Category: Other Series PR

RANDLEMAN, North Carolina (April 20, 2011) – – While his NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (NWAAS) schedule has been plagued by terrible weather the last couple of weeks, that doesn’t mean that Ryan Wilson hasn’t been busy.

In addition to working at his Ryan Wilson Motorsports (RWM) shop, Wilson has been steadily preparing for his transition back to the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards which included a recent trip to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway for the 3 Amigos 250.

Wilson, the winner of last Fall’s Richard Petty Driver Search II is gearing up for his debut with Win-Tron Racing which is scheduled to begin at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in June. Wilson, like he did for the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway was getting more acquainted with his team and learning the ropes for his upcoming battles.

“I’m learning a lot right now,” said Wilson, who will return to Late Model form this Saturday night at Caraway (N.C.) Speedway in his No. 12 Randolph Bank Toyota Camry. “The Win-Tron Racing guys are really cool to work with. They aren’t afraid to come up and ask questions and also make me feel right at home. I think this approach will only strengthen our relationship heading into Pocono.”

As far as his championship run at Caraway is concerned, Wilson is anxious to get back to work. “It feels like forever since we’ve raced,” he explained. “While, we cannot control the weather, it stinks that we haven’t been racing. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we can get both races and hopefully go back to victory lane on Saturday night!”

Round four for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series at Caraway resumes on Saturday, April 13 with two 50-lap feature events beginning shortly after 7:00 p.m. Eastern. After three races, Wilson sits eighth in the championship standings just 30 points from the top-spot.

In addition to racing at Caraway (N.C.) Speedway and a limited ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule, Wilson will also compete in Late Model stock car events at Ace (N.C.) Speedway and other selected Late Model contests.

Visit the newly re-designed Ryan Wilson Motorsports website at RyanWilsonMotorsports.com. 

Visit Randolph Bank, the home of extra-mile banking online at Randolphbank.com.

LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 19, 2011) – Roger Penske, known as “the Captain” in the motorsports world, was honored by the Road Racing Drivers Club at the RRDC Evening with Roger Penske presented by Firestone on April 14, at the organization’s third annual West Coast banquet prior to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Before a capacity crowd of 400 auto-racing dignitaries, the focal point of the evening was an entertaining interview of Penske by RRDC president Bobby Rahal, in the style of the “Late Show with Letterman.” Rahal’s questions covered the iconic team owner’s early years in the sport.

Prior to the “inquisition,” previous RRDC honoree Dan Gurney surprised Penske by launching a tongue-in-cheek campaign to elect “Roger for President.” Gurney passed the torch by producing a bumper sticker with those words, evoking the highly popular “Dan Gurney for President” campaign that Car and Driver magazine started in the 1960s.

A video tribute written by RRDC member Sam Posey and produced by RRDC member Tom Davey was shown, as well as a comprehensive slide show, depicting Penske’s early years as a race-car driver and his rise to stardom as a meticulous and tireless racing team manager. Photography was provided by numerous photographers of the era, including Pete Biro, Bernard Cahier, David Friedman, Pete Luongo, Pete and Ozzie Lyons, Barry Tenin, and others.

The dinner was supported by contributions from Firestone, American Honda, Sunoco, Penske Automotive Group, Penske Truck Leasing and Penske Racing, with wine provided by the Bernardus Winery.

Parnelli Jones, who was honored by the RRDC in 2010, was in attendance, as well as a who’s who in auto racing, including Edsel Ford, Alma and Derek Hill, who presented the Phil Hill Award to Rick Mears, INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard, Scott Atherton, president and CEO of American LeMans Series, IndyCar Series driver Simona De Silvestro, 2010 ALMS champions Simon Pagenaud and Patrick Long, NHRA’s Don Prudhomme, Vince Granatelli, as well as Penske Racing’s Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power. A large number of RRDC members attended, among them Chip Ganassi, Dario Franchitti, Arie Luyendyk, Lyn St. James, Duncan Dayton, Dick Guldstrand and Bob Bondurant.

Joining Penske were his wife Kathy and sons Roger Jr. and Greg, along with their wives Jennifer and Patty, respectively.

“It’s a pleasure to be here and I just want to thank everyone that is here tonight and the RRDC for this great honor,” said Penske. “Obviously, to see so many friends and people you compete with every day, and the sponsors who have supported me and the team for so long, I just can’t thank you enough. My wife Kathy and my family are here, so to me it’s pretty special to go back and see some of those pictures that are really terrific and to think about the times we had. We had some tough times in racing and we had great times. We forget about the losses and live day to day by the wins.

