Category: Other Series PR

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 8, 2011) – Philip Morris keeps finding a way to outdo himself.

The veteran Virginia driver set a track record Saturday in qualifying for Sunday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 at Martinsville Speedway, adding to a season of amazing success, which includes 20 victories, a track championship and his fourth NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship.

“This year has been surreal,” said Morris, who is also the defending Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 champion. “It has been a blur of victories.”

There was never much doubt Saturday that Morris was going to be the class of qualifying after he led both morning practice sessions.

Morris toured the .526-mile Martinsville oval in 20.165 seconds (93.905 mph) to shatter the old Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 Late Model Stock car record of 20.216 seconds (93.668) set by Davin Scites in 2008. By winning the pole, Morris picked up the $1,000 Sparks Oil Pole Award.

“I had been looking for that lap all day long,” Morris said of his qualifying lap. “A lot of preparation went into the car. I drove way deep in the corner and it felt a little like the pole and when I looked up and saw it on the scoreboard, I was the happiest guy in Martinsville.”

Matt McCall was fairly happy, too, nailing down the second starting position with a lap of 20.347 seconds (93.065).

“We got waxed by two-tenths of a second,” McCall said chuckling. “We had a good lap, but Philip had an awesome lap.”

Last year’s pole winner, Lee Pulliam, earned the third starting spot (20.365, 92.983 mph) followed by Scites (20.381, 92.910) and Kenny Forbes (20.397, 92.937).

The top five qualifiers were in Chevrolets.

Rounding out the top 10 were B.J. Mackey, Brandon Butler, former winner Frank Deiny Jr., Josh Berry and Ryan Reed.

Only the top 22 positions for Sunday’s 42-car field were determined in Saturday’s qualifying. The remaining 20 spots will be filled through four 25-lap heat races beginning at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. The top five finishers from each heat race transfer to the 200-lap feature.

Tickets are $20 for adults and children 12-and-under are free for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300.

Fan gates will open at 9 a.m. Sunday.

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 3, 2011) – Just how solid is the field for this Sunday’s Virginia is for Racing 300 Late Model Stock car race at Martinsville Speedway?

Well, as the old saying goes, the numbers don’t lie.

Philip Morris, the defending event winner, and the 2011 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion is entered. So is Lee Pulliam, who finished third in the final NWAAS national standings and C.E. Falk, who finished fourth.

Frank Deiny Jr. (ninth) and Nate Monteith (10) give the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 entry list two more members of the national top 10. That means half of the top 10 national finalists are entered, and that’s with only about half of the anticipated entry forms received so far.

“The competition level here week in and week out is so much more advanced than what I see in other parts of the country,” Morris said after a recent test session “We know we can expect the best competition anywhere right here at Martinsville Speedway next week.”

The number of total wins this season from the 50 or so entries received so far is staggering, an amazing 147. Thirty of the drivers entered so far have at least one win apiece and six are in double digits. Roughly 100 entrants are expected by the weekend.

Four-time national champion Morris leads the way with 20 wins, with 19 coming at South Boston Speedway and one at Motor Mile Speedway. Pulliam piled up a track-record 16 wins at Motor Mile Speedway and a total of 17 overall while Anthony Anders had 15 victories at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina.

Falk and B.J. Mackey each totaled 11 wins on the season, Falk racing primarily at Langley Speedway and Mackey at Caraway Speedway. Nate Monteith was right behind with 10 wins at Kingsport Speedway.

Practice and time trials are scheduled for Saturday, October 8. Only the fastest 22 cars will make the field through qualifying with the remainder of the 42-car field filled through four 25-lap heat races beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 9. The top five finishers from each heat race will transfer to the 200-lap feature.

Tickets are $20 for adults and children 12-and-under are free for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 on October 9. Tickets for qualifying on October 8 are $5. Tickets for qualifying day are on sale at the ticket office only.

