ARP sponsored Miss GEICO earned her 7th World Title this weekend in Ocean City MD!

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
GEICO 400
CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 16, 2013
 
CHEVROLET SS DRIVERS GRAB FOUR OF THE TOP SIX AT CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY
 
JOLIET, IL – September 16, 2013 – Following lengthy rain delays before and during the opening round of the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Kevin Harvick led the way for Team Chevy in his No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet SS at the GEICO 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway with a third-place finish.  It was Harvick’s seventh top-10 finish of the season and eighth top-10 finish at Chicagoland.
 
A mid-race five-hour red flag changed track conditions from day to night, which created a challenging situation for all. But Team Chevy Chase contenders made a strong showing with four drivers finishing in the top-10 overall.
 
Kurt Busch continued to impress in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing/Serta Chevrolet SS as he came home in fourth position and now moves to sixth in the standings with nine races to go in the Chase for the championship.  Busch was followed by Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS and Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet SS, who finished fifth and sixth respectively. 
 
Johnson is third in points in his quest for a sixth NSCS title, while Gordon moved up to seventh after being added to the Chase field on Friday at Chicagoland Speedway after NASCAR ruled to include the No. 24 team as the 13th contender in this season’s Chase field.
 
Behind the wheel of his No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS, Ryan Newman came away with a 10th-place finish after the post Richmond International Raceway shuffle that put him in the Chase. He sits eighth in the standings. Contact on pit road forced Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS, to the attention of his pit crew several times under caution for repairs, but he rallied to a 12th place finish in the 267-lap/400-mile race. He is 10th in the standings.
 
A mechanical issue forced Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Time Warner Chevrolet SS to the garage on lap 224. He was scored 35th and sits 13th in the standings.
 
Matt Kenseth (Toyota) was the race winner and Kyle Busch (Toyota) was second to round out the top five.
 
The next race on the tour and the second race of the Chase is September 14th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
 
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BUDWEISER DESIGNATE A DRIVER CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED THIRD
POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:          
 
 
KERRY THARP:
Joining us now, we have Kevin Harvick. Let’s hear about the race tonight. Currently in fourth place in our Chase standings is Kevin Harvick. Kevin, talk about your run out there tonight and maybe how the track obviously changed from the beginning first segment, then after that and finishing it out.
 
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  Yeah, the first half of the race for us, we were really tight, struggled with the handling of our car to be able to get the car to turn through the center of the corner.  We sat down, the engineers and Gil sat down in between the rain delay there and came up with some good adjustments and we were able to make some good ground.
 
 
Our car was really good on the restarts, so you could pick a bunch of them off pretty easy there going into turn one and two.  All in all, it was a good night, just too loose at the end to run with those guys up off the corner, but still a good night.
 
 
KERRY THARP:  We’ll take questions for Kevin.
 
 
Q.  Did you notice anything different in terms of the radio communications with the digital access for spotters being gone, generally the restarts, all the changes?
 
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  Yeah, I mean, we didn’t really have anything different that affected what we did in the car.  I didn’t notice anything different.
 
 
Q.  Restarts pretty much the same?
 
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  Yeah.  I think everybody can be a little bit more aggressive as you saw at the end, not worrying about shoving the other guy in front.  I think when the green flag goes, you just start going and make a decision as to whether you want to go low or push the guy in front of you.
 
 
Q.  Kevin, what happened on pit road?  Can you talk about virtually everybody in the top six had something possibly happen to them tonight.  You were able to get through it.
 
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  Yeah, we went from top five three times to 16th or 18th.  Once was just everybody took two tires.  Another time was the 7 coming into his pit stall, stopped and going.  We all stacked up and had to stop to not crash.  The rest of it was just bad performance on pit road.
 
 
Q.  Kevin, you gave Matt the push.  Did you feel you were going to be able to follow him through and challenge him later on?
 
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  I didn’t know.  Looked like the run before, Kyle was a little bit better than the 20.  They were evenly matched.  I was hoping they would get side‑by‑side, you have one of them slide up, able to get three‑wide or something happen.  I figured that was better than going to the bottom and getting three‑wide and being pinned on the bottom and getting passed by two or three cars on the top. I figured that was my best option.      
 
 
Q.  Kevin, five hours of rain delay.  How do you keep yourself in focus, ready to get back behind the wheel?
 
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  Honestly, I just went back and hung out with DeLana and my son, ate some dinner, relaxed and watched football.  That’s what I did; really not think about racing.  When it was time to go, you get back into the right frame of mind.
 
 
Q.  Did the track conditions change after the rain delay?  Track temperature went down 17 degrees.        
 
 
KEVIN HARVICK:  Yeah, I mean, the pace definitely picked up.  My car was way better in the night than it was in the day.  I mean, there was a couple times three‑quarters down the straightaway, sit on the rev limiter, I hadn’t touched it all weekend.          
 
 
KERRY THARP:  Kevin, thanks for putting on a great performance for us today.
            
     FastScripts by ASAP Sports
 
 
ADDITIONAL POST RACE COMMENT FROM: Mark Martin, No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS – Finished 17th
ON HIS RACE:
“I felt like we had a better racecar than that, but I feel like we had a great effort. Made a couple of mistakes on the racetrack, but we recovered from them. Like I said, we had a pretty good Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet. That last run, the car got tight. I think I could’ve passed a couple more cars there if it hadn’t tightened up on me, but for some reason, after that last stop, it tightened up on me. I feel good about the speed we have. We know where we need to work now. We’ve been together long enough to know what we need. We’re building a foundation and we’ll keep learning. It was a good effort.”

