Category: Other Series PR

Other series racing press release

  • Mason Mingus Impressive In Winchester; Nets Another Career-Best Finish

    Mason Mingus Impressive In Winchester; Nets Another Career-Best Finish

    WINCHESTER, Indiana (June 25, 2012) – – After netting his career-best finish earlier this month at Elko (Minn.) Speedway, Mason Mingus, in the No. 32 Call 811 Before You Dig Toyota Camry, was determined to raise the bar in Sunday’s Herr’s Chase The Taste 200 at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway.

    Mission accomplished.

    After grasping a top-10 finish at Salem (Ind.) Speedway, a track that shows similar characteristics to the intimidating Winchester (Ind.) Speedway, the Lakeville, Minnesota-based team knew that their team was plenty of capable of a duplicate if not better performance in the ninth race of the season.

    Two practice sessions on Saturday afternoon allowed the duo to dial in their No. 32 Call 811 Before You Dig Toyota Camry with the teenager maneuvering the seventh and eighth quickest laps respectively leading into Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell later Saturday afternoon. Qualifying was tight for a majority of the field with Mingus landing his Japanese nameplate in the 10th position for his inaugural Winchester debut.

    Under warm conditions, Mingus and the 32-car field took the green flag shortly after 2:00 p.m. with the avid athlete quickly fighting to protect his position inside the top-10. By lap 10, Tom Hessert had temporarily worked his way around the No. 32 machine but five laps later Mingus’s machine began to come to life and quickly marched back into the top-10 and held ninth respectively.

    With a well-handling racecar underneath him, Mingus patiently continued to work his way through the running order. By the one-quarter mark of the event, the award-winning High School wrestler had muscled his way into eighth.   By lap 60, Mingus was clearly one of the cars to watch on the track with his No. 32 Call 811 Before You Dig Toyota Camry moving into the sixth position by lap 60 and just 18 laps later stormed his way inside the field’s top-five. Chasing down the leaders, Mingus’s Toyota reached a race-high fourth on lap 84.

    When the second caution flag waived just nine laps later for an incident on the track, the time presented equal opportunity for the Win-Tron Racing team to bring the No. 32 Call 811 Before You Dig Toyota Camry to pit lane on lap 95.

    Restarting fifth on lap 99, Mingus found himself snug in a gaggle full of race cars and trying to fight for space on the track’s extremely fast high banks. The Tennessean would gallantly put up a worthy battle for the coveted track position. Through the race’s second-half, Mingus would remain tucked in fifth until a yellow prompted the team to bring the No. 32 Call 811 Before You Dig Toyota down pit lane for tires, fuel and an adjustment.

    Under 50 laps remained when the field resumed racing which didn’t leave Mingus a lot of time to rally back – but the young driver was determined to show how strong his automobile was as he sliced and diced his way around the No. 12 of Jared Marks and the No. 23 of Spencer Gallagher, amongst a host of others before landing in sixth overall when the checkered flag waived in a very quick running of the Herr’s Chase The Taste 200.

    “We’re real happy with sixth,” said Mingus. “I said coming to Winchester, we were aiming for a top-five, but we ran in the top-five for a lot of the race, so I really don’t have anything to complain about. I have to thank the guys on the Win-Tron Racing team for their efforts to bring me a good racecar each and every race. It shows that every time we race together, the better we gel. If we had a little more time, I think we could have made some more damage in the running order. Still, I’m hoping we can take this run and go on to New Jersey next Sunday and have another strong run in my road course debut.”

    Mingus added, “I don’t want to forget to thank everyone at Call 811 Before You Dig, Diamond Equipment, my family and everyone else who makes this possible, I’m having a good time right now.”

    Nate Thiesse, co-car owner of Win-Tron Racing offered his sentiments on his protégés performance at the demanding Winchester Speedway. “Mason continues to amaze everyone at Win-Tron Racing,” he said. “He did a great job from practice to qualifying and raised the bar for himself during the race. We really had a blast watching him perform. I know we wanted to leave Winchester with a top-five – but sixth is still satisfying and I hope we’re able to go to New Jersey next weekend and keep our string of good finishes together going.”

    Sunday’s sixth place performance is Mingus’s third top-10 of the season in five starts. He finished 10th at Salem (Ind.) Speedway in April and ninth in the sixth race of the season at Elko Speedway on June 2.

    Next up for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards tour 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. In 2010, Win-Tron Racing won the pole with driver Justin Marks at the 2.3-mile paved Thunderbolt Raceway.

    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.

  • Well Deserved Top-10 Finish For Josh Williams In Winchester Debut

    Well Deserved Top-10 Finish For Josh Williams In Winchester Debut

    WINCHESTER, Indiana (June 25, 2012) – – Josh Williams posted a nice recovery for his Josh Williams Motorsports (JWM) team Sunday afternoon at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway in the Herr’s Chase The Taste 200 at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway.

    The family-owned team entered the ninth race of the season looking for redemption from the week prior at Michigan International Speedway (MIS) where trouble plagued the Concord, North Carolina-based team, propelling them back to a short track, one of their strengths on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards tour.

    Two practice sessions on Saturday afternoon allowed the team to dial in their No. 02 Southwest Florida Cable Construction Chevrolet with the teenager maneuvering the 15th and 12th quickest laps respectively leading intoMenards pole qualifying presented by Ansell later Saturday afternoon. Qualifying was tight for a majority of the field with Williams landing his bowtie in the 13th position for his inaugural Winchester debut.

