Category: Other Series PR

JEFFERSON, GA (June 28, 2011) – Although NASCAR Camping World Truck series has the weekend off, some drivers aren’t slowing down. Two of those drivers include SS Green Light Racing’s David Starr and John King, who spent a long day at Gresham Motorsports Park to prepare for their next race in Kentucky.

“This is a great track to test at and make the adjustments that we need to make because it is so consistent,” said Starr, driver of the No. 81 Toyota Tundra. “This is the nicest short track in the country by far.”

SS Green Light Racing is owned by Ken Smith and second generation driver, Bobby Dotter. The team’s formation came from Smith’s hobby in racing and a business marketing opportunity. Dotter began racing the age of 16 and quickly became a famous name in the Bucsh Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. Dotter is now a Co-Owner of SS Green light Racing.

John King of Kingsport, Tennessee joined Starr on the Track at GMP to make adjustments to the truck to prepare for Kentucky. King, driver of the No.16 Fairway Ford, is looking to finish the season strong in the Camping World Truck Series.

Both drivers and the crews worked all day to make the adjustments that they needed to make and to get as many laps in as they could.

We look forward to seeing both of the drivers back at GMP soon!

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for GMP’s July events!

July 4, GMP will be celebrating Independence Day at the Thomas-Mashburn 4th of July Steam Engine Parade in Cumming, Ga. GMP will be giving away t-shirts, tickets, hats and more!

On July 14, over 80 little league teams will flood GMP for the opening ceremonies of the Dizzy Dean Baseball Tournament. The opening ceremonies will consist of a race car demonstration, parade of teams and an amazing display of fireworks! This event is open to the public and FREE for everyone! The opening ceremonies will begin at 7pm and will conclude with FREE fireworks at dark.

On July 16, the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) late models will compete to win the Racing Radios 100. This will be an exciting night of racing with PASS Late Models, Outlaw Late Models, Trucks, Renegades, Mini Stocks and Mini Cups.

The gates will open at 2pm on Saturday, July 16, opening ceremonies will begin at 7pm and racing starts at 7:15.

STATESVILLE, North Carolina (June 27, 2011) – – While John Gibson and Gibson Motorsports are patiently waiting on their 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards plans to materialize, the former USARacing Pro Cup Series star has had quite the month.

In addition to his duties of trying to further his racing career, Gibson also started a new full-time job while also attended a military conference for his marketing partner MitiGatorInc.com.

MitiGator is an engineered cushioning system designed to protect people from hi-speed, hi-impact assaults and to allow them to continue to perform their jobs or enjoy their leisure time.

Gibson traveled to Virginia Beach earlier this month where MitiGatorInc.com was hosting the latest in shock mitigation during the Multi-Agency Craft Conference (MACC). Gibson is a former employee of MitiGatorInc.com but was well respected enough to be asked to speak during the conference about the latest opportunities available within the company to the Armed Forces.

“I cannot begin to describe what it means to me to be asked by Rick and Barb McKinney of MitiGator to attend the MACC conference and speaking on their behalf,” said Gibson, a former International Karting Federation (IKF) champion. “I have to thank Ben Burchett who fielded the question and answer session after I was done speaking. He really knows his stuff and there wasn’t a question that was left unanswered.

MitiGator has not only been great to me on a racing level but on a personal level as well. The conference was a big deal and I was just glad to be a part of it.”

Gibson continued to express how MitiGator is so much more than a former employer, and a marketing partner but always a member of the Gibson Motorsports family.

“The folks at MitiGator are more than a sponsor, they are family to us. In 2010, there was more than one occasion where we would not have been at the race track without the help they provided. I know of one instance where a week before the summer event at South Boston. We were pretty much planning on not going, but on Monday before the race they called us up and said they wanted to see our team there and asked what we needed to be there. I am very proud when we are able to show up at the track and represent their company on our car. Ever since they came on-board as a sponsor our program has only gotten better. In 2010 they saw us have our best year yet and I knew that our team’s first win was just around the corner. I can’t wait until we can get break into the ARCA series and bring MitiGator along with us!” sounded Gibson.

Following the conference, Gibson and his brother Steven, a recent High School graduate where the two took a mini-vacation to Canada. The trip was a graduation gift for his younger brother.

“I’m really proud of my brother,” Gibson offered. “The opportunity for us to cross over to the border to Canada and enjoy some rest and relaxation is something that we don’t get to do very often.”

Upon his return from vacation, Gibson will hunker down back to his normal duties while also surging ahead to his 2011 racing season where the team is still hopeful to make an entrance into the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards later this year.

“We’re still eyeing a couple races in ARCA,” Gibson sounded. “Sponsorship is incredibly tough these days but we’re doing everything we can to make it a reality. We still have the USARacing Pro Cup Series equipment for sale, so once that’s all gone; we can really take a major step towards the team’s advancement.”

