NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
RACE: NASCAR Sprint Showdown and Sprint All-Star Race
TRACK: Charlotte Motor Speedway
DATE: May 19, 2012
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing’s Jeff Burton finished eighth in the NASCAR Sprint Showdown while teammates Kevin Harvick and Paul Menard finished sixth and 16th, respectively, in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
According to NASCAR Loop Data Statistics, Menard and Harvick tied for second in the category Green-Flag Passes with 45 each.
Harvick ranked second in NASCAR’s Loop Data category for Closers, gaining four positions in the final 10 percent (nine laps) of the event.
Harvick ranked fourth in the Loop Data category Fastest Drivers Early in a Run, was the fastest driver late in a run and ranked fifth in the category Fastest on Restarts.
Menard ranked third in the Loop Data category Quality Passes, overtaking 37 positions while running in the top 15 under green-flag conditions.
Burton ran inside the top 10 for the entire 40-lap Sprint Showdown event.
Although the Sprint Showdown and All-Star Race are non-points events, RCR teammates currently rank eighth (Harvick), 13th (Menard) and 17th (Burton) in the Sprint Cup Series point standings.
The next Sprint Cup Series race is the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 27, televised live on FOX and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
All posts by ARP Trish
Kinser Victorious Once Again at Orange County Fair Speedway
Kinser Victorious Once Again at Orange County Fair Speedway
‘The King’ ties Swindell for the World of Outlaws championship points lead
MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – May 19, 2012 – Like they did in the ’70s and ’80s and ’90s, Steve Kinser and Sammy Swindell are battling for a World of Outlaws championship.
Swindell, who leads the series with four victories, has been in or around the points lead since the start of the season. Kinser has gotten hot recently and capitalized on the momentum.
He snapped a 27-race winless streak exactly a week ago and added to an impressive record on Saturday at Orange County Fair Speedway, where Kinser won for the sixth time in 22 features, claimed career Outlaws victory No. 572 and pulled into a tie atop the World of Outlaws championship standings with Swindell.
“It’s nothing that hasn’t happened many years before,” Kinser said of his renewed rivalry with Swindell.
Kinser led all 25 laps of the main event at the 5/8-mile oval, which has featured a different winner in the past six World of Outlaws events dating back to 1999. However, Kinser is a familiar face in Victory Lane.
He claimed the first race at Orange County Fair Speedway in 1983 and won five more within a decade. After starting on the pole on Saturday, it appeared that his sixth victory – which is twice as many as any other driver – was eminent.
Kinser rocketed to a 10-car advantage in front of son, Kraig Kinser, on the opening lap. The duo paced the field with Kraig beginning to close the gap on lap five. They entered traffic on the ninth lap and were side by side on the frontstretch of lap 10.
The elder maintained the lead and the preferred lane around the bottom. The race went cautionless until lap 21 when it became just the opposite.
There were eight cautions and a red flag for a fuel stop in the final five laps. In fact, only three drivers of the 24 starters weren’t involved in a caution or didn’t pull into the pits.
“I was up front where I could be a little bit easier on tires,” Kinser said. “I nursed mine as much as I could. We just barely made it ourselves.
“It’s a bad feeling when you’re sitting there leading the race and you’re seeing half the field change tires and put new tires on ….”
Kraig Kinser was one of the catastrophes as a tire issue on the final lap dropped him from the runner-up position to 15th. That allowed Swindell to gain a few positions in the final laps to salvage a second-place finish and keep himself tied for the points lead.
“When we took off I could see that guys were just slipping the tires way too much,” Swindell said. “This place is real abrasive, so I just sat back there and rode for half the race. I just wanted to make sure I had tires at the end.”
Frank Cozze earned the KSE Hard Charger Award after maneuvering from last – 24th – to place third.
“Well we got a little bit of luck out there with the guys with the tires,” he said. “Plus I’ve probably raced here about 35 or 36 years, so I kinda know the place. You’ve gotta kind of cool it at the beginning and get lucky. And we got lucky. If it had run straight through we would have run 15th.
