World of Outlaws

World of Outlaws–American Racing Custom Wheels to Sponsor World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series Texas Outlaw Nationals on April 18-19 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway

American Racing Custom Wheels to Sponsor World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series Texas Outlaw Nationals on April 18-19 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway
CONCORD, N.C. – April 11, 2014 – The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series has its roots in Devil’s Bowl Speedway, site of its inaugural event in 1978. Today, American Racing Custom Wheels announced it will play a major role in the Outlaws’ return to the unique half-mile dirt oval on April 18-19 in Mesquite, Texas, as a sponsor of the Texas Outlaws Nationals presented by American Racing Custom Wheels.

The two-day event at Devil’s Bowl, where the series last raced in 2003, features a reunion of ‘Original Outlaws’ that helped to launch the series 37 years ago. Two of those drivers, Steve Kinser and Sammy Swindell, became racing legends and are still competing today for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship. Like those drivers, American Racing Custom Wheels has been an iconic brand among car aficionados around the world for decades so bringing the two together at Devil’s Bowl Speedway is a perfect fit.

“We are obviously very involved with the World of Outlaws, and when the opportunity to be directly involved with the Texas Outlaw Nationals was presented we knew our historic wheel brand would be the perfect partner to a storied group of racers and their reunion,” said Dan Ricehouse of American Racing Custom Wheels. “We are looking forward to being part of such a big weekend.”

American Racing Custom Wheels is an official sponsor of the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, but this will mark the first time they have put their name on an Outlaw event.

“There will be so much history at Devil’s Bowl it’s only natural a company like American Racing Custom Wheels is part of it,” said World of Outlaws CMO Ben Geisler. “The Texas Outlaw Nationals presented by American Racing Custom Wheels will certainly be a ‘can’t miss’ event for fans because we’ve already seen how the racers that make up the foundation of the sport are embracing it. We are definitely looking forward to seeing so much history on display.”

About American Racing

American Racing is an iconic brand and a wheel industry leader in craftsmanship, engineering, innovation and performance. Founded in 1956 as a manufacturer of bespoke magnesium and aluminum racing wheels, its roots date back to the golden era of hot rodding. American Racing is a Wheel Pros brand. Wheel Pros products are sold worldwide in more than 20 countries on four continents and through a U.S. network of more than 25,000 authorized dealers. It is one of the world’s largest suppliers of branded custom wheels, performance tires and related accessories for cars, SUVs and light trucks.

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–Darlington–Practice

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW CHEVROLET SS – HIT THE WALL DURING THE FIRST PRACTICE SESSION AND EARNED HIS FIRST NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES DARLINGTON STRIPE:
“Well, Kyle (Larson) came over and asked, ‘where did you hit’? I said off Turn 2. He said, me too.  I said did you try you try to come off the wall and make it turn? He said exact same thing. So we are just learning, I guess. You get really tight. I felt good into (Turn) 1, and then through the middle, I get tight late around the corner, it just carries speed. Just hit the wall, but I learned a lot right there. Hopefully it doesn’t happen again. 

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – HIT THE WALL DURING THE FIRST PRACTICE SESSION, WILL GO TO A BACK-UP CAR
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO A BACK-UP:
“Yeah I mean we (Austin Dillon) were talking and it sounded like the exact same thing that we were describing.  Difference is I have to get a back-up out.  Our back-up they said is just as good as our primary so we had a really good run before we I hit the wall.  Just learning, I’m mostly ever in the wall in (Turns) 3 and 4 and never hit off (Turn) 2.  I killed the wall in (Turn) 2.  We will get back out here soon and I’m sure be fine.”

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–Darlington–Jimmie Johnson

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
BOJANGLES SOUTHERN 500
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 11, 2014
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed the disappointment of having fast cars and yet not winning this season, what he likes about Darlington, qualifying, the toughest days inside the race car in his career, and more. Full Transcript:
 
TALK ABOUT COMING TO DARLINGTON. CERTAINLY YOU’RE ON THE VERGE OF GETTING YOUR FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON. TALK ABOUT YOUR CHANCES HERE TOMORROW NIGHT
“I’m excited to be back at the race track, a track that is a favorite of so many; including myself. The sensation of speed here is higher than any other track we go to. And the line and racing surface is so narrow and unique and challenging, that it really is an accomplishment to run 500 miles here; to be successful and qualify well and have a good race, and then ultimately to win. So, I’m very excited to be back and I’m looking forward to a good race.
 
“We’ve had a lot of speed in our cars. And I feel terrible that honestly, the last three weeks we’ve had a race-winning car and just haven’t been able to take advantage of it. Las week our race was cut awfully short; just three or four laps before we had all the damage fro Junior’s trip through the grass, and didn’t have a chance to let our car shine there in Texas. I think we were really, really in a great position to compete for a win, but that stuff happens. We’re looking forward and are focused on this weekend’s race and can hopefully get a ‘W’.”
 
ABOUT THE LAST THREE WEEKS, WHEN YOU DOMINATE THE RACE, LOSE CAR AT THE END AND THEN LAST WEEK, WHAM, EARLY. IS THERE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ‘OUCH’ THAT BITES YOU? DOES THAT THROW A GLITCH IN THINGS AT TIMES?
“There’s definitely an ‘ouch’, but it’s more from a position where we hate to see opportunities slip away. It doesn’t hurt our confidence. For us, and I think most teams, when you’re that close and have a shot to win, and know that you have fast race cars and you don’t pull into Victory Lane, it’s a confidence booster. The end result isn’t what you want or what you like, but you know your cars are fast and your pit stops are good. You have all the pieces there and it’s just about running the distance of the race and getting the job done.
 
“So, I’ve been through various challenges in my Cup career and one marker I always look for is clearly fast cars and ultimately top 5 finishes. And I firmly believe that if you’re running in the top 5, you’re going to have your shots at winning races. And even a step further, top 3’s. But our goal, since I’ve started, has been if we can run in the top 5 all day long, we’ll have a shot to win the race. And it’s led to a lot of victories for us.”
 
PENSKE, IN EFFECT, HAS BOTH OF HIS CARS IN THE CHASE AND CAN EXPERIMENT MORE AND TARGET CHASE TRACKS WITH TESTS. HOW MUCH OF AN ADVANTAGE IS THAT? DOES THAT PUT THE REST OF YOU AT SOMEWHAT OF A DISADVANTAGE?
“My first response is that it doesn’t put us at a disadvantage. The game has changed some and I think most of it falls on the fact that you have to test as an organization where you go. We’re confident we’re going to have a car, if not all four cars, in the Chase. And all of our planning has been focused around Chase tracks for testing. So, if we do get deep into the regular season and need to use a test at Richmond or a test at a non-Chase track, at that point yeah, absolutely. It benefits a Penske where they’re already locked-in. But now, in the way we’ve been planning things, we’ve been focused on all our cars being in the Chase and heading that direction. But you know, in time it could change and we might have to call an audible late in the post-season and show a little help to one or more of our race cars.”
 
WE ARE COMING UP ON THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF LOSING ARYTON SENNA. YOU ARE A BIG FORMULA 1 FAN. DO YOU REMEMBER IF HE HAD ANY IMPACT ON YOUR EARLY YEARS AS A DRIVER? IS HE SOMEBODY YOU LOOKED UP TO BACK WHEN HE WAS A CHAMPION?
“The media back in that period of time was so different than today. A few magazines I’d pick-up, I could learn about him; an occasional Formula 1 race on TV, but it was pretty far and few between. I knew the name. I knew the legacy. I feel like I’ve been able to learn more about Senna through Max Papis, to be honest with you, and some of the open wheel guys that I’m friends with that looked up to him and he actually mentored along the way. Max is probably the biggest one to that effect.
 
“So, his legacy still lives on and it’s a beautiful thing to see the respect that he has worldwide. It doesn’t matter the discipline of motorsports, people still respect his abilities today and it’s an amazing thing. And truthfully the documentary kind of opened-up everyone’s minds, as to what he was as a man, in and out of the car. And still, I can’t believe the footage they got and the story they were able to tell through that documentary. I wish I’d had a chance to meet him, and certainly wish I had the chance to race against him. I know a lot of drivers who wish they could have had that opportunity.”
 
ON DEALING WITH THE FRUSTRATION OF HAVING FAST CARS AND NOT WINNING, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU LEARNED EARLIER LEADING INTO THE CHAMPIONSHIPS OR ARE YOU HAVING TO DEAL WITH IT NOW?
“It’s something that you learn. I’d say that maybe the first couple of races there was a bit more frustration because our cars didn’t have the speed that they needed to, and those were things that we could control. So, practice sessions at Phoenix and Las Vegas, that’s where we felt like we were off and missing something.
 
