Category: Other Series PR

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 18, 2011) – – Alabama’s Grant Enfinger had every reason to be smiling as his hauler left the grounds of Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway late last week. The part-time ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards team wowed the ARCA crowd by thrusting its No. 09 Ford Fusion to the top of the overall leader board in a three-day open test session on the newly re-paved 2.5-mile superspeedway.

  Enfinger wasn’t the man behind the wheel. For the test, Enfinger, considered one of ARCA’s finest drivers handed the wheel off to USARacing Pro Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Benny Gordon who maneuvered the No. 09 Grant Enfinger Racing (GER) Ford Fusion for the three day test.

  While it was tough for Enfinger to sit back and watch someone steer his familiar bold and brilliant No. 09 entry, Enfinger had other responsibilities after and being called just days before the test to drive the No. 36 Justin Allgaier Motorsports Dodge Charger for the 2008 ARCA championship team.

  Under the guidance of crew chief Howard Bixman, the No. 09 posted its fastest lap during drafting practice on Wednesday afternoon. Gordon, who plans to make his first ARCA start of the 2011 season at Daytona in less than a month drafted his blue oval around the historic track in 48.414 seconds or 185.897 miles per hour. The fastest time could not be beaten during a full-day of testing on Thursday.

  “I’m real proud of the GER team,” said Enfinger, who intends to compete in the 2011 ARCA season-opener next month. “We showed last year that we have a solid restrictor plate program and from what I can tell, we haven’t lost any steam since then. I want to thank Benny (Gordon), Howard (Bixman) and the entire Grant Enfinger Racing team for their hard work during the test. Our goal is to come back and be as competitive when that green flag drops.”   For Bixman, a well-known fixture in the ARCA community, he echoed similar sentiments of his car owner.

  “Benny (Gordon) did a superb job for his first go-around in an ARCA super speedway car,” Bixman said. “We came here with a plan and to get Benny some laps. But to leave here atop the board it just shows how dedicated and focused this team and talented Benny really is. I want to thank ROUSHYATES Engines and Ford Racing. Hopefully we’ll be able to secure some sponsorship so Grant and this team can be a permanent fixture in the ARCA Racing Series and not just on a part-time basis ”

  For Enfinger, who nearly pulled off his first ARCA victory last April at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, he maneuvered the second-fastest time overall in the No. 36 Dodge Charger. His fastest lap of 48.418 seconds or 185.881 miles per hour was just four-one thousands of a second slower than Gordon’s.

  GER will join the remainder of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards teams for the first of 19 races on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series schedule, the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona set for Saturday, February 12, 2011. The event will be televised live on SPEED and is the preamble for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Budweiser Shootout which will commence shortly after the conclusion of the 80-lap / 200-mile contest.

RANDLEMAN, North Carolina (January 19, 2011) – -Ryan Wilson, ”Top Driver” of Richard Petty’s Driver Search II will appear this weekend at the fourth annual Driver Advancement Marketing Summit at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Sunday, January 23, 2011.   Wilson, who currently competes in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series (NWAAS) at Caraway (N.C.) Speedway, will be one of several speakers on-hand to discuss his climb up the ladder and how driver development on and off the track has proven to be beneficial to him.

In the fall of 2010, Wilson was one of twelve drivers from across the country who participated in Richard Petty’s Driver Search – a unique four day training camp and competition which included stops at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Concord (N.C.) Speedway and a road-course at Carolina (S.C.) Motorsports Park. Wilson and his fellow drivers took the track in High Performance Karts, USAC Midgets, a NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) stock cars, completing 10-modules which, using high-tech digital scoring systems, ultimately determines the “Top Driver”.

Wilson also worked with an instruction staff that included racing icon Ken Schrader, Sprint Cup driver Marcos Ambrose, nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel, legendary crew chief Dale Inman, NASCAR media personality and former driver Kyle Petty, ESPN track reporter Jamie Little and Miss Sprint Cup Monica Palumbo on a variety of topics that surround the territories of being a professional race-car driver.

Through the trial and tribulations, Wilson outdueled his other competitors awarding him a shot to qualify in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards at the historic Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway. Having never sat in an ARCA car before tackling the track nicknamed “The Rock”, it was easy to see why Wilson beat out his competitors.

