Category: Other Series PR

September 9, 2012. Normally at NASCAR Canadian Tire Series events we see DJ Kennington piloting the familiar #17 Castrol Edge Dodge. But for round number 10 at Barrie Speedway on Sunday Kennington caught the racing world of guard with an eye catching new look. For this one event Kennington would race the #17 SuperClean Dodge.

The project was kept very quiet in advance with only a handful of people aware of the surprise to be revealed. “It was an idea that came up a few weeks ago” said Kennington. “We’re happy to have SuperClean products as part of our program this year and for the Barrie race we had coupons and sample giveaways and then we had this idea to make an even bigger splash and we came up with this great look for the #17 SuperClean Dodge and it sure got a lot of attention from everyone he explained.

Once the action began on the track though he had a different look to the car Kennington’s #17 SuperClean Dodge was running well. Rain sprinkles fell on the track just before qualifying and Kennington was one of the first to attempt time trails. He would manage the sixth quickest time.

As the 300 lap feature event began Kennington began looking for opportunities to move the #17 SuperClean Dodge forward in the field. “We didn’t have the best qualifying but as the race started to get going it was getting better” said the driver.

Continuing his steady progress in the #17 SuperClean Dodge Kennington ran comfortably inside the top five and following scheduled pit stops for service felt they were in a good position for the second half of the race. Suddenly, their fortunes changed.

Without warning the #17 SuperClean Dodge slowed on the track and fell back in the field. Kennington quickly brought the car to the attention of the crew. After diagnosing the problem with the fuel pump the team made the change and returned him to the race many laps down, their opportunity at a good result was lost.

“From there we just soldiered on as best we could. The car was right back to running fast after we changed part change, unfortunately these things happen”.

The #17 SuperClean Dodge would be classified 21st at the finish and tighten up the championship battle that Kennington still leads. “We knew even with a good lead that this sort of thing sometimes happens” explained Kennington. “We’re not hanging out heads though; we’ll be back next week ready to go at Riverside. I feel bad we couldn’t have a better finish for SuperClean with them on the car this weekend”.

Even with the disappointing result at Barrie Kennington sits atop the overall championship standings, 14 points ahead of second place.

DJ Kennington will be back in his familiar #17 Castrol Edge Dodge as the team returns to action this coming Saturday September 15th at Riverside Speedway near Antigonish, NS.

Race fans are encouraged to keep up to date with the latest team news in several ways. Race fans should bookmark the team website www.djkracing.ca and follow them on twitter, @djkracing and fans should also “like” the team Facebook Page DJK Racing.

ABOUT SuperClean®

SuperClean®’s fast-acting formula has 25% more active ingredients providing the cleaning power needed in shops and commercial environments.
It’s powerful, but also biodegradable, phosphate-free and non-flammable, with hundreds of cleaning uses including auto parts, engines, shop equipment, tools, floor scrubbers and more. For more information: www.supercleancanada.ca

Photo: DJ Kennington in the #17 SuperClean Dodge

September 9, 2012- Barrie, Ontario– After the postponement of the Wahia Springs 300 on Saturday afternoon, Jason Hathaway in his #3 Snap-on Tools/ Rockstar Energy Drink/Vortex Brake Pads Dodge got back to oval track racing at Barrie Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

Barrie is known for tight racing and is always full of action and this race did not disappoint. Hathaway had a solid qualifying effort; posting a 8^th place start on a track wet from extensive rain and overcast skies.

The 300 lap race got started at 1:30 pm and Hathaway set his sights on the top 5 right away. By lap 44, he had made his way up to 6th in the running order.  Hathaway stayed out of trouble logging laps and getting into a rhythm. Crew Chief Craig Masters brought Hathaway’s race machine down pit road for left side tires on lap 137 and Hathaway continued to comfortably run laps in the 5^th spot.

Some on track beating and banging forced Hathaway back in the running order. In true Hathaway style though the #3 Snap-on Tools/Rockstar Energy Drink/Vortex Brake Pads Dodge never gave up and worked the tight .333 –mile oval. At the half-way point Hathaway had battled back up to 7^th and was in the hunt.

On lap 202 Hathaway got caught up in a car spinning in front of him and did some front end damage to his race car. On the pit stop the crew checked the car over, repaired the damage and sent Hathaway back out to challenge again. With 50 laps to go and a little beat up race car Hathaway was 6th and had his sights on a top 5 finish.  Hampered by numerous cautions and a green white checkered finale cut Hathaway chances short and he finished a hard fought 8^th place lacking some front end fiberglass!