“Dan, Parnelli, Bondurant and everybody who is here tonight, these are people that I have such respect for. Thank you all, and Bobby Rahal, for having me here. I really appreciate it.”

The evening raised funds for the RRDC’s “SAFE is FAST” initiative and the Team USA Scholarship, which the RRDC has supported since 1997. Former scholarship winners in attendance included Bryan Herta, J.R. Hildebrand and Josef Newgarden.

About the RRDC: The Road Racing Drivers Club was formed in 1952 as a way to give champion drivers a say in their sport, particularly in the areas of safety, and has evolved to serve the future of road racing by mentoring new drivers on both amateur and professional levels. The Club’s membership includes leading industry professionals, race officials and motorsports journalists, in addition to prominent racing names.

President Bobby Rahal is the 1986 Indy 500 winner and is co-owner, with David Letterman, of the 2004 Indianapolis 500 winning Rahal Letterman Racing team. Six-time SCCA National champion John Fergus is the Club’s Vice President/Treasurer, and five-time SCCA National champion Tom Davey is the Secretary.

In addition to RRDC members lending their expertise to up-and-coming drivers, the Club presents three annual awards: the Phil Hill Award for rendering outstanding service to road racing; the Mark Donohue Award for personal spirit and performance at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs; and the Bob Akin Award – the top award presented to amateur and semi-professional racers – for speed with style, passion, sportsmanship and contribution to motorsports.

The RRDC also supports the Team USA Scholarship, which has been assisting young Americans in the early stages of their careers since 1990.

Membership in the RRDC is by invitation only. Additional information on the organization may be found at www.rrdc.org http://www.rrdc.org http://www.rrdc.org .

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TALLADEGA, Alabama (April 18, 2011) – – New Philadelphia, Ohio native Chad Hackenbracht mounted a solid 17th place finishing position in the postponed 3 Amigos 250 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway Saturday morning putting his 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season back on track and more importantly — heading in the right direction.

  Hackenbracht arrived at the 2.66-mile superspeedway with confidence after recently announcing the appointment of Rob Torrey as crew chief and 2010 ARCA Racing Series crew chief of the year Kevin Reed as director of competition.

  Looking to find a solid platform for the CGH Motorsports team during the three hour practice session on Thursday, Hackenbracht produced the 29th fastest time overall, which would have been fast enough to lock Hackenbracht into the field on time should it have been qualifying.

  “We’re okay, we’re missing a little speed but we’re combating that as best as we can,” the 19-year old Hackenbracht said. “Rob and Kevin are really trying hard to work on the performance of our CGH Motorsports Chevrolet Impala SS.”   In qualifying, Hackenbracht laid down the 27th fastest lap noting a career-best for the rookie team at the intimidating superspeedway. “We knew we would be in the show no matter what, but our goal was to try and find ourselves in a comfort zone,” Hackenbracht added. “I’m satisfied with 27th and just hope we can keep our nose clean and take the checkered flag.”

  Torrey and Reed collectively agreed to skip drafting practice on Friday morning; just to play it safe and keep their automobile in one piece. With their thoughts and direction set towards the 3 Amigos 250, the team would be shifted from concentration mode to cover mode as wicked weather invaded forcing officials to delay round two of the season until Saturday morning.

  With a new schedule in their hands, the team took the opportunity in stride to further develop their game plan for the 250-mile event.

  Hackenbracht nestled himself inside the cockpit of his No. 58 CGH Motorsports Chevrolet Impala SS just before 8:00 a.m. locally for his third career superspeedway start.

  Throughout the race, Hackenbracht would hover comfortably in the top-25 waiting for ample opportunity to make his move towards the front. A late race caution would jumble up the field and allow the championship contender a shot at a top-10 finish with less than 10 circuits remaining.

  On the restart, Hackenbracht would find himself tucked in the lead draft and digging deep for a top-10 finish but Hackenbracht would be shuffled out of the draft and have to settle for 17th, improving his starting position by 10 places.

  The finish was the team’s second best finish in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards in 10 prior races. Last year, Hackenbracht finished a respectable 13th at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

  “I’m glad we were able to finish,” Hackenbracht said. “It’s a shame that we got hung out there near the end because we had a shot at a top-10. We’ll take this finish in stride though. I’m super proud of the CGH Motorsports team for their hard work on getting this car together and making the best of the situation during the race. Thankfully, restrictor plate racing is done and we can concentrate on real racing.”

