Summit Racing

Line’s Vacation Plans Include Return Trip to Sonoma Winner’s Circle

Line’s Vacation Plans Include Return Trip to Sonoma Winner’s Circle

Mooresville, N.C., July 25, 2012 – With only four days between races and virtually all of the Summit Racing team’s equipment on their two transporters headed west, reigning NHRA Full Throttle champion Jason Line joined millions of Americans in hitting the highway this week, taking a short vacation with his family.  Driving from Denver, the Lines’ itinerary included a visit with team owners Ken and Judy Black in Las Vegas before ending in the Napa Valley for this weekend’s NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

As Line describes, the road trip is a welcome opportunity to take a few moments away from the constant pressures of competition while also enjoying some quality time with those most important to him.

“With as busy as our schedule is throughout the course of the season, we don’t get to spend as much time with our families as we’d like, so we take advantage of any opportunity we can,” said Line.  “That’s why for the last few years our family has driven parts of the Western Swing.  It not only gives us a chance to spend time together, but we also get to visit some areas of the country that we haven’t seen before.  It’s always a lot of fun, and something we all look forward to every year.

“Driving so many hours also gives me plenty of time to think about things away from the race track, helping me arrive in Sonoma with a clear mind and ready to race my Summit Racing Camaro.  I’m getting tired of seeing other people win races, and would certainly like to do something about that this weekend.  This road trip could be just the ticket.”

Line can also derive some peace of mind from his record in Sonoma.  In only eight starts he has already amassed two wins in four final round appearances, becoming one of only six Pro Stock drivers with multiple wins in the California wine country, a total he would like to add to this weekend as teams make their final push for the championship playoffs, which start in just five races.

“There are a lot of reasons why we enjoy our race weekends in Sonoma,” said Line.  “First of all, it has been a great track for the Summit Racing team with conditions that suit our tune-up and both Greg and I scoring multiple wins there.  On top of that, it’s another one of Bruton Smith’s great tracks located in a really nice area, so we naturally look forward to going there.  This year we’ll also have Ken and Judy joining us, which always makes the weekend better for the entire team.

“Of course, based on our past successes there, we will have some high expectations going in to the weekend.  This is an important time of year for us as we get ready to defend our championship.  We have only a few races before the start of the playoffs, and even though we were locked in last week, we want to get as high a seeding as possible as well as making sure everything in our program is where it needs to be.  A win this weekend would go a long way towards helping both those areas, and besides, it’s about time we got our second Wally of the season.”

Summit Racing

Anderson Determined to Bounce Back in Sonoma

Anderson Determined to Bounce Back in Sonoma

Mooresville, N.C., July 25, 2012 – In the first nine races of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season, Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team were the picture of competitive excellence, winning four times in seven final round appearances, capped by their win in Englishtown, N.J. in the KB Racing team’s first race with the new Chevrolet Camaro.  Over the last four events, however, their pace has cooled somewhat, with only one final round coupled with a pair of uncharacteristically early exits.

Therefore, as he and his crew head to the scenic Napa Valley for this weekend’s NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Anderson looks for he and his team to return to their winning form, which he believes will come from addressing any problem areas that have cropped up in recent weeks.

“We were racing really well just a few races ago, but seem to have fallen off our game a little recently,” said Anderson.  “We need to get back on track, making better race day calls, with everyone concentrating on doing their jobs to the best of their abilities, racing smarter and getting as much as we can from every run.

“We also need to get some more performance from our Summit Racing Camaros.  Even though they have been extremely competitive right out of the box, we are still early in the process.  The bottom line is that we have a lot of work to do and a short time in which to get it done, so we’ll head to the friendly confines of Sonoma and see what we can do to rectify some of our issues.”

As Anderson alludes, one aspect seemingly working in the KB Racing team’s favor is the site of this weekend’s event.  Located just north of San Francisco in the California wine country, the Sonoma quarter-mile has been one of the four-time champion’s best tracks, with four wins (including last year’s event) in seven final round appearances and an elimination round win record exceeding 80 per cent.  Although this certainly provides a welcome boost to their confidence, it is also an opportunity that the team knows they must take advantage of.

“We always feel good going to Sonoma,” said Anderson.  “We’ve historically done well there, so I’m sure we can turn our operation around and produce a better product this weekend than we did in Denver.  The conditions there are better than the hot and humid tracks we go to during the summer, so we’ll have a lot more power and our Summit Racing Camaros will run faster, which seems to play into our hands.

“But even though we might feel comfortable when we race in the Napa Valley, we still have to go there and execute.  As strong as our competition is running at the moment, we can’t afford to give anything up, so we have to try and make quality runs every time down the track.  As one the tracks which is usually one of our strongest, we need to make the most of it this weekend.”

Jared Klick

Introducing Jared Klick

This is Jared first full season of racing. Jared just turned 14, July 8. Jared races in the Jr Hornet class which is a class for 11 to 15 year-olds. Jared races a 1984 Mustang GT that is powered by a 2.3 Ford with a 5-speed transmission.  So far he has 3 2nd place and 5 3rds.  We hope to get a win or two this year and our goal is to finish 2nd in points. He races at Callaway Raceway in Fulton Mo.