Marstons Mills, MA -July 17, 2013-Jay Blake’s Permatex/Follow A Dream team heads to its home track, New England Dragway, for this weekend’s Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event fresh off a win in its last series start, four weeks ago at Lebanon Valley Dragway in upstate New York. Follow A Dream set the Top Alcohol Funny Car track record at the Epping, N.H., facility in 2010 and reached the final round at this event in 2011.

“This is a big race for us every year, and especially this year because some folks from Porter & Chester are coming,” Blake said. “A couple of instructors from the school and five students who’ve done exemplary work and had 100-percent attendance all year will be our guests for the weekend.”

“I can’t wait to see the improvements the track made for its inaugural national event last month,” said driver Todd Veney. “New England Dragway is exactly 1,000 miles from home for me, but for everybody else on the team it’s a ‘home game,’ and we’re all looking forward to it.”

Qualifying sessions are scheduled for 1:00 and 6:00 Friday afternoon, and eliminations are under the lights Saturday night at 5:00, 7:00, and 9:00.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
QUAKER STATE 400
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JUNE 28, 2013
 
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Kentucky Speedway and discussed practice, the learning curve switching from IndyCar to NASCAR, Kyle Petty’s recent comments and other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
HOW HAS PRACTICE BEEN?
“I think that we unloaded a little bit better than we have lately or well, in general. A little bit closer to start and made a nice change the first time and ran a little bit quicker and then we have just been trying to search and find some front grip out there. Made a few good changes. It’s hot and slippery and this is a bumpy old track and it’s slippery, especially as the sun beats down on it and rubber gets laid down and the rubber gets slippery.  I think we’ve got a general direction and we’ve been loose in for the most part everywhere we go and this was the first time that we’ve been a little tight in.  We’re just trying to address our issues, but then they present new issues.”
 
REACTION TO THE BLACKHAWKS WINNING THE STANLEY CUP:
“I tweeted, ‘Hawks win, Hawks win,’ because who is the Cubs guy that said, ‘Cubs win, Cubs win?’  Harry Carey — that’s why I did it.  It was a really good game and it was a good series.  They were playing really, really hard that’s for sure.  Fast and hard and I’m sure some people lost teeth, but it was exciting to watch.”
 
REACTION TO KYLE PETTY’S COMMENTS:
“Read it yes. I just think that it’s funny how he said that I could qualify, but I can’t race because those of you that actually watch what I do would know that I can’t qualify for crap. In the race things go much better. It’s a little bit funny, but the most important thing to me is that I can keep my team happy, we’re moving in the right direction, that Go Daddy is happy and that when you walk out of the garage or walk around the track and meet a little girl that wants to grow up to be like you then you’re doing something right — those are the things that feel right.”
 
DOES IT MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS ABOUT YOU AND DOES IT MOTIVATE YOU IF PEOPLE TALK NEGATIVE ABOUT YOU?
“Thanks Kyle (Petty) thanks for motivating me. I really don’t care, I don’t, it’s true that there are plenty of people who say really bad things about me, I hear about them or I read about them or read them on Twitter. People want me to die. At the end of the day, you just get over that kind of stuff and all you can do is trust that you’re doing a good job and that’s all that matters and the people around you believe in you.”
 
WHERE ARE YOU ON THE LEARNING CURVE AND HOW MUCH BETTER DO YOU EXPECT TO BE?
“This is my second full year in NASCAR and it’s in the Cup Series so it’s definitely jumping in the deep end on some level. I’m grateful that I was recommended to do Nationwide before Cup, I think that was a good idea. You talk about the curve and the curve is different for everybody.  I think at times on some level I think I am ahead of it and at times I feel like I am behind it.  And that is just because the curve is different for everybody and I don’t know at what time it flattens out and you are where you are, but it’s not yet.  I know from my perspective that I feel like I am feeling the car better and I think that over time being able to feel the car better is going to result in a car that is set up for me and will allow me to driver harder and faster and to be better.  So that what I am learning now, the feelings about the car.  Shoot if I got tight off the corner last year, or any other time I drove the car, I would have said it was just ‘tight off’.   I would have had no idea the splitter was coming up.  Now it just seems simple and straightforward to me.  These are the things you learn over time and there is no se amount of time that you get to flatten that curve out, but it will someday.  I have no idea when.”
 
WHAT IS IT THAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO SILENCE THE NAYSAYERS?
“You really think that I will silence naysayers?  That is the answer, you don’t.  I am sure every driver has them on some level.  There are going to be people that believe in you and those that don’t.  You surround yourself in people that believe in you.  And that is what matters.”
 
YOU HAVE RACED HERE WITH YOUR INDYCAR, NOW YOU ARE HERE IN THE CUP CAR.  HOW DO YOU PREPARE DIFFERENTLY AT THIS TRACK?
“It’s a whole different thing.  It’s a different line and it’s completely different.  For me it’s not about coming here in a different car, it’s about me coming here and spending my first time driving around here in a Cup car for the first time and getting used to how that feels.  That is it and there is almost no comparison.  You are still driving around the track, but they are completely different animals.”
 
