Summit Racing

Test Sessions Have Anderson Amped about Start of the Countdown

Test Sessions Have Anderson Amped about Start of the Countdown

Mooresville, N.C., September 13, 2012 – This weekend, the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series will begin its six-race Countdown to the Championship with the 5th annual NHRA Nationals in Charlotte, N.C., and as far as Summit Racing driver Greg Anderson is concerned, the playoffs could not start at a better location.  Known as the “Bellagio of Drag Strips”, zMAX Dragway is a short drive away from the KB Racing shop in Mooresville, offering team members a respite from their hectic travel schedule as well as extra time to prepare for this first of four consecutive races.

“I believe it is a huge bonus, not only for Greg Anderson, but the entire Summit Racing team, to have the Countdown start here at zMAX Dragway,” said Anderson.  “We love this race and this track.  It is a tremendous facility where we’ve spent quite a bit of time testing there and have developed a huge comfort factor.  It’s a place that we’ve either learned so well or it just seems to suit our program that we definitely seem to run well there.

“Everything about this race is tremendous.  We’ll have a lot of our shop employees and their families who don’t normally come out to the track on hand to cheer us on, as well as (team owners) Ken and Judy Black who made the trip out from the West Coast.  Their presence always puts a smile on our faces and we love nothing more than to do well in front of them.  We’ll also have a lot of friends and neighbors coming out, giving us our own personal cheering section.

“So as you can see, we have a lot of reasons to look forward to the weekend.  Best of all, it’s playoff time, where the stakes are higher, and everything seems to ramp up.  We feel like we’ve upped our game, so we can’t wait to let the clutch out on Friday and see what we can do, starting the Countdown on the right foot.”

The one question mark seemingly facing Anderson and his KB Racing teammate Jason Line entering this year’s playoff was their race cars.  As the newest chassis among any of the competitors who qualified for the 2012 Countdown to One, the talented tandem had admittedly struggled to get a handle on the tune-up for most of the summer.  However, having finally had a chance to get in some extensive testing over the last few weeks, Anderson is confident their sleek new Camaros will now have the performance to match their looks.

“We tested at zMAX last week with our Summit Racing Camaros and ran very well, so we are expecting to run just as well when we go back there this weekend,” said Anderson.  “I know it’s been a battle to get these new cars up to speed, but we’ve been running the wheels off these cars since coming home from the West Coast, and I believe we’re starting to see the fruits of our labor.

“We feel like we’ve made progress and gained some performance to where we think we’ll have our best chance in the last 3-4 months to win an event.  Are we going to go out and dominate the race? Probably not, but we are definitely going to give AJ, Mike, Erica and everyone else a run for their money.  Of course it takes some racing luck and proper execution with the car as well as the driver being perfect, but I think we’re finally getting close to getting back in our groove. Let’s just say we’re expecting a big weekend.”

Summit Racing

Strong Start Essential to Line’s Championship Defense

Strong Start Essential to Line’s Championship Defense

Mooresville, N.C., September 13, 2012 – One year ago, Summit Racing driver Jason Line came into zMAX Dragway for the first race of the Countdown to the Championship and immediately staked his claim for the title, powering from the No. 1 position to a runner-up finish. It was the start of a series of three races where Line would score two wins and set both ends of the national record, essentially scoring a knockout blow en route to his second Full Throttle Championship.

As the world’s best quarter-milers prepare to return to the Tar Heel State this weekend for the 5th annual NHRA Nationals and the start of the six-race 2012 championship run, Line would naturally like to duplicate that showing, although he admits that this year’s competition might make it a little tougher.  Even so, he was quick to stress the importance of having a strong run in this opening encounter.

“Getting off to a good start in this first race of the Countdown is absolutely huge, especially this year, when the competition is tighter than it ever has been,” said Line.  “Defending our title is going to be tough, with every round being important considering how well AJ (Allen Johnson), Mike (Edwards), my teammate Greg (Anderson) and Erica (Enders) are running.

“The good news is that we’re getting closer with our Summit Racing Camaros, and this KB Racing team is more than capable of delivering another championship performance.  But to do that, we will need to do a better job than we have at the last few races.  At this point in the season, if you want to stay in contention, there is absolutely no room for error, so we’ll need to be on top of our game right out of the box this weekend in Charlotte.”

In order to accomplish his goal, Line will need to add zMAX Dragway to his list of many successes.  Located a short half-hour’s drive from the KB Racing team’s shop in Mooresville, it is considered their home track, a fact not lost on Line, who appreciates any benefits they can gain during a drive to what they hope will be another championship.

