Category: Other Series PR

Young Canadian Returns to His Home Track With Increased Support

MAPLE, Ontario, Thursday, June 28, 2012 – Race car driver David Ostella comes from a large Toronto-based family, but his family is expanding for the Honda Indy Toronto when the LiUNA Ontario Provincial District Council (OPDC) and its 12 affiliated Locals step up to sponsor Ostella’s No. 22 car at his home race.

Ostella competes in Firestone Indy Lights, the development series that progresses to the IZOD IndyCar Series, both of which will race through the streets of Toronto July 6-8 at the Honda Indy Toronto.

Driving for Team Moore Racing, Ostella enters the Honda Indy Toronto coming off a string of five top-ten starts, and two consecutive top-five finishes recently at the Milwaukee Mile and Iowa Speedway.

As Ostella heads into the Honda Indy Toronto weekend of racing, he is proud to drive a car sporting the livery of an organization so close to his own family.

“My dad has been a 20-year member of LiUNA Local 506 (an affiliate of LiUNA OPDC),” Ostella said. “LiUNA has more than 60,000 members across Ontario, so this is the perfect sponsor for my first Canadian race of the season.”

Ostella’s No. 22 LiUNA/Global Precast car will feature its familiar yellow and white colors with new splashes of orange for LiUNA.

Cosmo Mannella, LiUNA OPDC Business Manager said, “We are excited to support David in his racing career and look forward to helping him succeed.”

And while LiUNA OPDC is supporting Ostella as he winds his way around the 2.84-km, 11-turn temporary street course around Exhibition Place, LiUNA members are also responsible for much of the foundation and infrastructure that allows the INDYCAR teams and drivers to put on such a great show and build speeds that exceed 175-mph for the multitudes of attending fans.

“LiUNA has been an integral part of the track build on-site at Exhibition Place,” said Honda Indy Toronto President and General Manager Charlie Johnstone. “We are pleased that in addition to developing our infrastructure, they are increasing their role in racing by developing and supporting our next generation of racing talent.”

As the only Canadian racing in the Firestone Indy Lights field, Ostella hopes some of LiUNA’s 60,000 Canadian members will be on hand in the streets of Toronto to cheer on their hometown favorite.

“I grew up with a huge family in Toronto, and it’s really special to race in front of them in our city,” Ostella said. “With LiUNA on board, the number of friends and family I’m racing for here in Toronto just increased exponentially, and I can’t wait.”

For more information, follow David Ostella on Facebook, Twitter, and on-line, and for racing and news updates, follow @OstellaCorsa.

About David Ostella:

Ostella, a 20-year-old Toronto-native, recently climbed to Firestone Indy Lights, the final rung in North American open-wheel competition before the premier IZOD IndyCar Series, after successful steps ascending racing’s career ladder.

Along the way, he won a World Karting Association championship and captured Ontario Grand National Kartingand Canadian national karting championships. He also scored podium finishes in Formula BMW and StarMazda.

About Ontario Provincial District Council:

The LiUNA Ontario Provincial District Council (OPDC) is a certified council of trade unions made up of affiliates of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA).

The LiUNA OPDC has 12 affiliated local unions located throughout the Province of Ontario, and specializes in representing construction workers, however, they also represent workers in many other industries including manufacturing, hospitality, cleaning, convention and show services.

About LiUNA:

The half-million members of LiUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build America.

For more information log on to www.liuna.org.

MILLVILLE, New Jersey (June 27, 2012) – – ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards rookie Mason Mingus (@Mason­_Mingus) is looking to end his impressive month of June just as it started, strong. After a pair of short tracks, the Win-Tron Racing team turns their attention towards Sunday afternoon’s All-American Race Weekend presented by Global Barter Corporation at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP).

On the heels of a career-best sixth place run last weekend at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway and a ninth place run earlier in the month at Elko (Minn.) Speedway, the teenager is eager to once again impress now making lefts and rights this weekend in the series’ lone road course contest of the season.

