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Category: Other Series Racing

Other series racing

  • Prairie Meadows Sponsoring Race at Iowa July 13

    Prairie Meadows Sponsoring Race at Iowa July 13

    [media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit](NEWTON, Iowa – May 10, 2012) – Iowa Speedway officials announced recently that for the seventh consecutive year, Prairie Meadows will continue as entitlement sponsor for the track’s annual ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards event.

    Prairie Meadows has been the sponsor of ARCA’s annual race since the series’ first visit to Iowa Speedway in the track’s first year of operation, 2006. The Prairie Meadows 200 will air live on SPEED at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on Friday, July 13.

    Prairie Meadows’ president believes facilities like Iowa Speedway line directly up with their mission as a community organization.

    “Prairie Meadows is proud to partner with the great leadership team at Iowa Speedway in bringing the Prairie Meadows 200 ARCA race to Newton again this year,” said  Gary Palmer, president and CEO of Prairie Meadows. “This partnership allows us to continue to fulfill our mission of supporting tourism and economic development.”

    Said Stan Clement, president of Iowa Speedway: “To have a community leader like Prairie Meadows involved with our speedway, basically since day one, has allowed us to be a better community partner. With their sponsorship, we have been able to create an amazing relationship with ARCA, which brings the fans a great race to watch and provides a huge economic impact on the local economy.”

    ARCA was one of the first sanctioning bodies to race at the Newton motorsports complex.

    “The support of a longtime partner is important in motorsports,” said Mark Gundrum, vice president of business development and corporate partnerships for ARCA. “We’re happy to see that Prairie Meadows and Iowa Speedway are working together again as ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season visits Newton.”

    Previous ARCA winners at Iowa Speedway include: Steve Wallace (2006); Frank Kimmel (2007); Matt Hawkins (2008); Parker Kligerman (2009); Tom Hessert (2010); and Ty Dillon (2011). Tickets are available by calling 1-866-RUSTY-GO or visiting IowaSpeedway.com.

  • Coming Up: Toledo’s Menards 200 Ten Days Away

    Coming Up: Toledo’s Menards 200 Ten Days Away

    [media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit](TOLEDO, Ohio – May 10, 2012) – Born in Toledo in 1953, the Automobile Racing Club of America and its premier national tour will celebrate a historical 60th season with one home race this year, as Toledo Speedway will host the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care next Sunday, May 20.

    The series last raced at the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway six days ago, and the contrast between major, national superspeedway and local short track truly showcases the wide range of ARCA’s reach over the past six decades. SPEED will air the race for a national television audience, placing Toledo motorsports in the spotlight on a weekend afternoon.

    The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards – ARCA’s flagship series for developmental drivers and veterans alike – will hold practice and qualifying on Saturday, May 19, with the race set for Sunday afternoon.

    The basic facts and figures surrounding the race are as follows:

    What: Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care, the fifth race of 20 on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series schedule

    When: 2 p.m., Sunday, May 20

    Where: Toledo Speedway

    Distance: 200 laps, or 100 miles

    Last year’s winner: Ty Dillon in May, Chris Buescher in October.

    Dillon’s spring win was a catalyst for his series championship run, one of seven victories in 2011.

    Buescher’s win in the season finale – and the 70th ARCA Racing Series event at Toledo – was his third of 2011 and his third in the last four ARCA Racing Series events at the track; he drove to victory when Dillon spun race leader Brennan Poole. Though Dillon has moved on to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Buescher and Poole will enter as top contenders for the May 20 race.

    Last year’s pole winner: Tom Hessert, 16.08 seconds (111.94 mph).

    ARCA qualifying record at track: Justin Lofton, 15.86 seconds (113.493 mph) – 2008.

    Over 25 drivers and cars are currently entered and more are expected. Alex Bowman, a short track winner this season at Salem (Ind.) Speedway is entered, as is nine-time Toledo winner and ARCA champion Frank Kimmel.

    Fifteen-year-old Erik Jones, a Michigan driver, will make his final ARCA start before turning 16. Ohio drivers expected to compete include Jared Marks (Napoleon), Chad Hackenbracht (New Philadelphia), Tim Cowen (Perrysville), Tommy O’Leary (Cygnet), and Levi Youster (Toledo).

    The entry list, as it stands today, is available on ARCARacing.com and is being updated as necessary until the event.

    Schedule of accompanying on-track events: Practice: 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1-1:45 p.m., Saturday, May 19; Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell: 3:30 p.m., Saturday, May 19.

    The ARCA Truck Series will also race, with practice opening at 11:15 a.m. Saturday and a race at 5.

    ARCA will honor numerous champions, race winners, and key figures from 60 years of competition in a special ceremony before Sunday’s race.

  • Brennan Poole Leads ARCA Points Standings Despite Adversity So Far

    Brennan Poole Leads ARCA Points Standings Despite Adversity So Far

    [media-credit name=”Venturini Motorsports” align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]Leading the points standings may look like it was easily accomplished on paper by having solid finishes. However, for ARCA Racing Series points leader Brennan Poole, it wasn’t as easy as it looked as the team has had its fair share of adversity already this year.

