I had expected to write this article as a formal announcement Orange Show would be racing this season. Instead this article will be an appeal to the Racing Community for support. Long story short, we are competing against a rodeo promoter to open OSS for racing this season.
Category: Other Series Racing
Other series racing
-
ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARTY SET TO TAKE PLACE SATURDAY, MARCH 17 AFTER FORD ECOBOOST 300/K&N PRO SERIES 125 DOUBLE HEADER
[media-credit name=”bristolmotorspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″]
[/media-credit]BRISTOL, Tenn. (Thursday, March 1, 2012) – The Ford EcoBoost 300/K&N Pro Series East 125 at Bristol Motor Speedway will provide plenty of fun and excitement March 17 and when the winners have been crowned, the entertainment continues with a St. Patrick’s Day celebration.The BMS St. Patrick’s Day Party, which takes place in the hospitality area, kicks off at 7 p.m. with plenty of music and food, complete with green beer, green beads and additional surprise giveaways to keep with the atmosphere of the holiday.
George Wendt, who played the fun-loving, beer-drinking “Norm” on the iconic television series “Cheers” will be in attendance, presiding over the festivities. Among the musical guests playing that evening is Monroeville and Frankie Ballard.
Monroeville is scheduled to play from 7p.m-8:30 p.m., followed by a toast from George Wendt and additional music from Frankie Ballard.
Cornhole is among the games fans can enjoy during the party where several food vendors will be on hand as will a variety of beer manufacturers.
Entrance into the party is free to anyone with a March race ticket or iBelong card while food and drinks may be purchased.
A March race weekend ticket package, which includes the March 18 Food City 500 and the Ford EcoBoost 300/K&N East Series 125 events, is still available, starting at $99. A package in the Wallace Tower for both Sprint Cup races also is now available for $99, while packages for fans 15 and younger are available for the March races at half price. Lower row seating for the Food City 500 is available, with tickets starting at $65 for adults and as low as $32 for children age 15 and under.
Guests are encouraged to purchase in advance while the price is $5 less per grandstand ticket than the race-day cost for the same seat.
Tickets for the Ford EcoBoost 300/K&N East Series 125 doubleheader are available, with prices starting at $35 for adults and $17 for kids 15 and under.
BMS season tickets, which include the Food City 500 and IRWIN Tools Night Race (Aug. 25) Sprint Cup races, as well as both the Ford EcoBoost 300, the Food City 250 and the K&N race, also are on sale. Pricing for all four races begins at just $175 in the Wallace Tower. ****
For more information or to purchase tickets, fans may call toll free at 1-866-415-4158 or 423-BRISTOL or online at www.bristoltix.com.
-
PASTRANA ANNOUNCES 7-RACE NATIONWIDE AND 11-RACE K&N SCHEDULE FOR 2012
ACTION SPORTS STAR TO MAKE NATIONWIDE DEBUT IN RICHMOND
CORNELIUS, N.C. –Travis Pastrana will make a long-awaited NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in the No. 99 Boost Mobile Toyota at Richmond International Raceway on April 27.
The 11-time X-Games gold medalist and action sports star plans to run seven Nationwide Series races as well as 11 K&N Pro Series races in 2012. He’ll make his K&N debut in the season-opening race at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 17.
“The wait has been grueling,” Pastrana said. “This is one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. But we’re ready to go now. We have seven Nationwide races planned but if we can secure some additional sponsorship we’ll run more. If it were up to me we’d run every race after Richmond. I’m ready to get this thing going.”
Pastrana expected to make his Nationwide Series debut last season at the July 30th race in Indianapolis. But two nights before the race he broke his right ankle and foot in Los Angeles while attempting a trick called a “TP Roll” which is a 720 on a motorcycle during the Best Trick Competition in the X Games.
The injury and surgeries forced him to miss his entire 2012 Nationwide schedule.
“I was pretty much unable to do anything for a couple months, but as soon as they let me I was back behind the wheel testing and preparing for this upcoming season. I have to thank Boost Mobile for its patience and understanding – they didn’t have to stick with me through all this, but they did and I really appreciate it. I really hope to reward their commitment once I get back behind the wheel at Richmond.”
Before the accident, Pastrana raced in four K&N races plus the Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway where he finished sixth. Last month, he raced for AF Waltrip in the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway.
Pastrana will race under the Pastrana199 Racing banner in 2012. The team will have a technical alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing supplying personnel and equipment. Boost Mobile will sponsor each of the seven Nationwide races while iRacing will serve as the primary sponsor in four K&N races.
