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Tag: Ryan Reed

  • Hot 20 – Texas awaits as our thoughts are with a broadcaster back in the hospital

    Hot 20 – Texas awaits as our thoughts are with a broadcaster back in the hospital

    A week of rest, a week of contemplation, a week for those of faith. I so desperately pray that miracles do happen. Pit reporter Steve Byrnes is back in the hospital in his fight against neck and head cancer. He is in the ICU with pneumonia and a blood clot in his lung. At least he was able to tweet that information himself. This, more than anything I have written here, is the most meaningful and important. I could use some faith restoration about now. How about you?

    Kyle Larson missed Martinsville as doctors sought out a cause for his fainting at an event prior to the race. Today, they have the luxury to err on the side of caution as an injury no longer automatically means a championship run is done. This reduced pressure to race also means an injured driver no longer needs to feel compelled to climb back into the seat much too soon to keep his hopes alive. Even a suspension does not spell the end, as Kurt Busch sits a win away from proving. While it might be a trial for Kyle Busch to make the Chase with a win and Top 20 spot when he returns, Larson should be fine as Denny Hamlin was last season. He missed Fontana, yet finished 2014 in third.

    The National Network to End Domestic Violence is not happy Kurt Busch is back racing. To be honest, I believe there are more serious matters for them to hang their shingle. In this case, we had a questionable incident based on the opinion of a single Delaware judge from the questionable comments of two people over an incident in which little, if any, physical harm was caused. I applaud their vigilance, but I do question their bid to use this case as their cause celebre. For me, the issue has turned out to be more pathetic than violent.

    It has been announced that Cup regulars Aric Almirola and Sam Hornish Jr. will run even more XFINITY series events than they originally planned. It makes it easier to explain why some of us could not be bothered covering major leaguers kicking minor league butt week after week, season after season. Twenty-one-year-old Ryan Reed won at Daytona. Cup guys have won the other five, with Kevin Harvick taking two. Enough said.

    At least Chase Elliott won the spring XFINITY race in Texas a year ago. He is not a Cup regular just yet. As for the big boys…and girl…here are the…

    Hot 20 going down to Texas…

    1. Kevin Harvick – 2 Wins (263 Points)
    It wasn’t his tires up there on the Grassy Knoll.

    2. Joey Logano – 1 Win (239 Points)
    Won two weeks ago Saturday, third on that Sunday.

    3. Brad Keselowski – 1 Win (206 Points)
    Bloody Keselipski, according to the billboards in Texas.

    4. Denny Hamlin – 1 Win (172 Points)
    Only tire issues he had at Martinsville were during his burnout.

    5. Jimmie Johnson – 1 Win (168 Points)
    Won last three fall races in Fort Worth, but was 25th last spring.

    6. Martin Truex Jr – 231 Points
    It is nice when all one’s ducks and furniture is all in a row.

    7. Kasey Kahne – 193 Points
    Best Hendrick driver, by points, is ole what’s his name.

    8. Paul Menard – 173 Points
    Once one of two Childress drivers in the Hot 20…then Newman got tired, so to speak.

    9. Dale Earnhardt Jr – 172 Points
    According to Gordon, Junior doesn’t know squat…jumps.

    10. Aric Almirola – 170 Points
    More XFINITY for him, less seat time for others.

    11. Matt Kenseth – 168 Points
    Fort Worth is Matt’s kind of town.

    12. David Ragan – 163 Points
    Kyle Busch? I don’t know. The names does sound rather familiar, though.

    13. Casey Mears – 161 Points
    500-1 to win at Texas? Really? Is he driving it or running it?

    14. Jamie McMurray – 154 Points
    Claims he and Larson are ego free. I am hair free, but you don’t hear me bragging.

    15T Jeff Gordon – 148 Points
    Soft start followed by a trio of Top Tens.

    15T Danica Patrick – 148 Points
    From what we saw in the last race, Virginia really is for lovers…of Danica.

    15T Carl Edwards – 148 Points
    Has a million very good reasons to race for the win Saturday night.

    18. Clint Bowyer – 146 Points
    Truex left, Bowyer stayed. I wonder who got the best of that deal?

    19T A.J. Allmendinger – 138 Points
    Bush’s Beans is the sponsor. You wouldn’t want to be running behind him.

    19T Greg Biffle – 138 Points
    Has led at least a lap in 12 of the 20 Texas races he has run.

  • NASCAR BTS: A Peek Behind the Curtain of the Ford Technical Support Center

    NASCAR BTS: A Peek Behind the Curtain of the Ford Technical Support Center

    Ford Racing’s domination of Daytona Speedweeks, including wins in the Truck, XFINITY and the Daytona 500, may just be traced back to all of the technology developed in the off-season by the manufacturer.

    This week’s NASCAR Behind the Scenes takes a peek behind the magical technology curtain of the Ford Racing Technical Support Center.

    “The main thing that we’ve worked on with the Ford Racing Technical Center in Concord, North  Carolina is really combining a lot of the tools we had in other facilities before, from the kinematics machine measuring camber and toe to the chassis torsional twist rig used to determine stiffness of the car.”” Mark Rushbrook, Ford Racing Engineering Motorsports Manager, said. “We also have a vehicle center of gravity machine used to measure the height of the car and a coordinate measurement machine that enables teams to measure their components for quality control.”

