Category: Other Series Racing

[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. Clauson joins Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing for Indy 500

2. Teams prepare for fly-away race to Brazil:

3. Mazda Motorsports Hour debuts on Velocity

1. Clauson joins Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing for Indy 500: USAC open wheel star Bryan Clauson has been hired by Sarah Fisher and Wink Hartman to drive the No. 39 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing/RW Dallara/Honda/Firestone car in the 96th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.

Clauson, from Noblesville, Ind., is a multi-time USAC national champion and has won several races behind the wheel of his family-owned No. 39 USAC midget. He will be teammate to another young American driver, Josef Newgarden, from Nashville, Tenn.

Newgarden drives the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car full time in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Clauson and Newgarden were teammates in Firestone Indy Lights in 2011.

“It’s an awesome opportunity for me to enter the Indianapolis 500 with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing,” said Clauson. “It’s almost surreal just talking about it. For me to be attempting to make the race with Sarah’s team is just phenomenal. With her background in sprint car and midget racing and her continued involvement at that level, this is just a good fit for me. I’m also proud to be an Indiana boy driving for an Indiana team.”

“I’m also excited about the continuity we’re building into the program,” added Clauson. “My car number will be No. 39 and I’m bringing along some of my short track supporters with me like Rotondo Weirich.”

Clauson won back-to-back USAC National Drivers Championships in 2010 and 2011 for his performance in all three major USAC open wheel divisions. He also won the USAC National Midget Championship in 2010 and 2011and has more than 26 USAC wins.

In addition, Clauson had four top-five finishes in Firestone Indy Lights racing in 2011, when he earned a Mazda Road to Indy Scholarship for winning the USAC National Drivers Championship. His best finish was third at Iowa Speedway driving for Sam Schmidt Motorsports.

“It’s quite an honor to bring a USAC champion to the Indianapolis 500,” said Fisher. “I am very fond of my roots in short track oval racing, and watching Bryan at some of these events really brings back memories. Personally knowing his background, I have complete confidence in his credentials, talent and capabilities, and look forward to working with him at Indy. It will be exciting to fill out our team roster with both of the Road to Indy Champions from last season, really solidifying the ladder program.”

The pairing of Clauson and Newgarden is a strong statement for the Mazda Road to Indy program. In addition to Clauson’s USAC National Drivers Championships, Newgarden won the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights Championship.

“INDYCAR continues to focus on strengthening ties with USAC as a path to the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500,” said Randy Bernard, CEO, INDYCAR. “After a strong oval debut in Firestone Indy Lights last season, it made sense to utilize our USAC National Drivers Championship scholarship to enter Bryan in the Indianapolis 500. Not only is Bryan one of the most talented USAC drivers, his participation in the Indy 500 will attract the interest of short track fans across the country.”

It’s more than a coincidence that SFHR has hired two American drivers for its Indiana-based operation. The team is proud of its Indiana roots and routinely flies an American flag in its pit box.

“SFHR is happy to welcome Bryan to the team,” said Wink Hartman, co-owner of SFHR. “We’ve been working toward this program for quite some time, and I feel we are prepared to present a first-class effort for the entry. Working with young American talent fits this team and its values perfectly, and we are working hard to find a primary sponsor for Bryan to match that platform. We are also thankful to have the support of all our partners, including Honda, for this program and the excitement the total package brings.”

Not lost on Clauson is the fact he is joining an emerging IZOD IndyCar Series team that already has a victory in its portfolio.

“With its performance so far this year with Josef on the road courses, combined with the fact it ran strong at Indy and won the last oval race in 2011, SFHR is proving it is a first-class team. I can’t wait for ROP.”

Clauson and Newgarden both passed their INDYCAR rookie oval test at Texas Motor Speedway on April 5. They will both participate in the Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program on May 10.

2. Teams prepare for fly-away race to Brazil: More than 400,000 total pounds will be swallowed by two Nippon Cargo Air 747-400F planes for the 5,000-plus-mile trip between Indianapolis and São Paulo, Brazil – the initial logistical stage of conducting the Itaipava São Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle on April 29.

Race cars, a Holmatro Safety Team truck and equipment for two more, pit and scrutineering equipment, tools, rain tires and consumables will be weighed, wrapped, stacked and set in a staging area this weekend at Indianapolis International Airport by INDYCAR and DB Schenker personnel in a free-form ballet of fork lifts and 18-wheelers.

On April 22, the two behemoth cargo planes will take off for Viracopos-Campinas International Airport in the state of São Paulo. Firestone Firehawk slicks, fuel and Dallara parts and equipment departed via ocean cargo vessel last month.