In-between racing at Elko and Winchester, Mingus headed out west to Phoenix, Arizona to partake in the Bob Bondurant Driving School, a facility that focuses on the fundamentals of road racing. After an intense three-day training session, the Brentwood, Tennessee native is confident he can show his abilities in the 10th race of the season.

“In all honesty, New Jersey Motorsports Park will probably be my biggest challenge yet, but I’m up for it,” said Mingus. “Attending the Bob Bondurant Driving School really helped me prepare for what I could unexpectedly face this weekend. I know my learning curve will only continue to intensify this weekend, but that’s primarily what this season has been about anyways. Every race we’ve been learning and the finishes are really starting to show for it. Despite this weekend being a road course, I think our odds of topping off the month with three top-10 finishes is obtainable.”

The former ARCA / CRA standout added, “In addition to getting as much time track time as possible on Saturday, believe me, I’m going to be watching some of the veterans to see if I can’t learn from them too. I know that the Win-Tron Racing bunch is going to bring me a strong No. 32 Call 811 Before You Dig Toyota Camry, but it all reverts back to the person behind the wheel to make the right moves and save the equipment until the end.”

For the sixth time this year, the 17-year old standout will be carrying the likes of Call 811 Before You Dig, which has been with him since his inception into the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. 811 is the new number you should call before you begin any digging project. A new, federally-mandated national “Call Before You Dig” number, 811 was created to help protect you from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines while working on digging projects. People digging often make risky assumptions about whether or not they should get their utility lines marked due to concerns about project delays, costs and previous calls about other projects. These assumptions can be life-threatening. Every digging job requires a call – even small projects like planting trees or shrubs. If you hit an underground utility line while digging, you can harm yourself or those around you, disrupt service to an entire neighborhood and potentially be responsible for fines and repair costs.

“Call 811 Before You Dig is a great program and we want to increase their awareness and I feel that we have and we’re going to continue to make a major dent into that this season,” offered Mingus. “It’s really a great, informational service available and I’m extremely grateful to them for pairing up with me this season. After our performance at Winchester, we’re optimistic that we can go to New Jersey and tackle the unknown and persevere with an exceptional run.”

Nate Thiesse, co-car owner of Win-Tron Racing offered his sentiments on his protégés tango with NJMP.

“Undoubtedly, this weekend surfaces as a new challenge for Mason, but I think he’ll be fine. He went to one of the best road racing schools in the United States and there isn’t any hesitation that he won’t forget what he learned there and will be able to adapt that at New Jersey this weekend. His competition climb in the ARCA Series, especially this month has been impressive and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do on Sunday.”

On top of New Jersey Motorsports Park, Mingus’s current ARCA schedule also includes Iowa Speedway, Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and the traditional Fall Salem (Ind.) Speedway classic.

In addition to Call 811 Before You Dig, Diamond Equipment will leap aboard the team as an associate marketing partner for Mingus’s seventh-career ARCA start.

The All-American Race Weekend presented by Global Barter Corporation (67 laps / 150 miles) is the 10th of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The fifth ARCA race on the 2.3-mile paved Thunderbolt Raceway is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, June 30 with an hour and a half session planned from 11:20 a.m. – 12:40 p.m. A final practice is scheduled from 1:40 p.m. – 2:40 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag Sunday, July 1 shortly after 1:00 p.m. The race will not be televised but additional coverage including a radio broadcast and timing and scoring will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local (Eastern).

Further information including driver opportunities with Win-Tron Racing is available by visiting win-tronracing.comor contacting Nate Thiesse at 612.306.1641

Learn about Call 811 Before You Dig and what it can do for you by connecting to call811.com.

For more on Mason Mingus, please visit MasonMingusRacing.com.

