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Category: Other Series Racing

Other series racing

  • Indianapolis 500: Helio Castroneves Tops The Speed Chart on Friday

    While Penske Racing driver Will Power led Thursday’s session, it was his teammate Helio Castroneves taking the top spot today with a speed of 228.611mph on the day before pole qualifying.

    “Anything is possible,” Castroneves said. “Right now Shell V-Power is working really well in not only the race setup but also the qualifying setup. Qualifying tomorrow will be very tight. I can see that my teammates will be strong ones, and there are other guys doing fast times out there, too. It will be interesting to see what happens in the Fast Nine. I think we will see speeds in the 228 range tomorrow. It is going to be similar weather as today, but if it is a little bit humid, we may lose a little bit of power. I think everybody has something more.

    “Today was a fast Friday. Everybody started laying out the wings and going fast. I’m very happy with my boys with the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra car. It was very smooth, especially in the race trim, so I was very happy. We did a lot of laps today, and I wanted to make sure I was happy with the race car. It will probably be the last chance before we go into the race to run in those kinds of conditions. All of my boys were on the same page. As soon as we felt happy with the race trim, race setup, we decided to change and go for it. We had some moments out there. I’ve got to keep moving forward and have a good lap out there tomorrow and have a good day for the entire Team Penske.”

    If Castroneves can pull off the pole, it’d be his third Indianapolis 500 pole in a row.

    “Just starting pole position would mean a lot,” he said.” This place is fantastic. It’s awesome and tough. It would be great. Records are made to be broke, so I’m not going to focus on that. I’m going to focus on what I need to make it work so we can put the Shell V-Power in the number one spot.”

    Alex Tagliani kept up in the charts as he was second fastest at 228.327mph.

    “Our team continues to rise every weekend,” Tagliani said. “When we are in the window when we roll off the truck, we have a great group of people who make it easy to fine-tune the car. Being a one-car team, when we are off the window, it’s not easy, but this week, the car has been strong. With a few aerodynamic changes from last year, the car has been very consistent. It’s been nice just to fine-tune and not reinvent the wheel on our setup. I need to take my hat off to the guys. They have been very meticulous in preparing the car and on a track with high speed like this, it’s crucial. As a driver, you need to be comfortable in the car, and you need to drive it well, but you need to have the car, but if you don’t there’s nothing you can do.”

    Tagliani feels that he has a little bit left to give Castroneves a run for his money.

    “We have a couple of things left,” he said. “I think we were conservative this afternoon. We made some changes on the car without pushing the limits aerodynamically. I think it’s going be very difficult to do a 228.3 (mph), but it will have to be up there for a one lap go. It’s all about how consistent you can be and what’s your draw. We feel that we are strong, but on the charts, there are a lot of cars that are strong. It’s very difficult to have a good read. We ran very few laps this week, and we tried to run by ourselves to evaluate the right gearing and right downforce and make the right call on ride heights and all of that. I think we can go to bed tonight feeling we have a strong car, but the Ganassis and Penskes look tough. Hopefully when we pull everything out that we think we can, we’ll be right there with them.”

    Scott Dixon, meanwhile, was third (228.181) while Castroneves’ teammate Briscoe was fourth at 228.029.

    “We worked a lot on race setup, and we concentrated the last few hours today on speed,” Dixon said. “I think we’re looking good for tomorrow, and you should see the usual suspects coming to the top soon.”

    “Today was a good day for the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske crew,” Briscoe said. “We completed a lot of laps. We mostly ran race setups, which we needed after all the time we lost earlier in the week. We trimmed out the car at the end of the day and got good speed out of the car, but we haven’t found the limit yet. I’m happy where we finished the day, and we’re excited about tomorrow. It should be a really good day on Saturday for Team Penske.”

    Bertrand Baguette rounded out the top five with a speed of 228.028mph.

    Simona de Silvestro was at the track on hand after her accident yesterday, though has not been cleared to drive after suffering second-degree burns on her right hand and superficial burns on her left hand.