Subaru Road Racing Team

Subaru Road Racing Team Readies for Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Subaru Road Racing Team Readies for Indianapolis Motor Speedway
– Event marks GRAND-AM Racing’s inaugural visit to “The Brickyard” –

Phoenixville, PA. – July 25, 2012 – Subaru Road Racing Team (SRRT) drivers Andrew “A.J.” Aquilante and Bret Spaude will race Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, one of the most historic auto racing tracks in the world, as GRAND-AM Road Racing brings its two series to the world-famous “Brickyard.”
 
The SRRT #35 Subaru Impreza WRX STI is one of 36 cars in the Grand Sports class of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC). Adding in the Street Tuner class entries, the series boasts over 70 cars competing in the 2 ½-hour race on the 2.534-mile circuit at Indy, a fast layout that combines an infield road course integrated into the oval track used at the Indianapolis 500 and at Saturday’s Brickyard 400 for NASCAR teams.
 
The CTSCC race is the opening event of the Kroger Super Weekend at “The Brickyard”, an event which combines the two sports car shows on Friday with the NASCAR Nextel Cup race Saturday and Sunday.
 
“Testing here at Indy a few weeks ago gave us a great baseline performance to work off of and helps us better prepare for this race weekend,” said Joe Aquilante, owner of Phoenix Performance in Phoenixville, Pa., which prepares the team’s Subaru WRX STI race cars. “As always, quick and consistent pit work by our crew and prudent driving by AJ and Bret should help us pick up some positions.”
 
For the first time in the history of the series, the CTSCC teams will practice, qualify, and race in a five-hour span of the same day. The 2 ½-hour race takes the green flag Friday at 1 p.m. CT, and will be televised on SPEED TV Aug. 5 at noon ET.

Chevrolet Racing

CHEVY QUICK FACTS– Brickyard

CHEVY QUICK FACTS
GRAND-AM ROAD RACING
BRICKYARD GRAND PRIX – ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES
BRICKYARD SPORTS CAR CHALLENGE – CONTINENTAL TIRE SPORTS CAR CHALLENGE
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
July 27, 2012
 
INSIDE THE GRAND-AM GARAGE – JIM LUTZ, CHEVROLET RACING GRAND-AM ROAD RACING PROGRAM MANAGER:  “Being a part of the Super Weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a historic event for the Chevrolet Corvette DP and Camaro teams in GRAND-AM Road Racing.  Following the recent two-day Indy Brickyard F-1 course test, our teams came away with valuable information that has them very prepared for the one-day event on Friday.
 
“Also this race marks the final round of the North American Endurance Championship (NAEC) in the Rolex Sports Car Series.  The unique three-race championship contest within the year-long championship has added another exciting element for our Chevrolet teams.  The NAEC encompasses Rolex 24 At Daytona, Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and Super Weekend at the Brickyard.  The No. 9 Action Express Racing Corvette DP leads the Daytona Prototype NAEC standings by two points, while the Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R is leading the Rolex Series GT NAEC standings by five points.
 
“With Chevrolet leading the Manufacturers’ Standings in Daytona Prototype, and in contention in GT as well, currently sitting second, we need to keep the pressure on this weekend with strong performances in both classes.  And, we are looking forward to see the continued upward movement in the standings for our Camaro GS.R teams in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.
 
“It will be a challenging event with everything for both series compacted into one day, but we are up for the challenge and ready to go at the famous track.”
 
FOR THE FANS AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY:
·        Chevy Day at the Brickyard – Friday July 27
·        Team Chevy Driver Autograph Sessions – Fans can obtain a wristband for one of four Team Chevy driver autograph sessions.  Wristbands will be distributed on Friday at 8:00 a.m. at the Pagoda Plaza.  100 wristbands will be distributed for each autograph session
·        Chevy Day Ride Along Experiences – 150 ride along vouchers will be distributed to the first 150 consumers who register at the Team Chevy Racing Tour.  Consumers must report to the registration area at the Yard of Bricks by 11:45 a.m.  Ride Along experiences will run from 12 p.m. to 12:45 p.m.
·        Fans can check out great Chevrolet vehicles including: Sonic 5-Door, Camaro 45th Anniversary, Silverado Crew 1500, Cruze ECO, Traverse LTZ, Equinox 2LT, Tahoe 4WD LTZ, Corvette Grand Sport Convertible, Corvette Coupe, Sonic Sedan, Malibu ECO, Camaro 2SS Coupe, Camaro Convertible, Volt, Silverado 2500 HD, Silverado ZL1 short bed, Cruze LTZ, Suburban ½ ton, Spark, 2014 Impala, Malibu, Corvette ZR1, Camaro ZL1, Corvette Grand Sport 60th Anniversary, Camaro SS Coupe
·        Fans can also see a sample of engines, parts and accessories available for purchase from Chevrolet at their local Chevrolet dealer and show cars
·        Other activities at the Team Chevy Racing Display include a variety of interactive games for adults and kids
·        When fans register at the Team Chevy Racing Display they will receive a Team Chevy  t-shirt
 
TEAM CHEVY IN ROLEX SPORT CAR SERIES DAYTONA PROTOTYPE (DP):
·        No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP – Third (3rd) in team point standings
o   Drivers
§  David Donohue
§  Terry Borcheller