CURIOUS IF YOU HAVE TO CHANGE WHAT I ASSUME WAS RICKY’S (STENHOUSE) CAR INTO THE PARKING LOT AFTER LAST WEEK?
“I think you just explained the scenario.  For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you would have seen that it was taking a really long time to get into the track, and he (Ricky Stenhouse) had a team meeting at the top of the hill.  That was a long walk and he was going to be late if we parked down in the paddock area so being the nice girlfriend that I am, I said I would just drive the car down and park it and you get on with your meetings.  So, it was really as simple as that.”
 
DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE AN ADVANTAGE AT KENTUCKY SINCE YOU ARE ONE OF THE NEWER DRIVERS AND NO OTHER DRIVERS HAVE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE HERE?
“I suppose there aren’t as many set ups to fall back on and trends of the track and things like that on some level.  But at the end of the day, no matter what the scenario is, or what weekend we go to, you tend to see the order fall in a similar fashion.  That is just the way it goes, and it takes time to move it, so I guess on some level.”
 
HOW EAGER ARE YOU TO GO BACK TO DAYTONA NEXT WEEK AND HOW WELL DO YOU ANTICIPATE DOING THIS TIME?
“Well, we lost that poor car at Talladega.  So we are going back with our backup which is a really good car anyway.  We tested with it at the beginning of the year and I expect it to go in a similar fashion.  I think we will still be pretty fast.  Will we qualify on the pole and run in the top-3 or five all day?  I don’t know, maybe.  But the heat always changes a little bit but it’s a different car, and it’s going to be a different Hendrick engine.  All that stuff just leads to a slightly different weekend.  But I expect it to be somewhat similar at least from a good standpoint in my head.”
 
DO YOU FIND IT ENJOYING TO LEARN A NEW TYPE OF CAR OR DO YOU FIND IT FRUSTRATING?
“It’s frustrating.  It takes time and you always want to get to the ultimate where you kind of end up running well every weekend.  I would imagine if you asked the guys that run up front if they would like to be back in their first years and learning again if they find that more fun than to be running where they are at, then I would imagine they would say they were having more fun running up front.  It’s a process and that is what makes doing well feel so good – is the improvement that you have.  It’s far more exciting to run better every weekend.
 

SUMMERNATIONALS SUNDAY FEATURES JFR BATTLE

ENGLISHTOWN, NJ (June 1, 2013) – As qualifying came to a close on Saturday at the 44th annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals John Force Racing was trying to avoid a head to head team match-up in the first round. Unfortunately while the Funny Car teams improved their performance they did not create enough separation to avoid a John Force, No. 10, versus Robert Hight, No. 7, first round battle. One the other side of the ladder Courtney Force will have to race one of the hottest teams in Funny Car Johnny Gray if she hopes to win her first race at Raceway Park on Sunday. In Top Fuel Brittany Force bounced back from a tough Friday recording two solid runs and qualifying in the No. 13 spot.

The Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster was one of the quickest dragsters under the toughest conditions today posting a 3.921 second time in the opening session today to solidly get into the show. The Dean Antonelli and Eric Lane tuned dragster stepped up in the final session and ran 3.908 at 315.78 mph.

The rookie of the year candidate who is vying for the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award will face veteran Doug Kalitta in the first round. The last time these two drivers met was the spring event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Force won her first round as a professional that day.

“I’m happy we came out and we definitely improved since yesterday. We had two really good consistent runs. We have Doug Kalitta tomorrow in the first round. I’ve run him before and I’m excited to run him again and hopefully we can go some rounds,” said Brittany Force.

The biggest turn-around in the Funny Car category from Friday to Saturday had to be in the Auto Club Ford Mustang pits. Robert Hight and his team dominated in Topeka both in qualifying and on race day but on Friday at Raceway Park they struggled to get to the finish line under power. Hight was undeterred at the end of the day and his confidence was rewarded with solid runs in both sessions, 4.267 and 4.121 seconds.

His Auto Club Mustang was the quickest Funny Car of the final session and those conditions will be consistent for the first round and race day on Sunday as temperatures will continue to cover in the low 90s.

“Today did not surprise me. I knew we were capable of running quick in the heat. On Friday we just had a couple things bite us on the tune up side. I knew (crew chief) Jimmy Prock would give me a good race car. The only downside is we have to race a teammate tomorrow in the first round. I would have liked for both of us to be higher in the qualifying order but you have to race the ladder,” said Hight.

“This is one of those tracks that has so much history you want to have a win on your resume. I lost in the final last year to Johnny Gray. John Force has won here so many times both at NHRA National events and at match races he will be very tough tomorrow. It will be any ones race tomorrow. I just hope we can keep running like we did today,” said Hight.

John Force and the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang team made a quality run on Friday night and today his team took an aggressive approach on the track. In the first session his Mike Neff tuned Castrol GTX Ford Mustang ran 4.274 as it hazed the tires at the top end. In the last qualifying session they were trying to run a quick time to bust up the first round match-up with Hight and overpowered the hot track early, smoking the tires at about 200 feet and running 7.327 seconds.