    “Something broke on the rear suspension, and when that happens, you’re just a passenger,” she said. “You can’t really do anything about it, especially when you’re going about 220 mph. I hit the wall and it took forever to land, it seemed, and then it started getting pretty hot out there (because of flames). It was pretty shocking, actually, especially to be on fire. It’s kind of weird because the fuel is splashing on you and you don’t really know what to do. A lot of things go through your head, but you want to get out of the car as quickly as possible. Everyone is working hard to get me back in the car, and I think it’s important for me to get back in the car quickly.

    “It just shows how safe the car is. I don’t think a crash like that in any other car I would be standing here. When I got out of the car, I couldn’t believe it because it was so crazy being along for the ride and being on fire – again. I was pretty shocked, but it was nice to be standing. I don’t think I was a good patient in the infield medical center because I was in a lot of pain and I was screaming for water to cool my hands down. They took good care of me and then we went to the hospital, where they said it was second-degree burns. We took the bandages off (this morning) and they were really blistered, and tonight we’re going to check them again and see what they say. They don’t look pretty, so I don’t want to look. I can say I’m pretty lucky to be here.

    “It is my goal to get back in the car as quickly as I can. It will be (INDYCAR’s medical team) decision and also mine because it’s pretty shocking. I can move my hands, but it is pretty tight because it pulls the skin. We’ll get some gloves that can fit.”

    The day will start tomorrow with a brief practice from 8a.m.-10a.m., followed by qualifying at 11a.m.

    During qualifying tomorrow, the top 24 spots in the 33-car field will be available during the traditional four-lap attempts from 11 a.m.-4p.m. with each car having up to three attempts and bumping will begin when the 24 spots are filled. The times from the top nine drivers will be erased at 4pm, though those drivers are guaranteed to start no worse than ninth. Those nine drivers, dubbed the “Fast Nine”, will be required to make at least one four-lap qualifying attempt from 4:30-6pm to set their exact starting spot on the grid.

    On May 22nd, positions 25-33 will be available on Armed Forces/Bump Day as bumping will begin once 33 cars are qualified.

  • Indianapolis 500 Thursday Practice: Power Tops Chart, de Silvestro Wrecks Hard

    IZOD IndyCar Series Points Leader Will Power topped the charts today with a speed of 227.778 (mph) for the fastest lap of the day and the month so far.

    “I don’t think the speeds are very representative of where anyone is at,” Power said. “You go out and happen to get a really good tow, and you get a big number. That’s what happened at the end. Verizon Team Penske worked on race setup most of the day. I was very comfortable following cars. We haven’t changed much from last year. We had good cars last year and need to rub on them a little bit, and that will do the trick.”

    With the shortened practice time, teams are having to change their strategy.

    “I think tomorrow, early on, we’ll be working on race stuff, and then we’ll start trimming out for qualifying,” Power continued. “We’ll be working on the car. I think it’s pretty important to focus on the race. You could spend a lot of time screwing around with qualifying things, and then it’ll be different conditions the next day. We have to have a good car in the race. That’s what we’ll be focusing on.”

    Alex Tagliani remained near the top of the time sheet as he ranked second with a quick lap of 227.652.

    “We did well today,” Tagliani said. “We learned a lot. We had good track position, and we weren’t in a lot of traffic. That lap (227.652 mph), I was behind Dario Franchitti, so I had a bit of a tow. But it shows that the car is quick and capable of doing it. I think we still have more to come. We just need to make sure that when it comes time to do it, we have the right balance.”

    Tagliani feels that he has a good shot for the pole.

    “The way the car is running right now, for sure it is,” Tagliani added. “I think we would be foolish to think that we couldn’t do it. But the truth is that Penske and Ganassi have really good cars, and they know their way around this place. They have 10 times more experience than us. I’m sure by qualifying they’re going to do something amazing to their cars, and all of a sudden they’re going to be up to the top and we’re going to end up fighting with them. But if that happens, that’s OK. We should be proud that guys like Roger and Chip are looking at us, going, ‘Why are those guys so quick?’ That’s kind of our mindset right now.”

    Power’s Penkse Racing teammate Briscoe was third with 227.217.

    “It was a very good day, overall,” Briscoe said. “We worked on the race setup on the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske car, and I worked a lot with my teammates on track. We made a ton of changes throughout the day, and we were very productive. We trimmed out the car at the end of the session and focused a bit more on speed. All in all, it was a very productive day.”