For marketing partnerships with Gibson Motorsports and their rising protégé John Gibson and purchasing information with details on Gibson Motorsport’s USARacing Pro Cup Series inventory please visit the team’s official website at JohnGibsonRacing.com.

To learn more about MitiGator, please visit MitiGatorinc.com.

WINCHESTER, Indiana (June 27, 2011) – – Napoleon, Ohio native Jared Marks easily had a top-10 finish in the Winchester ARCA 200 at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway Saturday night but the driver of the No. 8 VR-12 / Dodge Motorsports / Mad Croc Dodge Charger became a victim of a flat-tire which ultimately resulted with the Tony Marks Racing team in the 12th position.

Return to series’ competition after making his ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards debut at Toledo Speedway, Marks was eager to showcase his short track skills.

In practice, Marks with the aid of spotter and driver coach Jarit Johnson, brother of five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson maneuvered the ninth fastest time overall producing a lap of 16.467 seconds at 109.310 miles per hour.

After consulting with their driver after practice, the TMR team led by Darren Wolfe and Ryan Chism made slight changes to the No. 8 VR-12 / Dodge Motorsports / Mad Croc Dodge Charger for qualifying set for later in the afternoon.

During time trials, the 16-year old hustled his race car around the half-mile oval in 16.248 seconds or 110.783 miles per hour, a solid pickup from his fastest lap in practice. The run secured Marks, a career-best ninth place qualifications run and the first top-10 qualifying run for TMR in 2011.

At the start of the Winchester ARCA 200, Marks found a comfortable hole where he rode and logged laps in the No. 8 VR-12 / Dodge Motorsports / Mad Croc Dodge Charger. When the caution flag waived on lap 10, Marks maintained a position inside the top-10 in 10th.

Remaining quiet on the radio, Marks was focused on returning to green flag racing where he was hoping green flag runs would inch the TMR machine through the running order.

Nestled in the top-10 when the caution flag waived approaching lap 30, the TMR team elected to bring their driver to pit road for two tires. Mistakenly though, Marks would be penalized one lap during the stop for pitting too soon thus putting a new agenda together for the Late Model star.

A quick yellow flag following the restart allowed Marks to retain his lost lap back, thus realigning the Tony Marks Racing development driver at the tail end of the field. As he began trekking his way towards the front, Marks during the long-green flag run was posting lap times faster than the leaders earning encouragement from Johnson and the team.

Re-climbing back into the top-10, Marks was setting himself up to be a contender during the second-half of the event but the right front tire would deflate on lap 91 causing Marks to slide up the track in turn two and make light contact with the wall.

The yellow flag would waive but Marks’s car would not immediately re-fire thus causing a sense of urgency for the TMR team. After several attempts, the car finally cranked over with Marks bringing his machine to pit road where the team surveyed the damage, changed tires and sent their driver back into battle.

Out of contention for the win, Marks would use the remainder of the race to acquire seat time in a 3400-pound stock car. Favorable lap times would slowly inch Marks up the scoring pylon as the quick race progressed. When the checkered flag flew, Marks claimed 12th, bettering his previous best finish of 13th last month at Toledo Speedway.

“A lot of us had tire problems tonight and unfortunately, we were one of them,” explained Marks. “If not for that, I think we could have easily finished in the top-10. I want to thank VR-12, Dodge, Mad Croc, UNOH and the Tony Marks Racing team for giving me the opportunity to race at Winchester and for a strong car.”

He added, “I want to thank Jarit for coming up to Winchester and helping me out. He’s a great mentor and someone I can lean on. I can’t tell you what that means to me, I hope he knows that.”

Father and co-owner Tony Marks expressed his thoughts on Saturday night’s performance. “I’m awfully proud of Jared,” said Marks. “He did a great job all night long even when the tire went down. He learned a lot out there again and continued to earn the respect of his competitors. Overall, I’m pleased and we’re all looking forward to Jared’s next race.”

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series is their final stop in the Great Lakes state with a stop at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway for the running of the Hantz Group 200 set for Saturday, July 9th.

The next ARCA race for the teenage sensation will be announced soon but is anticipated for either Berlin (Mich.) Raceway or Iowa Speedway in July.

For additional information on TMT, Inc. please visit; tmtcompanies.net.

To learn more about Tony Marks Racing, please click over to Tmr-racing.com

See the buzz that VR-12 is creating by clicking over to their website at VR-12.com.

About Tony Marks Racing (TMR):

Tony Marks Racing was founded in 2009 through the passion for racing of team owner and former driver Tony Marks. Marks is the successful owner of TMT, Inc., a logistics, warehousing and packaging company with over 400 employees whose customers are mainly comprised of Fortune 100 companies.

Marks began his racing career in 1985 getting behind the wheel of everything from drag racers, Dirt Late Models, SCCA Formula Fords, USAC F2000 Open Wheel and ARCA cars. Tony personally raced until 2005 amassing numerous wins, championships and track records along the way until he then changed his focus from driver to owner and began building racing programs for his children Jared (16 years old) and Rachel (13 years old). Under the auspices of TMR, Jared began his racing career in 2002 in quarter midgets and now competes in late model, CRA, ASA and ARCA Series events while Rachel continues her development program racing quarter midgets and Bandoleros.