“Robert has the fast race car right now. I should have stepped up on that last pass, but didn’t. That’s racing. I’m fighting to stay in the top ten and he’s fighting to get the points lead. We can give the fans a great race tomorrow, and that’s all we can do,” said Force, a four-time Summernationals champion.

Courtney Force and her Traxxas Ford Mustang team improved today and ended qualifying in the No. 9 spot with a 4.125 second at 307.09 mph run. Force was able to rack up two extra bonus points in the last qualifying session for being the second-quickest, making that five total qualifying bonus points for the weekend.

Force will face Johnny Gray in the opening round on Sunday. Force is 0-2 against Gray in previous match-ups.

“It feels good to close out qualifying with a good run. We made the show, had two solid passes during qualifying, and picked up bonus points, which is all really great. I’m excited for our team. We’re trying to pick up as many points as possible where we can. I’m excited to go into tomorrow. We have Johnny Gray in the opening round, so we’re going to go there and do the best we can. We’ll take our Traxxas Ford Mustang down there and I hope to get that win light,” said Force.

Lucas Oil 200   
Dover International Speedway
 
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series  
Dover International Speedway     
May 31, 2013  
 
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished fifth (Brendan Gaughan) and 31st (Ty Dillon).
Gaughan now ranks third in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings, trailing leader Matt Crafton by 35 markers, while Dillon ranks 7th, 57 points back.
The No. 62 Chevrolet team ranks fourth in the Camping World Truck Series owner championship point standings, with the No. 3 team 8th.
According to NASCAR’s post-race loop data statistics, Gaughan tied for second in Laps in Top 15 (198).
Gaughan earned the sixth-best Average Running Position (7.470), had the seventh-best Driver Rating (100.2), was the seventh-Fastest Driver Early in a Run (145.488 mph), seventh-Fastest on Restarts (142.027 mph) and posted six of the Fastest Laps Run, tying him for eighth in the loop data category.
Dillon made 13 Green Flag Passes during his 23 laps of competition, eight while running in the top 15 (Quality Passes).
Kyle Busch earned his second victory of the 2013 Camping World Truck Series season and was followed to the finish line by Matt Crafton, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott and Gaughan.
The next Camping World Truck Series race is the Texas 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, June 7. The seventh race of the 2013 season is scheduled to be televised live on SPEED beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Satellite Radio.
 
 
 
Motor Problems Make for a Short Day for Dillon at Dover International Speedway
 
Ty Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Silverado team had a great race going for the first portion of the 200-lap NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Dover International Speedway on Friday afternoon After qualifying sixth earlier in the day, Dillon had to start near the rear of the field for not being on time for the driver’s meeting, which was immediately after he climbed from the No. 33 Chevrolet in Nationwide practice. It didn’t take the NCWTS regular long to show he was undaunted by his new starting spot and ready to contend on the high banks of the one-mile concrete oval. He went from 36th to 23rd in the first seven laps, then up to 15th by lap 15.While coursing through turns one and two on lap 21, he lost power and radioed to crew chief Marcus Richmond about the problem. After bringing the Silverado to pit road, the crew lifted the hood to see if the problem could be rectified. Realizing it needed a more thorough look, the crew pushed the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet into the garage. Upon further inspection, it was determined the motor would not function and Dillon was forced to accept a 31st-place finish.
 
Start – 6         Finish – 31          Laps Led – 0          Points – 7th
 
Ty Dillon Quote:
“That was not the finish we were looking for or what this Bass Pro Shops team deserved. We worked hard in practice and qualifying and looked pretty strong in the early laps of the race. I came out of two there (lap 21) and it just lost power. I brought it to pit road and Marcus (Richmond, crew chief) pushed it to the garage and the team said we were done. I hate it, but the good news is we’ll be back again and race even harder to make up what we lost today.”
 
 
 

Gaughan Finishes Fifth at “The Monster Mile”, Earning Fourth-Consecutive  
Top-Five Finish
 
Brendan Gaughan and the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet team collected their fourth-consecutive top-five finish on Friday in the Lucas Oil 200 at Dover International Speedway. The Las Vegas native started the 200-lap event from the 15th position and quickly began his charge toward the front of the field, settling into the top 10 by lap eight. Gaughan remained in the top 10 for the majority of the race as he battled a loose-handling black and gold Chevrolet. The pit crew made chassis adjustments during two scheduled four-tire pit stops, on laps 46 and 121, in an effort to remedy the handling issue. The problem persisted for the duration of the event as Gaughan worked his way into the top five during the final laps, crossing the finish line fifth. Following the sixth race of the season, Gaughan gained one position moving up to third in the Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings.  
 
Start – 15          Finish – 2         Laps Led – 0          Points – 3rd
 
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
“This was another great job by Shane (Wilson, crew chief) and the entire team. Our South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet was fast all day, but just a little too loose. My pit crew did a great job today along with my spotter. I’ve got to thank all of them for helping us bring home this top-five finish.”
 

Casey Currie and the Monster Energy/General Tire Nissan team started the season off on a high note this weekend, leaving Phoenix’s Firebird International Raceway second in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Pro Lite standings. Despite having to pass nearly the entire field on both Saturday and Sunday, Currie brought home finishes of third and fifth, respectively.

