Category: Other Series Racing

Genoa, Nevada – November 23rd, 2011 – Davy Jones had a successful run at the 44th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 last weekend where he finished third in the SCORE Lites/Class 12 category with the Patent It! Race team.  The celebrated driver added this achievement to his long list of successful finishes over his career which include wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and a runner up finish at the Indy 500.

[media-credit name=”Davy Jones” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Considering the difficulties and grueling conditions of the historic off road race, Jones and teammates Steve Lisa, Tony Lisa and Chuck Hemmingson had a reasonably trouble free run and completed the rugged 692.82-mile event in 23h55m45sec.  One of the team’s main complications during their run presented itself early when some of the electronics in the car got wet which caused the drivers to lose communication between themselves and with their chase vehicles, but the Patent It! Race Team carried on to the finish line with Jones and teammate Steve Lisa taking control of their VW powered machine for the first 270 miles of the course.

The race marked the second year in a row that Jones competed at the event in which is quickly becoming a tradition for the experienced driver.  He now heads back to his Genoa, Nevada home as he prepares for another busy racing season in 2012.

Davy Jones “This is just an unbelievable race, it’s so different than anything I’m used to and just an incredible experience.  It’s really hard on your body and it really beats you up, once you get out of the car you can feel the strain but you immediately just get the urge to go back and keep driving, it’s both fun and addictive.

Everybody in the Patent It! Team did a great job, I have to give lots of credit to everybody because we ran a very strong race and stayed away from any major trouble.  I got to co-drive my stint with Steve Lisa, which was a great experience, we had some electronic and communication problems but we worked around them and just kept going. At the end of the day we finished third which is a very strong result, of course we would’ve liked to win but I guess that just means we’ll have to go back next year and try again!

I really want to thank the Patent It! Race Team for the opportunity, and also Edge Eyewear for supporting us with their products which came in very handy out in the desert.  I can’t wait to come back next year.”

Ironically, every time I start a new page on this diary, something historic happens that helps me explain my story a bit better. Unfortunately, one of the most important and loved drivers Indy car has had, passed away a few weeks ago and unfortunately as well, an event like this one, launched my driving career.

[media-credit name=”Martinez” align=”alignright” width=”214″][/media-credit]I already told you about my first approach to racing and how my family was involved. However, I have not yet told you about the day it all started. It was September 1,1994 and my dad´s team had a F-2 race in Aguascalientes, Mexico. I remember the Thursday before race weekend when they were ready to hit the road.  At that point, my only and older brother was 17 years old, and about to turn 18 on Sept 3^rd. He had already climbed through the karting ladder with much success and was already racing in my dad´s open wheel team called MARTIGA.  Dad and my uncle “Capi”, as everyone used to know him, founded MARTIGA in the mid 80´s and had been successful for almost a decade to when this story takes place.

For some strange reason, I couldn´t make that trip or I didn´t feel like going, as I had always wanted to go with them to every race. Dad, Capi, Gerardo (my brother), and Luis (a friend of our family) hit the road on that Thursday afternoon on Capi´s new yellow mustang. I stayed with mom, who had always supported my dad and brother without any complains. We still knew she didn´t loved it and she deeply wished that we would spend more time home and forget about this crazy sport.

It was a bad weekend for MARTIGA at Aguascalientes, as the results were bad and my brother had a big crash on Sunday warm-up.  It was September 3^rd, my brother´s birthday so I talked to him on the phone that night after the race and waited for them next day. They never got back home as they had a huge crash on the highway on their way back when a tire blew up. Dad and Capi made it. My brother and Luis did not.

A couple of days before they left, my brother had built for me a go kart for the upcoming season. This was the last kart he would be able to build and I remember his words perfectly. “This will be the last kart I will build for you, so you better win and learn how to do it yourself”. This words and this tragic event, triggered my heart and desire to go out there and win.

Victory was third in four years for Louisville, Ky. driver

Rockingham, N.C. (November 26, 2011) – Chuck Barnes, Sr. overcame an early-race spin to edge Frank Kimmel II by a nose to take the victory in the Frank Kimmel Street Stock Nationals (FKSSN) Polar Bear 150 at Rockingham Speedway.