After starting 19th, Wilson in the No. 15 Richard Petty’s Driver Search Dodge Charger kept his nose clean, earned the respect of his competitors and took the checkered flag in a respectable and noteworthy 14th position.

“I’m very honored and humbled about being asked to speak about my career and what I’ve learned through the Richard Petty’s Driver Search,” said Wilson. “It was an incredible opportunity and it introduced me to a lot of different areas of the racing scene that I had never had the chance to experience before. I’m thankful to everyone at Petty Holdings and Performance PR Plus for the opportunity to attend.”

The driver of the No. 12 Randolph Bank Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series is preparing for what he is expecting to be a busy but also a winning 2011 racing season.

“We’re going to continue to run at Caraway, but we’re also going to run a couple races in ARCA,” sounded Wilson. “It’s our goal to go and try to win a championship at Caraway but also begin my advancement to the heavier stock cars through the ARCA Racing Series. It’s a great series and I enjoyed myself immensely at Rockingham. I’m looking forward to this year and I cannot continue to thank everyone from my team, my family, my friends and our marketing partners for their support in Ryan Wilson Motorsports.”

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.

Stay tuned for a newly-designed Ryan Wilson Motorsports website. However, in the meantime for more input on Ryan Wilson and his organization, please visit RyanWilsonMotorsports.com.

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 18, 2011) – – CGH Motorsports heads into the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season locked and loaded hoping to make an impression that will allow the family-owned team to compete in the full schedule. And thanks to an overall top-10 outing in the official Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway open test last week, the team is confident they are heading in the right direction.

Driven by 19-year old Chad Hackenbracht, Hackenbracht unofficially posted the seventh fastest time of the three-day test on Wednesday afternoon after whipping his No. 58 Tastee Apple Chevrolet Impala SS around the 2.5-mile superspeedway in 48.522 seconds at 185.483 miles per hour, after being swept into a heavy draft while attempting to make a single-car run at DIS.

Still with the favorable result, the CGH Motorsports team will make a decision this week and decide which of the two Impala SS superspeedway bowtie’s available will put their Concord, North Carolina-based team in the limelight for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona, set for Saturday, January 12th, 2011 live on SPEED.

“We made some serious changes to our No. 58 Tastee Apple Chevrolet Impala SS to put up that lap,” said Hackenbracht, who intends to make his second appearance at the “World Center of Racing” next month. “While the car was strong, it’s not a set-up that we would feel comfortable with for the race, so we’re going to go back to the drawing board and put a setup together that should work to our advantage for both qualifying and the race.”

The former Legend Car Series (LCS) pilot added, “restrictor plate racing is a lot of fun but it can drive you nuts. You want to go out there and be strong by yourself and in the draft. I have a feeling that we’re going to be strong in qualifying; we just need to make sure our Tastee Apple Chevrolet will be able to maneuver from the back to the front and vice-versa. The team has already put a “to-do” list together to better prepare ourselves for what we like to think as the “Super Bowl” of our racing season. It’s going to be a busy couple of weeks but hopefully all the work will pay off with a good finish in the race.”

Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway recently went through a major renovation which included a complete re-pavement of the 2.5-mile monster facility. Hackenbracht described the new track’s asphalt as soothing. “They did a great job re-paving the track,” sounded Hackenbracht, who intends to juggle a full-time college schedule while also hoping to become the next ARCA Racing Series champion. “It’s a lot like Talladega but still has that Daytona vibe. The race will not only be electrifying on the track but in the stands too.”

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 jordandahl@cghmotorsports.com.

About CGH Motorsports:

CGH Motorsports (CGHMotorsports.com ), established in 2007 by Ohio entrepreneur Greg Hackenbracht is located in a 10,000 sq. foot facility located in Concord, North Carolina. CGH Motorsports is home of rising sensation Chad Hackenbracht, who competed in nine ARCA Racing Series races in 2010 after an aggressive ARCA testing schedule in 2009. Chad Hackenbracht is the 2008 National Asphalt Legends champion, winning 33 percent of his races and finishing in the top-10, 85 percent of the events he competed in. The team will step up their commitment from a partial schedule and prepare for a hopeful full-season ARCA championship assault beginning in February 2011.

