All posts by ARP Trish

Bonneville Speed Weeks 2012

NHRA Pro Stock Champion Line Hitting the Bonneville Salt Flats on His Off Weekend

NHRA Pro Stock Champion Line Hitting the Bonneville Salt Flats on His Off Weekend

Mooresville, N.C., August 11, 2012 – This weekend, while most of the competitors in the NHRA’s Full Throttle Drag Racing Series enjoy some well-deserved time off following the conclusion of this year’s demanding Western Swing, reigning Pro Stock champion Jason Line will be once again strapping himself into a racing vehicle.  However, it will not be his familiar blue Summit Racing Pro Stock Chevrolet Camaro, or any of the cars currently in the KB Racing stable.

In fact, it will be not be a car at all, as the Minnesota native will venture away from his chosen sport to climb behind the wheel of a full-sized crew cab pickup truck taking part in Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, pursuing both personal and class records.

“The Bonneville Salt Flats is a unique motorsports venue known throughout the world, and being able to race there is every gearhead’s dream,” said Line.  “I can’t remember how the entire discussion started, but one thing led to another and here we are.  Just to have the opportunity to go there and have a chance to compete is way cool, and to be able to do it with Summit Racing and Wayne Jesel and his Jesel Land Speed Team makes it even better.”

Although Line will be a rookie on the salt, his mount will certainly not be.  Built by Wayne Jesel of Jesel Valvetrain Innovation and his Jesel Land Speed Team, it started life as a simple shop truck before being converted for high-speed duty.   Although it has reached speeds exceeding 270 mph in previous iterations, for this purpose it will be equipped with a motor Line is quite familiar with – a General Motors Drag Racing Competition Engine (DRCE2).

With a total weight of 7,200 pounds including 1,200 for ballast, it is almost three times heavier than Line’s normal ride, and at 32.1 square feet, it has the aerodynamic profile of a sheet of plywood.  Still, competing in the A/Modified Production class, the team hopes to break the class record of 191 mph while also getting Line into the prestigious 200-mph club.

But before he can set his sights on any records, just like any first-time racer, Line will have to go through the Southern California Timing Association’s (SCTA) licensing procedure.   After attending a rookie orientation meeting, he will be required to make runs at a varying speed levels to prove his competency, something he should be able to complete on Saturday, giving the Jesel Land Speed/Summit Racing team all day Sunday to reach their goals.

“This weekend should be a lot of fun and a very interesting experience,” said Line.  “This will be my first driving experience outside of the drag racing world, and I hope I can hold attention for as long as the runs take, although I really doubt it will be a problem.

“Seriously, I can’t wait to get out there and get behind the wheel, seeing how the truck feels, as well as what it feels like to drive on the salt.  Everything is going to be completely new for me, so I will tiptoe my way through the early stages, learning as much as I can while enjoying the ride.  Once I complete my licensing runs and get comfortable with how the truck behaves, then we’ll focus on going as fast as we can.”

World of Outlaws

Henderson Savors New Friday Format at Goodyear Knoxville Nationals

 
Henderson Savors New Friday Format at Goodyear Knoxville Nationals
The Sioux Falls, S.D., native wins the final qualifying night to lock into Saturday’s feature
 
KNOXVILLE, Iowa – Aug. 10, 2012 – Justin Henderson capitalized on a new format to the Friday portion of the 52nd annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals.
With a new team and a unique opportunity to start from scratch, Henderson took advantage to lock himself into Saturday’s $150,000-to-win main event at the famed Knoxville Raceway after outlasting David Gravel in the final qualifying night.

“I was very worried coming into tonight,” Henderson said. “It puts a lot of extra pressure and stress on the guys that aren’t already locked in, but I have to say the finale came out good in our favor this time. I’m a fan of it now, but I think every year it’s going to change for sure.”

A total of 67 drivers competed with the new format, which erased everyone’s qualifying performance and locked in the top four finishers from Friday’s feature. For Henderson, who would have been mired in the middle of the B Main under the old format, Friday worked out perfectly.

He qualified 15th quickest and finished second in a heat race, grabbing the final transfer and a spot in the 25-lap main event. Henderson started the feature sixth and he ran fifth for the first nine laps.

However, on a lap-10 restart after Danny Lasoski brought out a caution with a flat tire, Henderson quickly powered to third. He passed Cody Darrah for the runner-up position with 11 laps remaining and then tracked down Gravel, who started on the pole.

Henderson railed the outside groove, while Gravel ran the inside lane. The duo entered traffic with six laps remaining and Gravel was slowed in turn two with five to go, allowing Henderson to rocket into the lead off turn two. He then survived a strong bid from Gravel, who finished less than half a second behind Henderson.

“I really felt like I was rolling the bottom nicely,” Gravel said. “I thought I was on cruise control there. I slipped off the bottom a few times and that’s when Henderson got by me.

“He had an advantage in (turns) one and two, and I had the advantage in (turns) three and four. I was really trying to win there, but when Justin had a few car lengths I was just trying to stay straight, hit my marks and get to the finish line.”

If anyone is a poster boy for the new format, it’s Dale Blaney. After failing to change an engine in time before time trials on his qualifying night, Blaney scratched from the rest of the night. Under the old format, he would have started in the back of the E Main on Saturday.

On Friday, Blaney took full advantage of the clean slate and charged to a third-place finish to lock himself into Saturday’s main event.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “It’s just a great opportunity. I want to thank everybody from Knoxville for making the format. It fit us perfectly this year.”

Darrah held off a late charge from 13th-starter Kerry Madsen to finish fourth, earning the final transfer to Saturday’s main event.

With 20 drivers locked into the highest-paying feature of the season, the remaining competitors will be placed in mains based on their finish on Friday.

Friday night concluded with the Speed Sport Knoxville World Challenge – a 24-car, 20-lap feature pitting top drivers from the United States against stars from other countries.