·        No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Racing Corvette DP – Fourth (4th) in team point standings (Two (2) wins)
o   Drivers
§  Antonio Garcia
§  Richard Westbrook

·        No. 9 Action Express Racing Corvette DP – Sixth (6th) in team point standings (Two (2) wins)
o   Drivers
§  Joao Barbosa
§  Darren Law
 
·        No. 10 SunTrust Racing Corvette DP – Seventh (7th) in team point standings (Two (2) wins)
o   Drivers
§  Max Angelelli
Ricky Taylor

·        No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP – Eighth (8th) in team point standings
o   Drivers
§  Alex Gurney
§  Jon Fogarty

DAYTONA PROTOTYPE ENGINE STANDINGS – AFTER 8 OF 13 RACES
1.     CHEVROLET – 264 (6 wins)
2.     FORD – 239 (1 win)
3.     BMW – 236 (1 win)
 
TEAM CHEVY IN ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES GRAND TOURING (GT):
·        No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R – Second (2nd) in team point standings (One (1) win)
o   Drivers
·        Robin Liddell
·        John Edwards
 
·        No. 88 Autohaus Motorsports Camaro GT.R – Eighth (8th) in team point standings (One (1) win)
o   Drivers
·        Bill Lester
·        Jordan Taylor
 
·        No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette – 15th in team point standings
o   Drivers
·        Eric Curran
·        Boris Said
 
·        No. 75 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R – 19th in team point standings
o   Drivers
·        Matt Bell
·        Ronnie Bremer

GRAND TOURING MANUFACTURER STANDINGS – AFTER 8 OF 13 RACES
       1. Ferrari, 253 (3)
2. Chevrolet, 240 (2)
3. Mazda, 231 (1)
4. Porsche, 225 (1)
5. BMW, 221 (1)
6. Audi, 144
7. Ford, 45
 
TEAM CHEVY IN CONTINENTAL TIRE SPORTS CAR CHALLENGE GRAND SPORT (GS):
o   No. 01 CKS Autosport Camaro GS.R – Fourth (4th) in team point standings
o   Drivers
§  Eric Curran
§  Lawson Aschenbach

o   No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GS.R – Sixth (6th) in team point standings
o   Drivers
§  Matt Bell
§  John Edwards

o   No. 6 Mitchum Motorsports Camaro GS.R – 14th in team point standings
o   Drivers
§  Tim Bell
§  Gunter Schaldach

o   No. 00 CKS Autosport Camaro GS. R – 15th in team point standings
o   Drivers
§  Ashley McCalmont
§  Brett Sandberg

o   No. 62 Mitchum Motorsports Camaro GS.R – 17th  in team point standings
o   Drivers
§  Jeff Bucknum
§  George Richardson

GRAND SPORT MANUFACTURER STANDINGS- AFTER 7 OF 10 RACES
1. Porsche, 214 (4 wins)
2. BMW, 196
3. Ford, 195 (2 wins)
4. Chevrolet, 182
5. Aston Martin, 135
6. Subaru, 118 (1 win)
7. Nissan, 53
 
EVENT DETAILS:
·        BRICKYARD GRAND PRIX – ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES
o   Qualifying: July 27th  – DP: 11:15 – 11:30 AM ET; GT: 11:35 – 11:50 AM ET
o   Race: July 27, 2012, 4:10 PM ET
o   Duration: 3 Hours
o   Television: Live – SPEED TV – July 27, 2012,  4:00 PM – 7:30 PM ET

·        BRI
CKYARD SPORTS CAR CHALLENGE – CONTINENTAL TIRE SPORTS CAR CHALLENGE
o   Qualifying: July 27th  – GS: 9:15 – 9:30 AM ET
o   Race – GS: July 27th –  1:00 PM ET
o   Duration: 2.5 hrs.
o   Television: Tape delay on SPEED TV – Sunday August 5, 2012, NOON – 2:00 PM ET
 
About Chevrolet
 
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
 

4Turbo

4Turbo Still Excelling!

I am pleased to announce another successful weekend by 4Turbo’s Subaru Impreza race car driven by Tomasz Nagórski. This weekend it was IXth and Xth round of Polish Hill-Climb Championship in Sienna. The shortest course of the season has very tricky mixture of very fast section in the beginning with very tight hairpin near the end, which combined with very much deteriorated road surface proved a challenge to many teams and car as the whole weekend was plagued with spectacular accidents and mechanical failures. We managed to win both race runs on Saturday beating the course record in the first of the by 1.159 seconds. Second day was less successful as broken driveshaft caused Tomasz to only limp the car to 4th overall. Still the lead in the championship is as big as before this weekend and prospects look good before two final weekends. Of these first will be international round in Banovce, Slovakia in two weeks.


Honda Racing

Honda Racing–Birthday Boys Celebrate in Canada

Birthday Boys Celebrate in Canada
The HPD-powered Muscle Milk Pickett Racing duo of Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr continued its winning
ways Sunday at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, taking its fourth consecutive
American Le Mans Series overall and LMP1 victory of 2012, on a weekend when both drivers also
celebrated birthdays.