    At Daytona, Poole had to start 33rd and finished the race in the seventh.

    “It was my first time on Superspeedway,” he comments. “I learned a lot and had a lot of fun.”

    The following weekend at Mobile, he blew the motor on the first lap of practice so he got no practice and barely got in line to qualify. Despite that, the Venturini Motorsports team was able to qualify seventh and finish seventh.

    At the third race of the season at Salem, the clutch broke right when Poole went out to qualify so the team had to change the clutch and Poole had to start the race from the back of the pack.

    “I ended up finishing third so I know we had a great run there and the car was really strong,” he says. “That was great and kept building on the points lead.”

    The last race at Talladega, Poole had to start fourth due to qualifying being rained out and being based on owner’s points. However on lap 11, Poole was involved in the wreck and substained some minor damage to the front of the car. The team kept making pit stops to make repairs, at one point running in the 22nd position, and came back to finish in eighth at the end of the race.

    “I think we’ve had a great start to the year,” he says. “We’re only four races in and finished in the top 10 in all four races and we’ve had some setbacks that we have had to overcome. All in all, it’s been a great a year.

    “My team has done a great job helping me as a driver to overcome some of the things I’ve had to deal with and we’ve just been able to come through and it’s been a great start to the year.”

    There doesn’t look to be anything slowing down Poole in the future either as he heads to Toledo Speedway, which is right up his alley as it’s just like the tracks he used to race in Late Models.

    Last year, Poole was leading on the last lap when he was turned around by Ty Dillon on the last lap. This year, Poole is looking for victory as he is taking the same car back again this year.

    “I feel confident about it – going to have the same crew chief, Billy Venturini,” he says. “I think we’re going to be in the contention when we go there. Plus, Toledo is just a great track. It’s a lot of fun and growing up, I’ve ran Late Model stuff the last three years before getting into the ARCA Series and it just reminds me of a lot of the Late Model tracks that I ran on. It’s kind of a comfort zone for me because I’m very comfortable about tracks like that and the short track style.”

    Keeping with the short tracks, the sixth race of the schedule is at Elko Speedway.

    “Another place I feel confident about because it’s the place I have the most experience,” he continues. “Then Pocono and Michigan. Pocono, last year, we saw on the pole, led a big chunk of the race and finished fifth so we got a couple of tracks that are good tracks for us and I’m just excited. I love racing, I’m a competitor and I’m just looking forward to getting to some of these places.”

    Poole got interested in cars and racing after a trip to Toys R Us at the age of two. His dad took him there to buy him a plastic golf set for his second birthday as his dad wanted him to be a golfer.

    “I got in one of those plastic little battery powered corvettes and was driving around the store so my mom convinced my dad that he had to get it for me,” he says. “I loved cars, I played with cars all the time. at the time, my dad was working in auto repair and one of the managers at the store he worked at told him about quarter midget racing, which was five miles from the house we lived in at the time in California. He took me out there when I was four. We watched the race that night and he asked me if it was something I wanted to do and I told him yeah. So for my fifth birthday, he got me a car and I’ve been racing ever since.”

    [media-credit name=”Venturini Motorsports ” align=”alignleft” width=”225″][/media-credit]From there, Poole kept moving up the ranks and began racing UARA Late Models in 2009, winning rookie of the year. The following season, he won six races, including three in a row, and caught the eye of Venturini Motorsports General Manager Billy Venturini.

    “He tried to get me into a car in 2010, but we just couldn’t get anything worked out,” Poole says.

    In 2011, Poole started his own team with his father to continue late model racing.

    “It’s tough ‘cause my dad lives in Texas; I live out here by myself,” the 21-year-old continues. “So the team was run out of Hickory with people we worked with the year before. We were running UARA at Hickory and Billy came out to watch that night and we just had an incredible night. Ended up winning the race and Billy called us and wanted us to come meet with him again. We ended up reaching something where I could get into the car in 2011.”

    In his first start at Salem Speedway, Poole found victory lane and has been enjoying the experience ever since.

    “It’s just been a blessing,” he says. “God’s always opens up the doors for me at the right time, at the right place, always put me in the right position. Just keeping my trust in him every day and he seems to be in control.”

    This year marks a special year for Venturini Motorsports as it is their 30th year. Poole jokes it’d be neat to win the championship as Bill Venturini’s last championship came in 1991, the year that Poole was born.

    “They’re a great family,” he adds. “I spend a lot of time with them being here by myself. I don’t know a lot of people so I’m always here at the shop – I’m at the shop right now. It’s just a great family. It’s a family organization – Billy’s uncles, aunts and cousins are all involved in the team. I think that’s what makes them such a strong organization. It’s just been fun working with them. I’m just happy to be a part of it.

    “I got to race Billy’s old paint scheme at Daytona and Talladega, maybe a few more times this year. so that’s been kind of an honor to drive the old blue and orange paint scheme. I just feel blessed to be a part of it. It’s just been a lot of fun.”