Donny Schatz, who started 10th, claimed the $10,000 victory and savored the extra laps on the track before Saturday’s main event.

“I think being able to come on nights like this is a big help,” he said. “It definitely does help for tomorrow night. You get your car that much better and you see what the race track is going to do. I think it’ll be similar tomorrow night.”

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing– All Corvette Daytona Prototype Front Row at Watkins Glen; Team Chevy Sweeps Top-Two in GT


All Corvette Daytona Prototype Front Row at Watkins Glen; Team Chevy Sweeps Top-Two in GT
 
WATKINS GLEN, NY – August 10, 2012 – Behind the wheel of the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype, Ricky Taylor will lead the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series field to the green flag Saturday after winning the pole today for the Continental Tire 200 at Watkins Glen International.
 
The 22-year old driver set a fast lap of 1:06.039 with a speed of 133.56 mph to secure the top-spot in the final qualifying order. It is the 10th career pole for Taylor, the second of the 2012 season and the third straight at The Glen for the team as teammate Max Angelelli qualified on the pole for the June  Sahlen’s Six Hours.
Starting alongside will be Antonio Garcia, No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette Daytona Prototype, to make it an all-Chevrolet front row for the two-hour race.
It is this sixth time this season that the Corvette Daytona Prototype has swept the front row of the starting grid for a Rolex Sports Car Series race this season.
 
In the Rolex Grand Touring class, Team Chevy also swept the top-two positions in qualifying. Boris Said turned in the quickest time in-class with the No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette.  Starting second to the veteran Said will be John Edwards, No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R, who, with teammate Robin Liddel, won the class at The Glen in June.
 
The two-hour race is set for Saturday, August 11, 2012 at 6:00 PM ET. Live coverage will be on SPEED TV from 6:00 PM –8:30 PM ET. Fans can follow live on GRAND-AM.com timing and scoring where the MRN Radio Broadcast can be heard from start to Victory Lane.
 
CHEVROLET DRIVER POST QUALIFYING QUOTES:
 
RICKY TAYLOR, NO. 10 SUNTRUST RACING CORVETTE DP – POLE WINNER DP CLASS
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS TRACK AND HOW WELL YOU DO?
“We have good cars here every time. I think every single year I feel like we have a winning car. At the 6-Hour we had a little bit of misfortune with that incident, but we’ve got such good cars. And the car once again in qualifying was really good. Coming off of a good Continental Tire test a couple of weeks ago kind of set us up well to come here and unload well. This is more important than we’ve ever had seeing is there’s no dry practice. For me, as a driver, it was nice just to have that confidence about brake zones and everything and I just thank the team that gave me such a good car.
 
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 90 SPIRIT OF DAYTONA RACING CORVETTE DP – QUALIFIED 2ND:
ON HIS RUN TODAY AND OUTLOOK FOR TOMORROW’S RACE
“It has been difficult. No actual run on the dry settings during practice at all. So, basically it was quite interesting. I just got out and tried to feel as soon as possible what the car was doing. It was more difficult for me because most of the guys and my teammate was here testing the Continental test here on this short track and basically I had to remember from last year where to brake into (Turn) 10 and some other things. But the car felt really good. It’s a shame I’m second. I was second behind Pruett at the 6-hours at The Glen here. So we are consistent. But we really need to be on pole one time (laughs).”
 
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE GLEN?
“It’s going to be really challenging. Two hours here with these running just a little bit above one minute it going to be really hard for drivers, cars, and especially the tires. I think so far it’s good. We need now to take advantage of the hour we have for testing now just to have to learn as much as we can. But so far, unless everybody is completely off-balance and they can tune it for the race, I think we are in good position anyway.”
 
BORIS SAID, NO. 31 MARSH RACING CORVETTE – POLE WINNER, GT CLASS
THE MARSH CAR HAS BEEN FAST ALL YEAR, BUT YOU FINALLY GOT IT UP TO THE POLE. WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE TODAY?
“Getting out of the Sprint Cup car and getting into the Corvette seemed easy because those were the first few laps I’d done in the dry. I love this place. It feels good to get the pole. I’d love to do it in the Cup car tomorrow but I don’t think we have a prayer with our team but hopefully I can be in the top 15 in the Cup car.”
 
THIS IS YOUR FIFTH CAREER GT POLE. TALK ABOUT THE SEASON
“GRAND-AM has done such a great job with the Rolex year. There’s not a lot of cars but in this day and age there’s not a lot of cars anywhere. But the cars we have are really competitive. It’s been exciting racing. It’s a blast to drive. I love racing. This is my 25th year racing and I can’t even believe it’s been that long. But I still feel like a little kid out there. The GT racing is so close and fierce and we’ll be pushing and banging kind of like the Sprint Cup race. I just like competing in any kind of car and the Corvette is a fun car to drive. It handles great. The Sprint Cup car is a lot of horsepower but it handles like a horse, basically. It has a mind of it’s own and you’re kind of riding along with it. The Corvette is like a go-kart. Wherever you put it, it goes. They’re both fun but completely different cars to drive.”

Race Winners

Race Report Week Ending 8/13/12

NASCAR
Sprint Cup- Marcos Ambrose-Finger Lakes 355
Nationwide Series- Zippo 200- Carl Edwards

Whelan All American Series- Budweiser King of Beers 150- Donny Lia

Grand Am- DP:  Starworks- Ryan Dalziel
                  GT:  Bill Auberlen

ARCA Berlin ARCA 200- Chris Buescher

Casey Currie

Casey Currie- Glen Helen Raceway

Anaheim Hills, CA (August 9, 2012) – Casey Currie and team rolled out the Monster Energy General Tire Nissan Pro Lite only a short distance from home for Lucas Oil Off Road’s Rounds 9 & 10 at Glen Helen Raceway. Motivated and hungry after their 1-2 win in Chicago, the team brought to the table the intention to win, and earned two respectable podium finishes.

