Category: Other Series PR

May 18, 2012.  There is an exciting new team set to begin competition in the 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.  At a media briefing earlier this week it was officially announced that Martin Roy would compete for the 2012 rookie of the year title in the #90 Veloce/Gamache Truck Centre Dodge.  In addition; the runner up for the rookie award last season Isabelle Tremblay will join Roy as a teammate for select events this season in the #07 Frank Lyman Design Dodge.

The team has been extremely busy during the off season acquiring new equipment and has brought in NASCAR veteran Mario Gosselin to act as Crew Chief.  Roy competed in four events last season with a best finishing position of 13th at the Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres and with the experience of Gosselin is hopeful of greater success in 2012 as he competes for the full season.  “We have a good group of people we’ve put together for this year” said Roy.  “Mario brings a lot of knowledge and Isabelle is a tough competitor and great with fans and gaining our team exposure” he added.

Tremblay participated in 11 of the 12 events last season just missing out on the rookie title.  While only confirmed in four events so far this season Tremblay is optimistic that more partners can be brought on board to allow her to participate in more events.  “This new partnership with Martin Roy is going to be very good for both us” said Tremblay.  “He is very professional, has great experience in racing and I’m confident we’re going to work very well together” she added.

Tremblay is very excited to be starting the season at the very challenging road course at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport International Raceway).  Tremblay scored her best career series finish with at 8th place result last season.

Action at Canadian Motorsports Park for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series begins Saturday with practice and qualifying.  The first event of the 2012 season begins at 1:30PM on Sunday afternoon.  Race fans can also see the race on television.  Race #1 of the season will be shown on TSN Sunday May 27th at 4:30PM Eastern and on RDS2 on Wednesday June 13th at 10PM.

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]TOLEDO, Ohio (May 16, 2012) – – Fresh off tying his career-best finish (15^th) in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway earlier this month, Buster Graham and Team BCR Racing turn their attention towards Sunday’s Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care at Toledo Speedway looking for more.

More – meaning the thoughts of putting their No. 88 Batter’s Dreams / RoushYatesParts.com Ford Fusion into the top-10 in Graham’s eighth career ARCA start. For the third time this year, the Lafayette, Louisiana native will tackle a track he’s never competed on before.

From superspeedways to short tracks, Graham has embraced it all. This weekend, the former Hydroplane driver will have the opportunity to strengthen his resume once again when the green flag waives at the Northern Ohio racetrack.

“We’re looking for a good strong weekend,” said Graham. “I’ve never been to Toledo, but I’ve talked to some of the other drivers and I think I’m going to (really) like the place. The team had a strong run there last Fall, so I hoping we’re able to put all of the pieces together to make it happen again for them.”

He added, “Jim (Pearce, crew chief) and I have really started developing a strong relationship and trust for one another. We’re able to communicate and make changes to our No. 88 Batter’s Dreams / RoushYatesParts.com Ford Fusion and it keeps getting better with every run and race. Talladega was a clear indicator of that. We had an awesome car, just didn’t have enough laps to push our way into the top-10. This weekend, we have 200 laps to do that. I think it’s going to be a long race where patience could be the key to success – we’ll just have to wait and see how it all pans out.”

Team BCR Racing team manager Howard Bixman is energetic about the potential of his driver’s ability on Sunday afternoon. “Buster has really impressed us all at Team BCR,” he said. “From Daytona to Mobile and even at Talladega, he’s done a great job keeping us all informed on what the car is doing and staying on top of the wheel – getting better and better with every lap he turns. There’s not much more we can ask of him.”

For his Toledo debut, Batter’s Dream returns to the role as the primary marketing role of Graham’s No. 88 entry this weekend.

Batter’s Dream is an automated ball feeding system (pitching machine) that allows baseball hitters and softball hitters to maximize time in the batting cage by getting more quality cuts without fixing a tee. One of the key benefits of the Batter’s Dream batting machines is that it allows batters the freedom to focus on rhythm, stance, and timing and swing speed without the need for a second person. Simply put, Batter’s Dream is the most effective, simple and easy-to-use soft toss system ever invented to help improve a hitter’s mechanics and increase their batting average.