“It feels pretty good to get a podium finish with anybody. I don’t care if it was Mickey Mouse at this point.”
Daryn Pittman rebounded from causing a caution on a restart of lap 22 because of a tire issue. He restarted 19th and finished fourth. David Gravel rounded out the top five after facing a similar fate because of a flat tire with three laps remaining.
Joey Saldana was sixth, Fred Rahmer seventh, Paul McMahan eighth, Craig Dollansky ninth and Lucas Wolfe placed 10th. All went to the work area at some point during those final five laps to fix a flat tire.
Logan Schuchart set fast time in qualifying with a lap of 17.336 seconds, which was more than four-tenths quicker than anyone else. Swindell outlasted Steve Kinser to win the first heat race and Kraig Kinser and McMahan also claimed a heat race. Davey Franek won the Last Chance Showdown.
RCR Post Race Report — Charlotte Motor Speedway- Camping World Truck Series
RCR Post Race Report — Charlotte Motor Speedway
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
RACE: North Carolina Eduction Lottery 200
TRACK: Charlotte Motor Speedway
DATE: May 18, 2012
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished seventh (Joey Coulter), 10th (Ty Dillon) and 12th (Brendan Gaughan).
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Coulter made 60 green-flag passes during the 134-lap event and Gaughan made 56 passes.
Coulter ranked second in the Closers category, gaining three positions in the final 10 percent of the race.
Dillon earned his career-first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series pole award.
Gaughan spent 88.1 percent of the race running in the top 15 while Coulter spent 85.1 percent in the top 15, ranking them six and seventh, respectively.
Dillon earned a driver rating of 106.3, ranking him fourth overall.
Dillon was the fastest driver early in a run.
Justin Lofton earned his career first Camping World Truck Series victory and was followed to the finish line by Brad Keselowski, Todd Bodine, Jason Leffler and Ron Hornaday.
The next scheduled Camping World Truck Series race is the Lucas Oil 200 at Dover International Speedway on Friday, June 1. The sixth race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on SPEED beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Starting Second, Anderson Targets Fifth Topeka Win
Starting Second, Anderson Targets Fifth Topeka Win
Event: 24th annual Dollar General NHRA Summernationals
Location: Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kansas
Day/Date: Saturday, May 19, 2012
Summit Racing Pontiac Greg Anderson completed a strong qualifying effort in impressive fashion on Saturday, posting the quickest elapsed time of the fourth and final session at the Dollar General NHRA Summernationals in Topeka, Kan. With two sessions held in the heat of the day at Heartland Park Topeka, Anderson’s 6.624-second time from Friday night, which came with a track record top speed of 208.55 mph, remained his run of record and earned him the second starting position for Sunday’s final eliminations.
Even so, Anderson was equally pleased with his 6.633-second, 207.37 mph pass in the heat of the afternoon on Saturday. Armed with a consistent and fast race car, the four-time champion heads into race day and his first round encounter with Richard Freeman cautiously optimistic about his chances of scoring a fifth Heartland Park Topeka win.
“I am happier after qualifying today than I’ve been at any race all year,” said Anderson. “I don’t know why, but my Summit Racing Pontiac has suddenly come to life. My opinion is that it’s scared that I’m going to retire it, because we certainly haven’t made any major changes to it. I may not fully understand why it’s happened, but I’m glad it did.
“The good news is that we’re going to have a really good hot rod tomorrow. We’ve had two good days of qualifying, made four solid runs and scored bonus points in all four sessions, which is a major improvement. We’ve had a great car so far this weekend, and tomorrow we need to do something with it.
“If we get some cloud cover tomorrow, it will help the racetrack, which has held up well so far in the heat. It’s also supposed to be cooler, which should give us better air, so these cars should be able to run better, which excites us, because we believe it plays into our strengths. We’ll have to wait and see what race day brings, but for right now I’m happy.”
