Tag: Benny Gordon

  • Darrell Wallace Jr. and Max Gresham Duo Winners at Dover

    Darrell Wallace Jr. and Max Gresham Duo Winners at Dover

    There were dueling victory lane celebrations after the final NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race, the Dover 150, at the Monster Mile.

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”222″][/media-credit]Darrell Wallace, Jr., driving the No. 6 US Army Toyota for Revolution Racing, scored his third win of the season in the final race, while Max Gresham, fielding the No. 18 Live Oak Plantation Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, finished off the season as champion.

    Although one a race winner and the other a champion, both drivers were equally emotional about their victories. The win was especially powerful for Wallace due to a loss he suffered in his personal life last weekend.

    “It was an emotional win for me, especially losing my uncle this past Saturday,” Wallace Jr. said, “It was tough.”

    “I put his name over my name on the door,” Wallace continued. “He was riding shot gun with us and he’s the one who put us in Victory Lane.”

    Wallace not only enjoyed the racing at the Monster Mile, but the trophy too.

    “This race was fun,” Wallace said. “I love this track.”

    “Dover is my favorite track, not just because I won but because it teaches you a lot, how to pass cars, go fast and turn laps,” Wallace continued. “But I’m more tired from carrying this thing (Miles the Monster trophy) around than racing out on the track.”

    Wallace is just seventeen years old, with his ‘big 18th’ birthday coming up next Saturday. Under the tutelage of Andy Santerre, former Busch North champ, and with the support of the US Army as sponsor, the young driver has also been responsible for half of the wins for Revolution Racing this past season.

    “Revolution Racing and the US Army not only got us to Victory Lane today, but also got us three wins and three poles and getting us to the race track each weekend we had a race,” Wallace Jr. said. “It just goes to show how ‘Army Strong’ we are.”

    As strong as Wallace was, there was one stronger car and driver in the field, at least as far as the championship. Max Gresham, who ran every lap of the season, was officially crowned the K&N Pro Series East champ.

    “This has been the best season I’ve ever had,” Gresham said. “It will be a good one for the records book for a long time for ourselves.”

    “You can’t ask for anything better than that,” Gresham continued. “It’s been a great year for us.”

    “To be a NASCAR champion is the biggest thing and pretty much the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do when I started racing,” Gresham said emotionally. “And now I am.”

    Crew chief Bryant Frazier seconded his driver’s assessment of the winning season. In addition to this championship, Frazier is also best known for being Tony Stewart’s first crew chief.

    “Wow, this is an awesome day,” Frazier said. “It’s been something coming all year.”

    “Max has done an excellent job,” Frazier continued. “It’s a testament to the Gibbs and everyone who works throughout this sport.”

    Steve Desouza, Vice President of Nationwide and Driver Development for Joe Gibbs Racing, also spoke of his pride for the driver, as well as the pride he had for the team in Gresham’s K&N Pro Series East championship.

    “Speaking on behalf of the Gibbs, what an honor to be part of this Series,” Desouza said. “It’s been a great development series for us.”

    “We’re really proud of Bryant and Max and the job our entire group has done,” Desouza continued. “Max is an incredible talent and our guys have worked very hard for the championship this year.”

    Gresham’s major competition for the championship, Brett Moffitt, looked like he might have a chance to pull off the upset, leading the race in the waning laps. Moffitt, in his No. 00 AAA/Michael Waltrip Racing machine, however, blew a tire and hit the wall to finish 21st.

    “It was unfortunate for him that he blew that right front tire but good for us,” Gresham said of Moffitt. “As soon as it happened, there was a big sigh of relief and we just slowed down and finished third.”

    “I’ve never been happier finishing third.”

    Both Gresham and Wallace Jr. acknowledged that not only are they winners, but they have also both learned many lessons throughout this race season. And one of those lessons is that patience is a virtue.

    “I think the biggest lesson that I’ve learned this year is patience,” Gresham said. “It’s definitely played a lot into finishing every lap and finishing top five and top ten as much as we did.”

