Category: Other Series Racing

[media-credit name=”NASCAR Home Tracks” align=”alignright” width=”350″][/media-credit]MOORESVILLE, North Carolina (June 6, 2012) – – The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKPSE) tour may be heading to Gresham (Ga.) Motorsports Park this weekend for the running of the Slack Auto Parts 150 but many are still reflecting on last weekend’s race at Bowman Gray (N.C.) Stadium.

While Corey Lajoie scored his first career victory in the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150, it was fourth place finisher Harrison Rhodes in the No. 37 Chick-Fil-A Chevrolet Impala that sparked attention with an astounding fourth place finish in his first career start at one of NASCAR’s most demanding racetracks.

“I had high hopes for Bowman Gray after we tested there,” recalled Rhodes. “When we unloaded, we were solidly in the top-15 but we knew that our No. 37 Chick-Fil-A Chevrolet Impala was going to be superb on the long runs. We qualified 14^th and that’s about where we expected. We had a scuffle on the first lap, recovered from another mishap which cost us a lap and then paced ourselves back up into the top-five, avoided the chaos at the end and came home with a fourth place finish, I was ecstatic.”

Car owner and mentor Jeff Spraker was absolutely delighted with the performance of the 18-year old this past weekend. “Harrison definitely has a bright future ahead of him and it was an absolute pleasure to have him be a part of the Spraker Racing Enterprises family. He had a lot on his plate to embrace, especially at a place like Bowman-Gray, but despite the challenges we faced during the race, he never lost his composure, stayed focused and that allowed us to recover and finish fourth. It’s one of the highlights of our season thus far. Hopefully we can have him back behind the wheel of one of our cars real soon.”

Rhodes, a former competitor in the CARS Pro Cup Series expressed interest in returning to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East but said it was contingent on sponsorship. “We’re going to work hard and try and put some things in place so we can run with Jeff and his group. They are a first class bunch and I had a blast – hopefully I’ll be back with them again soon.”

Chick-Fil-A of High Point, Kernersville and Winston-Salem all helped make Rhodes inaugural NASCAR debut possible.

This weekend, Spraker Racing Enterprises will turn their attention to GMP, another high-class short-track where the veteran team will field two cars with Chad Finchum returning to the driving duties of the No. 37 and Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell steering the No. 08 Mountain Dew Chevrolet Impala.

“Gresham’s an incredible facility and we’re looking forward to having a good weekend there too,” said Spraker. “Thanks to Harrison, he has the shop literally riding on cloud nine and that’s the type of momentum you like to have going into the next race. Hopefully both Chad and Clay have good runs to keep our momentum alive.”

The Slack Auto Parts 150 (150 laps / 75 miles) at Gresham (Ga.) Motorsports Park is set for this Saturday, June 9^th with a set liftoff at 8:30 p.m. The event will be tape-delayed on SPEED with a soon-to-be determined airing date.

Mike Bliss, Dexter Bean, Drew Brannon, Clay Campbell, Kerry Earnhardt, Joey Gase, Ron Hornaday Jr., P.J. Jones, Alex Kennedy, Brandon McReynolds, Steve Park, David Ragan, Scott Riggs, David Reutimann, Harrison Rhodes, Casey Roderick, Michelle Theriault, Darrell Waltrip and Smokey Yunick are just some of the drivers that Spraker, who also has starts for himself in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series (NKNPS), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) and NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) has been affiliated with in one capacity or another through SRE.

For more information on Spraker Racing Enterprises (SRE) and its available programs, please visit sprakerracing.com.

Learn more about Harrison Rhodes by clicking on to harrisonrhodesracing.com.

Additional input on Chad Finchum can be viewed by logging onto ChadFinchum.com.

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[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”170″][/media-credit]POCONO, Pennsylvania (June 6, 2012) – – On the heels of a top-10 performance last Saturday night at Elko (Minn.) Speedway, Win-Tron Racing is hoping to carry the momentum over to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway this weekend for the running of the Pocono ARCA 200.