Qualifying 7th on Friday, Casey would start four rows back in Saturday’s race, demonstrating his natural-born ability to move his way through the field.

“Once the green flag dropped, we quickly made our way to second,” described Casey of Saturday night’s race. “After the midway caution we just pushed as hard as we could, basically battling our way for first, but I couldn’t make the pass; the track was really tight, really technical. In every class, the pole-sitter finished first in every single race, so there really was no passing that number one position.”

In Sunday’s race, Casey would start in 7th position once again—another opportunity to show his fans what he does best—strategically maneuver through that field.

“First half of the race we were having an issue getting the truck to hook up due to some ignition issues,” notes Casey. “After the midway caution, the track dried up and the ignition problems were affecting us much less, enabling us to pick our way up to third place. We are excited the truck is running fast, and are looking to gain that additional spot next time for a win. “

World of Outlaws

Meyers One Step Closer after Night 2 Win at Knoxville Nationals

Meyers One Step Closer after Night 2 Win at Knoxville Nationals
Stevie Smith and Outlaws points leader Craig Dollansky are Saturday’s front-row starters
 
KNOXVILLE, Iowa – Aug. 9, 2012 – Like a wrinkled grocery list after a day at the store, Jason Meyers scratched off his racing goals one by one over the last decade.
The two-time defending World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion had accomplished nearly everything and anything he set his sights on before hanging up his racing suit in the offseason, choosing to focus on his family rather than chasing sprint car races across the country.

Every goal was met and crossed off except one – a Goodyear Knoxville Nationals title.

“Out of all the goals we’ve set in sprint car racing, we’ve achieved them all except for winning the Knoxville Nationals,” he said.

Meyers is one step closer to that dream after he recorded an emphatic victory on Thursday on the second qualifying night of the 52nd annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway. Driving for longtime family friend Tom Tarlton, Meyers led the final 18 laps in his return to the famed half mile.

“This gives me one more opportunity to go out there and do it,” he said. “We’ve got a great car. I think we’ve got a great shot at it.”

Meyers, who started third, passed polesitter Mark Dobmeier for the lead on the restart on lap eight. Meyers then outlasted a late charge from Tim Shaffer, who started 15th and worked the bottom to within a couple car lengths of the leader in the closing laps.

“When you can hit the bottom here and nail it, I don’t care how good you hit the top, the bottom will be faster,” Shaffer said.

Kraig Kinser won a late-race battle with Stevie Smith to earn the final spot on the podium.

“I’ll take third,” Kinser said. “I’ll take it any day. I really feel like we accomplished what we set to do here. This is really great for me.”

Smith finished fourth and Lance Dewease rounded out the top five. While those drivers made their way to the front, that wasn’t the place to be early on.

Sammy Swindell was forced to the pits on lap five while running fourth after his U-joint broke, relegating him to a 23rd-place finish.

Three laps later, second-running Greg Hodnett brought out the first caution after stopping in turn four. Hodnett went to the work area and was able to continue, but he placed 11th after restarting at the back.

Fast qualifier Ian Madsen spun exiting turn two on the restart while running ninth. Danny Lasoski flipped after crashing into Madsen, who finished 16    th after making repairs. Lasoski’s night was finished and he was credited with 22nd.

Dusty Zomer’s left rear tire expired with 10 laps remaining while he was running 10th. He placed 21st after the incident.

Dobmeier faded in the closing laps to finish sixth with Jason Johnson seventh, 21st-starter Tim Kaeding eighth, Brian Brown ninth and 17    th-starter Johnny Herrera rounded out the top 10.

Unofficially, the 16 drivers locked into Saturday’s $150,000-to-win feature are: Smith, Craig Dollansky, Jonathan Allard, Brown, Donny Schatz, Joey Saldana, Meyers, Kaeding, Kinser, Lucas Wolfe, Madsen, Kyle Larson, Shane Stewart, Daryn Pittman, Dewease and Paul McMahan.

Casey Currie

CASEY CURRIE’S TRUCKCROSS IS BACK IN 2013 WITH 5 EVENTS!

CASEY CURRIE’S TRUCKCROSS IS BACK IN 2013 WITH 5 EVENTS!

Anaheim Hills, CA (August 8, 2012) – Well-known Short Course Champion and Off-Road racer, Casey Currie will team up with Feld Entertainment’s Monster Jam to take Short Course truck racing back to the stadiums in 2013 with TruckCross Off Road, known to Monster Jam fans as Stadium Sport Trucks.

Casey Currie’s TruckCross will join forces with the well-known Monster Jam Events for 2013, breathing life into off-road stadium racing once again. With 5 events in 2013, these events are estimated to see over 250,000 spectators and over 75,000 people pit-side, bringing stadium racing into full effect.

TruckCross/Stadium Sport Trucks utilize mid-sized trucks built specifically for closed-course racing. With 400+ horsepower V8 engines, and custom tube frame chassis, these trucks will be engineered to launch through the stadium dirt courses with crowd-pleasing ease.

“Monster Jam is one of the most exciting nights of entertainment and bringing TruckCross into the events is only going to increase the smiles in the crowd,” explains Casey of this new but familiar venture. “I am excited to bring Stadium Racing back, and with these 5 venues next year, we aim to have sold-out seating at every event.”

World of Outlaws

Larson Capitalizes On Night 1 of Goodyear Knoxville Nationals

Larson Capitalizes On Night 1 of Goodyear Knoxville Nationals
Severe afternoon storm leads to a late night for World of Outlaws at Knoxville Raceway
 
KNOXVILLE, Iowa – Aug. 8, 2012 – He’s done it again.
Kyle Larson, the phenom who wins in anything and everything he races, claimed the opening night of the 52nd annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals on a stormy Wednesday at Knoxville Raceway in his first attempt in the prestigious event.

“Getting a win at Knoxville is so big, but it’s only a prelim night,” Larson said after winning the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event. “It’s going to be tough for sure, but tonight gave me a lot of confidence going into Saturday.”