“Sixth place in last single car session. What a difference a year can make!”  

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 18, 2011) – – Redemption was the name of the game for Scott Stenzel driver of the No. 42 Yellow Stripes Making the Driver Ford Fusion. After the last single car session, on Tuesday, Stenzel posted a sixth place time of 49.457 and was the highest placing Ford. One year ago Stenzel was setup to attempt his first ARCA Racing Series start powered by Roush Yates Engines and fielded by Spraker Racing Enterprises. During qualifying for the 2010 Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, Stenzel made light contact with the turn three wall which ruined his chances of making his first start.

Following the disappointing Daytona heartbreak, the team gathered themselves back together and was able to successfully capitalize on a seventh place finish at Talladega (Ala) Superspeedway after participating in the open test and qualifying in the 28th position for the race.

The Yellow Stripes team was optimistic coming back to Daytona International Speedway after the teams’ success at Talladega. “With this new track surface we figured we’d be at least as fast as we were at Talladega,” said Scott Stenzel. “But had no idea after that first session on Tuesday that we’d be posting a time of eighth quick.”  

During the afternoon session Spraker Racing continued to shine as the team fielded the No. 42 car for two rookie drivers to gain some valuable seat time. Joey Gase (42b) posted 23rd with a lap time of 50.048 and Ryan Lynch (42c) posted 27th with a lap time of 50.080. “It was great to give these guys some experience at high speeds. For never turning a lap at Daytona they both showed they can be competitive,” added Stenzel.  

Wrapping up day one with only a few qualifying runs didn’t give the team all the data they needed to be confident for their return in February. Jeff Spraker made the call to stay for Wednesday morning practice and it sure paid off. Spraker Racing made some significant adjustments to help get the car through the air better at these speeds, sent Stenzel back out on the track, and posted a top-three position immediately. After making further adjustments the No. 42 Ford Fusion settled in at a comfortable sixth place position at a time of 49.457 with a speed of 181.976 miles per hour.

“We fulfilled our test agenda and we are pleased with the results. In addition to helping Joey Gase and Ryan Lynch a chance to gain some valuable track time, we discovered some more speed in the car and really helped enhance Scott’s confidence and prove that we have a very competitive effort here,” said crew chief and team owner Jeff Spraker. “Between the great support from Roush Yates and Spraker Racing we are into Daytona with a great package.”  

“Now that we were able to prove we have a good piece it’s time to get out there and keep this momentum going by seeking sponsor partnerships. We have a lot of irons in the fire but any bit can help as we don’t have enough sponsorship to keep going,” Stenzel reluctantly added. “Clearly we can’t stop now as we’ve left a big mark at the test.”  

Stenzel co-owns Digi Craft Agency www.digicraftagency.comand has been using every tool and resource to help bring a more realistic return on investment for sponsorship partners. “Sponsors today are most concerned about receiving a return on investment and that’s what the Digi Craft Agency specializes in,” said John Baxter, Director of Marketing and Advertising at Digi Craft. “We build performance based campaigns that work for our clients, they can track and see their return and in-turn they earn trust and faith in what we do.” The team hopes to extend these services to sponsorship partners through out the 2011 season. 

  Follow Scott’s career at www.makingthedriver.com and www.scottstenzel.com   For more information about Spraker Racing Enterprises visit www.sprakerracing.com   For more information about Roush Yates Engines visit www.roushyates.com  

DAYTONA INT’L SPEEDWAY TEST – 1/11-13/11  ARCA RACING SERIES PRESENTED BY MENARDS  JANUARY 12, 2011, MORNING SESSION          

POS        CAR #   DRIVER                                MAKE    TIME       SPEED

1             15          Kyle Fowler                          Chevy   48.668  184.926

2             55          Hal Martin                            Toyota   48.697  184.816

3             31          Tim George                         Chevy   48.985  183.730

4             25          Steve Arpin                          Toyota   49.222  182.845

5             22          Dakoda Armstrong             Dodge   49.438  182.046

6             42          Scott Stenzel                       Ford       49.457  181.976

7             41a        Ty Dillon                               Chevy   49.517  181.756

8             77          Joey Licata, Jr.                    Dodge   49.549  181.638

9             36          Grant Enfinger                    Dodge   49.559  181.602

10          18a        Ryan Glenski                       Ford       49.578  181.532

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (Tuesday, January 18, 2011) – Officials with the ASA Northwest Sprint Car Racing Association Sprint Car Series have announced their 2011 season schedule. The series will visit six tracks with twelve event dates.