    Three time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves was fourth (226.927).

    “It was certainly a good and full day for the No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra team,” Castroneves said. “We ran a lot of laps and all of them were really about race setup. My teammates, Will and Ryan, did some qualifying runs so we know what we need to do there, but we really just focused on getting our car right for the race. Tomorrow will be all about speed for us. It’s going to be fun!”

    Townsend Bell rounded out the top five with a speed of 226.741mph.

    “We did a good amount of running,” Bell said. “It was good to get out with the Herbalife car after the rain the last two days. We learned a lot and tried several things that were on our list. We’ve very comfortable.”

    The sesson did not go without incident as Simona de Silvestro made heavy contact with the outside wall, before going airborne and catching fire. She was transported to Methodist Hospital to be treated for burns to her hands and released.

    Team owner Keith Wiggins stated that the car de Silvestro was damaged beyond the repair as they’ll have to go to a back-up car.

    “We can build a good car, but it probably won’t be as good as the original car because that was built specifically for here,” Wiggins said. “There are a lot of specialties about building a car for here, and we only had one of those built because that is all our resources will allow. So the question is will this car be as quick as the other one? That’s the challenge.”

  • IndyCar: Red Hot Indianapolis 500 Rookie Pippa Mann

    IndyCar: Red Hot Indianapolis 500 Rookie Pippa Mann

    Pippa Mann may not be a household name as of yet.  However, this British IZOD Indycar Series racer will be the latest woman to attempt qualifying for the prestigious Indianapolis 500 centennial race.

    This year’s rookie hopes to compete with fellow female drivers Danica Patrick, Simona de Silvestro and Ana Beatriz on the starting grid.  If Mann makes the grid, she will make history as the first British woman to race in the Indy 500.

    Mann has teamed up with Conquest Racing as driver of the #36 car for this year’s Indy 500.  She completed the Rookie Orientation Program at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by  turning consistent laps at four speed phases: 200-205 mph (five laps) and 10 laps each at 205-210 mph, 210-215 and 215 or more, driving a total of 35 laps on the 2.5 mile oval, with a fastest average speed of 219.116 mph.

    Weather has limited track time for drivers so far this week.  This has allowed Mann to make it out on the track for two of the five practice days.  Mann is hoping to make the most of the two practice days left before Pole Day.

    Mann is the first and only woman to win a pole at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 2010 Freedom 100 race.  During her successful 2010 Firestone Indy Light Series season, Mann secured three poles, a win and finished fifth among the series drivers.

    @BimbolenaSports

  • Indianapolis 500: Rain Cancels Wednesday Practice Session

    For the third time this week, rain has canceled a practice sesson as the Wednesday practice was a no-go due to the steady rain fall.

    The rain has spoiled the plans of practicing for many drivers, including rookie Scott Speed.

    “As a rookie, having less track time is definitely not the best thing in the world,” Speed said. “It definitely makes things a little more difficult. We’ll do our best to take it in stride. I think we’ll be OK with it. We have a lot of resources here. There’s nothing extra you can really do to prepare for the race, but I feel good right now. I think we’re making good moves and going about everything intelligently. I can’t ask for anything more right now. At this point, it’s all about track time. I mean, we’re just waiting.”

    Fellow rookie Pippa Mann says that its just going to make things interesting.

    “We only wanted to get out there and do a couple of runs today, to see if we finally had a handle on this small niggle we’ve got going on, but unfortunately the weather is just not playing ball,” Mann said. “It’s going to make the next few days pretty insane, not just for us but for everyone. the track is going to be extremely busy, and it’s going to be fairly intense. But, to use an American phrase, it is what it is!”

    She says that today she got further than days before as they were almost ready to go.

    “Actually, today wasn’t quite Groundhog day because we did get as far as pit lane, and I actually got as far as being strapped into my car before it started to rain again,” she said. “One minute to green – I’m sitting there, and suddenly the rain started coming down all around me, so we headed back to the garage area.”

    Veteran Townsend Bell is not worried, though.

    “I’m used to it now,” he said. “As long as I’ve driven a little bit this month, I feel fine at least in terms of knowing what I’ve got and knowing that we’re strong. So, the anxiety is much less, especially having done this for a few years. You learn rain is always going to be an issue.”