  Round three on the ARCA Racing Series schedule takes the teams to Salem (Ind.) Speedway for the running of the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200. Not only will the 2008 National Asphalt Legends champion make his Salem Speedway debut but he will also make his inaugural short trackappearance for his 12th career start.   In preparation for the event, CGH Motorsports will test at the .5-mile paved oval this upcoming week.   CGH Motorsports is actively seeking additional marketing partners for the full 2011 ARCA Racing Series schedule. Single, multi and full-season placements are available on the team’s No. 58 entries. Interested parties are urged to contact Jordan Dahl at 570.234.5449 or

TALLADEGA, Ala., (April 16, 2011)-Chad McCumbee and his No. 1 ModSpace team finished 20th in the 3 Amigos 250 at Talladega Superspeedway Saturday. The race, that was scheduled to run Friday afternoon, was delayed until Saturday due to severe weather in Alabama.

“Today just wasn’t our day,” said McCumbee. “We elected to fall to the back early, but we raced our way to the front of the field. We were running as high as third, but had some issues with the car’s handling. We needed someone behind us drafting to get everything we could out of the car. We began to overheat at the end of the race, so I had to pit and just couldn’t get back to the front. I am disappointed because my team worked so hard this weekend.”

After starting 20th in the 250-mile race, the No. 1 Andy Belmont Racing (ABR) team elected to fall to the back of the field, running as far back as 35th. On Lap 28, the second race caution came out due to an accident and the field returned to green flag racing on Lap 34.

McCumbee was still running in the back half of the pack. On Lap 43 Frank Kimmel, driver of the No. 44 ARCA car, and McCumbee decided to work together creating an outside line. The No. 1 ModSpace Ford pushed Kimmel just inside the top 10. The duo was then joined by driver Matt Merrell, piloting the No. 32, pushing McCumbee as high as third place on the next laps.

The caution came out again on Lap 45 and McCumbee was in fourth when the field returned to green flag racing on Lap 50. The top-three drivers pulled away on the restart, but McCumbee, Kimmel and driver of the No. 5 ARCA car, Bobby Gerhart, teamed up on the outside to make an attempt at the race leader, Ty Dillon. The string pushed Kimmel to the lead on Lap 52.

The No. 1 ModSpace team continued to run up front until McCumbee came over the radio late in the race and stated his engine was overheating. The mechanical issue resulted in an unscheduled pit stop and a 20-place finish.

Team Manager Andy Belmont was dissatisfied with the team’s superspeedway finish after running up front with the race leaders for the majority of the 94-lap race.

“We had a great car today,” said Belmont. “We had put together a winning race strategy, had great pit stops and it was paying off. Everything was working great until the motor water temperature went too high and we had to pit late in the race. Chad gave it his all, but we just couldn’t get back up front”

“We have to put this race behind us,” stated McCumbee. “Today’s outcome doesn’t change our future strategy. We plan to test for upcoming events and earn some wins. I plan to get some of the points I lost today back at Salem (Speedway).”

McCumbee and his ModSpace team will continue their The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship run at Salem (Ind.) Speedway on Sunday, May 1 for 200 laps of racing action.

About ModSpace:

Modular Space Corporation (ModSpace), based in Berwyn, Pa., is a leading provider of modular buildings, portable storage and services for temporary and permanent space needs. With more than 40 years of experience, ModSpace serves a diverse set of customers and markets through a network of 80 branches throughout the United States and Canada.

About Andy Belmont Racing (ABR):

Andy Belmont Racing is a competitive and respected motorsports operation who fields race cars in the ARCA Racing Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the NASCAR K&N East Series and the USARacing Pro Cup Series. ABR has been serving the motorsports community and winning for nearly 25 years. AndyBelmont.com.

TALLADEGA, Alabama (April 18, 2011) – – It’s known that when the age you are turning and the day you were born are the same, that it’s your “golden birthday.” Same can be said for racing when your car number matches the place you finish, then it’s known as your “golden finish,” and so it was for Maryeve Dufault and the No. 12 VR-12 / Dodge Motorsports / Victory h2o Dodge Charger, this past Saturday morning for the postponed 3 Amigos 250 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

Although what started out to be a great weekend for Tony Marks Racing’s No. 12 VR-12 / Dodge Motorsports / Victory h2o Dodge Charger race team by qualifying third on the starting grid, turned out to be quite challenging. After failing post-qualifying inspections due to a part malfunction, Dufault and the No. 12 VR-12 / Dodge Motorsports / Victory h2o Dodge Charger were moved to the end of the field to start in the 39th position. Immense storms and tornadoes swept thru the central Alabama area on Friday afternoon, causing the race event to be pushed back to Saturday at 8:00 a.m.

Even though all the challenges of mother nature and machine seemed to be coming against the Tony Marks Racing team, Dufault and the No. 12 VR-12 / Dodge Motorsports / Victory h2o Dodge Charger took the checkered flag with a 12th place finish.

