World of Outlaws

Sweet Sails to First World of Outlaws Victory at Clay County Cup

Sweet Sails to First World of Outlaws Victory at Clay County Cup
The Kasey Kahne Racing driver leads the final 15 laps at Clay County Fairgrounds
 
SPENCER, Iowa – June 8, 2012 – Rather than the traditional wing dance, Brad Sweet jumped on the first part of his car he could get ahold of in a boisterous celebration at Clay County Fairgrounds.

Sweet, a NASCAR driver who can’t be kept away from the dirt, picked up his first career World of Outlaws victory in front of an electric crowd Friday at the Clay County Cup.

“It’s like, ‘Finally!'” he said after nearly climbing on the hood of his sprint car in Victory Lane. “We’ve been out here for a couple of years trying to get this. We’ve led so many laps and came so close so many times, so to finally get the monkey off my back I feel like we’re getting some momentum coming into the good summer months and I feel like we can win some more.”

In addition to competing part-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this season, Sweet has made a handful of starts with World of Outlaws for Kasey Kahne Racing. He made the most of Friday’s opportunity with a powerful move to the lead during a restart on lap 16.

Sweet, who narrowly trailed polesitter Jason Sides for the first half of the 30-lap feature, rode the cushion around the track to perfection. While the duo entered turns three and four side by side, they exited with Sweet rocketing to the top spot at exactly the midpoint of the race.

“I know Jason real well,” he said. “I’ve raced against Jason a lot. He’s a clean racer and he’s really committed to the bottom most of the time. I felt like that top was getting cleaner and cleaner. Once he bobbled and I got a little bit more clean air on my nose, it was like I could run a little bit harder and feel a little bit more stuck on that cushion.”

Sweet pulled away to a sizeable margin and won by nearly a straightaway on the 3/8-mile oval. Meanwhile Sides fell to fifth after Sweet took the lead. Sides, who was riddled with four cautions while leading the first 15 laps of the feature, had to regroup in the closing laps and he was able to maneuver his way back to second place.

“We were good on the bottom,” Sides said. “When Sweet got by us there we actually tried the top and through the middle and stuff, and it wasn’t any good for us. I had to get back to the bottom and by that time we’d lost a few spots.

“I knew that we were good enough to be up there. I just had to calm myself down and get back to running my groove and hitting the marks that I needed to hit.”

After a three-way battle with Sweet and Sides for much of the first half of the race, Mark Dobmeier rounded out the podium.

“Sweet was running the top and Sides was running the bottom, and they were both good at their lanes so I just didn’t have a lane to get around them,” he said after placing third. “To be honest, it was a very racy track. We ran side by side for several laps there, so you couldn’t ask for much better of a track.”

The trio put on a dazzling show from the drop of the green flag on the dusty track. Their three-way battle for the lead was only slowed by a handful of cautions before the second half of the race went caution free.

Joey Saldana, who is fifth in the championship standings, was part of a seven-car crash on the frontstretch of the opening lap. Saldana’s car was towed to the pits, along with the race cars of Danny Lasoski, Terry McCarl, Davey Heskin and Jody Rosenboom. Lucas Wolfe and Austen Wheatley were able to continue after sustaining minor damage in the accident.

The race was then delayed on the eighth lap when Wheatley jumped the cushion in turns one and two. On the restart, Cody Darrah spun entering turn three and Wolfe had nowhere to go, sliding into Darrah.

The final caution came on lap 16 when Ian Madsen stopped on the frontstretch. That gave Sweet the opening he needed.

“It’s such a big relief to get this win and it feels really good for me and all my guys,” Sweet said. “Now I know what it takes to win these races and I should be able to get more I hope.”

Chad Kemenah, who drove from eighth and was running second with three laps remaining, finished fourth and Kerry Madsen was fifth. Sammy Swindell placed sixth and World of Outlaws championship standings leader Steve Kinser rallied from 21st to finish seventh to earn the KSE Hard Charger Award. Donny Schatz advanced from 22nd to eighth, Kraig Kinser was ninth and Brian Brown rounded out the top 10.

