Category: Other Series PR

[media-credit name=”milwaukeeindyfest.com” align=”alignright” width=”210″][/media-credit]MILWAUKEE June 16, 2012—“Tough day,” said Mike Conway after theMilwaukee IndyFest at the Milwaukee Mile Saturday afternoon. However, he and his ABC Supply team hung tough in the demanding 225-lap race in which he started last and finished 16^th.

While Conway’s lap times were competitive with the leaders, he had trouble passing slower cars as the track’s racing groove quickly narrowed to one lane.  On lap 162, Conway went a lap down to eventual winner Ryan Hunter-Reay who set a sizzling pace.

The ABC Supply team’s pit stops went well, with all in the 7 or 8-second bracketrange. Tough Texan Rodney Klausmeyer resumed his duties as fueler despite sustaining burns to his right hand in a pit lane fire during practice last week atTexas Motor Speedway.

“Our race was all about trying to learn as much as we can with the car really and trying to put on a good show for the ABC Supply guys being it was their home race,” Conway said.  “We managed to fight our way up. Restarts were tough and some of the backmarkers were difficult at the end there. I thought I could get Marco [Andretti] at the end but couldn’t quite nip him because of his straight-line speed. I’d be quicker through the corner but then coming out of the corner I couldn’t pass him. That’s a shame because if I could have got past him I would’ve pulled away. We just have to keep fighting and make it better for Iowa.”

After three straight wins by Honda-powered cars, Chevrolet-power took the top six spots. Following Hunter-Reay across the line were: Tony Kanaan, James Hinchcliffe, Oriol Servia, E.J. Viso and Helio Castroneves. Simon Pagenaud was the first Honda-powered car in seventh place.

The race was delayed for two hours as rain began during the pre-race activities, which was a shame for 10-year-old Skylar Stecker who had to sing the national anthem from inside the track’s media center. The granddaughter of ABC Supply’s founder Diane Hendricks still amazed the crowd of 22,000 with her stirring rendition through the track’s big screen video display and audio system. The military troops present (part of the National Guardpresentation as well as the color guard) asked to have their picture taken with the youngster after her performance.

The IZOD IndyCar Series heads to Iowa Speedway this week for Saturday night’s Iowa Corn Indy 250 which will be televised on the NBC Sports Network starting at 8:00 p.m. ET.

[media-credit name=”milwaukeeindyfest.com” align=”alignright” width=”210″][/media-credit]WEST ALLIS, Wis. (June 16, 2012) – Target Chip Ganassi Racing (TCGR) driver Scott Dixon finished 11th in the MilwaukeeIndyFest presented by XYQ at the Milwaukee Mile, while teammate Dario Franchitti finished 19th.

Dixon qualified 11th but started the No. 9 Target Honda 21st as the result of a 10-spot grid penalty for an unapproved engine change prior to the event weekend. He quickly began moving through the field and pitted during a caution on lap 67. While running third and going back to green after a caution on lap 108, Dixon was served a drive-through penalty for passing a car before the green flag on what turned out to be an aborted restart. After serving a penalty, Dixon rejoined the field 17th. He made a routine pit stop on lap 166 and pitted for fresh tiresunder caution on lap 182 to restart 12th with 34 laps to go. The team would eventually finish in the 11th position. Following the race, INDYCAR Race Control acknowledged the mistake in their review process for thepenalty and took full responsibility for it being the wrong call, however, the team was still credited with an 11th-place result.

Franchitti started on the pole of the 225-lap event and led for 63 laps before relinquishing the lead to pit for a right rear tire going down on the No. 10 Cottonelle Honda. He restarted seventh and eventually settled into eighth after a series of cautions and pit stops. Franchitti made a pit stop on lap 169 to rejoin the field 12th. With 34 laps to go, the team made a final stop while under caution for fresh tires. On lap 194, Franchitti made contact with the wall in between Turns 3 and 4 forcing him to retire from the event and was credited with 19th. Just prior to the contact, Franchitti was forced down onto the rumble strips to avoid an incident with another car who came down on him.