“zMAX Dragway is one of the tracks where a win has eluded us, so maybe this will be the year we finally bring it home, and it couldn’t come at a better time,” said Line.  “I enjoy any time we get to race there simply because it’s the nicest facility on tour and it’s only a short drive away from our shop.  It’s always fun to race at home and sleep in your own bed, and any time you can avoid traveling is a bonus in itself.

“Last year we were able to deliver an early knockout punch, but this year will be different because there are more good cars all capable of winning.  I think it’s going to be a battle that will go down to the last race in Pomona.  Fortunately, we seem to be gaining ground on our Summit Racing Camaros and I believe we have a good tune-up for Charlotte, so we should be good and I like our chances for doing well there.  If we do it will then be a matter of carrying that momentum through the remaining five races and seeing where we stand when the dust settles.”

Ilmor Engineering

Ilmor Engineering Torque Newsletter- July 12

Clean as a Whistle

The constant drive for improved performance and efficiency results in greater loads being placed on the rotating parts of an engine. The ability to manufacture clean components free from contamination is a key factor to producing a reliable internal combustion engine whether it is used on land, on water or in the air.
 
In the past solvent based cleaning processes where adopted to remove contamination but research has proven that they may not be as effective as first thought and they are not friendly to the environment. For these reasons Ilmor has invested in a Durr, environmentally friendly, aqueous cleaning machine for the critical task of intermediate and final cleaning of parts.
 
The Durr cleans and dries components by using a combination of high-power injection flood washing, ultrasonics, rotation and oscillation movements, vacuum drying and a cartridge filter for extra fine cleaning. It is waste water free so satisfies Ilmor’s environmental commitments and employs a sophisticated microprocessor control to ensure process repeatability in order to support our stringent quality standards.
 
By using customizable control programs the precise cleaning requirements for each component are developed which saves time, reduces cost and gives our customers the confidence to place their work with our machine shop.

Raising The Quality Bar
Youtube video:  Click here to see our machine shop.
In order to support our engineer’s and customer’s increasing demands for higher quality and tighter tolerances, we are pleased to announce that Tony Thain has joined Ilmor Engineering as our Head of Quality. Tony’s appointment will further strengthen our quality team and his many years experience working for a top level Formula 1 team will no doubt prove to be invaluable.
 
We have also invested in a new mid-sized co-ordinate measuring machine to compliment and ease the workload on the existing large Zeiss and compact DEA machines. Additional quality personnel have been recruited to support the expansion and the demands placed by our ever expanding machine shop and growing customer base. As aerospace work now represents a significant proportion of our turnover it is crucial that we have the resources to satisfy both our external customers and our own racing engine programs.

Chevy Indy V-6 Triumphant in Toronto

For the second time this season, a Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 driver scored his third consecutive win in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Ryan Hunter-Reay extended his winning streak from the ovals of Milwaukee and Iowa by taking the victory around the streets of Toronto.
 
Hunter-Reay led 36 laps of the 85-lap race on the 1.75-mile, 11 turn temporary circuit and it was the Andretti Autosport driver’s eighth overall career win.
 
Drivers using the the Ilmor designed and manufactured Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 filled three of the top-five positions and the Chevy Indy V-6 continues to lead the engine manufacturers championship having won seven out of the ten races completed so far.
 
Team Penske Chevrolet driver Will Power, who also won three consecutive races earlier in the season, came into Toronto the points leader. But, debris on the track causing a flat tire, and contact late in the race relegated him to the 15th finishing position.
 

Dyson Racing

Dyson Racing to Run Flybrid KERS Hybrid System

Dyson Racing to Run Flybrid KERS Hybrid System

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY September 12, 2012 – The corollaries that racing is always pushing the boundaries of technology and Dyson Racing never stands still meet this weekend at the American Le Mans Series VIR 240. The defending series champions will be running a newly-developed Kinetic Energy Recovery System in the #16 Mazda-powered ModSpace/Thetford P1 entry at Virginia International Raceway. The Flybrid Automotive Limited KERS system is based on a high-speed, lightweight flywheel that is incorporated into the car’s bell housing and stores braking energy for later use under acceleration.