The freight is then transferred to trucks to continue the journey to the Anhembi complex in the north-central section of the largest city in South America. Manifests are checked and spot customs inspections are conducted at the venue in time for team personnel to unpack the next day and begin preparations for the race weekend.

Cargo provisions recently were made for a 27th entry, the No. 25 Andretti Autosport car to be driven by Ana Beatriz in her “home” race, as a promoter’s selection. Also, slight modifications were made to the car racks to accommodate the new Dallara chassis (most entrants will pack only one car).

“In the past we were able to mount wings on the car rack, but with different configurations this year we’re not able to do that,” INDYCAR director of operations Bill van de Sandt said. “The front wings will be on the car itself and teams have made the frames designed by Bryan Herta Autosport. The rear-wheel guard is disassembled and put in with rest of cargo.”

DB Schenker has been associated with INDYCAR since 2009, providing logistics for the Honda Accord Safety Cars between North American event venues. Its role expanded in 2010 with oversight of the event logistics for the inaugural race on the streets of São Paulo.

“It’s multiple processes, but it’s very well-organized,” van de Sandt said. “The cooperation of the governments, the help of DB Schenker and the airlines works very well. It’s a process that is very effective and efficient.”

3. Mazda Motorsports Hour debuts on Velocity: The first of 24 episodes of “The Mazda Motorsports Hour” will be broadcast at noon (ET) April 21 on the Velocity Network.

“The Mazda Motorsports Hour” will focus on the racing stars of tomorrow — drivers looking to move up the Mazda Road to Indy and the MAZDASPEED Motorsports ladders.

The inaugural show features the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup Race 1 from Sebring International Raceway. Shows in May and June will feature Star Mazda and USF2000, which are part of the Mazda Road to Indy for drivers seeking to reach the IZOD IndyCar Series.

To watch the Velocity Network, go to http://velocity.discovery.com and type your zip code into the channel finder.

***

The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle on April 29 on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 11:30 a.m. (ET) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network on SiriusXM (XM 94 and Sirius 212) and affiliates.

[media-credit name=”Kenzie Ruston” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Mooresville, NC – For the first time in twenty-year-old Kenzie Ruston’s racing career she was faced with the opportunity to make a dream come true for a very special little girl and that’s exactly what she did.

Teressa Harp is a twelve-year-old little girl from Oklahoma that is fighting her second round of Rhabdomyosarcoma, which is a cancerous tumor of the muscles that are attached to the bones. Teressa was first diagnosed in September 2010 and after a year of grueling chemo, radiation, and brain surgery, the cancer has returned and the survival rate is now next to zero.

Once Ruston found out about Teressa’s wish to watch her race, the Team-along with the help of Cruise 4 Cancer Foundation and the staff at Anderson Speedway (IN)-began to put the plan together to put a smile on this little courageous girl’s face.

“We knew right away that we needed to put something together that would allow Teressa to come to Anderson to watch my first race of the season.” said Ruston. “With the help of Theresa Coffman and Rita Presley with Cruise 4 Cancer, and Rick Dawson and his great staff at Anderson Speedway, we were able to make the weekend an unforgettable experience for her and her family.”

Teressa, her sister and grandmother got a once in a lifetime experience this weekend in Anderson, Indiana. It all started with a private ride from the airport to their Holiday Inn hotel where she got to meet Kenzie and her team and share some smiles and laughs.

“Teressa’s courage and strength is such an inspiration to me and my team. The smile on her face this whole weekend was priceless and I am very happy that we were able to provide her with that.”

Teressa was then treated to a meal at Montana Mike’s Steakhouse and Culver’s Eatery complements of the Anderson Speedway staff and the restaurant managers before heading to get her pedicure and manicure in Kenzie blue.

As if the trip wasn’t great enough, the twelve-year-old got to experience life in the fast lane at the beautiful Anderson Speedway. First, race track president, Rick Dawson, introduced Teressa as the official grand marshal for the event before handing her an autographed checkered flag that was signed by every driver in attendance. She was treated like a VIP on race day and also gave the command for the drivers to fire their engines.

“Hearing Teressa’s voice say ‘fire your engines’ was pure motivation for myself,” stated Ruston. “We didn’t qualify as good as we would of liked to, but thinking of her smile and the situation she is faced with reminded me that no matter where I started for the race, I was still able to live my dream and that together everyone made this little girl have a smile on her face that isn’t going away anytime soon.”