Pastrana, 28, owns multiple supercross and motocross championships, and four Rally America championship. He is also known for his Nitro Circus empire, which includes a TV show, live tours and a soon-to-be-released 3D feature film.
Pastrana Nationwide Schedule
Richmond April 27
Darlington May 11
Charlotte May 26
New Hampshire July 14
Chicagoland July 22
Indianapolis July 28
Atlanta Sept. 1
Pastrana K&N Schedule
Bristol March 17
Greenville-Pickens March 31
Richmond April 26
Iowa May 19
Bowman Gray June 2
Langley June 23
Iowa Aug. 3
Greenville-Pickens Sept. 3
New Hampshire Sept. 22
Dover Sept. 28
Rockingham Nov.3
About Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile, one of Sprint’s award-winning prepaid brands, offers wireless phones and services with no long-term contracts. Boost Mobile redefines value for wireless consumers with its Monthly Unlimited with Shrinkage no-contract service, where the longer you stay the less you pay with on-time payments for unlimited voice, text messaging, Web, email and calls to 411. Boost Mobile offers nationwide service on the Nationwide Sprint Network, reaching more than 280 million people, and on the Nextel National Network, reaching more than 278 million people, with no activation or long-distance fees. Boost Mobile offers a selection of quality handsets from LG, Motorola, Research In Motion (RIM), Samsung, Sanyo and ZTE, ranging from entry-level to Android™ smartphone devices available nationwide at nearly 20,000 major retail stores, including Best Buy, RadioShack, Target, Family Dollar, Walgreens and Walmart, Sprint retail stores, independent wireless dealer locations, and on HSN, a leading TV home shopping network. Re-Boost® cards are available at approximately 100,000 locations throughout the United States. Experience Boost Mobile on the Web at Facebook and Twitter; and purchase products at www.boostmobile.com.
-
Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to feature record number of races in 2012
[media-credit name=”.” align=”alignright” width=”241″]
[/media-credit]Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to feature record number of races in 2012 Ticket holders have access to 10 races including exotic car series and INDYCAR season starterFebruary 24, 2012 (St. Petersburg, FL) – Fans attending the Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg, March 23-25, will see a lot of green and checkered flags. Event organizers announce today that the weekend race will feature 10 races – a record for the event that is only in its eighth year. The on-track schedule for the Honda Grand Prix includes the much-anticipated season starter of the IZOD IndyCar Series and will add a new race to this year’s line-up: the Ferrari Challenge.
The event will also feature the Mazda Road to Indy, INDYCAR’s official developmental ladder system for drivers and teams seeking to compete in the IZOD IndyCar Series, which allows fans to see the future leaders of the sport along with the current champions Dario Franchitti, Will Power, Tony Kanaan and former St. Pete winners Helio Castroneves, Graham Rahal and Ryan Briscoe. The ladder system includes Firestone Indy Lights, Star Mazda Championship and the USF2000 National Championship. The Pirelli World Challenge rounds out the competition with a double-header weekend featuring the Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg and three returning classes of racing, GT, GTS and Touring Car, along with the introduction of the new Touring Car B-Spec class.
“Race fans in St. Petersburg expect the best and so we’ve been hard at work securing the most entertaining lineup in racing,” said Tim Ramsberger, Vice President and General Manager for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. “Staging 10 races is a record high for us and we’re excited to be bringing our fans the best on-track schedule yet. This year, our event will deliver the perfect mix of superstar drivers, fierce competitors and promising young talent, you will not want to miss it.”
On-track schedule:
Friday, March 23 Saturday, March 24 Sunday, March 25
IZOD IndyCar Series practice IZOD IndyCar Series practice, qualifying IZOD IndyCar Series warm-up, race
Firestone Indy Lights practice Firestone Indy Lights qualifying, race Pirelli World Challenge race #2
Star Mazda Series practice, qualifying Pirelli World Challenge qualifying, race #1 Star Mazda race #2
USF2000 practice, qualifying Star Mazda Series race #1 USF2000 race #2
Pirelli World Challenge practice USF2000 race #1 Ferrari Challenge warm-up, race #2
Ferrari Challenge practice, qualifying #1 Ferrari Challenge race #1, qualifying #2
Tickets to the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.gpstpete.com or by phone at 1-877-283-5385.
About the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg takes place March 23-25, 2012 and is run on a 1.8-mile, 14-turn waterfront circuit that includes a combination of adjacent downtown streets circling Pioneer Park, the Progress Energy Center for the Arts, the Salvador Dali Museum and extending onto the runways at Albert Whitted Airport, which overlook the Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. To learn more about the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, visit www.gpstpete.com. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GPSTPETE or Twitter via @GPSTPETE.