After dialing in his Monster Energy/General Tire Nissan during Friday’s practice, Currie was excited to get the season started. A small change before qualifying didn’t work as well as he hoped, resulting in the 10th fastest time. Despite the mid-pack start, Currie worked his way to the front of the field and into the top five. Near the halfway point of the race, Currie was t-boned in a corner, cutting down a tire and forcing him into the hot pit during the full-course yellow. After the restart, he methodically carved his way up from 29th all the way to podium where he finished third.
 
“The race didn’t go exactly how we planned it,’ said Currie. “But we showed everyone out there that the Monster Energy/General Tire Nissan is going to be a fast truck all year long.”

During the second round of competition on Sunday, Currie was able to qualify fifth and patiently waited to get into the lead. As the race wore on, he tried to make a pass for third with an “outside/inside” move and was black-flagged by the race officials. With a limited amount of laps left, Currie raced hard to salvage as many points as possible and by the time the checkered flag flew, he had raced his way into fifth.
 
“I thought I had a good line going when I tried to make the pass into third,” said Currie. “He moved over on me a little because he knew I was going to be able to get him and the contact spun him out. Having to restart from the back of the field twice during the weekend is frustrating, but our results show we have the right equipment to win races.”

Currie and the team are now getting ready for Rounds 3-4 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on April 26-28. During the upcoming month, Currie will continue to work on his Monster Energy/General Tire Nissan as he looks to hit the jackpot in Vegas.

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Nationwide Series- Drive4COPD 300- Tony Stewart Winner

Westfall Motors to UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Gator Qualifier Triumph

Ohio driver locks into Monday night’s $5,000-to-win Gator Championship Redraw at Volusia
BARBERVILLE, Fla. – Feb. 17, 2013 – Matt Westfall blazed a fast path to victory lane and earned the $700 winner’s check Sunday night during the second Gator Championship qualifier in the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment at Volusia Speedway Park.

“We had a good evening, I qualified good enough to put it on the front row,” said Westfall, of Pleasant Hill, Ohio. “The track was fast tonight and difficult to pass. Reminded me of Eldora Speedway where we usually run.”

Westfall started outside of the front row and held off NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader of Concord, N.C., who made several valiant attempts to pass Westfall during the 20-lap main event. Schrader settled for second, which locks both drivers into the redraw for Monday night’s Gator Championship.

“This week we’ve had brand new cars so we’ve struggled a little bit,” Westfall said. “Tonight we finally found something. It feels real good just to win!”

Dale Mathison of Clearwater, Minn., NASCAR Nationwide driver Justin Allgaier of Springfield, Ill., and DIRTcar Summit Modified Nationals Champion Kenny Wallace of Fenton, Mo., rounded out the top five and also secured a spot in the redraw for Monday night ensuring they’ll start no worse than 10th.

Brian Shaw of Robinson, Ill., Camping World Truck Series Champion Austin Dillon of Welcome, N.C., Bart Hartman of Zanesville, Ohio, home-state driver Wayne Hammond of Riverview, Fla., and Richard Michael Jr. of Ischua, N.Y., locked into outside rows 6 through 10 for Monday night by finishing in the top 10.

Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, and Todd Neiheiser of Panama City, Fla., claimed Last Chance Showdown victories.

There were 37 DIRTcar UMP Modifieds on hand for the second of two Gator Qualifying nights of competition. Monday night’s racing program will feature the first night of DIRTcar Late Model action as well as the $5,000-to-win DIRTcar UMP Modified Gator Championship.

 
Poel Powers to UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Gator Qualifier Victory

Michigan racer locks into Monday night’s $5,000-to-win Gator Championship
BARBERVILLE, Fla. – Feb. 16, 2013 – Jacob Poel made his first visit to the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment a memorable one by capturing the Gator Championship qualifier Saturday night at Volusia Speedway Park.

“We just swapped a motor out yesterday, after having one problem after another,” said Poel, of Spring Lake, Mich. “I ran third in the heat and I don’t know where we started in that feature but the car was just absolutely perfect. I don’t know really what else to say. It was an amazing feeling. I’m just glad to be able to come down here with all the people that have supported me and got me here.”

Poel and Matt Cooper, of McKenzie, Tenn., split leader Bryce Jewell of Madisonville, Ky., on lap 9 before trading the top spot the following two laps. Poel distanced himself after taking the lead from Cooper on lap 11 of the 20-lap main event. The win earned Poel a nice $700 paycheck and a spot in the redraw for Monday night’s Gator Championship, where he can start no worse than 10th.

“I’ve got my confidence and that’s all I need,” Poel said. “I didn’t need to win tonight, but I wanted to. I just needed something to give me confidence after the week we’ve had down here and I definitely got that tonight.”

Cooper finished second and was one of four other drivers who also earn a spot in Monday night’s redraw by finishing in the top five. Dirt late model standout Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark., was third. Friday night’s winner and defending Gator Champion Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, N.C., finished fourth. Rodney Sanders of Happy, Texas who won the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals opener in his first visit to Volusia Speedway Park on Tuesday night rounded out the top five.

Jewell, UNOH DIRTcar Nationals point leader Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Fla., Jake Griffin of Quincy, Ill., Ty Dillon of Welcome, N.C., and Danny Schwartz of Ashmore, Ill., locked into inside rows six through ten for Monday night by finishing in the top 10 Saturday.