 

About Win-Tron Racing:

Located in Lakeville, Minnesota, Win-Tron Racing is the home of one the most potent ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards single-car operations. Owned by former racers Kevin Cywinski and Nate Thiesse, the team since has acquired the assets of County Joe Racing has become a favorable fixture on the circuit. Since Win-Tron Racing’s inception in 2007, the team has hosted a variety of drivers including leading drivers James Buescher, Blake Bjorklund, Justin Marks and Matt Merrell to their first career ARCA victories. In 2012, the team will begin its sixth year of competition with current drivers Chris Windom, Mason Mingus and Aleks Gregory.

MILLVILLE, New Jersey (June 27, 2012) – – After being snakebitten in the last two ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards races, Tom Hessert III (@TomHessert) and his Ken Schrader Racing (KSR) team aim for redemption in Sunday’s All-American Race Weekend presented by Global Barter Corporation at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP).

The lone road course event of the season may be the exact medicine that the veteran pair needs to put what has been a relatively strong season back on the right path and see the No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet back at the front.

With all due respect, Hessert’s name has been tossed around as “one to watch” this weekend and the early race predictions certainly fit the criteria. The Hessert-family name has been historical for road-racing success and with the 26-year old’s success turning lefts and rights not only in ARCA but in the NASCAR Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series as well, the chances of celebrating his second-career ARCA victory may not be too far off the horizon.

If Hessert was to pull off the feat and score his first ARCA win with Ken Schrader Racing and crew chief Donnie Richeson, the Cherry Hill, New Jersey native won’t have to look far for family and friends to join in the celebration. The 10th race on the 60thanniversary tour is nestled just about an hour from Hessert’s hometown.

“It’s going to be a fun weekend, I just hope we have a good finish that makes it all even better,” said Hessert. “I always love competing at New Jersey and it’s close to home, so all the friends and family flock to the racetrack and that’s important to me. I enjoy their company and support and it’s nice to have a cheering section for a race like this.”

He added, “There’s no hiding that Michigan and Winchester were hard on us. We had such a strong start to the year and two races where we had no control of the outcome have forced us to come together as a team and prove that we’re ready to fight our way back into the spotlight. New Jersey’s a perfect place to do that. There’s going to be competition, but I think with our team’s attitude and desire we should have a really strong weekend.”

Competing on a tour that consists of speedways, short tracks, dirt tracks and a road course, Hessert revels how important having a track like New Jersey Motorsports Park on the schedule is crucial to ARCA’s platform.

“ARCA spreads its wings as one of the most diversified racing tours in the United States and it truly is,” explained Hessert. “There isn’t anywhere else where you can take a stock car and go race places like Daytona, Salem, Michigan then shift over to a tricky road course like New Jersey and then later in the year sling on the dirt at Springfield and DuQuoin. It’s a series that’s a lot of fun to compete in and a lot of people take notice of that. The road course races have been exciting in the past and I don’t expect Sunday’s race to be any different.”

The avid racer will make his fifth start in Millville, New Jersey this weekend in search for his third consecutive top-five run and fourth top-10 effort overall.

“No doubt about it, New Jersey is a place if everything goes as it should for us to recovery some of the points we’ve lost in the last two races. I have a feeling we’ll have a good enough No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet to contend for victory – but if we can also walk away with a good point’s day, I’ll be happy with that too.”

After nine races, Hessert occupies seventh in the championship standings and has posted three top-fives and five top-10 finishes thus far in 2012.   Entering New Jersey, Hessert has 92 career ARCA Racing Series starts. In those outings, he has maneuvered two poles, one win, 22 top-fives and 48 top-10s.

For more on Tom Hessert III, please visit tomhessert.com.

Hessert has joined the Twitter crave. Follow and connect with him @TomHessert.

MILLVILLE, New Jersey (June 27, 2012) – – After netting the team’s third top-10 performance of the season last weekend at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway, Josh Williams (@Josh02Williams) and his family-owned Josh Williams Motorsports (JWM) team invade New Jersey Motorsports Park for Sunday’s running of the All-American Race Weekend presented by Global Barter Corporation.