Larson took the checkered flags for the first time at the famed half mile around 1 a.m. to complete the weather-delayed opener in the biggest weekend in sprint car racing. Night Two of qualifying is Thursday with Opening Ceremonies scheduled for 8 p.m.

On Wednesday, a vicious storm blanketed the area with rain, wind and lightning around 4:20 p.m. The facility was under a severe thunderstorm warning during the storm, which lasted more than an hour before tractors began to work the soggy grounds. Cars first touched the track around 9 p.m. – approximately two hours late.

The weather also set up for a fast track and conditions that made it tough to pass most of the night. Eight of the top 10 qualifiers failed to advance out of the heats and it didn’t get any easier in the 25-lap main event.

Polesitter Davey Heskin dominated the first half of the race before the first caution on lap 14 for Mike Reinke, who stopped in turn four. At the same time the caution waved, second-running Randy Hannagan went up in smoke on the frontstretch after a fitting broke. His car caught fire under caution and had to be extinguished in the work area to cap Hannagan’s night.

Jason Sides utilized a near-perfect slide job on Heskin for the lead in turn two on the restart and Larson slid Heskin for the runner-up position in turn four. The trio entered traffic in a tight battle with seven laps remaining and a lap later, Sides’ left rear tire exploded in turn two. He spun around and ended up tipping over, which gave Larson the lead.

Sides was able to continue, but stopped in turn four with four laps remaining to set up another late restart. This time Brian Paulus was on Larson’s tail after narrowly passing Heskin on the previous lap. However, Paulus slowed dramatically while running second as he was facing the white flag and eventually brought out the final caution, which set up a green-white-checkered finish.

Larson sailed to the lead on the restart and Heskin held off Donny Schatz for second place after the duo traded slide jobs in the closing laps.

“I was just lucky to get back by Schatz,” Heskin said.

Schatz, the defending Goodyear Knoxville Nationals champion and the winner in five of the last six events, joked about being the elder of the podium finishers and praised Larson for the big win.

“This kid’s got a lot of talent in everything he drives,” Schatz said. “It’s good to see the younger guys come up.”

Craig Dollansky charged from 22nd to finish fourth and Lucas Wolfe ended fifth. Brooke Tatnell was sixth, 23rd-starter Shane Stewart placed seventh, 21st-starter Joey Saldana finished eighth, Dustin Selvage was ninth and Jonathan Allard rounded out the top 10.

Chevrolet Racing

CHEVY QUICK FACTS–Rolex Series- Watkins Glen

CHEVY QUICK FACTS
GRAND-AM ROAD RACING
CONTINENTAL TIRE 200 – ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES
WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK
August 10-11, 2012
 
INSIDE THE GRAND-AM GARAGE – JIM LUTZ, CHEVROLET RACING PROGRAM MANAGER –  GRAND-AM ROAD RACING:  “Heading to Watkins Glen International this weekend, the Chevrolet teams are looking forward to continuing the success they enjoyed when GRAND-AM was there for the six-hour endurance race in June.  We enjoyed wins in both Rolex Sports Car Series classes with the No. 9 Action Express Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype and the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R.
 
“With four races remaining in the season, every finishing position and every point is critical.  Chevrolet currently leads the manufacturers’ standings in Daytona Prototype with six victories so far this season.   There is a tight battle in GT as well. Currently Chevy is second in the standings, but another victory would go a long way to closing the gap to the leader.
 
“This race is shorter, just two hours, which puts tremendous pressure on the teams to hit the setup as perfectly as possible at the start of the race, and execute perfectly throughout the race to give their drivers the best opportunity for the win.   We are excited about our chances, and are looking forward to the weekend.”
 
FOR THE FANS AT WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL:
·        Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Watkins Glen International Fan Midway area and can check out great Chevrolet vehicles including: Malibu ECO, Sonic, Cruze ECO, Equinox, Silverado, Camaro Convertible, Volt and Traverse
·        At the display fans can see a variety of show cars including the No. 57 GRAND-AM Stevenson Motorsports GT.R Camaro
·        Fans can also see a sample of engines, parts and accessories available for purchase from Chevrolet at their local Chevrolet dealer
·        Other activities at the Team Chevy Racing Display include a variety of interactive games for adults and kids
·        Hours of operation:  Fri. Aug. 10th – 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; Sat. Aug. 11th – 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Sun. Aug. 12th – 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
 
TEAM CHEVY IN ROLEX SPORT CAR SERIES DAYTONA PROTOTYPE (DP):
·        No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP – Third (3rd) in team point standings
o   Drivers
§  David Donohue
§  Terry Borcheller
§  Jordan Taylor
 
·        No. 9 Action Express Racing Corvette DP – Fourth (4th) in team point standings (Two (2) wins)
o   Drivers
§  Joao Barbosa
§  Darren Law
 
·        No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Racing Corvette DP – Fifth (5th) in team point standings (Two (2) wins)
o   Drivers
§  Antonio Garcia
§  Richard Westbrook
 
·        No. 10 SunTrust Racing Corvette DP – Eighth (8th) in team point standings (Two (2) wins)
o   Drivers
§  Max Angelelli
Ricky Taylor

·        No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP – Ninth (9th) in team point standings
o   Drivers
§  Alex Gurney
§  Jon Fogarty

DAYTONA PROTOTYPE ENGINE STANDINGS – AFTER 9 OF 13 RACES
1.     CHEVROLET – 294 (6 wins)
2.     FORD – 274 (2 wins)
3.     BMW – 268 (1 win)
 
TEAM CHEVY IN ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES GRAND TOURING (GT):
·        No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R  – Second (2nd) in team point standings (One (1) win)
o   Drivers
·        Robin Liddell
·        John Edwards
 
·        No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette  – 13th in team point standings
o   Drivers
·        Eric Curran
·        Boris Said
 