    “But the key thing that we have which has really moved things forward in terms of technology is the driving simulator. It runs a full dynamics model for the vehicle, whether Sprint Cup car, Xfinity car or IMSA car.”

    “It allows full driver engagement where they sit in the cockpit to get the motions of what is happening in the car,” Rushbrook continued. “They are viewing a giant screen in front of them with a three meter radius with projectors that give them the full sensation that they are actually driving the car. So, this is a tool that has been used in Formula 1 and some other road racing successfully and we’re using that now as a tool in our arsenal to help with driver training, as well as car and chassis set ups for both NASCAR and IMSA.”

    Because of the NASCAR testing ban, the driving simulator has become even more important in the off season and during this new season. And the Ford Racing Technical Support Center has risen to that challenge by virtually making every track available through that simulator.

    “At this point, we have all of the NASCAR tracks programmed,” Rushbrook said. “It is a very high graphics representation of the race track itself and everything in the surroundings. You really want the driver to feel like he is there at the track. So, it’s even got the graphic detail for the stands, for flags, for trees, for everything that is on the sides of the track.”

    “So, as the driver drives around the track, it’s the same visual cueing that he would get as if he is driving the real car. It’s a laser scanning of the track surface to get the representation of it.”

    “It gives the full six degrees of freedom to move the drivers up and down as they go over bumps, have the pitch and yaw and roll. It doesn’t do exactly what you see on the track but it’s the cueing representation of it such that they are immersed in it.”

    “The drivers believe and feel that they are driving around the actual track with the motion they are doing. We also have helped it be even more real through high frequency vibrations that are piped in through the structure of the cockpit to make it feel even more real. So, you get that vibration that you would feel from the engine actually coming up through the structure of the cockpit and up through the seat.”

    According to Rushbrook, the driving simulator even helps the drivers when they take an unexpected excursion off the track or into another race vehicle.

    “If you hit the wall and spin out or whatever you do, it’s not the same sensation of having the thirty or sixty ‘g’ force feeling but you do get the sensation of the car spinning into the infield or down into the grass,” Rushbrook said. “So, there is some realism there for sure.”

    With Ford Racing’s success during Daytona Speedweeks, there is no doubt that the drivers, crew chiefs and teams will continue to be lined up at the front door of the Technical Support Center.

    “At this point, we are continuing to develop our tools to make sure it is very well correlated,” Rushbrook said. “We have the race teams come in and have time slots available. It will be almost like a test session at each track. The driver, crew chief and race engineers come in. You don’t need the pit crew because you are not physically changing parts but they all come in. You change the set up in the computer model, the driver drives those changes, provides feedback and they can keep iterating through their setups just like they do at the track.”

    While Ford Racing declines to disclose the investment made in the Technical Support Center, they do acknowledge that it is significant. And according to Rushbrook, “It reflects our seriousness and how well we want to do in racing.”

    “We know the real payout will be in the 2015 season as we are truly applying it.”

    The payout has most certainly begun for Ford Racing after such a dominating Speedweeks and much of that success may be the responsibility of the Technical Support Center.

    “You can’t ask for a better weekend starting out with the truck race and Brad Keselowski’s truck team winning and then Ryan Reed wining the XFINITY race for Roush Fenway Racing and now Team Penske and Joey Logano with the Daytona 500 championship,” Raj Nair, Group Vice President, Global Product Development, Ford Motor Company, said. “What a start for Ford in 2015. We are now 4-for-4 in all the major races we have competed in. We couldn’t ask for a better start to the year.”

    “I think it is really starting to pay dividends with all the work we have done on the technical front and all the homework we did in the off-season.”

    “Whether it is the EcoBoost engine of the FR9 engine all the engines in all three NASCAR series’ I think it really shows the teamwork of working together in a One Ford way and that it can really pay dividends.”

  • Roush Fenway Looks to “Tweak” Their Way Back to Winning

    Roush Fenway Looks to “Tweak” Their Way Back to Winning

    Charlotte, NC – Wednesday was Ford Day at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour and it began bright and early with Roush Fenway Racing. Although the team won two races in 2014, they both came from Carl Edwards who now resides at Joe Gibbs Racing. Other than those two wins, there wasn’t much to shout about for Jack Roush’s team. That’s something they are trying to correct and hopefully very quickly.

    All teams use simulation programs to help set up cars for certain tracks and team owner Jack Roush discovered that the program that the team was using was not accurate. Roush then went to work to correct the problem.

    “Jack really imparted to Robbie Reiser, myself and the rest of the management team that we have to embrace change and figure out what we needed to do to get our team back on top,” said RFR President Steve Newmark. “That is what we did beginning the middle of last year. We made a lot of changes, some of them hard decisions. I will mention a few of them. You will hear a lot about it from these guys. Some of the things, fortunately we have a great partner in Ford that stood behind us and worked tirelessly as we tried to replace our simulation program.”

    It didn’t stop there. RFR added engineers Mark McCardell, Kevin Kidd, Phil Gould and others. They feel like that is a real position of strength for them going forward. They did all of that and kept the anchors of the organization that gave them so much success in the past. Robbie Reiser, Bob Osborne and Jimmy Fennig are all still there, and Newmark says you can feel the energy in the building.