TMR has been at the forefront of charitable giving through its’ “Driving Against Hunger” and “Million Meal Challenge” race programs which have raised over $200,000 for Forgotten Harvest in 2010 at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events at Michigan International Speedway.

For the NASCAR events TMR along with TMT, Inc. partnered with Forgotten Harvest for the “Million Meal Challenge For Our Kids” which helps to bridge the hunger gap while schools are out of session and feeds 20,000 children per day in the Detroit metro area. Forgotten Harvest was significantly displayed on the entry of Chase Austin during both the Truck and Nationwide events at Michigan International Speedway along with logos of “Million Meal Challenge” sponsors Walgreen’s, United Race Group, Holyfield’s Choice Alka-Power Water and Vitamin Spice. Evander Holyfield was also instrumental in the challenge, acting as Grand Marshall for the August race and announcing his “Fight Against Hunger” on behalf of Forgotten Harvest.

As the first race team to “Drive Against Hunger” through their partnership with Forgotten Harvest, TMR plans to continue their alliance with Forgotten Harvest and once again “Drive Against Hunger” during the 2011 season.

WINCHESTER, Indiana (June 27, 2011) – – Maryeve Dufault in the No. 12 VR-12 / Dodge Motorsports / Mad Croc Dodge Charger showed speed and comfort in her Winchester (Ind.) Speedway debut on Saturday night in the Winchester ARCA 200 but a shove from behind less than 50 laps in the event turned what looked to be a promising night into frustration.

The Sorel, Quebec native in just her third career short track start immediately showed strength by maneuvering the 16th fastest practice time on Saturday afternoon. With some changes made to the No. 12 VR-12 / Dodge Motorsports / Mad Croc Dodge Charger, the team was hopeful for a strong qualifying run. Drawing one of the last spots for qualifying, Dufault attempted to leave pit road but her Dodge Charger would not fire.

A relentless effort by members of the Tony Marks Racing (TMR) and other teams in the ARCA garage tried to push-start Dufault’s automobile but to no avail. After the team’s five minute grace period was over, it was determined that there was a malfunction in the starter. Thankfully, the team was able to correct the problem before the start of the race but Dufault was marred deep in the pack with a 29th place starting position.

From the drop of the green flag, Dufault, the former NASCAR Canadian Tire Series patiently began working her way through the challenging field. When the first yellow flag waived on lap 10, Dufault was able to catch a breath and close the gap on her competition. Back to racing, Dufault found herself up mixing it up with the lead pack. As the laps ticked away, Dufault continued to inch her way forward utilizing the bottom line of the ultra-fast Winchester Speedway.

When the caution flag waived on lap 30, Dufault had skillfully bolted into the top-15 and prepared to restart the race in the 11th position. Just two laps back under green, Dufault was racing against a wad of race cars when a tap from the No. 58 sent the No. 12 hard into the outside wall in turn one.

With no place to go, cars would continue to pile-into the incident which ended with five mangled race cars. The red flag was drawn to clean up the massive debris with Dufault sitting at the apron of turn four in her wounded No. 12 VR-12 / Dodge Motorsports / Mad Croc Dodge Charger.

Once the field was returned to yellow conditions, Dufault brought her bruised Dodge Charger to her pit crew where the damage was too massive to repair thus forcing Dufault to retire from the event and settle for a heartbreaking and upsetting 20th place finish.

“It’s frustrating not only for me, but for Tony Marks Racing, VR-12, Dodge, Mad Croc and everyone involved with this team,” said Dufault who maintains 11th in the championship standings. “I’m trying to earn the respect of the competitors out there but they just flat ran over me and it’s getting old. I think we were going to have a good night, the car was good but we’ll never know. I’m upset and I feel I have every right to be, it just isn’t fair.”

Tony Marks, owner of TMR offered his thoughts on Saturday night’s brawl. “No one likes getting taken out. Maryeve was doing a good job and biding her time and just flat out got run over. Hopefully, everyone learned from it and we can move forward and bounce back in the No. 12 VR-12 / Dodge Motorsports / Mad Croc Dodge Charger at Berlin.”

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series is their final stop in the Great Lakes state with a stop at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway for the running of the Hantz Group 200 set for Saturday, July 9th. Dufault will make her track debut at the extremely flat .4-mile oval.

For additional information on TMT, Inc. please visit; www.tmtcompanies.net/

For more on Maryeve Dufault, please log onto Maryeveracing.com.

To learn more about Tony Marks Racing, please click over to Tmr-racing.com.

See the buzz that VR-12 is creating by clicking over to their website at VR-12.com.

About Tony Marks Racing (TMR):

Tony Marks Racing was founded in 2009 through the passion for racing of team owner and former driver Tony Marks. Marks is the successful owner of TMT, Inc., a logistics, warehousing and packaging company with over 400 employees whose customers are mainly comprised of Fortune 100 companies.