Saldana was the quickest in qualifying with a lap of 13.926 seconds. Sides, Ian Madsen and Dobmeier each claimed a heat race, and Craig Dollansky won the Last Chance Showdown.

Honda Racing

Honda Racing Report–Firestone 550–Texas Motor Speedway

Honda Racing Report
Friday, June 8, 2012
Firestone 550 Qualifying Report”
Circuit:                 Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval) Fort Worth, TX
2011 Winners:     Will Power (Team Penske Honda) 206.639 mph average [Race 2]
Dario Franchitti (Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) 181.649 mph average [Race 1]
Weather:              Mostly sunny, warm, 88 degrees

Tagliani Repeats Texas Pole Run

In repeat performances of their 2011 efforts, Honda-powered Alex Tagliani and Dario Franchitti qualified 1-2 Friday at Texas Motor Speedway, in preparation for Saturday night’s Firestone 550 IZOD IndyCar Series race. Last year, the pair also qualified first and second, with Franchitti going on to win the first race of a unique twin-event format used here in 2011, and Tagliani finishing fourth.

This year’s race marks a return to the traditional single, 228-lap format. Graham Rahal and Scott Dixon gave Honda a lock on the first four starting positions. For Rahal, the third starting position is his best of 2012, while Dixon continued his run of strong qualifying performances this year. The two-time series champion has qualified sixth or better at six of seven events in 2012.

Mike Conway qualified eighth for A.J. Foyt Racing, his fourth top-10 qualifying effort of the season, and Indianapolis 500 star Takuma Sato will start 10th for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Rookie points leader Simon Pagenaud just missed a top-10 start, qualifying 11th for Schmidt Hamilton Racing.

Television coverage for the first Saturday night race of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series will air on the NBC Sports Network, starting at 8 p.m. EDT.

Alex Tagliani (#98 Bryan Herta Autosport Honda) pole qualifier, his 1st pole of 2012 and 8th career IndyCar pole; also pole qualifier at Texas Motor Speedway in 2011: “It’s pretty clear to see that for the team, once we got back with Honda, we’re a threat every race weekend. I feel good. Our championship started at Indy, and to be on the pole here is a great boost to the morale of the entire team. The car’s good, and the Honda engine is producing good power at every boost level. We’re stoked to be back with them; it makes a big difference.”

Honda Racing

Skilton, Honda Performance Development Desert Pilot

Skilton, Honda Performance Development Desert Pilot
Celebrate Baja 500 Class Victory

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (June 7, 2012) – It was a very happy birthday for California Race & Rally driver Gavin Skilton, who drove his Honda Performance Development Desert Pilot to the Class 6 [Unlimited 6-cylinder] Trophy Truck victory in Saturday’s 44th running of the Baja 500.

Co-developed by the engineers at Honda Performance Development and California Race & Rally, the HPD Desert Pilot is a single-seat, tube-framed racer powered by a mid-engine, production-based Honda V-6 engine and featuring replica Honda Pilot bodywork. Developed for off-road racing, the HPD Desert Pilot made its competition debut at the 2011 Pikes Peak
Hillclimb.

Last weekend, driving solo on his 42nd birthday in the second-oldest desert race in the world, Skilton left Ensenada, Mexico on Saturday morning, traversing a rugged, 450-mile course that ran east to Ojos Negros, south to near San Felipe, and west to the Pacific Ocean before returning to Ensenada for the finish.  The clockwise course included elevations ranging from sea level to the 4,155-foot summit at Mile 110, temperatures from the low 50s to more than 100-degrees Fahrenheit, and a wide
variety of terrain. The class victory was the first for the veteran Skilton in 2012, and the first for the Desert Pilot in the five-race SCORE Desert Series.

