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  • Travis Pastrana Teleconference

    Travis Pastrana Teleconference

    PASTRANA-WALTRIP RACING

    MEDIA TELECONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT

    DRIVER: TRAVIS PASTRANA

    DATE OF TELECONFERENCE: 12/14/2010

     

    ON FIRST TEST WITH PASTRANA-WALTRIP RACING AT NEW SMYRNA SPEEDWAY (IN A K&N PRO EAST SERIES CAR):

    “The first two days went absolutely great. I had a lot of time in different cars and racing different things, but I just didn’t know where the baseline was going to be, so I’ve been very happy. The team has been awesome. We had a great setup for a starting point and it was just really a lot of fun getting out there and getting a feel for the car. I picked it up pretty quick. We took some time and I’m working with a few different people. Matt (Crafton) was out here and really helped and tried to coach me. He was teaching me how to roll the middle maybe a little bit more to keep speed in the corners and not do what we do in motocross or even in rally – where we charge the corners maybe a little too hard – and pivot the car around. I definitely had fun and didn’t crash either day, so I guess that’s a start. (laughs).

    [media-credit name=”Pastrana_Waltrip” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF A STOCK CAR AT NEW SMYRNA SPEEDWAY?

    “It was absolutely awesome. I had a lot of fun. I was running the East car which still has the bias ply tires, so you could still slide it a bit, but it was a really good car to kind of get a base feel. There were a couple guys testing the Nationwide cars out there which are a little more challenging, but I think for a first step this was an absolute blast. I really look forward to getting in with more people and kind of see how it works from there.

    DID YOU SPIN AT ALL, AND IF NOT, WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST “OH SHIT!” MOMENT YOU HAD IN TWO DAYS?

    “Honestly, no spins. No problems. I got up to speed within 0.3 of my best lap within the first hour of testing. I had one where I was trying to carry more speed into the corner. Matt Crafton said I was breaking a little too hard on the entry and wasn’t carrying enough speed through the middle, so I didn’t break as hard and ended up in a full drift where I actually bent the control arm I was so far out. I thought I was going in the wall, but it was just a full on drift around the entire corner and then popped out perfect. I mean, it wasn’t my fastest lap, but it was a lot of fun. I wouldn’t have been so lucky in the Nationwide car, but other than that there were no problems at all. Really felt good in the car and I think everyone was really happy with how it turned out.”

    DO YOU THINK THAT YOU’LL BE ABLE TO BRING SOME OF YOUR YOUNGER FANS TO NASCAR OR DO YOU THINK YOU MAY LOSE SOME FANS AS YOU CHANGE TO NASCAR RACING?

    “I really think that it depends on results. There’s a lot of expectation from a lot of people and especially coming from the motocross industry and that kind of thing.  A lot of the motocross industry is saying, why would you go from Rally which seems really exciting to NASCAR, which when you just look at it you’re just turning left. But, honestly, NASCAR is the top form of racing maybe in the world – definitely in the United States. It’s the highest level of competition, everyone is so close and I think as a competitor there is no greater thrill then to put yourself against the best. So for me it’s really a new challenge.  I’ve been able to win four rally championships where there is great competition and a lot of good guys, but let’s see if I can make the switch here. As it goes definitely the results are going to play a big role in whether people think it was a good idea or a bad idea. Most ideas are judged on the outcome as opposed to the actual thought, but I think the action sports guys are really getting into the car stuff and with age and a cage almost everybody that’s been at the top of action sports, whether it’s Dave Mirra or Bucky Lasek, Chad Reed even Carmichael – I mean heck, Jeff Ward got second in the Indy 500 and he came from motocross. Not that guys haven’t done it in the past, but I think the move to NASCAR is going to get people to watch and they’ll probably expect great results right off the bat, which I’m going to hope for but I’m sure is not realistic. So we’ll see. Definitely in the end our goal is to get this Pastrana-Waltrip Racing team to the front of the pack.”

    HAVE YOU DONE ANY OUTREACH TO YOUR CURRENT FANS TO EDUCATE THEM ON WHAT TO EXPECT?

    “For sure. I mean, that’s the big thing for Michael (Waltrip). His thing is, look we want to get a lot of these guys that have had success in other sports that know what it takes to be a champion. In the long term as a business owner say, hey can we get some of these guys to start looking at NASCAR and get some of these guys to maybe start driving at a younger age and maybe take some of the skills that they learned from BMX or motocross and they have that exposure and understanding of what it takes for media and press and can we help NASCAR grow. I mean, every team is very ambitious in how it starts and we don’t expect to change the world, but I think it is a really good fit. I think if the fan base of action sports understands truly how amazing and how awesome it is to race against the best that the United States and maybe even the world now, with some of the F1 drivers and Indy drivers starting to come over into NASCAR because it’s where the best go. I think that’s something that any competitive individual can relate to.”

    WITH ALL THE EXCITING THINGS YOU DO WHAT DOES AN ADRENALINE RUSH MEAN TO YOU? AND WHAT DO YOU DO TO RELAX?

    “Well, for me my whole life is been based, at least from the outside, is based around adrenaline, but actually it’s really based on competition and trying to figure out what it takes to get to the top of the sports, at least where I’m concerned, that people consider crazy or dumb or whatever your words may be. (Laugh). But, doing the Nitro Circus is a lot of fun because my friends travel around with me and we get to go out and really come up with some fun stuff to do and travel the world with my friends. But having said that, I think with NASCAR the coolest thing is just the competition base. That’s really what I’m looking forward to the most. To go home and get on a road bike or for me working out is kind of my relaxing time if that makes any sense at all. Unfortunately I spend a lot of time on airplanes and sitting in cars, so it’s nice to really get outside a little bit.”

    DO YOU THINK CHAMPIONS IN ALL SPORTS HAVE SIMILAR ABILITIES OR TRAITS AND COULD YOU IDENTIFY SOME OF THOSE?

    “Yeah, I definitely think that’s true. If you find a way to get to the top in any sport you know the passion that it takes. I don’t care how much you’re given or how many sponsors backed you – someone always says I’ve got a lucky break, but generally people make their own luck. You need luck on your side for sure, but I think anyone that’s made it to the top in any sport has got respect for the other people in the other sports because you realize that you don’t take the media for what it is. There’s so many times that people just don’t bother to tell their story and if someone makes it, no matter if they think they’re training hard or they got all the lucky breaks – anyone that is an athlete or the best at their sport realizes that it takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice not only from them, but from everyone around them. I think that’s the common bond between every sport.”

    Coming into your first year here what do you think are realistic expectation and how do you anticipate that will go?

    “You know yesterday was really my first day to even set a base line and say, ‘okay this is where we are.’  I was fairly consistent.  I felt like our times were really good.  Having said that, I have never been in a race with 42 other cars.  So it’s going to be a huge learning experience.  Rally is just you on the track.  Honestly, I felt like I had the most trouble trying to do the qualifying laps. More than likely I will struggle a bit on being at the front at the beginning of a race.  With any luck we will be able to work as a team and get better.  I have great people around me and we’ll try to continually get the laps that I need.  We’ll just work on whatever that first base is and work up from there.  The team is basically doing everything possible to make it as easy as possible. It’s going to take time and I realize that.  I have high hopes. Every racer out there thinks they can win.  It’s just a matter of getting the time in.  I know that didn’t really answer anything.  We will just have to see how the first race goes and go from there.”  

     

    What does your competition schedule look like outside of NASCAR next year?