Line Ready to Score First Topeka Win from Third
Line Ready to Score First Topeka Win from Third
Event: 24th annual Dollar General NHRA Summernationals
Location: Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kansas
Day/Date: Saturday, May 19, 2012
On the strength of a 6.630-second time posted in second qualifying session on Friday evening, Jason Line and the Summit Racing team earned the third starting position for Sunday’s final eliminations of the Dollar General NHRA Summernationals in Topeka, Kan. Although the elevated temperatures on Saturday at Heartland Park Topeka prevented any changes among the top six positions in the Pro Stock category, Line continued his torrid pace, topping the charts in the third session with his 6.635-second, 206.13 mph pass, before wrapping up with a competitive 6.650-second, 207.02 mph run on his fourth and final attempt.
This marks the 16th straight race in which Line has secured a starting spot in the Top Three positions, dating back to the Seattle race last August. With a first-round matchup set against No. 14 qualifier Steve Kent, the reigning Full Throttle Champion looked to use this performance to propel him to his first win at the Kansas quarter-mile.
“Although we were a little off on the tune-up with my car today and didn’t run as well as we would have liked, we’re confident we’re going into race day with two strong Summit Racing Pontiacs,” said Line. “This KB Racing team has done a tremendous job all year giving me a great race car to drive, and I think tomorrow will be the best chance I have ever had to break through and score my first win here in Topeka. The forecast is calling for it to be a little cooler, but as long as we don’t have any rain, we should be in good shape. As long as everyone on the team does their job, it’s all good.”
Fast Start Slots Anderson Second in Topeka
Fast Start Slots Anderson Second in Topeka
Event: 24th annual Dollar General NHRA Summernationals
Location: Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kansas
Day/Date: Friday, May 18, 2012
Greg Anderson received a pleasant surprise during Friday’s opening qualifying sessions for the Dollar General NHRA Summernationals in Topeka, Kan., as his Summit Racing Pontiac delivered its most consistent first day performance of the 2012 season. After posting the third-quickest time in afternoon session, the four-time Topeka winner picked up almost three hundredths of a second in the evening round, with his 6.624-second, 208.55 mph pass slotting him in the second position with two attempts remaining on Saturday.
Although naturally pleased with this solid showing, Anderson was also surprised as in previous races he and his KB Racing team had struggled to find a consistent handle in qualifying, offering his own reasons for this sudden return to form.
“I am absolutely shocked at how well my Summit Racing Pontiac ran today,” joked Anderson. “I actually think it’s because it knows this is probably its last race before we switch to our new Chevy Camaros and it wants us to reconsider.
“Today was very different from the rest of the season because we had been struggling in qualifying and today it wanted to run in both sessions, which is a different feeling for me on Friday, and one I am very happy with. The car is showing a lot of potential – we didn’t make perfect runs with the car, but the motor ran really well, and I think, given the right conditions, it’s capable of going to the pole.
“We’ll see what the rest of the weekend brings – the weather is supposed to be similar tomorrow, with a little change coming for Sunday. Fortunately, we’ve started off pretty close to the target, so now we have to fine tune it and see if we can hit the bulls-eye.”
Line Opens Topeka Qualifying in Third
Line Opens Topeka Qualifying in Third
Event: 24th annual Dollar General NHRA Summernationals
Location: Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kansas
Day/Date: Friday, May 18, 2012
Summit Racing driver Jason Line opened his qualifying effort for the Dollar General NHRA Summernationals in Topeka, Kan. in the same manner he has started every race this season, posting some of the quickest times among the 23 cars making an attempt. On his first run at Heartland Park Topeka, the reigning Pro Stock champion covered the quarter-mile in 6.646-seconds with a top speed of 207.50 mph, best among the “factory hot rods”.
He followed that performance with an equally impressive run in the evening session, improving to a 6.630-second time and 207.11 mph top speed, good enough for third midway through the qualifying procedure, a showing which has Line cautiously optimistic about his chances for the remainder of the weekend.