With the results, Dixon drops to third in the IZOD IndyCar Series point standings with 239 points, -35 points behind leader Will Power. Franchitti drops to seventh in the standings with 205 points, -69 behind Power.

Honda remains in second in the manufacturer point standings with 63 points, six markers behind Chevrolet. Lotus remains third with 32 points.

Team Target heads to the Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway for Round 9 with the IZOD IndyCar Series on June 23 at 10:00 PM ET on NBS Sports Network.

NOTES

– Franchitti earned his second pole at Milwaukee and his 27th overall in Indy car racing.
– Franchitti led 63 laps at the event.

TCGR Quoteboard:

Scott Dixon: “I really don’t know what happened on the restart where we got penalized. I think the one they waved off was the one we got out of line when EJ Viso was trying to restart at only 20 mph. I was in first gear and when it went green, I went. I don’t know what the issue was but I’m really looking forward to the explanation from INDYCAR. It’s a shame for the Target team and that punishment is pretty harsh.”

Dario Franchitti: “I was on Ryan Briscoe’s inside and he just kept coming down there. I just don’t think his spotter told him I was there. I had half a car on the rumble strip. The next lap I went in there and something broke in the back end of the car. The spine just snapped down. You actually see the car drop in the back there before it hit so I think the suspension broke. The Cottonelle car was not very good today unfortunately but we were making the best of it.”

Beaux Barfield, INDYCAR Race Director: “Due to a glitch in technology, there was a discrepancy between the official race clock and the clock on the replay machine. Therefore the review of the jumped start was one lap off, leading Race Control to make the call on the wrong lap. We have informed the Ganassi team of this error and Race Control is taking every step necessary to address it going forward. The Race Control team will be meeting first thing Monday morning to review the issue and explore remedies in advance of the race at Iowa.”

About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, Inc.

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include four in the IZOD IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Overall his teams have 14 championships and 147 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and four Rolex 24 At Daytonas. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.

For more information log onto chipganassiracing.com

TRAVIS PASTRANA

No. 99 iRacing.com Toyota

Langley Speedway

[media-credit name=”hometracks.nascar.com” align=”alignright” width=”350″][/media-credit]CORNELIUS, N.C. — Travis Pastrana’s accident at last July’s X Games forced the action sports star to miss his much anticipated NASCAR Nationwide debut at Indianapolis and cancel his entire 2011 NASCAR schedule.

As he recovered from his shattered right ankle at his Maryland home, the 11-time X Games gold medalist realized he was falling behind on his NASCAR schedule before he even started.

That’s when iRacing stepped in.

IRacing.com, the world’s leading online motorsports service, supplied Pastrana with one of its state-of-the-art simulation machines. With its laser-scanned tracks and cars, the online motorsports simulation site served as a vital tool in preparing Pastrana for his 2012 NASCAR races. Not only did Pastrana practice on his own, but he also raced with fellow iRacers.

Pastrana has been successful in every form of motorsports he’s tried—from motocross and supercross to Rally. But he’s well aware of the challenges ahead of him as he transitions to the top ranks of stock car racing. He knows iRacing has and will be a vital tool in his success.

PASTRANA QUOTES

ON iRACING: “I am on my iRacing machine as much as I can. It’s amazing how real the tracks and the racing are. The iRacing simulation machine is a tremendous amount of help for me. It lets me take some laps on a track I have never seen before. My big problem is I don’t know how to get the cars set up for each track. I am constantly calling Mike Greci (crew chief) and asking him for advice. Normally, it takes about 30 minutes and a few calls to get the car pretty close to perfect. The sim machine isn’t exactly like being behind the wheel of a race car, but it’s pretty close.”

NOTES OF INTEREST

· East Race TV Coverage: Saturday’s race will air June 28 on SPEED at 3 p.m. ET.