Fan gates will open at 9 a.m. on October 8 and 9. Tickets for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 may be ordered by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX or visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

ASA RACING CONGRATULATES “THE SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN” AS THE 2011 JOE GIBBS DRIVEN RACING OIL ASA MEMBER TRACK NATIONAL CHAMPION

Barry Beggarly wins National title; Chrissy Wallace wins West Region Championship

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (Thursday, September 29, 2011) – In 16 events this season, he had five wins, four seconds, two thirds, four fourths, and one fifth place finish at an ASA Member Track that had many talented drivers and fantastic on-track battles every weekend. It was no surprise when earlier today, ASA President Dennis Huth contacted Barry Beggarly, the 2011 Late Model track champion at Ace Speedway, an ASA Member Track in Altamahaw, NC, to congratulate him as the 2011 Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil ASA Member Track National Champion.

“Well that is a super accomplishment,” Beggarly said when Dennis Huth called him. “It is a great honor, especially at my age to be the National Champion.”

Beggarly becomes the first driver to win two national weekly series national championships. “I am jubilated right now, it is a great honor being the only one to win an ASA Member Track National Championship and a NASCAR Weekly Series National Championship,” Beggarly exclaimed.

Beggarly not only had the best average among the 2011 ASA Member Track champions but had the best among close to 400 drivers contesting for the National title. The Pelham, NC resident finishes the 2011 season with a national average of 4.9416. His consistent finishes, with his worst being a fifth place finish, gave him an average finish of 2.5000.

Ace Speedway helped Beggarly with his National Championship by having an average of 15.75 cars per event.

As the ASA National Champion, he will receive a tryout with Joe Gibbs Racing. His tryout will be announced at a later date. He will also get a one-on-one meeting with JD Gibbs, President of Joe Gibbs Racing and possibly Coach Joe Gibbs himself. He will also get an up close tour of Joe Gibbs Racing.

“Congratulations to Barry Beggarly on his outstanding season at Ace Speedway,” JD Gibbs said. “Everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing is looking forward to meeting and spending some time with this great champion. It will be an exciting experience for everyone.”

Beggarly was in a tough point battle with Jason York all season long. In fact, only two points separated them going into the final event on Saturday, September 24. Beggarly finished second that night to Jeb Burton while York finished fourth, allowing Beggarly to secure the track championship. Winning the trackchampionship and being an ASA Member in good standing were two of the requirements needed to be eligible for the National title.

This is the fourth Ace Speedway track title for Beggarly. His previous track championships came in 1990, 1993 and 1996. This is also his second National Title as he won the NASCAR Winston Racing Series title in 1993. He won that title with a tiebreaker over Dennis Setzer. He also won track titles at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, NC and South Boston Speedway in South Boston, VA. He was also named one of the All-Time Top 25 drivers as part of the NASCAR Weekly Series 25th Anniversary in 2006.

Chrissy Wallace had an exciting season at Lebanon I-44Speedway. She became the first female to not only win a feature event but also win a track championship. Her National average of 4.5541 makes her the 2011 West Region ASA Member Track Champion.

As the West Region champion, Wallace will receive a unique one-of-a-kind jacket from SpeedNetDirect.com, the official tabulator of the Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil ASA Member Track National Championship.

“To win the track championship at Lebanon I-44 Speedway and be the West Region Champion is a huge accomplishment for this year,” Wallace said earlier today. “Considering I sat out of the late models for three years and going to a new track, I had a blast doing it. I told my dad if I don’t have anything set up, I would like to go to Ace Speedway next year and run against Beggarly and go for the National title.”

In 19 events, Wallace had six wins, 12 top-five and 16top-ten finishes with an average finish of 4.4737. Lebanon I-44 Speedway had an average car count of 15.4211.

“Congratulations to Barry Beggarly as our fourth Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil ASA Member Track National Champion, Zack Franks for finishing second overall, and Chrissy Wallace as the West Region Champion and finishing third overall, and everyone else that finished in the top-ten,” Dennis Huth, ASA President said. “Beggarly had a very impressive season when you look at his statistics. He joins Cary Stapp, Tommy Cloce and Bryan Wordelman as an ASA Member Track National Champion. It is also a personal pleasure to, once again, present Beggarly with a National title like I did in 1993.