    Under warm conditions, Williams and the 32-car field took the green flag shortly after 2:00 p.m. with the Port Charlotte, Florida native trying to maneuver himself forward in the stout field. Patience would be of the essence in the early stages of the 200-lap race as through lap 20, Williams maintained himself competitively inside the top-15.

    By lap 30, Williams held his own in 13th before taking 12th by lap 45. As the race wore on, William’s automobile began to adapt better to the track’s conditions and that was evident in the Floridian’s lap times and position on the half-mile oval as he had climbed to 11th by lap 60. Nine laps later the No. 02 Southwest Florida Cable Construction Chevrolet cracked the top-10 after passing pole sitter Chris Buescher.

    Nine laps later, Williams began pedaling forward and moved his JWM team to eighth overall and held that spot until the second caution of the day waived on lap 93 sending the leaders to pit road for their first routine pit stop. Tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment were the orders for Williams and with an exceptional pit stop; the team restarted the race in the seventh position.

    The 18-year old continued to hold his own in the top-10 flirting between seventh and ninth but when two cars collided on lap 147, the opportunity to open pit road was presented but the team opted to keep their driver on the track along with Jared Marks putting the drivers 1-2 for the impending restart.

    When the green flag waived, Williams attempted to make a pass on leader Marks but instead had to battle a gaggle of race cars behind him who were attacking him from behind on fresh Hoosier rubber.

    The team’s hope of a caution during the course of the event’s final 50 circuits to enter pit road for tires never materialized forcing the former INEX Legend Car Series pilot to conserve his automobile but still maintain a respectable pace.

    Despite battling the odds of older tires and a handling condition, the Floridian was able to persevere in the end and claimed 10th place when the checkered flag was thrown landing the team their third top-10 run of the season.

    “Obviously, the caution that we needed at the end didn’t develop and that hurt our strategy a little bit – but we still ended up with a top-10 finish, so I’m not going to complain,” said Williams. “I’m really proud of the team. We didn’t have the best car – but we learned an awful lot and the adjustments we made took us in the right direction, so overall we’re satisfied. Next weekend it’s New Jersey, a place that I’ve been waiting to get to all season long. I’m hoping that we can take this finish and look for an even better one there.”

    In addition to Winchester, the team also posted a ninth place finish at Salem (Ind.) Speedway in April and a 10th place run at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway earlier this month.

    Next up for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards tour 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, Williams started 14th and finished a strong seventh at the 2.3-mile paved Thunderbolt Raceway.

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

    Williams has joined the Twitter crave. Follow and connect with him @Josh02Williams.

  • Kraig Kinser Gets Out of Dodge with Boot Hill Showdown Victory

    Kraig Kinser Gets Out of Dodge with Boot Hill Showdown Victory

    [media-credit name=”World of Outlaws” align=”alignright” width=”211″][/media-credit]DODGE CITY, Kan. – June 23, 2012 – The hottest driver on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series picked up yet another victory at the hottest race of the season.

    Kraig Kinser beat the heat and the rest of the Outlaws on an extremely windy and hot Saturday at Dodge City Raceway Park for Night 2 of the Boot Hill Showdown.

    Kinser led all 30 laps and held off his father, 20-time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser, to record his third win in the past seven events on a day when the temperature climbed into the mid-100s and wind gusts of more than 40 miles per hour bombarded the 3/8-mile track.

    “I knew the bottom was going to be tough to beat early,” Kraig Kinser said. “It’s hard sometimes (when) you lead the race. You don’t know whether to get off the bottom and move to the top or move around a little bit. I got lucky lapped cars pushed me up a little bit to get around them and got trucking around the middle there.”

    It was his third victory in the past 19 days, which ties the number of Outlaws wins Kinser amassed since 2005 – when he won a career-high seven features. The win was also his 14th career World of Outlaws feature victory, which ties him for 20th all time.

    As neat as the statistics are, Kinser is more pleased in whom he beat – his father and car owner.

    “The one-two finishes are real nice, especially when I’m in front,” Kraig Kinser said. “This little swing we’ve had has been great with the exception of last night. The car has been there every step of the way.”

    As Kraig shot to the lead from his pole position on lap one, Steve Kinser charged from his fifth starting position to the runner-up spot on the opening lap. He maintained second position the entire race, but only closed within a car length shortly after the duo entered traffic on lap eight.

    “If someone’s gotta outrun me I’d assume it’d be Kraig,” Steve Kinser said. “Toward the end there wasn’t no place to go, the bottom sort of locked down a little bit. It was hard to pass anybody out in the middle the last six or seven laps.”

    Traffic began to play a role in the closing laps as Kraig Kinser lapped up to 12th place, where there was a three-way battle for a top-10 position. Kinser was caught behind the trio sliding each other, which allowed his father to close the gap to within a handful of car lengths. However, it was too little too late.

    The win pulled Kraig Kinser to within 107 points of his father, who moved back into the World of Outlaws championship standings lead.

    Craig Dollansky drove from seventh to third in the first eight laps and maintained the podium finish to record his 14th top five of the season.

    “I definitely felt like we were with them,” said Dollansky, who is only 57 points behind Steve Kinser in the championship standings. “It just took me too long to get into third place.”

    Joey Saldana was fourth and Cody Darrah ended fifth. Jason Sides placed sixth, Kerry Madsen seventh, Donny Schatz eighth, Bill Rose ninth and Lucas Wolfe rounded out the top 10.

    Sammy Swindell, who set quick time with a lap of 13.462 seconds, brought out the initial caution of the race on the opening lap after contact with Madsen entering turn three. Swindell, who started third, fixed a flat left rear tire and restarted 23rd. He finished 12th and was the last car on the lead lap.