Even though the Port Charlotte, Florida native is not traditionally known for his road-racing skills, Williams has shown signs of life in his three previous starts on a road course in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. Williams flashed into the spotlight in the inaugural race at Palm Beach (Fla.) International Raceway in February 2010. With two previous starts at NJMP including a sound seventh place finish last year, the Floridian is eager to turn left and right this weekend and award his team with another satisfying finish.

“This has been a race that I’ve circled on my calendar all year long,” said Williams. “Honestly, I wished we had another road course race on the schedule. I’m not a perfectionist by any means, but I do enjoy the challenges that road course racing brings and I think we’ll have another opportunity to equal or better our performance from last year on Sunday.”

When asked about the key components to road racing, the 18-year old wasn’t shy to faze away from the question.

“Where do you want me to start?,” he chuckled. “There’s a lot that goes into road course racing. For us, I think our main priority is taking care of the equipment, especially the brakes and staying on-course. It doesn’t do anything to make any daring moves early in the race because it could hurt your chances of being around for the checkered flag. I think our agenda is to race the track for most of the race then when it’s time to go, we’ll pedal down and hope we can walk away with another strong finish.”

The month of June has shown its trial and tribulations for the Concord, North Carolina-based team but the teenager says through it all he could not be more proud of the hard work and dedication that his team has poured into the No. 02 Southwest Florida Cable Construction Chevrolet.

“Words can’t express my gratitude towards my guys,” Williams explained. “They are the best. They don’t complain, they just want to race. We’re just a small team trying to make big things happen on a shoestring budget. I think we’ve been able to make our mark at points during the year, we just have to keep trying and hoping with that our future should be a lot brighter. Of course, we all know this wouldn’t be possible though without the support of my parents.”

After nine races, JWM has competed in eight of them but occupies 11th in the championship standings, just 40 markers from reentering the top-10.

“Points aren’t necessarily a concern for us, but to be sitting as close to the top-10 as we are, it still sits on our minds a little bit to know that if we can get back there – it’s a gratifying reward for us knowing all the positive and negatives we’ve experienced throughout the year,” Williams concluded.

The All-American Race Weekend presented by Global Barter Corporation (67 laps / 150 miles) is the 10th of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The fifth ARCA race on the 2.3-mile paved Thunderbolt Raceway is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, June 30 with an hour and a half session planned from 11:20 a.m. – 12:40 p.m. A final practice is scheduled from 1:40 p.m. – 2:40 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag Sunday, July 1 shortly after 1:00 p.m. The race will not be televised but additional coverage including a radio broadcast and timing and scoring will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local (Eastern).

For more information on Josh Williams, his Josh Williams Motorsports team and sponsorship opportunities for the 2012 and 2013 seasons please connect to the team’s official website at Joshwracing.com.

MILLVILLE, New Jersey (June 28, 2012) – – The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards shifts focus from traditional short track racing to road racing this weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) and Kimmel Racing with driver Will Kimmel is thriving on the anticipation of a competitive showing in Sunday’s All-American Race Weekend presented by Global Barter Corporation.

The Clarksville, Indiana-based team is also hoping the 10th race of the season will offer a chance for the team to put their team back on the radar screen as lack of sponsorship have kept the team from the ability of running full races during the month of June.

But, while the sponsorship search continues, the veteran team will forge ahead and plans to run the entire distance on Sunday afternoon in search of their third top-10 effort of the season.

“We’ve been talking about racing New Jersey for a while and we decided to go for it,” said team owner and crew chief Bill Kimmel. “Will doesn’t have a lot of experience turning rights and lefts – but I feel this weekend’s race will be a good opportunity for him to get some experience under his belt. I know that he will learn a lot and who knows if we have a good finish, some of the things we have in the works might materialize further.”

For the younger Kimmel, he always welcomes the opportunity to race but for Sunday’s contest, he is remaining realistic when it comes to performance.