    “This first year in NASCAR is going to be a little difficult until August until the X Games.  I have Nitro Circus live tour that will take up some time in February and then again in March.    Definitely, working on doing a few things for X Games this year and then the focus goes 100 percent over to NASCAR.  I feel I am going to need a few rounds, a few races, and a few test sessions to really figure out where I am.  Really after every test session I need to just go home and really think about it and try to analyze what happened instead of just jumping in and pounding myself into the ground.  After every race you give yourself a little time to talk it over with the team and figure out what we need to do to improve ourselves next race. 

    My main goal is not to look like an idiot this year.  Hopefully, next year we can come in with a good game plan with some experience under our belt and really start doing well.  Obviously, I am very optimistic.  Hopefully, we will get there eventually but it’s not going to be quick but I think we have a pretty good plan.” 


    Did you get in both the Nationwide car and East Car and who directed the test from PWR?

    Basically, I was supposed to get in the Nationwide car a little bit but the weather was really cold.  So we just kind of stuck with the East car which was a lot of fun.  Michael (Waltrip) didn’t get out to the test but it was good to get to know the whole crew and the mechanics.  Matt Crafton was probably the greatest help.  Crew chief Jerry (Baxter) was awesome.  He said look, it’s going to be a difficult learning curve but I really think you are a lot better than what we expected and you didn’t hit a wall. “

    In general why do this?  You don’t really need to do this for your career or reputation why do it?

    “For me it’s all about waking up every morning with a passion.  I have always been one to switch maybe before I needed to or maybe before other people thought it was wise.  I think if you are passionate about something you can find a way to make it happen.  In my 27 years I have been able to chase a lot of different dreams and I feel like I have done as much as I can do in that sport or been as successful as I want to.  I need to wake up every morning thinking about nothing else other than what it’s going to take to get to the top of whatever sport I am in.  I think this is the biggest challenge that I have ever had and it’s going to take a lot of time, but I am willing to put the time in.”

     

    Do you have kind of a comprehension of how much time it’s going to take and are you ready to give up some of your other activities in order to focus on this more?

    “For sure, there is going to come a time when I need to focus on this more and that time is fast approaching.  I want to get a background of the entire sport.  I watched it on TV all the time but unlike what Cole Trickle said the coverage on ESPN might not be fully comprehensive as a learning tool.  It’s going to take a lot of time and effort.  I have gotten to know a lot of guys through Red Bull like Brian Vickers and guys that have come from California like Rick Johnson and Jimmie Johnson.  They are all convinced that I am going to hit a lot of walls and it’s going to be a rough learning curve.  However, everyone is really behind me in trying to help out as much as they can. I am optimistic that I can do this and we are going to give it everything we got to give a legitimate effort.   

    DID CARL EDWARDS GIVE YOU AN ADVICE AT THE RACE OF CHAMPIONS?
    “I gave Carl a hard time because we did the Nations Cup and I won two of the three races, and Carl had some really tough draws and didn’t win a race. But, he came back at me and said, ‘when I’m lapping you for the third time in your first Nationwide race I’m going to put you in the wall.’ I mean, he was joking, but the best advice he gave me was – don’t expect to be running up front for a while. He’s really a funny guy though – definitely I’m going to be looking for a lot of advice. Everyone keeps saying that they are open for questions, but it wasn’t until I got in this car yesterday that I even knew what I should ask. Rick Johnson, who is one of my heroes from motocross, we had done the Catalina GP on motorcycles and he had driven some truck stuff – he had basically said, ‘look, you’re going to want to come in too hard. You’re going to want to overdrive the corners and you’re going to think that you’re making up time, but end up losing time going down the straight-aways.’ Which is pretty basic thinking and philosophy – okay, just be smooth. But as a motocross racer you just want to charge in and make up the time there and pretty much all of telemetry was telling me that is exactly what I was doing. I was braking later than everybody, braking harder than everybody and slowing down more than everybody and not really being able to set the car up for exit. I think it’s all just time and learning how to slow down in order to go faster.”

    AT DIFFERENT TIMES WHEN YOU’VE WOKE UP IN THE MORNING YOU’VE SEEN A MOTOCROSS DRIVER, A RALLY DRIVER … WHAT DO YOU SEE NOW?

    “As with rally it took two years of everybody laughing and joking and saying, ‘oh you jumped right into the top series. You’re going to crash a lot. You’re never going to make it. It’s not going to be good,’ and yeah, they were mostly right for a few rounds. Then we just really buckled down and knew what we needed to work on and that was such an awesome challenge to overcome all of the people that said I couldn’t make it.  That’s my whole life. I was groomed as a racer. I went into freestyle and everybody said that there is such thing as the sport of freestyle – that’s where the guys that can’t make it in motocross go. And now freestyle may even be a bigger sport than motocross is itself. It’s just been a combination of a lot of luck and a lot of hard work. I really think that when I look in the mirror, I mean, I don’t see a NASCAR driver yet … but I sure hope I see myself as one here real soon. But we’ll see what happens.”

    How long do you think it will take to get the rally driving style out of your head to convert to the NASCAR Series?

    “I think it is going to be really difficult because my biggest asset in both motocross and rally is the ability to charge when the chips are on the line. Whatever the situation, I could find the time. In stock car racing, you can’t find a lot of time but you certainly can lose it. I think that is going to be the biggest thing. In motocross you see something two seconds in front of you and you can close your eyes and do a wheelie into a whoop section. In rally, you listen to what your co-driver says and if you think you can hold it wide open over a crest, it doesn’t matter if it’s snowing with both your headlights busted out and a 100 foot cliff on your right, you do it. With NASCAR it is not that simple. It’s like any circuit racing. There is nothing you can blindly launch into. It’s going to be a big challenge and not be able to simply just go faster. You have to do it through technique and skill. That’s going to take some time.”

    You lent your name to Pastrana-Waltrip Racing, how much if anything are you going to do in the day-to-day operations of the company?

    “Our goals are the same. Michael is looking at is as an opportunity to see what these action-sports guys can do. Here’s a chance and we’ll start with you. If I fail, then the whole thing kind of goes downhill. For me, it’s about the business plan and what we hope to accomplish than the day-to-day thing for now. I really hope to spend more time in the future with everything that goes on behind the scenes of a race team. Right now my focus is on driving. Michael is in a little different boat where his focus is to provide the best cars and team possible to allow me to get there so we can fulfill both of our goals which is to merge these two worlds together.”

    When you made the decision to do this were the people that you knew that you raced with, your fans, were they mostly on board or did you have to do some convincing?

    “There was a little bit of both. Anyone who is given the opportunity to race in NASCAR and says they wouldn’t is flat out lying. Having said that, I think a lot of people have always seen me as someone who does something with that. From racing bikes, that’s where all the money was and turned down a big contract to go into rally which hardly had any money and turned down a big contract to go into Freestyle which at the time basically you were paying your way to get there. Now you are going into something that people perceive as what you do as a financial thing. Nothing I have done has been for that reason. Honestly if it is about the money, you would never make it. There has got to be a passion burning inside you that is greater than any financial gain or greater than anyone else could put in you to try and be the best at something. For me this was something I needed to do to just see if I could do it. I always sat down to watch Daytona which there was about 200 of us at a little go-kart track. About three years ago I had the chance to run a Silver Crown car and from that point on, I have been trying to get involved with this. It’s 50-50. Half the people are really excited and believe I will do well. They tell me to go for it. The other half just doesn’t understand what NASCAR is all about. Jeff Gordon told me something a few years ago that really stood out. I said, ‘Man you get to run an F1 car. How cool and awesome was that?’ He kind of shrugged and said, ‘It was fun but for me it’s not the driving. It’s the competition.’ I think I kind of reiterated that too much in this interview but that is what NASCAR brings to the table. It’s something that action sports and everyone can really relate if they allow themselves to see it for what it is. It’s not that you are just turning left. It’s obviously not that simple otherwise everybody would be doing it.”

