Category: Other Series PR

ROCK HILL, SC, Thursday, September 8, 2012: ALMS Le Mans Prototype Challenge class championship leaders CORE autosport has secured sportscar veteran and former 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Andy Wallace for the next round of American Le Mans Series competition at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Wallace will join team owner Jon Bennett and young driver Frankie Montecalvo aboard the #05 Bayshore Recycling / Composite Resources ORECA FLM09 at the six-hour ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey presented by Tequila Patrón on Saturday, September 17.

Wallace’s history in sports car racing goes back decades, winning some of the most prestigious races in the world including the 24 Hours of Le Mans (overall: 1988, class wins: 2001, 2002, 2006), Rolex 24 at Daytona (overall: 1990, 1997, 1999; class win 2003), Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring (overall: 1992, 1993) and the Petit Le Mans (overall: 1999).

2010 marked Wallace’s debut in the highly-competitive ALMS LMPC class, driving for Level 5 motorsports. He ran seven of nine rounds with the team and racked up three podium finishes (Sebring, Lime Rock and Road America) and finished seventh in the 2010 ALMS LMPC driver championship standings.

Wallace’s history at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca goes back to 1997 and he’s had a love-hate relationship with the storied venue since then. Highlights at the challenging track include two ALMS podium finishes in the top prototype class – a second in 2001 with the Champion Audi team and a third spot in 2005 with Dyson Racing.

Qualifying for the ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey presented by Tequila Patrónwill be aired live on ESPN3.com on Friday, September 16 at 6:30 p.m. EST, with live race coverage on ESPN3.com on Saturday, September 17 at 4:15 p.m. EST. ESPN2 will televise a tape-delayed highlight of the event on Sunday, September 18 at 1 p.m. EST.

International viewers can see the event live on MotorsTV, Rogers Sports Net, Fox Sports Middle East and Fox Latin America Networks. Live radio broadcasts are available at www.americanlemans.com.

Andy Wallace

“I have been watching CORE autosport compete this year and when I got an email from Morgan [Brady, team manager] asking about my availability for the Laguna race I was honored I was on his list for drivers.

“I think the LMPC class is a great thing as it keeps costs down, but it’s still a prototype, which is fantastic. The LMPC cars are designed to do a single job and there’s no compromises like you have with GT cars.

“I find LMPC cars just as rewarding to drive as LMP1 cars. The brakes and handling are good, the gearbox takes a bit of learning and of course I want more power, but there’s not a race driver that doesn’t want that.

“CORE autosport has been doing extremely well and always is running at the front, and this race you always want to be out there in a good car  and you can’t do much better in the LMPC class. I’m looking forward to being part of the team and I take my job seriously to bring a good result for them.”

U.S. GT Academy champion Bryan Heitkotter will co-drive the #05 car with Ryan Dalziel, Mike Sweeney and Thomas Merrill pair up in the #04 car.

For Immediate Release

Scotts Valley, California – September 9, 2011 – A.M. Performance is proud to announce that it has partnered with Nissan and their global motorsports program GT Academy to bring virtual racing to reality by giving one lucky person the opportunity of a lifetime to become a professional race car driver. Over 53,000 PlayStation Gran Turismo 5 players participated in the first round of the GT Academy competition and after an intense National Final the top 16 players in the country moved on to England where they participated in the final stage of the competition. At the end of the grueling week-long race camp at Silverstone, where the 16 competitors raced in real Nissan race cars, Bryan Heitkotter from Fresno, CA was crowned champion. This intense competition was also filmed as a reality TV show that will air in five hour-long episodes on Speed beginning on Tuesday, September 20 at 10:00 EDT.

As part of the transition from virtual racer to real racer, Heitkotter will get the chance to drive A.M. Performance’s #05 Nissan NISMO 370Z at the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, the season finale of the 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge which will take place September 17th at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course.