“We have been researching and working on the KERS hybrid system with Flybrid since the end of last season,” said Chris Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director. “We have done extensive dyno testing and have tested the system in the car. We had encouraging enough results and will be running it in the car this weekend at VIR and at the season-ending Petit Le Mans. We are in close contention for the championship, and as a race team, we are always looking to better our performance.”

“The ALMS is the leader in green racing and the perfect series to showcase this technology,” Dyson added. “The regulations are encouraging of regenerative technology and up until this point, there have been very few customer-friendly options. Flybrid was very interested in developing their product and linking up with a front-line organization. We were looking for the right partners for this kind of project and we when we found each other, it was a very natural fit from the beginning.”

The Kinetic Energy Recovery System used in the Dyson P1 car is the first of its kind to race outside of Europe. Developed specifically for th
is application by UK based Flybrid Automotive, the KERS uses a small high speed rotating flywheel to store otherwise wasted braking energy and return it to the wheels to assist the car’s next acceleration.
The steel and carbon fiber energy storage flywheel weighs just 11 lbs. (5kg) and can rotate at up to 60,000 RPM inside an evacuated chamber to allow storage of up to 134 BHP (100 kW) for up to five seconds during each braking maneuver.

Honda Racing

Honda Racers Star at NASA National Championships

Honda Racers Star at NASA National Championships

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (Sept. 10, 2012) – Five Honda National Auto Sport Association (NASA) racers closed out their 2012 racing seasons in the best possible manner, winning six class titles at the NASA National Championships, September 8-9 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

More than three dozen Honda and Acura racers made the annual trek to Lexington, Ohio, for
this year’s national championship races, with the majority taking part in the Honda Challenge
classes.

In Honda Challenge 1, Jason Kohler led the field from the green flag in his Honda S2000 and
was never challenged to claim his first NASA National Championship. Driving a newly race prepared Acura Integra – a job that was completed only just before the race start – Jonathan
Meris came from the back of the starting field to record an incredible second-place finish.
“I was able to get a great start. I think the open track in front of me really helped me get a gap
to second place, as everyone had to sort themselves out behind me,” Kohler said. “The car was really good. The tires were getting greasy at the end, but that happens when you push it really hard.” Kohler doubled his championship tally on Sunday, with a victory in the TTB class in the Group F Time Trial event.

Jeremy Croiset took the Honda Challenge 2 crown in his Honda CRX after an early-race battle with Egidijus [Eddie] Sadauskas until Lap 5, when Sadauskas went off track in the Mid-Ohio Carousel and Croiset broke away from the rest of the H2 field to claim his first NASA Championship trophy.

“My crew chief helped me put together a dynamite car,” Croiset said. “The CRX was perfect
from the beginning to the end. I got a good start and that helped me get a gap, which was
critical in my race. Egidijus was fast all weekend, but I got the jump at the start and that is what I needed. I had to drive a little defensively for a few laps until Eddie went off. That allowed me to get a gap to the end of the race.”
Members of the Honda Racing Line taking part in the Honda Challenge races were eligible for up to $2,500 in contingency awards at Mid-Ohio. In addition, American Honda provided catered trackside hospitality exclusively for Honda/Acura competitors and their crew members.

Chevrolet Racing

Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Teams and Drivers Ready for Season Finale at Auto Club Speedway

Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Teams and Drivers Ready for Season Finale at Auto Club Speedway; Two Championships to be Settled in MAVTV 500
 
DETROIT (September 12, 2012) – After 14 races; 14 battles for wins – it comes down to this weekend’s MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway for Chevrolet IndyCar V6 teams and drivers to settle both the IZOD IndyCar Series coveted Driver’s Championship, as well as the Oval Track Championship.
 
“It is hard to believe that we are heading to the final race of the 2012 season,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series. “It has been an extraordinary year for Chevrolet as we made the return to IndyCar competition with the all new 2.2 liter twin turbo Indy V6 engine. The results stem from the passion, skill and experience applied via the collective effort of the Chevy Teams, our technical partners and internal resources.  But, there remain a couple pieces of unfinished business as we prepare for the weekend at Auto Club Speedway – the driver’s championship and the oval track championship.  We feel very fortunate that there are Team Chevy drivers mathematically in the mix for both titles.  We wish all of the Team Chevy drivers and teams the best of luck this weekend in Fontana. It is sure to be a nail-biter.”
 
The top-three drivers in the battle for the Driver’s Championship are all members of Team Chevy. Team Penske’s Will Power heads to the two-mile oval track with a 17 point lead over Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay. Helio Castroneves, also from Team Penske, sits 35 points behind Hunter-Reay.
 