Immediately beginning the 94 lap event, Dufault powered her way up thru the field gaining 14 positions right out of the shoot. She held onto that spot for the first few laps until the first caution flag of the day flew at lap 15. After pitting for fuel and two right side tires, Dufault went a bit above the yellow line coming out of pit road, so ARCA officials waived her to the end of the lead lap putting her back in the 24th position, but that was no challenge for her.

Dufault and the No. 12 VR-12 / Dodge Motorsports / Victory h2o Dodge Charger found some friends on the track and gained ground in the draft to push their way up to ninth position. With a couple more cautions coming out and so much movement on the track, Dufault ended up scoring her career best finish in only her second career ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards start.

“After all the emotions that we went thru this weekend, I think we had a really good finish for the No. 12 VR-12 / Dodge Motorsports / Victory h2o Dodge Charger team,” said Dufault. “I learned a lot out there today; it’s very different from Daytona. There were some people out there that try to mess your driving up so you just really had to be careful.”

For car owner Tony Marks, he was ecstatic with his driver’s performance and ability to maneuver in such a tight and intense race. “Maryeve despite her setbacks overcame the odds and did a great job for TMR and all of our sponsors,” he said. “We were in the lead draft and just missed a top-10 finish. I’m super proud of her “never give up attitude” and ability to master the draft so brilliantly in only her second career start.

Next up for TMR and Dufault will be their first tango with Salem (Ind.) Speedway for the running of the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200. The Sorel, Quebec Canada native will make her ARCA short track debut in the third race of the 2011 season. The field will take the green flag on Sunday, May 1 shortly after 2:00 p.m.

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

Quench yourself with Victory Water, see how at Victoryh20.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.

(TOLEDO, Ohio) – Asked what a victory at Talladega Superspeedway meant considering the history Richard Childress Racing has at the track, Ty Dillon started by simply calling the feeling “awesome.”

“I’ve always watched, and I’ve almost always gone to the superspeedways – Daytona and Talladega – as a kid, and I’ve always loved to see how they race in the big packs, and the big crashes and the wild finishes at the end,” said Dillon, who drove the No. 41 Xinergy/Richard Childress Racing Development Chevrolet. “To have my own wild finish and to win at Talladega is really cool.”

A winner of 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at the track since 1984, Childress responded in kind – reiterating his earlier reference to a racing legend.

“This was really special, when it’s your grandson,” Childress said. “You know, we’ve won quite a few races here. Somebody asked me, ‘What’d that move look like at the end?’ I said it looked like a classic Earnhardt move, to be able to win by a fender or so. It’s just cool, knowing how hard he works at it.”

Dillon’s win moved him to second place in the unofficial ARCA Racing Series point standings, 10 behind leader Bobby Gerhart (No. 5 Lucas Oil Chevrolet); official points will be released Tuesday. Chris Buescher (No. 17 ApplianceZone.com/David Ragan Ford/Jet Food Stores Ford) is third, 25 from the lead. Frank Kimmel (No. 44 Ansell/Menards Ford) is 45 behind Gerhart in fourth, and Matt Merrell (No. 32 Champion Brands Toyota) is 55 behind the lead in fifth.

Thirteen Years, Thirteen Winners: Since Tim Steele’s three consecutive wins at Talladega between 1996 and 1998, 13 different drivers have won the 13 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards events on the 2.66-mile oval since 1999. With his win, Dillon joined Bob Strait (1999), David Keith (2000), Bobby Gerhart (2001), Keith Segars (2002), Paul Menard (2003), Blake Feese (2004), Kraig Kinser (2005), Frank Kimmel (2006), Michael Annett (2007), Justin Allgaier (2008), Justin Lofton (2009), and Dakoda Armstrong (2010) as winners in that period.

Only Michigan International Speedway – host to the ARCA Racing Series on Friday, June 17 – has a longer current streak of different winners. 15 drivers have won in 15 races at the track since 1999.

Dillon the 100th with Three Wins: Ty Dillon’s win in the 3 Amigos 250 was his third in five ARCA Racing Series starts, making him the 100th driver in series history with three wins.

Active drivers now with two wins who are next in line to win a third include Dakoda Armstrong, Chris Buescher, Scott Lagasse Jr., and Chad McCumbee.

Superspeedway Pole Sweep the Sixth: Before 2011, five drivers had won the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway in the same season. Ty Dillon became the sixth Thursday, edging Kyle Fowler (No. 15 Venturini Motorsports Chevrolet) for the top starting spot.

Past drivers to have won both poles in a single year include Ralph Jones (1986), Bill Venturini (1987), Bob Schacht (1995), Kirk Shelmerdine (2000), and Bobby Gerhart (2006). Only Gerhart won from the pole at Daytona, and none of the previous drivers won from the pole at Talladega that season.