    Sixth-starting Chad Kemenah was part of the final caution – also on the first lap – when he spun in turn one to avoid contact with another driver. Steven Richardson slid into Kemenah and flipped, ending both of their races.

    After the two quick cautions, the feature went green to checkered with Kraig Kinser in front.

    Steve Kinser, Jason Sides and Darrah each won a heat race, and Wolfe picked up the Last Chance Showdown victory. Patrick Stasa was the KSE Hard Charger after driving from 22nd to 14th.

    Night 2 of the Boot Hill Showdown Notebook

    NOTES – Sammy Swindell set quick time for a series-best sixth race this season. … Steve Kinser won his sixth heat race, while Jason Sides and Cody Darrah each claimed their third of the season. … Kraig Kinser picked up his second dash victory of the year. … Lucas Wolfe became the 25th different driver to win a Last Chance Showdown in 31 races this year.

    CONTINGENCY WINNERS – Penske Shocks ($100 certificate): Bill Rose; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Kraig Kinser; Comp Cams ($50 certificate): Kraig Kinser; Armor All (case of product): Jason Sides; STP ($50 cash): Steve Kinser; UNOH ($50 cash): Kerry Madsen; Gravely Tractors ($50 cash): Kerry Madsen; VP Racing Fuel ($50 cash): Bill Rose; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Lucas Wolfe; JE Pistons (set of rings): Sammy Swindell; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Sammy Swindell; Wix Filters ($50 cash): Josh Hodges; Superflow ($50 cash): Patrick Stasa; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Josh Baughman; JE Pistons (set of rings): Brian Herbert; MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Chad Kemenah; Klotz Synthetic Lubricants ($50 cash): Kevin Swindell.

    WINNERS – Sammy Swindell – 5 (Red River Valley Speedway on June 16, Eldora Speedway on May 5, Knoxville Raceway on April 28, Missouri State Fair Speedway on April 20 and Merced Speedway on March 30); Craig Dollansky – 4 (I-96 Speedway on June 2, Hagerstown Speedway on May 20, Tri-State Speedway on April 21 and Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19); Kraig Kinser – 3 (Dodge City Raceway Park on June 23, River Cities Speedway on June 15 and Kokomo Speedway on June 5); Steve Kinser – 3 (Dodge City Raceway Park on June 22, Orange County Fair Speedway on May 19 and Williams Grove Speedway on May 12); Joey Saldana – 3 (The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 25, Paducah International Raceway on April 13 and Perris Auto Speedway on March 10); Donny Schatz – 3 (Farmer City Raceway on April 25, Silver Dollar Speedway on March 23 and Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19); Tim Kaeding – 2 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 16 and The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 8); Chad Kemenah – 2 (Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 28 and Eldora Speedway on May 4); Danny Dietrich – 1 (Lincoln Speedway on May 10); Danny Lasoski – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 18); Kerry Madsen – 1 (Knoxville Raceway on June 9); Paul McMahan – 1 (Rolling Wheels Raceway Park on May 16); Fred Rahmer – 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 11); Brad Sweet – 1 (Clay County Fairgrounds on June 8).

    TIME TRIALS – Sammy Swindell was the fastest qualifier around the 3/8-mile oval with a time of 13.462 seconds to earn five championship points. Also earning points were Kerry Madsen (4 points), Kraig Kinser (3), Joey Saldana (2) and Craig Dollansky (1).

    WE’RE ONLINE – Make sure to check out WorldofOutlaws.com for the latest news and results, plus exclusive driver interviews, video and pictures. Also listen to every event live at DIRTVision.com .

    Night 2 of the Boot Hill Showdown Statistical Report; Dodge City Raceway Park; Dodge City, Kan.; June 23, 2012

    A-Main – (30 Laps) – 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1] [$10,000]; 2. 11-Steve Kinser [5] [$5,000]; 3. 7-Craig Dollansky [7] [$3,000]; 4. 9-Joey Saldana [2] [$2,700]; 5. 4-Cody Darrah [8] [$2,500]; 6. 7S-Jason Sides [9] [$2,200]; 7. 29-Kerry Madsen [4] [$2,000]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz [14] [$1,800]; 9. 6-Bill Rose [10] [$1,600]; 10. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [12] [$1,450]; 11. 83-Tim Kaeding [11] [$1,300]; 12. 1-Sammy Swindell [3] [$1,200]; 13. 74X-Josh Hodges [15] [$1,100]; 14. 11S-Patrick Stasa [22] [$1,000]; 15. 17-Josh Baughman [21] [$950]; 16. 91-Jeff Stasa [19] [$900]; 17. 1X-Kevin Swindell [13] [$850]; 18. 1W-Jordan Weaver [24] [$750]; 19. 72-Ray Seeman [23] [$725]; 20. 1T-Ty Williams [16] [$700]; 21. 97-Brian Herbert [17] [$700]; 22. 2J-Zach Blurton [20] [$700]; 23. 63-Chad Kemenah [6] [$700]; 24. O-Steven Richardson [18] [$700]. Lap Leaders: Kraig Kinser 1-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 11S-Patrick Stasa [+8].