     

    In working with crew chief Jerry Baxter, how did the changes you suggested feel to you and in general, how were you able to relate to the changes?

    “Jerry Baxter is awesome and a really funny guy. What is really neat about it and this whole Waltrip-Pastrana race team, they are all about having fun. They were busting my chops yesterday, but at the same time, they are very serious. I think what really related was Jerry told me the car was pretty much set up. If I had anything that was really killing me, they would change it. But it was more about getting the time in the car. When we go to a race, I don’t care how I did at first. It would be my base. The focus is to get all the laps in. It’s about working the race from the ground up as opposed to just go out there and dominate. After my first season in Rally, my team manager said the same thing. I was crashing out of a race. Testing was too expensive to do all the time. Since I was crashing out of the races, I wasn’t getting the experience I needed. The team wanted me to finish 10th instead of crashing out. I started out finishing eighth and seventh and then I started getting some podiums. I ended up winning the championship at the end of the year because of consistency and not on winning. I think that’s what I really saw very similar in the approach to this and the approach to how I started doing well in Rally. It’s really good to have Jerry and someone who has been around and worked for these different race teams. He really understands the sport. I think it’s going to be a good match.”

    If it was up to you, when would you want to test a stock car again? When is the next actual scheduled test?

    “If it was up to me, I would want to be in the car again tomorrow. The next scheduled test is in early January. I definitely need to get in as much testing as I can before the race at the end of January. The guys told me to go home and sit on it and think about it. When I come back, I will be better for having thought about it and thought about what my mistakes were … thought about what I could improve. And instead of feeding my bad habits, every time I go out there, I am to have a purpose. I think it’s good to have a whole team behind you. I’m not saying that I didn’t have that in motorcycles, but I think if I had what I have in Rally and now with this NASCAR team, if I had that in motocross, I probably would have been a lot better off for championships.

    Has there been a time when you have momentarily failed at something and how might that help you with NASCAR. NASCAR appears to be as tough a challenge as what you faced even based on what some other folks have tried to do in the past.

    “I failed at pretty much everything I have tried to do. Initially you have high expectations and when you come from one sport where you are winning it is very difficult to accept not winning. I think it is the greatest asset and the greatest problem or hindrance. When I was in motocross, I won right away in the 125 class. Then I had a lot of trouble adapting to the bigger 250 motorcycle. Free Style went pretty well from the very beginning. Rally, it took me a long time to really figure it out. It’s difficult when you come in and it’s not under the radar. I’m not doing what Ricky Carmichael did. He did a great job coming into NASCAR and keeping a low profile. He really learned the ins and outs. He’s done great in some Nationwide races this year. He’s not winning but for a guy that hasn’t had a lot of car experience he is doing really well. He’s putting in the time and he knows what it takes to win. He’s got a great team. I think I can do the same. Like you said, it is going to be really difficult at the end of — maybe the first race or maybe the first four races … people may think because we’re not winning, we suck. All of the media that may have been positive and nice and great so far … there may be some I told you sos or see you can’t do it. It might take everyone at Waltrip-Pastrana Racing to step up and say this is what we need to do to win. Let’s not prove them right. Let’s make sure. Maybe it’s a year or two down the road to find our way to the top.”

    What will be the toughest for you … Not winning right away or trying to figure things out? Or people asking why aren’t you winning.

    “For me, it’s about having a good three-year program. I realize that it’s not going to be easy. I realize people are going to expect a lot. It’s not going to be something that’s going to happen right off the bat. Yeah, it’s going to be difficult when you go to every race and say maybe I qualify good for somewhere and you are excited and you have a chance to move up but the car or I am not quite good enough whatever the case may be to say lets settle for 15th place here and let’s get the track experience. I think that is going to be difficult especially if I think if I push a little bit harder I should be able to move up to 10th to beat this guy or do whatever. I think I should have a good spotter, a good crew chief, a good team. I just need to have everyone keep me and move me in the right direction. I can’t let certain things get the best of me. We have to do this methodically. It’s going to be rough. There is no doubt about it. There will be a time, probably very shortly after the first race where everyone is going to say that I am not going to make it. But I really believe in myself and my team.”

  • Brett Moffitt Plans to Follow MWR Teammate Ryan Truex to East Series Championship

    Brett Moffitt Plans to Follow MWR Teammate Ryan Truex to East Series Championship

    Up and coming NASCAR driver Brett Moffitt will soon take the wheel of the race car formerly driven by Ryan Truex, the two-time K & N Pro Series East champion and little brother of Cup driver Martin Truex, Jr. Michael Waltrip Racing’s newest addition also plans to follow in Truex’s footsteps by winning the East Series championship in 2011.

    “We’re really excited,” Moffitt said of his new Michael Waltrip Racing ride. “It’s really a good fit right now for where I’m at in my career and what they are looking to do. I’m really excited to try to run for their third consecutive championship in the East Series.”

    [media-credit name=”Brett Moffitt Racing” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Moffitt credits his “good PR lady Michelle” for talking to Ty Norris at MWR and securing his new ride. As are many drivers, Moffitt continues to search for sponsors for the car, the No. 00 so familiar to Michael Waltrip Racing fans.

    Moffitt will be running the full K&N Pro Series East schedule in 2011, from Greenville-Pickens Speedway where he won his first ever pole, to the Monster Mile where he won a race in the 2010 season. This is the third year that Moffitt has raced the East Series, finishing third and then second in points, last year and this year respectively.

    “My first year in the Series, I ended up third in points with Andy Santerre Motorsports,” Moffitt said. “This past year with Joe Gibbs Racing, I ended up second in points. So, if I continue that trend, then I should be the champion next year.”

    Moffitt will also have the same crew chief, Mike Greci, who took Ryan Truex to his championships. In addition to the two East titles with Truex in 2009 and 2010, Greci has won two other East championships, both with Mike Stefanik in 1997 and 1998.

    “I’ll also have the same crew that Truex had on his team,” Moffitt said. “Travis Pastrana will also be running some West races for the team but they really don’t know what he’s going to do yet.”

    Pastrana, who will be Moffitt’s teammate in the companion West Series, actually did some testing in Florida this week at New Smyrna Speedway. He intends to make his NASCAR debut at the Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale in January 2011.

    In addition to having an action sports star as a teammate, Moffitt also knows that he has big shoes to fill as he follows in Champion Ryan Truex’s footsteps.

    “I’m excited. I’m ready to go out there,” Moffitt said. “I’ve had a lot of fast cars these past two years but a lot of bad luck. Hopefully we can turn that luck around and I’m looking forward to the first race just to see how we do.”

    The young driver, just 18 years old, also knows that he is very fortunate to even have a ride, given the toll of the economy, especially on the more local tiers of NASCAR racing.

    “This is an amazing opportunity,” Moffitt said. “At this point with how hard it is to find sponsors and what not, to be able to know during the off season what you are doing next year is really quite a relief. It’s stressful trying to find out what you’re going to do, but I’m definitely excited to be in the position I am right now.”