Marks began his racing career in 1985 getting behind the wheel of everything from drag racers, Dirt Late Models, SCCA Formula Fords, USAC F2000 Open Wheel and ARCA cars. Tony personally raced until 2005 amassing numerous wins, championships and track records along the way until he then changed his focus from driver to owner and began building racing programs for his children Jared (16 years old) and Rachel (13 years old). Under the auspices of TMR, Jared began his racing career in 2002 in quarter midgets and now competes in late model, CRA, ASA and ARCA Series events while Rachel continues her development program racing quarter midgets and Bandoleros.

TMR has been at the forefront of charitable giving through its’ “Driving Against Hunger” and “Million Meal Challenge” race programs which have raised over $200,000 for Forgotten Harvest in 2010 at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events at Michigan International Speedway.

For the NASCAR events TMR along with TMT, Inc. partnered with Forgotten Harvest for the “Million Meal Challenge For Our Kids” which helps to bridge the hunger gap while schools are out of session and feeds 20,000 children per day in the Detroit metro area. Forgotten Harvest was significantly displayed on the entry of Chase Austin during both the Truck and Nationwide events at Michigan International Speedway along with logos of “Million Meal Challenge” sponsors Walgreen’s, United Race Group, Holyfield’s Choice Alka-Power Water and Vitamin Spice. Evander Holyfield was also instrumental in the challenge, acting as Grand Marshall for the August race and announcing his “Fight Against Hunger” on behalf of Forgotten Harvest.

As the first race team to “Drive Against Hunger” through their partnership with Forgotten Harvest, TMR plans to continue their alliance with Forgotten Harvest and once again “Drive Against Hunger” during the 2011 season.

IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie Dices Way Through Field For Second Top Five of Season for Panther

NEWTON, Iowa – (June 25, 2011) – National Guard Panther Racing driver JR Hildebrand put together the best drive of his young career Saturday night at Iowa Speedway, where the IZOD IndyCar Series rookie diced his way through the field for a fourth-place finish on the 7/8-mile oval. Hildebrand battled for a majority of the night with open-wheel’s biggest stars, including Ryan Briscoe, Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan and just missed out on a podium finish during the 250-lap thriller in front of a sold-out Iowa crowd.

With the finish, Hildebrand jumps back into the Top Ten in the IZOD IndyCar Series championship standings, where he is now in eighth position. He also extended his lead in the IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year standings, where he now leads second-place driver James Hinchcliffe by a total of 27 points. The result was Hildebrand’s second Top Five and third Top Ten finish of the season.

After starting in fourth position, Hildebrand lost one position to a charging Franchitti and remained in fifth position until the team’s first pit stop on Lap 26. JR slightly over-shot his marks and lost two spots exiting the pits but was able to make the positions back up on the racetrack, passing Danica Patrick and Briscoe to return to the Top Five by Lap 77. Another near-incident leaving the pits on the team’s next stop on Lap 95 – where Hildebrand got sideways after Marco Andretti pulled out on front of him with Briscoe on his outside – caused Hildebrand to return to the field in eighth position on a restart on Lap 107.

As the race progressed Hildebrand again passed Briscoe (Lap 108) and then Dixon (Lap 130) to once again reach the fifth position. As drivers cycled through green-flag pit stops Hildebrand reached the lead of the field on Lap 184 until a caution flag allowed the team to make its final pit stop under yellow at Lap 187. Hildebrand restarted in fifth position for an exciting last mad-dash to the finish. The most exciting moment of the race came when Hildebrand passed Briscoe again on Lap 227, going underneath the Team Penske driver and making slight contact with the lapped car of EJ Viso on the exit of Turn Four in the process.

Hildebrand had one more move left before the 250-lap race concluded, passing championship point leader Franchitti into Turn One on Lap 142 to secure the fourth place result for the National Guard Panther Racing team.

The IZOD IndyCar Series will take a weekend off before traveling to the Streets of Toronto for the Honda Toronto Indy, which will be broadcast live on VERSUS, Sunday, July 10th at 2:00 pm (ET) with additional coverage provided by the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 94 and Sirius channel 212.

JR Hildebrand, No. 4 National Guard Dallara Honda:

“First time running up front rubbin’ with the big boys and a helluva run for the National Guard Panther Racing boys. We’re really excited about how we did today. There are certainly still some things to learn from myself so I can earn those guys’ respect but we had a great car tonight. There were a couple of spots out there that got a bit dicey, but the car was great the entire race. I felt if we could have started the last restart closer to the lead we could have finished up there, but this was a really cool experience for all of us at Panther tonight. Hopefully we can turn this into something positive for the rest of the season.”

(on the incident where he bumped wheels with Viso) “I had a run on (Ryan) Briscoe coming out of Turn Two so I got underneath him and I was trying to keep him high so that I could pin him behind the lap car, because I’d had that happen earlier to me by another driver. He boxed me in there and I tried to slow it down there and I got a little wiggle and just got into Viso a little bit.”