    Qualifying – 1. 1-Sammy Swindell, 13.462; 2. 29-Kerry Madsen, 13.499; 3. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 13.507; 4. 9-Joey Saldana, 13.520; 5. 7-Craig Dollansky, 13.562; 6. 83-Tim Kaeding, 13.702; 7. 11-Steve Kinser, 13.708; 8. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.726; 9. 4-Cody Darrah, 13.737; 10. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.799; 11. 6-Bill Rose, 13.836; 12. 63-Chad Kemenah, 13.840; 13. 1X-Kevin Swindell, 13.841; 14. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.956; 15. 74X-Josh Hodges, 14.658; 16. 1T-Ty Williams, 14.663; 17. 97-Brian Herbert, 14.778; 18. O-Steven Richardson, 14.799; 19. 91-Jeff Stasa, 14.856; 20. 2J-Zach Blurton, 14.898; 21. 17-Josh Baughman, 14.910; 22. 72-Ray Seeman, 14.959; 23. 11S-Patrick Stasa, 15.031; 24. 16K-Kaden Taylor, 15.111; 25. 33-Kris Miller, 15.141; 26. 21-Wes Wofford, 15.236; 27. 1W-Jordan Weaver, 15.262; 28. 11X-Tyler Knight, 15.612; 29. 77W-Michael Williams, 16.357.

    Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 11-Steve Kinser [2]; 2. 9-Joey Saldana [3]; 3. 1X-Kevin Swindell [5]; 4. 1-Sammy Swindell [4]; 5. 1T-Ty Williams [6]; 6. 91-Jeff Stasa [7]; 7. 72-Ray Seeman [8]; 8. 33-Kris Miller [9]; 9. 11X-Tyler Knight [10]; 10. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [1].

    Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 7S-Jason Sides [2]; 2. 6-Bill Rose [1]; 3. 29-Kerry Madsen [4]; 4. 7-Craig Dollansky [3]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [5]; 6. 97-Brian Herbert [6]; 7. 11S-Patrick Stasa [8]; 8. 2J-Zach Blurton [7]; 9. 21-Wes Wofford [9]; 10. 77W-Michael Williams [10].

    Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 4-Cody Darrah [2]; 2. 63-Chad Kemenah [1]; 3. 83-Tim Kaeding [3]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [4]; 5. 74X-Josh Hodges [5]; 6. O-Steven Richardson [6]; 7. 17-Josh Baughman [7]; 8. 1W-Jordan Weaver [9]; 9. 16K-Kaden Taylor [8].

    Dash – (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature) – 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2]; 2. 9-Joey Saldana [1]; 3. 1-Sammy Swindell [4]; 4. 29-Kerry Madsen [3]; 5. 11-Steve Kinser [6]; 6. 63-Chad Kemenah [10]; 7. 7-Craig Dollansky [5]; 8. 4-Cody Darrah [8]; 9. 7S-Jason Sides [7]; 10. 6-Bill Rose [9].

    B-Main – (12 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [1] [-]; 2. 17-Josh Baughman [3] [-]; 3. 11S-Patrick Stasa [5] [-]; 4. 2J-Zach Blurton [2] [-]; 5. 72-Ray Seeman [4] [-]; 6. 1W-Jordan Weaver [9] [-]; 7. 33-Kris Miller [7] [$200]; 8. 21-Wes Wofford [8] [$180]; 9. 77W-Michael Williams [11] [$175]; 10. 16K-Kaden Taylor [6] [$160]; 11. 11X-Tyler Knight [10] [$150].

    World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Top 20 Championship Standings

    Pos. Driver

    Total

    Diff

    Wins

    T5

    T10

    QT

    1 Steve Kinser

    4224

    0

    3

    15

    22

    0

    2 Donny Schatz

    4218

    -6

    3

    12

    25

    0

    3 Sammy Swindell

    4199

    -25

    5

    13

    21

    6

    4 Craig Dollansky

    4167

    -57

    4

    14

    21

    3

    5 Joey Saldana

    4156

    -68

    3

    10

    22

    5

    6 Kraig Kinser

    4117

    -107

    3

    11

    21

    3

    7 Chad Kemenah

    3913

    -311

    2

    7

    14

    2

    8 Kerry Madsen

    3815

    -409

    1

    4

    12

    1

    9 Cody Darrah

    3814

    -410

    0

    6

    12

    2

    10 Lucas Wolfe

    3663

    -561

    0

    3

    9

    0

    11 Jason Sides

    3344

    -880

    0

    9

    16

    0

    12 Bill Rose

    3157

    -1067

    0

    0

    3

    0

    13 Danny Lasoski

    1860

    -2364

    1

    5

    7

    0

    14 Austen Wheatley

    1818

    -2406

    0

    0

    2

    0

    15 Paul McMahan

    1810

    -2414

    1

    2

    3

    0

    16 Daryn Pittman

    1785

    -2439

    0

    5

    9

    1

    17 Jac Haudenschild

    1655

    -2569

    0

    0

    1

    0

    18 David Gravel

    1544

    -2680

    0

    4

    6

    2

    19 Terry McCarl

    1474

    -2750

    0

    1

    4

    0

    20 Sam Hafertepe Jr.

    1408

    -2816

    0

    1

    4

    0

  • QUALIFYING: Pursley Nabs Pole At Sonoma

    QUALIFYING: Pursley Nabs Pole At Sonoma

    [media-credit name=”hometracks.nascar.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]SONOMA, Calif. – Greg Pursley set a track record in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West qualifying on the road course at Sonoma on Friday to win the pole for the Pick-n-Pull Racing To Stop Hunger 200.

    The defending series champion turned a lap of 77.331 seconds (92.641 mph) around the twisting 1.99-mile road course, eclipsing the record of 77.887 seconds set by David Gilliland in 2007.

    Pursley’s teammate Dylan Kwasniewski, who leads the championship standings, was second quickest – with a lap of 77.981 seconds (91.869 mph). Three-time series champion Eric Holmes was third quickest, followed by Michael Self and David Mayhew. Derek Thorn, David Gilliland, Cameron Hayley, Johnny Borneman and Austin Dyne completed the top 10.