“My Summit Racing Pontiac made two nice runs today,” said Line. “Naturally, we’re only really pleased when we’re at the top of the page, but it was still a good day, especially considering we’re in Topeka, where I’ve had my share of issues in the past. Even though we have a pretty good tune-up right now, I also believe there is room for improvement, which we’ll work on tomorrow to give us as good a chance as possible for Sunday. Either way, today was a good start, and has me feeling pretty good about the rest of the weekend.”
Richard Childress Racing No. 31 Chevrolet Pit Crew Members Bring Home Individual Awards at NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge
Richard Childress Racing No. 31 Chevrolet Pit Crew Members Bring Home Individual Awards at NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge
WELCOME, N.C. (May 18, 2012) – Two members of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 31 Chevrolet pit crew took home individual awards at the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge at Bobcats Arena in Charlotte, N.C. on Thursday, May 17.
RCR’s 2012 individual award winners include front-tire carrier J.D. Holcomb and front-tire changer Tim Sheets. Each victor was presented a check for $10,000 and a commemorative ring.
Holcomb and Sheets fired off a time of 13.615 seconds, more than three-tenths of a second faster than the closest competitors, in the first round of Thursday night’s annual event in Uptown Charlotte. In the team competition, the No. 31 Chevrolet pit crew scored wins over the No. 39 Chevrolet team and their RCR teammates on the No. 29 Chevrolet before being edged out in the quarterfinal round of the single-elimination bracket competition.
“It was a great night for our guys on the No. 31 team,” said RCR Pit Crew Coach Eric Wilson. “These No. 31 guys have been so strong on pit road all season, but their individual performances tonight showcased their hard work, talent and dedication. It’s great to see these guys get credit for all the hours they put in everyday at pit practice and in the weight room.”
“This is just a great event for all of the crew guys and their families,” said Burton, driver RCR’s No. 31 Caterpillar/Wheaties/BB&T Chevrolet. “These guys have been the backbone of our team so far this season and they showed it tonight. It was great to see them finally get some credit for their talent and ability.”
The Sprint Pit Crew Challenge, in its eighth year at Bobcats Arena, is the only indoor event sanctioned by NASCAR that pits 24 top pit crews against one another in a head-to-head competition. Each crew member performed his respective duty in one of four different stations before pushing their respective race cars 40 yards to the finish line.
RCR has claimed six pit crew competition titles. The legendary No. 3 team took home the trophy four consecutive years, 1985-1988, before the No. 31 team captured the bragging rights in 2009 – the first time an RCR pit crew has captured the championship in the eight years of its current structure.
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Week festivities move to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the annual NASCAR Sprint Showdown and Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday, May 19. Live coverage of the events will be televised on SPEED, beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and will also broadcast worldwide on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Qualifying for the second and final non points-paying event on the Sprint Cup Series tour will be televised on SPEED Friday, May 18, beginning at 5 p.m. EDT.
Wild Brothers Racing at Houston Mile
Wild Bros Racing attended the inaugural Houston Mile event on Saturday. The race was held in conjunction with the Aeros and Autos Show at the Ellington Air Force Base in Houston TX. For their first event, and due to the restraints of the airplane and car show, the race was run on a ½ mile track. This gave us the perfect opportunity to “get back on the saddle” with the Steetbike after the little get off Billy Shoemaker had 6 weeks ago at the TX mile. 
Billy’s six broken ribs are healed and the fairings of the Streetbike are nicely painted. The one day event went very well, even with the 8” of rain that dumped on Houston the night before. Billy preformed in top form, and the “Streetbike” did well. We walked away with the “Fastest Motorcycle Award” with a 209.1 on this ½ mile course. We are happy with the win but the power and speed were way down on the Bike. The Bike is being serviced to see why the speed was down 15-20mph.
Bill Warner and the “Racebike” are still recovering from the October accident. Still shooting for the June 2/3rd Wilmington race. Bill’s left hand still needs some work and strengthening.