“To be honest, I can’t tell you what to really expect,” the 24-year old said. “I really appreciate Dad (Bill) and the guys working hard on getting the car ready. Realistically, I think we can leave New Jersey with a solid finish if everything falls into place. I have some track time there so I know the course. We’re bringing a road course car, so that always helps when you bring a car that fits the track profile. We’ll use the benefit of practice to its fullest potential, hopefully that will put us in a good group for qualifying. No matter where we start, if we can stay out of trouble and try and leave there with a top-10 finish, I think everyone would be pretty happy with that.”

With the summer stretch upon the tour, the Kimmel Racing team is upbeat about their chances of competitively competing in more races.

“We’re working hard on some stuff,” Will Kimmel explained. “There are some races that we want to compete in within the next month – but we’re going to need to some help in order for that to happen. We’re thankful for the help we’ve had from all of the sponsors this season thus far and I know we have some things in the works, I just hope we get a break and actually do some racing this summer because I know this team with the right circumstances is capable of pulling off a win!”

When Kimmel isn’t behind the wheel of the No. 68 Kimmel Racing Ford Fusion, the Sellersburg, Indiana native is busting his hump with his full service lawn care business which serves several surrounding cities and includes both business and residential clients.

“It keeps me busy, that’s for sure,” Kimmel explained. “From the moment the sun rises until it begins to set it seems like I’m out there hard at it. It’s a lot of work – but it helps out with stuff that we need in the shop. The family’s real supportive so that makes things a lot easier to deal with.”

For sponsorship inquiries with Kimmel Racing, interested parties are urged to contact Bill Kimmel at 502.645.9370 or bill@kimmelracing.com.

The All-American Race Weekend presented by Global Barter Corporation (67 laps / 150 miles) is the 10th of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The fifth ARCA race on the 2.3-mile paved Thunderbolt Raceway is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, June 30 with an hour and a half session planned from 11:20 a.m. – 12:40 p.m. A final practice is scheduled from 1:40 p.m. – 2:40 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag Sunday, July 1 shortly after 1:00 p.m. The race will not be televised but additional coverage including a radio broadcast and timing and scoring will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local (Eastern).

For more on Will Kimmel, please visit willkimmel.com.

For additional input on Kimmel Racing, please log on to kimmelracing.com.

[media-credit name=”Knight Motorsports Management” align=”alignright” width=”134″][/media-credit]STATESVILLE, North Carolina (June 28, 2012)- – After a brief sabbatical from Motorsports competition, John Gibson made his long awaited return to the CARS Pro Cup Series this past weekend at Caraway (N.C.) Speedway behind the wheel of the No. 13 Mitigator Ford Fusion.

Making his return to the series for the first time since 2010, Gibson and his John Gibson Motorsports (JGM) team approached the race with optimism, especially since his 47th career start would be his first at the Asheboro, North Carolina-based track.

Despite chasing the handling on their No. 13 Mitigator Ford Fusion throughout practice during the day, the team made some aggressive changes for qualifying in hopes of giving the Statesville, North Carolina native a balanced automobile for the CARS Pro Cup 250 presented by CV Products.

In time trials, Gibson negotiated the eighth quickest lap with the 12-car field boasting incredibly close lap times. Unfortunately, the avid racer informed his team that he lost his power steering during his two lap hustle forcing the veteran to raise the bar from behind the seat in extremely warm temperatures.

During his CAR Pro Cup return, Gibson utilized patience and aggression but impressively held his own on the track despite the circumstances battling against him and maneuvering a loose No. 13 Mitigator Ford Fusion. During the race’s first segment, Gibson lost a lap to the leaders but through adjustments on pit road and being the beneficiary of the “lucky dog”, the 27-year old battled back to finish the first segment ninth and on the lead circuit.

A mandatory 10-minute break allowed Gibson to confer with his crew about changes to make to their blue oval hoping for a better second half which consisted of 125 laps.