    While it marks Pursley’s second pole this season and the 13th of his career, it was his first at Sonoma.

    “It’s unbelievable,” Pursley said of his record run. “Practice went really well today. It’s probably the best car I’ve had here.”

    Pursley, who drives the No. 26 GPM/Star Nursery/Real Water Ford for car owner Gene Price, has one top five in four starts at Sonoma – a fourth-place finish in 2011. In two previous road course events this season, Pursley won at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah and finished third at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway.

    This event is the eighth on a 15-race schedule this season. It is the third of four road course races on tap for the series in 2012.

    The Pick-n-Pull Racing To Stop Hunger 200 is set to go green start at 12:45 p.m. Saturday.

     

    POS CAR DRIVER TEAM TIME SPEED
    1 26 Greg Pursley, Newhall, Calif. GPM/Star Nursery/Real Water Ford 77.331 92.641
    2 03 Dylan Kwasniewski, Las Vegas, Nev. Royal Purple/Rockstar Ford 77.981 91.869
    3 20 Eric Holmes, Escalon, Calif. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 78.022 91.820
    4 21 Michael Self, Park City, Utah Rockwell/Golden Gate Meat Chevrolet 78.073 91.760
    5 17 David Mayhew, Atascadero, Calif. Madorom/Steak & Grape Chevrolet 78.340 91.448
    6 6 Derek Thorn, Lakeport, Calif. Sunrise Ford/Lucas Oil/Eibach Ford 78.574 91.175
    7 25 David Gilliland, Riverside, Calif. Pick-N-Pull Chevrolet 79.021 90.659
    8 24 Cameron Hayley, Calgary, Alberta * Cabinets by Hayley Toyota 79.024 90.656
    9 61 Johnny Borneman, Ramona, Calif. Red Line Oil Chevrolet 79.395 90.232
    10 9 Austin Dyne, Malibu, Calif. * William Rast/Sunrise Ford/Lucas Ford 79.532 90.077
    11 22 Jonathon Gomez, Twin Falls, Idaho Century Boatland Chevrolet 79.818 89.754
    12 31 Eric Norris, Dana Point, Calif. Kickstart Kids Chevrolet 79.925 89.634
    13 65 Stan Silva, Jr., Castroville, Calif. A&S Metals/Stan Silva Jr Trucking Chevrolet 79.930 89.628
    14 1 Jim Inglebright, Fairfield, Calif. Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet 80.132 89.402
    15 14 Travis Milburn, Eagle, Idaho Cooks /Holleran’s Perf. Ford 80.290 89.227
    16 19 Kyle Heckman, Nipomo, Calif. * MMI Services/Ron’s Rear Ends Chevrolet 80.324 89.189
    17 12 Austin Cameron, El Cajon, Calif. AC Motorsports Toyota 80.466 89.031
    18 86 Tim Spurgeon, Danville, Calif. * Kleen Blast/David’s Racing Products Ford 81.006 88.438
    19 51 Carlos Vieira, Atwater, Calif. * 51 FIFTY Energy Drink Toyota 82.234 87.117
    20 88 Jessica Brunelli, Hayward, Calif. * Pick-N-Pull Chevrolet 82.894 86.424
    21 90 Chris Evans, Portland, Ore. * GASS Toyota 82.919 86.398
    22 52 Ryan Philpott, Tracy, Calif. 51 FIFTY Energy Drink Ford 83.262 86.042
    23 5 Dylan Hutchison, Fair Oaks, Calif. * Bay Bio Diesel/Johnnie Walker Chevrolet 85.419 83.869
    24 36 John Wood, Eagle, Idaho Pegasus Transport & Towing Dodge 85.606 83.686
    25 04 Hershel McGriff, Bridal Veil, Ore. Park Corporation Chevrolet 85.938 83.362
    26 44 Tommy Regan, Tracy, Calif. * Ultra Lube Toyota 86.135 83.172
    27 15 Jack Sellers, Sacramento, Calif. Bay Bio Diesel Chevrolet 86.544 82.779
    28 07 Daniel Graeff, Miami, Fla. * Children’s Tumor Foundation Ford 86.887 82.452
    29 38 Dave Smith, Novato, Calif. Sonoma Harvest Critelli Olive Oil Ford 648.520 11.047
    30 47 Scott Ivie, San Ramon, Calif. MSI Development Inc. Toyota No Time

    * Sunoco Rookie of the Year Contender

  • Tagliani Qualifies 9th for Iowa Corn Indy 250

    Tagliani Qualifies 9th for Iowa Corn Indy 250

    [media-credit name=”iowacorn.org” align=”alignright” width=”168″][/media-credit]Newton, IA – June 22, 2012 – Alex Tagliani hit the track on Friday evening for a brand-new, heat race format qualifying session to determine the starting grid for Saturday night’s Iowa Corn Indy 250 race at Iowa Speedway, where he will start in P9.

    The IZOD IndyCar Series entrants were divided into three groups based on the results of the second practicesession earlier in the day. Tagliani and his Team Barracuda – BHA crew were P11 in practice, placing them in the second heat race.

    The Canadian driver battled his way to the front, setting the fastest lap of any heat race, and held on until only a few laps were left. The team looked at the heat race format as another opportunity to practice under race conditions. It allowed Tagliani and his engineers to analyze the proper setup for Saturday night’s race under the lights.

    “For Team Barracuda – BHA, this was a good way of learning what the car is going to need to be quicker tomorrow,” said Tagliani. “If we want to run up front tomorrow night, we’re going to have to make some changes but I think we’re on the right track.