  • McCumbee Will Turn Left and Right At the ModSpace 150

    Andy Belmont Racing heads to New Jersey Motorsports Park

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 18, 2011)- Chad McCumbee heads north for Sunday’s ModSpace 150 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards at New Jersey Motorsports Park. McCumbee, driver of the No. 1 ModSpace Ford Fusion for Andy Belmont Racing, looks to add to his road course experience when he makes his second career appearance at New Jersey’s 2.3-mile, 14-turn Thunderbolt Raceway on Sunday.

    The driver of the No. 1 ModSpace Ford Fusion comes into the only road course venue on the ARCA Racing schedule fresh off back-to-back top-ten performances that have vaulted him to sixth in points. And with Sunday’s 150-mile/67-lap event at the road course in Millville, next up for McCumbee, expect another strong run from the 26-year old veteran.

    “It’s a new challenge,” McCumbee said. “It’s a track that I do not have a lot of experience racing at. So, it is hard to place expectations on the table, but I think I have tested there quite a bit to create those expectations. The testing has provided for what I need to be doing and what I need to be looking for. But after the three testing sessions, I do have high expectations. Hopefully we can get up there (to New Jersey) and place the car in the top five, or top 10 just like we have been doing anywhere else.”

    Despite his relative inexperience competing on the twisting terrain of road-course tracks, McCumbee found success last year. In one career road course start in 2010 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, qualifying in the 13th position and finishing 17th for Andy Belmont Racing.

    What makes it especially hard to believe is that before the 2010 road course debut, McCumbee had done little testing. In other words, he was one of the least-experienced drivers at the track despite his oval track upbringing.

    Team manager Andy Belmont has high hopes for McCumbee and the ABR team at the fourth annual ARCA Racing Series race at Thunderbolt Raceway this weekend, especially since the race’s title sponsor, ModSpace, will be on McCumbee’s No.1 machine.

    “We really need to lead some laps, and gain points, but the big picture is we need a podium finish this weekend,” Belmont said. “Our team sponsor ModSpace is the race sponsor, so it is a must-win for us. It has become a ‘playoff game’.”

    McCumbee and the ABR team tested in preparation for this weekend’s road course race three times earlier this year. The team took their chassis No. 55, “Frankenstein”, up to the New Jersey Motorsports Park, road course facility that offers two track configurations. This is the race debut for the No. 55 chassis.

    “Proven to be one of the most mastered disciplines – road course racing, we have the faith in our No.1 ModSpace team and Chad”, William Mann, the director of motorsports for ModSpace, said.

    ModSpace, in its first year of title sponsorship of the ARCA Racing Series event, will honor Jon Stoecklin with a special decal on the ABR ModSpace Ford.

    “The No. 1 ModSpace Ford Fusion will be running a special decal to remember Jon Stoecklin, a valued ModSpace employee, who recently passed away,” Mann spoke glowingly of Stoecklin’s memory. “Jon was dynamic employee who loved to help all those around him. At the ModSpace 150 this weekend, we are proud to host his wife, Mendy, and his aunt for the event. As Jon had a passion for wining, the No.1 will race in honor of Jon’s memory.”

    “Whether you try to or not, you are naturally going to put a little pressure on yourself,” McCumbee added. “What we need to do is just go out there and treat it like every other weekend. I need to go out there and capture the pole, lead the most laps, and we the race. It would be really cool to have the No. 1 ModSpace car in the ModSpace victory lane.”

    Fans attending the New Jersey Motorsports Park race can meet the Supply, N.C., native before the start of the ModSpace 150. Fans will have a half hour to attend the ARCA Racing Series Driver Autograph Session on Sunday, Aug. 14 at 11:45 a.m. EST. Fans are also encouraged to bring donations of clothing and supplies for the Alabama disaster relief effort sponsored by Andy Belmont Racing. Also, Roush Yates will be taking a team of volunteers to Alabama help with clean up efforts and to deliver all donations

    McCumbee will climb behind the wheel of the No. 1 ModSpace Ford Fusion at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Saturday for two practice sessions starting at 11:15 a.m. EST, followed by Menards Pole Qualifying Presented by Ansell (all positions) at 4:30 p.m. EST. The ModSpace 150 is set for Sunday, May 22, at 1 p.m. EST.