“But we’re giving 100 percent and that’s really all you can do. We’ve learned through experience to identify with that. You can only work so many hours in the day and then in the week, and only give 100 percent. Anything more is only going to be detrimental to the team and not help things progress. So, I feel like post-Bristol, moving forward, we’ve had speed in our race cars. We’ve been competitive and have had looks at wins. And things have happened. And that happens in motorsports. So, we hate that it (wining) hasn’t happened. We hate opportunities slipping away, but when you’re giving 100 percent and you have fast race cars, you’re controlling most of your variables and we feel good about that know that once we get things rolling we’ll be in great shape.”
 
LAST WEEK CHAD KNAUS (CREW CHIEF) SAID YOU NEED TO BE BETTER ON FRIDAYS.  WHAT WAS THE CASE OR WAS THAT JUST AN ISOLATED INCIDENCE OF NOT QUALIFYING AS WELL AT TEXAS?  AND ALSO, CONSIDERING YOUR RACE AT TEXAS, WHAT IS YOUR TOUGHEST DAY IN THE CAR AT A RACE?
“Man, I can think of a lot of Nationwide days that are tough.  Cup-wise I think I would go to Las Vegas maybe in ’05, can’t really remember the year, but I think we were like three laps down and had a perfectly straight race car and didn’t hit a thing.  I was loose in the front straightway in that little bend in the road.  That was my toughest day in Cup for sure.  It’s kind of hard to tighten a car up on the straightaway.  It was a very challenging day.”
 
“Fridays are a big focus for us and I don’t think going fast for a lap is the 48’s specialty.  It could just fall in my lap, team, setups, whatever it is; it’s just kind of the team’s history here at the 48.  It’s something that we have worked hard to improve.  If we had started on the front row, we wouldn’t have been in harm’s way and we have seen that a few times.  I think it was Texas in ’09 or something where Sam (Hornish) spun and we got caught up in that.  There are some rare situations where there is a problem early and if we had qualified a few spots better, then we would have been ahead of it.   That is what Chad
was referencing.”
 
WAS YOUR CAR DAMAGED SO MUCH ON MONDAY THAT THE ENTIRE DAY WAS A WASTE AS FAR AS NOT EVEN LEARNING ANYTHING ON THE NEW AERO RULES, OR MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO SEE WHAT THEY DO?
“Yeah, we had some pretty good damage to the car.  I think they did a very nice job of fixing it and I still think I could have run in the top-five based on the lap times that I heard through the course of the day. The damage was one thing, and our guys did a nice job of keeping me on the lead lap but then something fell off my car, or I ran something over on the track that shredded that right rear tire.  But as I went into turn one I ran something over, something big. I knew I was going to have an issue and sure enough, I had a flat.  That flat is what really put us down.  So it was kind of a wash, especially with the aero damage to the race car and knowing how adjustments would work.”
 
ARE YOU SEEING ANYTHING DIFFERENT OUT OF JEFF GORDON TODAY, OTHER THAN SOME OTHER YEARS YOU HAVE RACED AGAINST HIM?
“Jeff is so rock solid.  During the week, out of the car, our team meetings or debriefs, he just knows what he is looking for out of his race car.  There have been times where the collective group on the No. 24 have been able to give him what he needs and he is off and you can’t catch him.  He is off and gone and you are behind him chasing him down. Then there are other weeks where it doesn’t pan out and you are wondering why the 24 isn’t up front just because he has set such a high bar through the years with all the success he has had.  I have always admired his ability outside the car to continue to lead his team, to continue to search for the feeling.  It helps me because we run through stretches where we don’t have speed in the car and I look around at my peers, and Jeff being one of them, and watch how he handles those situations.  He has confidence in his abilities and his feel of a race car and keeps challenging the guys to find that. I am very happy for the success the 24 has had this year and know that they are going to be strong all year long.”
 
NEXT WEEKEND IS AN OFF WEEKEND.  HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT WEEKEND AND WHAT KIND OF PLANS DO YOU HAVE?
“It’s very important to have off.  I am not sure what our plans are with the tragedy we had last week and we are just not in the mood to really go anywhere so we may have a stay-cation at home and enjoy just being at home which is going to be a vacation all on its own.  But it’s great for the teams.  The drivers have one aspect and we would like some down time, but for the crew members, they have been going hard since Christmas break.  Especially since after the New Year and trying to narrow in on our rules package; through testing, through Speedweeks and to here.  So it’s a much needed break for the crew members.

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–Darlington–Dale Earnhardt Jr.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
BOJANGLES SOUTHERN 500
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
APRIL 11, 2014
 
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Darlington Raceway and discussed last week’s accident at Texas, JR Motorsports victory at Texas with driver Chase Elliott and many other topics.  Full Transcript:
 
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT RACING HERE AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY:
“It’s been around a long time.  One of the toughest race tracks physically that we race on, tough track mentally. 500 miles here is a really long race because the track is quite a big race track and the pace slows down. You are working so hard in the corner so just one lap around here is a lot of work.  To have to run 500 miles it’s a pretty tough test of man and machine.  This track is starting to grey up pretty good so I’m looking forward to getting out there in practice and seeing what we’ve got.”
 
HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO WATCH JEFFERY EARNHARDT RACE AND SEE HOW HE IS DOING?
“I watch him every week during the Nationwide races.  I think he’s done a couple of good things with that team.  Had a great qualifying effort at Bristol and got spun out the first lap of the race.  He has had some other good situations that I’ve seen where he’s had some speed in practice or in qualifying and in particularly in the race he has done well on a few occasions.  We keep an eye on him.  Him and I are close he lives real close to me.  He’s supposed to come over to the house Sunday to hang out a little bit.  I mean we stay pretty tight.”
 
COULD YOU ELABORATE ON CHASE ELLIOTT AS YOU SAID ‘BEING BETTER THAN HE KNOWS HE IS’ AND BILL’S (ELLIOTT) INFLUENCE ON CHASE?
“What I meant about Bill (Elliott) is just Bill’s demeanor his calm demeanor.  He is not excitable and I think that helps Chase a lot.  I think that has molded Chase into the person that he is.  As Chase has grown up I think he has taken a lot of his father’s mental makeup and intuition and certain personality traits that have been a big help to Bill in his racing career.  Just basically how calm Bill is and how much of a student to racing Bill was. I think that Chase really is very similar.  He has just got a lot of talent.  I think every once in a while there are some guys that come in here that they don’t know how good they are.  They haven’t competed against this type of competition before and drove cars this well prepared before.  Or been in a series of this nature, so they don’t really know how much they stack up against the competition.  But as an outsider looking in you can see certain guys have more than others.  Chase is really ahead of the game right now.  He should continue to progress and continue to learn and hopefully be real quick in the next 24 months he is going to turn into something pretty awesome that will be a force in the sport for a while.  I’m excited about it just to have a guy like that come in with that pedigree.  He has got real potential to be a force for a long time so it will be exciting.”
 
WAS JAMES FINCH THE PRIMARY GUY WHO CONNECTED YOU, RICK (HENDRICK) AND CHASE (ELLIOTT)?  HOW DID YOU AND RICK FIND OUT ABOUT CHASE?
“I can’t speak for Rick (Hendrick) on the deal.  If I had to guess I would say that (James) Finch had some great words to say and influenced some of Rick’s opinions.  But I just kept hearing him winning races and beating good competition; winning races against guys that were surprising.  He was doing some good work in the late models, super late models and he was handling himself in a real professional manner.  As important as it is that he is successful on the track, it’s also equally and maybe more so important that he is a level head off the track.  That makes it so much easier to deal with him, to want to work with him, to want to help him and to market him.”
 
HOW DID YOU GET OVER LAST WEEK?  HOW MUCH TIME DID YOU SPEND THIS WEEK BEATING YOURSELF UP OVER IT?  HOW WAS THE REACTION ON TWITTER COMPARED TO WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE?
“I guess Twitter can be a help in a situation like that.  I mean my fans certainly have a back and tell you to brush it off, don’t worry about it.  I’m sure there are some people on there saying the opposite, but I didn’t see many of those or any of those.  There is a positive and a negative to everything.  I didn’t really spend a lot of time on Twitter this week because we were working at Michigan.  We had some things to do Thursday.  Twitter is a bit of a playground and I don’t want to horse around if we are not doing good.  I don’t want to be on there goofing off and making light of the situation because it was a frustrating mistake.  It was something I don’t take very lightly.  Just being able to get back in the car and test at Michigan was a big help for me to get past it and to get focused on the next race. This is a tough event at Darlington.  We’ve got some decent runs here but we haven’t really come here and had a race that we thought we lost.  This is going to be a tough place to come rebound, but we are going to give it our best.  I’m just glad to be back at the track.  Go ahead and get a race or two in the bank and put it behind us.”
 