“Batter’s Dream has been a great partner and I continue to be appreciative of their support of my racing career. While I’m fighting a goal on the racetrack, I’m equally fighting another role off the race track and making people aware of its great betterment.”

For the second time this season, Graham will have a teammate in the field as friend and colleague Charles “CJ” Evans Jr. is entered in the No. 09 Elevator Transportation Services / / Bay Area Meat Market / RoushYatesParts.com Ford Fusion.

“Definitely having a teammate is a good thing,” added Graham. “CJ is a great dude. He has a lot of talent and it’s a nice feeling that I can climb out of my car and go over and talk to him and see how his is doing and converse back and forth to see what we can do to get both of our Team BCR Fords near the front. I’m looking forward to racing with him on Sunday.”

The Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care (200 laps / 100 miles) is the fifth of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 71^st ARCA race at Toledo Speedway is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, May 19 with a forty-five practice session planned from 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. A final practice is scheduled from 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag Sunday, May 20 shortly after 2:00 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional coverage including timing and scoring available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local (Eastern).

For more information including marketing partnerships for the 2012 ARCA Racing Series season for Team BCR Racing and Buster Graham, please log on to teambcr.com.

Buster Graham has joined the Twitter crave. Follow and connect with him @bustergraham88.

For more on Batter’s Dream, please visit Battersdream.com.

Connect with RoushYates Performance Products and RoushYates Engines through their official web site at roushyat

esparts.com.

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]TOLEDO, Ohio (May 16, 2012) – – After digesting two new racetracks to his ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards resume this year, Charles “CJ” Evans Jr. returns to familiar territory at Toledo Speedway for Sunday’s running of the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care.

While the Team BCR Racing development driver has shown immense speed and patience at Mobile (Ala.) Speedway and Salem (Ind.) Speedway respectively, Evans Jr. now returns to a racetrack where he’s mentally prepared and grounded for what to expect and how to race while in search for his first top-10 performance of the year.

Ironically, it was the half-mile oval, the home turf for the 60-year old sanctioning body that Evans Jr. raised several eyebrows last October after carefully crafting his Ford Fusion to a commendable ninth place run after starting 16^th.

Poised to make his sixth career ARCA start on Sunday afternoon, the driver of the No. 09 Elevator Transportation Services / Bay Area Meat Market / RoushYatesParts.com Ford Fusion is confident in the ability to get the job done again at the Northern Ohio race course.

“Toledo will always be a special place for me, because it’s the site of my first career top-10 finish in the ARCA Racing Series,” offered Evans Jr., a native of Friendswood, Texas. “This weekend, I feel like we can easily go to Toledo and pick up right where we left off and try and shoot for a top-five run with a little luck of course on Sunday afternoon.”

The 22-year old added, “I can’t say enough about Team BCR Racing. Each race, they have continued to give me really good equipment, especially with that Ford power and I know this weekend will be no different. With all that being said though, we know there’s going to be a strong field of cars entered for the race. We opted not to test, but that doesn’t faze any of us, because we feel that the setup we start with will be in the ballpark of everyone else.”

For Toledo, Evans Jr. welcomes back Bay Area Meat Market who returns in an associate sponsorship role on the No. 09 entry. They made their debut in the ARCA Racing Series with the former INEX Legend Car Series ace last month at Salem Speedway.

Bay Area Meat Market is a Seabrook, Texas-based meat market and deli. Featuring a 45 foot showcase with offerings that include USDA Choice, corn fed Iowa beef, and packed full northern pork.  Customers can also choose from several freezer filling packages, which include various types of meats. Whatever culinary mood strikes, Bay Area Meat Market can supply the makings of a feast; from traditional cuts of beef and pork to wild caught seafood, smoked meats, homemade sausages and even oven ready dishes.  For those in a hurry, there is even an onsite restaurant to offer barbequed, charbroiled and country fried fare with all the fixings.

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone at Bay Area Meat Market for agreeing to jump back on-board with us for Toledo,” sounded Evans Jr. “Everyone had the chance to experience their food first-hand at Mobile; then they jumped aboard in a sponsorship role at Salem and now there back for even more racing this weekend, it’s just a great feeling to have their support.”