PORTER AND CHESTER ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIP WITH JAY BLAKE AND HIS “FOLLOW A DREAM” RACING TEAM FOR 2012
PORTER AND CHESTER ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIP WITH JAY BLAKE AND HIS “FOLLOW A DREAM” RACING TEAM FOR 2012
For Immediate Release May 2012
ROCKY HILL, CT – Porter and Chester Institute, Inc. (PCI) announced today a product sponsorship with Jay Blake’s Permatex/Follow A Dream Top Alcohol Funny Car racing team, competitors on the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) tour.
In May 1997 Blake suffered an industrial accident that resulted in his blindness while serving as the head mechanic for a transportation company. While enrolled in an intensive rehabilitation program, Blake began to follow his dream of owning his own professional auto racing team. Turning his dream into a reality, Jay combined his renewed participation in drag racing with his desire to spread his true-life success by inspiring others to accomplish their goals through the power of positive thinking, self-determination, and teamwork. Jay leads his team of racing professionals in NHRA competition, where they finished the 2010 and 2011 season ranked seventh in the national standings.
“Follow A Dream” and Jay’s “Dare to Dream” are perfect complements to how PCI inspires students and help guide their dreams of a career and turn them into a reality,” Said Eddie Bonnell, Campus Director for Porter and Chester’s Woburn campus.
“We’re extremely excited that Porter and Chester has decided to support our efforts,” said Blake. “PCI provides its students a great educational experience, and we’re just happy to be part of that.”
The PCI backed Follow A Dream/Permatex Funny Car is a 2008 Chevrolet Impala SS powered by a 526-cubic-inch Hemi engine that produces more than 3,000 horsepower. Todd Veney is the driver. For more information about “Follow A Dream”, log on to www.followadream.org.
“We are partnering with Jay and “Follow A Dream” for several reasons,” said John Goldbeck, Campus Director for Porter and Chester’s Stratford campus. “Back in 2006 when I first met Jay and heard his story, I was incredibly inspired and wanted to bring his story to our students. I invited him to an event where he met with many students and again was an amazing inspiration, sharing his example of the desire, drive and determination we try to inspire in all of our students. Porter and Chester Institute’s Automotive program has worked with Jay’s Follow a Dream organization and with his sponsor Permatex doing training clinics for our students and staff, we felt it would be a perfect relationship to build on.”
Tim Allison Had a Rough Week
This past weekend was suppose to be a double feature. The weather was great and there was a great car count. The first race was our make-up feature from the rain-out 2 weeks ago. The night started out great, but did not end in a good manner. We started 9th in the first feature and were heading to the front but disaster hit. The engine laid down and we DNF for the first feature. Upon checking the engine out we had a terminal engine failure and we were done for the night. What a heart breaker! This is our first engine failure in over 6 years. This weekend we will be at Lima Land Motor Sports Park .
Congratulations Jared!
Line Zeroing in on Multiple Targets in Topeka
Line Zeroing in on Multiple Targets in Topeka
Mooresville, N.C., May 15, 2012 – This weekend, Summit Racing driver Jason Line will head to Topeka, Kansas looking to accomplish two goals with one primary action. Naturally, as he does at every stop on the Full Throttle Drag Racing circuit, he enters this weekend’s Dollar General NHRA Summernationals with full intentions of winning. Should he do so, it will not only be his second victory of the 2012 season, but also his first professional win at Heartland Park Topeka, adding to his successes achieved there in the sportsman ranks.
“Heartland Park Topeka and I have a long history together,” said Line. “In fact, I raced my Stocker at the first event held there, when they were still pouring concrete when we rolled through the gates. I also won a points meet in Topeka. But for reasons I can’t quite explain, that success has yet to translate over to my Pro Stock car, something we’re more than ready to change.
“If there ever was a time that we had a car capable of winning the race, it would have to be right now. My Summit Racing Pontiac has been extremely strong all year, so I feel there is a good possibility we are going fix any issues we’ve had with Kansas in the past this weekend.”