“We are very excited about our 2011 schedule,” Andy Alberding, 2010 ASA NSRA Champion and Series President said. “We are returning to many of the tracks we competed at in 2010 and making more than one visit at many of them. Our fans will get plenty of opportunity to see our fast asphalt winged sprint cars compete this season.”

The series will open their 2011 season on Saturday, April 2nd at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA. Expect to see high speeds on the fast sweeping 5/8-mile oval.

One of their traditional events will take place at Meridian Speedway, an ASA Member Track in Meridian, ID, for the annual Diamond Cup event on June 3-4. Fans will see exciting racing action on Friday and Saturday nights as the drivers will take on the challenging quarter-mile oval.

A second visit to Evergreen Speedway will take place on Saturday, June 25.

The fans of Stateline Stadium & Speedway in Post Falls, ID will host the Winged Sprints on Saturday, July 9. The high banked quarter-mile oval will provide some fast racing action.

The first of two visits to Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, OR will take place on Saturday, July 23. The 3/8-mile oval will give the ASA NSRA drivers a good challenge.

They roll into the month of August with a visit to Ephrata Central Park Raceway in Ephrata, WA on Saturday, August 6. Fans will be treated to some great racing excitement on the quarter-mile high-banked oval.

The teams will then head north of the border to Western Speedway in Victoria, BC Canada for the annual Daffodil Cup event on August 19-20. This will be the ASA NSRA’s only visit to Canada in 2011.

Fans at Meridian Speedway will get a second opportunity to see the fast Winged Sprints as they will return on September 9-10.

The 2011 season will conclude with a second visit to Douglas County Speedway on Saturday, September 24.

For more information about the ASA NSRA Sprint Car Series, please visit their website at www.nsraracing.com.

The American Speed Association started as a single racing series in 1968 and is a fast growing racing sanctioning body today. The ASA Member Track program is comprised of asphalt and dirt short tracks along with road courses around the United States, as well as a variety of regional and national touring series. To learn more of the Daytona Beach, Fla.-based American Speed Association call (386) 258-2221 or send an e-mail to info@asa-racing.com. For news and information from all the racetracks and regional tours involved in the ASA, visit www.ASA-Racing.com.

ASA®, ASA Racing®, American Speed Association® are registered trademarks of Racing Speed Associates, LLC.

2011 ASA NSRA SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE

April 2, 2011 – Evergreen Speedway, Monroe, WA

June 3-4, 2011 – Meridian Speedway, Meridian, ID

June 25, 2011 – Evergreen Speedway, Monroe, WA

July 9, 2011 – Stateline Stadium & Speedway, Park Falls, ID

July 23, 2011 – Douglas County Speedway, Roseburg, OR

August 6, 2011 – Ephrata Central Park Speedway, Ephrata, WA

August 19-20, 2011 – Western Speedway, Victoria, BC Canada

September 9-10, 2011 – Meridian Speedway, Meridian, ID

Septemeber 24, 2011 – Douglas County Speedway, Roseburg, OR

FOLLOW THE AMERICAN SPEED ASSOCIATION ON….

FACEBOOK – http://www.facebook.com/american.speed.assoc

TWITTER – http://twitter.com/amerspeedassoc

YOUTUBE – http://www.youtube.com/americanspeedassoc

RSS FEED – feed://feedity.com/rss.aspx/asa-racing-com/UVFXVFVX

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 18, 2011) – – They may be one of the newest teams in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards garage, but Brian Rose Motorsports (BRM) left Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway looking like pros as the newly organized team left the grounds with solid results leaving the group itching to return to the “World Center of Racing.”

Stalled by a monstrous winter storm that nearly crippled much of the mid-west and eastern states, Brian Rose Motorsports’ tango with Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway would be stalled until Wednesday, allowing just two days for the Danny Rollins-led team to strut their stuff.