Before Dillon and Fowler repeated as the front row starters this season, only Shelmerdine and Bob Strait had shared the first and second positions, respectively, at both tracks in the same year (2000).

Hudson Matches Career High: Brett Hudson (No. 94 Hudson Performance Drivelines Dodge) finished fourth, matching a career-best result earned at Salem in 2007.

Brian Rose (No. 19 Battomi/Lawton Insurance/Reynolds Pump Toyota) finished seventh, his first top-10 in two ARCA Racing Series starts.

Making his first ARCA start since 2006, Will Vaught (No. 51 CureDuchenne.com Chevrolet) ended the race in ninth, a career high.

Maryeve Dufault (No. 12 VR-12 Dodge) scored the first top-15 finish of her ARCA career, finishing 12th and improving upon her 28th-place result in her debut at Daytona. Milka Duno (No. 63 Citgo Supergard Lubricants Toyota) finished in the top 20 for the first time in her three starts, ending the day 19th.

“A Glove Away” for Kimmel After Improvement: Frank Kimmel started 22nd and finished second to win the CGS Imaging Hard Charger of the Race Award for most positions gained. (Maryeve Dufault, who improved 27 positions, was ineligible for the award after making a provisional start.)

Kimmel’s 20 positions gained were his third-most at Talladega in 19 starts. He improved 32 places, from 35th to third, in 2002, and 27, from 33rd to sixth, in 2008.

The nine-time ARCA champion led three times for 32 laps and looked poised to end a winless streak which stretches back to late 2008 before being passed by Ty Dillon just yards from the start/finish line.

“So close,” Kimmel said. “It’s so tough to explain being happy but disappointed at the same time. Knowing that I was literally a glove away from pulling the Ansell/Menards Ford into Victory Lane is hard to swallow, but running that strong and leading a bunch of laps makes me pleased as well.

“I knew that going into that last lap that those behind me would be gunning for me. All I could do is stick to the bottom and try to hold them off but the No. 41 drove to my outside right at the end. Overall, it was a great points day for Kimmel Racing, plus it was really nice to be out front for Ansell and Menards.”

Gerhart Speaks to Superspeedway Excitement: Bobby Gerhart nearly finished a sweep of the season’s two restrictor plate events, but finished third when an end-of-race charge to the front fell just short.

“Well, so much for these races not being exciting,” Gerhart said. “When we came down to it, it was two or three lanes wide. I just didn’t have a lot of help. As it was a couple of years ago here, it came down the point where it’s every man racing for himself. Then, it isn’t about friends; it’s about being in the right spot at the right time. I thought I had it covered.

“It was just a real exciting race; I was happy to be a part of it.”

Through two of seven races in the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge, Gerhart leads with 390 points. Chris Buescher is second at 375, followed by Frank Kimmel and Ty Dillon, tied at 350.

Dillon Adds Special Awards: Ty Dillon led Lap 47, marking the race’s halfway point, and won the $500 Messina Halfway Leader Award for the race. His 50 laps led were far more than any other driver, giving him the $500 Aaron’s Lap Leader of the Race Award as well. In all, Dillon has led 109 laps and amassed an average finish of 3.2 in five starts in ARCA Racing Series competition.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards returns to action at Salem (Ind.) Speedway on Sunday, May 1, for the series’ 89th race at the track since 1955.

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 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.

TALLADEGA, Alabama (April 18, 2011) – – A stellar third place finish in the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway for Win-Tron Racing opened the doors for Portland, Texas native Matt Merrell to once again take the controls of the No. 32 Champion Brands Toyota Camry in the postponed 3 Amigos 250 Saturday morning from Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

And for the second consecutive race, Merrell looked more like a veteran rather than an inexperienced rookie when it comes to the intense, mind boggling restrictor plate racing. Armed with the same Toyota Camry that Merrell wheeled at Daytona, the team utilized the three hour practice on Thursday to dial in their newly sponsored automobile.

Producing the 20th fastest time overall, Merrell and his team went to work with veteran crew chief Mike Chafee to made adjustments to their machine in hopes of find additional speed for qualifying. In time trials, Merrell picked up the pace considerably and qualified his No. 32 Champion Brands Toyota Camry 12th in the 39-car field.

The excitement to start the second race of the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season would be delayed until Saturday morning after severe storms rattled through the Talladega area shortly before the original start time on Friday afternoon, ultimately forcing officials to move the event to 8:00 a.m. the next morning.