(WINCHESTER, Ind.) – Dakoda Armstrong needed no more inspiration to win at Winchester Speedway than that which was provided by over five dozen friends and family members seated just above the start/finish line, standing and cheering throughout the Winchester ARCA 200 presented by Federated Auto Parts.

 

Armstrong stuck in the top five for most of his first start in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards since May 15 at Toledo Speedway, and pounced upon the lead with 10 laps to go after moving into position because of a key pit decision by veteran crew chief Paul Andrews.

 

Andrews had elected to give the No. 22 Cardinal Ethanol/ICM, Inc./Murex Dodge just two fresh tires and less than a full load of fuel on a Lap 170 pit stop, the move that the New Castle, Ind. driver said helped him to the third win of his ARCA career.

 

“We didn’t fill all the way up, just so we’d stay a little bit free,” said Armstrong, who only entered the race Wednesday after combining enough sponsor funding to make the start possible.

 

“We were getting a little bit tight as the night went. The car was perfect. I think a couple people started pushing through the center, and we were still rotating and could actually drive off. It was a great call, and it was a great run.”

 

Armstrong’s start was his fifth of the year for Cunningham Motorsports. In three weeks – on his 20th birthday – Armstrong will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Iowa Speedway for ThorSport Racing.

 

Rookie points leader Ty Dillon (No. 41 Richard Childress Racing Development Chevrolet) had assumed the race lead at Lap 162 when Ryan Blaney (No. 25 Lauren Briant/Venturini Motorsports Chevrolet), who had led 154 laps, suffered a flat right front tire, knocking him out of contention in his ARCA debut. Dillon seemed primed to win for the fifth time in nine races this season, using the same strategy he had taken to victory twice before in June: staying patient while the leader suffered trouble, and then advancing into the lead and running away to the checkered flag.

 

A late two-tire stop for Dillon, though, left him with bad left tires and forced him to bottom out and drive loose in the turns, allowing Armstrong to make the pass for the lead and the eventual win on Lap 190.

 

Earlier in the day, Blaney – the son of NASCAR and World of Outlaws veteran Dave Blaney – had sped to a Winchester ARCA qualifying record of 15.837 seconds (113.658 mph), but Dillon charged around him on the outside at the start and seized a 0.119-second lead on the first lap. Blaney stormed back inside of Dillon in the third turn of the next lap to lead for the first time in ARCA Racing Series competition.

 

Though Chris Buescher (No. 17 David Ragan Ford/Roulo Brothers Racing Ford) challenged Dillon for second and came exceptionally close to overtaking him on Lap 7, Dillon kept the position. The early battle was a sign of things to come for Buescher and Dillon.

 

Matt Merrell (No. 32 Champion Oil Toyota) crashed coming out of the third turn on Lap 10, with Blaney holding a 0.721-second lead. The first caution period of the race lasted four laps, and Blaney kept the lead off of the Lap 15 restart. Mike Young and Blaney’s Venturini Motorsports teammate John Blankenship both spun in separate incidents over the next 15 laps, and Blaney continued to lead out of each ensuing restart.

 

A five-car incident involving Maryeve Dufault, Richard Harriman, Young, Levi Youster, and Darrell Basham brought the field to the red flag at Lap 37. After a seven-minute delay, the race began again, with Blaney leading the field through a small cloud of fluid-drying material laid on the track through the exit of Turn 1 and the entrance of Turn 2.

 

With Frank Kimmel (No. 44 Ansell/Menards Ford) passing Armstrong for fourth on Lap 45 and Buescher continuing to battle Dillon for second place, Blaney began to run away from the field. Clean air in front of him helped Blaney to a 1.187-second lead by Lap 57, a 2.025-second advantage six laps later, and more than three seconds on the field by Lap 69.

 

Tim George Jr. (No. 31 Applebee’s/Potomac Family Dining Group Chevrolet) ran sixth at the time, and Chad McCumbee (No. 1 ModSpace Ford) passed Tom Hessert (No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet) for seventh. Chad Hackenbracht (No. 58 Tastee Apple Chevrolet) followed suit and got by Hessert at Lap 72, but Blaney continued to extend his advantage over the entire group.

 

By the time Jared Marks crashed in Turn 2 on Lap 91, Blaney had moved his lead above four seconds. The leaders all came to pit road, though, and it was Hackenbracht who assumed the top spot after taking just two tires. George followed in second, with Blaney, Dillon, and Buescher rounding out the top five.

 

Hackenbracht led through the halfway point of the race, but Blaney was quick to take back the lead, moving past Hackenbracht by a very slim margin on Lap 101. Three laps later, Blaney had built an advantage of more than a second on Hackenbracht, and Dillon and Buescher soon passed Hackenbracht for second and third.