By the conclusion of day number two and using the words of some of their competition, “they are on their game.”

Unloading the No. 4 Harris Trucking / Team ASE Toyota Camry, Brian Rose, a Louisville, Kentucky native tackled the newly re-paved Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway for the first time on Wednesday afternoon. The team maneuvered the 17th fastest lap during the four-hour session by bolting his Japanese nameplate around the 2.5-mile superspeedway in 48.965 seconds or 183.805 miles per hour in a single-car run.

For Rose, the opportunity to return to Daytona is like a second chance. In 2002, the avid racecar driver piloted a Bobby Hamilton Racing (BHR) Dodge Ram to an impressive third place finish after qualifying fourth. In less than a month, Rose and his posse will return to the Daytona Beach racetrack eyeing the biggest win of his racing career thus far.

“We’re pretty happy,” said Rose on Wednesday afternoon. “We’re not finished yet though. We were just shaking our No. 4 Harris Trucking / Team ASE Toyota Camry down, making sure we didn’t have any major issues. Danny (Rollins) and I will talk and I think we can deliver bigger and better things on Thursday.”

Delivering is exactly what the BRM team did the following day.

In the morning non-drafting session, Rose and his team made a mock-qualification run and blistered the track in 49.290 seconds transferring to a speed of 182.593 miles per hour, raising the team to fifth on the overall morning rundown.

Looking for a little more feedback on their Toyota, the team collectively agreed to participate in the final drafting session of the three-day test on Thursday afternoon. The primary objective for the No. 4 team was to clarify whether their automobile would draft competitively. And clearly based on the results of the drafting session, mission accomplished.

Rose’s Toyota posted the second-fastest time during the final drafting session on Thursday afternoon by whipping his No. 4 Harris Trucking / Team ASE Toyota Camry around the historic track in 48.664 seconds or 184.942 miles per hour.

The lap was strong enough to send the team packing and head back home with just a little over an hour and a half remaining in the ARCA open-test.

“I don’t think we could of asked for anything more during the test,” sounded Rose. “I was hoping that missing a day would not hurt our Brian Rose Motorsports team. We knew that we had to bust our tails to make sure we accomplished what we wanted to do and I believe we did that and more.”

He continued, “I cannot thank Danny (Rollins) and the entire team for their efforts this week. It’s without a doubt had it’s trying moments with the weather and whatnot but we stuck it out and we’re happy with what we produced.”

Rose also mentioned what it meant to him to be rekindled with Rollins, who called the shots in his rookie year for BHR. “Man, I can’t say enough about Danny,” Rose admitted. “It’s like our chemistry never disappeared. He taught me a few things about these ARCA cars and once I was able to find our comfort zone, our speed increased and the rest was literally history. Hopefully we can come back here in a couple weeks and pick up right where we left off from here.”

­­­­Rollins, well respected in the NASCAR community will return as the crew chief for Brian Rose Motorsports. Rollins was the man responsible for guiding the young-gun to his first career NASCAR top-five finish at Daytona (Fla.) Speedway nearly nine years ago.

Harris Trucking and Team ASE have leaped aboard as marketing partners in the No. 4 Toyota Camry for the first of 19 events on the 2011 ARS calendar, but the freshman team is planning to announce more supporters in the next couple of weeks leading up to ARCA’s biggest race of the season.

About Brian Rose Motorsports (BRM):

From 2001-2010, Brian Rose competed in 41 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) events. Driving for successful car owners such as the late Bobby Hamilton Sr., Billy Ballew and Rick Ware, he has scored five top-10 finishes including a third place effort in his restrictor plate debut at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway after qualifying fourth in 2002. Rose has controlled the NCWTS field for 35 laps in four events.

A new decade means a new beginning. In 2011, Rose, a native of Louisville, Kentucky will re-brand himself in the racing world by launching his own team, Brian Rose Motorsports (BRM) near Louisville, Kentucky. With the intent to run a full platter of events in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), NASCAR Nationwide Series and Late Model events across the country, Rose is expected to blossom back to the top on and off the race track.

Stay tuned for a new Brian Rose Motorsports website parked at BrianRoseMotorsports.com .