· Pit Box: Longtime crew chief Mike Greci will serve as Pastrana’s crew chief this season.

· Testing: Pastrana tested the K&N Pro Series East Toyota at Langley on June 15th.

· Lights, Camera, Action: Pastrana’s Nitro Circus The Movie 3-D will be released August 10. The movie has plenty of NASCAR references. Pastrana199 Racing prepared the school bus that jumped more than 150 feet in the opening scenes. To watch the trailer: Click Here

Track Start Finish

East

Irwindale 20 6

Phoenix 10 25

Richmond 38 26

Iowa 40 19

Loudon 36 28

Bristol 19 12

Greenville 3 20

Richmond 4 23

Iowa 11 4

B Gray 21 14

Nationwide

Richmond 25 22

Darlington 25 17

Iowa 15 26

Charlotte 42 23

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”175″][/media-credit]Brooklyn, MI. (June 17, 2012) – The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards christened the new asphalt on the two mile oval in Michigan, and saw competitors battle tire issues, while Frank Kimmel persevered to a 7th place finish. For the second straight week, Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Toyota team have been plagued by tire woes, but continued to drive towards the top of the championship standings.

After qualifying eighth, Kimmel gained positions from the initial green flag, dodging the frequent incidents throughout the early stages. With extreme tire wear on the forefront of the competitors’ minds, Kimmel cautiously approached the event’s first fuel run. On lap 29, Kimmel brought his Toyota to pit road for four tires and a track bar adjustment. Left side tire wear was found to be excessive, and crew chief Jeriod Prince proceeded to employ a cautious strategy to preserve tires.

On the following restart, Kimmel moved to sixth by lap 37. Four laps later, Kimmel reported a bad vibration and found a friendly caution flag two laps later at lap 43. Kimmel radioed the team and reported the only way to find more speed in the car would be to solve his tire issues, which plagued most other competitors. Under the yellow, Prince and team serviced Kimmel with four fresh tires, and discovered right side tires “chunking” and blistering.

After leaving pit road tenth, Kimmel moved to ninth following the lap 50 restart and was pleased with the car’s handling during the subsequent laps. By lap 60, front running competitors began blowing out tires while Kimmel maintained a steady pace conserving tires. At lap 65, Kimmel found himself fifth, and one of the few front runners keeping all four tires underneath the racecar. Kimmel reported another vibration at lap 75, and moved into the top three two laps later, but pitting for tires shortly after. An ill timed caution flag soon followed on lap 82, and caught Kimmel one lap down to the race leaders.

Bad luck continued under the yellow flag when Kimmel was forced to pit for a second time during the caution period for another flat tire. With 11 laps to go, Kimmel restarted 7th racing in the Lucky Dog position fighting through an additional vibration. Kimmel ran the final eight circuits of the event preserving his position, and tires, driving to a 7th place finish. It marked his sixth consecutive top ten finish of the season and moved him to 3rd in the series championship standings.

“It’s frustrating to have to race so conservatively and take care of tires all race long”, Kimmel said. “I felt like we had a lot better Toyota than what we were able to show. But, like last week, we tried to make the most of the situation and got a respectable finish. It’s nice to move up in the standings again, and we’ll keep working and try to run better each week.”

Race Recap:

Date: June 15th, 2012

Track: Michigan Int’l Speedway

Race: 8 of 20

Started: 8th Finished: 7th

Driver Championship Points Standings: 3rd

NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE:

Winchester Speedway is the next stop for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards on Sunday, June 24th. The Herr Foods Chase the Taste 200 a will mark the second consecutive year the ARCA Racing Series has competed at the legendary Midwest short track. After being a part of the ARCA tour most years up until 2007, the series returned to Winchester’s high banks in 2011. The race will begin at 2:00 pmET on Sunday, with live timing and scoring on ARCARacing.com. Timing and scoring will also be available from the half mile on Saturday, June 23rd during practice sessions at 12:05 pmET and 2:05 pmET.