“I drove the whole race. I got into the truck at Staging this morning and only got out at the finish,” Skilton said at the conclusion of the grueling event. “We had some minor issues during the run, but nothing major – just some small adjustments here and there. The crew guys were all where they needed to be, so we could make those adjustments [during scheduled stops] pretty quickly. The hardest part was being in the dust at night, and not having [a co-driver] navigating off the GPS. When you’re in a [truck with a co-driver], you have someone calling out ‘hard right-hand turn coming up.’ But when you’re driving solo, you have to keep one eye on the road and the other on the GPS. You can’t drive too fast or you’re going to hit something.”

In November, Skilton and his California Race & Rally team will campaign the HPD Desert Pilot in the Baja 1000, the desert racing classic that caps the SCORE race season.

Founded in 1993, Honda Performance Development (HPD) is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines and operates at race circuits around the world from its headquarters in Santa Clarita, California. Honda has been a fixture in North American open-wheel racing since 1994, and has played an active role in the growth of the IZOD IndyCar Series – as both a Manufacturers’ Championship competitor and single engine
supplier – since joining the series in 2003.

In addition to its efforts in Indy car racing, HPD spearheaded championship-winning efforts in the 2009-2010 American Le Mans Series, 2010 Le Mans Series and the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans. HPD offers a line of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases “fun” products for professional, amateur and entry-level efforts.

Ross Hoek Motorsports

Red Bud Takes Hoek for a Ride

Red Bud Takes Hoek for a Ride
 
Holland, MI (May 30,2012) – After a third place finish in Charlotte, Ross Hoek arrived in Buchanan, Michigan confident knowing his team can compete with the big teams in the sport. Early in the weekend it looked like the Ignite Racing Fuels/Venom Energy/Allstar Performance Ford Ranger would be a strong contender, but the Red Bud MX natural terrain layout showed its grit and created a long night for the Ross Hoek Motorsports team.
 
The .75 mile long track was completely redesigned since the 2011 event. Twelve days before Round Three, Ross Hoek was asked to come to Red Bud to give some input with the track design, but knew all too well what he saw would not be the finished product. By race weekend, additional jumps, whoops, and sand were added to the layout changing the complexity of the track. Competing on the new Red Bud track with twelve other PRO-Light drivers would prove to be a real challenge for everyone.

The Friday qualifying session saw Hoek take a conservative approach and stopped the clocks with the sixth fastest time in the class. Thanks to the inversion process, this put the Ignite Racing Fuels Ford on the pole for Saturday’s Round Three race.
 
Round Three
The start saw a handful of competitors battling for the top four positions. Ross was right in the middle of this battle and running fourth at the mandatory caution. With only two laps from the checkers Ross was really putting the heat on two trucks ahead of him when the rear suspension broke as he landed the big step-up hillside jump. This sent the Michigan native for a wild ride. Fortunately all the safety equipment did their job and Ross walked away from the incident. The Ignite Racing Fuels Ford wasn’t so lucky. The Ross Hoek Motorsports team worked well into the night repairing the front and rear suspension as well as various driveline components.

Round Four
Due to the poor finish on Saturday Ross was relegated to start near the back of the twelve truck field. Right from the start of the fifteen lap race, Ross knew the truck wasn’t handling the Michigan terrain as well as the day before. The damage from Saturday’s had taken its toll on the trucks performance. Frustrated and disappointed Hoek persevered and crossed the finish in ninth place.
 
“Yesterday we really had our Ignite Racing Fuels/Venom Energy/ Allstar Performance Ford Ranger working really well,” noted Hoek. “This track is really rough on equipment, and it’s really tough to pass. Other competitors had suspension failures throughout the weekend and speeds these trucks are able run, makes it gamble if your equipment will make it to the checkered flag. We’ve got three weeks until the next race and we will get our hot rod back to one hundred percent for the run at the Big House.”