However, the reigning Pro Stock champion knows his path to the Heartland Park Topeka winner’s circle will include challenges beyond mastering the racing surface, whose tricky nature will only be magnified by the warm temperatures forecast for this weekend. In addition to another tightly packed Pro Stock field, Line and his KB Racing crew will need to deliver the same consistent performance on race day that they have shown in qualifying, where their four No. 1 qualifying positions double those of their nearest competitor.
After seven races, Line’s record in 2012 is something most of his rivals would aspire to, with one win in two final round appearances, four finishes of the semifinals or better and a second-place positioning in the Full Throttle standings (behind only his teammate Greg Anderson). Even so, with improvement still possible, the quiet-spoken North Carolina racer continues to set his expectations at a very high level.
“The way things have gone this year, it would almost be better if we raced on Saturday (when qualifying is normally held),” joked Line. “Obviously to win this weekend, we will need a total effort, with four good runs, four good lights and no mistakes, which we haven’t been able to do since Phoenix. We’ve been close to getting it done, including Atlanta two weeks ago, but just came up a hundredth shy against our teammate in the final.
“I know there are many people who would be more than happy to have our Summit Racing team’s record so far, and would gladly trade places with us. However, without trying to sound cocky or arrogant, we are only satisfied when we win. By the same token, as soon as one race is over, no matter how we’ve done, we put it behind us and start working on the next one. For example, when we pull into Heartland Park this weekend, we’re not going to worry about how we did there in the past or even what happened at the last race. Our focus will be solely on doing whatever it takes to get our Pontiac back to the winners’ circle on Sunday. It’s about time I took a Topeka Wally home.”
Anderson Ready to Rekindle Old Time Magic in Topeka
Anderson Ready to Rekindle Old Time Magic in Topeka
Mooresville, N.C., May 15, 2012 – Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team are looking for history to repeat itself this weekend at the Dollar General NHRA Summernationals in Topeka, Kansas. During the period from 2003 to 2007, the Anderson-led crew was virtually unstoppable at Heartland Park Topeka, with three No. 1 qualifying performances and four wins, one shy of the all-time Pro Stock mark at the Kansas quarter-mile held by Warren Johnson. Although they have been in contention in their subsequent visits, the four-time champion heads into this event hoping to experience a little déjà vu.
“We’re heading into this weekend looking to rekindle some of the magic this Summit Racing team had with Heartland Park Topeka in the past,” said Anderson. “We seem to have misplaced it over the last few years, but we’re ready to get it back and return to the form that saw us win there four times.
“The first few years we went there, we considered it one of the super tracks and saw numerous records set there, especially in the fuel classes because the surface was so good. It’s got some age on it now, and the track has become a little more finicky, putting it in the hands of the crew chiefs.
“It’s a real challenge, a lot like Darlington Raceway in NASCAR, in that it’s very tough to tame, which is the way it should be. They shouldn’t all be perfect surfaces that are easy to tune for. When the heat comes on that Topeka track, as is forecast for this weekend, it becomes a handful, turning it into a tuner’s race, so we’ll need to be at our best starting with the first qualifying session on Friday.”
A look at his season to date supports Anderson’s optimistic outlook for this weekend. Seven races into the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule, he leads the Pro Stock category by 72 points over his teammate Jason Line. In addition, he is the only competitor among the “factory hot rods” with multiple victories, having scored his third win in Atlanta ten days ago. However, as the self-proclaimed perfectionist admits, unlike previous years, this season’s success is mostly due to the grit and determination of the KB Racing crew rather than their race car’s performance. Although naturally pleased with the final results, he knows that maintaining their position atop the standings must include a return to form.
“I have no idea how we have gotten three wins and five final round appearances this year,” joked Anderson. “Who knows, maybe because we seem to struggle in qualifying, no one expects a lot from us in final eliminations, but somehow this Summit Racing team keeps getting the job done on race day, more than holding our own with what we have to work with.
