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Other series racing

  • Grant Enfinger’s Team Takes Top Honors in ARCA Daytona Test Drafting Speeds

    While Venturini Motorsports took top honors in the single-car runs, Grant Enfinger’s team took top honors in drafting.

    Yesterday, Benny Gordon drove Grant Enfinger’s car to the lead position and has the quickest overall draft speed at a lap of 48.414 seconds.

    Today, Grant Enfinger drove his own car to the top of the charts and second overall at a lap of 48.418 seconds.

    Brian Rose and James Hylton were tied for second in the session at 48.664 seconds (184.942 mph). Joey Licata Jr., Jason Bowles, Milka Duno, Kevin Swindell, Randy Renfrow, Brent Brevak, and Bobby Gerhart comprised the remainder of the top 10.

    Today concluded the Daytona test for the ARCA Racing Series. The next time they will be at Daytona will be on February 8 to begin preparation for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on February 12.

    Overall Draft Speeds

    1. 09 Benny Gordon – 48.414 seconds -Wednesday Afternoon
    2. 36 Grant Enfinger- 48.418 – Thursday Afternoon
    3. 1 Chad McCumbee – 48.427 – Wednesday Afternoon
    4. 41b Ty Dillon – 48.431 – Wednesday Afternoon
    5. 82 Sean Corr – 48.432 – Wednesday Afternoon
    6. 77 Joey Licata, Jr. – 48.473 – Wednesday Afternoon 
    7. 58 Chad Hackenbracht – 48.522 – Wednesday Afternoon
    8. 55 Hal Martin – 48.609 – Wednesday Afternoon 
    9. 15 Kyle Fowler – 48.652 – Wednesday Afternoon 
    10. 25 Steve Arpin – 48.660 – Wednesday Afternoon
    11. 4 Brian Rose & 48 James Hylton – 48.664 – Thursday Afternoon
    12. 63a Milka Duno – 48.673 – Wednesday Afternoon
    13. 6 Jason Bowles – 48.724 – Thursday Afternoon
    14. 2 Kevin Swindell – 48.727 – Thursday Afternoon
    15. 66 Mark Thomson – 48.779 – Wednesday Afternoon
    16. 36b Brett Hudson – 48.834 – Wednesday Afternoon
    17. 16 Randy Renfrow & 22 Dakoda Armstrong – 48.844 – Wednesday Afternoon
    18. 3 Brent Brevak – 48.960 – Thursday Afternoon
    19. 11 Bryan Silas – 49.031 – Thursday Afternoon
    20. 31 Tim Geroge – 49.084 – Wednesday Afternoon
    21. 5a Bobby Gerhart – 49.175 – Thursday Afternoon
    22. 68 Steve Blackburn – 49.142 – Wednesday Afternoon
    23. 17b Chris Buescher & 5c Damon Lusk – 49.191 – Thursday Afternoon
    24. 14b John Ferrier – 49.199 – Wednesday Afternoon
    25. 12b Maryeve Dufault – 49.203 – Thursday Afternoon
    26. 18e Leilani Munter – 49.501 – Thursday Afternoon
    27. 62 Drew Charleson – 49.637 – Wednesday Afternoon
    28. 14a John Graham – 49.690 – Wednesday Afternoon
    29. 10b Rick Clifton – 49.724 – Wednesday Afternoon
    30. 18a Ryan Glenski – 49.760 – Thursday Afternoon
    31. 10a Ed Pompa – 49.762 – Wednesday Afternoon
    32. 12a Jarod Marks – 49.781 – Wednesday Afternoon
    33. 75b Benny Chastain – 49.788 – Wednesday Afternoon
    34. 95 Tommy Joe Martins – 49.927 – Wednesday Afternoon
    35. 18d Jill Georgs – 50.417 – Wednesday Afternoon
    36. 3a Bobby Dale Earnhardt – 50.452 – Thursday Afternoon
    37. 18d Sloan Henderson – 50.532 – Thursday Afternoon
    38. 80a Ricky Byers – 50.627 – Wednesday Afternoon
    39. 75a Hannah Baker – 50.661 – Wednesday Afternoon
    40. 80c Chris Davis – 50.870  – Thursday Afternoon
    41. 80 Russell Henderson – 59.108 – Wednesday Afternoon

  • Kyle Fowler Holds Best Time of ARCA Test Single Car Runs for Venturini Motorsports

    Teammate Hal Martin made of had the quickest time for Thursday morning’s session, however Kyle Fowler holds serve of being the quickest car on the property for single car runs.

    Martin drove the No. 55 Toyota to a best lap of 48.815 seconds (184.37 mph) to lead the Thursday morning session. That lap ranks fifth-best over the single-car runs only for the entire test session. Overall, the lap ranks 16th-best of the test week as Benny Gordon’s 48.414-second effort holds the top from the drafting session.  

    “It’s windier today, that’s for sure,” Martin told the ARCA Racing Network. “We had a little bit of a headwind going down the backstretch, which slowed us down a little bit. Other than that, our cars are quick. The Venturini guys put in a heck of a lot of work coming in and leading into this week and this test session, and the cars are all fast. The cars are performing like they should be.”

    Fowler ranked second on Thursday’s board with a lap of 48.943 seconds (183.887 mph), though holds first on the board for the entire test in single-car runs with a time of 48.668-seconds in the No. 15 Chevrolet.