    “Not letting my nerves get the better of me and staying calm, being patient and not pushing the issue was the key.”

    “The lesson that I’ve learned is to not get in over my head like in situations like today,” Wallace Jr. said. “Just a lot of patience, car control and everything there is to racing.”

    “I’ve still got a lot to learn.”

    With the race win and championship now in their rear view mirrors, both Wallace Jr. and Gresham took a moment to think about their futures. But for both winning drivers, that future is uncertain at present.

    “I don’t know yet what I will do next year,” Wallace Jr. said. “When I do, I’ll let you know.”

    “Hopefully by winning this race, we’ve opened some eyes and opened some ears.”

    “Watching Max since he has been with us, he has learned to race well,” Desouza said of Gresham’s future. “I would venture to say that you’ll be seeing him in Nationwide and more than likely in Cup in the future.”

    “He’s done a great job and he’s done a nice job of bringing this group together and applying it on the race track.”

    Following Darrell Wallace Jr., race winner, were Dale Quarterly, Max Gresham, Eddie MacDonald, and Andrew Smith as the top-five finishers. Benny Gordon, Ryan Gifford, Brandon McReynolds, Dylan Presnell and Jeff Anton rounded out the top ten.

  • Grant Enfinger’s Team Takes Top Honors in ARCA Daytona Test Drafting Speeds

    While Venturini Motorsports took top honors in the single-car runs, Grant Enfinger’s team took top honors in drafting.

    Yesterday, Benny Gordon drove Grant Enfinger’s car to the lead position and has the quickest overall draft speed at a lap of 48.414 seconds.

    Today, Grant Enfinger drove his own car to the top of the charts and second overall at a lap of 48.418 seconds.

    Brian Rose and James Hylton were tied for second in the session at 48.664 seconds (184.942 mph). Joey Licata Jr., Jason Bowles, Milka Duno, Kevin Swindell, Randy Renfrow, Brent Brevak, and Bobby Gerhart comprised the remainder of the top 10.

    Today concluded the Daytona test for the ARCA Racing Series. The next time they will be at Daytona will be on February 8 to begin preparation for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on February 12.

    Overall Draft Speeds

    1. 09 Benny Gordon – 48.414 seconds -Wednesday Afternoon
    2. 36 Grant Enfinger- 48.418 – Thursday Afternoon
    3. 1 Chad McCumbee – 48.427 – Wednesday Afternoon
    4. 41b Ty Dillon – 48.431 – Wednesday Afternoon
    5. 82 Sean Corr – 48.432 – Wednesday Afternoon
    6. 77 Joey Licata, Jr. – 48.473 – Wednesday Afternoon 
    7. 58 Chad Hackenbracht – 48.522 – Wednesday Afternoon
    8. 55 Hal Martin – 48.609 – Wednesday Afternoon 
    9. 15 Kyle Fowler – 48.652 – Wednesday Afternoon 
    10. 25 Steve Arpin – 48.660 – Wednesday Afternoon
    11. 4 Brian Rose & 48 James Hylton – 48.664 – Thursday Afternoon
    12. 63a Milka Duno – 48.673 – Wednesday Afternoon
    13. 6 Jason Bowles – 48.724 – Thursday Afternoon
    14. 2 Kevin Swindell – 48.727 – Thursday Afternoon
    15. 66 Mark Thomson – 48.779 – Wednesday Afternoon
    16. 36b Brett Hudson – 48.834 – Wednesday Afternoon
    17. 16 Randy Renfrow & 22 Dakoda Armstrong – 48.844 – Wednesday Afternoon
    18. 3 Brent Brevak – 48.960 – Thursday Afternoon
    19. 11 Bryan Silas – 49.031 – Thursday Afternoon
    20. 31 Tim Geroge – 49.084 – Wednesday Afternoon
    21. 5a Bobby Gerhart – 49.175 – Thursday Afternoon
    22. 68 Steve Blackburn – 49.142 – Wednesday Afternoon
    23. 17b Chris Buescher & 5c Damon Lusk – 49.191 – Thursday Afternoon
    24. 14b John Ferrier – 49.199 – Wednesday Afternoon
    25. 12b Maryeve Dufault – 49.203 – Thursday Afternoon
    26. 18e Leilani Munter – 49.501 – Thursday Afternoon
    27. 62 Drew Charleson – 49.637 – Wednesday Afternoon
    28. 14a John Graham – 49.690 – Wednesday Afternoon
    29. 10b Rick Clifton – 49.724 – Wednesday Afternoon
    30. 18a Ryan Glenski – 49.760 – Thursday Afternoon
    31. 10a Ed Pompa – 49.762 – Wednesday Afternoon
    32. 12a Jarod Marks – 49.781 – Wednesday Afternoon
    33. 75b Benny Chastain – 49.788 – Wednesday Afternoon
    34. 95 Tommy Joe Martins – 49.927 – Wednesday Afternoon
    35. 18d Jill Georgs – 50.417 – Wednesday Afternoon
    36. 3a Bobby Dale Earnhardt – 50.452 – Thursday Afternoon
    37. 18d Sloan Henderson – 50.532 – Thursday Afternoon
    38. 80a Ricky Byers – 50.627 – Wednesday Afternoon
    39. 75a Hannah Baker – 50.661 – Wednesday Afternoon
    40. 80c Chris Davis – 50.870  – Thursday Afternoon
    41. 80 Russell Henderson – 59.108 – Wednesday Afternoon
  • Kyle Fowler Holds Best Time of ARCA Test Single Car Runs for Venturini Motorsports