Tied atop the standings for the Oval Track Championship are Hunter-Reay and KV Racing Technology driver and former Series Champion (2004) Tony Kanaan.  James Hinchcliffe, Andretti Autosport, is sitting in third position in the Oval Track Championship standings.
 
“Having a 500-mile race as the season finale is a great way to close out the IndyCar season,” concluded Berube.  “It requires a significant effort from everyone involved; the race teams and drivers, Firestone tires, Sunoco fuels, the Holmatro Safety Team and countless others that make the race a show of skill, strategy and grit.  It is also good practice for another piece of unfinished business – that other 500-mile race in May.”
 
Chevrolet clinched the Series Manufacturers’ Championship following the 13th race of the season at Sonoma Raceway.  That same weekend, Power was crowned the Road Course Champion for the third consecutive season.
 
Saturday night’s 250-lap/500-mile race will be the first appearance for IndyCar at the Fontana, California track since 2005.  Chevrolet competed previously in Indy-style competition as an engine manufacturer in 1986-93 and 2002-05 with V-8 engines, winning 105 races which included two victories at Auto Club Speedway, 2002 and 2003.  The wins powered Chevrolet to six driver champions, and included seven Indianapolis 500 victories.
 
The IndyCar season finale is scheduled to start at 5:45 p.m. PT (8:45 p.m. ET) Saturday night with live television coverage on NBC Sports Network.
 
The live radio coverage will air on the IMS Radio Network on SiriusXM (XM 94 and Sirius 212). In addition, IndyCar live timing and scoring with the radio broadcast can be found at www.indy.car.com.

Follow A Dream Racing

Follow A Dream at the Big GO

Marstons Mills, MA –September 11, 2012-Following back-to-back victories in Cecil County, Md., and Bowling Green, Ky., Jay Blake’s Permatex/Follow A Dream team reached the semifinals at the biggest race of the year, the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Driver Todd Veney qualified No. 6 in a field of 24 Top Alcohol Funny Cars and defeated East Coast rival Paul Gill and upstart John Hart before falling in the semifinals to eventual winner Chris Foster.

“I really want to thank the team for all the sacrifices they made to come back for the rain date,” said Blake. “Everybody gave up a lot and rearranged their schedule to fill in for the guys who couldn’t miss work, and it paid off. Indy’s the biggest race there is, and we were still in it late on Sunday afternoon.”

Veney was No. 1 in the field until the very end of the opening qualifying session with a 5.65, the team’s best run since a low e.t. 5.60 at Richmond in April. After surviving a close call in the first round against Gill when both cars got within inches of the centerline and Gill eventually crossed it, Veney beat Hart in the quarterfinals, 5.77 to 5.95, and lost to Foster in the semi’s, 5.60 to 5.69.

“Indy’s my home track, and that’s the best we’ve ever done there,” Veney said. “Getting down to the final four cars at a race like that is something I’ll remember forever, and it really helps us in the points.” With the semifinal finish, the team is back in the top 10 in the national standings and remains number 1 in the East Region, 33 points ahead of many-time national and divisional champion Frank Manzo.

World of Outlaws

Kaeding Claims Antioch Thriller With Last-Lap Slider

Kaeding Claims Antioch Thriller With Last-Lap Slider on Schatz
Schatz’s seventh straight top five pushes his Outlaws championship lead to 72 points
 
ANTIOCH, Calif. – Sept. 10, 2012 – Looking for some good entertainment? Just watch Tim Kaeding.
In perhaps the pass of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series season, Kaeding slid championship points leader Donny Schatz in turn four on the final lap to earn his fourth Outlaws win of the season on Monday at Antioch Speedway. The packed grandstands erupted for the San Jose native, who reciprocated the affection.

He egged them on by popping a wheelie down the frontstretch after taking the checkered flag. And if his last-lap pass and wheelie weren’t enough, Kaeding was as entertaining in his postrace interview.

“Truthfully, it was a slide for life,” Kaeding said. “I was either going to wear me out, him out or both of us at the same time. It was no holds barred, short track racing. This is what I love about it. It’s always fun and exciting, especially for the fans.”

While Kaeding crossed the finish line first, fellow Californian Jonathan Allard had the car to beat. After a red flag on the opening lap for a four-car pileup in turn one, Allard powered to the lead on the start with Schatz, who started on the pole, a close second.