Justin Lofton returned to his racing roots last weekend by climbing behind the wheel of a Class 1 Unlimited buggy while competing in the SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge. Despite his sporadic absence from off-road racing over the last few years, Lofton quickly reminded everyone that he’s a force to be reckoned with no matter what he’s racing.

24-year-old Lofton, who is now a full-time racer in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, led the way on Saturday in Class 1, and was well on his way to the win on Sunday before suffering a broken left spindle on the last lap of the event.

“I’m not disappointed at all. We had a good showing and I had a lot of fun. We won day one, and we were right there on Sunday before we broke a spindle. We noticed both were broke on Sunday morning when we were working on it, they just weren’t broke off,” Lofton explained.

Lofton hadn’t raced competitively in an off-road event since racing a Trophy Truck in Laughlin in 2009. That same year he earned his first stock car championship in the ARCA Racing Series, and in 2010 he made the move to full-time Camping World Truck Series competition.

Lofton however, won’t let as much time pass before his next desert event. With the Camping World Truck Series season set to begin on February 18th, the savvy racer will head to Arizona on February 4th for the Best in the Desert Racing Association’s Bluewater Resort Parker 425.

In 2004, Lofton earned the Best in the Desert Class 1000 championship and Rookie of the Year honors.

For the Parker 425, Lofton will split seat-time with his father Bob, who has over 20 years of off-road racing experience and numerous class wins, including the Baja 1000, to his credit. The duo will take turns behind the No. 1577 Class 1500 Buggy, with Bob wheeling the first two laps and Justin completing the final 150 miles.

“It will be a lot of fun racing with my Dad. He taught me so much about racing, and he’s always supporting me in whatever I race. He’s one of the best out there. It’ll be a lot of fun,” the younger Lofton added.

Lofton has taken full advantage of the NASCAR off season and remained busy readying for the desert events, in addition to planning his inaugural charity golf tournament, which he will host this Saturday, January 22nd, in Brawley, California. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Imperial Valley.

For more on Justin Lofton and the golf tournament, visit LoftonRacing.com

Follow Justin on Twitter: twitter.com/jlracing

“Maryeve Dufault; Jared Marks and Chase Austin All Enjoy Seat Time In TMR Entry”

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 18, 2011) – – Tony Marks Racing (TMR), the newest multi-car operation in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards wasn’t shy about holding back in the recent three-day test session at the newly re-paved Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. In fact, the Ohio-based ARCA team quickly raised the eyebrows of their fellow competitors after TMR immediately showed strength and stabilization in their first tango with the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

Armed with the legendary Larry Moore as crew chief, TMR brought three drivers to the “World Center of Racing” as an opportunity to prepare the newest female sensation Maryeve Dufault to become acquainted with the breathtaking racetrack while also utilizing the experience of NASCAR driver Chase Austin to critique the team’s performance.

For 16-year old rising star Jared Marks, the dream of competing at Daytona inched one step closer as the Champion Racing Association (CRA) competitor also climbed into the cockpit for several laps around DIS to give him a taste of what is yet to come.

Even though three drivers were on-hand with for the first official open-test of the new season, much concentration was surrounded on the team’s full-time pilot of Maryeve Dufault, who will make her first ARCA Racing Series start next month.

After spending 2010 competing in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1, Dufault, a native of Los Angeles will leap into the most diverse racing series in the United States hoping to gain experience, respect and support as she vows to become the first female driver to win an ARCA Racing Series event in the history of the 58-year old sanctioning body.

To say that the Tony Marks Racing team wasn’t busy during the three days is a huge understatement. From single-car runs to drafting and everything else in between, Dufault, Marks and Austin all delivered solid results which sensors off good vibes for the freshman team heading into the season-opener in less than a month.

Overall, Dufault led the TMR charge by placing her No. 12b Tony Marks Racing Dodge Charger into 28th out of 58 competitors after posting her fastest lap at 49.203 seconds at 182.916 miles per hour. Dufault edged out several familiar ARCA competitors including nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel and the 2010 ARCA Racing Series champion Patrick Sheltra. She was also the second fastest of the six other females on-track during the open-test only trailing Milka Duno.