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.

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”175″][/media-credit]BROOKLYN, Michigan (June 16, 2012) – – Without a doubt, Chad Hackenbracht and his CGH Motorsports team had high hopes for Friday’s RainEater Wiper Blades 200 at Michigan International Speedway (MIS). Unfortunately, the team would be snagged in series of setbacks which would keep the No. 58 Michigan Apples Chevrolet Impala from a finish it was well capable of.

Known for their speed and consistency throughout the 2012 ARCA Racing Series season, the family-owned team continued to show that same hand during practice on Thursday afternoon. However, in the final minutes of practice Hackenbracht’s machine broke loose in turn four slapping the wall and forcing the team to a back-up automobile for the eighth race of the season.

Better to be safe than sorry, the team led by veteran crew chief Kevin Reed elected to forgo their placement in Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell to adequately make sure their automobile was pieced properly together for the highly anticipated race on the two-mile oval.

Starting the 100-lap event from the 31st position, the No. 58 Michigan Apples car was on a tear when the green flag waived, passing cars left and right. However, Hackenbracht’s momentum would be stalled on lap two when Nelson Canache Jr. lost control of his automobile in turn four.   Initially under the yellow, Reed brought his driver to pit lane for fuel and a major shock adjustment hoping to aid the CGH Motorsports team in the later stages of the race. It was under the same caution period though that the team’s day took its traumatic turn.

While idling under caution speed, Hackenbracht’s machine shut off initially sparking the driver to switch ignition boxes hoping to refire his machine. The driver’s effort though was unsuccessful and with his racecar coasting on the backstretch, the 20-year old would have to rely on assistance from the safety workers, where they would have to push his machine back to pit road where the defying problem would be diagnosed as a failure with the cable in the fuel pump which caused zero fuel pressure to the engine forcing the seizure.

Despite losing several laps to the leaders, the team persevered and corrected the problem and sent their driver back into competition to gain valuable positions on the track that would ultimately lead to crucial points obtained by finishing the race in the 21st position.

“Obviously, this was not the day or the weekend that we had hoped for,” said Hackenbracht, a native of New Philadelphia, Ohio. “However, I am extremely proud of the entire job the CGH Motorsports team for their work on the primary and backup cars. I don’t think we could have predicted the problem with the fuel pump; it’s just one of those things. It stinks, because I know we had a car capable of running and finishing in the top-10. We were hoping to give the fans some excitement with our rally from the back to the front with our on-board camera, but it just wasn’t meant to be. We also let some points escape for sure too, but there’s still a long way to go in the year and this is a strong team with a lot of desire and we’ll bounce back at Winchester next weekend, you’ll see.”

The finish on Friday afternoon dropped the team from third to fifth in the ARCA Racing Series championship standings with 12 races remaining. Unofficially, 145 points separate Hackenbracht from first still retained by Brennan Poole.

Next up for the 60th ARCA anniversary tour is a trip to Winchester, Indiana for the running of the Herr’s Chase The Taste 200 at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway set for Sunday, June 24. The event will not be televised but race coverage will be available through the ARCA Racing Network online at ARCARacing.com.

For more information on Chad Hackenbracht and CGH Motorsports, please visit ChadHackenbracht.com and CGHMotorsports.com.

To purchase the popular “What’s A Chad Hacken-Something” tee-shirt, please log on to store.cghmotorsports.com or CGHMotorsports.com.   Connect with Chad Hackenbracht and CGH Motorsports through Facebook by clicking here.

Tweet with Chad Hackenbracht through Twitter at @ChadH58 or CGH Motorsports @CGH5858.