“CJ has grown so much in the ARCA Racing Series over the last couple of races,” said crew chief and team manager Howard Bixman. “From the moment he arrives at the racetrack, you can just see the focus in his eyes and it relays over to his communication on the radio. We’re growing strong together with each race and his prior experience at Toledo should play into our hands this weekend. We’re also appreciative of the support of all of our sponsors on our No. 09 car and like CJ, we’re hoping for a good run on Sunday afternoon.”

In other Team BCR Racing news, late last week the team announced that they will attempt a limited NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) effort with Evans Jr. at the helm. Further details on the program including sponsorship and a truck number for the team’s Ford F-150 will be announced at a later date.

The Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care (200 laps / 100 miles) is the fifth of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 71^st ARCA race at Toledo Speedway is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, May 19 with a forty-five practice session planned from 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. A final practice is scheduled from 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag Sunday, May 20 shortly after 2:00 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional coverage including timing and scoring available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local (Eastern)

For more information on Team BCR Racing including team information, sponsorship opportunities, race schedule and more please log on to teambcr.com.

Additional input on Charles “CJ” Evans Jr. is available by clicking on to evans-racing.com.

Connect with RoushYates Performance Products and RoushYates Engines through their official web site at roushyatesparts.com.

Satisfy your craving with all that Bay Area Meat Market has to offer by visiting bayareameatmarket.com.

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]TOLEDO, Speedway (May 15, 2012) – – Brandon Kidd, a well-known figure on the DIRTcar Crate Late Model (DCCLM) tour will take a brief hiatus from slinging on the dirt and return to the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards in Sunday’s Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care at Toledo Speedway.

Late last week, Andy Belmont Racing (ABR) announced that the 20-year old will compete in a minimum of four ARCA Racing Series events beginning with the fifth race on tour Sunday afternoon driving the No. 2 NASCAR Racing Experience Ford Fusion.

Even though the Manlius, New York native has zero experience at the half-mile oval nestled in the backyard of ARCA’s corporate office, Kidd and his crew chief Lee Leslie are relying on the success of a recent test at Toledo Speedway to help the rising phenom score big in his fifth career ARCA start on Sunday afternoon.

“I’m stoked about being back in the ARCA Racing Series and this great opportunity with Andy Belmont Racing,” said Kidd. “I’ve never been or seen Toledo Speedway before the test, but I feel with the number of laps we’ve turned it will be extremely beneficial for us.”

He added, “I enjoy short track racing, three out of four of my prior ARCA starts have come on short tracks. I savor the fact in a challenge of short track racing, where you never know what’s going to happen. Over the years, ABR has shown that they are a fierce threat on the ARCA tour, especially when it comes to short tracks, so I’m anxious to see what we can do on the track.”

In his four previous ARCA starts at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway, Iowa Speedway, Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and Pocono (Pa.) Raceway respectively, the New Yorker has amassed a best finish of 12^th at Berlin in his inaugural debut in 2010. Keen to improve on that finish from nearly two years ago, Kidd knows that patience will be critical to the 200-lap slugfest this weekend.

“We’ve done a lot of testing between Toledo and Caraway (N.C.) Speedway to get me ready for Sunday. It doesn’t matter though how much testing you do — nothing is like the race itself. I have the utmost faith in Lee (Leslie, crew chief) and the guys and we’re going to do everything in our power to bring the No. 2 NASCAR Racing Experience Ford Fusion home with a satisfying finish.”

Kidd added, “I want to thank NASCAR Racing Experience, Myrtle Beach Speedway, Romano Auto Dealerships and Pinnacle Investments for jumping on-board with us this weekend. I hope my good vibes about the race come true.”

Andy Belmont, team principal at ABR offered his sentiments on this weekend’s activities. “Brandon’s incredibly upbeat and that’s great music to this entire team. Not only does he have faith in himself, but he is comfortable with all the guys on the team. He hasn’t set any major goals for himself – he just wants to go out there, do the best he can for his sponsors and us and that’s exactly what we plan to do.”

Following, Toledo, Kidd will return to the tour with ABR at Iowa Speedway (July 13), Lucas Oil Raceway Park at Indianapolis (July 27) and a to-be-determined race.

Mikey Kile will be a teammate to Brandon Kidd in the No. 1 ModSpace Ford Fusion giving the field a double-dose of short track racing Andy Belmont Racing style.

The Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care (200 laps / 100 miles) is the fifth of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 71^st ARCA race at Toledo Speedway is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, May 19 with a forty-five practice session planned from 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. A final practice is scheduled from 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag Sunday, May 20 shortly after 2:00 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional coverage including timing and scoring available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local (Eastern).

For more on Brandon Kidd, please visit brandonkiddracing.com.

Additional information on Andy Belmont Racing is available by logging on to AndyBelmont.com.

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]TOLEDO, Ohio (May 16, 2012) – – Since the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February, the Josh Williams Motorsports (JWM) team has shown massive improvement. This weekend they look to continue their uphill climb as they fight towards another top-10 finish in Sunday’s Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care.

With finishes of 20^th, ninth and 12^th respectively in the last three races, the family-owned team is thriving on building momentum as the Port Charlotte, Florida native returns to Toledo Speedway, the site of the fifth race of the year.

Williams is poised to make his fourth career-start at the half-mile oval and looks to improve on his best finish of 12^thwhich occurred last spring. In the fall event, he stepped up his game and qualified a superb eighth before being relegated to a lead-lap 14^th place run.

In his quest for a good finish on Sunday afternoon, the JWM team will revert back to their No. 02 Southwest Florida Cable Construction Ford Fusion that they utilized at Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway where a strong finish would be denied due to a parts failure, completely out of control of the Floridian. The former Roush Fenway Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series automobile has shown the capabilities of running near the front. This weekend, they want to keep it there.

“We like this car,” said 18-year old Williams. “It ran so well at Mobile, before the parts malfunction drowned us. Thankfully, we were able to diagnose the issue – we’ve fixed it and shined up our No. 02 Southwest Florida Cable Construction Ford Fusion for this weekend.”

He added, “Toledo a cool place to race. Really, there’s a lot of room to race. Turns three and four a little hairy but that’s where some of the best action happens on the track. Your car has to be glued to the bottom in turn one and two so you can get that drive off going down the backstretch to make your move entering three. I get some goose bumps just thinking about it, because racing at Toledo is such a blast.”

Jeremy Crandall, the team’s crew chief will continue to lead the team since taking the new role at Mobile. Since then – the communication between the two has grown which has yielded back onto the track with their overall performance.

“Let me tell you, we were happy to come out of Talladega with a 12^th place run,” offered Williams. “We made a lot of changes to the car since Daytona and we still have a lot to do – but the tireless effort by Jeremy and the crew paid off in a huge way. We avoided the “big one” and hung in the lead draft all race long – after Daytona, we couldn’t have asked for much more.”

Climbing from 33^rd to 11^th overall in the championship standings over the last four contests has been no easy task. With just fifty points separating the avid Pro Truck driver from entering the top-10 in the chase for the crown, Williams details how important it is to be inside the top-10 throne after Sunday’s run.

“Like a lot of teams, we’re searching and struggling to gain additional sponsorship,” offered Williams. “Without my mom and dad (owners Kevin and Theresa Williams), none of this would be happening. They believe in me and this team though and that’s why we continue to forge ahead. We’re working on some stuff – we have some connections and have an upcoming race in July sold, so if we can just keep propelling this team in the right direction, our fenders shouldn’t be bare for much longer.”

The Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care (200 laps / 100 miles) is the fifth of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 71^st ARCA race at Toledo Speedway is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, May 19 with a forty-five practice session planned from 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. A final practice is scheduled from 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag Sunday, May 20 shortly after 2:00 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional coverage including timing and scoring 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 season please connect to the team’s official website at Joshwracing.com.

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]TOLEDO, Ohio (May 16, 2012) – – Off to his best start in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards in nearly two years, Tom Hessert III and his Ken Schrader Racing (KSR) team return to Toledo Speedway for Sunday’s running of the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care.

The KSR team under the leadership of crew chief Donnie Richeson are anxious for their return to the half-mile oval, especially after their recent performance at the Northern Ohio racetrack – which saw the then pink No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala steal the pole, led 86 laps but after a late race shuffle settle for a fourth place finish.