THE SPEEDS YOU GUYS WERE TURNING AT MICHIGAN THIS WEEK HOW REALISTIC THAT WE MIGHT SEE THOSE DURING THE RACE WEEKEND UP THERE?
“The track should slow down as it rubbers up, tightens up, get slicker.  The seams will get slicker.  So I don’t think we will see those kinds of speeds.  That is basically what we saw in practice there last time.  We may see those speeds in practice, but I doubt we will see those in the race.  The race will slow down quite a bit or enough.  I think we learned some things.  I was really happy to have an opportunity to test with Goodyear and get an opportunity to get on the race track and learn.  We did go through a lot of different tires and a lot of different constructions.  The dual zone tire we tried a couple of different ones.  We went through – they had about eight different sets of tires that they wanted to learn something’s about, some for Michigan, some for Kansas and other places. It was a productive test and even though we were cut short on the first day we were able to get a lot of information for Goodyear that I hope is going to be helpful to them.  So it was good to be a part of that.  I really enjoyed it.  I love turning laps at Michigan.  It’s a superfast race track.  We weren’t able to really work on the set-ups of the cars that much at a tire test, but I like the speed that our car had compared to the guys I saw there.”   
 
JR MOTORSPORTS HAS HAD A GREAT START THIS YEAR AND YOU GUYS PICKED UP A BIG WIN LAST WEEK AT TEXAS WITH CHASE BEHIND THE WHEEL.  TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS:
“We feel real fortunate to have Chase (Elliott) in the program.  He was going to go somewhere and be successful and we were lucky to be able to work with him.  Feel fortunate to have him and be able to work with Bill (Elliott).  Bill has been a lot of fun to work with.  Having him spot for me a couple of times has been a blast.  That is like an added perk to the whole deal.  Chase has been a real pleasure.  He has done a great job.  He did an awesome job in Texas getting the car to Victory Lane.  That team is poised for success and I feel like they have a great opportunity to continue that and continue winning races.  It’s just a very exciting time for us, for NAPA and we have just got to sit here and wait and keep working hard and watch it play out.  It’s going to be a long season and there is going to be some up’s and down’s, a
lot of things to learn.  It’s not all going to be roses, but it’s definitely pointed in the right direction and we just want to give Chase a great opportunity to progress and learn as well as he can in the cars we have.”

Ross Hoek Motorsports

Hoek Welcomes Nitto Tire and Trailready with Solid Start at Primm Valley

The start of the 2014 TORC Series presented by AMSOIL saw Ross Hoek Motorsports take his PRO-4×4 race program to the next level. The team welcomed Nitto Tire and TrailReady Beadlock Wheels as team partners as Ross Hoek nearly finished on the podium in the opening round of the season. The solid weekend performance definitely caught the attention of the fans and competitors of the short-course off-road racing world.

Ross Hoek Motorsports traveled across the country to the opening weekend of the TORC Series early enough to take advantage of the two day test session. The added track time allowed Hoek to familiarize himself with the updated Primm Valley layout, as well as give the team and tire engineers the opportunity to tune the chassis set-up of the #10 PRO-4×4 to the Nitto Grappler Project Tire/TrailReady Wheel combination.
 
The opening round at Primm Valley saw a great door to battle between the #10 Nitto Tire/TrailReady/Motive Gear/ATD Transmission/Allstar Performance PRO-4×4 and the #5 driven by Mark Kvamme. After trading the third place position a few times in the late in the race, Hoek finished fourth, just. .254 seconds behind the final spot on the podium.
Even with the close racing, the silver Nitto Tire PRO-4×4 had only the usual between race preparations. The team worked on changing a few chassis settings as the race surface changes its characteristics as the race weekend progresses.
 
The race weekend also saw multi-time PRO-4×4 champion Ricky Johnson coaching Ross Hoek on the differences between driving a 2WD (PRO-2) race truck and a 4WD (PRO-4×4 ) race truck. Johnson also acted as Hoek’s spotter on race days.
 
The starting order for Sunday’s Round 2 was determined by Saturday’s race results with the top four positions starting in reverse order. This put the Nitto Tire/TrailReady PRO-4×4 on the front row. Once again Hoek ran consistent lap times bringing home a sixth place finish.
 
“Our team is definitely making progress getting our lap times closer to the top drivers in our class,” noted Ross Hoek. “Getting Nitto Tire and Trailready on board is huge for the team. Nitto Tire is also a TORC series sponsor which helps Ross Hoek Motorsports with great track support. Look for our team to get quicker and quicker as the season progresses. Ultimately our goal for this season is to put our Nitto Tire/TrailReady/Motive Gear/ATD Transmission/Allstar Performance PRO-4×4 on the podium.”
 
Chris Corbett, Nitto Tire’s Light Truck & Motorsports brand manager adds, “We’re excited to partner with Ross and his team for the 2014 season. Their race program will further develop our Grappler Short Course tires.”

Summit Racing

Summit Racing–Line Hungry for Front-Runner Status as Series Goes Four-Wide

Line Hungry for Front-Runner Status as Series Goes Four-Wide
 
Mooresville, N.C., April 9, 2014 – Jason Line is a mere 15 points outside of first place in NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock standings. The two-time series champion in the extremely close and competitive category isn’t near satisfied, though. As the driver of the brilliant blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro prepares for the fifth event of 24 on the 2014 schedule, he has a goal – not just for himself, but for the Summit Racing team: to run at the front.
 
In true KB Racing manner, Line is a relentless competitor and is not easily deterred – and he certainly does not see this weekend’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, a once yearly spectacle of speed that takes place on a four-lane dragstrip, as any kind of an obstacle.
 
At the unique event, four drivers at a time will race down the track vying for qualifying positions in each of four sessions. Championship Sunday will feature a trio of four-car rounds. In rounds one and two, the first two cars to cross the finish line will advance. The final four-car standoff will result in one winner and one runner-up, and the last two cars to cross the finish line will technically post semifinals finishes.
 
The unusual format and starting line procedures haven’t proven difficult for Line in the past. He was a finalist as recently as 2012 and was runner-up in 2010 at the first Four-Wide event held at the facility. Line has regularly been quick and fast at zMAX Dragway. He was the No. 1 qualifier at the four-across spring race held there in 2011 and 2012, and he currently holds the track record for speed at 213.91 mph (also recorded in 2012).
 
For Line, “running at the front” doesn’t necessarily mean moving into the No. 1 spot in the standings, particularly at this early stage of the game. The season is long, and the points lead will likely change hands several times before it’s all said and done. But the horsepower-hungry Line wants to be amongst the cars that run the quickest. Always.
 
“The Summit Racing team is hungry,” said Line. “It is certainly more fun to race at the front, and to be honest, that’s our job. We need to get back there. Everyone on this team is very motivated. We want to be the best, and there has been a lot of amplified effort towards that.
 
“This racetrack just seems to suit the Summit Racing team. Four-wide is quite a way to race, and it changes everything, but we tend to run good there. It’s a challenge, but it’s one we’ve handled well in the past.”
 

Summit Racing

Summit Racing–Alund Eager for Second Four-Wide Racing Experience

Alund Eager for Second Four-Wide Racing Experience
 
Mooresville, N.C., April 9, 2014 – Jimmy Alund is a relative newcomer to the Summit Racing Pro Stock team, but the experienced competitor who hails from Sweden actually has some experience at one of the most unique events on NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour, this weekend’s 5th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at the illustrious zMAX Dragway.
 
The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals is a once yearly event that takes place on a unique, four-lane dragstrip. Four drivers at a time will race down the track vying for qualifying positions in each of four sessions. Championship Sunday will feature a trio of four-car rounds. In rounds one and two, the first two cars to cross the finish line will advance. The final four-car standoff will result in one winner and one runner-up, and the last two cars to cross the finish line will technically post semifinals finishes. The format, as well as the starting line procedures, can be tricky.
 
“I was at the first Four-Wide in 2010 with my own car,” recalled Alund. “I went a 6.71; I remember that. After that first year, they changed the staging light to help the drivers a little bit more. That was good, and I’m looking forward to going there again and trying to maybe improve on what we did in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago.”
 
Alund had his finest outing yet at the most recent event on the schedule, the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was there that the multi-time European Pro Stock champ had the opportunity to finally see his first win light on American soil, and he quickly followed up the first NHRA round win of his career with a second-round victory and, ultimately, a career best semifinals finish in the red Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro.
 
“Last weekend was something I had hoped to accomplish, and I couldn’t have picked a better race to do that,” said Alund, who had a bit of trouble mastering the LED lights that are part of NHRA’s starting line system earlier in the year. “I hadn’t ordered a plane ticket to Charlotte until after we got back from Gainesville. If I had trouble at the starting line, I don’t think I would have booked a flight. But it all worked out, and now I’m very excited to race here at the Four-Wide Nationals. It’s a home race for the KB Racing team, and I like getting to spend a few days in the shop with the boys. This weekend should be a lot of fun.”
 

