole experience seemed to make our program better,” said Berry.

Berry qualified ninth fastest in a field of 79 entries for that Martinsville event. He was running in the top 10 before being sidelined by an accident and relegated to a 40th-place finish.

“We didn’t start out this year with the goal of winning the Motor Mile championship, but it was in the back of my mind,” Berry said. “By the third race of the season we were the front runners. When we won the fourth race of the season, that’s when we knew we had to pursue the championship.”

Earnhardt also echoes Berry’s thoughts entering Martinsville.

“I think Josh will do a good job in Martinsville,” said Earnhardt. “He’s had a good car down there the last couple times he’s been and enjoyed the experience. I think he’s learned from it in the past and can go in there with a better mindset and hopefully give himself a better opportunity at trying to win the race.”

Berry placed fifth in the 2012 state NASCAR point race and ranks 19th in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series’ national top 500. Virginia tracks hosted three of the top 10 drivers in the national standings including Lee Pulliam, the series’ national champion.

Berry began racing at age nine in WKA and TKA karting and won numerous races and championships around Tennessee through 2002. He moved into stock-car racing in the four-cylinder Frontrunner division at Music City Motorplex in Nashville, TN, and won the division championship on the paved quarter-mile in 2004. His next move was to Legends cars, winning the Semi-Pro division championship in his rookie year of 2007. He continued to race Legends in Nashville through 2009, before moving to Mooresville to join JR Motorsports in 2010.

There are two big weekends of action coming up at Martinsville Speedway: the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 on October 21 and the TUMS Fast Relief 500 weekend Oct. 26-28. Tickets for all of the fall events are on sale and may be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX or by visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com online.

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