The duo entered traffic on lap five and while Allard never pulled away, he maintained a couple of car lengths on Schatz until a caution with 10 laps remaining for Kenny Allen stopping on the frontstretch. Things continued to heat up on the restart as Rico Abreu hit the wall in turn four, tipped on his side and somehow managed to keep going as the red flag waved.

Once the race resumed, Allard again entered traffic on lap 27 and held a sizeable advantage as he was coming to the white flag when Craig Dollansky spun out in turn two. That forced a green-white-checkered finish, which turned out to be wild.

Allard, who chose the outside on the double-file restart, spun his tires and Schatz rocketed to the lead. Kaeding was in tow and slid by Allard entering turn one.

“I thought we had it,” Allard said. “I knew the restart would be tough because the track was starting to go away. I tried to pick the right lane.

“I started to actually roll the throttle on and it got a bit tight. (I) tried to drive back around them and it spun the tire and (Schatz) took off.”

Kaeding dove to the inside in turn three, but was unable to make a move on Schatz as they took the white flag. Kaeding followed Schatz around the high side exiting turn two and as Schatz ran the cushion in turn three, Kaeding dove to the bottom and executed a perfect slide job as they raced through turn four.

Kaeding slammed against the cushion and he drove across the track to edge Schatz by a little more than two tenths of a second.

“We KOed the curb and I drove straight down the race track so nobody could get back by me,” Kaeding said.

Schatz, who recorded his seventh straight top-five finish, said he was surprised by the slide job.

“I just overdrove the car,” he said. “TK got a big run and slid me going into (turn) three and surprised me. I just made a couple of mistakes there at the end. Just me overdriving the car.”

Allard finished third and to make matters worse, he flipped in turn four on the cool-down lap.

“They said green-white-checkered on the thing, but I didn’t really know what the lap count was,” he said. “I saw Tim run it down the straightaway and I thought, ‘Well, maybe there’s something going on.’ I ran it down in there and just lost control. So just a bad move on my part.”

Cody Darrah placed fourth and Lucas Wolfe ended fifth. Sammy Swindell was sixth, Kerry Madsen seventh, Joey Saldana eighth and Steve Kinser earned the KSE Hard Charger Award after driving from 17th to ninth. Kraig Kinser rounded out the top 10.

Dyson Racing

Dyson Racing–Welcomes Mark Patterson

Mark Patterson Joins Dyson Racing Line-Up for VIR and Petit Le Mans

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY September 10, 2012 – Dyson Racing will be welcoming a new driver at the inaugural American Le Mans Series VIR 240 this weekend. Mark Patterson will be joining the team for the four-hour race at Virginia International Raceway on September 15th and also for the season-ending Petit Le Mans on October 20th. He will be co-driving with Michael Marsal in the #20 Dyson Racing entry at VIR.

Mark has an international racing resume, having raced at tracks in the US, Canada, Belgium, China, Mexico, Australia, Holland, France, Dubai, Slovakia, England, Spain, and Italy. He started racing fifteen years ago in the Skip Barber Race Series, graduated to Star Mazda and then joined Michael Shank Racing for five years, racing Daytona Prototypes with two wins at Utah and New Jersey to his credit, along with a second place finish in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2006. He is a two time ProAm series champion and Jim Trueman Award winner. The last two years have seen him racing around the world. In 2010 he drove an Audi R8 for United Autosports in the FIA European GT3 series and in 2011 he raced again with United Autosports in a McLaren MP4-12C in the Blancpain Endurance Series, co-driving with Mark Blundell and Zak Brown. His most recent American Le Mans Series start was last year with Oreca in P2 at the Petit Le Mans where he came in second in P2 with Stefan Johansson and Zak Brown.

“Mark’s history of stability and longevity with teams speaks to his positive contributions to the teams he has driven for,” said Chris Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director for Dyson Racing. “He quickly got up to speed at our most recent test and impressed myself and our engineers with his consistency. His sports car and long distance racing experience will be positive additions to the team at VIR and at the world-class ten-hour Petit Le Mans where he did well last year.”

“This is an opportunity of a lifetime to race with the Dysons, a team owned by longstanding friends with a branded name of success in ALMS racing,” added Mark Patterson. “I could not be more excited. When we tested, I was encouraged at how quickly the lap times came down and at how developed the car is. I am looking forward to driving with Michael Marsal at VIR and racing again at Petit, one of the great races in our sport.”