    For Thursday’s board, teammates Steve Arpin and Mark Thomspon followed behind Martin and Fowler in third and forth.  Arpin drove the No. 25 Toyota to a lap of 48.978 seconds (183.756 mph), and Thompson drove his best lap in 49.208 seconds (182.897 mph). 

    Venturini Motorsports officials said that they have elected not to run the afternoon session as they’ve accomplished their goals. 

    “We had a game plan coming into this test session,” Martin said. “We were able to run through our list of things we wanted to try and see what benefited the car and what hampered our performance. We got our checklist done and completed, so we’re done.”

    Finishing out the top 10 for Day three was Brian Rose, Bobby Gerhart, Randy Renfrow, Patrick Sheltra, Grant Enfinger, and Jason Bowles. A number of teams, including Richard Childress Racing, Kimmel Racing, and Enfinger Motorsports, chose not to participate in the final day of testing.

    ARCA Racing Series testing at Daytona will conclude this afternoon with a drafting session, scheduled for 1-5 p.m.

    Gordon, who led yesterday’s drafting session, does not plan on running this afternoon.

    “I think we’re done,” Gordon said. “We were only planning on two days. (The team) has some stuff they want to do back at the shop, so I think we’re going to get out of here and pack it up, let them do their work, and see if they can’t make it better for when it comes back.”

    Meanwhile, Bobby Dale Earnhardt, son of Kerrry Earnhardt, is looking to use these three days as a learning experience.

    “It means a lot coming here,” the 23-year old said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for this track. With everything that’s happened here, it’s really awesome being here.

    “I’m just hoping to learn a lot. They say this track is pretty much in my DNA, but I guess we’ll find that out.” 

    Single-Car Run Speeds Combined From The Test

    1. #15 Kyle Fowler – 48.668 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    2. #55 Hal Martin – 48.697 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    3. #25 Steve Arpin – 48.796 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    4. #31 Tim George Jr. – 48.985 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    5. #66 Mark Thomson – 49.208 seconds – Thursday Morning
    6. #4 Brian Rose – 49.290 seconds – Thursday Morning
    7. #17a Chris Buescher – 49.315 seconds – Tuesday Morning
    8. #63a Milka Duno – 49.371 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    9. #41a Ty Dillon – 49.383 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    10. #22 Dakoda Armstrong – 49.438 – Wednesday Morning
    11. #42a Scott Stenzil – 49.457 – Wednesday Morning
    12. #36 Grant Enfinger – 49.486 – Tuesday Afternoon
    13. #16a Joey Coulter – 49.543 – Tuesday Afternoon
    14. #77 Joey Licata, Jr. – 49.549 – Wednesday Morning
    15. #14b John Ferrier – 49.562 – Tuesday Afternoon
    16. #18a Ryan Glenski – 49.578 – Wednesday Morning
    17. #5a Bobby Gerhart – 49.624 seconds – Thursday Morning
    18. #16 Randy Renfrow – 49.659 seconds – Thursday Morning
    19. #63 Patrick Sheltra – 49.660 seconds – Thursday Morning
    20. #75b Benny Chastain – 49.680 seconds – Tuesday Morning
    21. #10a Ed Pompa – 49.686 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    22. #6 Jason Bowles – 49.709 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    23. #18c Jeremy Frankoski – 49.714 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    24. #09 Benny Gordon – 49.743 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    25. #36b Brett Hudson – 49.804 seconds – Thursday Morning
    26. #12b Maryeve Dufault – 49.853 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    27. #12c Chase Austin – 49.925 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon 
    28. #5c Damon Lusk – 49.945 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    29. #97 Matt Lofton – 49.946 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    30. #2 Kevin Swindell – 49.949 seconds – Thursday Morning
    31. #11 Bryan Silas – 49.977 seconds – Thursday Morning
    32. #1 Chad McCumbee – 49.978 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    33. #54 Will Vaught – 50.007 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    34. #42b Joey Gaze – 50.048 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    35. #95 Tommy Joe Martins – 50.049 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    36. #68 Steve Blackburn – 50.059 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    37. #75a Hannah Baker – 50.075 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    38. #42c Ryan Lynch – 50.080 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    39. #23a Jake Crum – 50.113 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    40. #14a John Graham – 50.145 seconds – Thursday Morning
    41. #10b Rick Clifton – 50.355 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    42. #3a Bobby Dale Earnhardt – 50.477 – Thursday Morning
    43. #3 Brent Brevak – 50.540 – Thursday Morning 
    44. #18e Lelani Munter – 50.544 – Thursday Morning
    45. #44 Frank Kimmel – 50.596 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    46. #82 Sean Corr – 50.607 seconds – Thursday Morning 
    47. #08 James Hylton – 50.694 seconds – Thursday Morning 
    48. #80b Richard Herriman - 50.773 seconds – Thursday Morning
    49. #18d Sloan Henderson – 50.790 seconds – Thursday Morning
    50. #62 Drew Charleson – 50.821 seconds – Thursday Morning
    51. #23 Levi Youster – 50.939 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    52. #18b Tyler Speer – 50.949 seconds – Thursday Morning
    53. #58 Chad Hackenbracht – 51.244 seconds – Tuesday Morning 

  • Tony Marks Racing Leaving Impression At Daytona International Speedway

    Jared Marks and Chase Austin All Enjoying Time In Spotlight

    DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 13, 2011) – – The Buckeye State of Ohio is being well represented in the Sunshine State of Florida this week at Daytona (Fla.) Speedway. Tony Marks Racing (TMR) headquartered in Napoleon, Ohio has successfully left an impression on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards circuit as their multi-car effort led by veteran racer and now crew chief Larry Moore has put their No. 12 Dodge Charger into the limelight.