·        No. 46 Michael Baughman Racing Corvette – Part-time schedule
o   Drivers
·        Michael Baughman
·        James Davison
 
GRAND TOURING MANUFACTURER STANDINGS – AFTER 9 OF 13 RACES
       1. Ferrari, 279 (3)
2. Chevrolet, 264 (2)
3. Mazda, 263 (1)
4. Porsche, 260 (2)
5. BMW, 249 (1)
6. Audi, 157
7. Ford, 64
 
EVENT DETAILS:
·        CONTINENTAL TIRE 200 – ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES
o   Qualifying: August 10th  – DP: 5:40 – 5:55 PM ET; GT: 6:00  – 6:15 PM ET
o   Race: August 11, 2012, 6:00 PM ET
o   Duration: 2 Hours
o   Television: Live – SPEED TV – August 11, 2012,  6:00 PM –8:30 PM ET

4Turbo

4Turbo–XI and XII Round Update

As promised this is the penultimate update of the season for 4Turbo’s  effort in racing this year. This weekend was an extreme effort by the whole  team. This weekend’s racing took place in Banovce nad Bebravou in Slovakia, and it was two combined rounds of Slovak and Polish Championships as well as FIA CEZ Hill-climb Trophy round. Of the XI round of national championship on Saturday and XII round  on Sunday, we only managed to compete in the latter one. The car developed serious engine problem during in-house shakedown on Thursday  and only due to extreme effort by the whole team new engine was prepared  for Sunday competition. Due to missing the Saturday it was extremely  steep learning curve for our driver as well as he only could run on the  course 4 times, of which the first one was in the rain. This was his first time ever on this course. Despite all this during Sunday round he managed to win overall classification in Polish,  Slovakian and FIA CEZ series and beat the course record by over 0,5  second.  Helped by this win Tomasz is still leading the drivers’  classification of the Polish championship by very healthy margin (31  points with 40 possible to get during last weekend) before final round  in mid September.

Tim Allison Racing

Tim Allison captures 100th Career Sprint Car Feature Win


Tim Allison captures 100th Career Sprint Car Feature Win

(8/3/12) – On the evening track officials at Limaland Motorsports Park designated as the Night of Champions, it proved to be fitting that the track’s all-time leading winner in the ever-popular Sprint Car division, Tim Allison, posted the 100th feature win of his more than thirty year career. It was Allison’s first triumph of the 2012 season and 30th in the fifteen years of University of Northwestern Ohio ownership and operation of the track.

The Elwer Fence Sprints 25-lap feature saw last week’s first time winner Hud Horton start from the pole with Allison on the coveted outside front row starting position. Horton led for the opening two circuits on the high-banked ¼-mile oval before Allison executed a slide job for the pass and lead he would hold for the duration.

The veteran Allison worked the top side racing groove through most of the race although he did move toward the middle to lower portion of the track when storming through slower traffic. A pair of caution periods allowed Kyle Sauder and Jared Horstman to move closer to Allison, but neither were able to genuinely threaten for the lead. Horstman made the biggest move of the event, coming from the inside of row number four to finish as runner-up with Sauder taking third.

“I started racing many years ago hoping I could win just one race,” recalled an emotional Allison in the winner’s circle. “To make it to 100 is unbelievable for me. So many people have helped me along the way to make this possible. I thank Allan Nott,Steve Mox,Dick Jenkins and so many other people and sponsors. The work that it takes to do this is hard to imagine but what a dream come true.”

A milestone win was also posted in the K&N UMP Modified division as Jeff Babcock won the 50th feature of his Limaland Motorsports Park career. It was the eighth of his Modified career, coupled with 41 stock car wins.

Babcock may have benefitted when Todd Sherman, winner of the past three Modified features, suffered mild car damage and was forced to the tail of the field after being part of an opening lap caution. Pole starter Andy Bibler stormed to the front and rode the cushion for the first 13 tours around during the 20-lap feature.

Jeff Babcock tried to gain the advantage on Bibler by working to the inside. On lap number eight he decided to follow Bibler on the higher line around the track. Finally on lap 13, Andy Bibler hesitated and dropped to the bottom through turn two. It allowed Babcock an opening to Bibler’s outside and the race-winning pass was cleanly executed. From that point, Jeff Babcock was unthreatened and went on to post his first feature win of the season at the track.

“It’s definitely exciting to come back here and get the 50th win,” said Babcock. “I took the night off from Late Model racing and decided to shake down this car before an Eldora (Speedway) run coming up. It’s great to get back here in victory lane.”

Point’s leader Shawn Valenti continued his domination of the Budweiser Thunderstocks division, along with Jeff Koz, as the Fostoria, Ohio driver posted his sixth win of the season. Valenti started on the outside of row two in the 15-lap feature. He never ran lower than third position before passing Lima’s Chris Douglas to the outside on lap number eight. The only drama left was a white flag restart that saw Valenti hold off Barney Craig and Douglas for the win.

“I was finally able to get to the top and once we got there this thing was rolling,” said Valenti. “We are always searching for the best way to set up our car.”