    “If you go through the halls of Roush now I think it is more energetic than I have ever seen it,” Newmark added. “There is a lot of excitement about the direction we are heading. We understand that hope springs eternal for all teams at this point and that we are going to be judged ultimately by the performance on the track but are extremely confident we have made significant improvements with the help of Ford to get us where we need to go.”

    In addition, Roush Fenway added Elliott Sadler and rising star Darrell Wallace Jr. to the Xfinity side of the organization made up of Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Trevor Bayne, Ryan Reed, Chris Beuscher, Wallace, and Sadler.

    Stenhouse had a dismal season, missing a race at Talladega and running in the second pack all year. He credits his optimism for 2015 with the return of Jimmie Fennig, Carl Edwards’ crew chief the last two years.

    “We have some new changes on our team and a lot of the guys are working really hard in the shop. Nick Sandler has moved over from Carl’s engineer from last year and learned a lot from Jimmy Fennig,” Stenhouse said. “Mike (Kelly) is still a big part of our team and that was really important for me to have him stick around. It means a lot to me personally but also to the team. He sets a great example to our crew guys and we have some younger crew guys that really look up to him. I think everyone really appreciates his dedication. With Nick and Mike working together and with leadership from Jimmy I think we will have a great season. I am ready to get it going.”

    Greg Biffle had a less than satisfactory season last year. Biffle stayed with Roush, despite offers from other teams, and looks to improve in 2015.

    “You know, as everyone knows and Steve mentioned earlier, last year was certainly a tough season for us. I will tell you that this off season and the no testing that has gone on, we have really kind of agonized over things but I really feel like it has been a turning point for Roush Fenway because it has given us the down time and opportunities to step back and look at potentially where we had made the wrong turn in the road at,” Biffle said.

    “We have some new people in and when you are racing every week and trying to do this and testing and over at Nashville and doing all these things, you are looking at the problem down low. It wasn’t until we got up higher and really looked at the landscape we decided we made some wrong decisions back possibly over a year ago on the direction with our cars. We really feel like we have found some things we have done wrong. We feel we have righted those things.

    “I appreciate what Ford has done for us. They have really put their nose to the grind stone and provided everything, especially with the new alliance they have created. I am excited about it. I am ready to go.”

    Trevor Bayne is no stranger to fans. He won the 2011 Daytona 500 for the Wood Brothers, but hasn’t won since. Still, he says he is “pumped up” for the new season.

    “I get to drive for Jack, the man I signed up to drive for six years ago in the Cup Series with the 6 car, said Bayne. “What an opportunity it is to bring that back, especially with a full time sponsor with AdvoCare. To make that step and be full time at the Cup level, I can’t think of many sponsors that make that step. What a great year we have to look forward to.”

    Finally, Roush is energized, even at age 73. Instead of calling the new people “changes”, he prefers to call them, well, something else entirely. He praises the three wins the organization had last year, two on road courses with Edwards and Beuscher, and one short track also with Edwards, but acknowledges that the 1.5-mile tracks, which make up a majority of the circuit were RFR’s Kryptonite.

    “I characterize our changes as tweaks. We looked at a number of things on the 1.5 mile cars and Mark McCardell and Kevin Kidd have given us some new perspective on some things that have gone on in the industry beyond the vision of myself and Robbie Reiser,” Roush said. “We made our tweaks and have a strong lineup of partners.”

    “The support from Ford has been good, the partnership has been good,” he continued. “We need to maintain our position with our road racing prowess and superspeedway prowess and pick up on the 1.5 and two-mile tracks. I am anxious to do that. I have never been more excited about our lineup of drivers. Greg Biffle and Elliott Sadler being the senior group – not senior like myself but seniors in terms of drivers – and the rookies, we don’t have any rank rookies but Ryan Reed with his second year and Chris Buescher in his second year and as a ARCA champion as well and there is an expectation of what will happen with Chris Buescher and Bubba Wallace. I couldn’t be happier with our XFINITY program and we just have to go to the race track with our Cup cars and see what we can do on these 1.5 mile race tracks.”

  • Ryan Reed works hard to promote JDRF and Ryan’s Mission

    Ryan Reed works hard to promote JDRF and Ryan’s Mission

    [media-credit name=”Venturini Motorsports” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]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.

    Now a year and three months later, Reed finds himself behind the wheel of the No. 15 JDRF car for Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Racing Series. After two races this season, he sits sixth in points after finishing 12th at Daytona and Mobile.

    When he’s not behind the wheel of a racecar, Reed is spreading word about JDRF and Ryan’sMission. 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.

    Reed spoke of both JDRF and Ryan’sMission, talking about events that he has taken part of so far this year and some future events…..

     

    Ashley McCubbin: How has it been for you working with JDRF?

    Ryan Reed: JDRF has been unbelievable to work with. We’ve done so many incredible events so far this year and the relationship couldn’t anymore organic and we’ve just both have enjoyed all the great things we’ve done together. I mean, I really feel like we not only have been achieved great things so far, but the things we’ll be able to do in the future are even better.

     

    AM: Why did you want to get behind JDRF to begin with?