Marks and Austin, both in single-car rounds posted times that were 41st and 42nd respectively overall. The team leaned on comfort not speed for Jared Marks, son of car owner Tony Marks hopped in the seat of the No. 12a Charger and wheeled his automobile around the track in 49.830 seconds or a tick over 180.550 miles per hour. It was a solid lap time for the teenage racer, who under ARCA Racing Series sanctioning age restrictions is allowed to test but not race at the historic facility.

“Overall, we’re completely satisfied with the way the test came out,” said Tony Marks, owner of Tony Marks Racing. “Chase, Jared and Maryeve all did an exceptional job shaking the car down and producing great feedback. I appreciate Chase being here with the team as a driver coach to the future of our great program. Maryeve did exactly what she needed to do and we believe she gained a lot of respect from her competitors.”

He went onto say, “Jared will run some ARCA races later this year and we wanted to make sure he was comfortable in the car not to mention gather priceless seat time. We’ll be back next month and hope we can continue to gain the trust and respect of our competitors while also deliver solid results for our team partners.”

Dufault expressed her overview of the test by stating, “I’m really happy with the progression we had at the test. I felt really comfortable in the car and I achieved what I wanted to do,” she said. “I cannot say enough about the Tony Marks Racing team. They did an amazing job. They’ve worked really hard despite having very little time to put the car together. We showed we had a very competitive piece. I really have a positive feeling for us for the race.”

Tony Marks Racing plans to sport two cars in the 2011 season-opener with Dufault and possibly Austin as a teammate. The schedule will turn later in the year and allow Marks behind the second-car for up to 11 races, including much of the series’ short track contests.

Before tackling the breathtaking Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway this week, the freshman organization spent Monday testing at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway allowing the team to shake down their short-track program with all three TMR protégés being allowed priceless seat time behind the wheel. Dufault will make her ARCA Racing Series short track debut at Salem (Ind.) Speedway on May 1, 2011.

Nestled back at their shop in Napoleon, Ohio, the TMR team is preparing for the first of 19 ARCA Racing Series events on the 2011 schedule which launches with the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona on Saturday, February 12, 2011 live on SPEED.

PHOTO CAPTIONS: 1) The No. 12 Tony Marks Racing Dodge Charger on-track at Daytona (Fla.) Speedway during preseason testing for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

2) ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year candidate Maryeve Dufault.

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.

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

LAKE BALBOA, CALIF. (January 17, 2011) – Back-to-back ASA TRUCK SERIES champion Joey Licata, Jr. finished sixth overall out of 58 competitors that participated in the ARCA Racing Series testing last week at Daytona International Speedway.

Licata, 19, is a member of the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle driver development program based in Sacramento, CA. Penske development team, Cunningham Motorsports, ran Licata in their famed #77 Dodge at the three day Daytona test, in preparation for the 2011 ARCA season.

Despite this being Licata’s third ever time in an ARCA car and his first time on the newly repaved Daytona, Licata was up to speed quickly.

“I was very impressed with how fast Joey adapted to the speed of the famed 2.5 mile Daytona International Speedway,” Crew Chief Paul Andrews said. “With the new pavement and no more large bumps we are seeing faster speeds than last year. It’s very challenging for a veteran let alone a rookie who has never been on a track larger than a 1 mile.”

Licata’s banner day came on Wednesday afternoon during the drafting sessions, when he was fifth fastest at 185.670 miles per hour. His lap time of 48.473 was just .059 seconds off of the leader.

“We made single car runs for the first day and a half, and then it was time to draft with several other cars,” Andrews said. “(It was) another impressive outing, learning how the draft works figuring out where to be or not to be in the draft is very important. He listened to our input…we had a great test and are look forward to going back with Joey.”

Licata’s laps on Wednesday placed him sixth overall during the three day testing session.

With the successful test, Licata backed up his strong speeds in practice at Rockingham last fall and in testing at Caraway Speedway. Licata looks to be well-prepared to tackle the “Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200” which will be live on SPEED on February 12.

“To actually do laps at Daytona was one of the greatest experiences of my life,” Licata said. “Running with a team of the caliber of Cunningham Motorsports was like nothing I have experienced before. My goals for this first race are to stay out of trouble, be smooth in the pits, and get a good solid finish.”