Dyson Racing enters the VIR race weekend with two consecutive first place P1 finishes in the win column: Michael Marsal and Eric Lux in the #20 Dyson Racing entry at the Baltimore Sports Car Challenge over Labor Day weekend, and Chris Dyson and Guy Smith in the #16 ModSpace/Thetford entry at Road America August 18th. Chris Dyson and Guy Smith are currently second in the season’s championship, nine points out of first.

Subaru Road Racing Team

Subaru Road Racing Team Challenges to the Checkers at the Penultimate Round of GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge

Subaru Road Racing Team Challenges to the Checkers at the Penultimate Round of GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge
– Aquilante to 2nd Until Last-Lap Contact With Race Leader-

Phoenixville, PA. – Sept. 8, 2012 – It was a mixed race weekend for the Subaru Road Racing Team (SRRT) which showed strong promise after a run up to 2nd place by the last lap but ultimately resulted in a 15th place finish at the race’s end.
 
The suburban Philadelphia-based team traveled cross-country to the famed Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., for the season’s next-to-last round of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge professional road racing series.
 
The final race results show team drivers Bret Spaude and Andrew “AJ” Aquilante finished 15th in the 26-car Grand Sports Class with their #35 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, one lap down to the eventual winner.  But a moment before the final tally was taken and on the final lap, Aquilante had been harrying the race leader for the win, and was right on the rear bumper of the lead car.

“The story of this race will always be about our cool-headed, experienced pit crew as we executed a seamless final pit stop where we topped up on fuel to make a late race charge for the lead,” said Phoenix Performance team owner Joe Aquilante. “On an earlier [pit] stop, we burned precious time as another team’s car inadvertently blocked the entrance to our pit box.”
 
“The race had 11 full-course-caution flag situations. The safety car was used to control the field for an amazing 39 of the race’s 71 laps. That’s an awful lot of safety car time, and each one of them forces you to constantly recalculate pit stop strategies.”
 
The Subaru Road Racing Team entry took the green flag from 10th place in qualifying, with Bret Spaude successfully avoiding problems caused by fellow competitors during his 17 laps at the controls of his #35 Subaru Road Racing Team WRX STI.
 
SRRT teammate AJ Aquilante slotted into the car as Spaude pitted, while circulating in a solid 7th spot. The tactics for the day were dictated when mishaps caused the safety car to lead the field nine of the first 17 laps.
 
“AJ made some good passes toward the end to move from 10th to second in 10 laps, but then things went awry. There was no reason to believe he couldn’t have passed the race leader, John Edwards, for the win.  But by that point in the race, Edwards had already been hit in the rear and his car had lost its rear bumper. Moreover, though, John’s brake lights weren’t operational.  Brake lights are a mandatory within GRAND-AM’s safety rules,” added Joe Aquilante.
 
“With a win in sight, AJ tapped the leader’s car from behind while initiating the pass, but John’s exposed rear bumper structure tore through our car’s radiator, causing both a coolant and oil leak plus perhaps a small oil fire.  Half a lap from a potential win, and suddenly we’re 36th overall, 10th in class, and a lap down.”
 
“Our team made the most from a race fraught with laps run 11 times and 39 of 71 laps under  full-course yellow conditions,” added James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc.  “We came very close to putting our #35 Subaru WRX STI on the top podium step, and we’re carrying a healthy level of confidence going into the last round of the series at Lime Rock Park in a two weeks.”

Race Winners

Race Results- Week Ending 9/9/12

Nascar
Sprint Cup- Clint Bowyer- Federated Auto Parts 400
Nationwide Series- Virginia 529 College Savings 250- Kevin Harvick

F1-
Italian Grand Prix- Lewis Hamilton

Grand Am
Laguna Seca- DP:  Spirit of Daytona:  Richard Westbrook/Antonio Garcia
GT:  Theracesite.com:  Dane Cameron/Wayne Nonnamaker

Whelan
UNOH Showdown- Ted Christopher

World of Outlaws
Donny Schatz

World of Outlaws

Schatz Sails to Ninth World of Outlaws Win at Scenic Calistoga

Schatz Sails to Ninth World of Outlaws Win at Scenic Calistoga
The four-time champion now leads the points race by a season-high 50 points
 
CALISTOGA, Calif. – Sept. 9, 2012 – It shouldn’t be a surprise that Donny Schatz parked in Victory Lane on Sunday at Calistoga Speedway.
Schatz continued his recent tear in dominating fashion, leading all 25 laps to record his ninth World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series win of the season and his second at the scenic half mile.