    Being at Venturini Motorsports within their driver development program, Poole is right now the most experienced on the team.

    “It’s kind of funny ‘cause I’ve only ran seven ARCA races to this point,” he says. “It sounds weird to say but as the 21-year-old, I’m the guy that has the most experience so it’s been fun to have younger guys come up to me and ask me questions. It’s just kind of cool. I’ve never really been in this position before; I’ve always been the guy looking for advice. But here, there are so many young guys.”

    Poole has had a great time with his teammates so far at Venturini as he’s been impressed by Erik Jones, who finished fifth at Salem Speedway at the age of 15. He has also become close friends with Ryan Reed.

    “We’re close in age so we have a good relationship together; we play xbox together at night,” he says. “We race against each other on the computer. We have a pretty good relationship and I think we just go over things together a little bit. I think it’s been a help for me and a help for him as well. It just helps when you’ve got someone close in your age group cause you help support each other.

    “At the end of the day at Venturini Motorsports, we’re all pulling for our teammates. We want to win because we’re all competitors, but we’re happy if another person wins the race ‘cause we all know how hard it is to win one of these races. It’s extremely tough. You win a race at the ARCA level, that’s pretty impressive.”

  • Tom Hessert Recovers Nicely At Talladega For Top-Five Finish

    Tom Hessert Recovers Nicely At Talladega For Top-Five Finish

    [media-credit name=”ARCA Racing Network” align=”alignright” width=”180″][/media-credit]TALLADEGA, Alabama (May 9, 2012) – – Tom Hessert III, driver of the No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Toyota Camry delivered his fourth consecutive top-10 finish at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway Friday afternoon after thundering to his first top-five finish of the season in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250.

    When Mother Nature soaked the 2.66-mile superspeedway on Thursday afternoon, the teams would be denied their crucial three-hour practice session in the morning followed by qualifying later in the afternoon. With the field set according to the ARCA rule book, the veteran driver found himself seventh in the 43-car lineup.

    A short practice session on Friday morning allowed the Ken Schrader Racing (KSR) team led by crew chief Donnie Richeson to “shake down” their automobile, making sure it was ready to compete in the fourth race of the season.

    The green flag waived shortly after 4:00 p.m. local time and Hessert remained focused on keeping his No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Toyota Camry out of trouble and near the front. By lap-five, Hessert had maneuvered himself into fourth with the three leaders closely ahead of him.

    The Cherry Hill, New Jersey remained in the fourth position when the first yellow flag waived on lap 11 when the classic “big one” developed in the tri-oval.

    When racing resumed, Hessert nearly immediately began to feel a vibration and quickly notified his crew which informed their driver to bring the car to pit road for an unscheduled stop. Under green, the 25-year old carefully brought his machine to a stop where the KSR team quickly bolted on four new Hoosier tires and sent their pilot back into battle.

    Upon inspection, the right-rear tire was deflated. While the decision to pit was the right one, Hessert know found himself without drafting help and in danger of losing a lap to the leaders. Thankfully, a caution flag waived on lap 20 allowing Hessert to regain all the ground he lost on the track.

    Restarting 19th, Hessert methodically began working his way towards the front and had nearly reached the top-10 again when the fourth caution flag waived on lap 52 for debris on the racetrack. Under the yellow, Richeson brought his protégé to pit lane for the team’s final stop of the day. The quick work by the KSR team landed the team back inside the top-five for the final segment of the race.

    Lap 70, Hessert was fifth in the running order and was able to muscle his way into fourth when the checkered flag waived on lap 94.

    “We’ll take fourth, especially after the tire problem early in the race,” said Hessert. “If not for the tire problem, I believe the end results would have been a little different. I feel like our No. 52 Federated Auto Parts ToyotaCamry was strong enough to contend for the win, we just ran out of laps. I want to thank the guys on the KSR team for doing an immaculate job throughout the race. They are the ones that made the top-five possible.”

    Next up on the tour is the fifth stop of the season at the famed Toledo Speedway, dubbed as the hometown track for the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). The Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care is set for Sunday, May 20. The green flag is set to fly shortly after 2:00 p.m. with live coverage on SPEED. Unofficially, Hessert sits second in the championship point standings, a gain of two spots following his first top-five of 2012 and a mere 55 points out of the championship lead.

    Exiting Talladega, Hessert has 87 career ARCA Racing Series starts. In those outings, he has maneuvered two poles, one win, 20 top-fives and 46 top-10s.

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

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

  • Venturini Motorsports’ Brennan Poole and Ryan Reed stand out so far this year

    Venturini Motorsports’ Brennan Poole and Ryan Reed stand out so far this year

    [media-credit name=”Venturini Motorsports ” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Venturini Motorsports has become known for their driver development program over the years as they have helped develop some of today’s NASCAR starts, including Joey Logano. The crop this year is equally impressive and includes two stand-outs that now sit one-two in the Team Messina Rookie Challenge Standings.