When racing resumed, Gibson was a man on a mission and it showed with his lap times and moves on the track. Despite still fighting a loose racecar, he had muscled his way to fifth. Inside the race’s final 50 laps, Gibson’s machine knocked sideways slapping the frontstretch wall which knocked portions of the exhaust and crush panels loose. Giving his all for an additional 20 laps, the driver informed his team that the conditions were becoming unbearable behind the wheel forcing him to bring his automobile to pit lane where he would retire from the race and being scored in the eighth position in the overall rundown.

“I’m proud of everyone on the John Gibson Motorsports team for giving nothing less than 100 percent at Caraway,” he said. “We fought the loose condition all day and it finally just snapped near the end of the race and I tagged the wall. It knocked the exhaust loose, causing fumes to consume the racecar. That’s never a good sign and I wasn’t going to put myself or anyone else in danger out on the racetrack, so we just brought the car in. I want to thank Mitigator for stepping aboard and helping out for the race, it really means a lot to me and everyone who standings behind our small group.”

Last Saturday’s contest was an initial kick-off for Gibson and his team. Next month, the team will advance to the Pro All Star Series (PASS) when they compete in an event at The Motor Mile in Radford, Virginia.

“We’re looking forward to joining the PASS tour,” offered Gibson. “It’s going to be a new scene for us, but everyone that we’ve talked to has been incredibly easy-going and very helpful. I’m hoping that we’re able to have a good clean race with a strong finish. We’re excited about having Mitigator back aboard too.”

For marketing partnerships with Gibson Motorsports and their rising protégé John Gibson, please visit the team’s official website at JohnGibsonRacing.com.

Join the team on Facebook by clicking here(John Gibson – Athlete).

To learn more about MitiGator, please visit MitiGatorinc.com.

Delaware, Ont. – The odds were not in Jason White’s favor this weekend at the start of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series EMCO 200, but #21 didn’t falter. After an undesirable starting position and mechanical problems starting off the weekend on the wrong foot, he made a sensational come back with a solid top 10 finish behind the wheel of his #21 A&W Dodge.

The first practice went to plan for #21 and his crew. “The car felt really smooth,” White said afterwards. “I was working on some driving tips that my teammate DJ Kennington passed on.” #21’s confidence was cut short when the second practice was halted with a broken spool. Qualifying was disappointing for the team; #21 was relegated to the 20th starting position. “Maybe the mechanical issue was on my mind a bit, but I just didn’t have a good qualifying,” White explained.

Despite the disappointing practice, #21 put qualifying laps out of his mind and headed into the EMCO 200 motivated to gain positions. After resolving the broken spool, the A&W Dodge ran strong and #21 moved into the top ten in short order. The team worked quickly and efficiently during their scheduled pit stops, and the techniques White worked on in practice really paid off later in the race. With teammate DJ Kennington finishing 1st for his second weekend in a row, it’s no surprise his suggestions for White were top-notch. #21 finished the race in sixth place – moving up 14 spots from his qualifying start, more than any other driver and earning a career-best finish on an oval track in the series.  White also sits ninth overall in the season championship.

“It’s really about being consistent and smooth with every lap,” White said after the race. “The team is gaining confidence and momentum; we’re looking forward to the A&W Cruisin’ the Dub 300 at my home track, the Motoplex Speedway.”

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 is the A & W Cruisin’ the Dub 300 that marks the beginning of the western Canada swing at Jason’s home track, Motoplex Speedway near Vernon, BC on July 14th.  For the latest off season news about Jason White and the #21 Dodge team check out the team website at www.jasonwhiteracing.com and be sure to follow Jason on twitter for the latest updates @racinjasonwhite

June 24, 2012.  Round four of the 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series had the usual excitement of close racing and intense competition.  In the middle of the action this past Saturday was driver Steve Mathews as he piloted the #15 Mathews Motorsport Ford with skill to another solid run before a mechanical failure ended their night.