    With his ride in hand and his plans secure, Moffitt now intends to focus on preparing for the 2011 season.
    “I’ll be doing a lot of personal training,” Moffitt said. “We’re going testing right in the middle of January so that will help our team and help me more.”

    Moffitt, a native of Grimes, Iowa, will continue to live with his parents next year. But he is anxious to move to North Carolina, “if only his parents would allow” him to make the move.

    Moffitt will be celebrating the holidays in what he calls “snow-covered Iowa.” He, like so many others, has recently spent a great deal of time in airports, experiencing the delays that only Mother Nature can share at this time of year.

    As he waits, however, he is most definitely counting all of his blessings as he contemplates the 2011 season.

    “This is a heck of an opportunity,” Moffitt said. “I’m honored they chose me to contend for another championship. I plan to show them they made the right decision.”

    “We have a lot of faith in Brett,” car owner Michael Waltrip said. “We saw what he did the last two years on the track and we are confident he will do well with us. I think MWR fans and NASCAR fans are really going to like him.”

  • Panther Racing Signs Rookie JR Hildebrand to Multi-Year Contract

    Former Firestone Indy Lights Champion to Pilot No. 4 National Guard Panther Entry in 2011

    INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – (December 14, 2010) – Two-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion Panther Racing announced today it has signed California native JR Hildebrand to a multi-year contract agreement. The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights champion will replace Dan Wheldon and take over the reins of the No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing entry for the 2011 IndyCar Series season.

    Hildebrand, of Sausalito, California, won the Firestone Indy Lights championship in 2009 after capturing a total of four victories, six poles, 11 Top Five and 12 Top Ten finishes in 15 starts in the series. Last year, he made his IZOD IndyCar Series debut with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and also started at Infineon Raceway, where he ran as high as fourth position and posted the fastest lap of the race. The 22-year-old has tested an IndyCar Series machine at Kansas Speedway in 2009 with the team formerly known as Andretti-Green Racing and also tested a Formula One car with Force India F-1 at Jerez in December of last year.

    “I couldn’t be more excited to be at Panther Racing and a part of the National Guard,” Hildebrand said. “This is my first full-time IndyCar ride and the Panther No. 4 car is one of the best seats in the IZOD IndyCar Series, so to be able to start my career with a team with this kind of pedigree is just huge. I already feel with the small amount of experiences I’ve had here, and just being around the shop, that it’s going to be a great fit for all of us. I’m more than honored to be in a position to represent the National Guard, and I’ve already got a small taste of all the programs I’ll be a part of through this sponsorship, and I just couldn’t be more excited to get more involved in everything that goes along with this partnership. I’m certainly excited about this opportunity and I’m definitely looking forward to every piece of this program moving forward.”

    Panther Racing CEO & Managing Partner John Barnes had Hildebrand on his short list of candidates throughout the offseason, but after a two-day test last week at Phoenix International Raceway, there was no doubt he had found his driver. Hildebrand now becomes the sixth driver to pilot Panther’s No. 4 entry, joining Scott Goodyear (1998-2000), Sam Hornish Jr. (2001-2003), Tomas Scheckter (2004-2005), Vitor Meira (2006-2008) and Wheldon (2009-2010).

    “JR is an extremely impressive young man, and he’s going to be a great fit for the National Guard and Panther Racing,” Barnes said. “We took a very calculated and methodical approach to making this decision because anybody who represents the 350,000 Soldiers in the National Guard has a tremendous responsibility both inside and outside the racecar. We feel like JR is going to be a tremendous asset to the IZOD IndyCar Series, and what really set him apart is his ambition and his intelligence – this is a kid who was a National Merit Scholar, and accepted to M.I.T. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). We tested him at Phoenix last week and brought along my friend Al Unser Jr. to help us with the evaluation, and all of us knew by lunchtime of the first day that we’d found the next driver of the No. 4 car. We know we all have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but our expectations are very high for the 2011 season.”

    Unser Jr., the two-time Indianapolis 500 champion, was immediately impressed with Hildebrand during the team’s two-day test at Phoenix International Raceway.

    “He’s extremely talented,” Unser Jr. said. “He’s got a great team at Panther Racing, and he’s going to come across a lot of different challenges, and he’s very calm, very collected and mature. What I like about him is that he’s come out of Firestone Indy Lights, and he’s shown that series has been very good for him and all of that is very positive as he moves into the next phase of his career.”

    This season will mark the fourth year the National Guard has been primary sponsor of the No. 4 car, and Panther has finished runner-up in three consecutive Indianapolis 500s with National Guard backing; with Vitor Meira in 2008 and 2009-10 with Wheldon. Last season the team finished ninth in the IZOD IndyCar Series points championship. Hildebrand becomes the first American driver to race full-time for Panther since Hornish Jr. in 2003.

    “The National Guard is very pleased to welcome JR Hildebrand to our team,” LTC Bill Dones, Chief of the National Guard Advertising Branch, said. “For such a young guy, he’s had many impressive achievements during his career. That said, we think his best races are ahead of him. JR’s youth, along with his accomplishments, make him a driver whom the men and women of the National Guard will be proud to have representing them in the National Guard No.4 car. We look forward to our partnership and to joining him on Victory Lane in the 2011 season.”

    Panther Racing has captured a total of 28 race victories in its history (15 IndyCar, 13 Indy Lights) and won back-to-back IZOD IndyCar Series championships in 2001 and 2002 and also collected the 2003 Firestone Indy Lights crown. This year will be the team’s 14th season of competition in open-wheel racing.

  • BIFFLE HONORS DAA NORTHWEST SPEC MOTOR SERIES PRESENTED BY SHERWIN WILLIAMS CHAMPION AT HOMETOWN BANQUET

    CONCORD, N.C. (Dec. 13, 2010) – Following the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Banquet in Las Vegas, where Greg Biffle was honored for finishing sixth in the point standings, he traveled home to Vancouver, Wash. to honor a few of the local dirt track racers. Biffle co-hosted the awards banquet for the DAA Northwest Spec Motor Series presented by Sherwin Williams along with MRN personality Paul Bartholomew on Sunday, Dec. 5 at the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver. The night culminated with the presentation of the champion’s trophy to 32 year-old Greg Walters of Banks, Oregon.

    Walters won the 2010 series championship in the final lap of the final race by just inches over second-place contender Jason Wines at Southern Oregon Speedway. The local series consisted of 18 races at six racetracks in the northwest. Earlier this year, Biffle announced his partnership with two of the tracks on the circuit – Sunset Speedway Park and Grays Harbor Raceway.

    “I grew up racing in the Northwest and I really enjoy the local short-track racing,” said Biffle. “The reality is that local racing was dying in the Northwest. I knew guys out there who wanted to continue to race on Friday and Saturday nights and we were able to come up with a way that made it affordable. We were also able to bring DAA Northwest and Sherwin Williams on board for this inaugural season.”

    “It was an impressive first year with the most incredible fight for the championship that came down to the last lap of the last race,” added Biffle. “I really enjoyed going home last weekend to recognize the competitors and sponsors that made what started as just an idea become a successful reality.”

    For more information about the DAA Northwest Spec Motor Series presented by Sherwin Williams, visit www.daanwspecmotorseries.com/.

    About Roush Fenway Racing

    Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating eight motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and four in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Colin Braun, Paul Menard and Trevor Bayne. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto http://www.roushfenway.com/ www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway. And for sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645. 