The victory was the latest highlight in a hot streak that dates back to late July. Schatz has recorded six wins and 15 top fives in the last 17 points races, including a current streak of six consecutive top-five finishes.

The success has also built a 50-point advantage in the championship standings, which is the largest difference between first place and second all season.

“We’re on attack mode,” Schatz said. “These guys definitely got their game face on. They’ve got an awesome machine behind me and we’ve got our motors running really good, so we’re happy.”

Schatz drove around polesitter Kerry Madsen as the duo exited turn two on the opening lap only to see a caution for Chad Kemenah, who came to a stop in turn two. As the caution flag was waved, Jonathan Allard flipped in turn four to cause a red flag.

Schatz left little room for error on the complete restart. He rocketed to the lead by the time the drivers reached the flag stand and began to pull away.

“It was very critical,” Madsen said. “I’m not saying we would have won the race if we got the (lead on the) start, but it would have helped.”

Traffic came into play on lap four, but it didn’t help Madsen close the gap. On lap 13, something on the right front of Cody Lamar’s car broke and it sent him into the exit gate between turn four and the frontstretch. The impact shot his car back across the track in front of Schatz and Madsen, who were able to avoid the melee.

“Man, that was close,” Madsen said. “He sped across there like a NASCAR wreck. I’m just glad he’s alright. That was a hard hit.”

The gate was badly damaged and required more than a half hour of maintenance before the feature resumed. However, once it did, Schatz was hardly challenged as he cruised to his second win in the last four races.

Madsen held off fast qualifier Sammy Swindell for the runner-up position.

“Every time I’d try to get close down there I’d kind of lose the front and get up on that curb, and I’d lose way more than I’d ever gained,” Swindell said. “I think I could run faster out there by myself because I could back up and catch them. So I know the car was fast, but (the track was) just one lane and nothing else to do.”

Tim Kaeding ended fourth and Joey Saldana placed fifth. Craig Dollansky was sixth, Steve Kinser seventh, Shane Stewart eighth, Kraig Kinser ninth and Cody Darrah rounded out the top 10.

Kyle Hirst drove from 19th to 12th to earn his second consecutive KSE Hard Charger Award.