After starting from the pole, Luhr took a lead the team would not relinquish in his HPD ARX-03a when
outside front-row starter Chris Dyson was penalized for jumping the green flag. Once in front, Luhr and
Graf were never headed, leading by nearly two laps until a penalty for having too many men over the wall
on a pit stop, followed by a late-race caution period, reduced their advantage to just over 10 seconds at
the finish.

The win was the third for the team at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, formerly known as Mosport
International Raceway, and the fourth consecutive this season for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing, continuing
a winning streak that began in April at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. It came on a weekend during which
Graf celebrated his 43rd birthday by claiming the pole on Saturday, while Luhr overcame pain from an
ankle injury, sustained in a fall on Saturday, to mark his 33rd birthday in Victory Circle on Sunday.
In LMP2, the long winning streak of Level 5 Motorsports came to an end, after a late-race penalty
dropped the HPD ARX-03b of Christophe Bouchut and Scott Tucker to second behind the Conquest
Racing machine of David Heinemeier Hansson and Martin Plowman.

Prior to the penalty, called when Bouchut was judged to have crossed the pit exit line as he challenged
for the lead during the final five minutes, the LMP2 battle was a highlight of the three-and-a-half hour
contest. The two rivals exchanged the class lead several times and, when the green flag waved for the
final time with 12 minutes to go after a full-course caution period, Plowman held a narrow lead for
Conquest over Bouchut in the Level 5 HPD.

The turning point came when Bouchut crossed over the yellow line separating the pit lane exit from the
racing surface, resulting in a stop-and-go penalty that determined the outcome.

Midway through the 10-race 2012 season, HPD and its partner teams and drivers continue to lead their
respective championships. In LMP1, Graf and Luhr hold a 12-point lead over the Dyson Racing duo of
Chris Dyson and Guy Smith; while in LMP2, Bouchut and Tucker own a 12-point lead over Hansson and
Plowman.
The series continues August 4 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the midwestern “home” for HPD’s
racing efforts, with thousands of associates from three nearby Honda of America Manufacturing facilities
and Ohio-based Honda R&D Americas expected to attend.

Klaus Graf (#6 Muscle Milk Racing HPD ARX-03a) Finished 1st overall, 1st in LMP1; fourth
consecutive win for HPD and Muscle Milk Pickett Racing in 2012: “You don’t want to lose
concentration and focus. It’s imperative that you stay ‘on it’, do the job you have to do, get in the groove
and turn competitive lap times. Sometimes a big lead is harder to manage than if you have to push all the
way. Winning here again, for the third time in a row and our fourth consecutive race win this year, means
a lot for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing and our partners HPD and Michelin. We couldn’t ask for more this
weekend, Canada has always been good to us.”

Lucas Luhr (#6 Muscle Milk Racing HPD ARX-03a) 1st overall, 1st in LMP1: “I think we were fully in
control of the race. We made a good strategy call in the beginning to save some fuel. That allowed us to
do the race on just two stops. The others had to stop three times, so it was a big advantage for us. It’s
great to win our fourth race in a row. The guys keep on doing an awesome job and it’s great to be able to
reward them with a win.”

Steve Eriksen (Vice President, Honda Performance Development) on Sunday’s race at Canadian Tire
Motorsports Park: “It was another great result for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing, as they continued to
demonstrate superiority at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. Congratulations to Klaus and Lucas and the
entire team for another outstanding performance. LMP2 was an exciting contest, and while Scott and
Christophe came up just short of yet another victory, they continue to set the standard for performance in
the category. It’s great to see both the teams and HPD solidify their leads in the championships, and we
look forward to giving our Ohio-based associates the opportunity to cheer for their teams in two weeks at
Mid-Ohio.”
###

Race Winners

Race Winners Week Ending 7/22/12

NHRA
Top Fuel — Antron Brown
Funny Car — Jack Beckman
Pro Stock — Allen Johnson
Pro Stock Motorcycle — Eddie Krawiec
Super Stock — Dan Fletcher
Stock Eliminator — Michael Brand
Super Comp — A.J. Percival, Dragster
Super Gas — Ken Harkema
Super Street — Joey Horan
F1
German Grand Prix- Fernando Alonso
KN SERIES
Jegs 150- Cale Conley
World of Outlaws
Summer Nationals – Craig Dollansky
ARCA
Ansell ActivArmr 150- Kevin Swindell
Nascar
Nationwide Series- STP 300- Elliott Sadler
Camping World Truck Series- American Ethanol 225- James Buescher
IndyCar
Edmonton Indy- Helio Castroneves