About the MAZDA Road to Indy
The Mazda Road to Indy is INDYCAR’s official developmental ladder system for drivers and teams seeking to compete in the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500. Made up of Firestone Indy Lights, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda, the system is designed to create a defined career path for young, career-minded racers and teach them the skills needed to advance to the highest level of open-wheel racing on and off the track. In 2012, all three series that make up the Mazda Road to Indy program will join the IZOD IndyCar Series at various events. For more information on the Mazda Road to Indy, visit www.indycar.com.
About the Pirelli World Challenge Championships
Entering its 23rd consecutive season, the Pirelli World Challenge is one of North America’s top production car-based racing championships. Divided into four separate categories (Pirelli World Challenge GT, Pirelli World Challenge GTS, Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car, and Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car B-Spec), races feature thrilling standing starts, adrenaline filled door-to-door action and world-class drivers. The Pirelli World Challenge features cars from the world’s most popular manufacturers – race-prepped versions of the cars driven on the streets. Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, the series races at North America’s premier road and temporary street courses. Visit, www.world-challenge.com.
About the Ferrari Challenge
The Ferrari Challenge expanded to North America in 1994 with a full season of races and has been run every year since, making it the longest-running series of its type in North America. The Ferrari Challenge has given many Ferrari owners the opportunity to enjoy the continent’s finest tracks while sharing both competition and the social aspects of the series with fellow Ferrari owners. The Challenge has also given Ferrari enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy watching Ferraris in their natural environment — the race track. Visit, www.ferrarichallenge.com.
-
Daytona Introduces Short Track Races For Speedweeks 2013
Daytona track president Joie Chitwood III: “Grassroots short track racing is the foundation of this great sport.”
[media-credit name=”Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”222″]
[/media-credit]Recently announced to take place at Daytona during Speedweeks 2013 is the inaugural “UNOH (University of Northwestern Ohio) Battle at the Beach” event that will include three non-point special races for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, NASCAR Whelen Modified tours, and the Late Model division of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.All these series are used as stepping stones to NASCAR’s more lucrative national series, such as Sprint Cup and Nationwide.
The series’ will race on a temporary oval slated to be a quarter mile (0.4) in length built on the 2.5 mile superspeedway’s back stretch.
“When I think about adding a short track event here, it’s just an opportunity to connect with that local racer supporting NASCAR,” Mr. Chitwood said.
He also went on to say he is thrilled to give young drivers the opportunity to fight for a win at the” World Center of Racing”.
“Many of NASCAR’s greatest stars cut their teeth on short tracks around the country and we look forward to hosting the stars of tomorrow in 2013. Whether it’s a hobby or profession, everybody should have the chance to race at Daytona. ”
The criteria for setting the field in the event include: winners of the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West events as well as the series champions will automatically be locked into that series’ race at Daytona next year.Additionally, winners of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour or NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour races this season and series champions will be locked into the Modified event.The top 10 finishers in this year’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division I national standings will earn a starting spot in the Late Model race.
And the champions of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, NASCAR Toyota Series from Mexico, and Euro Racecar NASCAR Touring Series this season will earn a protected starting spot in whichever one of the three 2013 Daytona races they choose to run.
The remaining spots in next year’s features at Daytona will be filled through time trials and heat races.
The “UNOH Battle at the Beach” event is scheduled for February 18-19, 2013, the Monday and Tuesday before the Daytona 500. Days that are also known as Daytona International Speedway’s “dark days”.
-
ARCA: Will Kimmel Keeps Up The Success of Kimmel Racing at Daytona
[media-credit name=”Kimmel Racing PR” align=”alignleft” width=”143″]
[/media-credit]Being the nephew of nine-time ARCA Racing Series Champion Frank Kimmel is enough pressure in itself. When you’re taking over the seat that he had for over 10 years, that just continues to add to the pressure.Will Kimmel lived up to all the pressure as he finished third in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway. The finish marked the third top five finish in his young career.
“I can’t thank everyone on this Kimmel Racing team for all of their support and dedication,” he said. “We have an all-volunteer crew and we picked up some sponsorship from Enterprise Software Development and man, I’m happy for them. Hopefully this run will help us moving forward and we can acquire some more sponsorship that will keep us in the ARCA championship battle.”
The driver of the No. 68 Enterprise Software Development/Clarksville Schwinn Ford didn’t have an easy weekend with his Indiana based team as he qualified the car 21st.