    “The new qualifying format seems like a lot of work for our guys. We spent a lot of the day in Tech. I think the IZOD IndyCar Series has been putting on some great qualifying runs, from Indy to Texas to Milwaukee, so I would stay with that. When you have a car that can steal the pole because of a good run, it gets the fans up on their feet. We’ll see what the fans say – obviously we want to make it interesting for them. It’s a good learning curve.”

    The estimated green flag for the Iowa Corn Indy 250 will take place on Saturday, June 23 at 9 p.m. CST (local). The 250-lap race will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network, preceded by the taped qualifying broadcast and pre-race activities. The entire broadcast starts at 6:30 p.m. CST. Fans can also listen to the radiobroadcast on IMS Radio Network and Sirius (XM 94 and Sirius 212).

     

    About Bryan Herta Autosport

    Founded by veteran driver Bryan Herta and noted race engineer and team manager Steve Newey, Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA) has been a race-winning team in Firestone Indy Lights competition since 2009 and recently won the 2011 Indianapolis 500 with driver Dan Wheldon in only its second IZOD IndyCar Series start. The Indianapolis, Ind.-based squad made its IndyCar debut in 2010 contesting the Indianapolis 500. New for 2012, BHA has formed a joint venture with Bowen and Bowers Motorsports, Inc. (BBM) to field a full time entry in the IZOD Indycar Series for Canadian driver Alex Tagliani. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Bowen and Bowers Motorsports, Inc. is the coming together of leading sports and entertainment property development professionals, Chris Bowers and David Bowen, along with the financial managementexperience of Trapeze Asset Management Inc. For more information, please visit www.bryanhertaautosport.com.

     

    About Barracuda Networks Inc.

    Barracuda Networks combines premises-based gateways and software, virtual appliances, cloud services, and sophisticated remote support to deliver comprehensive content and network security, data protection and application delivery solutions. The company’s expansive product portfolio includes offerings for protection against email and Web threats as well as products that improve application delivery and network access, message archiving, backup and data protection. Coca-Cola, FedEx, Harvard University, IBM, L’Oreal, and Europcar are among the more than 150,000 organizations protecting their IT infrastructures with Barracuda Networks’ range of affordable, easy-to-deploy and manage solutions. Barracuda Networks is privately held with its International Headquarters in Campbell, Calif. For more information, please visit www.barracudanetworks.com.

  • Castroneves Earns Front Row Start to Lead Team Penske into Saturday’s Iowa 250

    Castroneves Earns Front Row Start to Lead Team Penske into Saturday’s Iowa 250

    [media-credit name=”iowacorn.org” align=”alignright” width=”168″][/media-credit]NEWTON, Iowa (June 22, 2012) – Helio Castroneves secured a front row start for Saturday’s Iowa Corn Indy 250 by leading Team Penske in a unique new heat race format.

    Castroneves finished second in Friday’s third and final heat race, which consisted of the fastest-eight drivers from the second practice session and determined the starting order for the first four rows of Saturday’s race around the .875-mile oval. Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe finished fifth, while Will Power finished sixth in Friday’s final heat race and they will occupy the third row on tomorrow night’s starting grid.

    Castroneves, the three-time Indianapolis 500 champion, started third in the heat race but quickly moved his No. 3 Penske Truck Rental Dallara/Chevrolet past Marco Andretti for second place. Castroneves finished the 30-lap race 1.4671 seconds behind heat race winner and Saturday’s polesitter Dario Franchitti.

    “At the end of the day, I’m glad (INDYCAR) tried something different (for qualifying),” said Castroneves said. “The Penske Truck Rental car is starting on the front row and that’s what I care about.”

    Briscoe, who has never finished outside the top-10 in four previous starts at Iowa, began the third heat race in the fifth position and he finished fifth in the No. 2 PPG Automotive Refinish Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet. The Long Beach and Indianapolis 500 pole winner finished 6.5813 seconds behind the leader.

    “The heat race was definitely a sprint race and I think we were able to learn some things about how the No. 2 PPG Automotive Refinish (car) will perform in tomorrow’s race,” said Briscoe. “I felt like I had a good car and a couple lanes opened up for some good racing. It should be a fun race tomorrow, we are starting fifth and hopefully we’ll have a good race.”

    Power, who continues to lead the IZOD IndyCar Series championship standings, finished sixth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet. Saturday will mark the sixth time in nine races in 2012 that Power will start among the top six.

    “These heat races were a good chance for the Verizon Team Penske crew to get some racing under our belts and have a better understanding of what to expect during the race,” said Power. “I like the way the car feels and we are ready for a good performance in the race tomorrow.”

    The unique heat format, used for the first time at Iowa Speedway, placed the drivers in heat races according to their lap times from Friday’s second practice session.

    “I like it, but I don’t love it,” said Castroneves. “Honestly, it was a little bit more risky in the practice session because we had to take more chances then to make sure we got into the final heat race. Other than that, it was OK. For something being used for the first time, it was positive.”

    Taped coverage of the heat races will be shown Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network while live coverage of the 250-lap race is scheduled  to begin at 10 p.m. ET.

    Follow the IndyCar action all season long on IndyCar Mobile. Download it now by calling **INDY on yourVerizon Wireless phone.

  • Honda Grand Prix Will Run on Streets of St. Petersburg Through 2017

    Honda Grand Prix Will Run on Streets of St. Petersburg Through 2017

    June 22, 2012 (St. Petersburg, FL) – Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC., owners of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, are pleased to announce that the St. Petersburg City Council voted unanimously yesterday to extend its race agreement until 2017. Going into its 9th year, the annual event has become a tradition for the city and showcases some of the best racing that North America has to offer along the picturesque St. Petersburg waterfront.