    Piloted by NASCAR driver Chase Austin, rising female sensation Maryeve Dufault and Champion Racing Association (CRA) competitor Jared Marks, the rookie team spent the first two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) of ARCA Racing Series testing at the newly re-paved 2.5-mile speedway getting their car up to speed and their drivers comfortable with the new and extremely fast asphalt.   On Tuesday, Dufault, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series pilot edged out Austin for the fastest TMR time after placing her machine 17th out of 40th on the speed charts. Austin followed in 18th. Dufault was one of three female drivers testing on the first day behind Milka Duno (Dodge) and ahead of Hannah Baker (Chevrolet).

    Leaving the track with some satisfaction, the team returned for round two Wednesday looking for additional seat time and solid results. In their eyes, mission accomplished.

    Dufault was again the prime target for the newly founded-race team and was the only driver behind the wheel of their Chrysler emblem Wednesday morning during the three-hour session which resulted in a 23rd place single-car run.

    Yesterday afternoon, ARCA Racing Series officials opened up the legendary track to drafting. The Tony Marks Racing team opted to play it safe though and continued with single-car runs for much of the afternoon before dabbling just a little bit on the defying skill of drafting, which zones heavily on superspeedway racing, much like Daytona or its sister track, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

    For the first time of the week, 16-year old Jared Marks, son of car owner Tony Marks hopped in the seat of the No. 12a Charger and wheeled his automobile around the track in 49.830 seconds or a tick over 180.550 miles per hour. It was a solid lap time for the teenage racer, who under ARCA Racing Series sanctioning age restrictions is allowed to test but not race at the historic facility. The team admitted though that comfort, not speed was the primary agenda for the second-generation racer.

    Dufault clocked in her inaugural drafting lap Wednesday afternoon with a time of 49.781 seconds amounting to a speed of 180.792 miles per hour landing her a respectable 31st on the rundown. 

    “We’re happy with the results thus far in Daytona,” said Tony Marks, owner of Tony Marks Racing. “In a short time, I feel like we’ve been able to build a strong team with a talented group of people. So far, we’ve achieved all of our goals here in Daytona and look to use the last day (Thursday) as a prime opportunity to further push our team into the spotlight. All three of our drivers are doing a tremendous job. What they are learning is valuable not only in ARCA but stock-car racing in general. They still have a lot to learn here in Daytona and ahead in 2011, but I’m very pleased with the overall effort of TMR this week.”

    Testing will conclude at 5:00 p.m. Thursday evening for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. The three-day test is preparation for the first of 19 events on the 2011 calendar which begins on Saturday, February 12th, 2011 live on SPEED. Dufault, the Los Angeles resident is expected to lead the two-car team for TMR next month from the “World Center of Racing.”

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

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

    About Tony Marks Racing (TMR):   Tony Marks Racing was founded in 2009 through the passion for racing of team owner and former driver Tony Marks.  Marks is the successful owner of TMT, Inc., a logistics, warehousing and packaging company with over 400 employees whose customers are mainly comprised of Fortune 100 companies.    Marks began his racing career in 1985 getting behind the wheel of everything from

    drag racers, Dirt Late Models, SCCA Formula Fords, USAC F2000 Open Wheel and ARCA cars.  Tony personally raced until 2005 amassing numerous wins, championships and track records along the way until he  then changed his focus from driver to owner and began building racing programs for his children Jared (16 years old) and Rachel (13 years old).  Under the auspices of TMR, Jared began his racing career in 2002 in quarter midgets and now competes in late model, CRA, ASA and ARCA Series events while Rachel continues her development program racing quarter midgets and Bandoleros.

    TMR has been at the forefront of charitable giving through its’  “Driving Against Hunger” and “Million Meal Challenge” race programs which have raised over $200,000 for Forgotten Harvest in 2010 at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events at Michigan International Speedway. 

    For the NASCAR events TMR along with TMT, Inc. partnered with Forgotten Harvest for the “Million Meal Challenge For Our Kids” which helps to bridge the hunger gap while schools are out of session and feeds 20,000  children per day in the Detroit metro area. Forgotten Harvest was significantly displayed on the entry of Chase Austin during both the Truck and Nationwide events at Michigan International Speedway along with logos of “Million Meal Challenge” sponsors Walgreen’s, United Race Group, Holyfield’s Choice Alka-Power Water and Vitamin Spice.  Evander Holyfield was also instrumental in the challenge, acting as Grand Marshall for the August race and announcing his “Fight Against Hunger” on behalf of Forgotten Harvest. 

    As the first race team to “Drive Against Hunger” through their partnership with Forgotten Harvest, TMR plans to continue their alliance with Forgotten Harvest and once again “Drive Against Hunger” during the 2011 season.

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

  • ROUSH YATES TO POWER JEREMY MCGRATH

    Riverside, California (January 13, 2011) –  Stronghold Motorsports has reached an agreement with premier engine   builder, Roush Yates Engines, to provide the engines for the Pro 2 Unlimited short course of road racing program of Seven-time Supercross Champion, Jeremy McGrath.