Honda Racing

Honda Racing Looks Toward Texas

Firestone 550, Texas Motor Speedway
June 9, 2012

•    For the second consecutive race, Honda-powered Target Chip Ganassi Racing drivers finished 1-2 at Sunday’s Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix.  Scott Dixon dominated the event, qualifying on the pole and leading every lap for his first victory of 2012, followed by his teammate and Indianapolis 500 champion, Dario Franchitti.  The pair also finished 1-2 at last month’s Indianapolis 500, with Franchitti winning ahead of Dixon.
•    Simon Pagenaud made it a 1-2-3 finish for Honda in Detroit, finishing on the victory podium for the second time this season with a third-place run for Schmidt Hamilton Racing.
•    The 2012 season marks the return of manufacturer competition to the IZOD IndyCar Series after six years of Honda serving as single engine supplier.  Chevrolet and Lotus now join Honda in providing engines to the 25-car starting field.
•    Honda comes to this weekend’s race second in the Manufacturers’ Championship, with 42 points, to 48 for Chevrolet.  Lotus is third, with 24 points.
•    With his Detroit victory, Dixon is second in the drivers’ championship standings, with 206 points to series leader Will Power’s 232 points. Indy 500 winner Franchitti is fourth in the championship with 176 points, while Pagenaud comes to Texas ranked sixth with 171 points.  Pagenaud also leads the Rookie of the Year standings, with Honda driver Josef Newgarden second (87 points).
•    Dixon has led more laps this season, 196, than any other driver, including all 60 laps atmDetroit, and race-high totals of 37 laps at St. Petersburg and 38 at Barber.  Power is ranked second with 111 laps led.
•    Honda-powered drivers have led 330 laps this season, while Chevrolet drivers have led a total of 126 laps.  Race lap leaders for Honda include Dixon (196), Takuma Sato (58), Franchitti (29), Pagenaud (26), Justin Wilson (15), Charlie Kimball (3), Alex Tagliani (2) and Graham Rahal (1).

    Honda’s popular “Fastest Seat in Sports” sweepstakes makes its seventh stop of the 2012 season at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend.  Legendary racer Mario Andretti will take Jeff Cox of Dayton, Ohio for the ride of a lifetime around the high-banked 1.5- mile oval in a two-seater IndyCar, in advance of the green flag for Saturday night’s race. Interested fans can find out more information on the “Fastest Seat in Sports” at shophonda.com.

HONDA HISTORY AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
•    Honda has won eight times in 12 IndyCar Series races at Texas Motor Speedway, both as the single engine supplier to the series and against other engine manufacturers.
•    Honda scored its first win at Texas in June, 2004, with Tony Kanaan leading a 1-2 finish for Honda and Andretti Green Racing. Teammate Dario Franchitti finished second. Other Honda-powered winners at Texas include Franchitti and Power (in twin events held in 2012), Helio Castroneves (2006 and ‘09), Sam Hornish Jr. (2007), Scott Dixon (2008), and Ryan Briscoe (2010).

HONDA CIVIC Si PACE AND SAFETY CARS
•    A fleet of new 2012 Honda Civic Si coupes and sedans is being utilized for Safety Car and Pace Car duties in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series.  The Civic Si Coupe made its debut as an IZOD IndyCar Series Safety Car at last year’s Honda Indy Toronto.  That first Civic has now been joined by additional coupes and sedans, replacing the Honda Accords formerly used by the series. The Civic Si Safety Car and Pace Cars will make their next IZOD IndyCar Series appearance at next weekend’s Milwaukee IndyFest in West Allis, WI.
•    Cars start out as standard Civic Si models, and one coupe has been developed into an IndyCar Series Safety Car by Honda Performance Development in Santa Clarita, Calif.”
•    Modifications installed at HPD include Sparco seats and four-point racing harnesses; an HPD high-performance brake system, with four-piston calipers, competition rotors, racing pads, and stainless brake lines; a Honda Genuine Accessory aerodynamic body kit, consisting of front, side and rear under spoilers; Firestone Firehawk 225/40 R18 tires mounted on Enkei alloy wheels, and an IZOD IndyCar Series graphics package.