    Teammate Hal Martin made of had the quickest time for Thursday morning’s session, however Kyle Fowler holds serve of being the quickest car on the property for single car runs.

    Martin drove the No. 55 Toyota to a best lap of 48.815 seconds (184.37 mph) to lead the Thursday morning session. That lap ranks fifth-best over the single-car runs only for the entire test session. Overall, the lap ranks 16th-best of the test week as Benny Gordon’s 48.414-second effort holds the top from the drafting session.  

    “It’s windier today, that’s for sure,” Martin told the ARCA Racing Network. “We had a little bit of a headwind going down the backstretch, which slowed us down a little bit. Other than that, our cars are quick. The Venturini guys put in a heck of a lot of work coming in and leading into this week and this test session, and the cars are all fast. The cars are performing like they should be.”

    Fowler ranked second on Thursday’s board with a lap of 48.943 seconds (183.887 mph), though holds first on the board for the entire test in single-car runs with a time of 48.668-seconds in the No. 15 Chevrolet.

    For Thursday’s board, teammates Steve Arpin and Mark Thomspon followed behind Martin and Fowler in third and forth.  Arpin drove the No. 25 Toyota to a lap of 48.978 seconds (183.756 mph), and Thompson drove his best lap in 49.208 seconds (182.897 mph). 

    Venturini Motorsports officials said that they have elected not to run the afternoon session as they’ve accomplished their goals. 

    “We had a game plan coming into this test session,” Martin said. “We were able to run through our list of things we wanted to try and see what benefited the car and what hampered our performance. We got our checklist done and completed, so we’re done.”

    Finishing out the top 10 for Day three was Brian Rose, Bobby Gerhart, Randy Renfrow, Patrick Sheltra, Grant Enfinger, and Jason Bowles. A number of teams, including Richard Childress Racing, Kimmel Racing, and Enfinger Motorsports, chose not to participate in the final day of testing.

    ARCA Racing Series testing at Daytona will conclude this afternoon with a drafting session, scheduled for 1-5 p.m.

    Gordon, who led yesterday’s drafting session, does not plan on running this afternoon.

    “I think we’re done,” Gordon said. “We were only planning on two days. (The team) has some stuff they want to do back at the shop, so I think we’re going to get out of here and pack it up, let them do their work, and see if they can’t make it better for when it comes back.”