“A special thank you goes out to all of the ASA Member Tracks and competitors for their participation this season and we look forward to doing this again in 2012,” Huth continued to say. “A big thank you goes to Joe Gibbs Racing for presenting their unique prize of a tryout with our National Champion for the fourth year in a row.”

Fans can look at their favorite driver statistics by visiting SpeedNetDirect.com’s Championship Insider at www.championshipinsider.com. It is a free membership site, sign up today!

Drivers from participating ASA Member Tracks across the United States have chosen one of their divisions as their premiere divisions. Those drivers in the premiere division, who are ASA members in good standing, will compete at their ASA Member Track to first win their track championship. Once they accomplish that goal, they will then be matched up against the other premiere division champions to determine the National Champion.

ASA has once again teamed up with speednetdirect.com to create a proprietary point system that is much like a batting average in baseball. Some of the factors used to create an average are wins, number of cars passed, finishes, car count, and number of events. No one knows what has more of a factor over another.

Race fans and competitors can follow the standings on http://www.speednetdirect.com. The opening page shows the current track point leaders that would be eligible for the National Championship if it ended today. The East and West Region standings give a complete listing of all of the drivers participating this season.

Past National Champions are Cary Stapp, Thunderhill Raceway (2008), Tommy Cloce, Adirondack Speedway (2009), and Bryan Wordelman, Rocky Mountain Raceways (2010).

Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil, sponsor of the American Speed Association NationalShort Track National Championship, is the same oil developed and used by Joe Gibbs Racing. The team sells the oil so racers across the country can have access to the latest technology in racing lubricants.

Joe Gibbs Racing is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, two NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl champion as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships and more than 80 NASCAR races,including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.

The ASA Member Track program sanctions dirt and asphalt short tracks along with road courses around the United States, as well as a variety of regional and national touring series. For more information call (386) 258-2221, or send an email to info@asa-racing.com. The latest news and information from all the racetracks and tours involved in the ASA can be found by visiting www.ASA-Racing.com.

JOE GIBBS DRIVEN RACING OIL

ASA MEMBER TRACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

FINAL STANDINGS

1. Barry Beggarly (Ace Speedway) – 4.9416

2. Zack Franks (Newport Motor Speedway) – 4.7075

3. Chrissy Wallace (Lebanon I-44 Speedway) – 4.5541

4. Shelby Stroebel (Meridian Speedway) – 4.2425

5. Mike Reichenberger (Norway Speedway) – 4.2121

6. Michael Hale (Rocky Mountain Raceways) – 3.9751

7. Ronnie Rihn (Marshfield Motor Speedway) – 3.4958

8. Mark Mackesy (State Park Speedway) – 3.3718

9. Ryan Stiltner (Lonesome Pine Raceway) – 2.5051

10. Mark Shackleford (Orange Show Speedway) – 2.2495

Darrell Wallace Jr. earns the win at the Monster Mile

Gresham crowned NASCAR K&N Series East Champion

Sept. 30, 2011

[media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”222″][/media-credit]With five laps to go in Friday’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season finale, a whole bunch was hanging in the balance. Brett Moffitt was leading Darrell Wallace Jr. If he won the race, he might win the championship. But he was losing the grip, lap by lap. Meanwhile, series leader Max Gresham was trying to hold off Dale Quarterly, because if he fell too far back, he’d lose the championship.

But by the time there were four laps left, everything changed.

Moffitt’s right front tire let go and he crashed into the wall, sending Wallace on his way. Meanwhile, Gresham’s parameters switched from “drive for your life” to “just finish.” He did, and Gresham took the 2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship, while Wallace picked up the race win, becoming the first African American to ever win the pole and a race at Dover.

“It was an emotional win, especially for me, losing my uncle this past Saturday,” Wallace said. “I put his name over mine on the door, and he was riding shotgun with us. He’s the one who put us in Victory Lane.”