    RR: It kind of really happen organically. We were testing for the ARCA race in Daytona in December, Advanced Auto Parts contacted us and said we have a little girl named Makayla who wants to meet you and just figure out how you’ve compete with the disease. I said absolutely, and we were trying talking about JDRF. I had been talking about it for 10 minutes and I wanted to figure out how to get involved. I had my foundation and all, but we weren’t getting far. So when I got the chance to meet this little girl, I thought it was great.

    So when we talked about JDRF, I thought it was pretty cool and wanted to learn more about them. Their headquarters are inNew Yorkand my dad was inNew Yorkin December and he said he’d stop in there and drop off my portfolio and see if they want to do anything with me. They were like so excited and ever since, it’s just been an amazing relationship and everything has been good and had good intentions.

     

    AM: If you could, talk about why it is important for you to spread the word about JDRF.

    RR: Well, I mean being a T1D (Type 1 Diabetic), it obviously hits close to home. It’s important to me because they’ve done amazing things up to this point – obviously there’s no cure yet, but the medical advances they’ve participated in are just unreal.

     

    AM: How did Ryan’s Mission come about?

    RR: That was actually very near after I was diagnosed – well, I was first told I wasn’t going to be able to race, but then was told I’d be able to. Right after that, I knew I wanted to do this. I know other kids are being told that they won’t be able to do things and only some are lucky enough to find doctors that are as supportive as mine and able to still chase their dreams. So Ryan’s Mission was formed almost immediately and I just wanted to show kids and spread that message and not be held back.

     

    [media-credit name=”Ryan Reed Racing” align=”alignleft” width=”266″][/media-credit]AM: I know you’ve been to some Checkers Hockey Games and some games in Bakersfield, California over the past couple of months. How has that experience been for you spreading word about Ryan’s Mission and JDRF?

    RR: That’s been so much fun. I was a hockey fan growing up, played road hockey growing up, and followed the local hockey teams. I’ve always been a fan of the sport so to combine the two, fan of one sport, passion for the other, it’s just really a lot of fun just to be there. Then to be able to have all these kids come up to me and tell them how I inspire them and how much whenever they don’t want to take their shot and their parents tell them but, ‘Ryan takes his shots. If he can do it, then you can’ and they say okay. It’s unbelievable to hear and such a motivation on-and-off the track to keep doing my part in my career not just for myself, but for those kids to continue watch and get inspired.

     

    AM: I noticed lots of kids wanted to come by, meet you, get your autograph. How is it for you talking to the kids?

    RR: Any time a driver has fans, it means a lot to them. Any driver will tell you how much the fans mean to them and how fortunate they feel to have fans. Espically with my group of fans, they’re so loyal. They have unconditional ties to me, whether I win, lose or draw, with the T1D and they’re so supportive and all they want to do is help and they want to learn. Anytime a little kid comes up to me to get an autograph, I have a connection with them, so I think in my case, it’s a little bit different. Whether it’s a Type 1 Diabetic fan or not, it means a lot to me.

     

    AM:  Last month, I know you met with Congressman Kevin McCarthy. Talk about that experience, but also how important it is to have his support with the Special Diabetes Program.

    RR: That was really cool. That was the first time I had done anything with the Remember Me Campaign. So when I got the call to do that, I was really excited. When I showed up there, Kevin was a great guy, really down to earth. First thing we do when I walked in, we talked about racing. So we talked about racing for a bit and then I started telling him all the great things that JDRF has done. He was so supportive; he really a great guy. It was a lot of fun and a good experience.

    I think there was three or four of us, myself included, kids with Type 1 Diabetes from all ages. There was a little girl, a little eight years old boy – it was great to watch the whole Diabetic community come together and raise awareness and hopefully find a cure. The funding from that is crucial to JDRF so we all felt it was a obligation to go there and perform and show Kevin why it is important.

     

    AM: This weekend, I know that the showcar will be at the Long Beach Grand Prix. It may seem odd to some to have it at an IndyCar event, but maybe talk why you would want to have it there.

    RR: Long Beach isn’t a NASCAR event, but it’s a beautiful car that gets a lot of attention and it’s just another tool to raise awareness for JDRF. That’s kind of one of my goals is to just to raise awareness for JDRF. It’s a cool looking racecar, they look at it, do a little research on JDRF and learn more about diabetes, it’s for the better.

    A lot about what Ryan’s Mission is about is I really want diabetes to not be taboo. It does have a stigma about it and I don’t want that. I want people to be educated; I want people to understand it. A kid reaches to try and take a shot at the dinner table, people want to freak out. It’s just something that you have to deal with; it’s not a big deal. I think any kid that they don’t want to be treated weird or different because of it. A kid has asthma – people don’t freak out when he pulls out his inhaler. I want it to be accepted and like I said, I don’t want it to have a stigma.

     

    [media-credit name=”Ryan Reed Racing” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]AM: I know the LA. Car Connection Cool and Classic Car Show is coming up later this month. Talk about being involved with that and helping Alec Buckner with his quest to raise money.

    RR: That is going to be really fun. L.A. Car Connection is a really great group of people with some cool cars. I actually got to drive a Ferrari when I was hanging out with them in L.A. when I was hanging out with them in L.A. one day. So that’s going to be a lot of fun, as well as raising money for JDRF. Like I said, it’s going to be a fun and great all the way around. It’ll be great to have people come out, have fun and look at some cool cars.