  • AUTO CLUB BUILDS ON PARTNERSHIP WITH PENSKE RACING ACROSS NASCAR SPRINT CUP, IZOD INDYCAR SERIES TEAMS

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (December 7, 2010) – Penske Racing and the Automobile Club of Southern California (AAA) will take their partnership to a new level beginning in 2011.The two organizations today announced a multi-year extension of their sponsorship agreement as the Automobile Club of Southern California and its affiliated clubs will sponsor Penske Racing teams competing in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the IZOD IndyCar Series.

    AAA will sponsor the No. 22 Dodge driven by 2004 Cup Series champion Kurt Busch in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In addition, AAA will also extend its support to the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2011 as a sponsor of the No. 3 Team Penske Dallara/Honda piloted by three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves.

    ”We are excited to broaden our racing affiliation with the Penske organization,” said Thomas V. McKernan, Auto Club CEO. “The extension of our agreement is just one part of our ongoing relationship with Penske which includes a truck rental member discount program and Penske auto dealerships in our vehicle purchasing program. Since starting with Penske Racing in 2008, we’ve experienced good results through our activation programs. Expanding our relationship with the Penske Racing organization to include its outstanding IndyCar team allows us to reach a distinct, diverse fan demographic, and we expect great results there, too.”

    Under the new agreement, the Auto Club will be displayed as primary sponsor for the No. 22 Dodge driven by Busch in the March 27 race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Busch will also drive the AAA Dodge at the June 5 race at Kansas Speedway and the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 6 as part of the Chase. AAA will also be a co-primary sponsor at two other events during the 2011 season – April 17 at Talladega Superspeedway and July 17 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway – and will serve as a major associate sponsor for the balance of the season on the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge.

    “The Auto Club has been a great partner with Penske Racing and I’m looking forward to welcoming them to the No. 22 Dodge team next season,” said Busch. “We will work hard to make sure the Auto Club car will be running and finishing at the front.”

    Castroneves will compete in the No. 3 Auto Club of Southern California Team Penske IndyCar at the Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 17. Castroneves will also drive the No. 3 AAA Team Penske machine at the doubleheader event at Texas Motor Speedway on June 17.

    “I am really excited to have the opportunity to drive the AAA car and represent the Auto Club,” said Castroneves. “We’ve won at both Long Beach and Texas in the past so hopefully we can welcome AAA to the team and the series with some victories in 2011.”

    The Auto Club’s sponsorship of the Team Penske IndyCar program marks another milestone in the Club’s long racing heritage. The Auto Club was one of the first organizations to sanction open-wheel automobile races in Southern California over a century ago, and AAA was the first organization to sanction the Indianapolis 500.

    “We are pleased to extend our agreement with the Auto Club and build on our relationship,” said Roger Penske. “The Auto Club and AAA have been longtime partners with Penske Truck Rental and they have been a terrific sponsor on our NASCAR teams. We look forward to adding to the relationship beginning next season with the No. 22 team and in the IZOD IndyCar Series.”

    The enhanced agreement with Penske Racing allows the Auto Club and its affiliated clubs to not only better serve its members, but will also provide an effective, highly-visible additional platform to promote its insurance products. The Auto Club’s sponsorship has also included member and employee benefits and discounts and community outreach.

    The Automobile Club of Southern California is a part of Auto Club Enterprises, the largest member of the AAA federation of motor clubs. Auto Club Enterprises serves more than 13 million members in 22 states. Most often recognized for its industry leading roadside assistance service, the Auto Club also provides members with competitively priced auto, home, life, and power sports insurance. Auto Club members have access to many additional benefits, including the AAA full service travel agency and trip planning services, AAA Discount programs, AAA Credit Card, pre-negotiated car buying program, guaranteed AAA auto repair services, and more. AAA is also active in consumer protection initiatives such as automotive testing and analysis, as well as highway, transportation, and teen driver safety programs. For more information about AAA, please visit www.AAA.com.

    Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 332 major race wins, 396 pole positions and 23 National Championships. The team has also earned 15 Indianapolis 500 victories. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.

  • Patrick Sheltra Crowned 28th ARCA Racing Series Champion at Annual Championship Awards Banquet

    (COVINGTON, Ky.) – Even eight weeks after finishing the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards season as the series champion, Patrick Sheltra continues to enjoy every day like it’s his first as the man on top. This evening, Sheltra was able to share that feeling with his family and his team, as he and Sheltra Motorsports were officially crowned ARCA champions at the series’ annual Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.

    Sheltra, of Indiantown, Fla., was among 17 drivers from the top 20 in the final point standings to be honored on stage, and left with more than $140,000 in point fund and special award earnings, as awarded by the numerous series partners at the ceremony.

    To honor Sheltra’s position as the 28th ARCA Racing Series champion in 58 seasons, ARCA president Ron Drager presented Sheltra a letter signed by Florida Governor Charlie Crist, as well as a series championship ring and a leather championship jacket featuring the series logo.

    As is the custom, a video tribute featured photographs from the champion’s youth and ascent to championship status; a special addition to this season’s edition included a special message from Sheltra’s boyhood hero, four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon.

    Joining Sheltra on stage were his parents and team co-owners, Richard and Grace, crew chief Jon Wolfe and wife Kim, team representatives Chris Knight and Brandon Hinson, and Sheltra’s guest, Chantelle Gervais. Before leaving the stage at the end of the evening, Sheltra surprised over a dozen crew members with championship trophies of their own, allowing each to introduce themselves from the podium to the hundreds gathered in the audience.

    “It’s unreal. To come here as a family-owned team and to take the championship, just like the Allgaiers and Eddie Sharp, and groups like that, is wonderful,” said Sheltra, who completed four full seasons in the ARCA Racing Series and finished 2010 with two wins and a series-leading 12 top-fives and 17 top-10 finishes. “I couldn’t have done it without my whole crew, my mom and dad, and Jon Wolfe. He’s the man. He told me (this) would work, and it did.”

    Among the top awards Sheltra received were: $15,000 for winning the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge and an additional $10,000; $6,000 from Sunoco Race Fuel; $5,000 from Messina Wildlife Management; $2,500 from the University of Northwestern Ohio; the R.E. Lightning Challenge Award; and the CGS Imaging Hard Charger of the Year Award and the Race for the Wrap. Menards merchant coach Jim Johnson presented Sheltra with a check representing his winnings from the series point fund.

    Mike Reagan, the senior vice president of brand marketing for RE/MAX International, served as the Guest of Honor and introduced a special video tribute honoring RE/MAX’s 10 years as a top series partner. SPEED television analyst Phil Parsons acted as the banquet host for the second consecutive year.

    Second-year driver Craig Goess, who finished only 20 points behind Sheltra in the final standings and contributed to one of the most exciting championship battles in series history, received the $10,000 Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell for winning a series-best three pole awards. Team owner Eddie Sharp joined Goess on stage. The team left with more than $100,000 in point fund and special award earnings after a season which saw Goess drive to one win, 10 top-fives, 15 top-10s, and a second-place finish in overall points.

    Tom Hessert was recognized on stage for finishing third in the series standings, only 105 points behind Sheltra, and was joined by team owner Briggs Cunningham. A significant portion of more than $75,000 in winnings for Hessert and Cunningham came from the $5,000 Aaron’s Lap Leader Award, which Hessert earned by leading 387 laps in eight races, more than any other driver in the series.

    Nine-time ARCA Racing Series champion Frank Kimmel was recognized with brother and crew chief Bill Kimmel for finishing fourth in the final standings, and Mikey Kile came to the stage with team owner Cathy Venturini to accept the honors for fifth place.