It was not a surprise to see Wallace up front. He had whipped the field in practice and qualifying – he ran a full 1.3 miles per hour faster than the competition in qualifying, which is an eternity by NASCAR standards. But he collided with teammate Sergio Pena early in the race and had to deal with some damage that put him two laps down.

However, the 17-year-old driver felt he’d grown a lot this season, and he put that growth to good use in confronting the situation.

“I’ve learned to not get in over my head in tough situations like today,” Wallace said. “I had a little damage and I thought our day was over with. But I persevered and my team persevered, and we were able to come back to the top.”

Meanwhile, Gresham celebrated his series championship alongside Wallace. Leading by just 21 points following Moffitt’s win in last week’s race, Gresham had no room for error – at least, not until Moffitt gave him some.

“Once Brett took the lead, at that point we had to do what we had to do to finish third,” Gresham said. “And if that meant racing as hard as we had to, that’s what we had to do, because we had to finish third and we knew it. As soon as [Moffitt’s tire blew], it was just a big sigh of relief.”

But for a while there, Gresham’s own car was worrying him a bit.

“Those last 10, 15 laps, I definitely had a bad vibration,” he said. “I wasn’t sure what it was. The last few laps there during the caution I was just shaking the car down because I knew something wasn’t right. It was a good thing I didn’t have to race for position at that time, I could just ride the last three laps out and not have to worry about it.”

Gresham drives in the Joe Gibbs Racing developmental program, and his crew chief, Bryant Frazier, was Tony Stewart’s first crew chief when Stewart joined the team in 1998. Frazier was extremely proud of his latest young driver.

“He did exactly what we set out to do this year – be patient at times, drive hard when we need to, and win races,” Frazier said. “He ran every lap that the K&N Series ran this year, so that’s a testament in itself. Max has done a great job and this team has worked so hard all year long as a group. It’s just been a wonderful year, and that’s all a testament to Joe Gibbs Racing. There wasn’t a time this year where I couldn’t go to a Nationwide or a Cup crew chief and they wouldn’t give you an answer. That’s part of what makes this company as great as it is.”

At age 18, Gresham is now a NASCAR champion, and he’ll be right there with the big names at NASCAR’s awards banquet later this fall.

“It means everything in the world right now,” he said. “I have big stuff happening in the next week and I don’t even know what it is right now. To be a NASCAR champion is pretty much the biggest thing I wanted to do when I started racing, and now I am. This is as sweet as it could be right now.”

9/23/2011 – By David Martinez

Good day fellow readers. It’s been a couple of months now, where there has been little activity inside a cockpit for me. From driving Champ Car, A1GP or ALMS, to being outside the car (Coaching, Engineering and directing a team). It has been a temporary big change due to the lack of sponsorship to continue my career, and it hasn´t been easy.

[media-credit name=”csmteam” align=”alignright” width=”240″][/media-credit]Used to being the center of attention, while driving amongst huge crowds chanting my name, or being popular amongst friends and family who knew me as “the race car driver”, to working in an office as a project manager like an average person. It has been like living 2 different lives and I am grateful for everything I´ve learned.

Though I might sound old, I´m a 29 year old Mexican driver that has raced all around the world and climbed all the steps in the Road to Indy. I have learned many new things outside of racing. I have also learned many things about racing, without even being in the car. There is one thing I have learned for sure though: my racing career is far from over, It is actually just beginning.

When you´re the star driver in a team, this is what you actually think on a good day. “ Damn, I must be really good to be going this fast,” and in a bad day “wow, this car must really suck”. Being outside the car, makes you realize everything that revolves around a driver´s performance. It makes you think how much mechanics, engineers, friends, family , fans, etc are part of this moment. After all this inactivity, this is what I have come to realize. It´s not just me driving that car. It´s my team, my family, my friends, my country. We are all racing together for a purpose, we are creating synergy where 1+1 = 3.

I will from now on, keep you a part of my story on our way back to the IZOD Indy Car Series in 2012 with the Racing for Mexico program.