Summit Racing

Starting Fifth, Jason Line Targets First U.S. Nationals Win

 Starting Fifth, Jason Line Targets First U.S. Nationals Win
Event:  58th annual Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals

Location: Lucas Oil Raceway, Clermont, Ind.

Day/Date: Saturday, September 8, 2012

When the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Clermont, Ind. were postponed last week due to constant rain, Jason Line and the Summit Racing team were among several competitors who headed directly to Charlotte, N.C., taking advantage of the time to put in some testing at zMAX Dragway in preparation for the race to be held there next weekend.

However, the two days proved to be extremely beneficial for Line and his KB Racing crew, as they were able to gain further information about the performance envelope of their Camaro, which they were able to apply upon their return to the Hoosier State. With temperatures significantly cooler than they were a week ago, a premium was put on teams to extract the maximum from their race cars.

Fortunately, Line and the Summit crew was up to the challenge, posting a 6.569-second, 210.83 mph pass on their first attempt, which turned out to be their run of record when he slowed slightly in the final session.  Starting fifth, the defending Pro Stock champion was pleased with the progress the team had made, but cautioned that further improvement would be necessary in order to contend for the win on Sunday.

“The test session in Charlotte really helped us,” said Line. “We learned things about our Summit Racing Camaro that we were able to apply here in Indy, and even though we did not make what I would consider a good run, we were still fairly competitive, which is encouraging heading into race day.

“I believe we will have a car capable of winning the race.  However, to do so, we will need to do a better job with the tune-up, as well as avoiding any mistakes that could cost us the win.  I believe we are directionally correct with this new car, and it’s up to us to get it completely dialed in.  If we can do that, we should have a long and productive day tomorrow.  After all, it’s about time I added a U.S. Nationals Wally to my trophy case.”

RCR

RCR Post Race Report — NNS Richmond International Raceway

RCR Post Race Report —
NSCS Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Int’l Raceway
 
 
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
NSCS Federated Auto Parts 400
Richmond Int’l Raceway
September 8, 2012
 
 
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished sixth (Jeff Burton), 10th (Kevin Harvick) and 23rd (Paul Menard).
Harvick enters the 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup seeded ninth, trailing point leader Denny Hamlin by 12 points. Menard ranks 17th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship standings, while Burton ranks 19th.
Burton gained five positions over the final 40 laps, ranking him fourth in the NASCAR Loop Data statistic category of Closers.
Burton made 46 Green Flag Passes and spent 331 Laps (82 percent) of the 400-lap event in the Top 15.
According the NASCAR Post Race Loop Data Statistics, Harvick spent 385 Laps in the Top 15, tying him for third in the category.
Harvick improved seven positions during the last 10 percent (40 laps) of the race, positioning him second the NASCAR Loop Data Statistics Closers category.
Menard made 65 Green Flag Passes, ranking him ninth in that category according to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics.
The next scheduled Sprint Cup Series race is the GEICO 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 16. The 27th race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Summit Racing

Anderson Qualifies Third for U.S. Nationals

 Anderson Qualifies Third for U.S. Nationals 
Event:  58th annual Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals

Location: Lucas Oil Raceway, Clermont, Ind.

Day/Date: Saturday, September 8, 2012

After a five-day delay due to heavy rains, qualifying for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Clermont, Ind. was finally completed on Saturday at Lucas Oil Raceway.  Taking advantage of cooler temperatures and lower humidity, the Pro Stock field was able to produce significantly quicker elapsed times, with the top sixteen drivers eclipsing the quickest time from a week ago.

Among those making significant improvements were Greg Anderson and his Summit Racing team, with their Camaro posting the quickest elapsed time of the early session at 6.556 seconds with a top speed of 210.87 mph, a run that would earn the defending event champion the third starting spot for Sunday’s final eliminations.  Anderson gave credit to a two-day test session in Charlotte during the week for the team’s improved showing.

“We’re definitely in a lot better shape than we were a week ago,” said Anderson. “We were happy with the outcome and the e.t. of today’s first run with our Summit Camaro, although it still wasn’t as clean as we’d like.  We thought we could improve on our second attempt, but we underestimated the racetrack and went a little over center.  The starting line wasn’t really that good and we smoked the tires, which affected the entire run.

“The test session we had at zMAX Dragway during the week definitely seems to have helped us. It appears we have found the direction we need to head with this Camaro. The good news is that we believe it has the potential to run faster, including setting low elapsed time.  However, that means we have to go out and do it, making clean runs every time.

“We’re looking forward to tomorrow.  It’s going to be a good day with perfect weather, and we just have to do a better job getting off the starting line so we can haul the mail.  If we execute perfectly we will have a chance to win the U.S. Nationals, which is all we can ask for.”