So it goes without saying, that the veteran team has some “unfinished business” with the track and with the team’s strong start to the year which has included one top-five and three top-10s in the first four events – many will point to the Cherry Hill, New Jersey native as one to watch on Sunday afternoon.

“Honestly, our performance from Toledo kicked over into Daytona this year and we’ve been able to readily keep the momentum alive,” said Hessert, who enters the fifth race of the year second in the championship point standings.”

The former NASCAR Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car pilot added, “We escaped Talladega with a top-five. We really could have had a bad day with the tire going down and all – but thankfully the caution flag came out and it proved to be our saving grace. We battled back and even though we ran out of laps, we still finished fourth – giving us a great boost for Toledo this weekend.”

To help the team repeat their performance from last October, Richeson will bring the same Chevrolet bowtie that awarded Hessert with his second-career ARCA pole. The team ran this same automobile earlier this year at Salem (Ind.) Speedway, where another strong performance was shattered by late race contact from another competitor. Still, the team is confident in the car’s capabilities and feels their chances of a win in Sunday’s anticipated thriller is feasible.

“This is one of my favorite race cars,” said the 25-year old. “It always seems to grip real well to everyone we take it – and I’m hoping the setup that we used last October will adapt this weekend as well. I know I’ve been saying this for a while, but I’m hungry to win again and Toledo quite possibly could be one of our best opportunities.”

An extra incentive for Hessert this weekend is the presence of his marketing partner Federated Auto Parts, whose Federated Car Care division will serve as the presenting sponsor for Sunday’s outing.

“It’s truly been a blessing to work with the folks at Federated Auto Parts,” Hessert continued. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to meet all of the corporate representatives and a lot of their cliental. I know we’re going to have a lot of support in the grandstands on Sunday, so hopefully with their cheers and chants, we can thank them for their support by being the first one to take the checkered flag.”

If you didn’t think that winning a race wasn’t enough pressure for someone, Hessert’s current idling second in the ARCA Racing Series championship standings and has the opportunity to inherit the championship lead pending the outcome of Sunday’s race.

“Man, it would be awesome to leave Toledo with the point’s lead,” explained Hessert, whose 55 markers behind leader Brennan Poole. “Consistency has really paid off for us so far. We really aren’t thinking about the points lead though – we’re just focusing on keeping our No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala near the front and see if we can’t get the win. If we leave with the point’s lead – that’s just the icing on the cake.”

Entering Toledo, Hessert, who will turn 26 next Tuesday, May 22 has 87 career ARCA Racing Series starts. In those outings, he has maneuvered two poles, one win, 20 top-fives and 46 top-10s.

The Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care (200 laps / 100 miles) is the fifth of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 71^st ARCA race at Toledo Speedway is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, May 19 with a forty-five practice session planned from 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. A final practice is scheduled from 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag Sunday, May 20 shortly after 2:00 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional coverage including timing and scoring available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local (Eastern).

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

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

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit](TOLEDO, Ohio – May 15, 2012) – Any organization that has lasted and succeeded for 60 years has a place it calls home, a place where humble beginnings and a vision for the future paved the way for the decades to come. For the Automobile Racing Club of America, that place is Toledo, Ohio.

This week, the celebration of ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season will take place at Toledo Speedway, which since 1963 has hosted the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards 70 times, and will do so again in Sunday’s Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care.

The national stock car series has crowned 29 different champions in 59 previous seasons, and several of those drivers will appear in special pre-race ceremonies Sunday as part of the 60-year celebration. Bobby Bowsher (1992 and 1994), Frank Kimmel (1998 and 2000-07), Moose Myers (1977), Scott Stovall (1982), and Bill Venturini (1987 and 1991) will be recognized at a track where all five have won before. Kimmel has nine Toledo wins to match his nine series titles, and Bowsher won five times between 1991 and 1994. Myers won twice at Toledo in his championship season; Stovall won in 1986 and Venturini won the next year.

In fact, numerous ARCA greats have won at the half-mile oval long known as ARCA’s home track. Iggy Katona, the series’ all-time leading winner, scored the first victory at Toledo in 1963. Jack Bowsher won twice in 1965, and Benny Parsons won three times in 1968 and 1969. Ramo Stott and Joy Fair earned Toledo wins in the early 1970s, and are followed later in the track’s history by Dave Dayton, Bob Keselowski, Bob Strait, Ken Schrader, Justin Allgaier, Parker Kligerman, and last year’s ARCA champion, Ty Dillon, who booted Kimmel from the lead with under 10 laps remaining in last May’s Menards 200.