RCR

RCR Post Race Report — Pocono Raceway–Sprint Cup

RCR Post Race Report — Pocono Raceway  
 
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series   
RACE:      Pennsylvania 400           
TRACK:    Pocono Raceway   
DATE:       August 5, 2012  
 
Race Highlights:        
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished 11th (Paul Menard), 16th (Kevin Harvick) and 22nd (Jeff Burton).  
Menard tied for seventh in NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics category Closers, gaining five positions in the final 10 percent (16 laps) of the race.
Menard tied for fourth in the category Green Flag Passes with 67 and ranked 10th in Quality Passes with 27 made while running in the top 15.
Kevin Harvick gained two positions in the final 10 percent of the race and made 56 green-flag passes during the 98-lap event.
Burton ran as high as second and as low as 33rd in the Pennsylvania 400, with 18 Quality Passes.
Jeff Gordon notched his first win of 2012 season and was followed to the finish line by Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski and Tony Stewart.  
The next scheduled Sprint Cup Series race is at Watkins Glen International on Sunday, August 12. The race is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN beginning at 12 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Race Winners

Race Results Week Ending 8/5/12

NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series- Pocono Mountains 125- Joey Coulter
Nationwide Series- US Cellular 250- Elliott Sadler
Sprint Cup- Pennsylvania 400- Jeff Gordon

ALMS- Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge- Muscle Milk;  Klaus Gar?lucas Luhr

KN- Pork Be Inspired 150 (really) Corey LaJoie

Whelan- Strutmasters.com199- George Brunnhoelzl III
ARCA- Chad Hoeckenbracht

NHRA
Top Fuel — Steve Torrence
Funny Car — Courtney Force
Pro Stock — Erica Enders
Top Alcohol Dragster — Chris Demke
Top Alcohol Funny Car — John Evanchuk
Competition Eliminator — Mike DePalma
Super Stock — Joe Sorensen
Stock Eliminator — Brad Plourd
Super Comp — Brad Plourd
Super Gas — Ken Mostowich
Super Street — Megan Ellingson

Honda Racing

Honda Racing– Mid-Ohio

Dixon Continues Mid-Ohio Mastery

Scott Dixon capped a great weekend of racing for Honda at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, scoring his
second IZOD IndyCar Series win of the season in Sunday’s Honda Indy 200. Dixon’s win completed a
near-perfect weekend for the manufacturer with race victories in all five categories featuring Honda
entries.

In addition to Dixon’s victory on Sunday, Muscle Milk Pickett Racing and drivers Lucas Luhr and Klaus
Graf won Saturday’s American Le Mans Series race at Mid-Ohio, with Scott Tucker and Christophe
Bouchut from Level 5 Motorsports winning the LMP2 class in the same race. Both teams use the Honda
Performance Development ARX-03 chassis. In Saturday’s SCCA Pirelli World Challenge race, RealTime
Racing’s Peter Cunningham won the GTS class in an Acura TSX, with Todd Lamb and Compass360
winning Sunday’s Touring Class category in a Honda Civic Si.

Starting fourth, Dixon moved to second behind early leader Will Power after the first round of pit stops.
Dixon then took command of the race after his second and final stop of the day, when his Target Chip
Ganassi Racing team beat Power’s Team Penske out of the pits. Once in front, Dixon was able to build a
comfortable three-second lead over Power to score his fourth Mid-Ohio race win in the last four years.
This weekend’s Honda Indy 200 featured several trackside programs, rewarding fan loyalty and
enthusiasm for the brand. The Honda Fan Section created a trackside community of fans wearing red
and cheering on Honda-powered teams and drivers. The winners of the Honda Backstage Pass were
treated to an exclusive “behind-the-scenes” tour of the IndyCar paddock and garage areas; and winners
of the Honda On-Track Ticket received a VIP opportunity to experience the hills and turns of the
challenging Mid-Ohio circuit as passengers in a hot lap aboard a Honda Pace Car piloted by a
professional racing driver.

Honda’s popular Fastest Seat in Sports sweepstakes returned at Mid-Ohio, with racing legend Mario
Andretti at the wheel of the two-seat IndyCar. He gave Michael Girard of Campo, California the ride of a
lifetime around Mid-Ohio at the head of the 25-car starting field just prior to the start of today’s race.
Behind Dixon and Power, Schmidt Hamilton Racing’s Simon Pagenaud produced another strong run at
Mid-Ohio, finishing third after a long battle with Sebastien Bourdais, Dario Franchitti and James
Hinchcliffe. Pagenauds’ third-place finish is his third podium result of 2012 and gives him a nearly
insurmountable lead in the chase for series Rookie of the Year honors.

Summit Racing

Lane Choice Costs Anderson in Seattle

Lane Choice Costs Anderson in Seattle  

Event:  25th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals

Location: Pacific Raceways, Kent, Washington

Day/Date: Sunday, August 5, 2012

Entering Sunday’s final eliminations of the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle, Wash. Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team knew they had their work cut out for them.  Despite being able to put together four solid passes and claim the fifth starting position, they had yet to reach a suitable comfort level with their race car’s tune-up, a crucial element when dealing with the hot and greasy Pacific Raceways surface.

Fortunately, things went according to plan in the opening stanza, as Anderson used a quick 6.607-second, 210.05 mph pass to easily defeat veteran Kurt Johnson.  However, his time fell eight thousandths of a second shy of maintaining lane choice for his quarterfinal encounter against Erica Enders, a distinct disadvantage as only two wins out of the total of 15 contested came from the right side.

Although Anderson was able to muster a competitive 6.646-second, 209.62 mph run, it was not enough to overcome his opponent’s 6.638-second pass, putting an early end to his day.  Afterwards, the three-time Seattle winner admitted he was looking forward to today’s end of the three-race Western Swing, as it would allow the team to spend valuable testing time familiarizing themselves with their race cars.

“Getting a handle on our Summit Racing Camaro is a work in progress, and as a result we just didn’t do as good a job as we should have today keeping up with the racetrack,” said Anderson. “It bit a lot of people, but the bottom line is that you have to be aggressive when the track was like it was today and we were just a bit off.

“Once we lost lane choice for the second round, we were really fighting an uphill battle, because the right lane was nowhere near as good as the left.  Unfortunately, we ended up smoking the tires, putting an early end to our day.

“This was absolutely the toughest track we’ve raced on this year, and we just didn’t catch up with it, which shows we still have a lot to learn about these race cars.  That’s why we’re going to go home and spend some on track time with them, seeing if we can make them better, because they are not where we need them to be.  Today was just not a great day, so we’re going to regroup and try to get it done in Brainerd.”