Once the green flag flew, Merrell blasted his Japanese nameplate quickly into the top-10. By lap six, Merrell found himself sitting ninth. Less than 10 laps later, the No. 32 was on the move and had climbed into the sixth position.

When Terry Jones lost a motor on lap 16, Chaffee elected to bring his protégé down pit road for fuel only – deciding to utilize some pit strategy.

Restarting just outside the top-10, the No. 32 Champion Brands Toyota Camry rocketed back to the front and by lap 27 had moved into the fifth position.

Throughout the remainder of the 94-lap event, the see-saw battle of the draft saw the No. 32 fluctuate between sixth and eighth respectively.

When the final restart of the day came with less than eight laps remaining, Merrell restarted sixth but found himself attacked by a slew of race cars in the draft which resulted in the No. 32 being shuffled back to the 10th position when the checkered flag was thrown.

“The race was pretty intense,” said Merrell, who is only one of five drivers to finish inside the top-10 in both races thus far this season. “We had a good Champion Brands Toyota Camry, we just couldn’t get lined up with the right partners at the end and it hurt us for a better finish. I continue to be thankful to Champion Brands, Nate (Thiesse, Win-Tron Racing, co-car owner), Kevin (Cywinski, Win-Tron Racing, co-car owner) for the opportunity to drive their race car. I hate that we didn’t get a win or another top-five but we’ve definitely had a good start to the season.”

Thiesse, who served as the backstretch spotter for Merrell during the race offered his thoughts. “Matt continues to impress everyone at Win-Tron Racing. He does a magnificent job in the draft. He was able to come from the back to the front on multiple occasions. Unfortunately, we just ran out of time. This was our first race with Champion Brands aboard and we’re all happy with the results.”

With his 15th career ARCA Racing Series start in the rear-view mirror, Merrell sits fifth in the ARCA Racing Series championships standings just 55 markers behind point’s leader Bobby Gerhart entering the next ARCA race on the schedule, the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 at Salem (Ind.) Speedway set for Sunday, May 1.

Further information including driver opportunities with Win-Tron Racing is available by visiting win-tronracing.com http://www.win-tronracing.com/ or contacting Nate Thiesse at 952.469.1839.

For more on Champion Brands LLC and their products, please logon to championbrands.com http://www.championbrands.com/ or championsusechampion.com. http://www.championsusechampion.com/

TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 18, 2011) – – Brent Brevak, son of 1990 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards champion Bob Brevak had high hopes for his Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway debut this past weekend but unfortunately a series of misfortunes in the early stages of the postponed 3 Amigos 250 forced a different race strategy for the Brevak Racing team.

With faith and determination propelling the team to the 2.66-mile superspeedway after a tough outing in the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Brevak had hopes to push his No. 3 Brevak Racing Ford Fusion into contention in the second race of the season.

In practice on Thursday, the No. 3 Brevak Racing Ford Fusion posted the 27th fastest run in single-car trim leaving the team optimistic for qualifying. A solid 25th place qualifying effort later that day gave the organization a better feeling towards the event.

Opting not to participate in the final practice, the family-owned team would shift their concentration into race mode. The team’s mode though would be halted when Mother Nature brought extensive rain and thunderstorms to the Talladega area forcing officials to reschedule the event until the next morning with an 8:00 a.m. start.

Refreshed, Brevak climbed aboard his machine thankful for the opportunity to race at one of the greatest spectacles on earth. When the green flag flown, Brevak showed patience and by lap six had climbed into the 21st position.

His steady climb to the front would be halted on lap 14 when a piece of debris caused the left front tire to go flat. Add insult to injury, the deflated tire also broke the sway bar which would haunt the 23-year old and his team for the remainder of the event. Slowly, Brevak was able to bring his blue oval to pit road for damage control.

With the tire changed, Brevak returned to the track three laps off the pace and was hoping that attrition would play into his favor and he could utilize the “free pass” times three to return to lead lap status. The yellow flag fever would never break closing in on half-way which kept Brevak gaining valuable experience but out of contention.

On lap 59, Brevak returned to pit road for an attempt to fix the sway bar but would gradually lose more laps to the leaders which take the team’s agenda from a good finish to a learning experience for their second-generation racer.

Through perseverance and some late attrition, Brevak would climb the running order and take the checkered flag in the 26th position, 10 laps off race winner Ty Dillon.

“It’s a shame that we had the flat tire then the sway bar issue,” offered Brevak after the race. “We had a decent car that with the right group would draft well. We were just keeping our nose clean and waiting for the right opportunity to fire away. Sadly, we never were able to get there. I want to thank everyone on the team and all of those who support us for getting our team to Talladega. We’ll try again soon.”