    “We very much appreciate the continued support of the City of St. Petersburg City Council, Mayor Bill Foster and his staff. We enjoy and value a tremendous partnership with the City of St. Petersburg, Pinellas County and sponsors and will continue our efforts to stage a quality international sporting event showcasing our community to the world,” said Tim Ramsberger, Vice President and General Manager for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. “We are proud of our accomplishments over the past eight years and look forward to many more years of providing extraordinary exposure and economic impact to St. Petersburg and region.”

    The event features three days of on- and off-track activities for people of all ages to enjoy. From local talents to international performers, the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is a local success putting forth a great community effort.

    “St. Petersburg hosts many events, but none heightens our city’s visibility as much as theHonda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg,” said Mayor Bill Foster. “Each year, we welcome more than 150,000 race fans from nearly every state in the country, Canada, South America, Japan andEurope. The race also brings beautiful images of our city to 180 million homes in 171 countries around the globe. That’s exposure we can’t buy. Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC. has been a great partner with us in bringing a great race, and great exposure to our city.”

    The 9th edition of the race will take place March 22-24, 2013 and tickets are set to go on sale in November. Formore information on the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, please visit: www.gpstpete.com

  • Ostella’s Magic Number is Five at Iowa Speedway

    Ostella’s Magic Number is Five at Iowa Speedway

    Young Canadian Qualifies in Fifth Position and Hopes to Continue Top-Five Finishing Streak

    NEWTON, Iowa, Friday, June 22, 2012 – Racing is all about the numbers, for better or for worse. Car numbers, track lap times, miles-per-hour, number of laps on track – it all adds up. Today, for young Canadian David Ostella, the magic number at the end of the day was lucky number five.

    The No. 22 Global Precast/LiUNA/Xtreme Coil Drilling entry of Team Moore Racing began the qualifying run this evening on the banks of the 7/8-mile tri-oval of the Iowa Speedway for the Sukup 100 from the fifth position in the qualifying draw.

    Determined to continue his momentum fresh off his career best fourth place finish at Milwaukee last weekend, Ostella pushed “the loud pedal” as hard as he could and produced a fast warm-up lap of 157.588 mph. He steadily gained ground on the two-lap qualifying run to settle into a provisional second place position on the grid.

    As the qualifying session progressed, Ostella faced a late bump by Tristan Vautier of Sam Schmidt Motorsports, who swept the pole at the end of qualifying with his teammate Esteban Guerrieri sliding into second. Despite the last minute shift down the grid, the 20-year-old was decidedly pleased with his two-lap average of 158.939 mph, and his fifth place position on the starting line-up for tomorrow’s 115-lap race.

    “The Team Moore crew has worked so hard to give me a great car for qualifying today and I am really happy with where we are starting tomorrow,” he said. “We worked hard to dial in the set-up earlier in practice and I am just looking forward to getting out there tomorrow and doing the best we can and see if we can continue our top-five finishing streak.”

    With a decided knack for high-speed oval racing based on his recent fourth place finish at Milwaukee IndyFest and his previous fifth place qualifying effort at the Freedom 100 in Indianapolis, his career best at the time, Ostella is gaining ground and getting his rhythm back as season heads into the halfway point.

    “I feel so much better this weekend about everything,” the Maple, Ontario native said. “I was sick in Milwaukee and spent most of my weekend trying to sleep and recover, which made my fourth place finish so amazing. I think the adrenalin kicked in and helped me feel better and improve my performance. I have a much better outlook coming into this weekend and thanks to the support by my family and all of my sponsors and contributors. I hope to put on a great show for all the Iowa fans tomorrow.”

    Firestone Indy Lights teams and drivers will have one final 45-minute practice session at 2:10 pm on Saturday, just prior to the Sukup 100, which begins at 6:40 p.m. Central.

    Follow David Ostella on Twitter and Facebook for updates.

    Weekend Schedule: (All times local)

    Saturday, June 25

    2:10 -2:55 p.m. – Firestone Indy Lights practice
    6:30 p.m. – Sukup 100 pre-race
    6:40 p.m. – Sukup 100 (115 laps/100 miles), NBC Sports Network (Taped) 11:59 p.m., Saturday June 25)

  • TrueCar Racing Experiences New Format for Qualifying in Iowa

    TrueCar Racing Experiences New Format for Qualifying in Iowa

    [media-credit name=”iowacorn.org” align=”alignright” width=”168″][/media-credit]In a radical departure from its standard single-car qualifying format for ovals, the IZOD IndyCar Series implemented a time trial format for this weekend’s Iowa Corn Indy 250. Tonight’s qualifying consisted of three separate 30-lap ‘Heat Races’ to set the field for Saturday night’s race.

    Rookie Katherine Legge’s lap times in today’s second practice session landed her in the second heat race to determine her position in the field. While the format is familiar to fans across the Midwest, it is not something the UK native has often experienced.

    “The heat race format definitely adds a different element for the fans,” said the TrueCar Racing driver. “It also gives you an opportunity to see how your car will develop over a stint. So why not try it? Why not try something different.”

    Legge and her Dragon Racing crew chased setup issues in practice today, resulting in lap times that put her 23rd in a field of 25 cars entered this weekend. The pilot of the No. 6 TrueCar Dragon Racing entry would have to start the second heat race in eighth position.

    “The car was much better in the heat race than it was in practice today,” continued Legge. “We had a really good test here recently, so we thought we would come back with a really good car for this weekend’s race. Seemingly, it wasn’t like that, but my crew are some of the best and worked really hard to correct that. We have a little bit of work left to do, but we made some progress and we look forward to tomorrow night. I am really just happy to have the opportunity that TrueCar and my other sponsors have provided. We hope to give them a great show.”