Summit Racing

Line Battles to a Runner-Up Finish in Seattle

Line Battles to a Runner-Up Finish in Seattle

Event:  25th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals

Location: Pacific Raceways, Kent, Washington

Day/Date: Sunday, August 5, 2012

Summit Racing Pro Stock Camaro racer Jason Line made the most of what he and his team had at their disposal on Sunday, scoring a runner-up finish at the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle, Wash.  Starting from the sixth position, Line defeated Jeg Coughlin, Mike Edwards and Vincent Nobile in the early rounds before squaring off against Erica Enders in the final.

Running without lane choice on what proved to be a one-lane racetrack (of the 15 rounds contested on Sunday, only two winners came out of the less-preferred right hand side), Line knew he would need to gain every advantage in order to score his second win of the season.  Although he was able to gain a slight edge at the start and make the third-quickest run of the day in that lane at 6.631 seconds with a top speed of 209.72 mph, it was not enough to hold off his opponent’s charge, as she used a 6.614-second, 209.65 mph pass to record the win.

“I didn’t want to go up there and give it away, so I did the same thing I had done all day, and we just came up a bit shy,” said Line.  “Lane choice was certainly a major factor, not only in the final, but all day, and I also felt like we left a little bit out there on that last run, with the end result being game over.

“Still, considering we are working to dial in our Summit Racing Camaro, it says a lot about this race team that we were able to make it to the final.  Although we naturally would have preferred to leave here with the trophy, all in all, it was still a pretty good day.”

After missing his first qualifying attempt due to a transmission problem, Line and his KB Racing crew found themselves scrambling to catch up.  Although they were able to come back on Saturday in the heat and record some of the quickest times among the “factory hot rods”, they remained in the sixth position, lining up some very tough opponents for race day.

Undaunted, Line opened the first round with the third-quickest time at 6.601-seconds to eliminate rival Jeg Coughlin, Jr.  It was a similar situation in the second round, as the reigning Pro Stock champion was second-quickest, covering the quarter-mile in 6.620-seconds with a top speed of 209.43 mph to defeat 2009 Pro Stock champion Mike Edwards.

The final obstacle between Line and his fifth final round of the season was young Vincent Nobile.  Once again, the KB Racing driver emerged victorious, but the somewhat circuitous route he took in reaching the finish line slowed him to an elapsed time of 6.657-seconds, costing him lane choice for his encounter against Enders.

“At this point, we just don’t have a handle on the tune-up for these race cars, but we’re still leaving with a runner-up finish, so our day could have been a lot worse,” said Line.  “I know we’ve said this before, but these cars are still very new, and we’ve been away from the shop for a few weeks, so any development work we could do to make them better has been limited.

“We know have a lot of work to do, so we’re going to pack up and head home tonight so we can get started.  It’s all we can do, and with Brainerd in a couple weeks, we are more than ready to get back to the winner’s circle.”

Chevrolet Racing

Will Power Claims Second Place Finish at Mid-Ohio and Takes Driver Points Standings Lead

Will Power Claims Second Place Finish at Mid-Ohio and Takes Driver Points Standings Lead
Team Chevy Drivers Score Seven of Top-10 Finishing Positions in Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series Race
 
LEXINGTON, Ohio – August 5, 2012 – Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, reclaimed the lead in the IZOD IndyCar Series driver point standings with a second place finish in today’s Indy 200 at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course.  Power, who started on the pole, led the first 57 circuits around the 2.25-mile, 13-turn permanent road course on the way to his fifth podium finish of the season.
 
“It was another caution-free battle today in the IZOD IndyCar Series race at Mid-Ohio,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series. “Kudos to the entire field for demonstrating a high level of skill and professionalism throughout a race that started on a drying track surface. Without cautions, our Chevrolet drivers had to adapt to changing track conditions, and maintain a strong pace with focus for 85 laps around the very technical Mid-Ohio circuit.  Congratulations to Will Power and Team Penske on earning the pole position, second place finish and most laps led.  With three races remaining in the season, we are battling hard for the driver’s championship.”
 
Sebastien Bourdais brought the No. 7 TrueCar/McAfee Dragon Racing Chevrolet to the checkered flag in fourth position, and earned his best finish of the season. He was followed by fellow Team Chevy driver James Hinchcliffe, No. 27 Team GoDaddy.com Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, in fifth place which gave Team Chevy three of the top-finishers in today’s 85-lap race.
 
In total, seven Chevrolet IndyCar V6 drivers scored top-10 finishes today.  Tony Kanaan. No. 11 GEICO/MOUSER Electronics KV Racing Technology Chevrolet finished sixth.  Ryan Briscoe, No. 2 PPG Automotive Refinishes Team Penske Chevrolet, was seventh at the line. Marco Andretti, No. 26 Team RC Cola Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, crossed the line in eighth place followed by JR Hildebrand, No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing Chevrolet in ninth position.
 
Two additional Team Chevy drivers in the thick of the driver’s championship battle faced challenges today that resulted in significantly tightening the point standings. Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda/Pelotonia Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, came to Mid-Ohio as the points leader, but suffered a mechanical issue that relegated him to the 24th finishing position. He is now second in the standings, five points behind Power.
 
Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Penske Truck Rental Chevrolet, was assessed a 10 grid position penalty prior to the start of the race for an unapproved engine change that put him in the 23rd starting position.  Castroneves battled to finish 16th on the difficult circuit, and now sits third in points, 21 points behind Hunter-Reay.
 
Chevrolet continues to lead the Series’ manufacturers’ standings with three races remaining in the season.