The Lakeville, Minnesota-based team historically known for breeding, maturing and delivering winners on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards circuit, welcomes Aleks Gregory for the first of his five race partnership behind the wheel of the No. 32 Mosquito Patch Toyota Camry.

While Gregory, a rookie hailing from Baton Rouge, Louisiana will make his Pocono Raceway debut – in a sense the entire garage will make their debut at “The Tricky Triangle” as the 2.5-mile triangle underwent a complete repavement is set to present its challenges to the teams, but the Mark Rette led team feels that they are more than ready for anything the track may throw their way.

“They are a great bunch of guys,” said Gregory. “I really like the owners Nate (Thiesse) and Kevin (Cywinski); they are very knowledgeable and great to work with. I know that Turner Motorsports is working with Win-Tron and that relationship is really beneficial to the team. I like that they have direct input from a NASCAR team. The whole crew has been great to work with, especially out in Michigan (test). They are well-organized and I definitely like the way they run their operation. I cannot wait to run my first race with them. I’m looking forward to getting our The Mosquito Patch car up to the front this weekend.”

Indeed the Michigan test was a crucial stepping stone for the avid racer as it not only allowed the 23-year old to become acquainted with his new surroundings but also prepare for next Friday’s race at Michigan International Speedway, another track that underwent a complete facelift.

“We plan to use every possible minute of practice to our advantage to dial in the No. 32 Mosquito Patch Toyota Camry,” said Rette who helped steer Brandon McReynolds to his first-career ARCA Racing Series victory last month at Talladega. I’m looking forward to working with Aleks and getting him comfortable not only with the track but with the car too. The good thing is that this is the same car that we tested with at Michigan, so he’s already knows its capabilities, but we know there’s always room for improvement. When push comes to shove, we want to have a shot to finish near the front on Saturday afternoon.”

Nate Thiesse, co-car owner of Win-Tron Racing offered his thoughts and goals on the seventh race of the season. “Obviously, there’s a lot of hype and anticipation about Aleks getting behind the wheel of the No. 32 Mosquito Patch Toyota Camry. We’re excited to have him as a part of our family but once the track opens up for business on Friday, our goals shifts on doing what we can to get Aleks comfortable and content with having a good clean race and finish on Saturday afternoon.”

Before joining the ARCA tour, Gregory launched his racing career in go-karts at the tender age of nine. In a span of five years (1990 – 2004), he delivered over 110 Sprint Class wins, in addition to five Louisiana State championships and five Gulf Coast Challenge championships. In 2008, he graduated to the World Karting Association (WKA) where he earned the Triple Crown Award for winning three separate national class championships in a single season.

In addition to Pocono, the duo will also tackle the RainEater Wiper Blades 200 at Michigan International Speedway (June 15), the Ansell / ActivArmr® 150 at Chicagoland Speedway (July 21), the Pennsylvania ARCA 125 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, (August 4) and the season-finale Kansas Lottery 98.9 at Kansas Speedway (October 19).

The Pocono ARCA 200 (80 laps / 200 miles) is the seventh of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 54^th ARCA race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway is a two-day show. Practice begins Friday, June 8 with a hour and fifty minute practice session planned from 10:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 2:05 p.m. A final fifty minute “happy hour” practice is scheduled from 5:10 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. The event will take the green flag Saturday, June 9 shortly after 1:30 p.m. The race will be televised on SPEED with a scheduled airing launch of 2:30 p.m. that afternoon. Additional coverage including timing and scoring available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online atarcaracing.com. All times are local (Eastern).

Further information including driver opportunities with Win-Tron Racing is available by visiting win-tronracing.com or contacting Nate Thiesse at 612.306.1641.

For more on Aleks Gregory, please visit aleksgregory.com.