RCR

RCR Post Race Report — Chicagoland Speedway– Nationwide Series

RCR Post Race Report — Chicagoland Speedway
 
 
NASCAR Nationwide Series
STP 300
Chicagoland Speedway
July 22, 2012
 
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished first (Elliott Sadler), sixth (Austin Dillon) and 28th (Brendan Gaughan).
Sadler leads the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver championship point standings over Dillon by 11 points. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. ranks third, followed by Sam Hornish Jr. and Justin Allgaier.
The No. 2 Chevrolet team is second in the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings, 16 points shy of the No. 18 car’s lead, with the No. 3 team third in the standings and the No. 33 team sixth.
Dillon leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings over Cole Whitt.
Elliott Sadler won the $100,000 Nationwide Insurance Dash 4 Cash bonus, defeating eligible drivers Stenhouse, Hornish and Dillon. Sadler qualified for the next Dash 4 Cash race and the chance to win an additional $100,000 bonus at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 28.
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Sadler ranked second in the Driver Rating category (122.8) and posted the Fastest Lap of the Race for 23 circuits.
Dillon led the field in the Closers category, advancing four positions in the last 10 percent of the race, was the second-Fastest Driver Early in a Run (168.187 mph), third-Fastest on Restarts and maintained the third-best Average Running Position (4.786).
Dillon spent 100 percent of the laps running in the top 15.
Gaughan led the field in Green-Flag Passes (72) and Quality Passes (64).
Sadler earned his third Nationwide Series win of the season and was followed to the finish line by Stenhouse, Allgaier, Kenny Wallace and Michael Annett.
The next scheduled Nationwide Series race is the Indy 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 28. The 19th race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Tim Allison Racing

Tim Allison Update

This weekend we were at Eldora Speedway for our 2 day show for the Kings Royal weekend.  We have struggled in the past there since they changed the dirt and the banking on the track a few years ago, but overall we had a pretty decent weekend after is was all said and done and brought everything home all in one piece.

We had great hot weather and standing room only.  We had 30 cars on Friday night and we got to qualify which we don’t get to do much.  We qualified 4th overall and ran 2nd in our heat race and finished 4th in the feature, another great run for the team and again a big step in the right direction from the years past.
 
Then on Saturday night we again had 30 cars and we qualified again and we qualified 13th quick overall and ran 3rd in our hea.  We started 13th and finished 7th on Saturday night.
 
This coming weekend we will be at Limaland Speedway for our big 77th year anniversary race for the track. Saturday we travel to Crystal Motor Speedway in Crystal Michigan.

Dyson Racing

Dyson Racing–Claw Backs

Claw Backs

BOWMANVILLE, ONT July 22, 2012 – Dyson Racing owned most of the real estate on the podium at the end of the two hour and forty-five minute Mobil 1 Presents the Grand Prix of Mosport. Chris Dyson and Guy Smith came in second in the #16 Mazda-powered ModSpace entry and the #20 sister car of Eric Lux and Tony Burgess finished third in P1 and fifth overall.

It was a fighting back race. The #20 car made up six spots from its lowest race position after yellows and a stop and go penalty dropped it to eleventh in the first part of the race, and Guy Smith made a fight of it at the end, taking large chunks out of the lead of the Muscle Milk car after the last yellow period ended eleven minutes from the end. He set his personal best and the race’s second fastest lap on lap 113 of the 117 lap race. At race end, he was ten seconds back.

Smith noted that “the car was good at the end. We made a lot of changes throughout the race with tire splits and tire combinations. When I got in the car, it felt pretty good – certainly the best it has been all weekend. After the restart on the last yellow, we were forty seconds behind. Then they said I was twenty-five behind and then fifteen seconds. I kept on pushing because you want to be there to take advantage of any problems they may have at the end.”

“It was a good weekend,” summed up Lux. “I am learning how this car works and this is my best race so far with Dyson Racing. I can’t say enough about the job Tony (Burgess) did in the car having never turned a lap in it until this weekend. He got up to speed quickly in the first practice session. That says a lot about the car the Dyson crew gave us off the truck and also Tony’s knowledge of this track. It was a pleasure driving the Dyson car with Tony this weekend.”
“I could have raced that car all day,” Burgess said. “Half-way through the stint you get to really know the car and then you can do all kind of things with it. I had a good race with one error in terms of pit speed. I am glad we gave the Canadian fans a good show today: they are some of the most dedicated fans out there.”

“If they had stumbled we would have been right there at the end,” said Dyson. “We really unlocked some performance on our last compound combination of Dunlops, and this gives us a big step in the right direction for our next race. Eric continues to impress us with his composure, speed and ability. We were thrilled with the job Tony did. We have raced together for a long time and it was nice to have him in the team. He gave us a good run and we are looking forward to having him at Elkhart Lake.”

Summit Racing

Second Round Finish, Playoff Spot Not Enough for Anderson in Denver

Second Round Finish, Playoff Spot Not Enough for Anderson in Denver
Event:  33rd annual Mile-High NHRA Nationals

Location: Bandimere Speedway, Morrison, Colorado

Day/Date: Sunday, July 22, 2012

After struggling in qualifying, Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson knew his team would need to show improvement in order to contend in Sunday’s NHRA Mile-High Nationals in Denver, Colo.  Starting from the ninth position, the KB Racing driver responded to the challenge in the first round, using a stellar .014 reaction time to gain the advantage on arch rival Jeg Coughlin and never looked back, stepping up to a 6.978-second elapsed time and 197.28 mph top speed to gain the round win.

Anderson’s reward for his strong opening performance was an encounter with Allen Johnson, who had qualified No. 1 and been the dominant car throughout the weekend.  Although the four-time champion was able to make a solid 6.988-second, 197.13 mph pass, it was not enough to eclipse his opponent 6.945-second, 198.15 mph effort.  Despite being the first driver in the Pro Stock category to lock into this year’s Full Throttle championship playoff, he was more concerned with his team’s performance in the trying conditions at Bandimere Speedway.