    Currently, Brennan Poole leads teammate Ryan Reed by 14 points.

    Brennan Poole, who also leads the overall ARCA Racing Series points standings, finished eighth in Friday’s International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250. He is the only driver to finish in the top-10 in each ARCA Racing Series event this season.

    Last season, Poole won the UARA-STARS Championship racing asphalt Late Models while also scoring his first ARCA victory in his debut at Salem Speedway.

    The 21-year-old started the race fourth last Friday after qualifying was rained out and based on last year’s owners points.

    On lap 10, Poole was involved in the first big wreck of the day after making contact with Steve Blackburn, but the damage was minimal and he was able to continue. He would run strong for the rest of the day, finishing eighth.

    The finish allowed the driver of the No. 25 CJ Solar Band Chevrolet to have a 55-point lead over Tom Hessert in the standings after four races this year.

    Meanwhile, Reed started the race in 11th and finished 13th after some issues throughout the day. The driver of the No. 15 JDRF car was up to the fourth position, before having trouble refiring his car during a late race pit stop. This dropped him back to the 23rd position, a lap down.

    But the eighteen-year-old worked his way back on to the lead lap, missed the wreck late in the race and finished 13th. This marks his fourth top 15 finish this year as he finished 11th, 12th and 11th to start the year off.

    He now sits fourth in points, tied with Chris Buescher.

    Last season, Reed spent his time racing in variety of divisions, including the Pro AllStar Series, NASCAR Whelen All American Series and NASCAR K&N Pro East Series events to prepare for this season. The previous year, Reed won the Rookie of the Year Award and became the youngest feature winner in a Super Late Model at Irwindale Speedway.

    Reed has become known for more than just his driving on the track, though, as his story off the track has inspired many.

    In February 2011, Ryan Reed was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and was told that he would never be able to race again. However, after getting in contact with a doctor through IndyCar driver Charlie Kimball, he was told that it was possible.  Reed went through all the necessary steps that he had to take and joined Venturini Motorsports at the beginning of the year.

    When he’s not behind the wheel of a racecar, Reed is spreading word about JDRF and Ryan’s Mission. JDRF is the world’s largest funding provider for research towards curing, treating and preventing T1D and its complications. Ryan’s Mission is a non-profit organization that Reed formed to help build awareness, become a role model and positively touch the lives of others.

    Both Reed and Poole will have to get their focus set to the action on track as the next event for the ARCA Racing Series is the Menards 200 at Toledo Speedway on Sunday May 20th.

  • JIMMY JOHN’S TO BACK RUSTY WALLACE IN MILWAUKEE ASA EVENT

    JIMMY JOHN’S TO BACK RUSTY WALLACE IN MILWAUKEE ASA EVENT

    [media-credit name=”www.asa-racing.com” align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]–Milwaukee’s Giuffre Brothers Cranes Also Partnering with Fellow ASA Alumnus–

    MOORESVILLE, NC (May 8, 2012)–Officials of Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC (RWR) and Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches announced today that Jimmy John’s will be the primary sponsor of Rusty Wallace and his No. 66 Ford Fusion in the June 12th Howie Lettow Memorial 150 ASA Midwest Tour race at the Milwaukee Mile.

    Based in Champaign, IL, Jimmy John’s was founded in 1983 by 19 year old Jimmy John Liautaud in Charleston, IL. He’s still rockin’ out sammies and the company has grown to over 1400 locations in 42 states across the U.S. The company is known for fresh quality products, but it’s the freaky fast speed and delivery that really puts Jimmy ahead of the rest. Jimmy John’s also sponsors Kevin Harvick in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

    Joining the effort as an associate sponsor on the Jimmy John’s Ford will be Milwaukee’s Giuffre Brothers Cranes. One of the world’s largest distributors of boom-trucks, Giuffre Brothers is a family-owned company that has deep ties to Midwestern auto racing. Co-founder Frank Giuffre actually competed on the ASA tour in the 1980s. In 2011, the company served as the official recovery vehicle provider for the Indianapolis 500.

    Said Wallace, “I’m really excited about getting behind the wheel again at Milwaukee. I’ve had a ton of success there over the years. I’m equally excited about having Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches and Giuffre Brothers Cranes on board for the race. Hopefully we’ll have a “freaky fast” Ford up there and can put Jimmy John’s and Giuffre Brothers in victory lane.”

    # # #

    About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

    North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary racing history of its founder, Rusty Wallace. In 2011, the team, led by third-generation driver Steve Wallace, campaigned the No. 66, No. 64 and No. 62 cars in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. RWR entries have finished among the top-ten in the Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last four seasons. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

  • Swindell Walks The Dog for Victory Number 4

    Swindell Walks The Dog for Victory Number 4

    [media-credit name=”World of Outlaws” align=”alignright” width=”224″][/media-credit]

    The Goodyear Outlaw Thunder returned to Eldora last night for it’s final night. It’s final night would prove much calmer than it’s first. And would see Sammy Swindell take the checkered flag for the 4th time this season.