“We just seem to have a love/hate relationship with this particular car, and we continue to work on swinging it more into the love side. She’s a feisty one, fighting us every step of the way, but this KB Racing crew is also a bunch of fighters, throwing everything we can at her. So far I’d have to call it a draw, and as long as we keep finding ways to win races, I’m good with that.
“As I said after we won Atlanta, I think our success this season comes down to our making fewer mistakes than our opponents. Even though we haven’t always been the baddest dog on the planet, somehow the people we’ve raced have made mistakes, which you cannot do in this class if you expect to win. The bottom line is that we keep racing tough, focusing on every little detail and finding ways to capitalize on our competitors’ mistakes.
“Of course we know we need to have the proper performance to keep being successful, which is why we are constantly digging, trying to improve every aspect of our program. The good news is that we’ve been able to win races when not at our best, and that things could turn around on any given run. But no matter how fast our Summit Racing Pontiac is, we need to keep that same tough attitude, never giving up and always finding ways to win, with Heartland Park Topeka next on our hit list.”
Hey- Check Out the Presenting Sponsor!
Team Pardee Racing
The ARP cars ran up front all weekend and shook up the pecking order considerably.
Sheila showed up in her Birel C28 Hybrid and blitzed the field- sending some very worried father and son teams back to their pits wondering how they could get outrun by not only a girl, but the youngest driver in the field!
John, competing in the premier junior division,Junior Rotax; made a brilliant charge for the lead and turned the fastest lap of the race but came up a tad short of the win. He drives an American made kart, the only one in the region. It is manufactured by Margay Racing out of St. Louis.
Race Report Week Ending 5/13/12
F1
Spanish Grand Prix- Pastor Maldonado
World of Outlaws
Morgan Cup- Williams Grove Raceway- Steve Kinser
GrandAm
Global Barter 250- Max Angelelli/Ricky Taylor
Whelan All American
Whitcomb 200- Ryan Preece
Nascar
Nationwide Series- VFW SPort Clips Help A Hero 200- Joey Logano
Sprint Cup- Bojangles Southern 500- Jimmie Johnson
Aquilante and Spaude “Storm” New Jersey Track, Subaru Team Wins on Home Turf.
Aquilante and Spaude “Storm” New Jersey Track, Subaru Team Wins on Home Turf.
– Subaru WRX STI Climbs From 45th to First in 45 Laps. –
Phoenixville, Pa. – May 14, 2012 – The Subaru Road Racing Team (SRRT) drivers Andrew Aquilante and Bret Spaude won round four of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) race on Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park near Millville, N.J.
Although the team qualified on the pole position, Aquilante, Spaude, and their race-prepared #35 Subaru WRX STI, had to charge through the field from 45th place on lap 31, after serving stop-and-go penalties.
Intent on making up for the lost track positions, Aquilante marched forward and took the race lead with nine laps to go; and eventually secured the win by a 2.224-second margin. It was the team’s second straight podium finish this season and their first Grand Sports class win in the Subaru WRX STI sedan.
“This win has been coming for a long time,” said Joe Aquilante, owner of Phoenix Performance in Phoenixville, Pa., which prepares the team’s Subaru race cars. “The Subaru excels on track configurations that reward superior handling qualities over outright top speed.”
Bret Spaude, of Bushnell, Fla., earned his first CTSCC series pole position with a 91.373mph lap of the 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway configuration of the multi-faceted racetrack. Spaude dropped back to second place at the start and held that position, staying close to the bumper of Lawson Aschenbach’s race-leading car. On lap 25, Spaude pitted for gas, fresh tires, and turned the driving over to teammate Andrew “AJ” Aquilante.
A stop-and-go penalty plus an additional 30 seconds for accidental contact with a neighboring team’s spare tire on the way out of the pit box dropped the team to 45th place. Aquilante went on a determined charge; he was in fourth place by lap 56 when the team called him in for a final pit stop, dropping the Subaru Road Racing Team entry to 12th place after pit out.