Subaru Road Racing Team

Revitalized Subaru Road Racing Team Looks forward to Mid-Ohio Event

Revitalized Subaru Road Racing Team Looks forward to Mid-Ohio Event
– Drivers Aquilante and Spaude hold series’ best-average finish in last two races –

Phoenixville, PA. – June 6, 2012 – With a series-best average finish of second place in the two most recent GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Championship events – a third at Miami and a win at New Jersey – Subaru Road Racing Team drivers Andrew Aquilante and Bret Spaude are focused on another podium finish this weekend at the famous Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course near Lexington, Ohio, a venue where the team has twice won in previous years.
 
“As was the case at both Homestead-Miami and New Jersey, Mid-Ohio is a track which really highlights our car’s handling and cornering abilities,” said Joe Aquilante, owner of Phoenix Performance in Phoenixville, Pa., which prepares the team’s Subaru WRX STI racecars.
 
As is the case all season, team driver Bret Spaude, of Bushnell, Fla., will qualify the 4-door #35 Subaru WRX STI at Mid-Ohio, and race until it is time to slot teammate Andrew Aquilante, of Chester Springs, Pa., into the cockpit for the charge to the checkered flag.
 
“Our race finishes have improved with every race this season,” added Joe Aquilante. “Now that we’ve won a race, we want to continue producing consistently-high finishes.”
 
The race-prepped #35 SRRT WRX STI is developed to compete against rival teams fielding cars producing over 400 horsepower.

World of Outlaws

Kinser Finds Victory Lane in World of Outlaws Return to Kokomo

Kinser Finds Victory Lane in World of Outlaws Return to Kokomo
The Indiana native picks up his first win of the season at the Kasey Kahne Challenge
 
KOKOMO, Ind. – June 5, 2012 – A fired-up Kraig Kinser reveled on the infield stage as confetti showered his celebration.
Kinser snapped a 39-race winless streak with the World of Outlaws in impressive fashion on Tuesday at Kokomo Speedway in the third round of the Kasey Kahne Challenge. He led all but the first lap to secure his 12th career Outlaws win in front of a near capacity crowd.

As meaningful as it was to get the monkey off his back, the Indiana native was just as enthused to find his way to Victory Lane at a track that has historic significance to his family.

“I love running in my home state of Indiana,” he said. “This track has a lot of history with my family, so being able to add a little more history with the Kinser name is unbelievable for me.”

Kinser, who grew up and resides in Bloomington – a little more than a two-hour drive from Kokomo – picked up his first career sprint car victory at the quarter-mile track. He also claimed a World of Outlaws feature in 2005 at Kokomo Speedway, where his father, 20-time Outlaws champion Steve Kinser, holds a series-best six victories.

“It goes way up there with me,” Kraig Kinser said. “And not just with me, but my grandpa, my cousins, my uncle, my dad; they just have a lot of history at this track and a lot of tracks in Indiana.”

Kinser qualified third quickest of the 31 competitors and finished fourth in his heat race, locking himself into the dash. The inversion for the eight-lap dash was a six, starting him on the outside of the second row. Kinser gained one position to earn the third starting spot for the feature.

It didn’t take long for Kinser to find the lead. After two failed attempts to start the main event – the first for Brian Paulus’ flip in turn three followed by Kyle Larson and Austen Wheatley spinning in turn four – Kinser advanced to second by lap two, when the third caution occurred.

Polesitter Joey Saldana chose the outside lane for the double-file restart, putting Kinser on the inside. His restart made the duo even at the flag stand and Kinser took the lead entering turn one, pulling away to a sizeable advantage.

As he entered traffic for the first time, Sammy Swindell, who was in fourth place, tipped over in turn three on lap 10. Swindell’s car was towed to the pits and he ended with a 20th-place finish, which dropped him to a season-worst fourth in the championship standings.

Kinser set a blistering pace as the final 31 laps were cautionless. Craig Dollansky, who passed Saldana for second on lap 11, closed to within a couple of car lengths when Kinser was stuck in thick traffic. However, Kinser always had an answer to retain the top spot.

“Kraig drove a great race,” said Dollansky, who advanced to third in the championship standings. “We were right there. If he would have made a mistake there ….”

Saldana outlasted KSE Hard Charger Dave Blaney for the final spot on the podium.