    Venturini’s appearance on stage was her second of the night, as she was introduced along with husband and past ARCA champion Bill Venturini earlier in the ceremony for winning the Marcum Award, annually presented to an individual or entity whose positive efforts have elevated ARCA’s motorsports stature to the benefit of all associated. Bill Venturini won his first ARCA Racing Series event and the Rookie of the Year Award in 1983, and the family has remained a key part of the series since then.

    Son Billy Venturini, team manager for Venturini Motorsports, and nephew Tom Venturini, a marketing representative for the team, also attended the banquet. Billy Venturini finished in ninth place in the final owner point standings and appeared on stage with Steve Arpin, who finished in 12th place in driver points after winning three races to top the series. Arpin also won the National Speed Sport News Most Popular Driver Award – for the second consecutive year – and Billy Venturini accepted $5,000 from Hoosier Racing Tire for the most wins by a car owner.

    Additional on-stage honorees from the top 10 in the final standings were Justin Marks and team representative Nate Thiesse (sixth); Dakoda Armstrong and team owner Kerry Scherer (seventh); Joey Coulter and team owner Joseph Coulter (eighth); Tim George Jr. and crew chief Gere Kennon (ninth); and Bryan Silas and team owner Andy Hillenburg (10th).

    Armstrong received the RE/MAX Rookie of the Year Award, as presented by Reagan, and Scherer won the Spirit Award for his dedication and support of ARCA, his uplifting spirit by way of example, and perseverance and positive attitude. Coulter won the Bill France Four Crown Award for his performance in a diverse series of four races in August.

    To complete the honoring of the top 20 drivers, Robb Brent (11th), Darrell Basham (14th), Chad McCumbee (15th), Brad Smith (16th), Rob Jones (17th), James Hylton (19th), and Chris Buescher (20th) visited the stage to receive congratulations. McCumbee also received the annual H.G. Adcox Sportsman of the Year Award.

    Jeff Kettman accepted the Manufacturer Championship on behalf of Chevrolet, and Venturini Motorsports teammates Kevin Reed and Mike Bartlett accepted the Cometic Crew Chief of the Year and Klotz Engine Mechanic of the Year Awards, respectively.

    Andy O’Neal, dean of the College of Technology of the University of Northwestern Ohio – ARCA’s Official High Performance Education University – awarded a group of ARCA scholarships on behalf of the university. Likewise, Parsons announced the winners of the Bob Loga Memorial ARCA Scholarships; Chelsea Wasnich of Toledo, Ohio won $1500 and will attend Bowling Green State University, and Callie Sheffer of Fayetteville, Ga. won $500 and will attend Clemson University.

    A press conference in the afternoon included major series and team announcements, as well as a host of special awards not distributed at the Championship Awards Banquet.

    The 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season will mark the sanctioning body’s 59th year of competition and commences with the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 12. The event will air live on SPEED.

    The complete 2011 event schedule is available at ARCARacing.com.

    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.

  • ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Officially Unveiled at Championship Awards Banquet Press Conference

    (COVINGTON, Ky.) – Officials from the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) and Menards® announced today a partnership which will position the Eau Claire, Wisc.-based home improvement retail chain as the official presenting sponsor of the ARCA Racing Series for the 2011 season. The announcement and official logo unveiling helped to highlight the annual Championship Awards Banquet press conference at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.

    The 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season will open Saturday, February 12 at Daytona International Speedway, and will feature 19 races, many of which are in the direct footprint of the Menards retail area. Menards features over 250 stores in a total of 12 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. In all, states featuring Menards stores will host 13 of the series’ 19 races in 2011.

    “Menards is involved in racing because we are race fans,” said Jim Johnson, merchant coach for Menards. “We want to be in the racing community, and we think that the race fan is our customer.”

    Also appearing at the Championship Awards Banquet press conference were representatives of the two major vendor partners in Menards’ relationship with ARCA, Ansell Protective Products and Messina Wildlife Management. Corey Haugen, the national accounts manager for the Red Bank, N.J.-headquartered Ansell, and James Messina, vice president of the Washington, N.J.-based Messina, both spoke to offer their support for Menards and the overall series partnership.

    Menards, the Official Home Improvement Store of ARCA, enters its first season as the lone presenting sponsor, but is experienced as a key partner after serving as a presenting sponsor of the series in 2010 with outgoing RE/MAX International, which also served for nine years (2001-09) as a title sponsor.

    “ARCA and Menards have established a very solid understanding of the opportunities and responsibilities on each side of this agreement after one full year of a presenting series sponsorship,” said Mark Gundrum, vice president of marketing and communications for ARCA. “We feel that the proven results of the successful Menards vendor program open the door for substantial growth of this partnership in the future.”

    The major connection between ARCA and Menards stretches back to 2009, the company’s first year as a significant series partner. Menards acts as the title sponsor of the series’ pole award, the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell.

    Menards is also visible on track in the ARCA Racing Series. With Ansell, Menards is a co-primary sponsor of the No. 44 Kimmel Racing Ford and nine-time ARCA Racing Series champion Frank Kimmel.

    Menards home improvement stores are well-known throughout the Midwest for a complete selection of high-quality, name-brand merchandise, tools for any job, and state-of-the-art in-store computers to help guests design their special projects. Menards carries the materials and tools for all home improvement projects from just needing a light bulb or can of paint to building a deck or new home.

    Most Menards stores also carry name-brand appliances, pet products, lawn and garden supplies, and even a line of convenience groceries as a one-stop shopping experience. With home improvement at the forefront of today’s do-it-yourself market, Menardsprovides a valuable resource for the entire community. Menards creates employment opportunities and economic growth while fulfilling the various home improvement needs of local homeowners, tenants, and business owners.

    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.

  • The World’s Longest Motor Racing Event

    The World’s Longest Motor Racing Event

    For those of you who thought racing was done for the season, guess what, it’s still going. Out in Willows, California, the race known as The World’s Longest Motor Racing Event is running right now.

    “It was a little sketchy out there on racing slicks and not on rain tires. And certainly when it was starting to rain hard on the back section of the track.

    “We managed to skate by and get it up front, we’re pretty happy.” This information came to us after Dave qualified his Ford GT Xtreme third for the “25 hours Of Thunderhill,” held this weekend in Willows, CA.

    Smith will be the initial driver of the Team Copa Genoa Racing Ford. Powered by Red Line Oil and Primary Sponsor Copa Cachaca with assistance from Hyperfocus Motorsports, Muscle Milk, Go Pro Cameras, 15th street fitness along with Freightliner and Sport RV

    Smith has run the Thunderhill race for the past four years. His experience at the track will be essential as many variables from dry, wet and even snow conditions could be prevalent at the track. This year, rains have set in and will provide a heavy challenge for even the most experienced driver like Smith.

    “It makes for difficult track conditions and many people are losing a lot of grip out there. (The Race) has mainly amateur drivers on track but is picking up an interest with pro racers.”

    “The amateurs have a learning curve out here with guys flying off and back onto the track which brings road debris back onto the track, making it difficult to drive on and the visibility is poor.”

    Joining Smith will be Jared Thompson, also from the Russell Racing School who also is an up and coming drifter (Formula Drift Racing). The added talents of Martin Hansen the young 21 year old Swedish Road Racing sensation who has a background of racing American Muscle Cars back in his home country and has developed a true passion in the states where many in his country are following his efforts here.