  • Indianapolis 500: Conway and Andretti Only Drivers To Make Laps in Tuesday Sesson

    Mike Conway shook down his No. 27 Hire Heroes Car and his Andretti Autosport teammate Marco Andretti got five laps in driving Conway’s car, before the rains came ending the session early.

    Conway’s shake down has a speed of 219.901mph (40.9259 seconds).

    “We just wanted to feel some of those (changes) and see what we had,” Conway said. “These were certainly not ideal weather conditions and aren’t representative of what we’re going to see in a few days, so it didn’t make too much sense to log a lot of laps.”

    Conway said that he also allowed his teammate Andretti to get some laps in the car so they could compare notes.

    “We made some changes overnight, and we wanted to get a feel for what it felt like,” he said. “It’s good for me to let (Marco) have a feel and see if I’m feeling the same things as him. We had the same comments, and we got some good back-to-back running.”

    Andretti said it gave him a chance to try something different, also.

    “I was able to try a setup that I haven’t run yet,” he said. “I just kind of got my thoughts on it and a second opinion. You always learn. If we were going through pretty extensive test items and stuff like that, it’s different. I just wanted to feel out an overall package.”

    This is the second time that a session has been cut short for racing as nobody got any laps in during the Sunday session. Some drivers are okay with the lost day, while others are concerned. Andretti had a quick lap of 224.215mph (40.1163 seconds) for the day, but only ranks 15th on the combined speed chart.

    “It makes a difference,” Andretti said of not getting the full session in. “Who knows if we would have gained or they would have gained on us. I’m really worried about the speed of our car. I’ve driven exactly Danica’s setup 3 miles an hour off of her (lap time). I can’t explain why. I’m worried about qualifying for this race. It is still early days, but I honestly think if you’re not going to be qualifying in the top 10 you should be worried.”

    Conway says that with the timing, you always have the conscious of the time left.

    “We always think we have loads of time at the beginning of the week, and then it’s always the same thing,” Conway said. “You get to the last couple of days, and if you haven’t quite got the car right, then you’re going to be rushing a bit more. As long as the car is good and you keep chipping away at it, I think that’s the main thing. I think we’re really close. I think we’ve got a good balance, and I think the speed is there. We’ve just got to take our time and know that qualifying isn’t that far away.”

    Alex Taglani’s lap of 225.878mph from the Monday sesson tops the charts so far during the testing. Testing will continue on Wednesday from noon to 6pm EST.

  • ARCA: George Miedecke To Drive For Venturini Motorsports at NJMP

    ARCA: George Miedecke To Drive For Venturini Motorsports at NJMP

    [media-credit name=”Venturini Motorsports” align=”alignleft” width=”272″][/media-credit]Marcos Ambrose Motorsports driver George Miedecke will make his ARCA Racing Series debut this weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

    Miedecke will drive the No. 25 Toyota fror Venturini Motorsports, will backing from iSeek Communications, who sponsored him during the Australian V8 Ute Racing season.

    “To be scouted out by (Venturini Motorsports general manager) Billy Venturini at the opening round of the UARA-STARS Series at Hickory Speedway was a huge honor,” said Miedecke. “Venturini Motorsports are the powerhouse team in ARCA competition. They have a great history and track record of developing drivers for the top tiers of NASCAR, and I plan to put their flagship No. 25 machine in Victory Lane.”

    He caught Venturini’s eyes at Hickory on March 12th, when he finished second in the UARA Series. He has also worked with Sprint Cup Series drivers in teaching them how to drive road courses.

    “New Jersey Motorsports Park is a fairly wide open road course, and the event normally includes several specialist ring-ins,” Miedecke said. “I have already been talking to Marcos about how to muscle a stock car around a road course. There’s really no better person to have in your camp.”

    Venturini Motorsports has had success this season in the ARCA Series as a couple weeks ago, Brennan Poole won at Salem Speedway.