      Stronghold Motorsports Managing Partner, Scott Bailey spoke about these recent developments with the team.  “Roush Yates represents the highest level of performance in Ford Racingengine technology.  This is a fantastic opportunity to align ourselveswith an engine

      Roush Yates, a premier manufacturer of Ford racing engines, continues to develop its reputation as an industry leader with an expanded presence in the short course off road racing arena.  “Jeremy McGrath and Stronghold Motorsports have established themselves as championship contenders in short course off road racing,” said Doug Yates, CEO, Roush Yates Engines. “We are proud to stand behind Jeremy and the team with the technology and support to help take his program to the next level.”

    builder that has won at the most elite levels of motorsports.”  He continued. “This is yet another significant step we are taking to ensure that our drivers have the very best resources available. We are looking forward to the upcoming season knowing that with Roush Yates power behind Jeremy and his program, he will have very best opportunity for success.”

    About Roush Yates Engines Roush Yates Engines designs, engineers and crafts high performance racing engines with the power to perform and the horsepower and durability you’d expect from legendary NASCAR pioneers Jack Roush and Robert Yates. The partnership of power and precision has come from merging the knowledge and experience of two legendary engine builders, both with a passion for winning today and powering up for tomorrow. In 2009 Doug Yates purchased his father’s half of Roush Yates Engines to become a co-owner in the company.

      As CEO, Doug Yates leads a staff of 180 engineers and technicians who design, assemble, test, and service racing engines at two separate state-of-the-art facilities in Mooresville, North Carolina. Here, the best minds and latest technology are hard at work producing nearly 1,500 racing engines each year for teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ARCA, Grand-Am, FIA GT3, Dirt Late Model, Sprint cars, and NHRA Pro Stock. At Roush Yates Engines, the mission is Power Performance, which is achieved through innovation, design, precision engineering, and skillful craftsmanship. Building the best engines in racing today, providing service that’s second to none, and honoring a commitment to research and development are the heart of Roush Yates Engines.

  • APR Motorsport Signs Gary Gibson and Josh Hurley to Compete for the 2011

    Opelika, AL: APR Motorsport is proud to announce the return of the Audi S4 to Grand Sport competition with IMSA Lite star Gary Gibson partnering APR veteran Josh Hurley. Both drivers have been working hard to prepare for their Grand Sport debut at the Grand Am 200 in Daytona, FL.

    Despite the Audi being the first production-based racecar he had driven, Gibson was on front running pace within a handful of laps, quickly adapting to the Audi S4’s quattro all wheel drive. “We were very impressed with Gary’s approach to our first test. He asked all the right questions and clicked with the team straight away. His engineering based approach fits in perfectly with APR Motorsport’s methods and I expect Gary will be as competitive as possible when we roll off the trailer in Daytona,” said APR Motorsport Director, Jeff Mishtawy.

    “I am excited about the coming season with APR Motorsport and the new challenges of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge,” Gary said after testing with APR Motorsport. “It was a very difficult decision to leave prototype racing and make the switch to sedans but I feel confident that teaming up with APR Motorsport in the Audi S4 will be the best possible way to make this transition. It is also the perfect situation for my marketing partner, Perfect Pedal. We feel that Grand Am and APR Motorsport represent the best way to grow and market Perfect Pedal.” Perfect Pedal is an aftermarket upgrade for the Logitech G25 and G27 equipped Racing Simulation Systems, which provides a realistic braking feel by using a hydraulic load cell to mirror real world brake pedals.

    Despite being a rookie to Grand-Am, Gary brings a diverse racing background with him. He has raced both motorcycles and cars at the top levels of the sport and has contended for the IMSA Lite championship for the past three years. With that experience to build on, look for Gary to add wins in yet another form of racing to his resume this year.

    Returning to APR Motorsport for the 3rd consecutive year, 2008 VW TDI Cup Champion Josh Hurley shared his thoughts on campaigning the Audi S4 in 2011, “I can’t wait for Daytona to start; we’ve made some serious improvements during the off season and on top of that, I have a stellar co-driver in Gary Gibson. He has not only shown the necessary pace, but he and I work well together and with the team. That team wide chemistry is what’s necessary to win championships, and that is our goal for 2011”.

    About APR: APR LLC is an automotive engineering firm operating a 36,000 sq. ft. performance campus in Opelika, AL. APR was founded in 1997 with a corporate philosophy of Integrity, Excellence and Innovation. APR’s Sole Mission is to provide the highest quality and most highly engineered aftermarket performance products available for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. Learn more at www.goapr.com

    About Gary Gibson: A lifelong racer, Gary has been racing since the age of 5, starting with short track speed skating. By his early 20’s Gary began road racing motorcycles and was a consistent front runner in the AMA Pro F-2 series. He then moved on to racing with four wheels, starting with SCCA Spec racers and the IMSA Sports Toyota Championship where he was the season runner up twice. Since 2008, Gary has been competing in the IMSA Lite championship with multiple wins and several podiums in the last three seasons.

