Category: Other Series PR

COVINGTON, Kentucky (December 4, 2010) – – After three and a half years with 2010 ARCA Racing Series (ARS) presented by RE/MAX and Menards championship team Sheltra Motorsports, Chris Knight, who served as Operations Manager and Director of Public Communications has formed Knight Motorsports Management (KMM).

Specializing in the aspects of driver development, driver representation, marketing and public relations, Knight Motorsports Management offers a new waive of dedication, energy and input to the motorsports arena with the goal of building a platform that will keep KMM a recognized and trusted company for many years to come.

Knight, who freelanced with Sheltra Motorsports prior to joining the ARCA Racing Series team full-time in 2007 has nearly 10 years of experience in many of the aspects of motorsports management and public relations. Along with Sheltra, Knight has worked with a variety of drivers including Michael Annett, Kelly Bires, Dexter Bean, Jennifer Jo Cobb, A.J. Frank, Kerry Earnhardt, Justin Marks, David Ragan, Brian Scott, Bryan Silas and Jason White to name a few.

It was announced at today’s ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards Championship Awards banquet press conference that KMM will represent Andy Belmont Racing, CGH Motorsports and their driver Chad Hackenbracht, Empire Racing LLC and their pilot Sean Corr and Fast Track Racing with veteran driver Bryan Silas full-time in 2011. KMM will also retain a relationship with Sheltra Motorsports and work with the Mooresville, North Carolina based team on a consultant basis.

“I’m very excited and blessed to have made this announcement today,” said Knight, a native of Redford, Michigan. “2011 will be a building year for us, but I know we’re taking the right measures and aligning ourselves with great business partners, clients and investors to ensure we can offer a variety of services for all the right reasons.”

Speed Media, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan has aligned with Knight Motorsports Management to assist in an array of upcoming projects. Speed Media owner Kurt Dietrich will also be one of the new business partners for KMM in 2011.

“I am pleased and honored to become a partner with Chris Knight and Knight Motorsports Management,” said Dietrich. “We have worked together for four years on some really neat projects. Both of us are dedicated to the motorsports industry as a whole and I believe we have lots to offer to businesses, drivers and teams in the industry in terms of marketing, promotions and public relations. It is an exciting venture and I am really looking forward to this coming season and beyond.”

Currently, Knight Motorsports Management will be representing clients next year in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, IZOD IndyCar Series (IICS), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) and the USARacing Pro Cup Series. Further confirmed client announcements and Knight Motorsports Management team members are forthcoming.

Knight will also continue to serve as Director of Driver Communications and Assistant News Editor for CATCHFENCE.com, one of the most dedicated and recognizable racing web sites known on the World Wide Web. He has been affiliated with the site since 2001.

“R. Mark Stiles (owner of CATCHFENCE.com) gave me my first break in racing and I am forever indebted to him for that,” sounded Knight, who resides in Mooresville, North Carolina. “We’ve enjoyed a great 10 years together and I’m looking forward to at least 10 more.”

Knight concluded by saying, “the business model from driver and marketing activation and representation has changed immensely over the last few years and we’re putting the time, effort and money into making sure we become a valuable investment to our clients.”

Speed Media will launch the official Knight Motorsports Management web site in January 2011. The site will also serve the home to the “Chris Knight Foundation”, a subsidiary of KMM which also is newly formed by the motorsports enthusiast.

For more information on Speed Media and a full list of their services, please visit Speed-Media.com.

COVINGTON, Kentucky (December 4, 2010) – – Officials from Empire Racing LLC., announced today at the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards Championship Awards banquet press conference at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center (NKCC) that the team plans to step-up their commitment to the ARCA Racing Series by attempting to run a full schedule in 2011 with Sean Corr behind the wheel of the No. 82 Empire Racing LLC. Ford Fusion.

Corr, a familiar name and legend at dirt tracks throughout the Northeast region in the DIRTcar Series will also have the opportunity to run for the coveted Rookie of the Year title in his family-owned entry. Corr made his ARCA debut in 2009 at Kentucky Speedway before tacking the tracks of both Pocono (Pa.) Raceway events and concluding his season at Chicagoland Speedway. Corr immediately raised eyebrows with three consecutive top-14 finishes including season bests of 13th at Pocono and Chicagoland respectively.

Stepping up their game in 2010, Corr embraced the presence of Danica Patrick and “Danicamania” at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and powered his Empire Racing machine to a respectable 14th place finish, after qualifying 26th. Corr would try his hand at five more ARCA events throughout the season at it would be at the first Pocono (Pa.) Raceway event where Corr, a native of Goshen, New York would collect his career best finish of 12th. Additional top-20 performances at Michigan International Speedway and again at Pocono respectively allowed the rising star to quickly be noticed on the track. A masterful qualifying run of eighth in the Weis Markets 125 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in August is his best qualifications effort to date.