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–All Corvette Daytona Prototype Front Row for Chevrolet in Rolex Sports Car Series at Laguna Seca Raceway

All Corvette Daytona Prototype Front Row for Chevrolet in Rolex Sports Car Series at Laguna Seca Raceway
 
SALINAS, Calif. (September 8, 2012) – A pair of Corvette Daytona Prototype drivers scored front row starting positions for Sunday’s Continental Tire Sports Car Festival GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series race at Laguna Seca Raceway. Richard Westbrook put the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette Daytona Prototype on the pole with a lap of 1:21.042 (99.415 mph).
 
Jon Fogarty put the famed “Red Dragon”, No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP, in the outside of the front row for the 2.75-hour race scheduled to start Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET. (Noon PT).
 
Other Corvette DP qualifiers were: No. 10 SunTrust Racing, Corvette DP, Ricky Taylor, 4th; No. 5 Action Express Racing, Corvette DP, Paul Tracy, 7th and No. 9 Action Express Racing, Corvette DP, Darren Law – 8th.
 
In Grand Touring class, the No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette qualified in sixth position.  The No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R was moved to the back of the starting grid for a technical infraction.
 
The No. 01 CKS Autosport Camaro GS.R led the way for Team Chevy setting the third quickest time in qualifying for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race scheduled for later today.
 
The other Camaro GS.R qualifiers were:  No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports – 8th; No. 00 CKS Autosport – 13th; No. 6 Mitchum Motorsports – 14th and No. 62 Mitchum Motorsports – 19th.

RCR

RCR Post Race Report — NNS Richmond International Raceway

RCR Post Race Report —  NNS Richmond International Raceway 
 
 
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Virginia 529 College Savings 250
Richmond International Raceway
September 8, 2012
 
Race Highlights:
 
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished first (Kevin Harvick), sixth (Austin Dillon), seventh (Ty Dillon) and 12th (Elliott Sadler).
Sadler leads the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver championship point standings by one point over Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Dillon ranks third in the standings, trailing his RCR teammate by 30 points.
The No. 2 Chevrolet team is second in the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings, 13 points shy of the No. 18 team’s lead, with the No. 3 team fourth in the standings and the No. 33 team sixth.
Dillon leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings over Cole Whitt.
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Harvick led the field in Average Running Position (1.624), Driver Rating (148.5), Fastest Drivers Early in a Run (119.316 mph), Fastest Drivers Late in a Run (114.326 mph), Fastest Laps Run (74), Fastest on Restarts (118.120 mph), Green Flag Speed (116.328 mph) and Laps Led (141).
Harvick, A. Dillon and T. Dillon were among the five drivers in the 43-car field that spent 100 percent of the race running in the top 15.
A. Dillon maintained the third-best Average Running Position (3.955) and ranked third in Green Flag Speed (115.901 mph).
T. Dillon led the field in Quality Passes with 35 and ranked second in Green Flag Passes with 37.
Sadler led the Closers category, advancing 11 positions in the final 10 percent of the race, while T. Dillon ranked second by advancing four spots.
Combined, the RCR entries posted the Fastest Lap for 123 out of 250 circuits with Harvick (74 fastest laps), A. Dillon (25), Sadler (23) and T. Dillon (1).
Harvick earned his first Nationwide Series victory of the season and was followed to the finish line by Stenhouse, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and Michael Annett.
The next scheduled Nationwide Series race is the Dollar General 300 powered by Coca-Cola at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 15. The 26th race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN2 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. 

World of Outlaws

Becker Golden on Night 2 of the Gold Cup Race of Champions

Becker Golden on Night 2 of the Gold Cup Race of Champions
The Californian nabs his first career World of Outlaws victory at Silver Dollar Speedway
 
CHICO, Calif. – Sept. 7, 2012 – As he climbed out of his sprint car and listened to the roar of the crowd, Sean Becker raised his hands in the air and let out a half yell.

With confetti raining down on Victory Lane, Becker was emotional and seemingly stunned after he recorded his first career World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series feature victory Friday night at Silver Dollar Speedway.

The win came on the second night of the 59th annual Gold Cup Race of Champions and it helped lock him into Saturday’s $20,000-to-win feature.

“I grew up watching my dad race at this track in the late ’80s, early ’90s,” Becker said. “(I) grew up watching Sammy Swindell, Steve Kinser, all these guys. It’s a huge accomplishment for me. There’s no greater moment right now.”

While Becker nabbed the win it came at the expense of fellow Californian Kyle Larson, who led the first 19 laps before his right rear tire went flat during a red flag with 11 laps remaining. Larson repeatedly spun his rear tires during the caution laps in an effort to create more air, but he was doomed from the restart.