On lap 70, Aquliante passed David Donohue for third place, drove by second place Eric Curran on lap 73, and took the race lead on lap 75 as he erased a quarter-second deficit to race leader Charles Espenlaub. Aquilante finished the 83rd and checkered flag lap with a 2.224-second margin over Espenlaub and the rest of the 23-car Grand Sports class, which was part of a 59-car, two-class field.
“I dug myself a hole, when I incurred those pit lane infractions, and just had to drive my way out of it,” Andrew Aquilante explained. “I know we have a great car, and when things like that happen, you just have to stay cool, put your head down and drive the wheels off. Our Subaru WRX STI was running strong all weekend, the handling was superb, and we know this track really well since it’s where we perform most of our on-track testing.”
“To finish on top in completely dry conditions and re-starting after serving our penalties truly shows the performance development from our Subaru WRX STI,” commented James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc. “Our Subaru core technologies, including the Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, were firmly on display this weekend. Plus, securing the win in front of our fans at our home track of New Jersey Motorsports Park, where Subaru is the Official Automobile and Pace Car, made this result that much more special.”
The race-prepared #35 Subaru Road Racing Team WRX STI is developed to compete against rival teams fielding cars producing over 400-horsepower.
Dyson- Long Day’s Journey Into Evening
Long Day’s Journey Into Evening
MONTEREY, CA May 12, 2012 – Dyson Racing took home second place P1 points in the six-hour American Le Mans Monterey race here at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in their ModSpace/G-OIL Lola Mazda coupe. “I am happy for Mazda and AER to get another solid six hour finish with no reliability problems. We will take the points and go to Lime Rock only four points down in the championship,” said Chris Dyson.
The team lost time at the five-hour mark when they had to take the car back to the garage to repair the debris damaged front diffuser, which was cutting off cooling air to the radiator. With that putting them down the running order, they used the last part of the race testing various tire combinations.
Johnny Mowlem joined the team for the six hour enduro that has moved back to its traditional spring time running. “The first part of my stint I used to get my hands around the car and during the second part I was starting to feel comfortable with the car. I could run 1:17’s and 1:18’s and was happy with that pace. It was comfortable for the track conditions at the time and the only car faster than us was the Muscle Milk car. I am disappointed for the Dyson Racing team since we should have been second overall. At least we got second place P1 points which is good for the championship but more work needs to be done before the next race.”
Eight-year Dyson Racing veteran Guy Smith echoed the sentiment. “We have been out of sorts with the car during this weekend and are still looking for more speed. I was in rallye mode during my time in the car for the last two hours of the race. Muscle Milk drove a flawless race and our hats are off to Greg Pickett and his team.”
“We struggled for pace today and pretty much all through the weekend and I think today was definitely a character building day for the whole organization,” commented Dyson. “We have our work cut out for us in the next eight weeks to be in a better competitive position for Lime Rock and to turn it around and to get back on top. We are going to spend that time doing some pretty extensive testing and looking at some items on the car that have been problematic since we got first got the car. Ultimately we will take both the negatives and the positives from this weekend and learn from them knowing what we have to work on for performance.”
RCR Post Race Report — Darlington Raceway- Sprint Cup
RCR Post Race Report — Darlington Raceway
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
RACE: Southern 500
TRACK: Darlington Raceway
DATE: May 12, 2012
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished 13th (Paul Menard), 16th (Kevin Harvick) and 18th (Jeff Burton).
Menard tied for fifth in NASCAR’s Loop Data category for Closers, gaining three positions in the final 10 percent of the event.
Menard logged the 13th-fastest Speed in Traffic with an average of 161.238 mph according to NASCAR Loop Data statistics.
Harvick ranked first in Green Flag passes (109) and Speed in Traffic (162.797 mph).
Burton’s 10th-place qualifying effort was his second-best start of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season
Burton made 57 green-flag passes during the 500-mile race
Jimmie Johnson scored the win in Saturday night’s race. He was followed to the checkered flag by Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.
The next scheduled Sprint Cup Series race is the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 19, televised live on SPEED beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.