 

Blaney again built his lead over the field, and received a boost when Dillon and Buescher continued to battle. Dillon first used lapped cars as picks to keep Buescher at bay, but Buescher pulled the same trick at Lap 130, as Kimmel acted as a block to help Buescher move past Dillon for second. Meanwhile, Blaney extended his lead to nearly four seconds, and was then able to send Hackenbracht – formerly the leader – off of the lead lap.

 

At Lap 160, Dillon passed Buescher for second, and just two laps later, Blaney’s tire blew, sending him to pit road and Dillon to the lead. Dillon created a three-second advantage as Buescher also experienced issues, but the Lap 170 pit cycle truly shaped the finish.

 

With Armstrong having moved to second after taking just two tires, Dillon initially opened up a short lead but almost immediately saw sparks come from under his car. Armstrong closed in little by little, shortening Dillon’s lead with every lap as fans from his hometown just a 35-minute drive away stood and cheered in the center of the grandstands.

 

Armstrong grabbed the lead at Lap 190, and drove away to a 0.9-second victory in front of his friends and family, backing up a similar home state performance achieved in his win at Salem Speedway last September.

 

“It just couldn’t have been better,” Armstrong said. “Our sponsors had a hospitality tent, so we brought out about 60 or 70 people. You can’t get any luckier than that, to get a win when everyone’s here and it’s just 35 minutes from my home. It’s huge for us.”

 

Buescher, who had been making the Armstrong-Dillon battle a three-man fight, passed Dillon to take second for the fourth time this season and third time in the last four races.

 

“Let me just say that I can’t believe we’re leaving Winchester without any damage to the car; that’s a good thing,” Buescher said. “We finished second again, so we’ve got to break this little streak we have going. But it’s not bad.”

 

After earning his way back on to the lead lap, Hackenbracht passed for third place – a fourth career-best in his last five races – and Dillon drove home fourth. Hessert finished fifth, the final driver on the lead lap.

 

Blaney ended the race sixth, one lap down, and led McCumbee, Kimmel, Grant Enfinger (No. 36 Hoosier Tires Midwest/RaceTires.com Dodge), and Blankenship in the top 10.

 

George finished 11th, followed by Marks, Sean Corr, Levi Youster, and Young.

 

Though Armstrong led 11 laps, including the most important, Blaney walked away with the top total at 154 laps. Dillon led 29, and Hackenbracht led six. The race was slowed by six total cautions for 34 laps, and ended with an average speed of 77.782 mph after one hour, 17 minutes, and eight seconds.

 

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards returns to action after the Independence Day holiday weekend, with a race Saturday, July 9 at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich., just outside Grand Rapids. The Hantz Group 200 is scheduled as the 10th race of 19 on the ARCA Racing Series schedule, and will begin at 8:30 p.m. with live timing and scoring coverage provided at ARCARacing.com. The event will be the 24th for the series at Berlin since 1958.

 

ARCA Racing Series practice begins at 2:30 p.m., and will last for 90 minutes. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell follows at 5, and the ARCA Racing Series drivers will participate in an autograph session at 6:15, just before the race. ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring coverage of all events.

 

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards features 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series 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 tests the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, annually 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.

 

Founded by John 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 two professional touring series and local weekly events.

(WINCHESTER, Ind. – June 25, 2011) – With Chad Hackenbracht finding his way to the top 10 at the end of a race for the first time last month and then scoring his first top-five finish last week, the New Philadelphia, Ohio driver figured it was time to make it known exactly how his last name is pronounced.

Last week at Michigan International Speedway, the driver unveiled a new T-shirt that’s making the rounds in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards garage, a garment featuring a clever quiz of sorts that asks exactly: “What’s a Chad Hacken-something?”

Having heard his name often pronounced by fellow competitors, journalists, and fans as “Hack-en-brack,” the 19-year-old and his advisors decided to have some fun with the common misconception, releasing a T-shirt that gives the following answers for what a “Hacken-something” might be. The choices on the shirt, showcased by SPEED reporter Bob Dillner on the RainEater Wiper Blades 200 broadcast, were as follows:

A. Fancy German Beer B. Small Brazilian Amphibian C. What your father does when he has a sinus infection D. A Race Car Driver E. Name of scientist responsible for discovering time travel F. Eighth color in the rainbow G. An in-grown toe nail

The answer, of course, is D, for Race Car Driver, and the Tastee Apple Chevrolet’s driver even included a simple pronunciation guide at the bottom of the chart, instructing readers to pronounce his name “Hock-en-bra.”

Hackenbracht watched the race broadcast on replay to review his fourth-place finish, and smiled when seeing the clip featuring his novelty wear.

“It was pretty cool to see the shirt on TV,” he said. “When I got off the track I had 18 missed texts, all from people that wanted a shirt. It was a really big hit and it’s pretty cool that SPEED did that for us.” Hackenbracht said that his name has been represented incorrectly for some time, and that he had fun working to educate others on the correct pronunciation.