Licata’s opportunity to race for Cunningham Motorsports in the ARCA Racing Series is a big moment for the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle program. It encompasses 27 drivers from all over the world with a NASCAR-oriented development platform.

Licata has rapidly ascended through the program, showing exceptional race craft and talent along the way. His 2010 season was highlighted by five poles and four wins including a victory in his first career NASCAR Modified start.

“Joey’s performance at Daytona has made us all very proud. He has a ton of talent and heart,” Driver Coach Ron Sutton said. “This is sure to be just the first of many big accomplishments for this young man as he makes his way in big league motorsports!”

Joey Licata, Jr. Racing and Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle thank partners: K&N Filters, Scribner Plastics, Allstar Performance, Sunoco Race Fuels, and Star Racing Supply. Licata would also like to thank supporters Jordan Kidushim and Luke Forstmann.

Joey Licata, Jr. Racing is online at www.joeylicata.com

For more information on Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle, log on to www.winners-circle-racing.com

Duno and Sheltra Motorsports team ready for ARCA season opener February 12th  

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.  (January 14, 2011) – Milka Duno and her Sheltra Motorsports team created a big splash during the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards three-day test session at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) this week.  The 2010 championship-winning team returned to the track looking to get ARCA Racing Series rookie Milka Duno ready for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on February 12th and delivered the same top results they grew accustomed to last season.

Duno hit the newly-paved Daytona International Speedway for the first of three days of testing on Tuesday.  Making her return to a stock car for the first time since last year’s ARCA season opener, Duno turned in a fast time of 49.37 seconds (182.293 mph).  The time put her No. 63 Dodge Charger fifth on the speed charts.  

The Jon Wolfe led team returned for round two of testing Wednesday morning looking to try a few different setups in the morning session.  Running 26 laps in the three-hour session, Duno posted a best time of 49.70 seconds (181.057 mph). 

ARCA Racing Series officials opened the track for the first drafting session Wednesday afternoon.  Duno led a pack of five cars around the 2.5-mile oval for a few laps before dropping to the back of the pack to see how her No. 63 Dodge would react in the draft.  During the draft Duno posted a fast time of 48.67 seconds (184.907 mph) putting her second on the speed charts for much of the session.  

“We made many changes today to improve the car and make it faster,” stated Duno. “We had the second-fastest time until the track cooled and the next drafting pack was able to turn a slightly faster time.  We will try a few more changes and keep working on the draft tomorrow.”  

The final day of testing led to more single car runs in the morning session.  Crew Chief Jon Wolfe tried several different setups running a total of 10 laps.  The focus returned to drafting again in the afternoon’s final test session.  Running a total of 32 laps, Duno drafted in two different five to eight car packs.  She took turns taking her No. 63 machine to the front of the pack and dropping to the back working to get the feel of drafting up to another car and passing.  Duno finished the day with the sixth-fastest time, rounding the legendary track with a time of 48.727 seconds (184.703 mph).

“We focused today on drafting and we ended up with pretty good results,” said Duno. “This was just the third day working with the team we’re working together very well. They are a great group of people and they know what they’re doing – it is a fantastic opportunity for me.”  

After the three-day test session, Duno and her Sheltra Motorsports team are ready to hit the track for the first of 19 events on the 2011 schedule and are looking for strong results when the ARCA Racing Series takes the green flag on Daytona’s high banks Saturday, February 12th. 

“Milka did extremely well this week,” said Wolfe.  “I think we got what we wanted out of the test.  We look forward to getting back to DIS in February where we can spend more time drafting and practicing in larger packs.  She will give a good performance when the green flag drops on race day.”  

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About Sheltra Motorsports: Sheltra Motorsports, established in 2007, is in the midst of its fifth season of ARCA Racing Series competition.  Owned by Florida-native, Patrick Sheltra, the owner-driver team capturedthe 2010 ARCA Racing Series driver and owner’s championship titles on the strength of two wins, 12 top-fives and 17 top-10 finishes in 20 events.  Sheltra Motorsports is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C., with additional operations in Indiana and Florida.  For more information, visit