The 11th race of the 20 race schedule would be the final stock-car event for Corr this season. After dominating on the dirt during the summer months, the Empire Racing team would turn its attention back towards the ARCA Racing Series where they would begin collecting equipment and collaborating a game plan in preparation for their full-schedule assault which begins with the 2011 season opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Saturday, February 12th, 2011.

“We’re excited to make this announcement,” said Corr. “We’ve been slowly building our program to make it strong enough to make this decision to give the full season a shot. We’re anticipating a great season of racing and I cannot wait to get back in the car in January.”

John Bellesfield, owner of Excel Motorsports Services will continue to hoist the role as team manager for the Mooresville, North Carolina-based organization. Bellesfield has been instrumental in building the right path for the Corr family.

Richard Johns, a former ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR driver and shock wizard will take the reins as crew chief of the No. 82 Empire Racing Ford Fusion. Johns worked with Bellesfield and the Empire Racing team this season as the team engineer. 2011 will mark the first time Johns, an avid late model competitor will clasp the position of crew chief.

The team also announced Saturday that they have added long-time Motorsports public relations guru Chris Knight to its operation for the 2011 season. Knight, 27 who captured the 2010 ARCA Racing Series championship in the same role with Patrick Sheltra will oversee the team’s communications department.

“We’re super proud of the lineup we’ve established for next year,” stated Bellesfield. “The Corr family is pouring their heart and soul into making Sean an icon not only in ARCA but in the stock car industry as a whole for a long time to come. We felt to give him every possible opportunity and advantage we needed to add a few key ingredients. With the addition of Richard and Chris, I think we’ve done that.”

In preparation for the 2011 ARCA season, the team plans to tackle the high banks of Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, which is in the process of completing a 2.5-mile re-pavement at the “World Center of Speed.” for the open ARCA test which is expected sometime in January.

“I cannot wait to get to Daytona,” added Corr, who anticipates running a limited dirt schedule in 2011. We learned a lot at Daytona last year which put us up front at Talladega. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to stay there as we were wiped out in the “Big One”, but we aren’t focusing on that. We’re focused on Daytona and leaving there with a solid foundation towards the rest of the season.”

Empire Racing will continue to sport the blue oval colors of Ford as its manufacturer and will utilize engines powered by Roush Yates. The team will continue to add additional personnel as the new season approaches and will make further announcements in the near future. The team enters the 58th year of ARCA competition without the foundation of a primary marketing partner. However, Corr isn’t fazed by the lack of decals on his hot rod as he believes the team is close to making some announcements.

“We have a lot of people all over doing what they can to help us and I’m confident will pick something up for Daytona and hopefully the rest of the year,” he sounded. “In the mean time, we’re honored to have The TransGroup back for 2011 and look forward to doing them and anyone else who comes aboard a good job next year.”

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.

COVINGTON, Kentucky (December 4, 2010) – – CGH Motorsports, headquartered in Concord, North Carolina announced today at the ARCA Racing Series (ARS) Championship Awards banquet press conference at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center (NKCC) that their operation will attempt to run the full ARCA schedule in 2011 with rising star Chad Hackenbracht behind the wheel.

CGH Motorsports owned by Greg and Susan Hackenbracht are preparing to enter the development racing series with a strict agenda and game plan for their No. 58 Tastee Apples Chevrolet Monte Carlo. After running nine ARS events in 2009, the team is prepared to step up their performance and put their son, a native of New Philadelphia, Ohio on the map. In those nine races, Hackenbracht, a semi-pro Legend Car Series (LCS) driver qualified a stout career-best ninth at Chicagoland Speedway and recorded a season-best finish of 13th at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in July.

With the team’s determination on the track this year, CGH Motorsports has taken further action to strengthen their organization to prepare for the anticipated battle next season which begins at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Saturday, February 12, 2011.

Rodney Jockisch, a long-time veteran in the Motorsports industry will continue to call the shots for CGH Motorsports as crew chief. Jockisch will continue to oversee the operation in the team’s North Carolina 10,000 square foot shop as they prepare for their first tango towards a national championship. Currently he is preparing the team’s healthy fleet of race cars in preparation for Hackenbracht’s first full-season of stock car competition.

Wisconsin native Jordan Dahl will continue his role as Team Manager and Director of Marketing for CGH Motorsports. Dahl, a long-time fixture on the NASCAR circuit will continue to play an instrumental role in the enhancement of the family-owned team.

Joining the team for the 2011 season is Chris Knight, who will oversee the team’s Public Relations and Driver Development departments for CGH. Knight, 27 a simulacrum on the ARCA Racing Series tour since 2000 aligns with the Hackenbracht family after capturing the 2010 ARCA Racing Series championship with Patrick Sheltra as Operations Manager and Director of Public Communications.

The team will continue to sport the Chevrolet bow-tie as its primary manufacturer and has added a fleet of General Motors vehicles to its stable.