Kraig Kinser

Kraig Kinser Racing–Kraig Kinser Concludes West Coast Swing this Weekend

Kraig Kinser Concludes West Coast Swing this Weekend
By Kraig Kinser Racing PR
 
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — April 9, 2014— Spring-type weather has finally reached most of the country and that means it’s about time for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series to begin heading back east for races in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Before they can do that though, there is one more matter of business in California, as the “Spring Break Tour” wraps up at Kings Speedway and Perris Auto Speedway this weekend. Kraig Kinser looks to finish the early season West Coast portion of the schedule with a couple of strong finishes, and will be sporting the Bad Boys Buggies colors this weekend on his car.
 
Kinser will open the weekend aboard the No. 11K Bad Boy Buggies/MVT/Casey’s General Stores/Maxim on Friday, April 11, at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif. He’ll conclude the weekend at Perris Auto Speedway, just outside of Los Angeles on Saturday, April 12.
 
“We ran the Bad Boy Buggies car a few times last year and it’s great to have them on-board again this year,” said Kinser. “Obviously this is a special year for my dad and to share the Bad Boy Buggies look for a few races is pretty neat. Hopefully we’ll both be up front and in contention both nights.”
 
The native of Bloomington, Ind., finished fifth last season at Kings Speedway, making a late race charge, after starting 12th. Kinser timed in 11th-fastest, which put him on the pole of a heat race. He ran third in that heat, just missing a spot in the dash by one position. Last year marked the first main event start for the third-generation driver at Kings Speedway. He raced at the track in 2011, but the A-Feature was rained out that night just as the cars pushed off.
 
“Hanford (Kings Speedway) is still a place I am learning,” he shared. “We had a great car later in the race last season and were able to pick up quite a few spots as the laps wound down. I qualified in the perfect spot last year, but wasn’t able to capitalize on that in the heat race to get into the dash. With the new format we’ve been running the last few weeks, timing in the right spot can really affect the rest of your night. You have to race hard every lap in the heat race and try to win it.”
 
Kinser has made three A-Feature starts at Perris Auto Speedway with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series, finishing a career-best fourth in 2012. He finished 16th last year on a track that was challenging to pass on. He opened the night 18th in time trials and finished fifth in his heat race to earn a spot in the main event, where he lined up 18th. Kinser made his debut at Perris in 2004, finishing eighth in the main event that night.
 
“Perris is a fast place,” said Kinser. “We haven’t had the best of West Coast trips, so we want to try and end on a strong note. That’s a place I’ve done well at in the past and last year we were pretty good on the higher banked tracks. They are also running the (410) non-wing cars with us on Saturday night and for the fans it will be the best of both worlds and should be a great night of racing.”
 
Last weekend, Kinser finished 11th in the opener of the two-night event at Calistoga (Calif.) Speedway and was 16th in the finale. He was fifth-fastest in time trials on the first night, which marked his sixth top-10 qualifying effort this season.
 

Follow A Dream Racing

PERMATEX/FOLLOW A DREAM TEAM OUT EARLY DESPITE MORE 5.50’S IN RICHMOND

Marstons Mills, MA -April 9, 2014-Jay Blake’s Permatex/Follow A Dream got right back into the 5.50s at the Eastern Regional opener at Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond, Va., but again went out early. Driver Todd Veney ran a 5.56, better than the team ran two years ago to win the race and just five-hundredths of a second off the track record, but surprisingly it qualified him just fifth in the program.
First-round opponent Dan Pomponio, who qualified fourth with an identical 5.56, shook the tires and backpedaled to just a 6.18, well off the pace both drivers set in qualifying, but Veney went up in smoke right off the line and lost with a shutoff 7.37. “That’s the first time we’ve ever made a bad run with this new car,” he said. “We barely hopped it up at all after qualifying, where the car ran fine in both sessions – 5.62 and 5.56 – but I guess it was a little too much.”
Up next is the 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Charlotte, where two years ago the team made its two quickest runs ever, 5.52 and 5.53. “It’s still a new car, and we’re learning something every time it goes down the track,” Blake said. “A couple early losses don’t change anything. The car is running great, and we’re all excited about a great year.”

Kasey Kahne Racing

Banner weekend for KKR at Calistoga, finish 1-2-3 on Sunday

Banner weekend for KKR at Calistoga, finish 1-2-3 on Sunday
 
The STP World of Outlaws rolled into Calistoga Speedway in Calistoga, Calif. for a two-day event on April 5th and April 6th. It proved to be a banner weekend for Kasey Kahne Racing after Brad Sweet won his series leading third race of the season on night one, (Daryn Pittman sixth and Cody Darrah eighth) and on night two KKR swept the top three positions with a 1-2-3 finish with Pittman winning his second feature of the season.

All three KKR teams made the dash on Sunday, with the finishing order setting the line up for that night’s feature.

When the feature started later that night, all three KKR teams battled each other for the lead for the entire race. When the dust settled at the end of the 30-lap race, Pittman earned his second feature win of the season with Sweet and Darrah close behind. It was a podium sweep for the Mooresville, NC based race team.

Honda Racing

Honda Performance Development ARX-04b LMP2 Coupe unveiled

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (April 9, 2014) –Honda Performance Development will offer customer teams around the world the very latest in LMP2 closed-cockpit sportscar technology next year, with the unveiling of its new HPD ARX-04b LMP2 Coupe.

The new design is a result of the continuing teamworkbetween California-based HPD and England’s Wirth Research. This technical pairing has already proved to be a winning combination, with success in INDYCAR, the American Le Mans Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship, including LMP2 and LMP1 Privateer class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The ARX-04b sportscar is fully compliant with the new ACO LMP2 regulations, and exceeds the latest safety standards of the new enclosed-cockpit configuration. The proven 2.8-litertwin-turbo, direct injection, production-basedHonda HR28TT V6 powerplant now includes a regulation compliant drive-by-wire throttle system and fresh air valve system,eliminating turbo lag and providing improved reliability and performance.

“We are very excited for our new HPD ARX-04b LMP2 Coupe to see the light of day, combining all of our successes in international sportscar racing with the very latest regulations for closed-cockpit prototypes,” said Steve Eriksen, HPD vice president and COO. “Our production-based Honda HR28TT engine has powered all of our LMP2 sportscarssince the ACO regulations set the new cost-capped direction in 2011, and since its introduction the2.8-litre twin-turbo V6 powerplant has achieved some truly great successes around the world – including multiple engine manufacturer championships, victory at the Sebring 12 Hours and the 24 Hour of Le Mans, as well as powering the first LMP2 FIA World Endurance Champion. We are confident that our latest iteration of the HR28TT engine and its associated systems will satisfy even the most discriminating drivers and power the new HPD ARX-04b LMP2 Coupe to even greater successes around the world.”Additional features of the ARX-04b LMP2 Coupe include:

Energy-efficient technology with low drag and high fuel efficiency.

A cost-capped chassis, fully compliant with ACO and IMSAregulations and designed to compete and winthe toughest endurance races in the world.

“Quick Change” front and rear body work.

Innovative Honda refueling safety interlock system designed to reduce the potential for pit fires resulting from leaving the pit box with fuel hoses inserted (applied to all IndyCars since 2011)

Engine installation includes a proven turbo mounting system and top exit exhaust, meeting all ACO and IMSA noise regulations.

Gearbox changes which can be made to cover the complete range of circuits.

A 75-litre total capacity fuel cell, and lightweight, durable bodywork.

The ARX-04b will continue the HR28TT powerplant, developed by HPD from the production Honda “J35” series of V6 engines currently found in the Acura MDX and RLX in North America, in addition to the upcoming 2015 Acura TLX.  The racing engine continues to use more than 400 production engine parts, including the engine block and heads, crankshaft, direct-injection fuel system, valve train components, drive-by-wire hardware and even the stock Honda oil filter.

As part of their after-sales support services, HPD and Wirth will provide teams with technical assistance and bulletins, as well as additional options available for purchase. Additional bespoke options include driver-in-the-loop simulator sessions, data-logging, race and performance engineering, and MuRiTyre and Apotheca software.

“Wirth Research is proud of its history of consistently creating championship-winning prototype sports cars with and on behalf of Honda Performance Development (HPD).  Using our pioneering CFD design techniques, we have created the all-new HPD ARX-04b LMP2 Coupe,” said Wirth Research President Nick Wirth. “Not only is it a stunning-looking race car, we are confident that our revolutionary all-digital design approach will ensure that HPD’s2015 LMP2 Coupe customers will benefit from fielding the most aero-efficient, balanced and competitive LMP2 car on the 2015 grid.”

Wirth Research has been at the forefront of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in high-level motorsports for almost a decade, and has played an indispensable role in the overwhelming success of ARX sports cars.

About Honda Performance Development HPD was founded in 1993 as the performance arm of American Honda Motor Company, to spearhead the company’s entry into IndyCar racing.  No other manufacturer has matched Honda’s success in IndyCars, which includes 205 race victories, 15 drivers’ championships, six manufacturers’ championships and nine consecutive Indianapolis 500 victories (2004-2012).  In 2013, Honda powered veteran Scott Dixon to four race wins and the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series championship; and Tristan Vautier to series Rookie of the Year honors.