    About Josh Hurley: A Fort Lauderdale native, Hurley was the 2008 VW TDI Cup Champion. In 2009, he stepped up to the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge class, winning the MESCO Rookie of the Year award, as well as one race victory, two poles and five podiums. With backing from Fortis Watches Josh is once again charging to the front in 2010. To learn more about Fortis Watches visit www.Fortis-Watches.com. To learn more about Josh Hurley, please visit www.GoJoshHurley.com

  • Kyle Fowler Leads Venturini Motorsports 1-2 in ARCA Wednesday Morning Speed Chart

    Kyle Fowler Leads Venturini Motorsports 1-2 in ARCA Wednesday Morning Speed Chart

    Kyle Fowler led the speed charts following day one and after the morning session day two, Fowler was still on top of the standings.

    Fowler completed 12 laps in the morning session on Wednesday with a best lap of 48.668 seconds (184.926 mph). This lap stands as the best of the two days, also.

    “I’m really pleased with (Kyle) Fowler in the 15,” general manager Billy Venturini said. “That’s been a real pleasant surprise. That car has been awfully good, and was really good in the wind tunnel. It’s good to see a kid that’s never been here before run that well.”

    His teammate Hal Martin ran 15 laps to end up second on the charts with a lap of 48.697 seconds (184.816 mph).

    “Wow, we have fast cars! The PME engine we’re using, that’s a lot of horses under the hood,” Martin told the ARCA Racing Network. “The car is driving really well; we’re hugging the yellow line and slamming the nose to the ground into the corners. It’s driving really fast and flat into the turns. We’re going to continue with single-car lines this afternoon. I’m looking forward to it. It’s been a really solid day so far.”

    The 25-year old Louisiana native will race five races for Venturini Motorsports in 2011 – Daytona, Talladega, Chicagoland, Pocono and Michigan.

    “I’m really looking forward to hitting the track again at Daytona,” Martin said. “I had a bit of a head start on the field by being able to participate in the Hoosier Tire test here in December for Venturini Motorsports – so I feel I had a good chance to get somewhat acclimated to the track with some laps logged.”

    Martin has made six career ARCA Racing Series starts, including one with Venturini. He finished 10th at Talladega last season.

    “We’ve got strong talent among all of our drivers, and our reputation stands behind the equipment and support we’re able to provide each and every one of them,” Tom Venturini, a team representative said. “Hal has proven his talent for our organization in the past, as well as on the Gulf Coast Late Model tracks. We’re really excited to see how he’ll perform this season. He has tremendous talent. We’re hopeful he will not only add more top-10s to that resume, but also top-fives and maybe even a trip to Victory Lane.”

    Along with Martin, Venturini Motorsports will run rookies Alastair Jackson, Max Gresham, and Darren Hagen in the 2011 season.

    Richard Childress Racing development driver Tim George Jr. drove 11 laps to end up third on the charts with a lap of 48.985 seconds (183.73 mph).

    “That’s the car we ran at Talladega, and it was really fast at Talladega,” George said after yesterday’s test. “I was comfortable with the car right out of the box; it’s not like getting used to a new car. I’ve been running the banking for the past four days here in the Rolex Series, and we were third on the board there, so it feels good to be back on top of the board with a different tire and a different car.”

    Venturini Motorsports driver Steve Arpin finished the morning fourth with a lap of 49.222 seconds (182.845 mph) while Cunningham Motorsports’ driver Dakoda Armstrong ended up fifth with a lap of 49.438 seconds (182.046 mph).

    Armstrong, the 2010 ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year, plans to run both the February 12th Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway and the April 15th Talladega ARCA 250 at Talladega Superspeedway, as according to Cunningham Motorsports. Armstrong won two races – Talladega Superspeedway and Salem Speedway – last year for them driving the No. 22.  

    Scott Stenzel, Ty Dillon, Joey Licata Jr., Grant Enfinger, and Ryan Glenski rounded out the top 10 for the morning.

    For Dillon, it marked his first laps ever on a Superspeedway as he looks to run his first full ARCA racing season.

    “It’s awesome,” Dillon said of the experience yesterday. “It’s really exciting. You go really fast. The track’s really smooth, so it’s fairly easy to get up to speed. We have a good car and there’s still some speed to gain. We’re just going to keep working on it. I just want to learn. I’ve got to learn to make our car better, and I’ve got to learn a lot, especially in the draft. We’ll just get as many laps as we can get and hopefully keep it up.”  

    Dillon’s teammate George Jr. said he looks forward to working with Dillon after having some years of ARCA experience under his belt.

    “He’s been racing cars way longer than I have,” George said. “You know, he’s much younger than I am. I’m going to lean on him for some stuff and he’ll probably lean on me for some stuff on the road courses and maybe the superspeedways. There’s a lot that he’s done in his racing career that I’m looking forward to doing, including winning in the ARCA Racing Series. It’ll be good to have support between him and I, and I’m looking forward to it.”

    IndyCar star Milka Duno was 16th on the speed charts today after being in the top 10 throughout the day yesterday.Other notables include six-time Daytona ARCA winner Bobby Gerhart ended the three-hour session tied for 21st, at 50.007 seconds (179.975 mph), and nine-time ARCA Racing Series champion Frank Kimmel finished 36th, at 50.733 seconds (177.399 mph).

    “Well, we wanted to go out and make sure the thing runs real fast,” Kimmel said. “Unfortunately, it’s not running real fast right now. We’ve got some work to do. This is the car we tore up here last year in the race. We qualified 13th, and we expect to be there or in the top 10 by the time we’re done. We have some work to do right now.” 