“We knew coming into this race that since we did not test here, we would be a little behind the eight ball,” said Anderson. “As a result, we needed every run we could make, and when we missed that first qualifying pass, we found ourselves fighting to catch up, and just ran out of runs.  Because we struggled in qualifying we had to run the toughest car on the grounds in the second round, and we needed a couple more passes worth of tuning data to really take the fight to him.

“The news wasn’t all bad, as our Summit Racing Camaro was able to get an important first round win, which was the bright spot of our weekend.  It’s always a big deal when we race that yellow Mopar, and it’s a good day any time we can take him out.  Still, we’re disappointed with our overall performance, and it shows that we have a real issue with the mountain. It’s expensive to come up here and test, and it doesn’t guarantee anything, but you can mark it down that we will be here next year, doing whatever we can do to find the right tune-up.”

Summit Racing

Line Battles to Semifinal Finish in Denver, Claims Playoff Spot

Line Battles to Semifinal Finish in Denver, Claims Playoff Spot  

Event:  33rd annual Mile-High NHRA Nationals

Location: Bandimere Speedway, Morrison, Colorado

Day/Date: Sunday, July 22, 2012

Entering Sunday’s final eliminations of the NHRA Mile-High Nationals in Denver, Colo., Jason Line and the Summit Racing Camaro crew knew they had their work cut out for them racing in the thin air at Bandimere Speedway, conditions that the team had fought en route to their fifth starting position.  Fortunately, the elevated temperatures the team had dealt with throughout qualifying abated slightly on Sunday, allowing Line to shave four hundredths off his best elapsed time, covering the quarter-mile in 6.948 seconds with a top speed of 197.10 mph in his first round defeat of newcomer Deric Kramer.

In the second round, Line used a nearly two hundredths of a second starting line advantage to overcome a mechanical issue and post a 7.011-second time to hold off veteran Ron Krisher, who recorded a 6.996-second time, for the holeshot win, advancing to the semifinals for the ninth time in this season’s 13 races.

The final obstacle between Line and his third Bandimere final round was No. 1 qualifier Allen Johnson, who had posted the quickest elapsed time in every qualifying session as well as the the first two rounds of eliminations.  Once again, Line gained the edge at the starting line, using a nearly-perfect .007 light to leave nearly two hundredths of a second ahead of his opponent.  Unfortunately, his 6.971-second, 196.64 mph pass fell just shy of holding off his rival’s 6.936-second pass, putting an early end to his day.

Even though his performance allowed the reigning Pro Stock champion to secure his position in this year’s Countdown to the Championship playoff, he was nevertheless disappointed at not being able to score his second win of the 2012 season.

“For some reason, we just never got a good handle on the mountain this weekend” said Line.  “We did not test here before the race and the two cars that ended up in the final (Johnson defeated Coloradan V. Gaines for the win) did, which obviously helped them. Even though we ended up with a decent day, you hate to give any of them up.

“We’ll leave here and go to Sonoma, where the conditions better suit our tune up and hopefully we can rebound and put one of these Summit Racing Camaros in the winner’s circle.”

Honda Racing

Sato Second in Thrilling Edmonton Finish

Sato Second in Thrilling Edmonton Finish
In his strongest IZOD IndyCar Series performance since May’s Indianapolis 500, Takuma Sato chased
eventual race winner Helio Castroneves throughout the final 20 laps at Sunday’s Edmonton Indy, finishing
less than one second behind for the best result of his IndyCar career.

Starting third, Sato joined early race leader Alex Tagliani and Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti in a
1-2-3 Honda train at the front of the 25-car field, through the first round of pit stops. By half-distance in
the 75-lap race, Castroneves had joined the lead pack, while Tagliani went on to lead a race-high 49 laps.
The final round of pit stops saw Castroneves, Tagliani and Sato all running nose-to-tail, but Tagliani
ultimately faded to a fifth-place finish. Over the final laps, it was Sato challenging Castroneves several
times during every tour of the 2.5-mile temporary airport circuit. But Castoneves, with a bit more of his
“push-to-pass” options in reserve for the finish, was able to hold off Sato’s advances by just over eighttenths
of a second at the checkers.

Graham Rahal came on strong in the second half of the contest to pass both fellow Chip Ganassi Racing
driver Franchitti and Tagliani in the closing laps and finish fourth, his third top-four result of the season.
Tagliani held on for fifth, his best result of the season as the Bryan Herta Autosport team continues to
improve after a mid-season switch to Honda power.

Franchitti battled handling issues to finish sixth, with Texas race winner Justin Wilson ninth for Dale
Coyne Racing and Scott Dixon overcoming an early race electronics problem to round out the top 10 for
Honda and Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

Chevrolet Racing

Chevrolet Racing– Edmonton Indy Wrapup


Helio Castroneves Wins Edmonton Indy; Scores his Second Victory of the Season, and Eighth Win for Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Engine
 
EDMONTON, Alta., CANADA (July 22, 2012) – Helio Castroneves powered his No. 3 Penske Truck Rental Chevrolet to Victory Lane in the Edmonton Indy. It was his second win of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season and the 27th of the Team Penske driver’s career. The win was the eighth of the year for the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 engine, and extended Chevrolet’s lead in the Series’ Manufacturers’ Championship with 11 of 15 races in the books.
 