About Win-Tron Racing:

Located in Lakeville, Minnesota, Win-Tron Racing is the home of one the most potent ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards single-car operations. Owned by former racers Kevin Cywinski and Nate Thiesse, the team since has acquired the assets of County Joe Racing has become a favorable fixture on the circuit. Since Win-Tron Racing’s inception in 2007, the team has hosted a variety of drivers including leading drivers James Buescher, Blake Bjorklund, Justin Marks and Matt Merrell to their first career ARCA victories. In 2012, the team will begin its sixth year of competition with current drivers Chris Windom, Mason Mingus and Aleks Gregory.

About The Mosquito Patch:

Headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, The Mosquito Patch (themosquitopatch.us) is an all-natural, deet free mosquito bite protection patch. The transdermal, water-proof patch attaches to the skin and provides up to 36 hours of mosquito bite protection. Because the spray-free, odor-free patch is all-natural, it is safe to use on children and adults of all ages.

No. 44 Ansell/ Menards Toyota Camry

ARCA RACING SERIES – RACE 7 OF 20 – Pocono Raceway  

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”170″][/media-credit]Pocono Raceway’s first ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards event of 2012 marks the third race in the grueling summer stretch, and Frank Kimmel and the Ansell/Menards Toyota team are ready for the challenge. Sitting fourth in series points, Kimmel is coming off yet another top-five finish after last week’s fourth place finish at Elko Speedway. The strength of two consecutive finishes in the top four have catapulted Kimmel into the top five in points heading into this weekend’s Pocono ARCA 200.

Pocono’s 2.5 mile tri-oval is sporting a facelift of new asphalt this weekend, adding yet another challenge for ARCA Racing Series competitors. As is often the case with repaved racetracks, track position may prove to be the main deciding factor which will put added importance on Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell. Not many drivers have been as consistently quick in qualifying at Pocono as Kimmel. Dating back to June of 2008, Kimmel has eight straight starts of 11th or better, six in the top five, and a pole in August 2010.

The nine-time series champion not only has momentum on his side beginning the summer stretch, but has momentum on his side at Pocono Raceway. With three previous wins at the Pennsylvania Triangle, Kimmel has a stretch of five consecutive top-ten finishes as well. Kimmel has a good chance to extend his recent streak of finishes in the top five based on his Pocono track record. 17 of his 30 starts have resulted in top five finishes (56.6%). Kimmel will chase his first win of 2012 and first Pocono win since 2006 in a brand new Toyota chassis out of Thorsport Racing.

TOP TEN STREAK: The nine-time ARCA champ is targeting his sixth consecutive top-ten finish at Pocono Raceway. Kimmel has 23 top ten finishes at Pocono, which total over 75% of his starts at the Tricky Triangle. 

POINTS REPORT: After 6 of 20 races, Kimmel sits fourth in series points, 35 points out of the lead. Thus far, Kimmel has three top-5’s and four top-10 finishes in 2012.

CLOSE TO THE FRONT: Kimmel has started 11th or better in the last eight Pocono races, including six consecutive top-five starts from June 2008-June 2011. That stretch of races included one pole position (July 2010).

CHASSIS CHOICE: Kimmel will pilot chassis A-2 out of the Thorsport Racing stable in the Pocono ARCA 200. This chassis is brand new and will see its first laps of competition this weekend.

POCONO APPEARANCES: Kimmel will be signing autographs twice during the weekend’s events surrounding the Pocono ARCA 200. Kimmel will be at the Sherman Theater in downtown Stroudsburg, PA on Friday, June 8th, from 7-8 PM. Kimmel will also be at the “Kid’s Day” autograph session Saturday morning behind the main grandstand from 9:45-10:30 AM.

THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Frank Kimmel

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”170″][/media-credit]POCONO, Pennsylvania (June 6, 2012) – – After taking a break from the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards tour last weekend at Elko (Minn.) Speedway, Josh Williams and his Josh Williams Motorsports (JWM) team turned their full attention towards the seventh race of the season – this Saturday’s Pocono ARCA 200 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

The decision to skip last weekend’s race was not easy by any means. Especially, since the team had climbed into the top-10 in the championship standings following their exceptional top-15 performance at Toledo Speedway the weekend prior. However, the Concord, North Carolina-based team is hoping that their decision to forgo the Akona 200 will pay off with the team’s second top-10 run of the year on Saturday afternoon.

“We’ve been working hard on this downforce car for a while now,” said Williams, who sits 11^th in the championship standings following his absence last weekend. It’s a really good car and collectively, we sat down as a team and decided if we wanted to go to Elko and not be fully prepared for some of the upcoming races or skip it and get ahead for the rest of the month. In the end, it wasn’t a hard decision.”

Solely focused on his inaugural Pocono debut, Williams in his No. 02 Southwest Florida Cable Construction / Shinestar Consulting Services Ford Fusion remains optimistic and feel with a little luck and some hard work – their season best finish could easily be on deck.

“There’s no doubt about it, we’re bringing a nice piece to the track but we’re hoping that reflects on the track with performance,” sounded Williams. “We’re a small team – fighting hard to make some noise in this series and I know we’re creeping up there as far as that goes. We wouldn’t be able to get to Pocono this weekend without the help of my parents, Southwest Florida Cable Construction, RoushYates and Shinestar Consulting Services, a new marketing partner for the weekend.”

Shinestar Consulting Services based in North Port, Florida provides management development and marketing support for medical device and pharmaceutical companies. Its clients include some of the largest fortune 500 companies in the United States.

With Pocono’s entire 2.5-mile triangle completely repaved, Williams isn’t sure what to expect once the track opens for practice on Friday morning but the Port Charlotte, Florida native knows that this may be a race that the fans may not soon forget.

“I think we’re going to be bunched up closely at high speeds which should produce some good racing,” explained the 18-year old. “I know everyone is up in the air with the rules package but I think the fans will get their money’s worth in the stands and at home on television.”

Experience will also be on Williams’s side this weekend as he’ll have one of the most experienced NASCAR Sprint Cup Series spotters atop of the stand helping him finesse his way through the pack. “You really don’t know what it means to have the support of a Cup spotter until you have them,” added Williams. “This is an advantage to us racing with the Cup guys. Not only am I going to rely on my spotter to help me during the race, but I’m also going to trust that he’ll help me with my line or anything else that he may have learned during Cup practice that could benefit us during the race, especially under the new circumstances of the track and all.”

The Pocono ARCA 200 (80 laps / 200 miles) is the seventh of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 54^th ARCA race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway is a two-day show. Practice begins Friday, June 8 with a hour and fifty minute practice session planned from 10:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 2:05 p.m. A final fifty minute “happy hour” practice is scheduled from 5:10 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. The event will take the green flag Saturday, June 9 shortly after 1:30 p.m. The race will be televised on SPEED with a scheduled airing launch of 2:30 p.m. that afternoon. Additional coverage including timing and scoring available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online atarcaracing.com. All times are local (Eastern).

For more information on Josh Williams, his Josh Williams Motorsports team and sponsorship opportunities for the 2012 season please connect to the team’s official website at Joshwracing.com.

[media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”170″][/media-credit]POCONO, Pennsylvania (June 6, 2012) – – On the heels of his third straight top-five performance last Saturday night at Elko (Minn.) Speedway, Tom Hessert III isn’t fazed about the new surroundings he and his Ken Schrader Racing (KSR) will face when the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards invades Pocono (Pa.) Raceway for the running of Saturday’s Pocono ARCA 200.

Even with its new look which includes a complete repavement of the 2.5-mile racetrack, the Cherry Hill, New Jersey native is hoping that veteran experience will pay off behind the wheel of the No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala.