    Drafting testing will take place this afternoon, beginning at 1 p.m. and lasting for four hours. A maximum of six cars per pack will be allowed to test.

    DAYTONA INT’L SPEEDWAY TEST – 1/11-13/11  
    ARCA RACING SERIES PRESENTED BY MENARDS  
    JANUARY 12, 2011, MORNING SESSION    
               
      CAR # DRIVER MAKE TIME SPEED
    1 15 Kyle Fowler Chevy 48.668 184.926
    2 55 Hal Martin Toyota 48.697 184.816
    3 31 Tim George Chevy 48.985 183.730
    4 25 Steve Arpin Toyota 49.222 182.845
    5 22 Dakoda Armstrong Dodge 49.438 182.046
    6 42a Scott Stenzil Ford 49.457 181.976
    7 41a Ty Dillon Chevy 49.517 181.756
    8 77 Joey Licata, Jr. Dodge 49.549 181.638
    9 36 Grant Enfinger Dodge 49.559 181.602
    10 18a Ryan Glenski Ford 49.578 181.532
    11 14b John Ferrier Ford 49.621 181.375
    12 66 Mark Thompson Toyota 49.679 181.163
    13 10a Ed Pompa Chevy 49.686 181.138
    14 63a Milka Duno Dodge 49.708 181.057
    15 6 Jason Bowles Toyota 49.709 181.054
    16 18c Jeremy Frankoski Ford 49.714 181.036
    17 09 Benny Gordon Ford 49.743 180.930
    18 16 Randy Renfrow Chevy 49.763 180.857
    19 36b Brett Hudson Dodge 49.849 180.545
    20 1 Chad McCumbee Ford 49.978 180.079
    21 5 Bobby Gerhart Chevy 50.007 179.975
    22 54 Will Vaught Chevy 50.007 179.975
    23 12b Maryeve Dufault Dodge 50.021 179.924
    24 5c Damon Lusk Chevy 50.054 179.806
    25 75b Benny Chastain Chevy 50.065 179.766
    26 5a Bobby Gerhart Chevy 50.070 179.748
    27 17a Chris Buescher Ford 50.106 179.619
    28 11 Bryan Silas Ford 50.139 179.501
    29 14a John Graham Ford 50.145 179.480
    30 68 Steve Blackburn Dodge 50.213 179.236
    31 2 Kevin Swindell Toyota 50.280 178.998
    32 95 Tommy Joe Martins Dodge 50.281 178.994
    33 75a Hannah Baker Chevy 50.339 178.788
    34 10b Rick Clifton Chevy 50.355 178.731
    35 82 Sean Corr Ford 50.729 177.413
    36 44 Frank Kimmel Ford 50.733 177.399
    37 3 Brent Brevak Dodge 50.811 177.127
    38 23 Levi Youster Chevy 50.939 176.682
    39 08 James Hylton Ford 51.070 176.229
    40 58 Chad Hackenbracht Chevy 51.443 174.951
    41 17b Chris Buescher Ford 52.126 172.659
    42 62 Drew Charleson Chevy 54.853 164.075
    43 4 Brian Rose Dodge    
    44 16 Brian Smith Chevy    
    45 12 Jared Marks Dodge    
    46 18 Tyler Speer Ford    
    47 25 Hal Martin Toyota    
    48 48 James Hylton Ford    
    49 97 Matt Lofton Chevy    
    50 12c Chase Austin Dodge    
    51 16a Joey Coulter Chevy    
    52 23a Jake Crum Chevy    
    53 42b Joey Gase Ford    
    54 42c Ryan Lynch Ford    

     
  • Chris Buescher, Tim George Jr and Ty Dillion Top Morning ARCA Daytona Test

    Chris Buescher, Tim George Jr and Ty Dillion Top Morning ARCA Daytona Test

    Eighteen-year old rookie Chris Buescher drove the Roulo Brothers Racing Ford, marked with an orange No. 17, to a lap of 49.315 seconds (182.5 mph) in the opening session to top the charts.

    [media-credit name=”arcaracing.com” align=”alignleft” width=”287″][/media-credit]”It was a little unexpected, for sure, being the first session out on a speedway for me,” said Buescher, who has two wins in 15 ARCA Racing Series starts over two seasons. “To be honest, I’m not at all comfortable yet. I was a little bit all over the place, but that means I’ve got a good piece under me. We did a good job preparing.”

    Buescher has experience in the ARCA Racing Series as he won both races at Toledo last year, however this marks his first full-season now that he has become of age.

    Buescher was followed by Richard Childress Racing Development driver teammates Tim George Jr. (49.368 seconds) and Ty Dillon (49.497 seconds). The 2011 season marks George’s third full season in ARCA while Dillon, grandson of Richard Childress and brother of Camping World Truck Series driver Austin Dillon, enters his first full year of ARCA Racing.

    Benny Chastain and Dakoda Armstrong rounded out the top five and Matt Lofton was sixth.

    IndyCar driver Milka Duno, who recently announced she had joined forces with Sheltra Motorsports, ended the morning seventh. Scott Stenzel, Mark Thompson, and 2010 ARCA Racing Series champion Patrick Sheltra completed the top 10.