Castroneves teammate Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, finished third giving Team Chevy two of the three podium positions for the 75-lap race on the 2.224-mile, 13-turn temporary circuit on the Edmonton City Centre Airport.
 
“Congratulations to Helio Castroneves and the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet on their second win of the season,” said Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series.  “And a strong third place finish by Will Power. It was a true team effort with Helio’s over-the-wall crew having an exceptional day on pit lane, brilliant pit strategy from John Erickson and Ron Ruzewski, and of course Helio’s smooth consistency throughout the race.  It was a yellow-free race that showcased all of the elements of great racing; preparedness, strategy and execution.
 
“It is a tremendous accomplishment for Chevrolet, our technical partners and our teams to have scored eight wins to this point of the season.  We are very proud of the dedicated effort, and focus to get the Chevrolet IndyCar V6 engine in Victory Lane.  
 
“With the season winding down, we are looking forward to a great championship battle in the final four races of the season”
 
Castroneves, who started fifth in the 25-car field, led 22 laps in the caution-free race. The win moved him to second in the standings with four races remaining.
 
A total of four Team Chevy drivers finished in the top-10 at Edmonton. Points leader and pole winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, finished seventh. Ryan Briscoe, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, took the checkered flag in eighth position.
 
Chevrolet IndyCar V6 drivers continue to hold down four of the top-five spots in the Driver Standings. Hunter-Reay leads Castroneves by 23 points with Power in third, just three points behind Castroneves.  James Hinchcliffe, No. 27 Team GoDaddy.com Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, is fifth in points.

Chevrolet Racing

CHEVROLET INDYCAR V-6 FAST FACTS

CHEVROLET INDYCAR V-6
FAST FACTS
EDMONTON INDY
EDMONTON CITY CENTRE AIRPORT TEMPORARY COURSE
JULY 22, 2012
 
·        A total of 13 Chevrolet IndyCar V6-powered drivers will take the green flag for the Edmonton Indy
 
·        Team Chevy drivers starting in the top-10:
o   Ryan Briscoe, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet – 2nd

o   Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Penske Truck Rental Chevrolet – 5th
o   Rubens Barrichello, No. 8 BMC-Embrase KV Racing Technology Chevrolet – 7th
o   James Hinchcliffe, No. 27 Team GoDaddy.com Andretti Autosport Chevrolet – 9th
o   NOTE: Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, was the pole winner, but will start 11th due to 10 grid position penalty for unapproved engine change
§  Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, qualified 7th, but will start 17th due to 10 grid position penalty for unapproved engine change
§  Oriol Servia, No. 22 Panther/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet, qualified 20th, but will start 24th due to grid position penalty for unapproved engine change
 
·        Two (2) current Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 drivers have victories in the Edmonton Indy:
o   Sebastien Bourdais – 2005, 2007
o   Will Power – 2009, 2011
 
·        After 10 races, six (6) Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 drivers are in the top-10 in the standings:
1.  Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda Andretti Autosport Chevrolet,    335 (3 wins)
2.  Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, 301 (3 wins)
3.  Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Penske Truck Rental Chevrolet, 289 (1 win)
5.  James Hinchcliffe, No. 27 Team Go.Daddy.com Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, 268
6.  Tony Kanaan, No. 11 GEICO/MOUSER Electronics KV Racing Technology Chevrolet, 267
9.  Ryan Briscoe, No. 2 PPG Automotive Refinish Team Penske Chevrolet, 217
                        10. Oriol Servia, No. 22 Panther/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet, 215
 
·        The all-new Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 engine has won seven (7) of the 10 races to-date in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Season:
o   Streets of St. Petersburg – Helio Castroneves
o   Barber Motorsports Park – Will Power
o   Streets of Long Beach – Will Power
o   Streets of Sao Paulo – Will Power
o   Milwaukee Mile – Ryan Hunter-Reay
o   Iowa Speedway – Ryan Hunter-Reay
o   Streets of Toronto – Ryan Hunter-Reay

RCR

RCR Post Race Report — Chicagoland Speedway– Camping World Truck Series

RCR Post Race Report — Chicagoland Speedway
 
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series   
RACE: American Ethanol 225  
TRACK: Chicagoland Speedway   
DATE: July 21, 2012  
 
Race Highlights:       
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished second (Brendan Gaughan), 12th (Ty Dillon) and 15th (Joey Coulter).
Dillon ranks second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings, trailing leader Timothy Peters by 23 points, while Coulter ranks eighth in the standings.
The No. 3 Chevrolet team is second in the Camping World Truck Series owner championship point standings, 23 points shy of the No. 17 truck’s lead, with the No. 2 team seventh in the standings and the No. 22 team ninth.
Dillon leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings ahead of Cale Gale.
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Gaughan earned the highest Driver Rating (140.9), Dillon earned a rating of 110.0 ranking him fourth, and Coulter scored a 98.6 placing him seventh amongst the competitors.
Dillon and Gaughan spent 100 percent of the 150-lap affair running in the top 15, while Coulter spent 76.0 percent running in the top 15.
Gaughan earned the series’ best Average Running Position (1.887), while Dillon and Coulter maintained the third (5.380) and seventh (7.789) Average Running Position, respectively.
Combined, the three RCR entries posted the fastest lap of the race for 44 laps, Gaughan earned 24 of those laps, Coulter with 16 laps and Dillon with four laps.
Coulter made 70 Green Flag Passes during the 150-lap event ranking him fourth overall.
James Buescher won the American Ethanol 225 and was followed to the finish line by Gaughan, Timothy Peters, Matt Crafton and Parker Kligerman.
The next scheduled Camping World Truck Series race is Pocono Mountains 125 at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, Aug. 4. The 11th race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on SPEED beginning at 12:30p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on Motor Racing Network beginning at 1 p.m.