“This weekend’s race is going to be interesting, there’s no hiding that,” said Hessert, who enters the seventh race of the season just 10 points from the points lead retained by Brennan Poole. “It’s a brand new surface and it has a lot of speed. The tapered spacer could make it tough but it will be the same for all of us, so only time will tell. Everyone’s in the dark until the first practice is over with.”

The old triangular Pocono which showcased multiple grooves for the cars to fan out along the track’s 3,740 feet frontstretch is indeed practical for Saturday’s anticipated thriller but the 26-year old is optimistic about the rest of the track.

“I think the new surface and high grip could make it one groove but the place is so wide and with so much practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, it should get racy and hopefully we’ll see the old characteristics of Pocono return. There’s just a lot of unknowns, but I think that’s just part of the excitement going there this weekend.”

Six races complete, Hessert and his Donnie Richeson led team have delivered strong results. From Daytona to Elko, the team has shown speed, patience and thus far has been on the plus side of the momentum train which has yielded three top-fives and five top-10s. Heading to Pocono, they plan to keep their surge alive.

“I’m really happy with the way our Federated Auto Parts cars are running,” sounded Hessert. “Donnie and the guys are really busting their chops to give me good pieces week in and week out and it’s showing on the race track with our results. We’re inching closer to a win and I think we’re going to be able to pull it off in ARCA’s 60^th anniversary season, it’s not a matter of if, it’s just a matter of when.”

Entering Pocono, Hessert has 89 career ARCA Racing Series starts. In those outings, he has maneuvered two poles, one win, 22 top-fives and 48 top-10s.

The Pocono ARCA 200 (80 laps / 200 miles) is the seventh of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 54^th ARCA race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway is a two-day show. Practice begins Friday, June 8 with a hour and fifty minute practice session planned from 10:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 2:05 p.m. A final fifty minute “happy hour” practice is scheduled from 5:10 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. The event will take the green flag Saturday, June 9 shortly after 1:30 p.m. The race will be televised on SPEED with a scheduled airing launch of 2:30 p.m. that afternoon. Additional coverage including timing and scoring available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online atarcaracing.com. All times are local (Eastern).

For more on Tom Hessert III, please visit tomhessert.com.

Hessert has joined the Twitter crave. Follow and connect with him @TomHessert.

[media-credit name=”poconoraceway.com” align=”alignright” width=”254″][/media-credit]POCONO, Pennsylvania (June 6, 2012) – – Despite a skeleton budget, Chad Hackenbracht and his CGH Motorsports team have stepped up to the plate and been a force to reckon with during the course of the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season.

In six races this season, the team has negotiated two top-fives and four top-10 finishes which have kept the Mooresville, North Carolina-based team in the hunt for the championship as the season presses on this weekend to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway for Saturday’s running of the Pocono ARCA 200.

The track has seen a major facelift since the New Philadelphia, Ohio native raced his way to a seventh place finish there last August. With a new surface on track, the 20-year old will rely on his team led by veteran crew chief Kevin Reed to put his No. 58 CGH Motorsports Chevrolet in contention to become the seventh different winner this year and second first-time winner during ARCA’s signature 60^th anniversary tour.

“I liked the old Pocono surface, so I’m pretty sure that I’m going to enjoy the new surface even more,” said Hackenbracht who enters this weekend’s festivities fifth in the championship standings just 50 markers from the top spot. “Everyone has their own take on what to expect this weekend. The approach we’re taking is simple. Go out there and keep doing what we’ve been doing all year.”

“Some have said that the tapered spacer will have a huge effect on how the race pans out but that still remains to be seen. The guys have really worked hard on this piece and we’re going to have some power under the hood from Pro Motors, the only thing we’re missing is someone’s name on that hood.”

While it’s clear that the team’s foreseeable future still remains cloudy, Hackenbracht knows that if he does his job behind the wheel – it will undoubtedly increase the chances of someone leaping aboard and keeping his family owned team in the hunt.