Once the green flag dropped for the feature event Kenzie managed to miss several wrecks and work her way past 14 cars to finish 11th in the season opener. Although the driver and team would have liked to have brought home a better finish, the mood quickly changed as Teressa was the first one to tell Kenzie that she was proud of her efforts and she did a great job.

“We had a solid finish, would have liked to finish inside the top 10, but looking at the big picture our team is happy with the result but most importantly our lives were touched today and that’s what really matters. Teressa gives us all hope, faith, and courage and with her on our team we can accomplish anything and even on the bad days we will think about her fight and how she has stayed strong through it all.”

For more information on Teressa Harp please contact Cruise 4 Cancer on Facebook or (405) 905-WISH. For more information on Kenzie Ruston please visit GoKenzie.com

[media-credit name=”arcaracing.com” align=”alignright” width=”370″][/media-credit](ELKO NEW MARKET, Minn.) – In addition to roles as the presenting sponsor of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards and as a co-primary sponsor on Frank Kimmel’s No. 44 Ansell / Menards Toyota, Menards is participating heavily in promotion of the Saturday, June 2 Akona 200 presented by Federated Car Care at Elko Speedway.

The race will be the first appearance for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards at the track south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and Menards stores in and around the area will give race fans and store customers the chance to “Save Big Money” on tickets to see the action live for the first time.

Starting Friday – tomorrow – fans can buy tickets for the ARCA race at $15 – a 40 percent, or $10, discount off of the advertised at-track price – at 32 Menards stores in Minnesota.

The store locations are: Alexandria, Apple Valley, Baxter, Blaine, Brooklyn Park, Buffalo, Burnsville, Cambridge, Coon Rapids, Cottage Grove, Dundas, Eden Prairie, Elk River, Forest Lake, Fridley, Golden Valley, Hudson, Hutchinson, Mankato, Maple Grove, Maplewood, Oakdale, Red Wing, two stores in Rochester, St. Cloud, St. Croix Falls, St. Paul Midway, Stillwater, West St. Paul, Willmar, and Winona.

The in-store ticket promotion will last until Friday, June 1, one day before the race.

While in the store, race fans and customers can also enter a promotion to win four VIP tickets, at-track hospitality, and the chance to wave the green flag at the start of the race, among other prizes. The promotion begins tomorrow and will end on Monday, May 28.

The Akona 200 will begin at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, with two 45-minute practices scheduled for 2 and 3:15, and Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell following at 5. Each driver in the starting field will participate in an on-track autograph session from 6:30 to 7:30, just before the green flag. All times are Central. Elko Speedway is located at 26350 France Avenue in Elko New Market.

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 has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, 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 in its most recent season. This year, the series visited Alabama’s Mobile International Speedway for the first time. In June, the first event at Minnesota’s Elko Speedway will give ARCA a race in a 29th state.

Founded by John and Mildred 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 three professional touring series and local weekly events.

– Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

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CLARKSVILLE, Indiana (April 20, 2012) – – With the third race on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards quickly approaching, it seems only appropriate that with the event being hosted at nearby Salem (Ind.) Speedway, that Kimmel Racing plans to take full advantage of the opportunity to host a grand re-opening of the team’s ARCA shop while also officially host a fan appreciation in a night that is destined to be full of food, music, friends and racers.

The scenery completely changed when the curtain opened on the 2012 season. With Frank Kimmel’s departure to another operation – Kimmel Racing was left without a driver, a skeleton budget but aspirations of a championship. Bill Kimmel, owner of Kimmel Racing isn’t a man to go down without a fight and with the support and talent of his son and new driver Will Kimmel; the two have quickly delivered a message to the competitors – that despite their limited resources, they still can compete competitively.

The Clarksville, Indiana-based team was dubbed as one of the Cinderella stories from the season-opening event at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway where Kimmel cleverly drafted his No. 68 Ford Fusion to a stout third place finish. A few weeks later, another top-10 appeared to be easily in the clutches of the family-owned operation but a mechanical failure within the final 10 circuits of the event left the operation with a sour finish – but still plenty to be proud about.

With the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 set for Sunday, April 29 at a place where the younger Kimmel has mounted thousands of laps, netted a track championship and is the home to his career best ARCA finish (second) last September, the team is eager to welcome the ARCA “family” into their territory with a little pleasure and relaxation on Friday, April 27 before getting down to business.

From 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Kimmel Racing will host music from Country music songwriter and artist Hali Hicks. Further entertainment will also be provided from Blue Collar 40. The team will also host an autograph session with race fans which are set to include the Kimmel clan, Sean Corr, NASCAR icon Charlie Glotzbach, Korbin Forrister, Chad Hackenbracht and others. Food will be provided by Ann’s by the River.