Becker powered by Larson at the flag stand to complete lap 20 only to see Larson slide back into the lead entering turns three and four. However, Becker again rocketed off the bottom of turn four to gain the top spot at the finish line before Craig Dollansky continued his rough weekend by spinning in turn four to cause a caution on lap 21.

Dollansky, who was running seventh on the previous restart, had to rejoin the field in 16th. He later finished 13th, which dropped him 35 points behind Donny Schatz in the World of Outlaws championship battle.

Larson continued to struggle with the flat tire as Tim Kaeding drove into second place on lap 23 and Joey Saldana passed Larson for third on lap 24. Larson lost several more positions before the tire gave out on lap 29. He ended up finishing 14th.

Becker outlasted a couple of late cautions to cruise to the victory, although it was much easier said than done.

“It was just gut wrenching,” Becker said. “I knew if I held my line on the top, I knew it was going to leave an opening for them to pull some slide jobs on me. So I just wanted to make sure I got a good, clean restart and hooked up off the bottom and just railed around the top. I jumped the cushion a few times during that race so I was tiptoeing it in there quite a few times, but to finally be able to do it is just huge for me.”

Kaeding, a fellow Californian, finished second to earn his second consecutive podium.

“We moved up one spot from last night and hopefully tomorrow we can move up one more,” he said. “California guys have struggled here the last few years, so hopefully we can keep everything rolling and keep the California guys up in the front and having fun these next couple of days out here with the Outlaws.”

Saldana rebounded from an early miscue to earn third place, which was his 21st top five of the season.

“On that restart I just totally screwed up, hit that infield tire and hit the second one so I should have took myself out,” he said. “Just driver error. We’ve been struggling with our car, so when you finally get a good car it’s pretty frustrating when the driver screws up. But it was definitely my fault tonight, so hopefully (we will) come back tomorrow and be a little better.”

Schatz placed fourth to pad his championship advantage and Sammy Swindell finished fifth. Jason Sides was sixth, Jonathan Allard seventh, Jac Haudenschild eighth, Kraig Kinser ninth and Lucas Wolfe rounded out the top 10.

Kyle Hirst powered from last – 24th – to finish 11th, which earned him the KSE Hard Charger Award.

World of Outlaws

Schatz Survives Opening Night at Gold Cup Race of Champions

Schatz Survives Opening Night at Gold Cup Race of Champions
Dollansky and Swindell endure issues to slow World of Outlaws championship hopes
 
CHICO, Calif. – Sept. 6, 2012 – Well, that just shook up the points.

A pair of drivers in contention for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series championship took a major hit on Thursday while a four-time champion survived a treacherous track on the opening night of the 59th annual Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway.

Donny Schatz slid by polesitter Kyle Larson exiting turn two on lap 20 en route to his eighth World of Outlaws victory of the season. The win, combined with some misfortune to a couple of fellow championship contenders, moved Schatz into the points lead for the first time in the last 21 races.

“It was fun,” he said. “(Larson) was really good on the top and we had a decent car on the bottom. It just was really tricky to run. It took me five or six laps to figure out how to drive it. It was a fun race and I’m glad to come out on the good side of it.”

Two drivers in search of that same title found bitter results.

Craig Dollansky, who entered the event with the points lead after 16 consecutive top-10 finishes, spun out after contact during a restart on lap 17. Dollansky, who had restarted eighth, headed to the work area to have everything checked out only to be left there. Since the race was past the halfway point, he didn’t get the guaranteed two minutes.

Dollansky later returned after a caution, but raced two laps down and finished 20th. He is 12 points behind Schatz in the championship chase.

Sammy Swindell, who entered the event third in points, was set to capitalize on Dollansky’s bad luck. Swindell ran in the top three for most of the feature until a last-lap miscue stopped him on the frontstretch – only a handful of feet from crossing the finish line.

While Swindell was chasing down Larson in traffic for the runner-up position, Swindell dove to the bottom in the final turn. It appeared that he clipped the infield tire, which knocked his car up the track and into the frontstretch wall. He could only watch as all of the remaining cars on the lead lap drove by. Swindell was credited with an 18th-place finish, which dropped him to 74 points behind Schatz in the championship battle.

In front of the tough luck was a great clash between Schatz and Larson, who traded slide jobs at least a half dozen times.

Larson led the first 10 laps before Schatz took the lead exiting turn four on lap 11. The duo slid each other in nearly every end of the track for two laps with Schatz having the advantage at the finish line before Larson held onto the lead on lap 13.

After the sixth – and final – caution of the race came on lap 20 when Kerry Madsen stopped on the frontstretch, Schatz got the opportunity he needed. On the lap after the restart, Larson got into the demanding cushion and Schatz slid off the bottom in turn two just in front of Larson.