Right from the start of the afternoon practice session Steve Mathews demonstrated he would be one of the front runners in the EMCO 200 taking place later that night.  Mathews recorded the quickest time in the first session and had consistently fast laps in the #15 Mathews Motorsports Ford during both 30 minute sessions.  “We had a great car here last year when we finished fourth and I knew this team would be good right away” said Mathews.

Mathews backed up his practice showing with a wonderful qualifying effort posting a time of 19.311 seconds around the half mile oval.  For the second straight race Mathews would start the event from the outside of row one.  “I was pleased with the qualifying run” said Mathews.  “We didn’t need to adjust much at all to the #15 Mathews Motorsports Ford and it was a good solid effort for us” he added.

As the EMCO 200 began Mathews looked to take over the lead of the race but relented so as not to use too much of the car too early.  “I knew we could run with the top cars but I wasn’t about to put us in a bad position early in the race, so I just settled into a comfortable pace” said the driver.

Mathews would be rewarded for his patience later as the #15 Mathews Motorsports Ford took over the race lead on lap 57.  “We stayed out when others stopped for fuel because a lot of cars were going a lap down and we thought that strategy would work best for us” explained Mathews.  “For the first ¾ of the race I was just riding around at a comfortable pace” he added.

As the race progressed Mathews would surrender the lead but continue to run at ease with the lead group.  When it came time for the #15 Mathews Motorsports Ford to stop for fuel and fresh tires the crew would complete the service and return Mathews to the race running fourth.

Poised for a charge to the finish Mathews began to notice something amiss with the #15 Mathews Motorsports Ford.  From the driver’s seat he quickly diagnosed that it wasn’t a flat tire or problem with the driveline, but in the suspension.  “The car had a noticeable change in handling on the left front” said the driver.  “But in the late stages the only thing to do was ride it out as best I could” he stated.

Unfortunately Mathews would be unable to complete the full distance.  Under the strain of the race the upper control arm would eventually fail and force the early exit of the #15 Mathews Motorsports Ford.  “It’s too bad we had that failure” said Mathews.  “The car was really strong and we definitely had something left for the end of the race.  It’s frustrating we didn’t get to show our hand completely but sometimes that’s how it works in racing.  We’ll lick our wounds a bit and be ready for our next NASCAR race later this summer and also be right back at Delaware for a Late Model event next week”.

Steve Mathews will participate in select events of the 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in the #15 Mathews Motorsports Ford.  You can watch the EMCO 200 from Delaware Speedway on TSN Sunday July 8th at 3PM Eastern.  Race fans are encouraged to follow the progress of Steve Mathews by logging onto the website www.stevemathews.ca and on twitter@15Mathews

Mathews Motorsports is also seeking additional sponsorship partners for the remainder of the 2012 racing season.  You can get more information by contacting them at (705) 715-5911

June 24, 2012.  In front of hundreds of supporters, Sherwood Park, Alberta’s Noel Dowler took another step forward in his racing career during round number four of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series this past Saturday.  The EMCO 200 presented by Niagara Plumbing Supply & McKeough Supply at Delaware Speedway featured plenty of exciting racing action and at the end of the night Dowler had recorded a career best ninth place finish.

During the afternoon practice session the #5 EMCO Dodge driver looked to make as many laps as possible for his first ever start on the half mile oval near London, ON.  “My teammate DJ Kennington gave me some advice on how to approach this track so that helped” said Dowler.   Dowler would run as many practice laps as he could during the two 30 minute sessions while the team adjusted on the #5 EMCO Dodge.

In qualifying Dowler would post the 16th quickest time and start the EMCO 200 on the outside of row eight. “I’m still learning about qualifying and how to maximize our lap time, but I knew we had a good race car for the feature” he stated.

It was quickly demonstrated how good the #5 EMCO Dodge was for the race.  Dowler began moving forward from the drop of the green flag.  “The goal was to be consistent in the early going and keep ourselves in position to have a good result at the end of the night” said Dowler.  “I was able to gain a couple of spots and things were going well for us”.