    The three are joined by amateur race car driver and owner Steve Tarpley along with Jason Montgomery VP of Copa, who Smith teaches both at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. Tarpley and Montgomery started road course driving in personal vehicles on track, where both migrated into full race prepared machines.

    Tarpley developed a street legal Ford GT based on the 2005 model into a purpose built race machine specifically for the Thunderhill race. The power plant is a 5.4 Liter Supercharged V8 engine that has 700 horsepower under the hood.

    Add into the fact that Smith and his co-drivers will be racing in a field of 60 other cars in three classes on the track. It gets congested out there where your windshield gets very, very dirty and difficult to see the car in front of you.

    Smith commented that the differences between the Pro and Amateur drivers bring a wide variance of lap times which can bring challenges to even the most experienced racer.

    “Most of the pros are driving high end (Mazda)MX-5 Cup Miata’s or Porsche Cup Cars and their not used to driving with amateur guys out there so their patience wears thin. Their frustration goes up with the amateur mistakes on track where the pro drivers are not used to seeing those errors anymore, making it difficult for them.”

    “With the amateur drivers, they can be easily intimidated by the Pro drivers coming up on them where they make mistakes where they can take their eyes off of the road.

    There are so many challenges out there. It’s one of those races that anything can happen.”

    Thunderhill is a three mile fifteen turn road course with numerous elevation changes. The track can be a challenge for the drivers. One section of the track is named “The Cyclone.” This part of the track has a steep elevation change with two sharp corners. The race uses a lower section of The Cyclone which offers its own challenges.

    “The lower road is called the bypass which has a blind corner going up over a hill which (the drivers) call it “The Jump.” “When you jump over it, it has an off-camber landing to it.”

    “You never know who’s spun out on the other side. A lot of people make the mistake as they go up and over that portion of the track.”

    The other challenge for the drivers will be near the end of the circuit where turns 11 through 13 are a sharp left followed by a quick right and left esses corners. You have to be on the throttle and shifting at the same time. “You can unbalance the car easily, if you make the wrong up shift. A lot of people make mistakes there,” said Smith.

    With the race being 25 hours, not only the weather brings challenges, but the lack of lighting on the track will bring its own challenges. “When it gets dark on the track every corner can be a challenge.

    “Every straightaway can be a challenge because there’s so many cars on the track you are trying to decide if you want to thread the needle past a few cars that are slower hoping that they see you and they don’t move over and take you out.

    One wrong move can take a team out for the race that has a huge investment. The Thunderhill race is a non-paying race that teams from many countries come out to get ready for the 24 hours of Daytona. Sometimes the budgets for teams at Thunderhill can equal the Daytona race.

    Smith commented that, “Tarpley’s passion for Ford and the respect he has for Ford Motor Company and the GT, bringing that car back after the history it has had.” Smith added, “The GT has had a history overseas as well.” The GT has won 4 24 hours of LeMans events in the 60’s.

    “Steve (Tarpley) is a promising amateur driver and he’s just happy to be out there with some pro guys with representing Ford with his efforts.” Tarpley hopes that the efforts will bring an ongoing partnership driving the GT.

    In a separate interview Tarpley stated, “My love of the Ford GT and the respect for the company that built such an iconic car, coupled with the legacy of the original Ford GT40 and its race heritage motivated me to have a car that could compete in the longest road race in North America.”

    With an endurance race such as the 25 hours at Thunderhill the setup of the car is essential, even with tires that are used. “We will be using Hoosier and Dunlap tires during the event. The Dunlaps prove to be long lasting. We will be able to get a lot of miles out of that.

    “The Hoosiers seem to stick better.” Smith informed us that if the driver were to be in the car over the duration that included stops and no driver change, they would use the Dunlaps for over all racing. If there were to be a driver change, the Hoosier’s would be placed on the car to gain the time lost on pit road.

    “The Crew Chief is John Rock who was an integral part of the build of this car. Jon has a long time history in IndyCar and Indy Lights as a crew chief and fabricator.”

    “With John’s skill set, he has been able to keep us confortable in the car. We literally built the car to withstand endurance racing.”

    The team has adjusted the car to use third and fourth gear during the race to lessen the usage on the transmission. The team also has set the engine to use less horsepower to increase the fuel mileage for the long run.

    “We have a really good shot at winning this race. As long as we can be mistake free in the pits and the drivers being mistake free we have a good chance of being on the podium.”

    Rock hails from Genoa Racing. The team manager is Ed Nelson who has many years of experience from several 24 hours of Daytona and LeMans events. “It’s those two guys who oversaw the build of the car.”

    Smith adds his thanks to Robertson Racing with the assistance with the GT build. The team has assembled a variety of talent for pit road duties to assist in the capture of the podium. “You can see the professionalism the team has shown out here,” Smith informs us.

    Here is a fact that may surprise many readers, the race, billed as the longest endurance motor event in the world, does not award any prize money. When asked what was the key attraction without a purse, Smith responded, “The adverse conditions in Willows, California, overcoming the weather it makes for a very big challenge and for us personally we want to accomplish this race and make this car last before we move further into the top professional level.”

    Smith and the team has the goal of Daytona in 2011 or 2012. The race at Thunderhill is the preparation for that race as well as seat time for the amateur drivers. The race assists teams to get ready for the next season.

    “To have success at Thunderhill our partners, our sponsors, our team owner would be a big boost in wanting to go to the top level in bringing this effort to Daytona, even LeMans. This is just some of the reasons to come here, as it is for many teams.”

    When asked about his biggest threat at the race Smith said that Mercer Motorsports (Who landed the pole for the race today) was the big challenge with the collaborative efforts with Flying Lizard Motorsports who are top level Grand-Am and ALMS teams and drivers who are fielding a Porsche GT3 Cup car.

    “It’s really Porsche versus the Ford GT. If everything goes right on both sides, it will be a battle to the end.” Smith tells us. Last year’s event, Mercer grabbed the win.

    Mercer will be the challenge for Smith and his co-drivers in today’s race. “They (Mercer) have been racing the entire 2010 Grand-Am and ALMS season. They are very, very proficient in everything they do.

    “We have put together a team that has not been running the entire season, but a lot of experienced guys are here for us and we feel that we can give them a run for their money.”

    Smith will be starting the race and if it a close race with Mercer, he will be the anchor for the end of the event. If the team is well ahead of Mercer, or Mercer has issues, Tarpley will close out the team’s race.

    SUN, Dec 5th – UPDATE AS OF 7am PST – Dave and Team Copa are running as the overall leaders and Team Mercer is down 11 laps. We will give a wrap up from Dave tonight.

    SpeedwayMedia will be keeping an eye on the team and provide you updates of Smith and the team. If things work out, Smith will be a regular contributor to SpeedwayMedia for the 2011 season with his racing stories and experiences.

  • THE KERN COUNTY RACEWAY: A ROLLER COASTER RIDE OF DESPAIR & EUPHORIA MAY BE FINALLY GETTING SOME GOOD NEWS

    Since the winter of 2005, California racing fans have been avidly waiting for a green flag to wave over a field of stock cars at the Kern County Raceway in Bakersfield. But the financial fortunes of the proposed state of the art motorsports facility have been on an endless five year roller coaster ride with equal parts of despair and euphoria. In other words, this project has been up and down so many times no one is quite sure how it’s going to end.

    However comments made during a recent interview by Marion Collins, one of the former major principals associated with the Kern County Raceway, during the Thanksgiving weekend may provide a reason for many race fans to be thankful.