    Meanwhile, Bobby Dale Earnhardt, son of Kerrry Earnhardt, is looking to use these three days as a learning experience.

    “It means a lot coming here,” the 23-year old said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for this track. With everything that’s happened here, it’s really awesome being here.

    “I’m just hoping to learn a lot. They say this track is pretty much in my DNA, but I guess we’ll find that out.” 

    Single-Car Run Speeds Combined From The Test

    1. #15 Kyle Fowler – 48.668 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    2. #55 Hal Martin – 48.697 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    3. #25 Steve Arpin – 48.796 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    4. #31 Tim George Jr. – 48.985 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    5. #66 Mark Thomson – 49.208 seconds – Thursday Morning
    6. #4 Brian Rose – 49.290 seconds – Thursday Morning
    7. #17a Chris Buescher – 49.315 seconds – Tuesday Morning
    8. #63a Milka Duno – 49.371 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    9. #41a Ty Dillon – 49.383 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    10. #22 Dakoda Armstrong – 49.438 – Wednesday Morning
    11. #42a Scott Stenzil – 49.457 – Wednesday Morning
    12. #36 Grant Enfinger – 49.486 – Tuesday Afternoon
    13. #16a Joey Coulter – 49.543 – Tuesday Afternoon
    14. #77 Joey Licata, Jr. – 49.549 – Wednesday Morning
    15. #14b John Ferrier – 49.562 – Tuesday Afternoon
    16. #18a Ryan Glenski – 49.578 – Wednesday Morning
    17. #5a Bobby Gerhart – 49.624 seconds – Thursday Morning
    18. #16 Randy Renfrow – 49.659 seconds – Thursday Morning
    19. #63 Patrick Sheltra – 49.660 seconds – Thursday Morning
    20. #75b Benny Chastain – 49.680 seconds – Tuesday Morning
    21. #10a Ed Pompa – 49.686 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    22. #6 Jason Bowles – 49.709 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    23. #18c Jeremy Frankoski – 49.714 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    24. #09 Benny Gordon – 49.743 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    25. #36b Brett Hudson – 49.804 seconds – Thursday Morning
    26. #12b Maryeve Dufault – 49.853 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    27. #12c Chase Austin – 49.925 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon 
    28. #5c Damon Lusk – 49.945 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    29. #97 Matt Lofton – 49.946 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    30. #2 Kevin Swindell – 49.949 seconds – Thursday Morning
    31. #11 Bryan Silas – 49.977 seconds – Thursday Morning
    32. #1 Chad McCumbee – 49.978 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    33. #54 Will Vaught – 50.007 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    34. #42b Joey Gaze – 50.048 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    35. #95 Tommy Joe Martins – 50.049 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    36. #68 Steve Blackburn – 50.059 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    37. #75a Hannah Baker – 50.075 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    38. #42c Ryan Lynch – 50.080 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    39. #23a Jake Crum – 50.113 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    40. #14a John Graham – 50.145 seconds – Thursday Morning
    41. #10b Rick Clifton – 50.355 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    42. #3a Bobby Dale Earnhardt – 50.477 – Thursday Morning
    43. #3 Brent Brevak – 50.540 – Thursday Morning 
    44. #18e Lelani Munter – 50.544 – Thursday Morning
    45. #44 Frank Kimmel – 50.596 seconds – Tuesday Afternoon
    46. #82 Sean Corr – 50.607 seconds – Thursday Morning 
    47. #08 James Hylton – 50.694 seconds – Thursday Morning 
    48. #80b Richard Herriman - 50.773 seconds – Thursday Morning
    49. #18d Sloan Henderson – 50.790 seconds – Thursday Morning
    50. #62 Drew Charleson – 50.821 seconds – Thursday Morning
    51. #23 Levi Youster – 50.939 seconds – Wednesday Morning
    52. #18b Tyler Speer – 50.949 seconds – Thursday Morning
    53. #58 Chad Hackenbracht – 51.244 seconds – Tuesday Morning