“This was a crazy weekend. We had a good top 5 car today, but some crazy driving out there by some drivers beat on our car. We got held up in a few spots with the traffic so tight.”  Said Hathaway. “The crew did a great job getting me in and out of the pits and in contention all afternoon. We had the support of Napoleon Fireplaces & Grills and Choko Motorsports trackside today and it was great to have them all here to watch us in action! We will be ready to go for Riverside next weekend!”
The Wahia Springs 300 with air on TSN on Saturday September 15^th at 12 noon eastern. Fans can follow the Team on twitter @jasonhathaway3 & @ehrt3r as well on their website at team3red.com and “Like” them on Facebook.com/team3red.edhakonsonracing.com

The team will be off to the Wilson Equipment 300 at Riverside Speedway in Antigonish, Nova Scotia this coming weekend.

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Ed Hakonson Racing is proud to be partnered with Snap-on Tools, Rockstar Energy Drinks, Vortex Brake Pads, Napoleon Grills, Castrol, Fast Eddie Racewear, Choko Motorsports, Praxair and Cathcart Trucking and King Brewery.

About Snap-on Tools: Snap-on Tools is a leading global innovator, manufacturer and marketer of tools, diagnostics and equipment solutions for professional users. Product lines include hand and power tools, tool storage, diagnostics software, information and management systems, shop equipment and other solutions used by technicians and professionals at vehicle dealerships and repair centers in the marine, power sports and aviation industries. Visit www.snapon.com

About Rockstar Energy Drink: “ROCKSTAR is the world’s most powerful energy drink. Enhanced with the potent herbal blend of Guarana, Ginkgo, Ginseng and Milk Thistle, ROCKSTAR is formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles – from athletes to rock stars!

About Vortex Brake Pads: Vortex Brake Pads is a proud Canadian company, manufacturing the highest quality aftermarket brake pads for all automotive segments. Vortex products are well researched, proven in on track and off track testing and are produced in a high quality manufacturing environment. For more information visit www.vortexbrakepads.com

For additional information please contact: Jamie Hakonson @ 905-642-1010 or jamie@team3red.com

September 9, 2012.  Sherwood Park, Alberta’s Noel Dowler continues to enjoy a sophomore season in the #5 EMCO Dodge participating in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series with improved race results and a season of firsts.  Earlier this year Dowler scored his first top ten result in the series and this past weekend at Barrie Speedway Dowler recorded his first podium finish with a third place result.

During practice the #5 EMCO Dodge team worked to have a race that would perform consistently for the 300 lap feature event.  Though Dowler did not have a strong qualifying run he was confident they would have a solid race.  “The car just felt really good all day” said Dowler.  “I knew that we had the car to have a good day” he added.

In the early going Dowler faced another challenge as his #5 EMCO Dodge ended up spinning between turns one and two.  “In Barrie you have to expect this sort of thing” he explained. “Fortunately we had this happen early so we just continued with our plan and I knew that the car was good enough for us to get back toward the front” he stated.

From that point Dowler’s day became much better.  The #5 EMCO Dodge team knew that with the majority of the race remaining hope was not lost.  “We got thrown off our strategy a little bit but with the car set up so well by the team we were doing okay” said Dowler.

The #5 EMCO Dodge team completed their final pit stop of the afternoon and the rest was now up to Dowler.  The second year driver moved the car smartly into the top-ten and then continued to look for opportunities to gain positions.  With a late caution flag slowing the field, Dowler found himself close to the front of the pack with one more restart opportunity to gain more positions.

With the race set up for a green, white, checkered finish Dowler dug deep on the restart looking to move up.  He would get a little assistance as the first two cars in the running order would have contact and spin out.  On the final lap he continued to push and would cross the finish line third overall.

“What a great day for the whole team” said Dowler.  “We had a little luck working for us at the end but we also had a really good race car, we didn’t get down when we had some troubles early and we raced back to put ourselves in position for this result.  I’m really happy for everybody at EMCO, Kohler, Rheem and the whole team.  This is a great boost for us” he added.

With the third place finish Noel Dowler also climbs to tenth in the overall championship standings.