Racing history at Toledo does not end with the ARCA Racing Series, though, and neither does Sunday’s planned celebration. ARCA track champions will be honored, including three-time Flat Rock Speedway late model champion Steve Bunge (right), Figure 8 track champions Chuck Hall and Dick Huston, ARCA midget champion Jerry Nemire, and many more.

The celebratory occasion – and the only ARCA Racing Series event at Toledo this season – starts Friday with a live appearance from Nashville’s CJ Solar Band at the Toledo Speedway Bar and Grille. The band, described as “edgy country rock,” will take the stage at 9 p.m., highlighting a big-screen watch party for that evening’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race from Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The ARCA Fan Fest will be live and open at 10 a.m. Saturday, featuring interactive displays fit for all ages just outside the Toledo Speedway gates. Soon after, the ARCA Racing Series will hold two practices and then Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell. The action will culminate with the Grogan’s Towne 50, the ARCA Truck Series season opener, at 5 p.m.

On Sunday, ARCA Fan Fest continues, and every driver in the Menards 200 starting field will participate in an on-track autograph session at noon. Pre-race ceremonies will start at 1:15 with the honoring of the past champions and winners, and driver introductions will begin at 1:30 to set up the 2 p.m. race. SPEED will air the race broadcast at 5 p.m., on a same-day delay. ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring coverage of the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care. As always, the coverage will be free to ARCARacing.com visitors.

Drivers entered for the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care include: Kimmel, searching for his 10th Toledo win and his first at any track since 2008; NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Joey Coulter, who will make a special ARCA appearance; points leader Brennan Poole, who led late in last October’s race at Toledo; 2011 ARCA Rookie of the Year Chris Buescher, a winner in three of the last four races at Toledo; Erik Jones, ARCA’s first 15-year-old competitor; Alex Bowman, a short track winner this season at Salem (Ind.) Speedway; Tom Hessert, the Menards Pole Award winner at Toledo last fall; past ARCA winners Bobby Gerhart and Mikey Kile; and experienced Ohio drivers Chad Hackenbracht, Jared Marks, Levi Youster, Tim Cowen, and Tommy O’Leary IV.

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

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. The series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course in its most recent season. This year, the series visited Alabama’s Mobile International Speedway for the first time. In June, the first event at Minnesota’s Elko Speedway will give ARCA a race in a 29th state.

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

[media-credit name=”arcaracing.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit](CLARKSVILLE, Ind. – May 14, 2012) – Officials from Kimmel Racing have announced that Cedartown, Ga. native Korbin Forrister has joined the family-owned ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards team for a minimum of four events, beginning with Sunday’s Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care at Toledo Speedway.

Forrister, 19, has an extensive racing resume with both asphalt and dirt experience. Sunday’s Menards 200 will be his stock car debut.

In addition to Toledo, Forrister will drive for Kimmel Racing in upcoming events at Lucas Oil Raceway Park at Indianapolis, the Illinois State Fairgrounds, and the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds. For Toledo, Forrister will drive the No. 69 Tilted Kilt Ford Fusion as a teammate to Will Kimmel in theNo. 68 Kimmel Racing Ford Fusion.

“I’m really excited and proud to be a part of the Kimmel Racing family,” said Forrister, who’s attended the last two ARCA Racing Series races to become familiar with his new surroundings. “Together, we’ve set realistic goals and I think we’ll be able to accomplish them. Our goal is to go to Toledo next weekend, have a productive weekend, and see if we can put two Kimmel Racing-prepared Fords in the top 10.”

Bill Kimmel, owner of Kimmel Racing, commented on having another young gun join his stable.

“Everyone is really happy to welcome Korbin to our team,” he said. “He has done some testing with us and has impressed us all. We know that he’s new to these types of cars, but I think he really will adjust well. Will is also looking forward to having a teammate, and I’m thrilled to have two race cars competing at Toledo Speedway next weekend.”

The Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, with live coverage available at ARCARacing.com.

From Team Release