Right when the green flag dropped, the 23 year old began to make his move, for a caution occurred on lap six when Milka Duno went for a spin. His crew chief and father Bill Kimmel elected to use pit strategy and bring his son to pit road.
This would have him starting back in 29th on lap 13, but he would begin to move up quickly. By the caution for Leilani Munter on lap 17, he was up to 19th. His move to the front would continue and by lap 47, he would be in the top 10.
On lap 69, a multi-car accident would occur, setting up a restart with five laps to go. The final five laps were crazy and some of the most dramatic in Daytona history.
On lap 78, Chris Busecher would bring out the caution when was he was hit from behind, beginning the mess of fuel strategy. Some cars had enough fuel while others were cutting it close and some chose to come down pit road. Bill Kimmel kept his son on track, restarting him in the third position.
On the final lap, while Will Kimmel was trying to make his move, both leaders Brandon McReynolds and Chris Windom ran out of school. Kimmel made the move to avoid both drivers, but in the process, both Bobby Gerhart and Drew Charlson got by. Brett Hudson and Nelson Canache would both also pass Kimmel, but they would have their positions revoked due to passing under the yellow line. This locked in the third place finishing position for the driver who was making his second ever Daytona start.
“Wow, that was crazy,” he said. “We had a shot at winning the race but when those guys ran out of gas, I had to check-up and I was done. I tried to keep those guys from passing me but it was already then too late. At that point, I was happy to finish fifth, but when they penalized them and moved us back into third, it was even a better feeling.”
Heading into the next race on March 10th at Mobile International Speedway, Kimmel sits 10 points behind Gerhart. Both Gerhart and Charlson, who are above Kimmel in points, are not entered for Mobile as of right now so Kimmel likely will inherit the points lead upon arrival at Mobile.
For more on Will Kimmel, please visit willkimmel.com.
-
GERHART TAKES ARCA SERIES SEASON OPENER UNDER THRILLING CONDITIONS
When a primary sponsor, on the hood of a race car, is the same corporation that’s also sponsoring the race it often makes a race driver dig a little deeper, and race a little harder. That’s exactly what racing veteran Bobby Gerhart did on the afternoon of February 18th at the Daytona International Raceway. Despite a weekend filled with obstacles, Gerhart dug deep and raced hard. The reward was the right to park his Lucas Oil Slick Mist Chevrolet in victory lane after winning the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200.
The event was the official season opener of the ARCA Racing Series, presented by Menards. The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 also marked the Automobile Racing Club of America’s 60th anniversary season. The event also sent Gerhart to Daytona’s victory lane for the eighth time in 25 starts as well as his third consecutive win at the famous raceway.
However, Gerhart’s day of Daytona jubilation came at series’ rookie driver Brandon McReynolds’ expense. The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 was scheduled for 80 laps around Daytona’s massive 2.5 mile oval. The race distance was actually 83 laps due to a late race caution. McReynolds’ Chevrolet, entered by Turner Motorsports, just simply didn’t have enough fuel in the tank to run those extra three laps. McReynolds helplessly watched his first series win at Daytona turn into an 11th place finish after the engine sputtered and silently rolled across the finish line. Making that sinking feeling even deeper was the fact that McReynolds drove a brilliant race and led 64 laps. That’s when Gerhart, with a massive bump draft from series newcomer Drew Charlson, moved from fifth to first to steal the win during the final few feet of the race.
Gerhart’s latest ARCA Series win was not an easy one. The day before the race the Pennsylvania driver scorched the competition in qualifying to claim what would have been his fifth pole position at Daytona. However, during a post qualifying tech inspection, his car failed an engine vacuum leak check and Gerhart was informed that he would be starting the race from the rear of the 43 car field. Despite that disappointment, the team installed their back up power plant and then topped the speed charts during the final practice session held that morning.
Knowing that the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 was bound to become a fuel mileage race, Gerhart surprised everyone by coming down pit road, to pack his tank with gas, on the first lap. He repeated that procedure on lap ten. It would turn out to be a race winning moment. It was later revealed that this move was planned prior to the start of the race.
The pit stops placed Gerhart a lap down but, with 24 of the 43 drivers in the field being ARCA and Daytona rookies, the team knew there was bound to be an early caution flag. They didn’t have to wait very long. A single car spin brought out the first yellow of the race on lap six. Gerhart was awarded the Lucky Dog pass to place him back on the lead lap and began the process of working his way towards the front of the field.