  • Chad Hackenbracht; CGH Motorsports Readies Road Racing Debut

    MILLVILLE, New Jersey (May 18, 2011) – – Following an impressive and career-best 11th place finish last Sunday at Toledo Speedway, Chad Hackenbracht and his CGH Motorsports team head to New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) this weekend looking to build the team’s confidence and platform in Sunday’s ModSpace 150.

    Despite zero road racing experience in a stock car, Hackenbracht is leaning on advice from his veteran team to guide him towards a top-10 finish in the fifth race of the season. He is also relying on the feedback of two driving schools at Road Atlanta and Road America respectively — hoping some of the fundamentals he was educated with will transfer to NJMP this weekend.

    While the 19-year old had very limited short track experience before competing at Salem (Ind.) Speedway and Toledo Speedway respectively, Hackenbracht is keen on showing that he once again adapt to unfamiliar territories.

    “It’s now or never,” Hackenbracht joked. “Going to any race track with no prior experience, not to mention throwing a track on top of it that includes both left and right hand turns can try and mess with your confidence. Thankfully, I have a great team behind me and we’re prepared for what lies ahead this weekend.”

    Quietly, Hackenbracht has been inching his family-owned team up the championship rankings and while the New Philadelphia, Ohio native knows that a win may not necessarily be the top order for this weekend; the opportunity to record a good finish does still exists.

    “I don’t want to say that this weekend is a race of survival for us this weekend, but it’s a race that I want to learn and have a finish that we can be satisfied with,” the 2008 National Asphalt Legends champion explained.

    Should Mother Nature’s forecast attempt to throw a curve-ball at the series for a third consecutive race, Hackenbracht knows that he has to be prepared for the unexpected, which could include racing in the rain.

    “If we race in the rain, man, I think it will be fun but you have to be on your game and I mean seriously on your game,” sounded Hackenbracht. “I heard that when ARCA raced in the rain last year at Palm Beach, everyone did a good job. Hopefully if it comes down to that, we’ll do the same on Sunday. I would prefer though to stay dry if we could.”

    Kevin Reed, director of competition for CGH Motorsports is optimistic about this weekend despite his pilot’s limited road course experience.

    “We are looking forward to New Jersey this weekend,” said Reed, the 2010 ARCA crew chief of the year. “I have prepared cars for NJMP over the last three seasons and they have all qualified in the top-six. We have a real good piece this weekend and Chad’s experience at Skip Barber will undoubtedly enhance our efforts. We’ve been strong the last couple of races, we don’t plan to stop now. I’ve reminded Chad to just stay on the pavement all day and have brakes at the end and we will finish in the top-five or maybe even record that first career win!”

    In 13 ARCA events maneuvering five top-20 finishes including a career-best 11th at Toledo Speedway in May 2011. Two ninth place qualifying efforts at Kansas Speedway (2010) and Salem (Ind.) Speedway (2011) are his best time trials efforts to date.

    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 jordan@cghmotorsports.com.

    The ModSpace 150 (67 laps / 150 miles) is the fifth of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The fourth ever ARCA event held at New Jersey Motorsports Park is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, May 21 with an hour and a half practice session planned from 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. A final “happy hour” session has been etched in from 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. The field will take the green flag on Sunday May 22 shortly after 1:00 p.m. The race will not be televised but event coverage including live timing and scoring throughout the weekend will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at http://www.arcaracing.com/ arcaracing.com presented by ARCANation.com.

    For more information on Chad Hackenbracht and CGH Motorsports, please visit ChadHackenbracht.com http://www.chadhackenbracht.com/ and CGHMotorsports.com .

    Connect with Chad Hackenbracht and CGH Motorsports through Facebook by clicking here. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chad-Hackenbracht-Fan-Page/192325897461194

    Tweet with Chad Hackenbracht through Twitter at @ChadH58 or CGH Motorsports @CGH5858.

    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 Mooresville, 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.

  • Brett Moffitt, No. 00 MWR Toyota K&N Pro Series East Iowa Speedway Advance

    CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota driver Brett Moffitt returns  to his home track this weekend at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. The Grimes, Iowa native is sixth in the standings after leading 217 of the season’s 400 laps. Moffitt earned his first MWR victory – fifth of his East Series career – in the season-opener at Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway.  The homecoming won’t be all work for the 18-year-old driver. On Thursday he throws out the first pitch at the Iowa Cubs baseball game and signs autographs at Principal Park.