     

    AM:  While you’re in Salem, I know the Walk JDRF Charlotte RIC Walk to Cure Diabetes will be going on. Talk about how important it is for you to have Ryan’sMissioninvolved with that.

    RR: The walks are great; they have all them all over the country. The walks are a great awareness tool, as well as a way to raise some funding to help find a cure. That’s always a fun experience. To have the Ryan’s Mission team involved with that, it’s going to be great. It’s really important to have Ryan’s Mission out there and show our support and how dedicated we are to JDRF.

     

    AM: Looking at the schedule with you racing and the appearances, it seems it never stops. How do you keep it all balanced?

    RR: That’s definitely tough – I’ve got my family, my girlfriend – I feel it’s such an opportunity and obligation to raise awareness and use the gift that God’s given me to do some good. I find time for it all, epically trying to work out and stay mentally right for the racecar. It’s just one of my challenges. I don’t have to wake up and go to an eight-to-five job. When I’m not traveling, I get to go to the gym in the morning and have a different lifestyle. I can deal with the bad – I’m not saying its bad at all, but it can be draining with all the travel, but it’s definitely so rewarding and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

     

    AM: Mid May, there’s the JDRF Celebrity Golf Tournament. Talk about the event and what fans can expect.

    RR: I got the call to do that and I was really excited. I had never picked up a golf club before so I was a little nervous. I actually found a new passion. I went down and got a lesson in golf and have been playing the past couple of weeks so hopefully I’ll be ready. It’s going to be a ton of fun playing on a beautiful golf course.

     

    AM: Thoughts going into Salem…..

    RR: I’m really excited. We had a couple weeks to prepare and I’ve been in the gym everyday getting myself ready. Everyone’s hungry – we’ve had a break these past five weeks. Everyone’s going to be hungry when we get out there to perform and no one wants to have this race and go there and struggle. I feel everybody at Venturini Motorsports, myself included, has worked hard over this break and we’re all going to go there with our guns loaded. If we can stay on all eight cylinders, we’re going to be tough to beat.

     

    Some of the future events:

    • The showcar will be on display at the Long Beach Grand Prix IndyCar event this weekend (April 14/15th)
    • April 22nd: L.A. Connection Cool and Classis Car Show
    • April 28th: JDRF Charlotte RIC Walk to Cure Diabetes
    • April 29th: JDRF Promotion at Salem Speedway Fan Zone
    • May 1st: JDRF Promotion at Birmingham Baron’s Baseball Game
    • May 16th: JDRF Celebrity Golf Tournament
    • June 14th: Ford-JDRF Promotion at Michgan Int’l Speedway
    • June 16th: JDRF 24 Hour Hockey Game – Skating for a Cure
    • July 21st: JDRF Music Concert Series Promotion – Chicago
    • July 26th: JDRF Indianapolis Promotion
    • August 4th: JDRF Promotion at Pocono Raceway Fan Zone

     

    To learn more about Venturini Motorsports, check out http://www.venturinimotorsports.com.

    To learn more about Ryan Reed, check out http://www.ryanreedracing.com.

    To learn more about JDRF, check out http://www.jdrf.org.

    To learn more about Ryan’s Mission, check out http://www.ryansmission.org.

  • Ryan Reed: Inspiring People Through Journey, One Lap at a Time

    Ryan Reed: Inspiring People Through Journey, One Lap at a Time

    [media-credit name=”Ryan Reed Racing” align=”alignleft” width=”133″][/media-credit]When Ryan Reed was 17 years old, everything was going great in his life.

    “I was pretty full of myself, was doing well and winning races, on cloud-nine,” he says.

    Then in February of 2011, Reed was diagnosed with type one diabetes (T1D).

    “When I was diagnosed, I was really humbled, especially when they told me I wasn’t going to be able to race again,” he says. “I was devastated and really just, I thought I was invincible and then to learn that my dream was going to be taken away.”

    Reed says it was heartbreaking at the time and caused him to grow up quickly.

    “I thought I could sit there, pout and throw a tantrum till I got my way,” he continues. “Then I realized that’s not going to beat this. I need to – I got to take a step back and think about it. I just decided that if there was anything I could do to put myself back behind the wheel of a race car, then that’s what I was going to do.”

    He started learning more about the disease, finding other athletes who continued in their sport after being diagnosed.

    “I learned how common it was so I knew there’s got to be a race car driver with this,” he says. “The only driver I could find was Charlie Kimball and he’s an IndyCar driver, so I was like, ‘Well, there’s no reason I can’t do it’ so I found out more about him.”

    He then learned of Kimball’s doctor Ann Peters and got in contact with her.

    “I had a doctor at the time, but I just wanted to talk to Ann to see what she had to say,” she says. “So I went in there, not expecting anything and she wanted to have me as her patient.”

    Through a conversation with Peters, he discovered that if he worked at it, he would have a future in racing.

    “She just said you need to do what I tell you and be diligent with it and this isn’t ever going to quick, get easier – you may learn how to control it, but that’s just about it,” he says. “It’s never going to go away and I was like okay.”

    Since then, Reed has learned how to handle the disease and has a continued to move up the racing ladder.

    Earlier this year at Daytona International Speedway, the 18-year-old competed in his first ARCA Racing Series event with Venturini Motorsports.