On lap 74, the field was under caution again and McReynolds was observed driving on the track’s apron, wiggling the car from side to side, to save all of the badly needed fuel he would require for the final laps of the race. Unfortunately the field only ran two green flag laps before a single car accident brought out the final yellow. The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 was going into overtime.
Following the green-white-checker restart, it appeared that McReynolds, despite running on gas fumes, might have just enough left in the tank to take the win. Unfortunately while coming off of the final turn of the final lap, with the checkered flag in sight, that’s when McReynolds’ engine sputtered. The outstanding, dominant, run by this young driver was now over.
That’s also when the tandem of Gerhart and Charlson jumped to the outside lane which led to their one-two finish. Will Kimmel, Steve Blackburn and Mark Thompson followed them under the checkers to complete the top five rundown.
In victory lane, an ecstatic Bobby Gerhart patted the roof of his car with his hand and screamed “you should never, I mean never ever, rule out this Lucas Oil hot rod.” On this afternoon at Daytona, no truer words were ever spoken.
-
DJ Kennington Continues Partnership with Castrol Edge
[media-credit id=4 align=”alignleft” width=”150″]
[/media-credit]Early last week, DJ Kennington and Castrol Edge announced that once again they’d be partnering up to compete for the 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Championship. The St. Thomas, Ontario racer will pilot the No. 17 Castro Edge Dodge to continue one of the longest partnerships in the series as it approaches two decades.“I’ve said this for many years, I simply wouldn’t be where I am and would not have been able to win races and a championship without the backing from Castrol,” the 2010 series champion says. “They have welcomed me into their family from the beginning and our relationship continues to grow, nobody’s had better support than me.”
The company is excited about the continued partnership as Marketing Communications Manager for Wakefield Canada, which distributes Castrol Edge, Marsha McLaughlin says, “partnering with DJ Kennington has been an important part of our marketing program with Castrol for nearly two decades. We’re proud of all that DJ has accomplished in racing and look forward to another exciting season together helping him edge his way to another championship.”
Last season, Kennington won two races – Mosport and Kawartha – though fell short in going back-to-back, as he finished second to Scot Steckly.
“We gave it a good run last year but came up just a little short repeating,” Kennington says. “Our guys are all anxious to get back and get back on top because we like finishing first better.”
The 2012 season opens up on Sunday May 20th at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, formerly known as Mosport International Raceway. All the races during the 2012 season will be televised on TSN.
For more information on DJ Kennington, check out , follow DJ on twitter (@djkracing) and join the Facebook group DJK Racing.
-
IndyCar: Michael Shank Racing Still in Search for Sponsorship
After winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Michael Shank Racing continues his search for sponsorship in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Shank hoped to make an announcement in October, but that didn’t come together. If nothing is found soon, the team may not run the season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 25th.
“We’ve got the car in the shop and the people we need to go run the car, but at this point we are still working to have the full budget in place to go racing,” Shank says. “I don’t want to be in a position to just go out and make up the numbers. We want to show up and have a competitive presence.”
Shank partnered with NASCAR driver AJ Allmendinger and business man Brian Bailey to form the Indy portion of MSR.
“My main goal is to make this thing work, and if that means working with a technical partner to make it happen or just focusing on particular races then so be it,” he says. “Obviously, there are folks out there testing right now, and that is the best-case scenario to be in. We’ve got a little bit bigger hill to climb at the moment, but we are not giving up by any stretch.”
If sponsorship comes together, Shank is expected to compete in the IndyCar Series with Paul Tracy.
-
Bobby Gerhart wins Eighth ARCA Daytona Race in Last Lap Mayhem
[media-credit name=”arcaracing.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″]
[/media-credit]For the eighth time in his career, Bobby Gerhart won the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway.Gerhart came home with the victory after coming from fifth to first off of corner four when both Brandon McReynolds and Chris Windom ran out of fuel.
“Unreal,” Gerhart said. “That last lap was a dream. I always learned to take what was infront of me. I just went high and all it takes is for the leader to mess up.”
Gerhart had to start at the back after failing post-qualifying inspection when he had qualified on the pole.
The race ran clean till seven laps to go when James Hylton spun off the bottom, collecting Sloan Henderson and Rick Clifton. Some drivers pitted while others stayed out.
The race restarted with five to go, before a last caution with three to go. The caution came out after Nelson Canache spun Chris Buescher in the tri-oval. Once again, some drivers pitted while others stayed out.
The green would come out for a green-white-checkered, which immediately drivers began running out of gas, including a whole group coming to the checkereds.
Unofficially, Drew Charlston finished second in his first ARCA start
“That was awesome,” Charlston said. “I feel like I won the race.”