“CGH Motorsports is taking every step into making our company a first-class operation for 2011 and beyond,” said owner Greg Hackenbracht. We learned a lot in 2009 both on and off the track. With some additional guidance and a new organizational structure heading into the new season, we are expecting great things for our enterprise. We’re proud to bring someone of Chris’s caliber on-board with our family empire. Obviously, he comes to CGH with a wealth of knowledge from another family-owned team. We feel his credentials will only bring bigger and better things for us all.”

For 19-year old Hackenbracht, he is equally excited about the team’s approaching path.

“I’m really excited about the direction of our team,” sounded Hackenbracht, who also plans a full-time college curriculum next year. “I feel like we were really starting to come into our own on the track towards the end of the year. Now, I feel with the addition of Chris and the heart and passion of the rest of this race team, we can find ourselves not only winners but championship contenders in 2011.”

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@gmail.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.

(TOLEDO, Ohio) – The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) has released the 2011 schedule for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. Nineteen events will comprise the diverse combination of superspeedways, short tracks, dirt tracks, and road courses in the series’ 59th consecutive season of competition.

“We’re extremely proud of the depth and quality of the venues on the 2011 schedule, each of which is very important to the identity and industry position of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards,” said ARCA president Ron Drager. “Both the number of scheduled events and the geographic coverage represented by the markets we’ll be racing in are good fits for the series.”

Daytona International Speedway will host the season opener for the 48th consecutive year. The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 will serve as the preamble for the same-day NASCAR Sprint Cup Budweiser Shootout on Saturday, February 12. The 2011 ARCA Racing Series schedule will conclude with the series’ championship weekend at Toledo Speedway on Sunday, October 16. In between, the series will appear at a wide variety of venues, making up the most versatile mix in all of motorsports.

Return visits to O’Reilly Raceway Park (ORP) and Winchester (Ind.) Speedway, as previously announced, and the addition of Madison International Speedway will also highlight the 2011 calendar.

ORP, located in the Indianapolis suburb of Clermont, will host the ARCA Racing Series on July 28 in conjunction with the USAC National Midget and Silver Crown Series races the same day. The event will be the eighth for ARCA at the 0.686-mile oval since 1971.

The ARCA/USAC tripleheader kicks off ORP’s Kroger SpeedFest, which also features a Friday event for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and a Saturday race for the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The ORP events lead in to one of the feature races on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, the July 31 Brickyard 400 at nearby Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The ARCA Racing Series’ visit to Winchester Speedway, the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile,” is scheduled for Saturday, June 25, and will be the series’ first appearance there since May 2007.

Madison International Speedway, located in Oregon, Wisc., will host the ARCA tour on Friday, August 26 in the first appearance of the ARCA Racing Series at the semi-banked, half-mile paved oval.

In addition to its position as the host for ARCA’s season finale, Toledo Speedway – the home track of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards – will host the series for its traditional spring date on Sunday, May 15.

Speedway events returning in 2011 include Kansas Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Pocono Raceway, and Talladega Superspeedway, in addition to the season opener at Daytona. The Talladega event will be the 50th ARCA Racing Series appearance at the renowned 2.66-mile Alabama superspeedway since 1969, and the upcoming events at Pocono mark the 52nd and 53rd appearances of the ARCA Racing Series at Pocono since 1983.

Additional short tracks again hosting events in 2011 include Salem (Ind.) Speedway, Berlin (Mich.) Raceway, and Iowa Speedway. The Illinois State Fairgrounds and DuQuoin State Fairgrounds will host the traditional mile-dirt races late in the summer.

Contributing to the diversity of the ARCA Racing Series schedule will be another road course race at New Jersey Motorsports Park, scheduled for Sunday, May 22. The race will be ARCA’s fourth consecutive appearance at the 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway course in Millville, N.J.

Companion events in 2011 include races with the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series, as well as with the USAC National Midget and Silver Crown Series.

The full 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule is as follows:

Saturday, February 12 – Daytona International Speedway

Friday, April 15 – Talladega Superspeedway

Sunday, May 1 – Salem Speedway

Sunday, May 15 – Toledo Speedway

Sunday, May 22 – New Jersey Motorsports Park

Saturday, June 4 – Chicagoland Speedway

Saturday, June 11 – Pocono Raceway

Friday, June 17 – Michigan International Speedway

Saturday, June 25 – Winchester Speedway

Saturday, July 9 – Berlin Raceway

Saturday, July 16 – Iowa Speedway

Thursday, July 28 – O’Reilly Raceway Park

Saturday, August 6 – Pocono Raceway

Sunday, August 21 – Illinois State Fairgrounds

Friday, August 26 – Madison International Speedway

Monday, September 5 – DuQuoin State Fairgrounds

Saturday, September 17 – Salem Speedway

Friday, October 7 – Kansas Speedway

Sunday, October 16 – Toledo Speedway

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.