Larson nearly jumped the cushion the ensuing two laps, which let Swindell close to within a couple of car lengths. Schatz entered traffic on lap 29, allowing Larson and Swindell to rapidly gain ground.

“I had to take about five laps just to settle down,” Larson said. “He got about a straightaway out there and then I just started trying to run the heck out of it. I caught him there coming to the white (flag) and got close coming to the line.”

As Schatz was dramatically slowed on the bottom, Larson powered to the cushion and Swindell to the very bottom of the inside groove. Schatz held off the late charges with Larson bouncing off the cushion and Swindell facing his own disaster.

“We just cruised around and watched and watched Sammy hit the tractor tire there at the end and stick it in the fence,” said Tim Kaeding, who finished third after avoiding Swindell’s damaged car. “He was about eight feet short. I’ve been there several times.”

Jason Sides placed fourth and Sean Becker was fifth. Bill Rose ended sixth and Steve Kinser earned the KSE Hard Charger Award after maneuvering from 22    nd to seventh. Shane Golobic finished eighth, 21st starter Joey Saldana ninth and Lucas Wolfe rounded out the top 10.

Ross Hoek Motorsports

Hoek Takes Fifth in Round 11- Currently Sixth in PRO-Light Championship


Hoek Takes Fifth in Round 11- Currently Sixth in PRO-Light Championship
Holland, MI (September 5, 2012) – A solid weekend of racing is what Ross Hoek Motorsports needed and the team’s hard work paid off with a fifth place finish during Round 11 at the forty-second edition of the Crandon Off-Road World Championships. The team even received additional television coverage thanks RHM Light Buggy guest driver, Sal Masekela and the Red Bull Signature Series production team.

When the doors opened for the Labor Weekend event at the “Big House,” competitors saw a few changes to the iconic track. The two jumps on the front straightaway were replaced with two soaring table tops and “natural” downhill jump was added to the contour of the skybox straightaway. This really allowed racers to carry more speed throughout the spectator area.
After traveling downtown Crandon for the usual Friday morning parade and festivities the team took to the track for practice and qualifying.  The new track configuration and slippery conditions confused the team and Ross stopped the timers fifteenth fastest. The qualifying result was not what the team had expected, but the Friday session gave Ross and his crew nearly twenty-four hours to decide on steps to improve on track performance.
Round 11
Saturday afternoon saw nineteen PRO-Light racers lining up for Round 11. With the Ignite Racing Fuels/ Peak Motor Oil/ Venom Energy /Allstar Performance Ford toward the tail end of the field, Hoek knew he couldn’t waste any time if he had any hopes of a top five finish.
 
The overnight changes to the truck were really working well as Ross quickly worked his way into fourth place by lap three. At that point quite a bit of contact was going back and forth throughout much of the field. Some of the door to door contact saw the running order get shuffled up more than a few times. By the mandatory caution lap, Hoek found himself back in eighth place. When the field went back to racing for the final laps Hoek went to work getting around his fellow competitors passing one truck per lap to take the checkered flag in fifth place.
“We really had to work hard this afternoon, “noted Ross Hoek. “There was some really good racing out there today, most of the contact was just good hard racing, and our Ignite Racing Fuels/Peak Motor Oil/Venom Energy/ Allstar Performance Ford really came through. Our whole team is looking forward to tomorrow.”
Round 12
Sunday’s race had the Ignite Racing Fuels/Peak Motor Oil/Venom Energy/ Allstar Performance Ford lined up on the front row in the 2nd position after the inversion. Typically Sunday’s round of racing always seems to be more aggressive than the day before and Round 12 was no exception. The Ignite Racing Fuels Ford Ranger seemed to be fighting for every inch of the race track every lap. After the nine lap grudge match that included several roll-overs and black flags, Ross Hoek finished in eighth place.
“This was a rough run today, “remarked Ross Hoek. “There were all kinds of pushing and shoving, and I put our truck up on two wheels going through a corner and made a heroic save to keep us in the race.”
The weekend also saw the Ross Hoek Motorsports Light Buggy take to the track. On Saturday crew chief Jerry Windemuller drove the Sportsman Buggy to a fifteenth place finish in the twenty-eight car field. The Sunday race had Ross’ dad Glenn scheduled to drive, but he graciously stepped aside to get Red Bud Signature Series television host Sal Masekela a chance to experience TORC Sportsman off-road racing first hand. Sal and his production crew spent three days at Crandon to create a two-hour program about the World Championship event that will be broadcast on NBC Sports later this year.
After getting all the proper driving apparel fitted and a quick test drive, Sal lined up at the tail end of the second row of the “infamous” Crandon land rush start. Quickly his snowboarding skills were applied to short-course off-road racing, and moved up a couple places by the time he exited Potawatomi Turn One. By lap three of the seven lap run, Sal worked his way into fourteenth place. Then the VW air-cooled powerplant lost power in one of the cylinders. Undaunted the first-time off-roader held his ground and finished the race in fifteenth place.  A solid run considering he never had driven on much of the track until race time.
Afterwards, Sal’s production crew gave him the nickname “Spark Plug.”
The next race is the season finale on September 29-30 at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds in Lancaster, California.
After twelve of the fourteen rounds of racing in the Traxxas TORC Series presented by AMSOIL PRO-Light Championship, Ross is currently tied for sixth place out of twenty-two competitors in the division.