“We have room for anything,” explained Hackenbracht, who will make his 35^th career ARCA start Saturday. “One race, three races or the rest of the season, we’ll welcome anything. We were thankful to have the support of Kindify at Talladega last month and it’s those type of one-off sponsorship deals that can help keep our championship hopes alive. Hopefully we can manage our third consecutive top-10 at Pocono this weekend and just maybe the phone will start ringing and we can keep racing.”

Reed offered his outlook for this weekend’s race.

“I am looking forward to Pocono as we have had a solid year from Daytona to Elko and with two top fives four top-10s in the first six races and we’re now heading into a stretch that I feel that we have a lot of strength in we are prepared and ready for. The guys have completely rebuilt and updated all of our cars and that has showed in practice and in the races this year.”

He added, “Chad has stepped up and brought cars home clean on a weekly basis and has showed maturity and we have been able to make them better instead of having to rebuild weekly. Our intermediate program proved strong in 2011 so with Pocono and Michigan days away we are ready to capitalize. The recent rules changes should tighten an already very competitive field. Pro Motor engines has given us good horsepower all year and Pocono will be no different.”

In all, Hackenbracht will make his fifth career start at the 2.5-mile triangle of Pocono Raceway this weekend. Last year, the team gathered seventh place finishes in both races. His best starting position occurred in this same race last year where he started eighth.

CGH Motorsports still has marketing partnerships available for the 2012 ARCA Racing Series season. Interested parties can contact Jordan Dahl atJordan@cghmotorsports.com or 570.234.5449.

The Pocono ARCA 200 (80 laps / 200 miles) is the seventh of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 54^th ARCA race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway is a two-day show. Practice begins Friday, June 8 with a hour and fifty minute practice session planned from 10:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 2:05 p.m. A final fifty minute “happy hour” practice is scheduled from 5:10 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. The event will take the green flag Saturday, June 9 shortly after 1:30 p.m. The race will be televised on SPEED with a scheduled airing launch of 2:30 p.m. that afternoon. Additional coverage including timing and scoring available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online atarcaracing.com. All times are local (Eastern).

For more information on Chad Hackenbracht and CGH Motorsports, please visit ChadHackenbracht.com and CGHMotorsports.com.

To purchase the popular “What’s A Chad Hacken-Something” tee-shirt, please log on to store.cghmotorsports.com or CGHMotorsports.com.

Connect with Chad Hackenbracht and CGH Motorsports through Facebook by clicking here.

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

About CGH Motorsports:

CGH Motorsports (CGHMotorsports.com), established in 2007 by Ohio entrepreneur Greg Hackenbracht is located in a 10,000 sq. foot facility located in Mooresville, North Carolina. CGH Motorsports is home of rising sensation Chad Hackenbracht, who competed in nine ARCA Racing Series races in 2010 after an aggressive ARCA testing schedule in 2009. Chad Hackenbracht is the 2008 National Asphalt Legends champion, winning 33 percent of his races and finishing in the top-10, 85 percent of the events he competed in. The team has stepped up their commitment from a partial schedule in 2010 and ran a full-effort in 2011, and will attempt another full season of competition in 2012.

[media-credit name=”NASCAR Home Tracks” align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]Mirabel, Que. – Mother Nature was the top villain at this weekend’s NASCAR Canadian Tire Series ICAR Grand Prix, where Ron Beauchamp Jr. and his #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge crew had to adjust to inconsistent weather conditions to snag a top ten finish at Circuit ICAR.

On Saturday, the team had limited ability to practice due to the rain, but felt the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge was right on par despite only running a few laps. The crew tightened up the vehicle to prepare for drier weather the next day, adjusting a few items and changing shocks on the Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge. Scattered showers over the track cancelled qualifying, and racers were given starting positions according to the NASCAR rule book.  Beauchamp was assigned the fifth starting position for Sunday’s race.

