Category: Other Series Racing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. The series tests the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, annually visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tweet with Sean Corr through Twitter @EmpireRacingLLC.

About Empire Racing:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABOUT CUREDUCHENNE.ORG

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

TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 18, 2011) – – Undoubtedly, Bryan Silas strutted his stuff in the postponed 3 Amigos 250 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway Saturday morning. Unfortunately, a blown tire while running and essentially “riding” in the top-10 on lap 57 erased any chance for a victory lane celebration in his Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) debut.

In a deal announced last week, Silas would vacate his familiar No. 11 Ford Fusion with Fast Track Racing in an opportunity to drive a second-car for the potent ESR team. With support from the Vietnam Veterans of America and Rockingham Speedway, Silas had high hopes for his sixth ARCA start at the 2.66-mile superspeedway.

A three hour practice session on Thursday delivered a solid 13th place position overall giving the Stuart, Florida native some confidence heading into Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell. In time trials, Silas whipped his No. 98 Vietnam Veterans of America / Rockingham Speedway Toyota Camry to the ninth fastest lap overall netting a career-best qualifying run at the restrictor plate track.

Knowing he had a good car, the team elected to skip Happy Hour on Friday morning and shift their focus towards the race. Ultimately though, heavy rain shortly before the start of the second race of the season would force officials to postpone the race until Saturday morning.

Well rested, Silas nestled himself into his No. 98 Vietnam Veterans of America / Rockingham Speedway Toyota Camry on Saturday morning with a smile on his face and ready to race. Immediately from the drop of the green flag, Silas was fast.

Hovering between seventh and 12th during the event’s first quarter, Silas, one of the most popular drivers on the ARCA tour showed that he had an automobile that would do anything at his command.

Preparing to make his presence known at the front near half-way, Silas had once again drafted his way back into the top-10 and was holding seventh on lap 57 when the right front tire exploded going into turn three shooting his machine hard into the outside wall. Silas would be able to leave the scene of the accident under his own power but the damage would be too devastating to continue.

“It’s disappointing that we didn’t get the finish we deserved but I had the opportunity to drive one of the best cars in my ARCA career and I’m thankful for that,” said Silas. “I want to thank Eddie (Sharp) and his ESR crew for making me feel so welcome. I was extremely honored to carry the Vietnam Veterans of America colors at Talladega and glad to have a few of them on the sidelines for support – I’m just sorry we couldn’t deliver them a better result.

I also want to thank my mentor Andy Hillenburg for helping me this past week. It wasn’t easy to climb out of the No. 11 – but his support and belief in me made this whole opportunity with ESR a lot easier.”

Round three for the ARCA Racing Series takes the competitor to one of Silas’s favorite tracks of Salem (Ind.) Speedway for the running of the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 on Sunday May 1. Silas is entered for the race behind the wheel of the No. 11 Rockingham Speedway Ford Fusion for Fast Track Racing.

For more on Bryan Silas please visit, BryanSilasRacing.com .

IndyCar Series Rookie Overcomes Late Tire Puncture, Green-Flag Stop for Result

LONG BEACH, California – (April 17, 2011) – Panther Racing and National Guard driver JR Hildebrand improved a total of 10 positions Sunday in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach to collect a 17th-place finish in the No. 4 entry. Hildebrand, who started 27th, overcame a tire puncture late in the race, and an additional green-flag pit stop, to climb up the grid in his first career IZOD IndyCar Series start on the Streets ofLong Beach.

Hildebrand was in 19th position when on Lap 67 contact between Takuma Sato,Sebastian Saavedra, Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball in Turn Eight covered the track with carbon debris. Hildebrand made contact with some of the debris, which caused a puncture to his right front tire, forcing the team to enter a closed pit to change the tire. By rule, the team was then forced to make a full stop when the pits were opened, which sent Hildebrand to the end of the line.

After the field restarted on Lap 70, Hildebrand was running 16th and felt he had an issue with his rear tires and the team elected to pit him under green to ensure there were no serious problems. He returned to the field in 17th position but was too far after the stop to advance his position any further. Andretti Autosport driver Mike Conway, who tested for Panther in 2008, won his first career IZOD IndyCar Series race and was joined on the podium by Team Penske driver Ryan Briscoe and Ganassi Racing driver Dario Franchitti.