J.E. Stadler of Martins Ferry, Ohio, and Donovan Lodge of Moline, Ill., claimed Last Chance Showdown victories.

There were 42 DIRTcar UMP Modifieds on hand for the first of two Gator Qualifying nights of competition. Sunday night’s racing program will feature the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series as well as the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds Gator Championship Qualifying Night Two.

C. FORCE No.1 QUAL AT WINTERNATIONALS
 
POMONA, CA — Courtney Force blazed a new path to start her sophomore season on the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, posting the quickest time in qualifying and leading the Funny Car field for just the third time in her young career. Force covered the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona track in 4.036 seconds at 318.24 mph in the first session on Saturday taking the No. 1 position from 2012 Funny Car champ Jack Beckman.
 
“It’s really exciting, especially because it’s my home track. I love coming out here and doing well in Pomona. My dad won it in the opening last year. This Traxxas Ford Mustang has been running pretty good thanks to all of our sponsors; Traxxas, Castrol, Ford, Auto Club, BrandSource and Mac Tools. We got Stingray on board this year, so it’s definitely an exciting season and we’re just hoping that tomorrow we can continue to do the same and maybe even a little better.”

Force, the 2012 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner, had to run beside Beckman in the final qualifying session with the top qualifying spot on the line.

“I got a little nervous next to Beckman. I saw him out ahead of me and I was like, ‘Don’t take the No. 1 spot away from me!’ I was getting nervous. That right lane is really tough. There’s a bump down there so we tried to move our car a little more over to the inside and just tried to drive it all the way down there and it went fine. We were able to run a 4.07 so we were happy with that. Being able to run good down both lanes is always good going into race day. We feel good and we’re excited so we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Today’s qualifying efforts by Courtney Force and her Traxxas Ford Mustang team brought a well-deserved No. 1 qualifier recognition to the John Force Racing stable. With that came the delight of putting a front loading washer and dryer set in the hands of a lucky fan, compliments of BrandSource and the “Win With Force” promotion. (additional information attached)
 
All week Force has been getting advice from her father and 15-time Funny Car champion John Force. The second year driver continues to take it all in but she was hoping for a break in the constant coaching with the emergence of her sister Brittany Force in Top Fuel.
 
“My dad has been twice as bad as normal because there are two of us; me and Brittany. He’s definitely got his hands full. We came back after mine and dad’s run and we’re in the pit area, he’s in a full fire suit drinking a cup of coffee, which I have no idea how because I was sweating, but I was like, ‘we gotta run up because Brittany’s about to run,’ and he just drops everything and starts running. He’s not used to being in Funny Car as well as Top Fuel. He’s a little confused and we gotta get a routine down, but he was running up there so he could give Brittany her last few things of advice,” said the youngest Force.

“I love being out here with her, if Dad can just kind of take a few steps back, I think if she qualifies good then I think he’ll be OK tomorrow. Hopefully,” added Force. “The funny thing is, when we were little he wasn’t really around because he was always out here. The second we turned eighteen, Dad shows up and all of the rules are applied. He’s trying to figure out the boss/father situation.”

The second year driver is not taking her No. 1 qualifier for granted. The Funny Car category has never been more competitive and the driver of the Traxxas Ford Mustang is not looking past any driver.
 
“Sometimes you go out first round so I don’t ever let that (No. 1 spot) change my outlook on things. We’ve got a good race car, but there are guys who are right behind me. I really gotta watch out for them. We just gotta go out there and try to run consistently,” said Force. “I don’t want to make any mistakes as a driver. I’m still learning. I’m still new to all of this. I’m pretty excited that we got the no. 1 spot, but I still gotta focus, keep it going and just really not get distracted by anything and do my same old routine.”

A new era at John Force Racing also began with Brittany Force and the Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster qualifying for the 53rd annual O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals. The rookie driver sits No. 15 in the quickest Top Fuel field in NHRA history. Her qualifying time of 8.845 seconds at 293.22 mph will set her up for a first round match-up with Brandon Bernstein.
 
“One of my goals for this year was to qualify for every race. We came out to Pomona and did it with this Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster. I am definitely excited about racing tomorrow. We are going to have some fun,” said Force. “I am excited to be running Brandon. I have known him forever and I have been watching him forever. I am a rookie driver but I am going against one of these guys that has been out here forever.”
 
When Brittany was asked if she thought her legendary dad, John Force, would place a side bet with Brandon’s legendary dad, Kenny Bernstein, she laughed and said, “I am not sure but I bet my dad might call Kenny.”
 
While the daughters of John Force were busy focusing on their success on the track behind the wheel as a team owner and father Force was focused on the big picture.
 
“Shirley Muldowney proved that women can do this. I am excited to see (Top Fuel rookie) Leah Pruett make the show. Glad to see (Larry) Dixon back. At the end of the day to put all four cars in with the changes that we made over the winter; it is all working,” said John Force, the winningest driver at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
 
“Robert (Hight) and the Auto Club team struggled some and (crew chief Mike) Neff and I struggled with the Castrol GTX Funny Car but we are in the show. Courtney was low ET with the Traxxas Funny Car. She is learning the trade with (crew chief) Ron Douglas. At the end of the day after the long winter and a year of testing that Top Fuel dragster to get all four in at the first race, god it just took the load off me. It is great to see that my kids can perform. They are very important to my sponsors like Ford, BrandSource, Mac Tools, Champion, Stingray Systems, System 51, and PPG who are all are pumping millions into this operation. I am excited because we did our job. We made Pomona. That is the key.”
 