Heitkotter will make his GRAND-AM debut alongside the highly experienced Ryan Dalziel who will be his co-driver in the #05 GT Academy/A.M Performance machine. The team recently had a chance to test their Nissan machines in Buttonwillow where both Heitkotter and Dalziel drove the race-prepared 370Z for the first time in preparation for the Mid Ohio event. Joining them in that test were the driving duo of the #04 Nissan NISMO 370Z which includes Mike Sweeney who has been with the rookie team since it’s inception, and Thomas Merrill who will make his second start in the Nissan machine.

30 year old Heitkotter, a self proclaimed professional Gamer, was the fastest virtual driver during the tournament phase of GT Academy and credits his driving success to endless hours of simulations racing. His commitment and speed have now given him a life changing opportunity to become a professional race car driver.

This historic accomplishment, never before seen in North American professional motorsports, opens the door for a whole new generation of racers that now have new hope and a different path to becoming professional race car drivers. It is also a testament for the realism and accuracy of virtual racing and proves that aspiring drivers now have a new cost effective way to develop their skills and experience before hitting the track.

The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will take place September 16 – 17. The 2h30min race will be broadcast on SPEED September 25 at 12:00PM Eastern Time. You can follow all the action through live timing and commentary at www.grand-am.com. The GT Academy reality television show starts airing on SPEED on Tuesday, September 20th at 10:00 P.M. EST.

For more information about the team and its exciting new NISMO 370Z racecars please visit www.amperformanceracing.com and you can also follow us at www.facebook.com/amperformance and www.twitter.com/amperformance.

Bryan Keitkotter

Driver, #05 Nissan GT Academy /A.M. Performance / Nissan NISMO 370Z

“It will be a big challenge racing in the Grand Am Continental Tire series having just started my racing career in July. I’m looking forward to racing on my home soil in the US and learning as much as I can from my teammate for this race, Ryan Dalziel. I was fortunate enough to attend a test day with A.M. Performance while I was back home in California for a few days. It was great to have an opportunity to get to know the team and the car a little bit before the Grand-Am race weekend. We made a lot of progress during the day and we left feeling optimistic about Mid-Ohio.

GT Academy has provided me with a lot of experience behind the wheel in the past two months. The program is thorough and accelerated, with racing nearly every weekend and simulator sessions during the week, plus driver coaching. I’ve spent some time in the simulator at Silverstone running the Mid-Ohio circuit, getting ready for the real thing. I’m hoping I can get up to speed quickly as I’m sure there will be limited practice time.”

Ryan Dalziel

Driver, #05 Nissan GT Academy /A.M. Performance / Nissan NISMO 370Z

“I’m really excited to be part of this unique program with Nissan, GT Academy and A.M. Performance. I think the concept is so different to any other and that made me instantly attracted to it. After running some laps in the A.M. Performance Nissan NISMO 370Z a few days ago, I know we will turn some heads at Mid-Ohio and I was really impressed with Bryan and where his racing experience is at. I can’t wait until Mid-Ohio!”

Mike Sweeney

Driver, #04 A.M. Performance / Nissan NISMO 370Z

“This has been a pretty exciting year, being a part of this team as it all came together from scratch, but everything we’ve done so far pales to this Mid-Ohio event. It’s awesome to be a part of this great program, and to have our #05 car be the GT Academy car is just too cool, and we really need to thank the powers that be at Nissan and Sony for making that happen. The chance to work with a top-notch line-up is always fun too! We had no doubt that Ryan would be the business, we were very impressed by Bryan’s speed at our last test, he’s definitely an asset for this race, and of course I’ve driven with Thomas before; he’s always fast and we really made a good team, so I’m pretty thrilled about our driving line up here. Now we just need to go racing and bring home a good finish to make all those long seven-day work weeks back at the shop worth it for the guys!”

Thomas Merrill

Driver, #04 A.M. Performance / Nissan NISMO 370Z

“It will be great to get the nimble A.M. Performance Nissan NISMO 370Z back in competition again, especially at a technical track like Mid-Ohio. I’d like to thank Jeff Hecox, Andrew Armistead, Mike Sweeney, and all the A.M. Performance guys for allowing me to come back and race with the team again. The team has established a fun, professional atmosphere that any driver would enjoy being a part of! We have enjoyed working with the Nissan NISMO 370z platform, and with each outing we are constantly developing and improving the car. I’d also like to send a special thanks to Chris Tomaszewski, Jimmy Lipe, Bell Helmets and Sparco USA.”