    DAYTONA INT’L SPEEDWAY TEST – 1/11-13/11  
    ARCA RACING SERIES PRESENTED BY MENARDS  
    JANUARY 11, 2011, MORNING SESSION    
               
      CAR # DRIVER MAKE TIME SPEED
    1 17a Chris Buescher Ford 49.315 182.500
    2 31 Tim George Chevy 49.368 182.304
    3 41a Ty Dillon Chevy 49.497 181.829
    4 75b Benny Chastain Chevy 49.680 181.159
    5 22 Dakoda Armstrong Dodge 49.755 180.886
    6 97 Matt Lofton Chevy 50.059 179.788
    7 63a Milka Duno Dodge 50.066 179.763
    8 42a Scott Stenzil Ford 50.149 179.465
    9 66 Mark Thompson Toyota 50.151 179.458
    10 63 Patrick Sheltra Dodge 50.180 179.354
    11 5a Bobby Gerhart Chevy 50.204 179.269
    12 36b Brett Hudson   50.227 179.186
    13 5c Damon Lusk Chevy 50.244 179.126
    14 77 Joey Licata, Jr. Dodge 50.262 179.062
    15 16b Joey Coulter Chevy 50.290 178.962
    16 68 Steve Blackburn Dodge 50.317 178.866
    17 14b John Ferrier Ford 50.318 178.862
    18 5 Bobby Gerhart Chevy 50.337 178.795
    19 54 Will Vaught Chevy 50.356 178.727
    20 1 Chad McCumbee Ford 50.383 178.632
    21 82 Sean Corr Ford 50.744 177.361
    22 44 Frank Kimmel Ford 50.877 176.897
    23 12c Chase Austin Dodge 50.897 176.828
    24 36 Grant Enfinger Dodge 51.089 176.163
    25 11 Bryan Silas   51.140 175.987
    26 10a Ed Pompa   51.233 175.668
    27 58 Chad Hackenbracht Chevy 51.244 175.630
    28 14 John Graham Ford 51.685 174.132
    29 2 Kevin Swindell Toyota    
    30 3 Brent Brevak Dodge    
    31 4 Brian Rose Dodge    
    32 5 Brian Smith Chevy    
    33 6 Jason Bowles Toyota    
    34 10 Rick Clifton      
    35 12 Jared Marks Dodge    
    36 12 Maryeve Dufault Dodge    
    37 15 Kyle Fowler Chevy    
    38 16 Randy Renfrow Chevy    
    39 18 Ryan Glenski      
    40 18 Tyler Speer      
    41 18 Jeremy Frankoski      
    42 23 Rob Jones Chevy    
    43 25   Toyota    
    44 42 Joey Gase Ford    
    45 42 Ryan Lynch Ford    
    46 48 James Hylton Ford    
    47 49 Jimmie Nowell      
    48 55 Steve Arpin Toyota    
    49 62 Drew Charleson Chevy    
    50 73 John Sendo      
    51 75 Hannah Baler Chevy    
    52 95 Tommy Joe Martins      
    53 08 James Hylton Ford    
    54 09 Benny Gordon Ford    
    55   Russell Henderson      
    56   Ricky Byers      
    57   Hal Martin Toyota    
    58   Jake Crum Chevy    
    59   Bobby D Earnhardt      
    60   Chris Davis    

  • Milka Duno Delivers Strong Results at ARCA Racing Series Test Day One

    Sheltra Motorsports and Duno Prepare for the Running of Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway  

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.  (January 11, 2011) – Milka Duno delivered strong results on Day One of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards testing at Daytona International Speedway with Sheltra Motorsports, the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menard’s Champion.  

    Duno, piloting the team’s No. 63 Dodge Charger, was seventh quickest of 29 cars in today’s morning session and fifth quickest of 40 cars in the afternoon session.  

    In the morning session Duno completed five laps with a best time of 50.06 seconds at 179.763 mph and improved in a 27-lap afternoon session to a best time of 49.37 at 182.293 mph.  

    This was Duno’s first time behind the wheel of a stock car since she competed in the ARCA Racing Series season-opener at Daytona one year ago.  

    Crew Chief Jon Wolfe and his crew made some adjustments to the car between sessions and worked with Duno to continue getting her comfortable in the car and to try new lines on the track. Patrick Sheltra worked with her throughout the day to help her get the most out of the car.  

    “It was a good practice today and I was very impressed with the team and how professional they were,” said Duno. “We are looking for more speed and will work hard over the next two days to get faster. It was great to get Patrick’s input, and it was a big help. He’s the 2010 champion, and he knows what to do.”  

    ###  

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

  • Brian Rose Returns To Daytona

    “Brian Rose Motorsports Set To Officially Launch; Driver Ready To Blossom Again At Daytona!”  

    DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 12, 2011) – – Sometimes, the term “better late than never” can be accepted in racing. For Brian Rose Motorsports, a new entity in the ARCA Racing Series (ARS) presented by Menards, the term couldn’t have been more perfect.

      After a monstrous winter storm crippled much of the mid-west and south east Sunday night and Monday, Brian Rose and his Brian Rose Motorsports team were trapped in the wintry mix that included ice and snow and unable to make the haul to Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway for the first of a three-day open test session.     Luckily, road and weather conditions improved on Tuesday that allowed the team to slowly but carefully maneuver through the 10 hour plus drive to the Sunshine State to tackle the newly re-paved 2.5-mile monster track Wednesday morning.