Honda Racing

Honda Racers Chase Titles At NASA National Championships

Honda Racers Chase Titles At NASA National Championships

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (September 6, 2012) – Honda and Acura racers from across the country will journey to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course next weekend in pursuit of club-racing glory at the September 5-9 National Auto Sport Association (NASA) Championships, Presented by Toyo Tires.

Contingency awards of up to $2,500, offered through the Honda Racing Line, will be available to Honda and Acura drivers taking part in the Honda Challenge classes.  In addition to the Honda Challenge, other events with Honda and Acura entries include the Performance Touring and Time Trial categories.

Honda Performance Development will once again provide catered trackside hospitality exclusively for Honda/Acura competitors and their crews.  The hospitality tent will offer a buffet lunch from Thursday, Sept. 6 through Saturday, Sept. 9.

Drivers to watch this year include defending Honda Challenge 1 title-holder Kevin Helms of Charlotte, N.C.; Manny Coats, H2 winner in 2011; and two-time NASA champion Jonathan Meris, who will debut a new Acura Integra at the National Championships.

Launched in July 2009, the Honda Racing Line is a program targeted at licensed participants in sanctioned amateur and entry-level professional racing. The Honda Racing Line was formed to provide its members with a direct connection to Honda Performance Development and its unparalleled record of success at the highest levels of motorsport. Competitors may register for the Honda Racing Line through HondaRacingLine.com.

Honda Performance Development (HPD) is the Honda racing company within North America. Founded in 1993, and located in Santa Clarita, Calif., HPD is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines.

As one of three engine suppliers to the IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda won this year’s Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti; and competes in prototype sports-car racing under the HPD banner in the American Le Mans Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship. HPD offers a variety of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases ‘fun-to-drive’ products for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.

Casey Currie

CASEY CURRIE TAKES HOME BACK-TO-BACK WINS IN CRANDON!

Anaheim Hills, CA (September 5, 2012) – This past weekend, Casey Currie and team finally returned to the Big House—home of the Amsoil Cup, the Traxxas World Championship, and the largest race in all of off road—Crandon International Raceway in Crandon, WI. Casey’s return was well worth the wait as he was welcomed with the constant swarm of adorning fans, an energetic crowd of close to 50,000, and a familiar stand atop the podium on both days—a spot where he took the title of World Champion in 2010 as well.

Qualifying 5th on Friday, Casey started Saturday’s race in a land rush start—a traditional start for Crandon Raceway. Casey’s quick shift off the starting line was apparent when the Pro Lite took off to take 2nd position and soon after, 1st, setting the pace from flag to flag and taking the victory.

“Being back in Crandon is a great feeling,” beams Casey after Saturday’s race. “The vibe is great, the amount of people is insane, and you just can’t beat the support in the stands with such a large crowd.”

In Sunday’s race Casey was 6th on the start. As soon as the green flag dropped, Casey hammered down on that throttle, out-braked the competition through the gravel pit, and took a wide outside line in turn three to take the lead in only the first lap.

“Once we reached the head of the pack, we held our line and were able to keep up to 30 car lengths on everyone,” explained Casey. “The truck ran clean, with no problems, and the track was great. On top of it all, the fans were amazing and we can’t wait to do it again next year!”

Subaru Road Racing Team

Subaru Road Racing Team Prepares for Penultimate Round of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge

Subaru Road Racing Team Prepares for Penultimate Round of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge

– Laguna Seca Raceway to Host Ninth Round of Series –

Phoenixville, PA. – Sept. 6, 2012 – The Subaru Road Racing Team (SRRT) travels to Monterey, Calif. this weekend to compete in the ninth round of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Having been over a month since their last race, SRRT has put the time to good use preparing for the final two events of their season.  SRRT will travel first to Monterey before heading back east to the season-closer at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn.
 
Team drivers Andrew “A.J.” Aquilante and Bret Spaude are set to contest both events with their #35 Subaru Impreza WRX STI in the Grand Sports class of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC).
 