    After qualifying seventh quickest, Swindell drove from third to second in both his heat race and the dash. He then rocketed to the lead at the start of the feature, which went caution free for 24 laps before Jason Sides’ flat left rear tire brought out a yellow flag.

    “The way the car was rolling through there I knew that if somebody was faster, they’d have to be just really awesome because this thing was almost on rails,” Swindell said. “It was just stuck down so hard I could just drive around there like I’m driving down the freeway.”

    The caution eliminated nearly a straightaway lead for Swindell, who took little time in reestablishing a sizeable advantage. However, Kraig Kinser sustained a flat left rear tire with two laps remaining to bring out the final caution of the race.

    Joey Saldana, who ran second for most of the race, began to slow a couple of laps before the caution because of an engine issue. Swindell chose the outside lane on the double-file restart and Saldana’s car was slow to take off, bogging the inside lane on the start and dropping him to sixth by turn one.

    Swindell sailed to the win as Dale Blaney used the late cautions to pick up a pair of positions.

    “We were probably going to run fourth until those last couple of yellows,” he said after finishing second. “They kind of helped us out. Sometimes yellows can help or hurt, and tonight they helped a little bit.

    “(Swindell) was awful good all night long. He drove away from us early. He was definitely a better car than us and it would have took a little bit of problem from him for us to get up to him. I just wasn’t good enough from the center off to get a run on guys to slide them.”

    Craig Dollansky also capitalized on the two cautions to drive from sixth to third in the final five laps.

    “My car got good as the race wore on,” he said. “Late in the race was when my car felt the best.

    “Any time you can come out with a top three with this group of teams here, it’s a pretty good night.”

    David Gravel, who set fast time for the second night in a row, finished fourth and Daryn Pittman drove from 11th to round out the top five.

    Schatz overcame an early issue of his own and rebounded in the feature. After advancing from eighth to third in the Last Chance Showdown to earn a transfer, Schatz started the main event in 24th. He restarted 14th on the caution with six laps remaining and then restarted ninth on the green-white-checker.

    Schatz finished sixth and he earned the KSE Hard Charger Award for a series-best third time this season.

    Saldana placed seventh, Steve Kinser was eighth, Greg Wilson ended ninth and Friday night winner Chad Kemenah rallied from 22nd to conclude the top 10.

    Paul McMahan won a heat race and the dash, and Trey Starks, Steve Kinser and Jac Haudenschild earned heat wins. Tony Stewart claimed the Last Chance Showdown.

    Swindell and Schatz have exchanged the points lead 8 times in 15 events making it the most hotly contested championship battle in World of Outlaws History.

  • Eldora Hosts Goodyear Outlaw Thunder

    [media-credit name=”Photo Courtesy of Tear Off Haven Fotos” align=”alignright” width=”245″][/media-credit]The World of Outlaws returned for the first time this year to the historic and storied Eldora Speedway. Eldora’s legend and myth are so intertwined with her reality that they can never be truly separated. Her reputation has been gained over the years and has been formed by the perspective of the men who have raced on her surface. She has created champions. She has broken hopeful younsters. She has played host to royalty, millionaires, champions and legends, yet her heart will always belong to those that fill her seats every week.

    Eldora’s trophy is as sought after as the man who calls her his own and has since 2004. Tony Stewart added new catch fencing and a digital scoreboard. A weather alert system to benefit the community and visitors to the track. A smaller track for quarter midgets and an ecologically benficial track preservation system to grow the tracks dirt surface stronger. He brought the diamond of the past that helped form his beloved roots of dirt racing, into the present. Now he has began the journey that will solidify her influence long into the future of the sport.

    Tonight was nothing different for Eldora. She was tough and unforgiving. A total of 10 cautions would slow the normally lightening fast Outlaws with multiple car wrecks and wild rolls leaving drivers safe but shaken and cars piles of brutalized rubble. There were freak happenings that left the casual and die hard fan alike shaking their heads in wonder and a showing of skills that illustrated why they call it “The Greatest Show on Dirt”.

    The night began with a feeling of excitement in the air. Track owner Tony Stewart had announced on Thursday that he would be altering his schedule at Talladega in order to run both nights of the Goodyear Outlaw Thunder at Eldora. When the gates opened the red white and blue Office Depot number 14 was indeed in the pits and its driver was indeed at the track. Stewart who skipped the final practice at Talladega to be present and compete, showed that he was not only a force to be reckoned with behind the wheel of a race vehicle, but he also understood the importance of the role of track owner and promoter.

    Qualifying was an omen of things to come with David Gravel being the fastest in qualifying with a lap of 13.228 seconds, which was only three-thousandths quicker than Chad Kemenah. Steve Kinser (13.277 seconds), Daryn Pittman (13.288) and Jac Haudenschild (13.291) completed the top five. The top 20 drivers were separated by less than three-tenths of a second.