The IZOD IndyCar Series will take a week off before traveling to Sao Paulo, Brazil for the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle. The race will be broadcast live on VERSUS on Sunday, May 1st at 12:00 pm (EST) with additional coverage provided by the IMS Radio Network, XM Channel 145 and Sirius Channel 121.

JR Hildebrand, No. 4 National Guard Dallara Honda:

“I was really happy for the National Guard guys that we were able to hang in there and push to the end and I was able to rip off some of my fastest laps right there at the end of the race, and I felt like that was a good way to end it. (On hitting the debris on Lap 67) The coast was pretty much clear by the time I got down there and I just ended up running over a piece of debris and it just instantly destroyed the right-front tire. I got lucky because there were other guys having similar problems and it was if suddenly there was oil slick on the track because guys were going off right and left as they ran over stuff, which forced me to drive a little bit slower until I realized I had a serious issue. Then we had to pit again because we entered a closed pit and ended up at the end of the line, and following that I took back off and thought I had an issue with one of the rear tires and then pitted again under green. For me personally and for us as a group we just need to take what we can from this weekend and learn as much as we can going to Brazil, because that’s not going to be too much different.”

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Results: Peña Gets First Victory

Second-Year Diversity Driver Led Last 10 Laps For The Win

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (April 17, 2011) Sergio Peña won the South Boston 150 in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East action Sunday afternoon from South Boston Speedway by surviving pressure from Matt DiBenedetto and Max Gresham on a late restart.

Peña, out of Winchester, Va., took advantage of some tough luck for Brett Moffitt as the laps were winding down to collect his first series win.

Moffitt, who led much of the race and was out in front by three seconds as the laps were counting down, was knocked out of contention when he tangled with Michael Cherry with just 10 circuits to go. Moffitt was in search of what would have been a third-consecutive series win after winning the 2010 season finale and this season’s opener.

Peña, who jumped onto the scene in January 2010 when he narrowly lost to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Joey Logano in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, inherited the lead from Moffitt on Lap 141 and made it stand.

Peña drives for Revolution Racing as part of Drive for Diversity.

DiBenedetto placed second followed by Gresham, Coleman Pressley and Ryan Gifford.

Polesitter Darrell Wallace Jr. led the first 73 laps – a race-high – and finished in the sixth position with Andrew Smith, Alex Bowman, D.J. Shaw and Derek Ramstrom rounding out the top 10.

The South Boston 150 will be televised by SPEED on Thursday, May 12 at 6 p.m. ET.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will return to action on Thursday, April 28 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway for the Blue Ox 100.

For additional information, contact:

Jason Cunningham, Integrated Marketing Communications, (704) 201-6658 or jcunningham@nascar.com

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-South Boston 150 Unofficial Results

Sunday

At South Boston Speedway

South Boston, Va.

Lap length: 0.4 miles

(Start position in parentheses)

1. (3) Sergio Peña, Winchester, Va., Toyota, 150 laps, 51.998 mph

2. (4) Matt DiBenedetto, Grass Valley, Calif., Toyota, 150

3. (7) Max Gresham, Griffin, Ga., Toyota, 150

4. (10) Coleman Pressley, Asheville, N.C., Toyota, 150

5. (12) Ryan Gifford, Winchester, Tenn., Toyota, 150

6. (1) Darrell Wallace, Jr., Mobile, Ala., Toyota, 150

7. (8) Andrew Smith, Pooler, Ga., Chevrolet, 150

8. (22) Alex Bowman, Tucson, Ariz., Toyota, 150

9. (19) D.J. Shaw, Conway, N.H., Chevrolet, 150

10. (17) Derek Ramstrom, West Boylston, Mass., Chevrolet, 150

11. (26) Brandon Gdovic, Yorktown, Va., Dodge, 150

12. (20) Brandon Haley, Lavonia, Ga., Ford, 150

13. (25) Clay Campbell, Martinsville, Va., Chevrolet, 150

14. (15) Ben Kennedy, Daytona Beach, Fla., Chevrolet, 150

15. (16) Cody Hodgson, Escalon, Calif., Chevrolet, 149

16. (28) Ryan Lynch, New Boston, Texas, Chevrolet, 149

17. (29) Julian Albarracin, Bogata, Columbia, Chevrolet, 149

18. (27) Daniel Suarez, Monterrey, Mexico, Dodge, 149

19. (14) Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass., Chevrolet, 148