The 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series is back in action on Saturday September 15^th at Riverside Speedway near Antigonish, NS.  The series features 12 events from coast to coast including races during the Edmonton Indy weekend and the NASCAR Nationwide event in Montreal.  For more information about Noel Dowler Jr. log onto www.apollomotorsports.ca and follow him on twitter, @noeldowler.

September 9, 2012. Barrie, Ont. – Despite running a smart and effective strategy throughout the course of the Wahta Springs 300 on Sunday, Ron Beauchamp Jr. fell victim to another vehicle and lost a chance at a top 5 finish.

Beauchamp and his crew had a solid test session at the Barrie Speedway and learned some things they believed would help them. They had a good practice, only making some minor adjustments to the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge in preparation for qualifying. The crew made the right adjustments, and #60 earned a strong 2^nd place starting position.

Once the race kicked off, #60 upheld the strategy: pit for fuel early and then tires. The team ended up taking their last two tires later than the rest of the front-runners. Their game plan was successful; Beauchamp ran in and around the top 5 for most of the 307-lap race.

“Our plan was working really well,” Beauchamp said afterwards. “We got our tires later than the other guys, we had a really strong car and were coming for the leaders.”

#60 continued to run strong, marching steadily towards the front and running fourth, when Beauchamp was suddenly struck by the #3 car.

Once Beauchamp regrouped from the collision, he couldn’t recover the lost ground and ended up closing out the green-white-checker finish in 7^th place.

“I definitely think we had a podium-finishing car today,” he said. “Instead we had a better finish taken from us and that’s disappointing.”

After today, Beauchamp is ranked 5^th overall with 350 points and a solid 20-point lead over 6^th-ranked Jason Hathaway.

Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge team will be back in action this coming Saturday September 15^th at Riverside Speedway near Antigonish, NS.  For more information about the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries team log on towww.beauchampmotorsports.com and www.mopar.ca

September 9, 2012. Barrie, Ont. – Despite having a solid vehicle to rely on, Jason White had a tough day at the Wahta Springs 300 at the Barrie Speedway on Sunday that just continued to get worse – a day he described as “quicksand.”

The team’s #21 Bowers & Wilkins Dodge was a car to be proud of in practice, and White kicked off the weekend on a high note. Unfortunately for White, his expectations didn’t pan out in qualifying. A spot of rain threw him off his groove right before the qualifying laps and #21 registered a 13^th-place time.

White’s black cloud followed him to the main event, where early in the race he had some contact with car #07.

“Once we got tagged by the #07 car, which set us back in the pack,” he explained later. “Once that happens, it’s tough to climb out of the quicksand.”

White battled hard to keep from sinking deeper in his proverbial quicksand, aiming to run consistent laps to rekindle the lap he lost after the incident with #07.

“We had to keep fighting to get anywhere, it’s just how it is at Barrie,” White said.

Speed bumps kept springing up throughout the course of the race, and he ended up getting turned around yet again towards the final laps. White kept working hard to make the best of his luckless afternoon eventually finishing 17^th under a green-white-checker finish.

Despite the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the day, White still saw the bright side.

“It was a pretty frustrating day, but the car is in good shape,” he remarked. “We won’t have much to do getting ready for Riverside and I’m looking forward to racing on that track – it’s a lot of fun.”

After today’s race, White is ranked 8^th overall with 308 points.

Jason White and the #21 Dodge team will compete in the entire 2012 NCATS schedule that will take the team from coast to coast in Canada for the 12 events.  Next on the schedule; teams head east to Riverside Speedway near Antigonish, NS on September 15^th.  For the latest news about Jason White and the #21 Dodge team check out the team website atwww.jasonwhiteracing.com and be sure to follow Jason on twitter for the latest updates @racinjasonwhite  You can get more information about the NCATS series at www.hometracks.nascar.com

ESR Development Driver to Make K&N Pro Series East Debut on Labor Day

DENVER, N.C. (August 29, 2012) – Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) development driver Brandon Jones will make his first appearance in a NASCAR-sanctioned event when he makes his debut in the K&N Pro Series East on September 3 at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway. Weeks after winning his first United Auto Racing Association (UARA) STARS Series race at Concord (N.C.) Speedway, 15-year-old Jones will take the next step up the racing ladder as he competes in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140 at the historic half-mile speedway on Labor Day evening.