“Almost everyone mispronounces my last name,” he said. “The Hacken-something started from a Canadian drifter I know who couldn’t say my last name so he just called me Hacken-something, so from there we gave the idea to the ad agency and they had a blast coming up with the shirt! Common ways that people say it wrong are ‘Hack-en-brack,’ ‘Hock-en-brach,’ ‘Hack-en-sack’…they just keep getting stranger and stranger.

“But now they’ll know how to say it correctly!”

Hackenbracht will compete in Saturday night’s Winchester ARCA 200 presented by Federated Auto Parts at Winchester Speedway, which is the ninth of 19 races in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season. Practice begins at 1:45 p.m. and lasts for 90 minutes, and will be followed by Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell at 4:45 p.m. The 200-lap, 100-mile race begins at 8 p.m., with live coverage available at ARCARacing.com.

To purchase the popular “What’s A Chad Hacken-Something” tee-shirt, please log on to store.cghmotorsports.com or CGHMotorsports.com.

BROOKLYN, Michigan (June 20, 2011) – – Tom Hessert III in the No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala SS for Ken Schrader Racing (KSR) had high hopes for Friday’s RainEater Wiper Blades 200 at Michigan International Speedway (MIS). However, a solid start to the eighth race of the season, the team would encounter some setbacks that ultimately would take the Cherry Hill, New Jersey native from competition.

On the heels of three consecutive top-10 runs, Hessert was aiming to put his blue and white Chevrolet bowtie up front in the Motor City. After mounting the 12th fastest time in the lone practice session on Thursday afternoon, the KSR team led by crew chief John Monsam were set to tackle qualifying.

Friday morning offered both time trials and Hessert’s fourth tango with MIS. In qualifications, Hessert posted the 15th fastest time overall, the team’s seventh top-15 starting position thus far in 2011.

At the start of the RainEater Wiper Blades 200, Hessert was a man on a mission. Quickly maneuvering his No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala SS through the competitive field, Hessert was able to move into the 14th position when the first caution flag of the day waived on lap three.

Restarting the event on lap 10, Hessert returned to battle and continued to climb the leader board. With a solid race setup underneath him, the former USAC competitor found himself knocking on the door of entering the top-10 by lap 20.

With a quarter of the race over with, Hessert found himself contained in the 11th position as the field began to stretch out during the green flag run. Reporting to Monsam of a tight condition on his No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala SS, the team would have an opportunity to adjust on their race car when the yellow flag waived on lap 30 for debris with Hessert finally able to climb into the 10th position.

Restarting the race on lap 37, Hessert held onto the 10th position before finding himself in a taunting battle with Bryan Silas and Chad Hackenbracht. While the three continued to battle for ninth, 10th and 11th.

With Hackenbracht overtaking the No. 52 by lap 38, Hessert re-entered the top-10 on lap 40 when third place runner Sean Corr lost a right front tire. The yellow flag waived again on lap 41 when the No. 55 of Hal Martin also lost a right front tire with Hessert locked in the ninth position.

The former USARacing Pro Cup Series star would have to relinquish his position inside the top-10 when Hessert reported a problem with the brakes on his General Motors automobile generated from debris on the race track. Coming to the attention of his KSR crew, the team determined that the right front brake line had been broken, which the team repaired and bleed but in the process Hessert lost a lap to the competition.

Down but not out, Hessert was determined to become the Aaron’s Lucky Dog when he restarted the race in the 19th position.

Unfortunately, the team’s day would go from bad to worse as on lap 52, Hessert lost a right rear tire on his No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet sending his machine hard into the outside wall, collecting Maryeve Dufault along the way.

Although heavily damaged, Hessert tried to re-fire his machine and head to the garage but to no avail. Stopped on the backstretch, Hessert would climb into the ambulance for the mandatory trip to the infield care center, where he would be later be treated and released.

“It’s a shame, because I really thought we were going to have a good day,” said Hessert. “We were methodically moving our way through the field and then the problems seemed to have piled on us. The Federated Auto Racing team did a great job repairing the brake line. We went back out there, just trying to find ourselves in the hunt for the lucky dog and I knew something was wrong but the car just came around and into the wall I went. I hate that Maryeve (Dufault) was involved in that, she was having a good day too.”

He added, “I’m not going to try and dwell on Michigan. There’s still a long way to go this season, we just have to bounce back next weekend at Winchester. I’ve never been there, but I like the short tracks in ARCA, so hopefully we can rebound for everyone at Federated Auto Parts, Cherry Hill Classic Cars and Ken Schrader Racing.”

With Hessert’s 29th place finish, he slipped from seventh to eighth in the championship standings 100 markers behind Tim George Jr.

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards is a return to Winchester (Ind.) Speedway for the running of the Winchester ARCA 200 presented by Federated Auto Parts.

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

BROOKLYN, Michigan (June 20, 2011) – – Without question, Sean Corr and his Empire Racing team made a bold statement Friday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway (MIS). And even though the team once again didn’t receive the finish they rightfully deserved, the competition knew that Corr’s No. 82 Roush Yates Performance / Roush Yates Engines / Empire Racing Ford Fusion were a contender in the RainEater Wiper Blades 200.