    MOFFITT QUOTES

    racing at Iowa SPEEDWAY:“I love going to Iowa Speedway. Not only because it is my home track, but just because the fan support there is so big. They fill the stands with more fans than any other race track we go to – it’s awesome, and I love that they are all cheering for me. When we race at these big tracks everything really comes into play. I really enjoy racing there, and it makes for a lot of fun.  I tend to run well there so that makes it a lot more enjoyable also.”

    Returning home:“I’m really looking forward to going home. I miss my family, I haven’t been home in three or four months so that will be nice to get back and see all of my friends and family.”

    IOWA CUBS BASEBALL GAME: “That will be a cool experience. That’s a first time thing for me. I played baseball for one year back in the past, so I’m definitely going to be out of my element, but I am looking forward to it.”

    NOTES

    · The 2011 Michael Waltrip Racing Fan Fest is scheduled to take place at MWR Headquarters on Wednesday, May 25 from 4:00 p.m.—7:00 p.m. This event is free to the public. Moffitt will be signing autographs alongside the other MWR drivers from 5:30 p.m.—7:00 p.m.

    · Moffitt earned the April 2011 Hunter Index award. This award is a ranking of the top developmental drivers in the nation.

    · Michael Waltrip Racing fielded Toyotas for Ryan Truex who won East titles in 2009 and 2010. Truex is now racing in the Nationwide Series.

    · Moffitt owns five victories in just 22 races in his East career.

    · Moffitt’s Crew Chief Mike Greci bids for his fifth East Series title in 2011. Greci won titles with Ryan Truex in 2009 and 2010 and with Mike Stefanik in 1997 and 1998.

    · Meet Moffitt Thursday May 19, at Principal Park. He will be throwing out the first pitch at the Iowa Cubs game and signing autographs during the first two innings. The game begins at 6:35 p.m. CDT.   www.BrettMoffitt.com

    Driver:         Brett Moffitt

    Born:           Aug. 7, 1992

    Hometown:  Grimes, Iowa        

    Moffitt signed autographs at the Charlotte Bobcats NASCAR night.      

    Social Media       Stay up to date on race day by following @BrettMoffitt00

  • David Stremme Racing tabs Jordan Anderson to drive

    MOORESVILLE, N.C.(May 17, 2011) – David Stremme Racing announced today that 20-year-old Jordan Anderson will serve as the team’s flagship development driver for the 2011 racing season. Veteran racer Bobby Gill will act as crew chief and a driving coach to Anderson.

    The City of Forest Acres, South Carolina, a longtime sponsor of Forest Acres native Anderson, will serve as the primary sponsor of the team’s No. 19 Hamke chassied Super Late Model.

    Anderson has previously competed in Dirt Late Models, accumulating 15 wins across North Carolina since 2009. He has twice won the Charlotte Motor Speedway Summer Shootout Legends Pro Division championship (2007 and 2008) and has amassed over 150 wins in Legends Cars.

    Gill brings to the team four USAR Pro Cup Series championships and two wins in the Snowball Derby, one of Late Model racing’s most prestigious races.

    “To see all of this come together is thrilling for me,” said Anderson. “I’m more than ready to make the transition from dirt to pavement. David (Stremme) and Bobby Gill are going to provide one tremendous education for me.”

    “I am excited to carry the colors of my hometown, Forest Acres, who have supported me since my days in Legends Car racing. I look forward to representing the city and moving to full-time pavement Late Model racing with them.”

    David Stremme Racing will provide a base of operations and technical support for the pairing of Anderson and Gill.

    “Jordan is a good kid. He’s done all the right things and really just needs a chance to show what he can do,” said Stremme. “I love short track racing, and I believe in helping drivers out when I can. I first saw Jordan when he was testing a dirt car and have been impressed with him since. We have set him up in our shop right next to our Inception Motorsports Cup program, and he is in there all the time working on his car. I think he and Bobby (Gill) are going to make a real good team.”

    Dick Dyer Toyota, another partner of Anderson’s since his days in Legends Car racing, joins the team as an associate sponsor.

    Anderson’s debut will be June 4 at the Pro All-Stars Series race at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C.