HPD’s prototype racing efforts have resulted in more than 70 victories and multiple American Le Mans Series engine, chassis, team, and drivers’ championships.  The company’s sports-car racing debut in 2007 at the 12 Hours of Sebring marked the first win for HPD’s LM-V8 engine and the first for a Honda racing engine designed and developed outside of Japan.  HPD won the LMP2 title in the inaugural 2012 World Endurance Championship and since 2010 has twice won the LMP2 category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In 2013, HPD and Honda again swept the LMP1 and LMP2 manufacturers’, engine, team and drivers’ championships in the American Le Mans Series; while HPD-equipped Strakka Racing claimed the LMP1 private team class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

HPD participates in competition on both two wheels and four.  The company offers a complete line of race engines for cars from grass roots to pinnacle; for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.  For more information about HPD and the company’s racing and Street Performance product lines, please visit hpd.honda.com. 

About Wirth Research
Wirth Research is a fast growing innovative engineering company specializing in research, development, design and manufacture for the motor racing industry and other high technology sectors.Founded in 2003, the business pioneers the use of advanced in-house virtual engineering technologies, which enable the use of a complete simulated vehicle design, development and testing process reducing the need for wasteful manufacture of development models and prototypes.These include flow simulation and Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) services and a driver-in-the-loop simulator. 

Wirth Research has a long-term partnership with HPD on the design, development and manufacture of the multiple championship-winning ARX sports car program. For more information about Wirth Research, please visit: www.wirthresearch.com 

World of Outlaws

World of Outlaws Late Models Invading Volunteer State This Weekend

World of Outlaws Late Models Invading Volunteer State This Weekend
Championship leader Darrell Lanigan carries momentum heading Friday into Duck River Raceway Park and Saturday into Tazewell Speedway
By Chris Tilley, CT Marketing & Motorsports Services

WHEEL, Tenn. – April 8, 2014 – The World of Outlaws Late Model Series invades the Volunteer State of Tennessee on Friday at Duck River Raceway Park and Saturday at Tazewell Speedway.

Through the first six events of the season, no driver has repeated but two-time champion Darrell Lanigan, of Union, Ky., is atop the championship standings thanks in part to a victory at Bubba Raceway Park plus five top-five finishes. He has a 22-point advantage over Brandon Sheppard, of New Berlin, Ill., who is piloting Josh Richards’ three-time champion Rocket car. Chasing Lanigan and Sheppard are Rick Eckert, of York, Pa.; Shane Clanton, of Zebulon, Ga.; and Tim McCreadie, of Watertown, N.Y.

Other series invaders that will take to the track this weekend include rookie-of-the-year contender Chase Junghans, of Manhattan, Kan., as well as Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs, of Bear Lake, Pa., who travels with fellow Pennsylvanian Chub Frank.

On Friday, April 11, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series travelers will visit the Bob Harris-owned Duck River Raceway Park in Wheel, Tenn., for a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win event. The 2-Barrel/Crate Late Models, Pure Pony, Pure Stock, Modified Street and Outlaw Pony Classes will all be on the racing card. During last season’s visit to Duck River, Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., captured a $10,000 payday in a thrilling race over Lanigan and McCreadie. Gates open at noon and racing will begin at 7:00 p.m. with all times Central for Friday at Duck River. Adult General Admission is $25.00 while Pit Passes are $40.00.

Tanner English, of Benton, Ky., is the most recent winner at Duck River Raceway Park, picking up the victory on April 5. English, the son of Western Kentucky racer Terry English, along with defending Deep Fried 75 Champ Josh Putnam, of Florence, Ala.; Daniel Miller, of Shelbyville, Tenn.; Brad Skinner, of Springhill, Tenn.; David Seibers, of Petersburg, Tenn.; Jason Hiett, of Oxford, Ala.; Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind.; Billy Ogle Jr., of Knoxville, Tenn.; Riley Hickman of Chattanooga, Tenn.; Skylar Marlar, of Winfield, Tenn.; Ronnie Lee Hollingsworth, of Northport, Ala.; Eric Hickerson, of Linden, Tenn.; Caleb Ashby, of Cunningham, Tenn., and National Stars Ray Cook, of Brasstown, N.C., and Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., are expected to be in attendance for one of the largest events the track will host all season.

Lanigan owned the track record of 11.97 set in 2013 during the visit by the Outlaws, but David Seibers, of Petersburg, Tenn., broke that mark this past Saturday night and turned a blistering 11.96 second lap. English claimed the event win at Duck River over Eric Hickerson, Daniel Miller, Mark Fields and Seibers.

On Saturday night, April 12, the Outlaws will face off with the East Tennessee hot shoes at Gary Hall’s Tazewell Speedway for another 50-lap, $10,000-to-win event presented by Scion of Knoxville. The Sportsman, Modified Street, Classic Cars and Four Cylinders will also be on tap for the evening’s activities. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. and racing will begin at 7:30 p.m. with all times Eastern on the Tazewell event. Admission prices and other information can be found on the Tazewell Speedway website. Tazewell Motor Lodge is the official host hotel for the track. Call (423) 626-7229 for more information.

Dyson Racing

Matt McMurry’s Silverstone European Le Mans Series Inauguration

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY  April 8, 2014  — Matt McMurry will make his European Le Mans Series debut at Britain’s famed Silverstone Circuit for the first race of the 2014 ELMS season April 18 –19.  The inaugural member of the Dyson Racing Junior Development Program will join Chris Dyson and Tom Kimber-Smith in the #41 Caterham–liveried Greaves Motorsport LMP2 Zytek–Nissan.

McMurry, 16, joined Dyson and Kimber–Smith with the Greaves team at the ELMS’ official pre-season test at the Circuit Paul Ricard near Marseille, France. The #41 Dunlop–shod entry was third fastest during the Tuesday evening session and second fastest Wednesday morning. This was McMurry’s second outing in the Greaves Motorsport LMP2 entry. He has competed in fifty–six races in the past two years in Formula Skip Barber, US F2000, Formula Mazda and Prototype Lites. McMurry will also be competing in this year’s International Motorsports Association Prototype Lites Championship. He is the son of sportscar racing veteran Chris McMurry, who finished third in the American Le Mans Series Drivers Championship with Dyson Racing last year.

 “I feel well prepared to take on the next challenge,” commented McMurry.  “Dyson Racing, Greaves Motorsport and everyone involved have taken me under their wings, shared their knowledge and have given me a lot of seat time.  I couldn’t be more appreciative and honored to join the team at Silverstone, and I look forward to rewarding everyone with everything I’ve got.”

“Matt had two very good days at Paul Ricard,” said Chris Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director of Dyson Racing. “Paul Ricard is a daunting and technical track that is quite physical.  He showed maturity and the same aptitude that he displayed during his first test at Carolina MotorSports Park.”

Dyson observed that McMurry’s confidence and pace increased session by session over the course of a test that included many regular ELMS competitors.  “Matt’s biggest strength is his ability to listen and learn.  He has a measured and mature approach.  That’s what’s impressed me over the last two years  as I’ve watched him make a naturally seamless upwards transition.”

Commenting on the Paul Ricard test, Dyson also noted that the team has built on the baseline it established at last month’s tire test at Sebring.  “At Paul Ricard, for the first time this season, we were able to measure the car against the top runners in the series.  We left confident that the car is very good in all conditions, which will translate well at Silverstone, Matt’s first race in the European Le Mans Series.” 

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–Corvette Racing–Long Beach

CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: First Street Fight for Corvette C7.R
Looking to turn potential of new GT race car into victory
 
DETROIT (April 8, 2014) – After the two longest races on the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship schedule, Corvette Racing moves to the shortest event on its calendar. The team’s two Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs travel to the West Coast for the Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase – part of this weekend’s Grand Prix of Long Beach.
 
Although the race lasts just 100 minutes, the event typically is one of the most challenging of the season. It’s a sprint through the streets of Long Beach – a 11-turn, 1.968-mile circuit that is playing host to a grand prix weekend for the 40th year.
 
Corvette Racing has been part of the last seven Long Beach weekends as part of the American Le Mans Series, and the results have been overwhelmingly solid. The team has four victories at the circuit to its credit including two years ago for the duo of Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin. A Corvette Racing driver also has set the fastest race lap in class each of the last seven years.
 
It’s no secret then that Corvette Racing drivers and crew look forward to returning. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen – twice a pole-winner at Long Beach – share the No. 3 Corvette C7.R with Gavin and Milner in the No. 4 Corvette.
 
Redemption is top of mind for America’s premier production-based sports car team. Both Corvette C7.Rs led significant portions of the TUDOR Championship’s first two rounds at Daytona and Sebring but the results don’t reflect the efforts of the drivers and team.
 
The No. 4 Corvette of Gavin, Milner and Robin Liddell was the dominant car in class at Sebring, having led a majority of the race before a fuel pressure issue took the car out of contention. Likewise, the No. 3 entry of Garcia, Magnussen and Ryan Briscoe (competing in this weekend’s IndyCar race in a Chevy-powered entry) led at Sebring despite an opening-lap collision and a punctured tire.
 