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–Grand Am Laguna Seca

Antonio Garcia and Richard Westbrook Take the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP to Victory Lane at Laguna Seca to Become First Team in GRAND-AM Rolex DP to Score Three Wins This Season; Chevrolet Inches Closer to DP Engine Manufacturers’ Title; No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GS.R Team Takes the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Win
SALINAS, Calif, (September 9, 2012) – Antonio Garcia and Richard Westbrook were determined to make a strong statement when they unloaded Friday at Laguna Seca Raceway.  They started out by winning the pole for today’s Continental Tire Sports Car Festival GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series (Rolex) race; and ended the weekend standing atop the Victory Podium with the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette Daytona Prototype (DP) sitting in the Winner’s Circle after claiming their third victory of the season – the first team to accomplish that in the Rolex DP class this season.
Pole-winner Westbrook started the race, and led the first 28 laps around the 2.238-mile/11-turn permanent road course.  The running order shuffled with pit stops, but Westbrook kept the bright blue Corvette DP in the hunt, near the front of the field, until he turned the car over to Garcia.
Garcia was credited with leading twice for a total of 11 of the 111 laps run, taking the lead for the last time with five laps remaining in the race.
The victory was the seventh for the all-new Corvette Daytona Prototype in its inaugural season in Rolex competition, and moved Chevrolet closer to the coveted Engine Manufacturers’ Championship with one race remaining in the season.
Claiming the second spot on the podium was the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP driven by Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney. After qualifying second, the pair of drivers clearly had one of the strongest cars in the field and was able to bring home their second consecutive podium and their fourth of the year.
“Congratulations to the Antonio Garcia and Richard Westbrook as well as the entire No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP team on their win today at Laguna Seca to become the only team to win three races this season.” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Program Manger, GRAND-AM Road Racing. “The No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP drivers, Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney had a great run today as well, and brought home a second-place finish to give Chevrolet Corvette DP the top-two podium positions. Both teams were strong off the trailer on Friday, and were able to carry that momentum through to the checkered flag. It will be an exciting weekend for us at the season finale coming up at Lime Rock Park in two weeks.”
Making Chevrolet a double winner at Laguna Seca were Matt Bell and John Edwards behind the wheel of the No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GS.R  The pair captured their first win of the season on Saturday in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) race.  The victory was the second consecutive win for the Camaro GS.R.
The race was slowed numerous times by cautions, but the Stevenson duo battled from the eighth starting position, and combined to lead a total of nine of the 71-lap/2.5-hour race.  Edwards took the lead for the final four circuits of the event.
Lutz concluded by saying: “Congratulations as well to Stevenson Motorsports drivers Matt Bell and John Edwards on their exciting win on Saturday in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race as they took the No. 9 Camaro GS.R to victory lane for the first time this season.  That is back-to-back race wins for the Camaro GS.R, and we are very proud of the performance of our teams in CTSCC.”
In the Rolex Grand Touring (GT) class, it was a challenging day. The No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette driven by Boris Said and Eric Curran finished seventh in-class. And Robin Liddell and John Edwards rallied from starting last in the field to bring the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R to the finish line eighth in-class.
Other Chevrolet Rolex finishers were: No.9 Action Express Racing Corvette DP – 5th; No. 10 SunTrust Racing Toshiba Corvette DP – 7th and No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP – 9th.  In CTSCC, Chevrolet finishers were: No. 00 CKS Autosport Camaro GS.R – 7th; No. 6 Mitchum Motorsports Camaro GS.R – 17th in-class; No. 01 CKS Autosport Camaro GS.R – 18th in class and No. 62 Mitchum Motorsports Camaro GS.R – 24th in-class.
GRAND-AM moves next to Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, Connecticut for the season finale in both Rolex and CTSCC on September 28-29, 2012.
CHEVROLET DRIVER QUOTES:
GARCIA:  WERE YOU AWARE HOW CLOSE YOU WERE ON FUEL? “Nope. Basically since I came in for fuel, I thought I was safe to go to the end. Basically we risked a little bit more than that. At least we got it back on the in-lap. It doesn’t really make any difference at some point. As soon as I knew I was coming in, when I came out, I knew I had to push us. I knew the 99 was doing his own race in front of me. That was the main thing. Me against him.  We were about a half-of-a-lap apart. I got held a little bit in traffic, but for the most part, I was managing the speed and the traffic pretty good. So we were able to go ahead of them. Very nice
“Richard did an excellent job in his two stints. So half of the job was done by him already. So, brilliant!”
WESTBROOK: HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT FOR YOU TO HAVE THAT EARLY-RACE TRACK POSITION? “We did. We were going into the unknown. Everyone was. We didn’t know how the tires were going to hold up running under green for so long. Our car was excellent. We kept the track position. We filtered down the order when everyone short-filled. We really just had to keep our head, and wait for everyone else to pit. It could have gone the 99’s way if they had gotten the yellow. We thought about staying out and taking the risk. I am just delighted. I think it was a really good advertisement for DP racing this weekend, which is really important with the merger going on. I just want to thank everyone at Spirit of Daytona.”
WE’VE TALKED ABOUT THE LAST THREE RACES THAT SPEED WASN’T THE PROBLEM WITH YOUR TEAM, BUT I KNOW IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING. WAS THERE A TIME WHEN YOU STARTED TO DOUBT AS A TEAM THAT MAYBE IT WAS GOING TO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO GET BACK TO VICTORY LANE? “No, you never think that. It is really important that you stay professional, and keep your head up. When you fly back home, just to really try and forget about the last race and try to look forward to the next race. It did become difficult particularly after Montreal. But we came here nice and fresh. Got here nice and early. Got rid of the jet lag, and had a few rounds of gold. I am so relieved to have a trouble-free weekend.
GURNEY: “We hard fought for this finish. We came back from a penalty, and a problem in the pits. We definitely had a very quick car. At the end there, the guys had a strategy to see if actually we could get a yellow in the last few laps, didn’t happen. But even with that, we thought there was a chance we could get out ahead of the No. 90 after the last stop. But, I got caught up into the GT field and had four pretty slow laps there and that did it.”
BELL:  “Our crew chief Mike Johnson actually called it about halfway through the race. He just started laughing hysterically turned to us and said, ‘We’re going to win it.’ We were in 12th-place with a bumper falling off and already had one face lift done. Our engineers really put it together.”
EDWARDS: “I don’t think I’ve ever crashed so many times and won the race. I wasn’t too optimistic about getting a podium even halfway through the race. Slowly everyone started making mistakes and we found ourselves in the lead.”

RCR

RCR Post Race Report — NSCS

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

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. 

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