Sunday, the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge started off the race with unexpected difficulties, as his crew went a bit too far in tightening the vehicle during practice.  Early on in the race, Beauchamp had difficulties turning the Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge. As he fought through the tighter handling on the vehicle, Beauchamp slipped back in the field and outside the top ten.

“The changes we made to the car were in the right direction, we just went too far” Beauchamp said after the race. ”In the second half of the race, I was able to muscle the car a little better and managed to run better lap times.”

A late race incident slowed the field and setup a green-white-checker dash to the finish.  On the restart several cars collided and #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge was the beneficiary of their misfortune, picking up a few spots. Beauchamp finished the race ninth overall.  “We caught a little break at the end and we’ll take the top ten finish” said the driver.  “I’m looking forward to getting to the first oval race in a couple of weeks” he added.

Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge team return to action June 16^th at the oval track at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park near Bowmanville, ON.  For more information about the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries team log on to www.beauchampmotorsports.com and www.mopar.ca

[media-credit name=”http://www.westinsouthfielddetroitblog.com” align=”alignright” width=”137″][/media-credit]DETROIT, Mich. (June 4, 2012) – Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing (SCCGR) driver Graham Rahal finished 19th at the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, on the Streets of Belle Isle. The result comes in at his 83rd IZOD IndyCar Series career start and his second event on the Streets of Belle Isle. The first time he competed on the course was the series’ last trip to Belle Isle in 2008, where he started sixth and finished 13th.

Going into Sunday’s race, Rahal posted the quickest time in the final warm-up session on the 2.07-mile street circuit that morning. He started the race from the 17th position, running as high as sixth within the first 28 laps and spent 12 laps running in the top-10 for the initial stages. Due to deteriorating track conditions, the race was red flagged 45 laps into the 90-lap event for track repair. After a two-hour delay, the race was resumed for 15-laps, taking the race to a final 60-lap distance. Coming out of the delay, the No.38 Service Central car suffered a mechanical error, causing the team to lose two laps and ultimately finish 19th.

With the result, Rahal is now 15th in the IZOD IndyCar Series point standings with 109 markers, -123 points out of the top spot.

Up next, Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing will compete in the Firestone 550, in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday, June 9 (8:00pm ET on NBC Sports Network).

SCCGR Quoteboard

Graham Rahal: “Detroit was a tough weekend for us. Our car was very fast, we fought hard, qualified well and raced very well from our 17th starting spot. We worked hard to make up some ground and unfortunately fell short with a sensor malfunction. Once the race went red we restarted and the clutch wouldn’t work. It was really a tough break and bad luck for us. However, I am proud of my team and all their effort. They have done an amazing job.”

About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, Inc.

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include four in the IZOD IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Overall his teams have 14 championships and 147 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and fourRolex 24 At Daytonas. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.

For more information log onto chipganassiracing.com

[media-credit name=”http://www.westinsouthfielddetroitblog.com” align=”alignright” width=”137″][/media-credit]DETROIT, Mich. (June 4, 2012) – Target Chip Ganassi Racing (TCGR) earned its first back-to-back one-two finishes in team history at the Raceway at Belle Isle, with Scott Dixon leading the shortened 60-lap event over teammate Dario Franchitti at the 2.096-mile street course. Last week, Franchitti led Dixon across the finish line in the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Dixon started the race from the pole in the No. 9 Target Honda and commanded the lead through the first round of green flag pit stops on Lap 32. While maintaining the lead, a full-course caution was called on Lap 40 for two disabled cars. A two-hour red flag was called on Lap 45 to make track repairs and the race was then shortened from 90 to 60 laps. Dixon led the restart with 13 laps to go as rain began to fall on portions of the course. Two additional cautions came out before Dixon was able to take the checkered flag for his first win in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season.