About GT Academy:

GT Academy is a global marketing and motorsports program sponsored by Nissan and Sony PlayStation. It challenges gamers and racing fans alike from across the U.S. to compete in a series of online time trials using Gran Turismo 5 as the platform via pre-selected Nissan vehicles and tracks. As the competition progresses, thousands of hopefuls are narrowed down to the top 32 finalists, who compete in the live national finals for a coveted spot in the top 16. The top 16 will compete in a grueling race camp at Silverstone racing circuit in England, where their strength, stamina, mental agility, and driving skills will be pushed to the limits and beyond. On top of pure talent, it will take a lot of drive, passion and dedication to prove to the judges who really has what it takes to become a professional race car driver. One winner will start down the path of intense training in a seven-month “Driver Development Program” to become a pro, and ultimately, compete in a real race as part of a professional racing team. The entire journey will be documented in a reality show that will air on the SPEED channel for five (5) weeks starting on September 20th at 10:00 p.m. EST. Learn more about GT Academy by visiting www.NissanUSA.com/gtacademy.

About A.M. Performance:

A.M. Performance is a race car preparation, aftermarket parts, and tuning company based in Scotts

Valley, CA. Our 9000 sq ft. facility is staffed with some of the most skilled and passionate racecar

minds in the country, with all the tools required at their fingertips to build high-end racecars for the most competitive series in the country. Our professional fabricators can handle any job, big or small, from Grand Am Rolex GT cars, to your everyday HPDE track car.

Although A.M. Performance is equipped to build a racecar from any make, we specialize in Nissan 370Z’s and Nissan GT-R’s. Our experience racing both platforms gives us unique experience to advise our customers on the exact products they need for their street, track day, or full racecar Nissan.

Check the A.M. Performance website often for company updates. Our first two years look to be

extremely exciting with our multi-car entry into the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS class. We will also be coming to market with multiple hard parts which will be must haves for any track or race car 370Z. An AWD chassis dyno is also in the works to be installed and ready for customer tunes by the end of 2011.

FORD THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS RETURN TO BRISTOL DRAGWAY ON FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND IN 2012

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Thursday, September 08, 2011) –NHRA officials today announced the 2012 Ford Thunder Valley Nationals presented by the Tri-Cities Area Ford Dealers once again return to the popular Father’s Day weekend slot on the schedule. Thunder Valley will welcome the stars of the NHRA June 15-17, 2012 in what has become one of the most anticipated stops on the calendar for both drivers and fans.

Bristol Dragway first hosted the Ford Thunder Valley Nationals on Father’s Day weekend in 2010, and the holiday proved to be the perfect time for NHRA to visit Thunder Valley.

Because of the special day, Dragway officials are able to plan several unique Father’s Day-themed events to coincide with the race. Additionally, the summer date provides families the chance to plan a vacation to include all the excitement of the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

Jerry Caldwell, Bristol Dragway Executive Vice-President and General Manager, said the date provides families an even greater Thunder Valley experience.

“We are excited to continue our Father’s Day traditions here in Thunder Valley,” Caldwell said. “I don’t think there is any better way to spend the holiday than by bringing dad to Bristol Dragway to see 8,000-horsepower machines roaring through the valley.

“The drivers and crews are some of the most fan-oriented athletes in any sport, so Father’s Day weekend is the ideal date to bring the whole family out as we host all of our friends from NHRA.”

The 2012 edition of the Ford Thunder Valley Nationals marks the 12th annual event in Bristol.

ESPN2 and ESPN2HD, a part of the ESPN network, the worldwide leader in sports, will again provide exclusive television coverage, on a same-day basis, of all NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events featuring action from qualifying rounds on Saturday and Sunday’s race.

Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2011. As the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States, NHRA presents 22 national events featuring the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. NHRA also offers the Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 8 to 17.

For more information about Bristol Dragway events, please call (423) 764-DRAG or visit www.bristoldragway.com.

DUQUOIN, Illinois (September 7, 2011) – – Considering his experience on the dirt from his United States Auto Club (USAC) days and now with the 3,400-pound stock cars in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards for the last four years, Tom Hessert III and his Ken Schrader Racing (KSR) team were easily tabbed as a pre-race favorite for Monday’s Southern Illinois 100 presented by Federated Auto Parts at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds.

By the end of the lone practice session on Labor Day, it was easy to deviser why. Hessert in his No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala sported the quickest time throughout the one-hour assignment. When the cross-flags had waived Hessert landed the second fastest time overall.

Confident in his racecar, Hessert leaned into Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying with high hopes. By the time Hessert’s Chevrolet bow-tie took to the one-mile dirt track, lap times began to drop because of the track’s changing characteristic. When time trials came to a close, Hessert would start the 100-lap shootout from the 13th position.

Disappointed but still highly optimistic about his racecar, Hessert climbed into his racecar shortly after 1:00 p.m. ready to do battle in the 16th race of the season.

Hessert wasted no time maneuvering through the field as by the completion of lap five, the Cherry Hill, New Jersey native bolted into the top-10 with some very quick lap times.

Six laps later, Hessert had nestled his way into the eighth position and climbed up to seventh just five circuits later before his day took a dramatic turn.

While gaining ground on the competition ahead of him, the engine seized on lap 22 forcing a trail of white smoke to emerge from the tailpipes of the No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala. Hessert was able to bring his machine to pit road but made the quick left hand-turn into the garage area as he knew his day was done.

Obviously dejected about the circumstances, Hessert would have to settle for a frustrating 26th place finish.

“There was no warning whatsoever,” offered the 25-year old. “The car felt weird for about one lap and then it went away and the next thing I knew she blew up. It’s extremely disappointing because I think we had one of the top-contending cars. We were moving through the field quickly before our day abruptly ended. I hate it especially for Federated Auto Parts who was a presenting sponsor for our annual trip to DuQuoin. We’ll do everything we can to make it up to them at Salem.”

Unofficially with three events remaining on the 2011 schedule, Hessert slipped to seventh in the championship standings just 15 markers behind Tim George Jr. for sixth and 75 markers for fifth currently occupied by Chad McCumbee.

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series is a return trip to Salem, Indiana for a Saturday-night shootout at the brutal half-mile short track for the running of the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic by Federated Car Care. The one-day show is set for Saturday, September 17th with the green flag scheduled to drop just after 7:15 p.m. Hessert will make his eighth-start at legendary short track and aims to improve on the team’s seventh place outing in May. Overall, Hessert has collected two top-fives and five top-10s there.

In addition to Federated Auto Parts, Cherry Hill Classic Cars served as an associate marketing partner for Hessert’s 80th career ARCA start. In those 80 outings, he has maneuvered one win, 18 top-fives and 42 top-10s.

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

Jeffrey Earnhardt made the announcement last week that he will be competing for the 2012 Grand Am Series Championship in the GT Class with Rick Ware Racing.

Today, the fourth generation Earnhardt provided even more news on that venture.

“I am officially Swapping my Ride!” he proclaimed and will trade in his bowtie allegiance that has been synonymous with the Earnhardt name for decades and head to the Ford camp.

Jeffrey Earnhardt will pilot the #15 Ford GT Mustang, a move that will reflect his grandfather, Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s, move with Bud Moore in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in 1982, exactly 30 years ago.

“This is a great opportunity for me, Rick Ware Racing and the Ford organization,” Jeffrey Earnhardt stated.”

Earnhardt looks forward to the upcoming weeks as the team will begin testing their 2012 Ford GT Mustang.

“The car looks awesome.  We have already made adjustments to my liking for driver comfort and it won’t be long before we start testing.”