      Planning to test for the remaining two days (Wednesday and Thursday), the first open test of the New Year will mark the first tango for Louisville, Kentucky native Brian Rose at the wheel of the No. 4 Harris Trucking / Team ASE Toyota Camry at the newly re-paved DIS.

      Though Rose and his posse are new to ARCA, the team has some experience at the Daytona Beach, Fla. track. In 2002, the now part-time NASCAR driver competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season-opener at Daytona, qualifying an impressive fourth, leading several laps and finishing a career-best and stout third in the No. 4 Dodge Ram for Bobby Hamilton Racing.

      Nearly a decade later, Rose returns to the “World Center of Racing” honored to boast the No. 4 again while also hoping to make an early impression in the ARCA Racing Series.

      “We’ve been working hard for this test and despite the weather, we’re still here,” said Rose, who will attempt to make his first ARCA Racing Series start in next month’s Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona. “I have a great group of guys behind me and I think this test definitely will give us a baseline on which direction we’re heading.”   Rose continued, “I’m looking forward to competing in the ARCA Racing Series. It’s a great series and I’m embracing the opportunity to bring my new team to such a diverse series. This won’t be our only ARCA race in 2011, but we’re hoping to leave a lasting impression that will carry over into our next event.”

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

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

      About Brian Rose Motorsports (BRM):   From 2001-2010, Brian Rose competed in 41 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) events. Driving for successful car owners such as the late Bobby Hamilton Sr., Billy Ballew and Rick Ware, he has scored five top-10 finishes including a third place effort in his restrictor plate debut at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway after qualifying fourth in 2002. Rose has controlled the NCWTS field for 35 laps in four events.   A new decade means a new beginning. In 2011, Rose, a native of Louisville, Kentucky will re-brand himself in the racing world by launching his own team, Brian Rose Motorsports (BRM) near Louisville, Kentucky. With the intent to run a full platter of events in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), NASCAR Nationwide Series and Late Model events across the country, Rose is expected to blossom back to the top on and off the race track.

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

  • Roush Yates Engine Breaks Unofficial DP Record at Daytona

    Mooresville, NC (January 11, 2011) The Rolex 24 at Daytona is the Grand-AM Rolex Sports Car Series’ opener set for Jan. 29-30 at Daytona International Speedway. 

    The “World Center of Racing’s” all-new pavement, combined with the largest number of Roush Yates engines in the event’s premier class, including an entry that set an unofficial track record during testing,  are sure to make this year’s race the most exciting ever.  

    During the “Roar Before the Rolex 24” practice session this past weekend, Ford driver Ryan Dalziel ran an unparalleled lap with an elapsed time of 1:39.973 using his Roush Yates-powered engine, unofficially breaking the track record for a Daytona Prototype (DP) class  for a lap around Daytona International Speedway’s 3.56-mile, 12-turn speedway/road course.  

    Dalziel is the reigning Rolex 24 winner and drove a BMW during the majority of the 2010 season, but decided to switch to Ford motors for the 2011 season. The switch is already paying off, and Dalziel couldn’t be more excited about his chances for a repeat victory with 2011 co drivers Mike Forest, Colin Braun, and Tomas Enge.  

    “We are contenders, and we’ve proven that now” said Dalziel. “I think we could have gone faster. I didn’t put together a perfect lap, and we didn’t have a qualifying setup on the car. I know we’ve got more”.  

    Car owner Peter Baron credits engineer Bill Riley for the success of the #8 Starworks Motorsport Riley Ford during Sunday’s practice session. Riley has been working on set up options since August of last year and both owner and engineer can’t wait until the January 29th race.  

    “We spent a lot of time in the off season working on setup ideas with the new Continental tire and were anxious to test at Daytona for the first time with a Ford engine,” said Baron. “Setting the record at a horsepower track like Daytona is awesome. I’m more than impressed with the engine package Roush Yates has provided us with and I’m looking forward to our chances in the Rolex 24.”  

    Roush Yates has a total of eight engines running in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the most of any manufacturer in the field. Ford teams Michael Shank Racing and Doran Racing were also at the top of the speed charts during last Sunday’s test session.  

    Practice and qualifying for the Rolex 24 begins Thursday, Jan. 27th and the green flag waves at 3:30pm (ET) on Saturday, Jan. 29th.

    About Roush Yates Engines Roush Yates Engines designs, engineers and crafts high performance racing engines with the power to perform and the horsepower and durability you’d expect from legendary NASCAR pioneers Jack Roush and Robert Yates. The partnership of power and precision has come from merging the knowledge and experience of two legendary engine builders, both with a passion for winning today and powering up for tomorrow. In 2009 Doug Yates purchased his father’s half of Roush Yates Engines to become a co-owner in the company.

    As CEO, Doug Yates leads a staff of 180 engineers and technicians who design, assemble, test, and service racing engines at two separate state-of-the-art facilities in Mooresville, North Carolina. Here, the best minds and latest technology are hard at work producing nearly 1,500 racing engines each year for teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ARCA, Grand-Am, FIA GT3, Dirt Late Model, Sprint cars, and NHRA Pro Stock. At Roush Yates Engines, the mission is Power Performance, which is achieved through innovation, design, precision engineering, and skillful craftsmanship. Building the best engines in racing today, providing service that’s second to none, and honoring a commitment to research and development are the heart of Roush Yates Engines.