The team’s season so far has been highlighted by a win at New Jersey Motorsports Park and a third place finish at the Homestead-Miami Speedway round.
 
“We’ve run competitive lap times at the four races since our win at NJMP,” noted SRRT Principal Joe Aquilante, whose Phoenix Performance crew prepares the Subaru race cars. “Our WRX STI has led a fair amount of race laps this season, and we’re shining a positive light on the capabilities of both the Subaru WRX STI and our two team drivers.”
 
Added James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc., “As much as every race in this championship is important, these last two rounds of the season will be pivotal for our program in an effort to regain momentum and propel us into next season.  Our team has developed the #35 SRRT WRX STI into a legitimate championship contender, and our focus will be to capitalize on its available performance, keep our pit stops tidy, and optimize the pit stop strategies made available to us.”
 
This weekend’s race, on a 2.238-mile road course, will see practice and qualifying on Friday and Saturday, Sept.7-8, with the 2 ½-hour race taking the green flag Saturday at 5:30pm ET.
 

Honda Racing

Honda Racing- Merger ALMS and Grand Am

Statement from Art St. Cyr, President, Honda Performance Development, on today’s announcedmerger of the American Le Mans Series and Grand Am:

“In much the same way as unification provided a way forward for open-wheel racing, today’s news announcing the merger of the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am has the potential to grow and improve the sport.

Honda has participated in sports car racing, under a variety of sanctioning bodies and formats, since the mid-1980s. As a company, we have always sought out series where races and championships could be won – or lost – on engineering merit.  Since 2007, we have been continuous participants in the American Le Mans Series under both the Acura and Honda Performance Development banners. HPD is the reigning American Le Mans Series LMP champion, having won class titles for the past three years.

In 2012, HPD and its partner teams continue to take part in both LMP1 and LMP2 in the American Le Mans Series; and launched an ambitious multi-team prototype effort in the World Endurance Championship. We look forward to taking part in a new, combined North American road-racing series, featuring a defined rules package that maintains sports car racing’s traditional role as a technological leader and innovator.”

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing- ALMS, GrandAm Merger

Mark Reuss, President, GM North America, statement on today’s announcement regarding the merger of GRAND-AM Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series:
 
“This is an exciting moment in sports car racing. This merger combines the best attributes of GRAND-AM Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series to create a singularly focused series. Congratulations to Jim France and Dr. Don Panoz on having the passion for sports car racing and the vision to take it to the next level. The joining of these two series will provide a foundation for Chevrolet to develop technologies and race cars with tremendous relevancy to the production vehicles we sell today and in the future.”

Dyson Racing

Dyson Racing–on ALMS/GrandAm Merger

Historic Sports Car Merger

September 5, 2012 – It was announced today at Daytona Beach, FL, that GRAND-AM Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series will merge under common ownership, uniting professional sports car racing in North America under a single platform. There will be a blending of each series’ personnel, technical rules, officiating, communications, marketing, scheduling and broadcasting.   GRAND-AM and the ALMS will continue to operate with separate schedules in 2013, with a combined schedule in 2014. The 2014 schedule of tracks will be based on  market importance, historical significance and popularity among competitors and fans.

There will be a merging of leadership with the newly constituted Board of Directors responsible for  strengthening the areas of race operations, competition, communication, marketing and sales, as they oversee both series in 2013.

The class structure from 2014 on  will be determined with the input of the competitive stakeholders and will be aligned with the needs of the teams, manufactures, television and sponsors.

Talks are being held to maintain a link with the ACO and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The goal would be to retain a strong and cooperative relationship, including a close association to GT rules and involvement of the Series’ teams at Le Mans.

Rob Dyson, Team Principal:
“The history of sports car racing in America has centered around sophisticated performance and innovation. Dyson Racing has raced top-line prototypes for three decades and the  variety of technology and competitors during that period has defined the  sport and produced the  memories that sustain its growth today and propel its future.  We anticipate that this  historic merger will produce sports car racing that embraces the  diversity that has made our racing a fan favorite, with world-wide legitimacy.  There  are currently twelve auto and engine manufactures plus four tire manufactures in our series.  We expect the  newly combined series will produce an even  more enhanced arena of value for manufacturers and privateers alike.”

Chris  Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director:
“The best mergers strengthen.  This combination has the  potential to be a significant milepost in the  history of sports car racing and to foster a period reminiscent of our sport’s glory days.  The addition of GRAND-AM’s historic tracks to IMSA’s existing set of iconic tracks will only reinforce the  appeal to fans, competitors and manufacturers. We are optimistic that with a continued emphasis on technical advancement, variety, high levels of on-track performance, close competition and a welcoming paddock atmosphere, unified sports car racing in North  America is about to enter a new era – one of long term strength.  There  are always challenges involved with change, but Dyson Racing will continue to work with all in our sport to ensure the  strongest possible future.”