“I can’t wait to race at Greenville Pickens Speedway this weekend,” commented Jones. “From getting my first UARA win to making my K&N Pro Series debut, this year has been awesome. All the guys at Eddie Sharp Racing have done a great job all season giving me the equipment that I need to run competitively week after week at all the levels in which we’ve competed. The K&N Series is super competitive and will be challenging, but I’m excited and ready to take another step in my racing career. There are a lot of talented drivers on the entry list and it’s sure to be tough race, but I have confidence that me and my No. 33 ESR team are ready to take on this challenge.”

Jones joined ESR in January 2012 after securing track championships in the pro truck division at Lanier (Ga.) Speedway and Gresham (Ga.) Motorsports Park in 2011. In addition to running select super late model and pro late model events across the Southeast, Jones has been competing for the Rookie of the Year title in the UARA-STARS Series.

“We’ve had a really great season so far with Brandon,” commented Eddie Sharp. “As an owner, it’s been very exciting and rewarding for me to watch Brandon grow as a driver and find success as he moves up the ranks. We know Brandon is a talented racecar driver, and we’re really looking forward to seeing what he can do this weekend at Greenville Pickens Speedway.”

Race day for the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140 will kick off with two 45-minute practice sessions (11 a.m. ET and 12:15 p.m. ET), followed by qualifying at 4 p.m. and a driver autograph session at 4:45 p.m. ET on Labor Day. The day will culminate with the running of the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140; the field will take the green flag at 6 p.m. ET on Monday, September 3rd. Tickets are still available to see the action live at Greenville Pickens Speedway, or fans can watch a tape-delayed broadcast of the race on SPEED at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 13.

About Eddie Sharp Racing

Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) (TeamESR.com) is a championship winning racing team housed in a 45,000 square-foot facility in Denver, N.C. After getting its start in the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Racing Series, ESR has accumulated upwards of 20 race wins, the 2009 ARCA Racing Series Championship, and countless top-five and top-10 finishes in just five years of competition. By 2010, ESR began to make the transition into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) with a partial schedule before racing in the series full-time in 2011. By 2012, the team expanded to be a multi-truck team and secured its first victory in just the team’s 35th NCWTS race. Additionally, ESR continues to build its driver development program fielding various drivers in the ARCA Racing Series, the United Auto Racing Association (UARA) STARS Series and other late model events across the southeast.

[media-credit name=”arcaracing.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit](FLAT ROCK, Mich.) – Two of the top female stock car drivers in America are slated to compete at Flat Rock Speedway Saturday night, September 8, when the ARCA CRA Super Series late models make their first appearance at the quarter-mile paved oval in the 7-Up 125.

Kenzie Ruston of El Reno, OK and Becca Kasten of Mequon, WI have some very impressive credentials. Ruston, at the age of 20, is currently 2nd in the ARCA/CRA point standings while Becca sits in the third spot as the season winds down for the short track Late Model tour.

Kenzie began her racing career in the Bandolero cars at the age of 14. The Legends Cars Series was next for Kenzie, where again she was very competitive at the age of 16. In 2009, Ruston won 7 championships in the Legends Series and became the first female driver to win the Asphalt National Legends Series. With much of her racing taking place at Texas Motor Speedway, Kenzie was voted Driver of the Year and participated in the “Women of the Winner’s Circle”, which was created by nationally-recognized female driver Lyn St. James. The display promotes women in racing.

In 2010, Ruston moved to the full-bodied stock cars, competing in the Pro All Star (PASS) Southern division, racking up multiple top ten finishes and gained respect of her fellow competitors. Despite missing 2 races, Kenzie finished 12th in the final point standings.

The next season saw Ruston make the jump into the spotlight of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards stock cars. She competed in 4 ARCA events and became the first female to lead laps and finish in the top 10 in her debut race. Kenzie also became the fist female to ever qualify for an ARCA/CRA Super Series event. At the end of the 2011 season, Ruston became the first female to win a CRA contest, which took place at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, IN. And she started her day by setting fast time in qualifying for the event.

Becca Kasten, also now 20 years old, entered the racing scene at the age of 16, starting in a full-bodied Late Model. She toured the short tracks of the Midwest for 3 seasons from 2007-2009. She became the first female to win a Late Model race at Madison, WI International Raceway and also at Wisconsin International Raceway. Wins at Rockford, IL, Dells, WI Raceway Park and Golden Sands, WI sent notice that Kasten had the credentials to become a successful racer.