    [media-credit name=”Ryan Reed Racing” align=”alignright” width=”266″][/media-credit]“It’s been really fun,” he says of the season so far. “Daytona, we had a really good run going, ran second most of the day, then just ran out of fuel with just under 10 to go. I mean, what do you do then? Daytona kind of the gamble anyways.”

    Last week, he finished 12th after being spun late in the race and now sits sixth in points, 55 points behind leader Cale Gale.

    “Seemed like we had a good strategy and with 30 to go, we had new tires,” he says. “We were working our way to top 10, passing someone for 11th or 12th and had a really good car, and got spun out. That kind of ruined our day. We were able to battle our way back up to 12th, but that didn’t show our effort from the whole day and the whole weekend. We qualified fifth and felt like we had one of the cars to beat.”

    The deal came together with Venturini Motorsports after he raced a late model race at Martinsville Speedway.

    “When I was 15, I started racing super late models on the west coast and had a really successful year,” the Bakersfield, California native says. “We decided we wanted to go try to race late models on the east coast because if you can go to the east coast and make a name in late model racing, then you’ve really done something. So we packed up, I moved out there.

    “I was racing a late model at Martinsville and I qualified 10th my first time there, which 80 plus cars show up every year to try and qualify for 43 spots. Billy Venturini was there, saw it and came over and said, ‘I wanna talk to you about driving one of my cars next year’ and the rest is history.”

    So far the experience at Venturini Motorsports has been wonderful.

    “Bill and Billy were drivers themselves behind the wheel and it’s really cool to be with a group rich in history behind the wheel,” he says. “It feels like family to me. They’re so welcoming. Anytime I have a problem on and off the track, their open arms and ready to listen. They’ve just been great to work with and I really feel like this year is going to be a really positive experience with them.”

    The 2012 season marks an important year for Venturini Motorsports as it’s their 30th anniversary. Reed says that for this year, he would like to win a championship for them, well winning some races and scoring top-five finishes.

    “They’ve had a lot of history and great drivers come through their program,” he adds.

    Five years down the road, he hopes to be competing at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series level.

    “I mean, there’s no question in my mind,” he comments. “That’s where I wanna be and I’m not going to settle for anything less. It’s not an easy road and I definitely didn’t pick an easy sport to break into and be successful at so I know all the challenges. NASCAR has been supportive, especially of the disease. They’ve already cleared me medical wise to race in the Sprint Cup Series so I feel like if I have no restrictions. If I want this, I can go out and get this.”

    Reed got started in racing at a young age through his father.

    “I come from a racing family,” he says. “My dad raced forever, since he was a little kid. He got me into go-karts when I was four and been there ever since.”

    Due to the influence of his father on the racing side, he says that his racing hero is his father.

    “I’ve watched my dad and just his style of racing and his approach to the sport,” he says. “It’s just always meant a lot to me and helped me through the years.

    “There’s a lot of guys that I look up to – Kyle Busch, on the track, he’s so impressive. We watched him at Daytona do what no one else has ever done in the Budweiser Shootout. There’s quite a few guys I look up to and just try and learn the positives.”

    In 2009, Reed won the Legends Division Track Championship at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. The following season, he became the Super Late Model Division Rookie of the Year while becoming the youngest winner in the division when he scored one win.

    In 2011, Reed raced a variety of cars, including the Pro Allstars Series, NASCAR Whelen All American and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East

    As Reed has continued his career, he has turned the disease into a positive.

    “I’ve really been fortunate to be an advocate for JDRF and having my own foundation to really turn it into a positive,” he says.

    JDRF is the world’s largest funding provider for research towards curing, treating and preventing T1D and its complications.

    Reed formed Ryan’s Mission, a non-profit organization to help build awareness, become a role model and positively touch the lives of others.

    If given the chance, Reed says that he wouldn’t change anything that has happened.

    “It’s not really something that I’d think about changing now,” he says. “I’ve been able to do a lot of positive with it and really positively touch so many lives that it’s hard to say that if I had to chance to undo this, I would.”

  • Ryan Reed Beats The Odds, Ready to Run Daytona for Venturini Motorsports

    Ryan Reed Beats The Odds, Ready to Run Daytona for Venturini Motorsports

    [media-credit name=”Venturini Motorsports” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]In February 2011, Ryan Reed was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D). A year later and the 18-year-old from Bakersfield, California is ready to make his debut with Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season opener at Daytona International Speedway on February 18th. Reed will behind the wheel of the No. 15 JDRF racecar for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, with support from Advance Auto Parts.

    “Racing at Daytona is a dream-come true,” Reed says. “Since I was a kid I dreamed of the day I would have the opportunity to compete on the historic track. And then to go to the test with Venturini Motorsports in December and be at the top of the charts on the first day was unreal!”

    When Reed was diagnosed with T1D last year, his was told that his racing career was over. Instead of listening, Reed turned that on its head and shifted his focus to managing his health and educating himself.

    Now back behind the wheel, Reed is one of three professional racecar drivers in the world to compete at a high level of racing with T1D. One of the other drivers with T1D is IndyCar driver Charlie Kimball, who was diagnosed in 2007.

    Beyond just getting back behind the heel, Reed is using his story and racing to inspire others to continue living their lives to the fullest if they’ve

    [media-credit name=”Ryan Reed Racing” align=”alignright” width=”112″][/media-credit]been diagnosed. He has also become the National Celebrity Adocate for JDRF, the world’s largest funder of research towards curing, treating and preventing T1D and its complications.