“We’re all about family and ARCA to us is our extended family, so we wanted to do something nice but also show everyone that we are alive and kicking,” said Bill Kimmel. “We’re hard at working on sponsorship for other races and we’ll have a new addition to our family to announce soon – so things are looking up, but we just wanted to provide a night where the shop is open to anyone that wants to stop by and have a great time with us.”

Not only will the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers continue to hoist the role as the title sponsorship of the first of two ARCA races held at Salem Speedway – but the local group has also latched onto Kimmel Racing and will sponsor the No. 68 entry allowing the Indiana-based team to continue their quest towards an ARCA championship.

“I can’t begin to thank everyone associated with the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers for stepping up and helping us race at Salem,” said Will Kimmel. “We’re hyped and excited about our chances and look forward to having a spectacular run.”

Kimmel Racing is located at 201 East Lewis & Clark Parkway, Clarksville, Indiana 47129. The shop is located between Morrison Chiropractic and Clarksville Schwinn.

For more on Will Kimmel, please visit willkimmel.com.

For additional input on Kimmel Racing, please log on to kimmelracing.com.

[media-credit name=”arcaracing.com” align=”alignright” width=”370″][/media-credit]MOORESVILLE, North Carolina (April 20, 2012) – – Nick Tucker has spent the first two races of the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season serving as the crew chief for Carter-2-Motorsports, but next weekend Tucker will exchange his wrenches for a steering wheel when he returns to ARCA for the running of the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 at Salem (Ind.) Speedway.

For Tucker, a native of Bremerton, Washington it will be his first ARCA start since 2008 when he competed in the Carolina 500 at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway for Mark Gibson Racing where he finished a competitive 16^th. However, Tucker is anxious to make his third start at the historic Salem (Ind.) Speedway driving the No. 40 Ron Paul 2012 Dodge Charger for Mooresville, North Carolina-based Carter-2-Motorsports.

“I’m ecstatic about getting back in an ARCA car, especially at Salem,” noted Tucker, who also has 29 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts to his credit. “We’ve worked incredibly hard on our short track program and I think we’ll have a shot at a good run next weekend if we can get all the dominos to fall our way.”

When it comes to racing at Salem Speedway, Tucker is well aware of the track’s brutal conditions and how much patience and conservation will come into play – but the 26-year old is ready for whatever types of racing conditions that he may be faced with.

“Sometimes, you see a race with a lot of cautions at Salem and there have been others where you see a long-span of green flag runs. To be honest, I don’t really know what to expect; but I do know that we want to get our No. 40 Ron Paul 2012 Dodge Charger into the top-10 for the first time this season,” offered Tucker. “We don’t hide that we don’t have a lot of resources, like some of the other teams in the series. But, we’re true racers at heart and I work on these cars personally inside and out, so I know what I’m looking for. Hopefully, it will just be a race that will give us all something to build on for the rest of the year.”

For car owner Roger Carter II, the decision to put Tucker behind the wheel was a no-brainier. “Nick’s one of the best short track racers around and I’ll vouch for that any day or night. He’s so focused behind the wheel and he takes care of the equipment and we feel he’ll do us a great job in the No. 40 Ron Paul 2012 Dodge Charger,” noted Carter II, a racer himself.

In his two previous starts at the Southern Indiana race track, Tucker has delivered a best outing of seventh after starting eighth in the No. 67 Prototype Racing Dodge Charger in 2007. Earlier in the year, he finished a commendable 16^th after starting 12^th.

Tucker will be one of three entries for Carter-2-Motorsports at Salem. The team will also field rides for Rookie of the Year candidate Larry Barford Jr. and ARCA newcomer Danny Esposito.

The Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 (200 laps / 111 miles) is the third of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 88^thARCA race held at Salem Speedway is a two day show. Practice begins Saturday, April 28 with a forty-five minute session planned from 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. Final practice also consisting of forty-five minutes begins at 1:15 p.m. and will conclude at 2:00 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. An on-track autograph session has been etched in on race day on Sunday, April 29 set to launch at 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag shortly after 2:15 p.m. The race will not be televised but race coverage including live timing and scoring will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.

The official website of Carter-2-Motorsports is in the process of a complete makeover for the official kickoff of the new season, but for the latest on the team, drivers and sponsors, please log onto RogerCarter2Racing.com.

For more on Ron Paul and his mission to “Restore America Now”; please log onto ronpaul2012.com.