[media-credit name=”Photo Credit: Andy Cagle/Rockingham Speedway” align=”alignright” width=”243″][/media-credit]The win is Barnes’ third Polar Bear victory in four years.

“I was prepared to take second,” said Barnes from Rockingham Speedway’s victory lane. “He was a little better than me on those longer runs. He just got loose, and I just got underneath him in (turn) four on that last lap.”

Chuck Barnes Sr. (No. 5) used a turn four pass to edge Frank Kimmel II by .016 seconds in the Polar Bear 150 at Rockingham Speedway. Photo Credit: Andy Cagle/Rockingham Speedway

The .016 seconds margin-of-victory was the closest at Rockingham Speedway since Matt Kenseth edged Kasey Kahne by .010 seconds in the last NASCAR Sprint Cup race at the track in 2004.

“We really got lucky today,” said Barnes about the lap 33 incident that sent his car around in turn one. “It’s tough racing with all these lap cars with some running 50 miles per hour slower than others. But it’s fun passing all those cars on a track like this.”

“It seemed like I was terrible off of (turn) three,” said a dejected Kimmel. “But since it was so loose, the car continued to turn through four, which made it really fast down the front stretch. I could pass him down the front, because we had a little more motor. My game plan was to be second at the white flag, and pass him on the last lap and keep him on my outside. It just didn’t work out that way.”

Kimmel had to overcome troubles of his own to be in position to win.

His No. 72 Chevrolet cut a right rear tire during a caution period on lap 104. When the race resumed Kimmel found himself in 12th place, the last car on the lead lap. But Kimmel only needed 27 laps to work his way back to the front.

That the race came down to a last lap battle between Barnes and Kimmel was fitting as they were the only two to lead laps on the day. They officially swapped the lead 17 times in the 150-lap event.

Cliff Gaumond, running only his third FKSSN race, finished third.

“I didn’t know how much to push it right away because I didn’t want to ball it up in the beginning,” said Gaumond. “Because I don’t have a lot of experience in these cars, I was riding at 90% for most of the race, and when I turned it on I just didn’t have enough to get them.”

Clint Watkins and Tony Conway rounded out the top five in the final running order.

The race was slowed 11 times for 57 laps. Of the 54 cars that started the race, 10 were on the lead lap at the end.

November 21, 2011.  Sun Peaks, British Columbia racer Jason White has been one of the most well liked participants since arriving in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in 2008.  There’s always a crowd looking for autographs from the #21 A & W Dodge driver during each race weekend.  So it’s really not a huge surprise that Jason White to have been voted the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Most Popular Driver for 2011.

All summer race fans were encouraged to vote for their favorite driver in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series by logging onto the NASCAR Home Tracks website.  Following the tabulation of the votes NASCAR informed the winners by tweeting congratulations to all of the Regional Series winners including Jason White, Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

This recognition is very special for Jason White and his #21 A & W Dodge team.  “This is such an honour for me” said White.  “To have thousands of race fans take the time to cast their votes for me means a lot.  Without all the race fans from coast to coast we wouldn’t be able to do this” added White.

This past year White went out of his way to get closer and more involved with the Canadian race fans.  “I always try to spend as much time with people at the race track and sponsor appearances as I can” explained White.  “We made a real concerted effort this season to keep them updated on everything happening with the #21 A & W Dodge team through social media as well and we got some very positive feedback that the fans appreciated that” he stated.

Jason White will be presented with the Most Popular Driver Award for the 2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series as the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Awards Gala taking place at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte on Saturday, December 10th.  “I’ll be very proud to be representing all the Canadian race fans that weekend in Charlotte and show how much enthusiasm there is for racing in Canada.

Race fans will be able to watch the Night of Champions Touring Awards gala as the event is streamed live on the NASCAR Home Tracks website.

For the latest off season news about Jason White and the #21 A & W team, check out the all new team website at www.jasonwhiteracing.com and be sure to follow Jason on twitter for the latest updates @racinjasonwhite  The 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule is expected to be announced shortly.  Get more information about the series at www.hometracks.nascar.com

Photo:  #21 A & W Dodge driver Jason White signing autographs for fans

Photo Credit:  Mathew Murnaghan/NASCAR

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