    The heat races were quick. The first heat was won by Dale Blaney (older brother of Dave Blaney) and transferred Jac Haudenschild, Trey Starks, David Gravel and Tony Stewart to the A Main. The second heat was won by Craig Dollansky and transferred Joey Saldana, Donny Schatz, Jason Sides and Chad Kemenah to the A. The third heat was won by Kerry Madsen and transferred Steve Kinser, ‎Stevie Smith, Cody Darrah and Cap Henry to the A. The final heat would be won by Sammy Swindell and transferred Tim Shaffer, Daryn Pittman, Greg Wilson and Danny Holtgraver to the A main.

    The Dash inversion was a 4. Putting Jac Haudenshild on the front row next to Steve Kinser. The fast qualifier would start on the outside 2nd row. Haudenschild would dominate the dash to take the pole with 20 time Outlaw Champion, Steve Kinser coming home second. With the top 5 rows set it was time for the B Main.

    The B Main started 13 cars and transferred 4 to the A. Kraig Kinser would start on the pole and would win the race handily followed by Paul McMahan, Randy Hannagan, Bryan Sebetto. Note of interest here – Sheldon Haudenschild the son of Jac Haudenschild was running in the top 10 of the B Main when an engine expired taking him out of competition. The younger Haudenschild was giving a strong accounting of the education he had received from his father.

    The A Main saw cautions for debris that launched from the track surface breaking out one of the front stretch lights and showering the track with glass, exploding tires, Sammy Swindell, a multi car wreck that took out the top 5. The leader, Jac Haudenschild, pit for fuel which is not allowed in the Outlaws except under open red conditions. The leader, Dale Blaney, pit for a flat tire that he changed outside the work area and thus was not allowed to return to the track.

    There was 3 wide racing and side by side racing throughout the field from the drop of the green. There was not a single position that was not hotly contested on the track by some of the best drivers in the world. Steve Kinser who would have a tire go down would return to finish 3rd. Sammy Swindell would return to the track to finish 6th. Power slides through every corner. Wheel to wheel down the front and back stretches as this field of magicians fought for Eldora’s crown and a $10,000 purse.

    When the checkered flag dropped it was Chad Kemenah who went home the winner. A very emotional Kemenah said in Victory Lane,

    “We got lucky there, you don’t want to win like that, but we’ve given some away so I’m not complaining. A win is a win and they pay the same.

    “When you’re this close to home it makes it that much better. It’s only an hour and a half to home, so this is kinda like home to me.”

    “The last time I won, my wife fired me. I see her down there and it looks alright. I don’t think I am getting fired this time” said Kemenah.

    The top ten finishers were Donny Schatz, Steve Kinser, Cody Darrah, Daryn Pittman, Sammy Swindell, Tony Stewart, Joey Saldana, Kraig Kinser, and Cap Henry. The top 9 cars were the only cars remaining on the lead lap.

    Donny Schatz would drive from 12th to 2nd and finish the night with a 1 point lead over Sammy Swindell in the Outlaw Points. “There were a lot of things going on and I’m glad we weren’t in it,” Schatz said. “We had a so-so car; it wasn’t the greatest. We were just kinda riding around and trying to be cautious and stay out of trouble.”

    The Outlaws will return to Eldora for night 2 of the Goodyear Outlaw Thunder tomorrow night with racing beginning at 730 EST.

    Eldora seemed to sigh as the dust cleared away as though she had revisited the echoes of her past and added the echoes of tonight to them. Tonight she smiled on a young man who took home only his second victory but what a victory it was. Chad Kemenah would never forget the beautiful lady in Ohio who bolstered his confidence for one night. And she would never forget him. Her records would forever show that on this hot humid night in May Chad Kemenah won at Eldora.

  • 96th Indianapolis 500 Notebook – May 4, 2012

    96th Indianapolis 500 Notebook – May 4, 2012

    [media-credit name=”indianapolismotorspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”295″][/media-credit]Parnelli to celebrate 150-mph pole run by driving ‘Calhoun’ on Pole Day at IMS

    INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, May 4, 2012 – Parnelli Jones will celebrate the 50th anniversary of breaking the 150-mph barrier in qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 by driving the No. 98 Agajanian Willard Battery Watson-Offy roadster on Pole Day, Saturday, May 19 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Jones is scheduled to turn laps in the famous car, nicknamed “Calhoun,” at approximately 4 p.m. Jones won the pole for the 1962 Indianapolis 500 in the car with a four-lap average speed of 150.370 mph. The IMS Hall of Fame Museum now owns the car.

    It’s the second consecutive year Jones will drive a historical car at IMS. Last May he drove the Marmon “Wasp,” which Ray Harroun guided to victory in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911.

    “Last May it was an honor to drive the Marmon ‘Wasp’ around Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of the Centennial Celebration – not for just one lap but for three laps,” Jones said. “This year to drive in ‘Calhoun,’ the car that was such an important part of my Indianapolis career, it will be like getting together with an old pal. We’ve seen lots of good and bad times together.

    “It will be fun to drive around the Speedway again. That’s always fun, especially in a car that means so much to me. We’ve been through it all! What if I want to stay out on the track and keep driving? Who’s going to make me pull in?”