World of Outlaws

Kinser Earns $10,000 Bonus

Kinser Earns $10,000 Bonus for Leading Outlaws Points Halfway
A total of $55,000 was split between the top 10 World of Outlaws teams
 
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – July 21, 2012 – Steve Kinser was presented with a $10,000 bonus as part of the Goodyear midseason points fund for leading halfway through the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series season.
Kinser received the honor in front of a packed crowd Saturday at the Summer Nationals at Williams Grove Speedway – the first race since the midpoint of the season.

“At least it means you’re up there in the points battled and there’s no better place to be than leading the thing,” he said. “That little extra money doesn’t hurt anything, I can tell you that.”

A total of $55,000 was distributed among the top 10 World of Outlaws teams.

World of Outlaws

Darrah Delivers for Outlaws at Williams Grove Summer Nationals

Darrah Delivers for Outlaws at Williams Grove Summer Nationals
The Pennsylvania native picks up his first World of Outlaws feature win of the season
 
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – July 21, 2012 – Vindication. Atonement. Redemption.
Cody Darrah doesn’t mind what his performance on Saturday is called because he ended the night covered in confetti in Victory Lane. Darrah captured his first World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series feature win of the season at the 11th annual Summer Nationals at Williams Grove Speedway – site of his first career Outlaws victory in 2009.

Sandwiched between those signature wins at a home track located a little more than a half hour from where he grew up, Darrah’s life has been a roller coaster.

“It’s awesome to be back home and it’s even better to be on the frontstretch,” Darrah said. “I got my first World of Outlaws win at this race in 2009 back in my dad’s car. It’s been a long road since then. We’ve had struggles.”

Following the 2009 victory – another Summer Nationals event – Darrah was signed by NASCAR notable Kasey Kahne to pilot one of his sprint cars only to be devastated by a car crash on the way to the 2010 season opener.

Darrah returned from a broken leg near the end of the 2010 season for a handful of races before gutting through an up-and-down campaign last year. However, Darrah has found consistency throughout this season and he showcased it on a cool Saturday night in front of a nearly packed facility.

After Friday’s opening round of the Summer Nationals was rained out, Darrah and the rest of the drivers were greeted with a wet track for most of Saturday. There wasn’t much passing and track position was pivotal until the feature.

Darrah qualified 11th quickest of the 45 competitors to make the inversion. He then led all eight laps of his heat race after starting on the outside of the front row. That locked him into the dash, which he also started second after the No. 6 was draw for the dash inversion.

Darrah finished second to Gerard McIntyre, who claimed his first career World of Outlaws dash to earn the pole for the 30-lap feature. It didn’t take long for Darrah to find the lead, which he never relinquished.

By the time the duo crossed the flag stand under the green flag, Darrah had the advantage. He began to pull away only to be slowed on the second lap for the first of seven cautions.

Jason Sides slid by McIntyre for the runner-up position on the restart as Darrah checked out. However, ninth-running Danny Holtgraver got into the wall in turn three on the fifth lap to bring out another caution.

Seventh-running Craig Dollansky spun in turn two on the restart, Fred Rahmer flipped violently down the backstretch on lap six while competing with Sammy Swindell just outside the top 10 and eighth-running Stevie Smith flipped in turn one on that restart to prompt an open red before the feature had completed six green-flag laps.

Dollansky then flipped in turn four on lap 13 and later crashed hard at the end of the backstretch on lap 20 to bring out two more red flags, which erased several car length leads for Darrah, who didn’t mind.

“I really needed the race to play out the way it did without lapped traffic,” he said. “Everything kind of worked in our favor tonight, so I’ll take it.”

The cautions also allowed several cars in the back to make runs toward the front of the field. Lucas Wolfe, World of Outlaws championship standings lead Steve Kinser, Donny Schatz, Cory Haas and Kerry Madsen each made a bid at a top 10 after starting 21st or worse.

Wolfe capitalized on a late rally to finish sixth after starting 22nd, Kinser charged from 23rd to seventh, Schatz ended 11 th after starting 25th, Haas advanced from 21st to 10th and Kerry Madsen earned the KSE Hard Charger Award after maneuvering from 27th to ninth.

Meanwhile, Sides held off Greg Hodnett in a close battle that didn’t decide second place until the checkered flag.

“Our car we kind of set it up for the bottom,” Sides said. “I know that some of the other guys like Hodnett and them got to running pretty good around the top. They were catching us. We’re just happy to be here in second.”

For Hodnett, it was his third podium finish in as many World of Outlaws races at Williams Grove Speedway this season.

“I think we were a little bit faster than Jason,” he said. “He was just wide enough where I couldn’t get by and I didn’t want to crash. We made the best of it.”

Kraig Kinser was fourth and Adam Wilt rounded out the top five.

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