World of Outlaws

World of Outlaws

Madsen Claims Inaugural World of Outlaws Race at Willamette Speedway
He leads all 30 laps for his second victory in the last three races and fifth this season
 
LEBANON, Ore. – Sept. 3, 2012 – Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi!
For the second time in the last three World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series events, Australian Kerry Madsen emerged in Victory Lane with a big smile on his face. On Monday, Madsen led all 30 laps to claim the inaugural Outlaws race at Willamette Speedway.

“We’re definitely clicking and we’re taking advantage of our opportunities,” he said. “We’ve had some great draws. It looks easy when guys do that, but it’s hard. You have to have everything right and get the opportunity, and then when the opportunity presents itself you have to seize it. It’s hard to do with the World of Outlaws.”

In the only World of Outlaws event this season in Oregon, Madsen outlasted Donny Schatz in a race that featured only two cautions, tough traffic and one angry Sammy Swindell.

After driving around polesitter Jonathan Allard for the lead to complete the first lap, Madsen entered traffic as he exited turn two on the sixth lap. However, by the time he was in turn three, the red flag was out following a collision between Allard and Swindell.

Battling for the runner-up position as they were going down the backstretch, Allard moved up the track and ran into Swindell’s left front tire. It buckled and dug into the track, which forced a series of violent flips for Swindell.

“I was behind Kerry and didn’t know Sammy was on the top,” Allard said. “I went to go around the top because Kerry dropped to the bottom. (A) lapped car was in the middle. I made a move down the straightaway to go to the top to get some more speed up and Sammy was there.”

While Swindell escaped the crash without injury, he was less than pleased and showed his frustration in what ended with a loud thud.

“He hit me with a rock when I was rolling around after that red (flag) right in the head, so a pretty poor sport,” Allard said.

Madsen and Allard continued to run in the top two spots and they entered traffic on lap 12. However, Brenton Nugent’s spin in turn three on the ensuing lap brought out the final caution of the race.

Schatz shot to second on the restart and Joey Saldana advanced from seventh to fourth in the first two turns. Traffic again began to play a role at lap 19 and Schatz chipped away at Madsen’s advantage.

“We just wore the race track out on the bottom and it was too fast on the top,” Schatz said. “I tried the bottom and it was so hard to do you couldn’t really stick down there. It was just a narrow strip. It was just so good on the cushion.”

Madsen was able to hold off Schatz in the closing laps and a slide job in turn three to lap Henry Van Dam on the final lap was enough to secure Madsen’s fifth victory of the season.

“When you know the World of Outlaws are behind you, you’ve just got to be on your game the whole way,” Madsen said. “Mentally, they’re tough races to win. To bring it home is fantastic.”

Tim Kaeding passed Saldana for fourth place on lap 22 and Saldana held off Chad Kemenah for fifth. World of Outlaws points leader Craig Dollansky placed seventh, Cody Darrah ended eighth, Jac Haudenschild was ninth and Steve Kinser rounded out the top 10.

Trey Starks earned the KSE Hard Charger Award after piloting from 20th to 12th. Swindell was credited with a 22nd-place result and Kraig Kinser, who ended in the wall in turn three on the final lap, finished 14th after running in the top 10 most of the feature.

Race Winners

Race Winners Week Ending 9/2/12

Nascar
Sprint Cup- Advocare 500, Denny Hamlin
Nationwide Series- American Warrior 300, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Camping World Truck Series- Jeff Foxworthy Grit Chips 200- Ty Dillon

Whelan All American- Newport News Shipbuilding/BayPort Credit Union 150- Jason Myers

World of Outlaws Travis Jacobson

IndyCar- Baltimore Grand Prix- Ryan Hunter Reay

F1- Belgian Grand Prix- Jenson Button

ALMS- Baltimore Sports Car Challenge- Christophe Bouchet

Summit Racing

U.S. Nationals Postponed by Rain, To Resume Next Weekend

 U.S. Nationals Postponed by Rain, To Resume Next Weekend 

Event:  58th annual Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals

Location: Lucas Oil Raceway, Clermont, Ind.

Day/Date: Monday, September 3, 2012

The persistent rains which plagued the last two days of the 58th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Ind. eventually forced NHRA officials to postpone the event on Monday morning.  Action at Lucas Oil Raceway will resume on Saturday morning, September 8 with the resumption of qualifying, with all professional classes scheduled to receive two additional attempts before heading into final eliminations on Sunday.