    General admission on Pole Day is $15, with children 12 and under admitted free.

    ***

    Colts-Foyt golf event May 22 to benefit charity: Headlined by a special appearance by legendary four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt, the Indianapolis Colts “Foyt Family Wines” Inaugural Golf Classic Presented by BullWear will tee off for charity Tuesday, May 22 at Brickyard Crossing Golf Course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit The Healing Place, Inc., a non-profit organization formed to reach the homeless, offer recovery for the addicted and help restore productive lives. Founded as a homelessshelter in 1989, The Healing Place has become one of the nation’s most effective, long-term social model recovery programs. For more information, visit www.thehealingplace.org.

    Foyt Family Wines owners Larry Foyt and A.J. Foyt IV will serve as hosts for the event that will feature appearances by several IZOD IndyCar Series drivers and celebrity guests.

    Limited registration for public players is available at www.foytwines.com/foytgolf . Onsite registration for this exclusive golf scramble begins at 7 a.m., with the shotgun start at 8 a.m. Afoursome for the outing is $1,300, which includes greens fees and four tickets to the Foyt Family Wines “Wine Down” reception immediately following the scramble. All of the proceeds from the event’s silent auction will be donated to The Healing Place.

    The “Foyt Family Wines” Golf Classic is sponsored by Foyt Family Wines, the Indianapolis Colts, BullWear, Fresh Marketing, Meadowcroft Wines, Brickyard Crossing, Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka, The Healing Place, The J Wagner Group, Huddles Frozen Yogurt, Deuce Brand, Anheuser-Busch and Zink Distributing.

    ***

    Museum hours extended during May: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum will feature extended hours during the 96th Indianapolis 500.

    The Museum will be open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, May 12 through Friday, May 18 and Monday, May 21 through Wednesday, May 23. Hours will be 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, May 19, Sunday, May 20, Thursday, May 24 and Friday, May 25. Fans can visit the Museum from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, May 26 and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Race Day, Sunday, May 27.

    Museum admission is $5 for adults and $3 for fans 6-15 years old, with children under 6 free. Gate admission to the Indianapolis 500 is not included in Museum admission and must be purchased separately.

    The IMS Hall of Fame Museum, located inside the IMS oval between Turns 1 and 2, is recognized as one of the most highly visible, prestigious museums in the world devoted to automobiles and auto racing.

    ***

    Clauson to thank Noblesville May 6: Indianapolis 500 rookie Bryan Clauson will thank the people of Noblesville, Ind., where he resides, during a Community Appreciation Day from 2-6 p.m. (ET) Sunday, May 6.

    Two-time reigning USAC National Drivers Champion Clauson will attempt to make his first start in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in a car fielded by Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing.

    Festivities Sunday will take place at the Moose Lodge at 950 Field Drive in Noblesville. Two-time USAC National Midget Series champion Clauson will sign autographs for fans from 3:30-4:30 p.m., and a Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing IZOD IndyCar Series car will be on display. Other activities include a car show, food, games and entertainment.

    ***

    2012 Indianapolis 500 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 96th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday, May 27, 2012 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.

    Children 12 and under will be receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2012 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.

    Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.

  • INDYCAR News and Notes – May 4, 2012

    INDYCAR News and Notes – May 4, 2012

    [media-credit name=”IZOD IndyCar Series” align=”alignright” width=”287″][/media-credit]Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:

    1.      Bell rejoins Sam Schmidt Motorsports for Indy 500

    2.      Dixons lend hand in restoring hope

    3.      Larrison to contest Firestone Indy Lights races with Belardi team

    4.      Firestone Indy Lights rookies test at Iowa

    1. Bell rejoins Sam Schmidt Motorsports for Indy 500: For the third consecutive year, Townsend Bell will attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in a car prepared by the team owned by Sam Schmidt. Bell will drive the Honda-powered No. 99 BraunAbility/Schmidt Pelfrey Motorsports.

    Bell, from San Luis Obispo, Calif., will be a teammate to Simon Pagenaud, who drives the No. 77 SchmidtHamilton HP Motorsports car full time in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

    “Speed and consistency win the Indianapolis 500,” said Bell, who has a best finish of fourth in 2009. “Returning to Indy with Sam and his team for the third year in a row will ensure I have both those ingredients again in 2012. For the past two years, my guys have provided me a fast race car, and I know the No 99 BraunAbility/Schmidt Pelfrey Motorsports car will give me another shot at winning.”

    In 2011, Bell qualified on the second row for the Indianapolis 500 — behind his SSM teammate and pole sitter Alex Tagliani. His day ended early with an accident on Lap 157.

    “Townsend is one of those drivers that gets it done at Indy, and I am excited to have him driving the No. 99 BraunAbility car this May,” Schmidt said. “To say we have unfinished business together at Indy may be a cliché, but it is true. We’ve started our first two races together with legitimate shots at winning. This year should be no different.”