Franchitti started from the 14th position in the No. 10 Suave Honda and passed four cars on the opening lap to take 10th position. On Lap 24, while trying to pass a slowing car, Franchitti clipped his left front wing on the right-rear of the slowing car. Three laps later, on Lap 27, Franchitti made his scheduled pit stop. His crew surveyed the front wing damage and decided it would not impact him finishing the event, but made adjustmentsto the damaged front wing. Franchitti left pit road in the 15th position and by Lap 37 he was running eighth. After the track repairs, Franchitti restarted in sixth. He passed two cars going into Turn 1 after the restart to advance to fourth. A caution was called on Lap 47 for cars spun on the course as a light rain began to fall. On the Lap 50 restart, Franchitti gained two additional positions to take second when another caution flew on Lap 51. He restarted second on Lap 54 and followed Dixon across the finish line six laps later.

With the result, Dixon improved two positions and moved up to second in the IZOD IndyCar Series point standings with 206 points, -26 points behind leader Will Power. Franchitti improved three positions, moving up to fourth in the standings with -176 points.

Honda remains second in the manufacturer point standings with 42, closing in on Chevrolet with 48. Lotus remains is third with 24 points.

Up next for Team Target is Round 7 of the IZOD IndyCar Series is the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 9 at 8:00 pm ET on NBC Sports.

NOTES

– This was the first race at the Raceway on Belle Isle since 2008.
– Dixon led every single lap in the race (60/60).
– This is Dixon’s first win of the 2012 season and his 28th in Indy car competition.
– This marks Dixon’s third win on a street course.
– With the win, Dixon passes Johnny Rutherford for sole possession of 11th on the all-time Indy car wins list with 28. He is now one win away from tying Rick Mears for 10th with 29.
– Dixon gave TCGR its second win at the Raceway at Belle Isle (Alex Zanardi, 1998)
– This is TCGR’s 88th win and CGRT’s 147th win overall.
– This win is also the 97th win for the Target Race Program.
– The last race Dixon led every lap in was in 2003 at Richmond International Raceway. Dixon led all 206 laps on the 0.75-mile oval.
– Dixon has led at least one lap in five of the six races this season.
– Franchitti earned his 109th career top-five finish.
– With yesterday’s finish, Franchitti now has 33 top-fives on street courses.
– This is the 15th 1-2 finish for TCGR and the eighth for Dixon and Franchitti since becoming teammates in 2009.
– This is the 32nd double podium for TCGR and the 16th for Dixon and Franchitti since becoming teammates in 2009.
– This is Franchitti’s fifth top-five finish in seven starts at Belle Isle.

TCGR Quoteboard:

Scott Dixon: “I am super happy for the team – a one-two finish for the Target boys for the second week in a row. Dario must have driven so hard at the end on those red tires to get up to second. Hats off to the fans who stuck around through something that was totally unexpected. I’d like to give a lot of credit to everyone at INDYCAR and the Detroit staff for getting the track back in shape so we could race. The final 15 lap shoot-out was exciting for me – so I sure hope the fans liked it. A one–two-three finish for Honda today in a Chevy race is definitely a feather in Honda’s hat this week. It is great to be back in Detroit and I hope we are here for many years to come – great fans, volunteers and staff. In the end, it was a good week for everyone.”

Dario Franchitti: “I thought in the first couple of laps I had a chance, but I didn’t, Dixon was too quick. And with our car breaking the front wing early on, the more the run went on, the more understeer it got. But that’s not to take anything away from the job Dixie did, and a one-two for Team Target after his brilliant qualifying and my abysmal one, we’ll take it. I love driving with this team, they keep telling me just don’t give up. The pit stops are always great and they keep motivating me to keep going and I love it. And when you’ve got a teammate like Dixon, you just can’t hide, you know if you’re a little bit off he makes you look stupid, and he was awesome today.”

About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, Inc.

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include four in the IZOD IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Overall his teams have 14 championships and 147 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and four Rolex 24 At Daytonas. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.

For more information log onto chipganassiracing.com