“Obviously the third-place finish is awesome tonight, but when you start on the front row and run third, we gave a good, solid night up,” Saldana said. “That race played out perfect for Kraig Kinser’s car. He’s been good. He’s definitely been fast enough to win these races and he’s had bad luck, so he definitely deserved that win tonight.”

Brad Sweet, who started on the outside of the front row, finished fifth. Donny Schatz was sixth and Steve Kinser drove from 17th to seventh to maintain the championship standings lead. Daryn Pittman was eighth, Kerry Madsen ninth and Cody Darrah rounded out the top 10.

Swindell was the quickest in qualifying with a track-record time of 10.950 seconds. Saldana, Schatz and Pittman each won a heat race, and Chad Kemenah claimed the Last Chance Showdown.

The fourth-and-final Kasey Kahne Challenge race is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 14, at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb.

RCR

RCR Post Race Report — Dover International Speedway Sprint Cup

RCR Post Race Report — Dover International Speedway  
 
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series   
RACE:   FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks     
TRACK:   Dover International Speedway  
DATE:   June 3, 2012  
 
Race Highlights:       
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished second (Kevin Harvick), 17th (Paul Menard) and 22nd (Jeff Burton).
Combined, the RCR entries posted the Fastest Lap of the Race for 29 circuits with Harvick posting the fastest lap 22 times, followed by Burton (six) and Menard (one).
Menard ranked fourth in NASCAR’s Loop Data category for green flag passes with 61.
Harvick’s second-place finish marks his career best finish at the Dover, Del.-based facility in 23 starts.
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Harvick ranked second in quality passes (36) and speed in traffic (145.648 mph).  
Burton spent 240 of the 364 laps competing in the top 15 and ran as high as eighth position
Burton’s made 55 green-flag passes, slating sixth best amongst the 43-car field
Jimmie Johnson won the FedEx400 Benefiting Autism Speaks, followed by Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Clint Bowyer.  
The next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is the Pocono 400 Pocono Raceway on Sunday, June 10, televised live on TNT and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio beginning at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Race Winners

Race Winners Week Ending June 2, 2012

NHRA
Top Fuel — Steve Torrence
Funny Car — Johnny Gray
Pro Stock — Greg Anderson
Pro Stock Motorcycle — Eddie Krawiec
Competition Eliminator — Arnie Martel
Super Stock — Brian Martel
Stock Eliminator — Joe Santangelo
Super Comp — Franklin Di Bartolomeo
Super Gas — Ray Sawyer
Super Street — Pete Biondo
Pro Mod – Danny Rowe

ARCA
Akona 200 by Federated Car Care- Brennan Poole

World of Outlaws
Napa Rumble- Craig Dollansky

Grand Am
Detroit 200 at Belle Isle
DP- Joao Barbosa/Darren Lawn
GT- Jordan Taylor/Paul Edwards

Indy Car
Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix- Scott Dixon

Nascar
KNSeries
West- Greg Pursley- Star Nursery 200
East- Corey LaJoie- Nascar Hall of Fame 140
Camping World Truck Series- Lucas Oil 200- Todd Bodine
Nationwide Series- 5Hour Energy 200- Joey Logano
Sprint Cup- FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks– Jimmie Johnson

Summit Racing

Line Posts Runner-Up Finish in All-Summit Englishtown Final

Line Posts Runner-Up Finish in All-Summit Englishtown Final

Event:  43rd annual NHRA SuperNationals

Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

Day/Date: Sunday, June 3, 2012

After earning his fifth No. 1 qualifying position of the season, Summit Racing driver Jason Line entered Sunday’s final eliminations of the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J. looking to translate his Saturday success into his second win of the season.  Facing Grace Howell in the opening stanza, he showed his intentions by posting the quickest elapsed time of round at 6.527-seconds to gain the victory.