RCR

RCR Post Race Report- Nationwide Series- Iowa Speedway

NASCAR Nationwide Series
U.S. Cellular 250 presented by Enlist Weed Control System
Iowa Speedway
August 4, 2012
 
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished first (Elliott Sadler), 14th (Brendan Gaughan) and 15th (Austin Dillon).
Sadler leads the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver championship point standings over Dillon by 18 points. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. ranks third, followed by Sam Hornish Jr. and Justin Allgaier.
The No. 2 Chevrolet team is second in the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings, 19 points shy of the No. 18 car’s lead, with the No. 3 team third in the standings and the No. 33 team seventh.
Dillon leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings over Cole Whitt.
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, the RCR entries posted the Fastest Lap of the Race for 73 circuits with Dillon (55 fastest laps), Sadler (16) and Gaughan (1).
Sadler had the fastest Speed in Traffic and ranked second in Loop Data Categories for Average Running Position (2.024), Driver Rating (131.1) Fastest Drivers Early in a Run, Fastest on Restarts and Green Flag Speed.
Sadler and Gaughan were among the seven drivers who spent 100 percent of the race running in the top 15.
Gaughan ranked fifth in Quality Passes with 26.
Dillon was the Fastest Driver Late in a Run and had the fastest Green Flag Speed.
Dillon had the third-best Driver Rating (118.1).
Sadler earned his fourth Nationwide Series win of the season and was followed to the finish line by Allgaier, Hornish, Michael Annett and Stenhouse Jr.
The next scheduled Nationwide Series race is the Zippo 200 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International on Saturday, August 11. The 21st race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on ABC beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Honda Racing

HPD Continues Winning Ways at Mid-Ohio

HPD Continues Winning Ways at Mid-Ohio

The HPD sports prototype teams of Muscle Milk Pickett Racing and Level 5 Motorsports continue to be
the teams to beat in American Le Mans Series competition, once again claiming the LMP1 and LMP2
class wins Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course; with the Muscle Milk driving team of Klaus Graf
and Lucas Luhr posting its fifth consecutive overall victory of 2012.

Starting from the pole after heading the field in both practice and qualifying, Luhr claimed the lead at the
green flag in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd that included thousands of associates from three
nearby Honda of America Manufacturing facilities, and the Ohio-based Honda R&D Americas. Luhr
extended his advantage throughout his stint, handing over the HPD ARX-03a to co-driver Graf with a little
over 90 minutes remaining in the two hour, 45-minute contest.

The Dyson Racing Lola Mazda of Chris Dyson and Guy Smith took over the lead when the team elected
to do a “fuel only” first pit stop, but Graf reclaimed an advantage he would not relinquish when the Dyson
team made its second scheduled stop and mandatory driver change.

Just prior to his final stop, Graf had built a one-lap lead over his rivals, and even after his final fuel-only pit
stop maintained his position at the front of the field to take the checkers and continue an unbeaten streak
that started at the Grand Prix of Long Beach in April.

In LMP2, Level 5 Motorsports returned to Victory Lane after a one-race absence, with Scott Tucker and
Christophe Bouchut taking their HPD ARX-03b to a seven-second class win over the Conquest
Endurance Racing Morgan Nissan of Martin Plowman and David Heinemeier Hansson.

Making his debut with the team, Ricardo Gonzalez was impressive in an opening double stint in the #95
Level 5 HPD, taking the class lead near the one-hour mark when Heinemeier Hansson received a stopand-
go penalty for blocking.

The final round of pit stops again shuffled the LMP2 running order, as Plowman reclaimed the lead with
less than an hour remaining. But Bouchut, driving the #055 HPD started by team owner/driver Tucker,
soon chased down Plowman and passed for a lead he would not relinquish, the fourth LMP2 win of the
season for Bouchut and Tucker.

With four races remaining in the 10-race 2012 season, HPD and its partner teams and drivers continue to
lead their respective championships. In LMP1, Graf and Luhr hold a 16-point lead over the Dyson Racing
duo of Chris Dyson and Guy Smith; while in LMP2, Bouchut and Tucker own a 12-point lead over
Hansson and Plowman.

Dyson Racing

Dyson Racing- 200 and 201

200 and 201

LEXINGTON, OH August 4, 2012 – Dyson Racing pushed their podium total above 200 today at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge. The team added numbers 200 and 201 to their tally as Chris Dyson and Guy Smith came in second overall in the #16 Modspace Mazda entry and Michael Marsal and Eric Lux brought home the #20 Dyson Racing car third in the P1 class. The team started the year with 190 podiums to their credit.

The Midwest summer’s heat and humidity continued unabated at one of the most physical tracks the American Le Mans Series runs at. “This is probably one of the toughest conditions I have ever faced in a racing car,’ commented Smith. “I did as much time in the car as I could and the team got me out at the right time. You can feel your performance peeking and your concentration leveling off.” Smith started the Dyson entry second and spent almost two hours in the car. He kept the gap to the leader under 12 seconds before the first pit stop rotations, set the second fastest race lap and led laps 71- 84, before handing the car over to Dyson with fifty minutes remaining in the race.

The #20 car was third overall ten minutes from the end when shifting problems kept if from finishing the last seven laps. Marsal started the car and was running fourth when he pitted for fuel, tires and driver change at the hour and a half mark. “The Dysons prep a great car and this is one of those electrical gremlins that happen in racing,” Marsal said. “We had a strong car for the race. We chased set up through the beginning of the weekend but when we took the green today, we had a good car to race.” Lux explained that “we were running third overall and came in for a splash-and-go to make sure that we were going to secure our position at the end. We were down 45 seconds at one point to third and we made that up, did the splash and made up another 28 seconds. We got back to third and then I had an issue with fourth gear and then the only gear that was left was neutral. But we had a good balance in the car in qualifying and we were able to keep 90% of that today during the race.”

“Michael and Eric drove great races today under trying conditions,” commented Dyson. “They were quick and fought hard to put themselves in position to finish third overall. Our hats off to them and to the Muscle Milk car for their victory. The 16 car wasn’t quick enough in the race, and we need to keep pushing technically on development. We are working our rear ends off at the moment. We made a step forward this weekend, but we are still struggling to get consistent balance on the car and tires. The car was quite different in the race to what we had in qualifying and we are looking into why this was the case. It has been frustrating, but I am hopeful for a better weekend at Road America.”