20. (18) Chad Boat, Phoenix, Ariz., Chevrolet, 148

21. (23) Cale Conley, Vienna, W.Va., Chevrolet, 147

22. (9) Chase Elliott, Dawsonville, Ga., Chevrolet, 146

23. (6) Michael Cherry, Valrico, Fla., Toyota, 145

24. (2) Brett Moffitt, Grimes, Iowa, Toyota, 140, accident

25. (24) Rick Gdovic, Pittsburgh, Pa., Dodge, 139, accident

26. (13) Benny Gordon, DuBois, Pa., Chevrolet, 116, sway bar

27. (21) Zach Germain, Bexley, Ohio, Toyota, 111, accident

28. (30) Michelle Theriault, Bristol, Conn., Toyota, 105

29. (5) Corey LaJoie, Concord, N.C., Ford, 46, mechanical

30. (11) Tanner Berryhill, Tulsa, Okla., Chevrolet, 14, accident

Race Statistics

Time of Race: 1 hour 9 minutes 14 seconds

Margin of Victory: 1.055 seconds

Fastest Qualifier: D.Wallace, Jr. (91.394 mph, 15.756 seconds)

Caution Flags: 6 for 39 laps.

Lead Changes: 2 among 3 drivers.

Lap Leaders: D. Wallace,Jr. 1-73; B. Moffitt 74-140; S. Peña 141-150.

Standings: 1. S. Peña, 331; 2. C. Pressley, 330; 3. M. DiBenedetto, 325; 4. D. Wallace,Jr., 310; 5. A. Bowman, 307; 6. B. Moffitt, 286; 7. R. Gifford, 279; 8. A. Smith, 273; 9. M. Gresham, 265; 10. B. Haley, 265.

For Immediate Release

NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Results: Christopher Wins

Saturday Rain Out Provides Opportunity For South Boston Victory By Veteran

SOUTH BOSTON, VA. (April 17, 2011) – Ted Christopher traveled south to Virginia early Sunday morning and picked up a NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour victory in the South Boston 150 in the afternoon at South Boston Speedway.

Christopher outdueled George Brunnhoelzl III, who won the first two Whelen Southern Modified Tour events in 2011, to earn yet another win in his storied career. Christopher, who won the season-opening Icebreaker last weekend in Thompson, Conn., on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, collected his fifth career win on the southern tour.

Christopher started 17th after the field was set by points after qualifying was rained out on Saturday night. He moved up through the field and was in the top in the top five by Lap 20. Christopher was able to get past Zach Brewer on Lap 99 and remain out front the rest of the afternoon.

Brewer finished third followed by Tim Brown and John Smith. The rest of the top-10 were Frank Fleming, Jason Myers, Lee Jeffreys, Patrick Emerling and Darryl Lacks.

Brunnhoelzl maintains his lead in the standings by 75 points over Smith. The race was slowed seven times by caution for 33 laps.

The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour will be in action next on Saturday, April 23 at Caraway Speedway in Sophia, N.C.

Whelen Southern Modified Tour-South Boston 150 Unofficial Results

Sunday

At South Boston Speedway

South Boston, Va.

Lap length: 0.4 miles

(Start position in parentheses)

1. (17) Ted Christopher, Plainville, Conn., Chevrolet, 150 laps, 62.627 mph.

2. (13) George Brunnhoelzl III, West Babylon, NY, Chevrolet, 150.

3. (5) Zach Brewer, Winston-Salem, NC, Chevrolet, 150.

4. (10) Tim Brown, Cana, VA, Chevrolet, 150.

5. (4) John Smith, Mount Airy, NC, Chevrolet, 150.

6. (7) Frank Fleming, Mt. Airy, NC, Ford, 150.

7. (6) Jason Myers, Walnut Cove, NC, Ford, 150.

8. (1) Lee Jeffreys, Winston-Salem, NC, Ford, 150.

9. (15) Patrick Emerling, Orchard Park, N.Y., Chevrolet, 150.

10. (18) Darryl Lacks, Forrest, Va., Chevrolet, 149.

11. (19) Donnie Lacks, Forrest, Va., Chevrolet, 147.

12. (9) Austin Pack, Winston-Salem, NC, Chevrolet, 144.