    Legge made up two positions during the heat race, finishing sixth in her group to ultimately start 19th in tomorrow night’s Iowa Corn Indy 250. The race at Iowa Speedway will be held under the lights on Saturday night at 9:00 p.m. Central Time, live on NBC Sports Network.

    About Katherine Legge:

    Birthdate: July 12, 1980
    Hometown: Guildford, England
    Residence: Indianapolis
    Marital Status: Engaged
    Website: www.katherinelegge.com
    Twitter: @katherinelegge (personal) and @KatOnTrack (for on-track updates)
    Facebook: katherineracing

    Career Highlights

    Named to drive for TrueCar-Dragon Racing in 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season … Competed in European-based DTM touring car series as factory Audi driver from 2008-10, driving for Futurecom TME, Abt Lady Power and Team Rosberg … Drove in Rolex 24 at Daytona for Robinson Racing in 2007 … Competed in Champ Car World Series in 2006-07 for PKV Racing, Dale Coyne Racing, becoming first female to lead Champ Car race … Recorded five top-10 finishes in Champ Car in 2006 … First woman to win major open-wheel race in North America, with three victories in Toyota Atlantic in 2005. Finished third in series … Earned Formula One test with Minardi in 2005 … Drove for A1 Team GB in A1 Grand Prix, tested Champ Car in 2005 … Raced limited schedule in British and North American Formula Renault championships and Can-Am championship in 2004 … Competed in limited British Formula 3 schedule in 2003 … Competed in British Formula Renault in 2001-02, wininng pole in 2002 at Oulton Park with track-record lap … Earned British Racing Drivers’ Club “Rising Stars” honor in 2002 … Became first woman to win pole in British Formula Ford Zetec championship in 2000 … Competed in karting from 1990-99.

     

    About TrueCar, Inc.

    TrueCar, Inc. is an online automotive information and communications platform focused on creating a better carbuying experience for dealers and consumers. Consumers want a hassle-free car buying experience anddealers want high-quality sales velocity. TrueCar helps achieve these goals by providing unbiased market information on new car transactions and by supplying an online communications platform through which dealersand consumers can communicate with each other. TrueCar’s market-based information provides bothconsumers and dealers with an accurate and comprehensive understanding of what others actually paid recently for similar vehicles, both locally and nationally. TrueCar’s communications platform then allows informed, ready-to-buy consumers to communicate directly with participating dealers. Some of the nation’s largest and most well respected membership and service organizations rely on websites powered by TrueCar to help educate their members and customers who are in the automotive market. TrueCar is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, and has offices in San Francisco, CA, and Austin, TX. After experiencing dramatic growth since 2006, TrueCar is developing a suite of products and services centered on radical clarity through the comprehensive analysis of market data and information. TrueCar’s participating dealer partners have sold over 500,000 new vehicles to TrueCar users nationwide.

    You can follow TrueCar on Twitter and become a fan of TrueCar on Facebook.

  • Andretti Autosport 2012 IICS Iowa Corn Indy 250 Post-Qualifying Report

    Andretti Autosport 2012 IICS Iowa Corn Indy 250 Post-Qualifying Report

    Andretti Autosport, IZOD IndyCar Series
    Qualifying Report: Iowa Corn Indy 250

    [media-credit name=”iowacorn.org” align=”alignright” width=”168″][/media-credit]Marco Andretti, Team RC Cola Chevrolet, No. 26

    Marco Andretti started first and finished third in today’s final qualifying heat race. He was the quickest in each of the two practice sessions today and will start Saturday night’s race from the third position. Andretti won the Iowa Corn Indy 250 last year after starting 17th.

    “We really wanted to get the pole, but we were a little off on our gearing for the car. We can work on that for tomorrow – that’s really the race that counts. We were pretty good, but we need to give ourselves a little more grip and we can be right there. The RC Cola car was fast all day, so we just need to tune on it a little bit to get back out front when it really means something. We can win it from there.”

    James Hinchcliffe, Team GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, No. 27

    Hinchcliffe gained two spots during the top-eight heat race and will start tomorrow’s race from the fourth position.

    “I think we learned a little bit tonight. I’m actually glad, almost, that we had heat races this weekend because, with so little practice we had so little time to work on our race cars and (the heat races) gave us a good taste of what we are going to see tomorrow night. Obviously, the track conditions will be a bit different, but we learned a bit. It was nice to move the Go Daddy car up a couple of spots because it was tough to pass out there. Ryan (Briscoe) got a bunch of different runs on me, but it’s so tough to hold the bottom of the racetrack and our carwas working pretty decent up high. We were struggling off of Turn 2 and he was getting some good runs on us. That last lap I started really pushing up the track and my spotter told me Ryan was going high – I had to really try and get out of it; I feel bit bad there so, sorry to him for that. But overall, not a bad night and I’m happy to bestarting on the outside of Row Two.”

    Ryan Hunter-Reay, Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda Chevrolet, No. 28

    Hunter-Reay will start tomorrow’s race from the seventh position, after starting seventh in third heat race.

    “I think we had a pretty good day. We checked our first box off the list, which was making the fast-eight heat race. We treated the heat as a test session instead of an actual race. We found some things that might work for tomorrow night and we definitely found some things that didn’t. We didn’t race very impressive, but we kept our starting position of seventh. The Andretti Autosport crew was able to learn some things, which is good. We could have been more aggressive, but we felt like the big picture was to learn more for tomorrow night and that’s what we did. Thanks to all of my guys for their hard work and also to DHL and Sun Drop.”