On the adrenaline of a successful open-test at the two-mile oval last month, Corr and his family-owned team led by Michigan native Howard Bixman returned to MIS looking to flex their muscle and put their operation in the hunt for a top-10, if not a victory.

All indications led in the right direction as Corr in practice found his No. 82 Roush Yates Performance / Roush Yates Engines / Empire Racing Ford Fusion tucked inside the top-10 during the lone practice session before eventually landing in the 13th position overall. Strong adjustments made by the team left the Goshen, New York native heavily optimistic heading into qualifying.

Unlike his prior start at Michigan International Speedway, time trials would not be held on the same day as practice. Instead, the stars and cars of ARCA would set the grid for the eighth race of the season Friday morning. Corr maneuvered his No. 82 Roush Yates Performance / Roush Yates Engines / Empire Racing Ford Fusion to the 17th fastest lap. However, the team wasn’t fazed by their starting position as they felt their blue oval would solider to the front once the green flag flew.

The team’s intuitions became a reality. A quick caution on lap three stalled Corr’s path towards the front but returning to racing conditions several laps later offered the ability for Corr’s automobile to begin the march towards the lead pack.

Through the race’s first 30 circuits, Corr nicely negotiated his Ford Fusion through the extremely tight field and moved into the 12th position when the second yellow flag of the afternoon waived.

Bixman opted to bring his driver to pit road for two right side tires and fuel. The pit strategy paid off bolting Corr from 12th to third on the scoring pylon.

Despite the call for two tires, Corr’s No. 82 Roush Yates Performance / Roush Yates Engines / Empire Racing Ford Fusion brilliantly remained in-toe with the leaders, most of whom had taken four tires. Fending off some of the strongest teams in ARCA competition including nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel, Josh Richards and Joey Coulter, Corr appeared to be heading towards his strongest run of the year in the ARCA Racing Series before on lap 40, an unexpected parts failure would cause the right front tire to go down forcing an unscheduled trip to pit road for four new Hoosier tires.

Upon further inspection, the team notified Bixman that the right front brake rotor had been destroyed, which initially caused the tire to deflate, forcing the Empire Racing team to quickly push their race car behind the pit wall to replace the rotor.

Magnificent repair work by the crew had Corr back on the track quickly where the team would use the remainder of the day to salvage as many crucial points as possible in order to stay in the top-10 in the ARCA Racing Series championship standings. After sitting as low as 30th in the running order, Corr quietly climbed the leader board to take the checkered flag in the 24th position.

“One of these days, we’re going to have everything go our way and get the finish we deserve,” said an obviously frustrated Corr. “We had a good car, a real good car. The Roush Yates Performance / Roush Yates Engines Ford Fusion was going to be a contender. We made a call on pit road early and I think it was the right call, we just didn’t expect the tire to blow. We just haven’t had the luck on our side when we really needed it.”

The 27-year old added, “I have to give props to the Empire Racing team. Howard (Bixman), John (Bellesfield, team manger) and the whole team built me a really fast car and words cannot express my thanks to them for putting us in position for a great run. We’re going to get ourselves some redemption here soon and we’ll prove to everyone that never giving up will equal rewards.”

Despite avoiding a DNF (did not finish), Corr did slip to 10th in the ARCA Racing Series championship standings, but stands just 10 markers behind ninth place competitor Chad Hackenbracht.

Corr made his 18th career ARCA start at Michigan International Speedway on June 17. In those 18 races, the avid dirt racer has maneuvered nine top-16 efforts and 14 top-20 finishes including seven in the first eight events of 2011. Pocono Raceway hoists the track with Corr’s career best finish of 11th in June 2011. An eighth place qualifying effort at the 2.5-mile triangle also in August 2010 is also a personal best accomplishment to date.

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards is a return to Winchester (Ind.) Speedway for the running of the Winchester ARCA 200 presented by Federated Auto Parts. Corr will make his inaugural debut at the Indiana short track with a brand-new No. 82 Roush Yates Performance / Roush Yates Engines / Empire Racing Ford Fusion.

For more on Sean Corr, Empire Racing and marketing partnership opportunities for the 2011 racing season, please visit empireracingllc.com.

Are you FORD tough? Connect with Roush Yates Performance Products and Roush Yates Engines through their official web site at roushyatesparts.com.

Tweet with Sean Corr through Twitter @EmpireRacingLLC.

About Empire Racing:

Established in 2009, Empire Racing LLC. (empireracingllc.com) is a two-tier professional Motorsports organization consisting of dirt and asphalt competition. Sean Corr, a 26-year old hailing from Goshen, New York pilots the team’s automobiles in the DIRTcar Series and Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). In 2011, the team will attempt to run for a championship in the ARCA Racing Series with aspirations of moving into the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The team is headquartered in Goshen, New York with an additional operation in Mooresville, North Carolina.