About CGH Motorsports:

CGH Motorsports (CGHMotorsports.com), established in 2007 by Ohio entrepreneur Greg Hackenbracht is located in a 10,000 sq. foot facility located in Mooresville, North Carolina. CGH Motorsports is home of rising sensation Chad Hackenbracht, who competed in nine ARCA Racing Series races in 2010 after an aggressive ARCA testing schedule in 2009. Chad Hackenbracht is the 2008 National Asphalt Legends champion, winning 33 percent of his races and finishing in the top-10, 85 percent of the events he competed in. The team has stepped up their commitment from a partial schedule in 2010 and ran a full-effort in 2011, and will attempt another full season of competition in 2012.

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”175″][/media-credit](BROOKLYN, Mich. – June 15, 2012) – Frank Kimmel is hopeful for a strong run in his 24th ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards attempt at Michigan International Speedway, and thinks he has the car and the starting position to do it.

The driver of the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota posted the eighth quickest time in Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell at 38.413 seconds (187.437 mph) and will start from the outside of the fourth row for today’s RainEater Wiper Blades 200 at Michigan International Speedway.

“The car drives very good,” Kimmel said. “That was a wide open qualifying lap, so we thought we would be a little quicker. It drives good, and turns in the center of the corner real well. We’re close to the front, so we should have a strong car to run up front with.”

The RainEater Wiper Blades 200 is the eighth event of the 2012 season. SPEED Channel will have live coverage beginning at 5 p.m. ET, with the 100-lap event taking the green flag at 5:15.

Zach Veach joins the Young Marines youth organization in their efforts to raise awareness to the U.S. Flag on National Flag Day, June 14th.

[media-credit name=”andrettiautosport.com” align=”alignright” width=”400″][/media-credit]WASHINGTON, DC (June 14, 2012) – Most Americans can tell you what day of the year that Independence Day, or Veterans Day lands on each year, but Flag Day and National Flag Week is commonly an overlooked event. Today, June 14th, is National Flag Day and Andretti Autosport Star Mazda driver Zach Veach is celebrating his partnership with the Young Marines youth organization to honor the flag.

“Through my partnership with the Young Marines youth organization, I meet youth that make up this incredible program that are dedicated to many things like raising awareness for the flag,” said Veach. “Each Young Marine has a different story and background, but I have noticed that they are all working together towards a common goal; living a life of leadership, integrity and self-discipline. The Young Marines share a similar passion for their dedication to promoting and living a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. I admire individuals who can identify what they are passionate about, set goals for themselves and work effortlessly to achieve them. I strive to use this same mentality in my personal life and racing career.”

Many communities and civic groups arrange special ceremonies on, or around, Flag Day and National Flag Week each year; and, the Young Marines is no exception. The week of June 14 is designated as “National Flag Week.” During National Flag Week, the President of the United States will issue a proclamation urging U.S. citizens to fly the American flag for the duration of that week. Flag Day is June 14th annually.

“I’m flying the American flag every time I race,” continued Veach. “OMP gives me an awesome uniform each year with the American flag shooting down the sides of it. It’s awesome and I’m honored each time I get in my K12 Mazda racecar to know that I’m racing with the flag right with me.”

National Executive Director of the Young Marines, Mike Kessler, says Zach is a remarkable young man with incredible talent who shares in the Young Marines values of being a good citizen.

“Whether it be living a healthy, drug free lifestyle to raising awareness to our national flag, Zach has the qualities that are rare in many young people,” says Kessler. “We are proud our honorary Young Marine Zach Veach has joined the Young Marines in our efforts to raise awareness to the flag on National Flag Day, June 14th. Young Marine units are very active in civic events to honor the American flag, and they do so all year long. We believe that we can do even more as a national organization to help inform and enlighten the status of Flag Day and National Flag Week in our communities.”

The Young Marines has been a partner in Veach’s racing career since 2011. The two will return to the racetrack next week Iowa Speedway as a lead up to the headling IZOD IndyCar Series race. The 7/8-mile Iowa Speedway will open for Veach and his K12 Mazda for practice on Fri., June 22. Veach has just one previous start at the Newton-Iowa track with a top-five result and a third-place qualifying effort.