Despite the hardships, the finish was a career-best for Brevak in five prior ARCA Racing Series start. Previously, Brevak had finished a career-best 28th at Salem (Ind.) Speedway last year.

Pending sponsorship, Brevak Racing may attempt the next ARCA Racing Series event on the circuit at the tricky Salem (Ind.) Speedway on Sunday, May 1 for the running of the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200.

Brevak Racing encourages their fans and supporters to check out their official Brevak Racing Group Facebook page where you can find more about the team and the “Ride Along With Brent” fan participation program.

For more on Brevak Racing, please visit brevakracing.com http://www.brevakracing.com/ .

For additional input on Red’s Auto, please logon to redsautosales.com. http://www.redsautosales.com/

TALLADEGA, Alabama (April 18, 2011) – – Without a question, Sean Corr and his Empire Racing team showed their competitors in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards why they are championship caliber material in the postponed 3 Amigos 250 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway Saturday morning.

Tackling a superspeedway for the second time in two races this season, the Mooresville, North Carolina based team led by team manager John Bellesfield and newly appointed crew chief Howard Bixman desperately wanted to show that their mediocre performance at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February was something of the past.

In the three hour practice session on Thursday afternoon, the Goshen, New York native produced the 22nd fastest time overall giving the team a comfortable feeling heading into qualifying later in the day. After consulting with Bixman and Bellesfield, a few tweaks were made to the No. 82 Ford Fusion before time trials – hoping to give Corr that extra boost for a solid starting position.

During his two lap hustle around the 2.66-mile superspeedway in Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell, the Northerner was able to lay down the 19th fastest lap in the 39-car starting field.

With a solid starting position for the 250-mile event, the agenda was clear for Corr and his Empire Racing team, finish the race and stay in the lead draft. Unfortunately, after anxiously waiting for the start of the second of 19 races this season, Mother Nature invaded the area and drenched the track forcing officials to postpone the event to Saturday morning.

Crisp blue skies welcomed the ARCA teams to the track Saturday morning with Corr buckled in and ready to race shortly before 8:00 a.m. (Central). From the drop of the green flag – Corr quickly began maneuvering his No. 82 Empire Racing Ford Fusion through the field. With guidance from former Daytona 500 winning spotter Keith Barnwell, the two worked together; slicing and dicing their way through the field.

By lap six, Corr had drafted his way into the 13th position and just nine laps had cleverly maneuvered his blue oval into the top-five. The first yellow flag of the day waived a lap later for Terry Jones with Bixman electing to bring his driver to pit road for fuel only.

Restarting in the top-20, Corr would hover his silver bullet around the top-15 until another yellow flag waived on lap 27 for debris. It was during this caution that Bixman again elected to bring his pilot to pit road for two right side tires and more Sunoco fuel.

Quiet on the radio, Corr restarted the race in the 13th position but quietly began his march back towards the front. By lap 45, Corr had positioned himself back into the top-10 controlling the seventh position.

On the restart, Corr with assistance from Barnwell would find their comfort level which would see the No. 82 rocket into the top-five. He would maintain a position solidly in the top-five until the typical Talladega shuffle jockeyed the No. 82’s position nearly every lap.

Lap 81 brought a close call for the ARCA Racing Series championship contender when the two cars of Tim George Jr. (No. 31) and nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel (No. 44) locked horns and spun directly in front of the John Corr-owned machine.

Idling in the eighth position when the caution flag flew, Corr and Barnwell would begin to develop their final game plan to slice and dice their way back to the front. Inopportunely, the plan would be foiled as several cars “ganged” up on the No. 82 on the restart and left Corr in the wind on the outside line with no drafting help.

Finally tucking in behind the No. 58 of Chad Hackenbracht with five laps remaining, Corr tried to push his fellow competitor to the lead group but had to duck out of the draft and pass the No. 58 in order to catch the No. 6 Toyota as a final opportunity to lineup and blast to the front.

Ineffectively, the duo ran out of laps with Corr crossing the start finish line 16th, his best finish at Talladega in two starts.

“I’m frustrated and satisfied at the same time,” said Corr. “We had a good Empire Racing Ford Fusion. If we hooked up with the right car, we could pedal our way to the front. I thought we would have a shot at our first top-10 there in the final laps but we just didn’t have the help we needed.

I have to thank the guys on the Empire Racing team. They have really busted their tails over the past couple of weeks and I cannot thank them enough. Roush Yates gave us some incredible horsepower under the hood and we continue to be appreciative of everything that they do for us. We’ll take this finish in stride and head to Salem and hope for a top-10.”