Such strong performances underscore the potential of the first-year Corvette C7.R platform. Based on the 2015 Corvette Z06 production car, the C7.R’s rigid frame – which gives the car improved cornering ability and stability – and throttle response from its direct-injection engine make it a contender against entries from the likes of BMW, Ferrari, Porsche and SRT.
 
Live television coverage of the Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase starts at 6 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.
 
The TUDOR Championship is the result of a merger between the ALMS and GRAND-AM’s Rolex Sports Car Series. Corvette Racing will compete in 11 races around North America plus the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
 
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“I’ve always like racing at Long Beach, and I enjoy all street circuits. It is an unusual event because the race is short. I don’t know how it will play out this year with the new fueling and capacity regulations. This always has been a one-stop race for us and I believe it could be again. That is the key thing about this race – how the strategy plays and how you work around that. The number of yellows can play a role as well. You can be up front and use a normal strategy but find yourself in a bad situation depending on when the yellow falls. The number of factors and variables here are very, very high.”
(Long Beach methodology) “At Long Beach, you need to run at 100 percent but you have no room for error. The walls are very close and traffic will be a factor. That’s part of the game but I think that’s why I like street circuits. I enjoy that pressure.”
(Start to 2014) “It’s true that we haven’t had a trouble-free start to our season but everyone at Corvette Racing has been analyzing and working on it. I hope Long Beach is a turnaround for us and our season. The Corvette C7.R has shown at both races that it has speed and can run up front.”
 
JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“Long Beach is a fantastic venue. There is always an incredible show going on during the weekend. The grip level on the track is very good. The Corvette has always been very strong; we’ve not always been super successful but we always have had a shot to win. I’m looking forward to a trouble-free weekend and hopefully we can get back on plan in terms of the championship.”
(Navigating Long Beach) “There is not a lot of runoff. There are some places that have a safety or escape road you can use. But most other places it is just concrete so you have to drive with a bit of a safety margin. But because of the length of the race, you also have to get things done. In certain situations you might be a little more aggressive than normal but you must also bear in mind that there is a bigger risk here than anywhere else.”
(Race expectations) “For us, it’s the first time with the C7.R at Long Beach. There may be a little bit of a learning curve but I think we have a really good handle on it. We should be in good shape right away. The car has been good. We’ve had bad luck at the first two races and we’re due for a good result. We have been up front in both races. Hopefully those things are part of the past and we can concentrate on getting some wins and podiums to get back on track for the championship.”
 
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“I do like Long Beach and the circuit. The new Corvette C7.R should be strong there, and I know the guys at Corvette Racing have been working on the setup for this weekend. Because we have so little track time, you have to make sure you come off the truck fast. In previous years, we’ve done that very well.”
(Keys to success) “A street circuit can make a little difference to a driver but at the same time you have to say to that you can only drive around in the car you’re given. Sometimes little tweaks and little things in just the right spots can make the difference in having a car on the front row and winning or losing the race. Pace is very, very important there because it’s a short race. You need to qualify well and on top of everything. That’s one of the things Corvette Racing has been good at for so long. We’re hoping for that again this year.”
(Strategy focus): “It’s most probably the one race where it’s all focused on your one pit stop if everything goes well. You have to get it right. You don’t get any second chances because there is no window for a second stop to make up any time or turn your strategy around. Once you do your stop, you’re done and you’re committed. As a driver, you’re mindful that the in-lap and the out-lap are vitally important. There are so many things you have to weigh. In terms of the work level that the driver actually does driving the car is quite short, but it’s very focus. You know that any slip-up is going to make a huge difference on the outcome of your race.”
 
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R
“This weekend is equally important as the first two races at Daytona and Sebring but it’s fun for different reasons. It is so short and goes through downtown Long Beach. It’s definitely a whole different mindset. We have such limited practice time. We go there with a new Chevrolet Corvette C7.R unsure of how the car will be on a tight track like Long Beach. I don’t think it will pose any problems for us. Obviously a new car shows us some new things with how it reacts to setup changes and stuff like that. So far, the new Corvette C7.R has been as good if not better in every area of performance compared to the C6.R. I don’t forsee it being an issue for us, but there are always new things to learn.”
(Corvette strengths) “In years past, it seems like what has helped us at Long Beach has been our braking performance. With the Corvette C7.R, one area where we have improved is putting power down. Those are two pretty crucial parts of having a fast car at Long Beach. So if the power-down is improved like it was at Daytona and Sebring
then I think we’ll be pretty good shape for Long Beach.”
(A two-class race) “I’m definitely excited to see what the race will be like with just us and the prototypes. The other classes provide for great racing and the fans like to see that. But after some of the issues the series faced at the first couple of races with some long caution periods, hopefully with two professional categories and drivers racing together that we don’t have too many accidents and put on a good show for the fans.”
 
DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER
“After two long-distance races to open our season, we head to Long Beach for close-quarters racing on the streets of southern California. We have clearly shown that the pace of the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R is promising; unfortunately, the results so far do not do reflect our performance or efforts. There is no better place to break through than Long Beach. The Grand Prix is one of racing’s premier events and provides an incredible atmosphere for sports car racing with huge crowds throughout the weekend. We’re fully prepared to give all the Chevrolet and Corvette fans in southern California our fifth victory at Long Beach!”

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–Corvette Racing–Corvette DPs at Long Beach

CORVETTE DPs AT LONG BEACH: Taking It To Southern California’s Streets
Chevrolet comes to famed street venue with TUDOR Championship engine manufacturer lead
 
DETROIT (April 8, 2014) – Armed with a victory at its longest race of the season, Chevrolet’s Corvette Daytona Prototype teams head to America’s premier street circuit event for the shortest race on the calendar. The streets of Long Beach will play host to the annual Grand Prix of Long Beach – a southern California tradition celebrating its 40th year. The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship is part of the festivities with Corvette Daytona Prototypes playing a leading role.
 
To be fair, it’s also a position Chevrolet and the Corvette DPs have held since the TUDOR Championship’s opening race at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Thanks to a victory there and a third-place finish at Sebring – both via Action Express Racing’s No. 5 Corvette DP – Chevrolet leads the TUDOR Championship’s engine manufacturer standings in the Prototype category.
 
Saturday’s Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase – set for 3:10 p.m. PT and airing live on FOX Sports 1 – is a 100-minute race made up of the TUDOR Championship’s Prototypes and the GT Le Mans class. With heavy involvement in both those classes plus being an engine supplier for the Verizon IndyCar Series, Chevrolet will be the prominent marque on the Long Beach weekend.
 
The opening two rounds of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship featured two distinct types of race tracks. That trend continues with the series’ third event on its inaugural calendar. But Long Beach is unfamiliar territory for the Daytona Prototypes. The last time DPs raced around the 11-turn, 1.968-mile street circuit was 2006 as part of the GRAND-Am Rolex Sports Car Series; the American Le Mans Series’ prototypes ran there from 2007-13. Entries from both series now populate the TUDOR Championship’s Prototype class.
 
There won’t be much time for teams to acclimate themselves to the circuit with a two-hour, early-morning practice followed by a 30-minute session late in the afternoon before qualifying. That plus the race’s abbreviated length means there is no margin for error. Since they debuted for the 2012 Rolex Series season,  Corvette DPs won two of the three street races on the GRAND-AM schedule: both on Belle Isle in Detroit.
 
Long Beach continues a run of unique circuits that Team Chevy faces in the opening rounds of the TUDOR Championship. The season began on Daytona International Speedway’s infield road course before moving to the rough-and-tumble permanent road course at Sebring International Raceway. Action Express Racing’s No. 5 entry of Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Sebastien Bourdais led a Chevrolet sweep of the top four positions at the Rolex 24. They followed with a third-place finish at Sebring to lead the Corvette DP contingent.
 
Wayne Taylor Racing, runner-up at Daytona, is entered for Long Beach along with Spirit of Daytona and Marsh Racing to make up the group of Corvette DPs set for Round 3.
 
“There are many unique challenges to racing around Long Beach,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet’s Program Manager for Corvette Daytona Prototypes. “As DPs have not raced there in some time, there are many unknowns – things like suspension and aero setup, and gearing ratios will be best estimates based on our simulations at Chevrolet. The length of the race and minimum drive times bring a new element of strategy into play as well. More than ever, the teams that are best prepared ahead of Friday’s first practice will have distinct advantages. We’re confident our Corvette DP teams will be chief among those.”
 

Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing–Duck Commander 500

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Duck Commander 500 Post Race Report
Texas Motor Speedway
Monday, April 7, 2014
 
 
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates Paul Menard, Ryan Newman and Austin Dillon finished ninth, 16th and 21st, respectively.
Paul Menard ranks 10th in the Sprint Cup Series championship point standings, trailing current leader Jeff Gordon by 56 points, while Ryan Newman ranks 11th and Austin Dillon ranks 12th.
The No. 27 Chevrolet team ranks 10th in the Sprint Cup Series owner championship point standings, with the No. 31 team 11th and the No. 3 team 12th.
Joey Logano earned his first victory of the 2014 season and was followed to the finish line by Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Brian Vickers and Kyle Larson.
The next Sprint Cup Series race is the Bojangle’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Saturday, April 12. The eighth race of the 2014 season is scheduled to be televised live on FOX beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.

  
Austin Dillon Earns a 21st-place Finish in the No. 3 Dow Powerhouse Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway
 
Sporting a Dow Powerhouse paint scheme to highlight Dow’s solar roofing shingles this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Austin Dillon and Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 Chevrolet SS team earned a 21st-place finish in the Duck Commander 500. The 43-car starting field took the green flag one day later than originally scheduled after inclement weather caused NASCAR officials to postpone the start of the race until Monday. Dillon started the 340-lap race from the 21st position. He noted a loose handling condition on entry into the corners of the 1.5-mile track from the start of the 500-mile race. The Gil Martin-led team worked on the handling issues that Dillon was facing during a series of routine pit stops, but long green-flag runs caused the rookie driver to fall two laps down to the race leader. He gained one lap back by taking the “wave around” when the caution flag was displayed with four laps remaining. Dillon ultimately earned a 21st-place finish in the Dow Powerhouse Chevrolet.
 
Start – 21st       Finish – 21st    Laps Led – 0    Points – 11th        
                                                  
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
“I just needed to be tighter to start and we could have gotten the Dow Powerhouse Chevrolet where we needed to at the end of the race. I had a blast out there, though. I really learned a lot out there today racing. It will be fun to come back here in the Fall with Gil Martin and all of the guys on my Richard Childress Racing team.”
 
 
2011 CC Team Icon 27 NSCS Menards
 
Paul Menard and the No. 27 Quaker State/Menards Chevrolet Team Finish Ninth
at Texas Motor Speedway
 
Paul Menard started 13th in the 500-mile, 340-lap NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway and earned a ninth-place finish on Monday. After a one-day delay because of rain on Sunday, the initial green flag waved with the yellow for the first nine laps. Once the race got going, Menard dealt with a car that wouldn’t turn the way he needed upon exit of the turns. He remained in the top-15 and top-20 positions throughout the first 150 laps while making pit stops for fuel, four tires and adjustments via green-flag stops on laps 94 and 140. Two cautions aided the Slugger Labbe-led crew to continue making adjustments on the Chevrolet SS to keep Menard running in the top-15 close enough to achieve another top-10 finish. The second-to-the last pit stop was made under green-flag conditions on lap 298 with Menard running 13th. Just before one lap to go, the yellow flag was displayed after a car brushed the outside wall. Labbe called Menard to pit road for four fresh tires, but didn’t add fuel. This lined Menard up in 12th place for the restart with four tires vs. several cars ahead of him on two tires. When the checkered flag waved, Menard was in ninth place for his third-consecutive top-10 finish and fourth of 2014. As a result, he and the No. 27 Menards Chevrolet team are now ninth in the driver’s points standings.
 
Start – 13th   Finish – 9th         Laps Led – 0     Points – Ninth
 
 
PAUL MENARD QUOTE: 
“We had a pretty decent car for this race. We pretty much ran where we started in the No. 27 Quaker State/Menards Chevrolet. We kept making adjustments throughout the race to improve, so the effort was there in the pits. The guys did a great job on pit road and that final stop to take four tires and no fuel paid off and we earned our third-consecutive top-10 finish this year. We will take that and head to Darlington Raceway next weekend.”
 
 
 
Unscheduled Pit Stop Results in 16th-Place Finish for Ryan Newman at Texas Motor Speedway
 
Ryan Newman drove Richard Childress Racing’s No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS to a 16th-place finish in the rain-delayed NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Monday. The South Bend, Ind., driver started eighth and raced up to fifth by lap 100, despite battling a loose-handling condition through the corners. A loss of track position occurred shortly after lap 120 because a competitor’s windshield tear off stuck to the No. 31’s splitter, resulting in an unscheduled pit stop. It cost the team a lap to the leader and positioned him in the 25th spot. Crew chief Luke Lambert worked throughout the remainder of the 340-lap event to devise a strategy to get Newman back onto the lead lap. The driver had the speed to drive up to 17th place before a caution flag was displayed to extend the race into overtime. The No. 31 team opted to stay out and take the wave around to gain one more spot during the green-white-checkered to finish in 16th place. The top-20 result puts Newman in 11th place in the driver championship point standings. Next Saturday night, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competes at Newman’s favorite track – Darlington Raceway.
 
Start – 8th        Finish – 16th          Laps Led – 0          Points – 11th
 
 
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTE: 
“The Caterpillar team once again gave me a fast Chevrolet to race today. It’s a shame we lost a lap early because of an unscheduled pit stop. Luke (Lambert, crew chief) tried to get us back on the same pit sequence, but every time it looked like we might get our lap back, we would have to pit for fuel and then the caution would come out. We were fast and that’s all I can ask for. Sooner or later, our luck will turn around to show just how good this No. 31 Caterpillar team is. Our last run today was our best run, so we are making gains when we are out on the track. I hope we can start to make the turn in the positive direction next week at Darlington Raceway. It’s my favorite Cup track on the circuit.”
 
 

Wood Brothers

Wood Brothers Racing–Bayne Finishes 19th in Rain-Delayed Duck Commander 500

Bayne Finishes 19th in Rain-Delayed Duck Commander 500 at Texas
April 7, 2014
Bayne and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team fought hard in a rain-delayed Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
 
When the green flag dropped on Monday, Bayne started seventh after a strong qualifying effort as his Donnie Wingo-led team brought out a brand-new Ford Fusion. Bayne raced around the top 15 for much of the race, and even when his No. 21 Ford Fusion began to develop a tight-handling condition, the Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew was able to make adjustments, and he was able to maintain his position.

Two-thirds of the way through the race, Bayne fell a lap behind the leaders but was able to rejoin the lead lap with an impressive performance as he held the “free pass” or “lucky dog” position despite stiff challenges until Kurt Busch brought out the caution flag on Lap 220, allowing Bayne to resume his spot on the lead lap.
 
“We were racing Marcos Ambrose and Carl Edwards for the lucky dog spot, and then Brad Keselowski stopped and got tires and took a couple of dives at us,” Len Wood said. “Trevor was able to hold him off even with Brad on fresher tires. He earned that one.
 
As the laps wound down, Bayne was poised for a top 15 finish when his right-rear tire began going flat. A late-race caution, again for Kurt Busch with tire issues, allowed the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team to put fresh tires on the No. 21 Ford Fusion. Bayne then drove it home in 19th place.
 
Bayne and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew plan to be back on the track Tuesday and Wednesday, testing at Michigan International Speedway in advance of the Quicken Loans 400 on June 13-15.

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–Corvette Racing Earns Racer Magazine Honor

 
Corvette Racing Earns High Honor From RACER Magazine
Named Team of the Year for 2013 in Spring edition
 
DETROIT (April 7, 2014) – While preparing to hit its stride for the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, Corvette Racing has picked up a significant honor from RACER. The renowned publication named Corvette Racing its 2013 Team of the Year in worldwide motorsport as part of its Spring edition. An editorial panel selected America’s leading production-based sports car team for the honor after it won the 2013 American Le Mans Series’ GT championship.
 
In capturing its 10th ALMS title, Corvette Racing won five times – half the races on the ALMS calendar. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen in the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R took three victories and the GT drivers’ championship, while Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner won twice in the No. 4 Corvette.
 
The 2013 season was the final for the C6.R, which gave way to the new Corvette C7.R at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. In it’s run of four-plus years, the C6.R won 11 ALMS races including nine during the last two seasons despite being at the end of its development life.
 
“This recognition is appreciated by everyone on the Corvette Racing, Pratt & Miller and Powertrain team,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “It underscores the strong teamwork, preparation and strategy Corvette Racing displayed during its 2013 championship run. The team is looking forward to the rest of this season competing with the Corvette C7.R.”
 
Corvette Racing’s next event is the Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase from the streets of Long Beach, Calif., on Saturday, April 12. Live television coverage will be available on FOX Sports 1 starting at 6 p.m. ET.

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–Texas–Post Race

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
DUCK COMMANDER 500
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER RACE NOTES & QUOTES
APRIL 7, 2014
 
 
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – sidelined on lap 12
ON WHAT HAPPENED:
“Just didn’t see the grass. Didn’t know the grass was down there. With the way the A-post is on these cars you can’t really see that good to that angle. I just didn’t have a good visual of where the apron and the grass was and got down in there pretty good. You can’t run through there they way they have these cars on the ground like that.  Just a mistake on my part. I just didn’t know I was that close to the grass, and made a mistake.”
 