Force will race veteran Ron Capps in the first round tomorrow. His Castrol GTX Ford Mustang covered the historic race track at Pomona in 4.108 second to place him 11th quickest in the sixteen car field.
 
“Bring him on. We are going to have something for him,” said a fired up Force.
 
Force is 3-1 against Capps at the O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals with their last meeting taking place in 2012 where Force won on a hole-shot.
 
Robert Hight and the Auto Club team will also have their hands full with the most recent winner at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the Auto Club Finals winner Cruz Pedregon, in the first round. Hight made one solid run down the track a 4.111 second run at 311.20 mph in the first session today to set him up against the No. 5 qualifier Pedregon.
 
This will be the 25th meeting between these two world champions. Hight holds a 14-10 edge in the win column. Hight has only faced two other drivers more than Pedregon, Ron Capps (21-14) and John Force (14-12) in his nine year career.
 
 
* * * *
THE DRIVERS
 
JOHN FORCE, 63, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
Qualifying: 11th at 4.108 seconds, 306.05 mph
First Round Opponent (W-L): Ron Capps (42-24)
Bonus Qualifying Points: 0
 
ROBERT HIGHT, 43, Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang
Qualifying: 12th at 4.111 at 311.20 mph
First Round Opponent (W-L): Cruz Pedregon (14-10)
Bonus Qualifying Points: 0
 
COURTNEY FORCE, 24, Traxxas Ford Mustang
Qualifying: 1st at 4.036 seconds, 318.24 mph
First Round (W-L): Phil Burkhart Jr. (0-0)
Bonus Qual
ifying Points: +6 (second quickest of Q1, quickest of Q3 and third quickest of Q4)
 
BRITTANY FORCE, 26, Castrol EDGE Top Fuel Dragster
Qualifying: 15th at 3.845 seconds at 293.22 mph
First Round Opponent (W-L): Brandon Bernstein (0-0)
Bonus Qualifying Points: 0
 

2014 Chevrolet SS: Performance Sedan with Racing DNA
 
DAYTONA, Fla. – As Chevrolet’s first V-8, rear-wheel-drive performance sedan since 1996, the new Chevrolet SS is designed to deliver performance on the street and on the track. The 2014 Chevrolet SS will debut this weekend at the Daytona International Speedway as the SS racecar makes its NASCAR debut during the Daytona 500.
 
“The Chevrolet brand was largely built on the strength of rear-drive performance sedans, yet it’s been 17 years since we’ve offered one,” said Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North America. “The all-new Chevrolet SS fills that void and fills it better than any other vehicle in the brand’s rich history. The comfort, convenience, spaciousness and V-8 power make the SS a total performance package unlike any other on the road today.”
The Chevrolet SS benefits from the proven, race-tested, global rear-wheel drive architecture that is the foundation for the Camaro, Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle and Holden’s VF Commodore.
 
The Chevrolet SS is powered by the LS3 Chevrolet V-8, expected to deliver 415 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. Also used in the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette, the LS3 displaces 6.2 liters, more than the 5.5-liter V-8 powering the Chevrolet SS NASCAR competitors.
 
The LS3 is married to a six-speed automatic transmission, which can be shifted manually using TAPshift paddles mounted on the steering wheel. With an aggressive 3.27 final-drive ratio, the Chevrolet SS accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in about five seconds – making it one of the quickest sedans on the market.
 
To ensure that it turns and stops as well as it accelerates; the Chevrolet SS also features a sport-tuned chassis, including:
·         MacPherson strut front and multilink independent rear suspension geometry
·         Electronic power steering system, optimized for sport driving
·         Standard Brembo brakes, with ventilated, 355-mm rotors and two-piece, four-piston front calipers
·         Forged aluminum wheels, wrapped in ultra-high-performance Bridgestone tires: 19 x 8.5 inch wheels with 245/40ZR19 tires in front; 19 x 9.0 inch wheels with 275/35ZR19 tires rear
 
Handling is also improved by a near 50/50 weight distribution, and a low center of gravity – made possible in part by the aluminum hood and rear deck lid that are 30 percent lighter than traditional steel panels.
 
“Our goal was to create a car that delivers incredible grip and handling balance while cornering, while still being comfortable to drive on the road,” said David Leone, executive chief engineer GM global programs.  “The perfect weight balance and lower center of gravity were a big part of that goal because it enabled the team to tune for a more comfortable highway ride without sacrificing handling or driver confidence while cornering at the limits.”
 
Similarly, the design of the SS blends performance cues and premium details.
 
“From every angle, the Chevrolet SS says power and performance,” said John Cafaro design director Chevrolet passenger cars and small crossovers. “The combination of an aggressive rear-wheel drive stance and body-side attitude with the right balance of detail and refinement inside and out are the perfect home for Chevrolet’s V-8 performance package.”
 