With two solid top-20 finishes in the first two races of the season, Corr and the Empire Racing team lock eighth in the ARCA Racing Series championship standings heading into the next race at Salem (Ind.) Speedway for the running of the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 on Sunday, May 1. Corr will make his inaugural debut at the intimidating .5-mile-paved oval.

On Friday, Empire Racing and BoomText officially announced the “Hard Corr Fans” program powered by BoomText, a mobile marketing campaign which allows fans to pledge towards becoming an official member of the Empire Racing team – not to mention helping three of Corr’s personal charities. To join the campaign, fans just simply have to text the word “CORR” to 411247 where they will receive an automated safe-secured link to join the “Hard Corr Fans” team.

“We’re real excited to work with Boomtext and I have great expectations for the “Hard Corr Fans” program,” added Corr. “We’re going to run it all season long and develop not only an incredible fan base but help out three great charities as well.

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

For additional input on BoomText, please visit BoomText.com. http://www.boomtext.com/

Connect with Sean Corr and Empire Racing through Facebook by clicking here. http://www.facebook.com/empireracingllc

Tweet with Sean Corr through Twitter @EmpireRacingLLC.

About Empire Racing:

Established in 2009, Empire Racing LLC. (empireracingllc.com http://www.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.

TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 18, 2011) – – In his first ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards race in a little less than five years, dirt late model standout Will “The Thrill” Vaught delivered an exceptional ninth place performance in the postponed 3 Amigos 250 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

Vaught driving the No. 51 Cureduchenne.org http://www.cureduchenne.org/ Chevrolet Impala in a collaboration effort with Phoenix Racing and owner James Finch produced the 28th fastest time in the three hour practice session on Thursday. At the end of practice, Vaught consulted with crew chief Ricky Pearson to discuss a plan to try and gain more speed before qualifying.

“We have a good car,” said Vaught. “It may not have the speed by itself, but it will draft good in the race. I know we’re going to qualify decent, I just want to try and not put ourselves in a potentially bad situation.”

In Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell, Vaught, the Crane, Missouri native assembled the 26th quickest lap solidly earning the 24-year old his third career ARCA start. “Not bad, we’ll take it,” Vaught said of his qualifications run.

Electing to play it safe, Pearson decided to keep his driver behind the scenes during drafting practice on Friday morning – shifting their attention towards the second race of the season later in the day. Ultimately though clouds and heavy downpours invaded the 2.66-mile superspeedway just an hour before race time forcing officials to reschedule the race until Saturday morning.

Arriving at the track early Saturday morning, Vaught buckled in his No. 51 Cureduchenne.org http://www.cureduchenne.org/ Chevrolet Impala ready to rock shortly before 8:00 a.m. (Central).

Early on in the 3 Amigos 250, Vaught played it conservatively and had moved up to the 20th position by lap six. The drafting dance would fluctuate Vaught between 18th and 22nd during the first quarter of the race.

Maintaining himself on the lead lap, the upcoming young-gun would bring his Chevrolet bowtie to pit road on lap 44 for four tires and fuel before rejoining the field in the 20th position.

The second half of the event would see Vaught make his move on the field, moving himself comfortably into the top-20 by lap 60. With 11 laps remaining, Vaught found himself riding 16th – ready to return to green flag conditions after a two-car incident on the frontstretch.

The last green flag run of the day would be some of the most intense racing of the race but it provided prime opportunity for the No. 51 Cureduchenne.org http://www.cureduchenne.org/ Chevrolet Impala to storm into the top-10. With two laps remaining, Vaught sat 12th but a late race charge on the last lap surged the Will Vaught Racing (WVR) team into the top-10 where the youngest crossed the start finish line ninth.

“I had a lot of fun out there; we just needed a little more steam under the hood to get us into the top-five. We lived up to our game plan; stayed out of trouble and we were able to get out of here in one piece and with a good finish. I’m happy,” said Vaught.

He added, “I hope we were able to make some noise with our Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy awareness. We were honored to have David Carter McClain who is suffering from DMD here with us this week at Talladega. It’s something that shouldn’t be taken lightly and we used Talladega to spread the word and hopefully it was mission accomplished.”

For more information on Will Vaught, please visit willvaughtracing.com.

For additional input on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), please click over to cureduchenne.org. http://www.cureduchenne.org/

ABOUT CUREDUCHENNE.ORG

Cureduchenne.org http://www.cureduchenne.org/ was founded by Paul and Debra Miller whose son was diagnosed with DMD (Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy) in November 2002. Paul Miller is a vice-president of a food company and Debra Miller was in advertising sales before giving up her career to become a stay-at-home mom. Today, the Millers effectively use Cureduchenne.org http://www.cureduchenne.org/ as a way of communication to bring further attentiveness and funding for DMD.