For the 2010 season, Becca was selected to compete in the Revolution Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program, all while being enrolled at Marquette University as a sophomore. Becca put school on hold and moved to North Carolina to pursue the Revolution program, where she collected 6-top 3 finishes.

There’s no place like Florida in February to win a race! Becca did just that in 2011, winning a Late Model feature at the World Series of Stock Car Racing at the New Smyrna Speedway, along with 3 consecutive second place finishes in the 9 nights of racing. For her exploits, Becca has landed the driver role on the Car # 51 BDI Racing Cars team fielded by SPEED broadcaster Bob Dillner and continues to compete across the Midwest, in addition to her commitment to the ARCA/CRA Super Series. Becca enjoys golf, fishing and hockey in her spare time.

Flat Rock’s Saturday, September 8 schedule has practice from 3:30 to 4:30 for the ARCA/CRA machines, with time trials at 5:30. Big Wheel races for the kids will take place at 6, an on-track autograph session with Ruston, Kasten and all the ARCA/CRA drivers will take place at 6:30 and the green flag will drop just after 7 p.m.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.flatrockspeedway.com. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/toledoflatrock or follow us on Twitter @flatrockspeed. The track is located on Telegraph Road, 5 miles from I-75 or I-275. The track phone number is 734-782-2480.

Founded by John and Mildred Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in three professional touring series and local weekly events.

(TOLEDO, Ohio) – For the most part, the tracks on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards tour are all brand new to Chase Elliott.

That said, his results so far have been impressive: a career-best second-place finish in his road course debut at New Jersey Motorsports Park, and a next-to-best fourth place finish on the very challenging Salem Speedway short track back in April. In fact, in five ARCA starts so far, he has not yet finished out of the top-10.

And when the 16-year-old son of NASCAR champion Bill Elliott returns to Salem Speedway for the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic presented by Federated Car Care Saturday night, September 15, he’ll finally be on familiar ground.

“It’s going to help a lot,” Elliott said.

“I’ve thought about this a lot. We had a good time last time we were at Salem, and we’ve made a lot of improvements for when we go back. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be fun.”

Elliott admits the historic old short track in southern Indiana is like no other.

“I had heard so much about it, but I had no idea of what to really expect. I thought that it can’t be that bad, but I found out it’s very challenging. It’s rough and you’re busy all the time whether you’re racing someone or not.

“It reminds me of a smaller Darlington with some Winchester (Speedway) mixed in, but in reality, it just doesn’t compare to anywhere.”

Elliott also said, when it comes to Salem, he’s all for listening to advice from veterans, specifically Frank Kimmel, who’s won at Salem a record nine times.

“I’m all for listening to the guys who have a lot of experience there, guys like Frank Kimmel who have so many laps around that place. Anything Frank Kimmel says I’m going to listen to, no matter where we’re at.

“But like everywhere else, it’ll come down to how the race plays out, when you get the cautions, and being able to make good calls on the spot.”

Fortunately for Elliott, he’ll have the experience of veteran crew chief Lance McGrew calling the shots from pit road. McGrew brings to the table vast experience, having worked with some of the most recognizable drivers in stock car racing, including Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., to name a few.

So, with one Salem race on his resume and McGrew helping steer the ship, Elliott has every reason to believe he can win.

“Absolutely. I’d stay home if I didn’t think we can win. We’re going to be in a super car – the Aaron’s Dream Machine/HendrickCars.com Chevrolet with great support from a lot of very knowledgeable people. It’s going to be a good time. I’m really looking forward to this.”

Practice for the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic is scheduled from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m., with a final practice to follow from 1:45 to 2:30. Menards Pole Award Qualifying presented by Ansell is at 4. The Salem Street Stocks will get the racing action started with a 50-lap feature event at 5:30, followed by the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic at 7:15.

ARCA Celebrating 60th Anniversary Season

2012 is the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards’ 60th Anniversary Season, featuring 20 races at 18 tracks. The complete 2012 event schedule is available at ARCARacing.com.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 26 states since its inception. The series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.375 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course in its most recent season. This year, the series visited Alabama’s Mobile International Speedway and Minnesota’s Elko Speedway for the first time.

Founded by John and Mildred Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in three professional touring series and local weekly events.