Although the original intent was to complete the event on Monday, the combination of a steady drizzle and the discovery that water had seeped under the rubber on the track, requiring a minimum of six hours of track maintenance, led to the decision to delay the event until the following weekend.  As defending U.S. Nationals champion Greg Anderson explains, there simply were no other options.

“We certainly did not want to come back next weekend, but looking at the condition of the racetrack and the forecast for the rest of the day, I support the NHRA’s decision to postpone the event,” said Anderson. “More than anything, however, I feel bad for all the fans that came out the past two days hoping to take in some drag racing.  Hopefully, they will be able to come back next weekend, because it is supposed to be cooler, which means the cars will run a lot faster allowing us to put on a tremendous show.

“This is going to be a hectic week for the Summit Racing team, as we’ll be heading home tonight for a couple days of testing before heading back here to complete the race.  But next Saturday when it’s time for the third qualifying session here at Lucas Oil Raceway, we’ll be ready.”

RCR

RCR Post Race Report- NSCS Atlanta

RCR Post Race Report —
NSCS AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
AdvoCare 500
Atlanta Motor Speedway
September 2, 2012
 
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished fifth (Kevin Harvick), 8th (Paul Menard) and 12th (Jeff Burton).
Harvick ranks ninth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, trailing point leader Greg Biffle by 72 points with two races remaining until the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Menard ranks 15th, 59 markers outside of the final Chase position, while Burton ranks 20th, 160 points out.
Harvick’s fifth-place finish in the AdvoCare 500 clinched the N0. 29 team a spot in the 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup.
With an average speed of 166.482 mph, Harvick led his fellow competitors in the NASCAR post-race Loop Data Statistics category of Fastest Drivers Late In a Run.
Harvick earned a Driver Rating of 123.8, maintained an average Green Flag Speed of 169.043 mph, was credited with 44 of the Fastest Laps Run and 101 Laps Led, ranking him second in all of the mentioned Loop Data Statistic categories.
Harvick led the AdvoCare 500 for 101 laps, 30.9% of the total laps.
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Harvick ranked third in Average Running Position with 4.177, while Menard ranked 13th (14.076) and Burton 14th (15.468).
Harvick and Menard each logged Fastest Laps Run during the 325-lap race with 44 and two circuits, respectively.
Menard made 96 Green Flag Passes, ranking him fourth in that category according to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics.
Menard ranked 10th in the NASCAR Loop Data Statistics category Quality Passes, passing 39 competitors while running in the top 15.
Burton made the fourth-most Green Flag Passes (96) and spent 139 Laps in the Top 15.
Denny Hamlin earned his fourth Sprint Cup Series victory of the season and was followed to the finish line by Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex, Jr. and Harvick.
The next scheduled Sprint Cup Series race is the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, Sept. 8. The 26th race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on ABC beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Honda Racing

Honda Racing- Baltimore Grand Prix

Pagenaud Finishes Third in Wild Baltimore Run

Simon Pagenaud, who has already clinched IZOD IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year honors, starred in Sunday’s Grand Prix of Baltimore, jumping from sixth to first on a Lap 35 restart and going on to lead 14 laps en route to a third-place finish, his fourth podium result of the 2012 season.

Pagenaud fell back to third during the final round of pit stops, and was unable to make a final bid for victory when his Schmidt Hamilton Racing Honda Dallara picked up an understeer in the final laps of today’s 75-lap contest, making it impossible for him to mount a successful attack on either race winner Ryan Hunter-Reay or runner-up Ryan Briscoe.

Takuma Sato also make a strong bid for victory, despite starting near the back of the field after a difficult qualifying session on Saturday. Sato led 12 laps while a brief, light rain shower blanketed portions of the 2.04-mile downtown temporary street circuit, and continued to lead on dry weather “slick” tires when many others elected to pit for rain tires. But a lack of fuel pressure caused Sato’s engine to stumble on the same Lap 35 restart that saw Pagenaud snare the lead, and soon ended Sato’s day on Lap 38.

Scott Dixon finished fourth, while Alex Tagliani led one lap today for Barracuda Racing. Justin Wilson, Graham Rahal, Dario Franchitti and Charlie Kimball all ran in the top five for portions of today’s race before being delayed by a wide variety of causes in an incident-filled race. Wilson, along with Mike Conway, lost time in a late-race, multi-car collision; Franchitti came up one lap short in an attempt to stretch his fuel mileage to the checkers; while Kimball ran as high as third before mechanical failure ended his day.

Honda’s popular Fastest Seat in Sports sweepstakes returned in Baltimore, with former Indianapolis 500 champion Arie Luyendyk at the wheel of the two-seat Indy car. He gave Tyler Treiber of Uniontown, Ohio the ride of a lifetime around Mid-Ohio at the head of the 27-car starting field just prior to the start of today’s race.

Racer News and Results