    “JDRF has an amazing group of people that are involved in the organization. We’ve been working with them locally, and on a national level more recently. I feel like part of the family whenever we do events together,” Reed says. “I just feel so fortunate that I can inspire others and create such a positive atmosphere after being diagnosed with a life-long disease.”

    In designing the paint scheme, Reed teamed up with Sam Bass, who was NASCAR’s first officially licensed artist and design icon. This paint scheme means something to Bass, too, as he was diagnosed with T1D in 1992.

    “I am thrilled to be working with such a talented, young, up and coming driver as Ryan Reed,” Bass says. “His partnership with JDRF has a tremendously special meaning to me, as I also have type 1 diabetes, and have dealt with the disease all of my life. I can relate first hand to the goals and initiatives JDRF has set to help people living with diabetes, and to find a cure. JDRF does very impactful work, and I am extremely proud to assist them in their marketing efforts with the Venturini Motorsports Team and Ryan.”

    Practice for the season-opening race starts on Thursday, February 16, while qualifying is Friday, February 17 at 2pm. The race, scheduled to be televised live by SPEED-TV, is Saturday, February 18 at 4:30pm ET.

     

  • Ryan Reed and Venturini Motorsports Lead Day 1 of ARCA Testing at Daytona

    Ryan Reed and Venturini Motorsports Lead Day 1 of ARCA Testing at Daytona

    Testing has officially begun for the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season as they began their three-day test at Daytona International Speedway on December 16th. As prior to years before, ARCA has hosted a three day test to allow teams to prepare for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 next February.

    Also as usual, Venturini Motorsports was strong with Ryan Reed topping the charts with a best lap of 48.857 seconds in the after session. Reed was followed by his four teammtes Brennan Poole, John Stancill and Mark Thompson.

    Reed announced just last week that he had partnered up with Venturini Motorsports for a part-time schedule in 2012. The 18-year-old from Bakersfield, California raced a variety of cars last year, including the Pro Allstars Series, NASCAR Whelen All American and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

    Venturini Motorsports is known for being strong in Daytona qualifying as they won the pole last year and a total of seven Menards Pole Awards over the course of 2011.

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year Joey Coulter rounded out the top five, followed by Chris Windom, Nelson Canache, Sloan Henderson, Damon Lusk and T.J. Duke. Seven-time Daytona winner Bobby Gerhart in 12th.

    In the morning sesson, it was Venturini driver Brennan Poole topping the charts with a lap of 48.915 seconds, over teammates Stancill and Thompson. Poole made his first start for the Venturini’s last year and scored his first win at Salem in May.

    T.J. Duke, driving for Coulter Motorsports, was fourth with Reed fifth. Rick Clifton, Coulter, Chad Hackenbracht, McReynolds, and Gerhart filled out the top 10.

    Testing will continue tomorrow with two sessions, from 9am-noon and 1-5pm. ARCARacing.com will feature lie timing and scoring on their site.

     

    DAYTONA INT’L SPEEDWAY TEST – FRIDAY AM – 12/16/11  
               
      CAR # DRIVER MFG TIME SPEED
    1 25 Brennan Poole Chevy 48.915 183.993
    2 55 John Stancill Toyota 48.921 183.970
    3 66 Mark Thompson Toyota 48.931 183.932
    4 61 TJ Duke Chevy 49.193 182.953
    5 15 Ryan Reed Toyota 49.328 182.452
    6 11b Rick Clifton Chevy 49.340 182.408
    7 61 Joey Coulter Chevy 49.424 182.098
    8 58 Chad Hackenbracht Chevy 49.552 181.627
    9 4 Brandon McReynolds Chevy 49.553 181.624
    10 5a Bobby Gerhart Chevy 49.663 181.221
    11 94 Steve Blackburn Dodge 49.790 180.759
    12 1 Alli Owens Ford 49.813 180.676
    13 16 Matt Lofton Chevy 49.820 180.650
    14 12 Jared Marks Dodge 49.879 180.437
    15 99 Buster Graham Ford 49.939 180.220
    16 5b Damon Lusk Chevy 50.029 179.896
    17 82 Sean Corr Ford 50.094 179.662
    18 63 Milka Duno Toyota 50.161 179.422
    19 32 Chris Windom Toyota 50.205 179.265
    20 10b Ryan Glenski Chevy 50.223 179.201
    21 90a Grant Enfinger Ford 50.258 179.076
    22 69 Chris Brown Ford 50.281 178.994
    23 17 Chris Buescher Ford 50.296 178.941
    24 6 Cale Gale Chevy 50.306 178.905
    25 90 Zachary Ralston Ford 50.350 178.749
    26 68 Will Kimmel Ford 50.382 178.635
    27 75a Benny Chastain Chevy 50.461 178.356
    28 14 John Ferrier Ford 50.563 177.996
    29 18 Michael Affarano Chevy 50.592 177.894
    30 35 Nelson Canache Chevy 50.648 177.697
    31 11a Ed Pompa Chevy 50.650 177.690
    32 11 Paul Harraka Chevy 50.798 177.172
    33 08 Ross Chastain Ford 50.840 177.026
    34 13 George Cushman Ford 50.928 176.720
    35 51 Drew Charlson Chevy 50.956 176.623
    36 04c Danny Esposito Dodge 51.089 176.163
    37 04b Nick Tucker Dodge 51.405 175.080
    38 40b Roger Carter Dodge 51.827 173.655
    39 40 Michael Bockler Dodge 51.990 173.110
    40 05a Derrike Cope Chevy 53.027 169.725