Rick Ware Racing has expanded their operations last month to an additional 24,000 square feet specifically for the Grand Am program.

RWR will now occupy both their current building and the previously owned Petty Motorsports building that housed the late Adam Petty’s racing program.  Both buildings are directly across the street from each other.

“These are great times at RWR and the growth of our organization was inevitable.  The newest facility will host the Rick Ware Racing NASCAR Grand-Am Series Ford Mustang program,” stated Rick Ware.

Ware’s entrance into the Grand Am Rolex program will be fielding two full time entries in 2012.  Their NASCAR Nationwide Series fleet of 11 Ford Mustangs driven by the NASCAR Nationwide Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year point leader, Timmy Hill, will remain at their current facility to help grow that program to new heights.

“It wasn’t that long ago that there were several NASCAR teams here in Thomasville.  We want to show that growth with an organization can still happen right here in the Piedmont area of North Carolina.  We have everything we need between the two facilities to showcase our program in both NASCAR and Grand Am.”

“It’s a fresh and exciting time here with Jeffrey and the Grand Am program as well as what Timmy has been doing in the Nationwide Series.  Collectively we have grown into a team that can market year round with solid performances that reach millions, something that every company in motorsports marketing desires,” stated Ware.

RWR will field the #14 and #15 Ford Mustang GT’s for the season with the #16 third car competing by the third race of the season on.  Additional sponsors and drivers will be announced soon.  In addition, RWR will also compete with this years 11^th place finishing Tafel Porsche GT3 at the 24 Hours as well.

RWR now houses a fleet of Nationwide, Camping World Truck, K&N, ARCA, Legends, Allison Legacy, Bandelaros, Grand Am Series, Sprint Cup and HSR cars in their 45,000 square foot, 11 acre facility, complete with 9 offices , two paint booths, bondo booth, engine room, storefront and a showroom.

For more information please visit www.wareracing.com or follow the team on twitter @rickwareracing

For more in Jeffrey Earnhardt visit www.jeffreyearnhardt.com

Check out Jeffrey’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jeffreyearnhardt

The Earnhardt family has accomplished nearly every goal set in racing. Jeffrey Earnhardt will now set his goal on a family first……winning the championship in the NASCAR owned Grand Am Series.

Jeffrey Earnhardt has signed a deal to place him in a full season of Grand Am Racing in 2012 in the Rolex GT Class with Rick Ware Racing.

Earnhardt made his series debut at the 2011 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona with RWR in a GT3 Porsche and finished 11th in class and 25th overall, a huge accomplishment for the organizations entrance in the grueling around the clock event.

“I have never experienced any type of racing like that before. It was definitely a rush and look forward to competing in the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in 2012 with RWR again,” stated Jeffrey Earnhardt.

Earnhardt will be displaying the number 15 for the 2012 season, a number his grandfather, Dale Earnhardt, competed with 30 years ago in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.

“The 15 number is a pretty cool deal. I have seen pictures of the car he drove with it before he jumped into the 3. To start my Grand Am career with it will hold a special place to our family and fans.”

Jeffrey Earnhardt will also make his Indianapolis Motor Speedway debut as the Grand Am Series heads to the “Brickyard” for the inaugural event during the NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend.

“To compete at the Brickyard is a dream for any racer in any series. The history is rich and the atmosphere is electric. To be a part of the inaugural event makes it that much sweeter,” claimed Earnhardt.

The North Carolina native will be making the jump from NASCAR to the Grand Am Series to compete full time, something rarely done.

“I have always done well on road courses, so this seems like the natural progression for my career. Besides that, Grand Am has a great marketing avenue to sponsors that reaches globally and yet is more interactive with fans with their hauler-garage setups, something we are looking forward to exploring with our program.”

Earnhardt and Rick Ware Racing will be making announcements for the car manufacturer, sponsors and co-drivers in the upcoming weeks.

For more information on Jeffrey Earnhardt visit www.jeffreyearnhardt.com or visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JefferyEarnhardt

For more information visit www.wareracing.com or you can also follow the team on Twitter at @rickwareracing