As the race progressed Dowler moved into the top ten and continued to run strong and consistent laps.  “The car was running really well, but I was amazed at how physical this track is” he explained.  “Working through the traffic is tough.  I could feel after the race that I’ll be pretty sore tomorrow”.

The #5 EMCO Dodge team performed perfect pit stops for Dowler as he continued his strong effort on the track as he continued to race in the top ten.  As the checkered flag fell to conclude the EMCO 200 Dowler would claim a career best finish in the series for the second consecutive week scoring a ninth place result.  “It’s nice to reach another milestone but at the same time we know there’s more to come and we’re anxious to get there” said Dowler.

The #5 EMCO Dodge driver has shown poise and maturity in his young stock car racing career and the team continues to improve with each outing.  After recording a top ten result a week ago Dowler and company look forward to taking the next step.  “We can see the progress we’re making and it was nice to have this finish tonight in front of so many EMCO family members.  They have been so supportive of our team, the guys in the pit were telling me after they could hear them cheering over the noise of the cars.  I can’t wait to get back out there again”.

The 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series resumes with the start of the annual swing through western Canada beginning July 14th at Motoplex Speedway near Vernon, BC.  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.

This release prepared by, TL Sports & Entertainment, todd@tlsportsent.com(239) 961-2618

WINCHESTER, Indiana (June 24, 2012) – – For the second consecutive ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards race, bad luck struck Tom Hessert and his Ken Schrader Racing (KSR) team as two blown tires halted the team’s efforts towards a strong finish in Sunday afternoon’s Herr’s Chase The Taste 200 at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway.

With the Indiana-based track showing similar characteristics to Salem (Ind.) Speedway, one of Hessert’s favorites – the team led by crew chief Donnie Richeson had high hopes for the ninth race of the season.

Two practice sessions on Saturday afternoon allowed the duo to dial in their No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala with the Cherry Hill, New Jersey native maneuvering the 10th and ninth quickest laps respectively leading into Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell later Saturday afternoon. Qualifying was tight for a majority of the field with Hessert landing his Chevrolet bowtie in the 12th position.

Under warm conditions, Hessert and the 32-car field took the green flag shortly after 2:00 p.m. with Hessert quickly making his march towards the front. By lap 10, Hessert had circled his way into the 10th position and continued to hold that point through lap 20.

By lap 44, the 26-year old had muscled his way into ninth and continued to put pressure on his competition before falling victim to a flat right front tire on lap 73 which forced an unscheduled pit stop under green flag conditions. Returning to competition three laps off the pace, Hessert still was able to maneuver competitive lap times and was hovering in the top-15 before the final blow to for the KSR team occurred on lap 93 as another tire blew sending the No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet into the outside wall, ending their day prematurely.

In his second tango with Winchester’s high banks, Hessert was credited with an undeserving 21st place finish.

“The finish is frustrating because our No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala was capable of finishing in the top-10,” said Hessert. “We made some huge strides on the car from the beginning of the weekend to the start of the race and it showed with us moving forward. We had some plans to make the car better on the first stop, I just hate that we never made it to that point. There wasn’t any warning on the tires. I guess it’s just one of those things when it rain it pours. We’re not going to let this bad luck phase us. We know we’re plenty capable of bouncing back and we plan to shake the monkey at New Jersey next Sunday afternoon.”

Unofficially, Hessert remains seventh in the ARCA championship standings with 10 races left on the 60th anniversary tour for the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA).

Next up is a trip to New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) for the lone road-course race of the season. The running of the All-American Race Weekend presented by Global Barter Corporation set for Sunday, July 1. Last May, Hessert finished fifth after starting second at the 2.3-mile paved Thunderbolt Raceway.

Exiting Winchester, Hessert has 92 career ARCA Racing Series starts. In those outings, he has maneuvered two poles, one win, 22 top-fives and 48 top-10s.

For more on Tom Hessert III, please visit tomhessert.com.

Hessert has joined the Twitter crave. Follow and connect with him @TomHessert.