    Based in Winamac, Ind., BraunAbility is an industry leader in personal mobility, including the manufacturing of wheelchair vans, wheelchair lifts and other mobility accessories. It is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

    2. Dixons lend hand in restoring hope: Paint brush in hand, Scott Dixon says he might have found a calling after his IZOD IndyCar Series career.

    The two-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion and his wife, Emma Davies-Dixon, joined Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and local Target volunteers (and the 10-foot-tall pink Energizer Bunny) to revitalize two homes damaged by a May 22, 2011 tornado in North Minneapolis.

    “A racing career doesn’t go on that long, so I need to sharpen some skills so that I have a job to look forward to,” Dixon said.

    Joining the Dixons on the project were local volunteers from Target, whose headquarters is in Minneapolis. In 2011, Target team members donated more than 474,500 volunteer hours to thousands of community projects across the country. The company is on track, by the end of 2015, to reach its goal of 700,000 volunteer hours per year.

    “I’m in my 11th year driving with Target and we’ve done a lot of projects together over the years, and to help restore homes after such a devastating event is important to Emma and I,” Dixon said. “Target has a huge interest in community and helping out, and with Energizer giving back to the community.”

    Energizer is on a nationwide 13-city series of volunteer projects with Habitat for Humanity, donating more than $350,000 and 1,000 volunteer hours in working with local partners in each community, like Target. The Twin Cities was the fourth stop.

    “It’s cool to have Energizer, which has built its brand on endurance, come on board to help push us through to the end of this project,” said Andy Barnettt of the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. “There is a tremendous gratitude from the residents when Habitat comes in, and there is a new spirit in the community you can feel.”

    3. Larrison to contest Firestone Indy Lights races with Belardi team: Mike Larrison has joined Belardi Auto Racing to race all ovals on the 2012 schedule, as well as the street course race in Baltimore.

    Competing in racing since he was 4 years old, Larrison has competed in motocross, karting, USAC and Must See Racing’s Xtreme Sprint Series. He is also a part of the Davey Hamilton Racing family, driving for the INDYCAR veteran’s sprint car team.

    “I’m really looking forward to the opportunity I’ve been offered by Belardi Auto Racing to drive the No. 19 TruFuel/Royal Oak Charcoal Firestone Indy Lights car in the 2012 racing season,” Larrison said. “I can’t thank all of my sponsors TruFuel, Calumet Specialty Lubricants, Royal Oak Charcoal and Turtle Wax enough for all the doors they have opened for me the past few years. I’m really looking forward to racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Freedom 100 on May 25. This has always been a dream of my father and I—for me to be able to race there. My father grew up just off 16th Street right outside the Speedway, and I grew up only 15 miles away in Avon, Ind.”

    Larrison holds multiple American Motocross Association championships and accumulated five Midwest karting championships in just six years. He won two Indy Karting Series championships with 14 race wins, holds a USAC regional rookie of the year title and the world record for fastest car on a quarter-mile paved oval at Slinger Speedway in 2010.

    In 2011, Larrison finished 11th in the Xtreme Sprint Series and was later sidelined with back and foot injuries sustained in a crash at Kentucky Speedway while testing with Andretti Autosport.

    He completed his rookie test at Iowa Speedway on May 3, and is scheduled to make his Firestone Indy Lights debut with Belardi Auto Racing on May 25 during the Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    “It’s all about me revamping myself,” Larrison said. “I plan on running Indy and all of the oval races, so I need to get laps and I need Indy to sign-off that I am ready for these cars, which they have, so this has been quite an accomplishment.

    “Things haven’t changed much with these cars since I was last in one. It was just a question of me getting comfortable with the car.”

    4. Firestone Indy Lights rookies test at Iowa: As an addendum to an initial rookie oval test at Auto Club Speedway in April, five Firestone Indy Lights rookies successfully completed a test at Iowa Speedway on May 3.

    Mike Larrison and Alon Day of Belardi Auto Racing, Armaan Ebrahim and Emerson Newton-John of Fan Force United tested on the 7/8th mile oval. Chase Austin, who competed in two Firestone Indy Lights races last season, also attended with Juncos Racing.

    “I am here to get experience, to get a feeling for the car racing on an oval,” Ebrahim said. “Two weeks ago at Fontana was my first time on an oval. For road courses the cars have a different feeling than they do on an oval. Racing on an oval is far more technical than you think it is when you are watching it on TV.”

    The session was overseen by Firestone Indy Lights technical director Vince Kremer, who came away very impressed.

    “The purpose of this test was to make sure that the drivers were capable of running at speed on an oval,” Kremer said. “We’ll have one more test in Indy before the Freedom 100, but from what I’ve seen so far, I am confident that they will be ready once race time comes around.”

    All Firestone Indy Lights drivers will have the chance to test on May 11 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the site of the Freedom 100, which takes place on May 25.

    ***

    The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Indianapolis 500 Mile on May 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be televised by ABC at 11a.m. (ET) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network on SiriusXM (XM 94 and Sirius 212). The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Firestone Freedom 100 on May 25 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be televised live by NBC Sports Network at Noon (ET).