     

    DAYTONA INT’L SPEEDWAY TEST – FRIDAY PM – 12/16/11  
               
      CAR # DRIVER MFG TIME SPEED
    1 15 Ryan Reed Toyota 48.857 184.211
    2 25 Brennan Poole Chevy 48.862 184.192
    3 55 John Stancill Toyota 48.943 183.887
    4 66 Mark Thompson Toyota 49.347 182.382
    5 61 Joey Coulter Chevy 49.350 182.371
    6 32 Chris Windom Toyota 49.360 182.334
    7 35 Nelson Canache Chevy 49.439 182.043
    8 29b Sloan Henderson Dodge 49.461 181.962
    9 5b Damon Lusk Chevy 49.469 181.932
    10 61a TJ Duke Chevy 49.471 181.925
    11 82a Sean Corr Ford 49.475 181.910
    12 5a Bobby Gerhart Chevy 49.502 181.811
    13 99 Buster Graham Ford 49.637 181.316
    14 4 Brandon McReynolds Chevy 49.648 181.276
    15 14 John Ferrier Ford 49.666 181.210
    16 94 Steve Blackburn Dodge 49.717 181.025
    17 16 Matt Lofton Chevy 49.725 180.995
    18 00 Ed Kennedy Chevy 49.761 180.865
    19 12 Jared Marks Dodge 49.772 180.825
    20 63 Milka Duno Toyota 49.787 180.770
    21 58 Chad Hackenbracht Chevy 49.845 180.560
    22 69a Fain Skinner Ford 49.862 180.498
    23 1 Alli Owens Ford 49.905 180.343
    24 68 Will Kimmel Ford 50.016 179.942
    25 6 Cale Gale Chevy 50.034 179.878
    26 17a Chris Buescher Ford 50.035 179.874
    27 90 Zachary Ralston Ford 50.114 179.591
    28 08 Ross Chastain Ford 50.131 179.530
    29 69 Chris Brown Ford 50.133 179.522
    30 00a Ed Kennedy Chevy 50.176 179.369
    31 18 Michael Affarano Chevy 50.207 179.258
    32 5 Bobby Gerhart Chevy 50.262 179.062
    33 75 Ginny Quinones Chevy 50.278 179.005
    34 11 Paul Harraka Chevy 50.403 178.561
    35 82 Sean Corr Ford 50.483 178.278
    36 11a Ed Pompa Chevy 50.579 177.939
    37 11b Rick Clifton Chevy 50.581 177.932
    38 11c Trevor Edwards Chevy 50.681 177.581
    39 04 Scott Edwards Dodge 50.695 177.532
    40 17 Chris Buescher Ford 50.708 177.487
    41 51 Drew Charlson Chevy 50.744 177.361
    42 75a Benny Chastain Chevy 50.787 177.211
    43 05 Spencer Gallagher Chevy 50.903 176.807
    44 13 George Cushman Dodge 50.976 176.554
    45 04a Juan Carlos Blum Dodge 51.029 176.370
    46 11d Bill Coffey Ford 51.162 175.912
    47 06 Ricky Byers Chevy 51.173 175.874
    48 10b Daryl Eustice Ford 51.277 175.517
    49 10 Ryan Glennski Ford 51.417 175.039
    50 40d Larry Barford Dodge 51.511 174.720
    51 04d Josh Watkins Dodge 51.674 174.169
    52 05a Derrike Cope Chevy 52.067 172.854
    53 7 Brent Cross Chevy 52.376 171.834
  • ARCA: Ryan Reed Joins Venturini Motorsports for 2012 Partial Schedule

    ARCA: Ryan Reed Joins Venturini Motorsports for 2012 Partial Schedule

    Venturini Motorsports has begun putting their 2012 schedule together, beginning with Ryan Reed joining the team. Reed will run selected races next year for Venturini, with his ARCA Racing Series debut coming at Daytona International Speedway on February 18th.

    Reed grew up in Bakersfield, California, moving to North Carolina by himself at the age of 17 to pursue his dream of racing.

    The 18-year-old has already had his battles as in February of 2011, he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.  This changed almost everything for Reed with regards to daily routine: diet, exercise, blood glucose readings, on track data, and reporting all of this information weekly to his medical / nutritional team in California.

    Reed speaks about his experience through his initiative called “Ryan’s Mission”, which sets to build awareness and support for people with diabetes around the world.

    Reed got started in racing at the age of four and has had success every step of the way. In 2009, Reed won the Legends Division Track Championship at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. The following season, he became the Super Late Model Division Rookie of the Year while becoming the youngest winner in the division when he scored one win.

    In 2011, Reed raced a variety of cars, including the Pro Allstars Series, NASCAR Whelen All American and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

     

    For more information on Ryan Reed visit www.RyanReedRacing.com

    For more information on Venturini Motorsports visit www.VenturiniMotorsports.com