The staggered front and rear wheels, which are pushed out to the corners, enhance the sporting, muscular stance of the SS. Up front, the aluminum hood features a subtle “power bulge” hinting at the power of the engine underneath. At the rear, the tapered, tear-drop shape contributes to improved aerodynamic performance. Premium cues include jewel-like chrome accents, standard high-intensity discharge headlamps and light-emitting diode daytime running lights.
 
The spacious interior of the SS will comfortably accommodate five adults, with 42 inches of front legroom, and 39 inches of rear legroom. Leather seating surfaces are standard, as are eight-way power adjustable front bucket seats with additional side bolstering that hug the driver and front passenger in tight-handling situations. The SS emblem is prominently stitched onto the soft-touch instrument panel which features two types of chrome finishes – a satin gloss and a bright chrome.  At night, the interior is illuminated by ice blue ambient lighting.
 
An integrated center stack includes infotainment, climate and other vehicle controls. The Chevrolet SS also offers a long list of technology features as standard equipment including:
·         Color, in-dashboard touch screen that supports Chevrolet MyLink and the next-generation navigation system
·         Bose® Nine-speaker premium sound system
·         Color heads-up display
·         Push-button start
·         StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control
·         Forward Collision Alert
·         Lane Departure Warning
·         Side Blind Zone Alert
·         Rear-vision camera Rear Cross Traffic Alert
 
The SS is also the first Chevrolet to offer Automatic Parking Assist, which provides hands-free parking help. This efficient ‘hands-free’ parking assistant uses the ultrasonic sensing system to detect the width and depth of either parallel or reverse right-angle parking spaces. While the driver controls the throttle, transmission, and brake, the Automatic Parking Assist controls the steering inputs necessary to neatly park the Chevrolet SS.
 
The 2014 Chevrolet SS will be available in the fourth quarter of 2013, with prices set closer to the on-sale date.  When it arrives in showrooms, the SS will join the Corvette and Camaro, whose combined sales have made Chevrolet America’s favorite performance brand for the last two years.
 

Pittman Roars to World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series Season-Opening Victory
UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit continues Saturday evening
 
BARBERVILLE, Fla. – Feb. 15, 2013 – There were hugs, smiles and high fives. Then, a hop onto the back of his car, where Daryn Pittman let out a yell that reached the edges of Volusia County as the confetti blanketed his new ride.
An extremely happy Pittman gave his NASCAR-star boss, Kasey Kahne, a grin as they celebrated on the frontstretch at Volusia Speedway Park Friday night following Pittman’s World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series season-opening victory in front of packed grandstands.

“We were stout from the time we unloaded and we were just lucky enough to come out on top,” Pittman said. “I’m as happy as I’ve ever been driving a race car.”

The 42nd annual UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment was the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series season debut for Pittman, who got the call near the end of last season to compete for Kasey Kahne Racing.

“They built a really strong team over the offseason and it’s fun to watch,” Kahne said. “I’m glad we were able to get him in our car. I think he’s done really well for a long period of time and now hopefully he can do really well all year for us.

“I was super happy to see him start off like this, but I didn’t know how quickly they would gel and get things rolling.”

Pittman’s 31st career World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series victory – which ranks 14th all time – was a work in progress all night. After qualifying second quickest of the 40 competitors, Pittman charged from fourth to win his heat race.

The dash inversion was a six, making him start on the inside of the third row for the six-lap race that determines the lineup for the first five rows of the feature. Pittman passed one car to earn the fourth starting position in the 30-lap, $10,000-to-win main event.

After riding in third for the first 10 laps, Pittman rocketed to the lead on a restart one third of the way through the race. He drove around Kasey Kahne Racing teammate Brad Sweet entering turn one and then slid Sammy Swindell, who led the first 10 laps, entering turn three.

“You weren’t going to pass eight or 10 cars to win tonight, so I think our dash, gaining that row, helped and put us in position to win,” Pittman said. “And just being in the right place at the right time in the A (Main) and just having a car that was good enough that I could move around. Some nights you’ve just got to get what you can in a short amount of time and just hope it’s enough at the end.”

Pittman began to drive away before Swindell reeled him in as they entered traffic just past the halfway mark. The duo restarted side by side twice in the final 10 laps after cautions for David Gravel and Lance Dewease, but the inside groove was the preferred line and Pittman chose it on each restart.

Swindell’s front nose wing began to break apart in the final half-dozen laps and part of it lodged in his cockpit in the closing laps. He maintained second place until running out of fuel on the backstretch of the final lap, which dropped Swindell from second to fourth place.

Jac Haudenschild, who cracked the top three on a restart with 10 laps remaining, was within striking distance and assumed the runner-up finish.

“It’s definitely good to be out front because the clean air does help,” he said. “I followed Sammy for quite a while. It was just tight back there behind cars. The track was narrow, but we’re happy with a second-place finish”

Sweet, who ran second to Swindell for the first 10 laps, narrowly edged him to claim the final spot on the podium and join his winning teammate.

“We started up front was the key to getting a podium,” Sweet said. “Daryn was just really fast. He was able to get by me and Sammy there and kind of showed us something.”

Paul McMahan, who set quick time in qualifying, rounded out the top five.

Craig Dollansky drove from 11th to sixth, Jason Sides placed seventh and Donny Schatz earned the KSE Hard Charger Award after maneuvering from 22nd to eighth. Kraig Kinser finished ninth and Steve Kinser rallied from 17th to end 10th.

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