WHAT HAPPENED?
“I drove the car down there. I didn’t know we were that close the grass and was following the No. 43 (Aric Almirola). I thought I was taking a decent line through the dogleg. We were going low around the No. 42 (Kyle Larson) so I was lower than normal and just misjudged it. It tears the car up pretty good when you run through the grass.”
 
SOME DRIVERS WERE COMPLAINING OF A WET TRACK AT THE OUTSET. WAS THAT A FACTOR?
“It was no factor. I just made a mistake.”

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS – Sidelined on lap 28 with apparent engine issue.
“Something happened with the engine right after that restart. The Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS was really fast. It’s frustrating. I don’t know what else I can say. I didn’t get any indication that anything was going wrong. Hendrick engines are among the fastest and most reliable engines in the garage. We’ll take it back to the shop and figure out what happened. But that’s a disappointing end to the day.”

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 AXALTA/TEXAS A&M SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 2ND
A TWO TIRE CALL PUT YOU UP THERE FOR THE WIN ON THAT LAST LAP: 
“That was a great call.  We lost the handling a little bit when the sun came out.  We were looking at about a sixth place finish there.  We were really happy to see that caution and I think we learned a lesson in California when we took four (tires) there that maybe we would have been better off taking two (tires).  Alan (Gustafson) and the guys they were great in the pits all day long.  Man I so badly wanted to get this Texas A&M maroon in Victory Lane today.
 
“I have to thank Axalta Coating Systems for being such a great coating company, one of the largest in the world for supporting us and for making this Texas A&M thing happen.  Of course I want to thank AARP and Drive to End Hunger as well as Pepsi Max and all of our great sponsors, Chevy, everybody and for the fans for coming out on a Monday.  That was a heck of a race.”
 
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING FOR JOEY LOGANO AT THE END?
“No, we didn’t. We were really strong the first half of the race; then when the sun came out and some guys kind of lost the handle and got real tight.  Great call by Alan Gustafson (crew chief). Everybody on this No. 24 crew did an awesome job today. I so badly wanted to get this Texas A & M Engineering maroon…get those Aggies a win here today. Got to thank Axalta Coatings Systems for making this possible. They are a great company, the biggest coatings company in the world. And then all of our sponsors – AARP Drive To End Hunger, Pepsi Max and Chevrolet. That was an awesome race all day. Have to thank the fans for coming out and watching, and the ones at home. That was a great battle. At one point I thought we had a shot at it. We got a pretty good restart. Joey was right on me and I was pretty loose in one and two, and I wish I had gone a little bit higher in three and four. But, he got that run off of four and he got in the back of me, and I thought I was going to wreck, so at that point I was like second would be good.”
 
KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 5TH
TAKE US THROUGH YOUR AFTERNOON: 
“We had a really good Target Chevy today.  We were average on short runs but I thought we were the best car on a long run.  Shine (Chris Heroy, crew chief) and everybody did a great job working on it after practice on Friday.  We were terrible, so they worked their butts off all weekend and gave us a good finish.  I can’t thank those guys enough and all the fans for sticking it out.  I’m sorry you guys had to wait a whole extra day, but I’m glad we put on a good finish for you guys.”  
 
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S SPRING IS CALLING CHEVROLET SS – FINISHED 25TH
ON THE DAY:
“The Lowe’s team gave me a great car today. It’s kind of surreal what happened. Junior hit the grass there and something off his car like a splitter or something just destroyed my windshield and then something hit the nose of the car too. We were in a good position and were running decent lap times when the right rear blew. I’m glad Junior is alright and hats off to my guys today. We
played around with some strategy at the end. They never gave up.”
 
WHAT HAPPENED EARLY IN THE RACE WHEN DEBRIS HIT YOUR CAR?
“When (Dale Earnhardt) Junior when through the grass, it kicked up all this debris and mud. It ripped the windshield and ripped the left front.
 
“DID YOU FEEL LIKE IT DID A LOT OF DAMAGE AT THE TIME?
“There was a lot of noise. And I saw his car and then I instantly lost vision. I felt a couple of hard hits on my car and I knew that we had some damage. But I still think we were overcoming that. We recovered and had a fast car and we were okay, and then I don’t know if I ran something over on the track or what, but something really big hit the bottom-side of my car and that, I think, punctured our right rear tire. We had to come to pit road after that. And then we lost a couple of laps due to that.
 
“It was a day of bad luck. We had a fast race car, so there was a little silk lining in it, but it was a terrible finish.”
 
HOW WAS THE TRACK?
“Tire wear was high, but we expected that. This is a great race track.”
 

World of Outlaws

World of Outlaws–Sweet Earns Third World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series Victory of 2014

Sweet Earns Third World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series Victory of 2014
Grass Valley, Calif., native takes the checkered in front of family and friends on night one of Calistoga double-header
 
CALISTOGA, Calif. – April 5, 2014 – It was friends and family night for California native Brad Sweet on Saturday at Calistoga Speedway after he held off Brian Brown in a thriller for his third World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series victory of the season.

Sweet and Brown flipped the lead several times in traffic before Sweet, of Grass Valley, Calif., pulled ahead for the victory in the waning laps, kicking off a victory celebration that included several of his friends and family members from his native Golden State.

Brown, who lost the lead while working through lapped traffic, held on for the runner-up finish. Joey Saldana started and finished in third while Donny Schatz was fourth and another hometown hero, Rico Abreu, rounded out the top-five on the first of two nights of World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series action at Calistoga.

Brown jumped out to a quick lead over pole-sitter Schatz. Brown continued to lead on lap six when the caution flew for David Gravel, winner of the previous event at Merced Speedway last Friday night. On the restart, a red flag would fly for contact with Bud Kaeding and Austin Wheatley. The ensuing restart was single-file as Brown continued to lead. On lap 11 the leaders hit lapped traffic at the half-mile oval. A bobble in traffic on lap 12 cost Brown the lead as Sweet, behind the wheel of the Kasey Kahne Racing SurePointMedical.com #49 drove by him in turn four.

Brown regained his composure and continued to track Sweet with virtually no distance between the two around the half-mile oval. Brown’s persistence paid off on lap 14 when Sweet had to check up for a lapped car on the backstretch allowing Brown to blow by him on the inside.

Sweet continued to push for the lead and made the pass for the win on lap 16. Brown had a final chance to battle for victory after a caution on lap 21 for Paul McMahan with a flat right rear tire. On the restart Brown began to get a run on Sweet when the red flag was thrown for DJ Netto and Lucas Wolfe making contact. Brown slung the FVP/Casey’s General Store #21 to the top of the track to try to pass while Sweet drove to the bottom and was able to maintain his advantage.

Sweet held on for the remaining few circuits to collect the victory in the 25-lap A-main.

“Holy cow that was tough!” Sweet said. “The track guys worked their butts off and gave us a good race track. I was lucky enough to get that caution (lap 21) because I was really hanging on for a minute. We were able to get through the dash and gain a row, then got really good starts in the A. Thank you to all my friends and family that are here, I’m glad you got to see me win and thanks to all the fans for coming out.”

Brown continues to close in on his first victory with the series, missing by one position on Saturday night.

“It was kind of tough you know when you got to traffic,” said Brown, of Grain Valley, Mo. “I think we had the fastest car out in clean air, but when you get to traffic and just slow down and hit the holes wrong, you’re just along for the ride. After the month we’ve had a second feels like a win. We’re disappointed, but we’re definitely not ungrateful.”

Saldana began the night by shattering Mark Kinser’s 1997 track record with a lap of 15.731 seconds then finishing third in the Motter Equipment HE&M Saw #71M.

“I race these things, but I’m also a fan, and that was an awesome race,” said Saldana, of Brownburg, Ind. “I just wish I was in it. Lapped traffic I knew would be a key and just whoever hit it at the right time, and that yellow flew just right for Brad. If I was going to have a chance I didn’t need that yellow. It was a good race and a solid night for us, I’ll take it. I’m very happy with that and come back tomorrow and hopefully do a little better.”

McMahan after changing a tire and bringing out a caution late in the race settled for an 18th-place finish that led to five-time champion Schatz recapturing the point lead by solid 23 points over McMahan. The 2013 World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series champion, Daryn Pittman, sits just one point back of McMahan with Brad Sweet in the fourth position, 45 points outside of the lead.

The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series returns to Calistoga Sunday night to complete the weekend. Action will be moved up one hour with racing starting at 6 p.m.

CALISTOGA SPEEDWAY TRACK NOTES – Joey Saldana was the fastest qualifier around the semi-banked, half-mile of Calistoga Speedway with a time of 15.731 seconds to set a new track record and earn five championship points. Also earning points were Donny Schatz (4 points), Brian Brown (3), Kerry Madsen (2) and Kraig Kinser (1). Rico Abreu, Daryn Pittman, and Brad Sweet won heat races. … The dash draw was a 4 for the 5th time this year… Donny Schatz won the dash for the first time this year.

Racer News and Results