    Upon realizing that the Kern County Raceway project wasn’t going to see completion any time soon, if indeed at all, Marion Collins and his son Larry along with Brian Olsen purchased the SRL, StockCar Racing League from promoter Steve Fensler. Under the new name of the Spears Manufacturing SRL Southwest Tour Series, the regional racing series has quickly flourished into one of the most viable racing series visiting tracks throughout the western states.

    It was a November 27th SRL race, at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, a half mile track located near Los Angeles, where race fans felt the latest wave of euphoria regarding the Kern County Raceway. The following day “Racing West”, an extremely popular motorsports website based in Thousand Oaks-California, ran a video interview with Marion Collins that was produced by their associate website “Race Scene.”

    While the central theme of this interview was centered around the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series, Collins was asked if there was any progress regarding the Kern County Raceway in Bakersfield. The fact that Collins had to choose his words very carefully was completely understandable but he did say “there seems to be a few things that are turning and going. I don’t know exactly when it’s going to happen, but I believe the race track will happen.”

    When asked if the Collins family would be having any form of involvement with the Bakersfield track, he said “the organization that’s interested in putting the program together, and the organization that we’re working with, (said) the only way they’ll buy it and finish it is if Brian, Larry and myself run it.”

    The Marion Collins comments made to “Racing West/Race Scene” during that evening was the first positive sign of life that we heard regarding the Kern County Raceway in quite a long time. However, west coast race fans need to exercise some caution, from this latest round of euphoria, because there is still a perceived lengthy process remaining before the financial and legal knots that has choked this project are untied. To fully understand that process, one has to become fully aware of the five history of the project.

    The absolute first round of despair for NASCAR sanctioned racing in Bakersfield came in October of 2005. It was the night that the Collins family officially closed the Mesa Marin Raceway following 28 years of high quality racing shows.

    When Marion Collins began construction on Mesa Marin Raceway he practically needed a high powered telescope to even find his nearest neighbor. However, over the next two decades, the Bakersfield housing boom slowly began working it’s way towards the track’s property line. Despite the massive amount of tourism dollars Mesa Marin Raceway brought to the city of Bakersfield and Kern County, local government officials saw even larger dollar signs from the potential property tax that could be generated from privately owned single family dwellings.

    In summer of 2005 Collins was informed by Kern County officials not to expect renewal of his Conditional Use Permit and he should be thinking about what he was going to do with his race track. In the aftermath of this news came a real estate offer from a local housing developer that, under the future circumstances, was just too good to refuse.

    It led to the famous final scene months later when Mesa Marin Raceway held its final October Classic weekend. True to the Collins family tradition, the weekend was loaded with outstanding racing from multiple local and regional touring divisions. But the conclusion of the evening was gut wrenching. Fans gathered on the speedway’s front stretch to share memories and hug each other while tears streamed down their faces. In a sheer note of irony, a soft rain fell over the speedway at the end of the evening. It was later discovered that the rain only fell directly on the race track property. The land and roads adjacent to Mesa Marin were completely dry.

    Two months later, December of 2005, the Bakersfield racing community and its fans gathered at the Buck Owens Crystal Palace. This evening was originally scheduled as the last ever Mesa Marin Raceway awards banquet. Instead it was a jubilant celebration of the unveiling of plans for NASCAR racing’s new home: the Kern County Raceway. There was a lot of celebrating in the house that Buck built that night.

    The artist concept boards of the new track displayed that night were eye popping. The Kern County Raceway was going to feature a high banked one half mile track, similar to Mesa Marin, with an integrated quarter mile track and a one eighth mile drag strip. The raceway was described as a joint venture between the Collins family, who were going to provide promotional and administrative management, and the Destefanis, a well known agriculture business family, who were actually going to provide the funding, estimated at the time to be $12 to $15 million, for the track’s construction.

    However the wheels of development often turns slow especially with a project this large. Fully completed plans along with environmental impact reports and the required changes that often comes with the process finally received approval from the Kern County Planning Commission in December of 2006.

    The sense of euphoria from that final approval led to even more excitement when the Kern County Raceway officially held the groundbreaking in February of 2007. The construction was set to begin immediately when racing planned for the spring of 2008.

    By the end of 2007, despair had set in again. There were rumors that said the Destefanis were having difficulty paying the construction contractors. The master plan for financing the track was reported to be based on the Destefanis selling a large parcel of agriculture zoned land. While it never officially confirmed, there were additional reports that said the purchaser of this real estate was unable to secure the bank financing to complete the deal. In other words, the beginning of the nation’s economic crisis had now set in.

    The debt structure, owed to the contractors, were reported to be in the area of $7.8 million. In February of 2008, the first of a series of mechanics liens, a legal procedure seeking payment, was officially filed against the property owners.

    A brief moment of euphoria set in, during March of 2008, when it was revealed that a group of Bakersfield area businessmen, after forming a limited liability corporation, loaned the Destefanis $4.5 million to complete the construction. However, the financial woes of the race track were far from over. By December of 2008, when it was evident that the loan could not be repaid in any timely manner an official default notice was filed by the lenders. This procedure is considered the first step towards foreclosure.

    In April of 2009 the property was officially listed as being up for auction due to the default status. However the auction date was postponed in light of the possibility that a buyer for the property had been found. That company was later revealed as being CALA Holdings Inc, a Fresno-California based sports and entertainment center corporation, who was negotiating with the Destefanis to purchase the property and the now partially completed race track for $19 million. Making this news even more interesting was a report that said the financing for the purchase was coming from a source located in the European Principality of Luxembourg.

    Despite the insistence of CALA Holdings Inc that said $5 million was en route from Luxembourg to be deposited into escrow, the funding has yet to materialize. In May of last year the Destefani family officially filed bankruptcy. The Chapter 11 protection was set in place to protect the project developers from the pending foreclosure process.

    But in May of this year that legal financial protection took a major hit when a Federal Bankruptcy Judge, based in Fresno, ruled that the lender’s foreclosure efforts could now be moved forward in light of testimony that said the funding of a potential buyer never materialized. This past June the foreclosure proceedings were reported to be complete and the lenders, who put up the original $4.5 million loan, were now the new owners of 490 acres of land including the 83 acres occupied by the partially completed race track.

    If Marion Collins’ comments, made during the course of the “Racing West/Race Scene” interview this past Thanksgiving weekend, turns out to be true and there is indeed “someone” interested in buying the land and completing the race track then it’s another source of euphoria. But we will have to be patient because the grand opening of the Kern County Raceway will be a long wait. The purchase will have to meet the financial satisfaction of the new and current owners. There is also the matter of setting the debt structure, now reported to be $5.9 million according to County records, owed to the contractors.

    Regarding the construction status of the race track, it’s reported to be approximately 75 percent complete. The half mile oval is built, the crash walls, safety fencing and track lighting are in place as is the grand stand seating. The track will require an extra layer of asphalt and the infield area will need an additional two layers of coating. Also outstanding is the construction of a three story structure that will house concessions, restrooms, a race control area as well as administrative offices. This is all extremely doable once the lengthy legal and financial concerns have been satisfied.

    Over the past five years we have ridden the roller coaster, with its up and down elements of despair and euphoria, many times waiting for the official arrival of the Kern County Raceway. The big difference here is the fact that the latest round of euphoria is coming from Marion Collins: a straight talking, honest, man whose word many feel can be trusted without exception.

    Keep your fingers crossed “left coast” racing fans and let’s hope that he’s right.

  • Knight Motorsports Management Launches For 2011 Racing Season

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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