13. (2) L.W. Miller, Dushore, PA, Chevrolet, 144.

14. (3) James Civali, Meriden, CT, Pontiac, 107.

15. (8) Andy Seuss, Hampstead, NH, Chevrolet, 103.

16. (12) Josh Nichols, Winston-Salem, NC, Chevrolet, 86, too slow.

17. (11) Mike Norman, Lewisville, NC, Chevrolet, 86.

18. (16) Michael Speeney, Newtown, Pa., Chevrolet, 74, accident.

19. (14) Thomas Stinson, Chester, VA, Chevrolet, 65, accident.

Race Statistics

Time of Race: 57 minutes 29 seconds

Margin of Victory: .319 seconds

Caution Flags: 7 for 33 laps.

Lead Changes: 6 among 4 drivers.

Lap Leaders: L. Miller 1-5; L. Jeffreys 6; L. Miller 7-22; L. Jeffreys 23; L. Miller

24-32; Z. Brewer 33-98; T. Christopher 99-150.

Standings: 1. G. Brunnhoelzl III, 540; 2. J. Smith, 465; 3. Z. Brewer, 462; 4. J. Civali,

446; 5. T. Brown, 445; 6. J. Myers, 443; 7. T. Stinson, 426; 8. L. Miller, 421; 9. A.

Seuss, 410; 10. F. Fleming, 398.

Next Race At South Boston Speedway

NASCAR racing will return to South Boston Speedway Saturday night with the USG Late Model 150 racing program.

The first race of the night will get the green flag at 7 p.m.

A 150-lap race for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car Division headlines the night’s action. Also included on the program are races for the Limited Sportsman, Budweiser Pure Stocks and Southern Vintage Modified divisions. A race is also scheduled for the IMCA-Style Modifieds.

South Boston Speedway will celebrate Easter Weekend with its annual pre-race Easter Egg Hunt for the kids and a visit by the Easter Bunny.

Practice will go from 2:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Grandstand gates will open at 5 p.m. Qualifying time trials will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the first race will start at 7 p.m.

Admission will be $10 for adults and $5 for youths ages 7-12 when accompanied by a paying adult. Kids ages six and under are admitted free with a paying adult.

For additional information about the USG Late Model 150 racing program or any other events at South Boston Speedway, please visit the speedway’s website at www.southbostonspeedway.com http://www.southbostonspeedway.com/ or telephone the speedway at 434-572-4947 or 1-877-440-1540.

National Guard Team Slated for Third Start on Historic California Street Course

LONG BEACH, California – (April 16, 2011) – National Guard Panther Racing driver JR Hildebrand will start 27th tomorrow in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach following IZOD IndyCar Series qualifications this afternoon on the 1.968-mile track. Panther has collected a Top Five and two Top Ten finishes in its two previous starts at Long Beach and hopes to replicate its effort from three weeks ago in St. Petersburg when Hildebrand started in the back but was quickly able to move up to within the Top Ten contenders.

Hildebrandcurrently ranks 13th in the IZOD IndyCar Series point standings and leads Ganassi Racing driver Charlie Kimball in the Rookie of the Year chase by a total of four points. In his two IndyCar starts with Panther Hildebrand has finished 11th (St. Petersburg) and 13th (Barber) and will be making his fifth career start tomorrow.

Team Penske driver Will Power captured the pole position with Andretti Autosportdriver Ryan Hunter-Reay securing a spot on the outside of the front row. Power won the IZOD IndyCar Series event last week in Barber and Hunter-Reay is the defending winner of the Long Beach Grand Prix.

Panther collected a Top Five finish in Long Beach in 2009 with Dan Wheldon, who started 14th that year, and a ninth-place result last year – after starting 10th – in their previous starts on the southern California track.

The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will be broadcast live on VERSUS next Sunday at 3:30 pm with additional coverage provided by the IMS Radio Network, XM Channel 145 and Sirius Channel 121.

JR Hildebrand, No. 4 National Guard Dallara Honda:

“We’re just going to keep working to move forward and gain something valuable from the rest of the weekend. We’re not happy with our performance in qualifying, but we’ve got to turn it into something positive and make the most of the race tomorrow. It’s also important the team, and myself as a big part of that, learn something for down the road and later this season. This isn’t the last street course race we’re going to this year and we’ve got to make sure we take positives from our experiences this weekend.”