Sanctioned by INDYCAR, the Star Mazda Championship is one of two series part of both the Mazda Road to Indy ladder system and the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver program. Andretti Autosport is currently the only INDYCAR team to compete in each level of the Mazda Road to Indy.

For more information, please visit www.YoungMarines.com or www.zachveach.com.

About the Young Marines youth organization:

The Young Marines is a national non-profit 501(c)3 youth education and service program for boys and girls ages 8 through completion of high school. The program focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork and self-discipline so its members can live and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. The national organization is comprised of over 10,000 youths and 2,800 adult volunteers in nearly 300 throughout the United States and overseas. For more information about the Young Marines youth organization, visit the official website:www.YoungMarines.com.

About Zach Veach:

Zach “Ziggy” Veach is a 17-year-old autoracing driver who competes in INDYCAR’s ‘Mazda Road to Indy’ Star Mazda Championship Series, an important open-wheel stepping-stone to a career in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500. In 2012, Veach captured the Formula Car Challenge Winter Series Championship and in 2011, he secured the USF2000 Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship and was voted the “Most Popular Driver in USF2000”. Named by ESPN The Magazine as a NEXT athlete in motorsports, Veach keeps an active pace both on and off the race track. In 2010, Michael Andretti signed Veach to his team, Andretti Autosport, while also being named one of CNN’s “Intriguing People” and being nominated for the Sports Illustrated “Sports Kid of the Year” award. In addition to his racing, Veach is an advocate for safer driving as the national spokesperson for FocusDriven, an advocacy group for victims of motor vehicle crashes involving drivers using their cell phones and has campaigned for Oprah Winfrey’s “No Phone Zone.” Veach designed a phone application through his phone-app building company, ZaAPP, releasing urTXT, in the Marketplace for Android to help consumers avoid dangerous text messaging while driving. Like most of his peers, Veach was bullied as a kid and works to combat the growing epidemic as part of the Cyber Safety Academy’s “No BULL Challenge” as a key ambassador. Veach has been a guest or profiled on a variety of national platforms including NBC’s The Today Show, CNN’s Headline News, ABCNews.com, Oprah Radio’s The Gayle King Show, The Los Angeles Times, AOL.com and is a blogger for RACER magazine and The Huffington Post. The son of a national truckand tractor-pulling champion, Veach is sponsored by K12, Zakosi Data Backup, the Young Marines youth organization, Replay XD, Arai Helmets, OMP, ADS IT Solutions, and artrotondo.com. He enters his senior year of high school this fall and released his first book, 99 THINGS TEENS WISH THEY KNEW BEFORE TURNING 16, in 2011. For more information, please visitwww.ZachVeach.com.

About Andretti Autosport:

Based in Indianapolis and led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Autosport fields multiple entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Andretti Autosport competes in Firestone Indy Lights, the Star Mazda Championship and in the USF2000 National Championship. The company boasts three IZOD IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005 and 2007), two Firestone Indy Lights titles (2008 and 2009), one USF2000 championship (2010) and has won the Indianapolis 500 twice (2005 and 2007). For more information, please visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com.

About the Star Mazda Championship Series:
For 2012, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear will again be a major part of the “Mazda Road to Indy”. The 2012 schedule consists of 17 races on 10 weekends, most with IndyCar. Rising stars from around the world will compete on road courses, street circuits and ovals in front of more than a million fans as they battle for prizes valued at $1.5 million, including a scholarship to move up and race in the 2013 Firestone Indy Lights series. Drivers 16 and older are welcome to compete and the Star Mazda Championship also features the Expert Series for drivers 30 and older. The Star Mazda Championship features standing starts, wheel-to-wheel racing at 160 mph and budgets a fraction of other top open-wheel ladder series. For more information on the Star Mazda Championship and its drivers, as well as the Mazda Motorsports ladder system, please visit www.StarMazda.com.