Line duplicated that feat in the second round using a 6.561-second, 211.39 mph pass to defeat Rodger Brogdon and advance to the semifinals, where he would face Erica Enders.  Once again, he proved to be the class of the field, combining a lightning-quick .010 reaction time and a 6.540-second, 211.66 mph pass to eliminate Enders, who posted a 6.569-second time and 211.23 mph speed, and reach his third final round of the season, where he would face teammate Greg Anderson, who was in his first race in his new Chevrolet Camaro.

However, there was more at stake than the national event win, as this victory would be the 100th in the KB Racing team’s history, an accomplishment both drivers desperately wanted on their racing resume.  Leaving the line in tandem, the two raced neck-and-neck for much of the quarter mile, with Line looking to have a slight advantage.  However, just as it seemed he would capture his fourth win at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Line’s mount was slowed by a rare malfunction with the resulting 6.588-second, 200.98 mph run allowing his stable mate, who carded a 6.560-second, 212.03 mph pass, to gain the victory.

Naturally disappointed with the results, Line took some consolation in the team victory while also looking forward to the debut of his own Camaro at the next race in Bristol, TN.

“Although I am certainly pleased that we were able to get KB Racing’s 100th win with Ken and Judy (team owners Black) here in attendance, the racer in me is not happy,” said Line.  “We knew going into the final that we were going to get it, and I really wanted to be the one that did it.

“My Summit Racing Pontiac had performed beautifully all weekend, and I thought I was going to send it out a winner.  Unfortunately, just before the finish line, we had a problem with the motor and Greg was able get around me.  So even though I am personally disappointed, it was good day for the team.  I’m happy for everyone on the crew and glad we could get the Camaro a win in its first race back.

“I’m looking forward to bringing my own Summit Racing Camaro out at the next race.  We’ll spend the next few days getting it finished and tested before heading up to Bristol and seeing if we can give my Chevrolet an equally successful debut there.”

Summit Racing

Greg Anderson Scores KB Racing’s 100th win in Camaro’s Debut

Greg Anderson Scores KB Racing’s 100th win in Camaro’s Debut

Englishtown, N.J., June 3, 2012 – Summit Racing driver Greg Anderson added yet another milestone win to his storied career on Sunday, capturing the KB Racing team’s 100th Pro Stock victory and returning the Chevrolet Camaro to a Full Throttle Drag Racing Series winner’s circle by taking home the title at the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J.  Starting from the sixth position, Anderson defeated Ron Krisher, Mike Edwards and Allen Johnson in the early rounds before squaring off against teammate Jason Line in the final.  

The Summit Racing duo has historically had some of the closest races in the category’s history, and Sunday’s encounter was shaping up to be yet another as the two left the starting line as if welded together.  Although Line seemed to be gaining an edge as the two rocketed down the quarter-mile, his progress was suddenly slowed by a rare mechanical malfunction, allowing Anderson to use a 6.560-second, 212.03 mph pass to gain the historic win, an occasion made even more special by the presence of team owners Ken and Judy Black.  It was the 74th win of Anderson’s career, fourth of 2012 and fifth at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, making him the most successful Pro Stock driver in that track’s storied history.

“Once we both won in the semifinals, we were assured of KB Racing’s 100th win, so it was just a matter of which one of us would do it,” said Anderson. “It was something we both really wanted to accomplish, and to be honest, Jason was ahead of me by two hundredths when he broke a valve spring, or else he certainly would have won.  It was unfortunate for him, and it’s a sad deal any time we hurt a motor, but it was a great day for Ken and Judy Black and everyone on the team.  

“Winning an NHRA national event is not an easy task under any circumstance, so for a brand new car to come out and win in its very first race as we did today with our Summit Racing Camaro is a testament to the talent of the people on this KB Racing team.  They’re an incredible group of guys, and it’s a great feeling to share the winner’s circle and take pictures with Ken and the entire crew, especially those who have been here for all 100 wins.  It’s just a very special day for me.”

Although Anderson’s victory was not a certainty until he crossed the Raceway Park finish line on Sunday night, there was one very important person who had a premonition about today’s events almost two weeks ago.  In fact, team owner Ken Black made a special trip from his home in Las Vegas to join the team in Englishtown just to ensure he would be on hand to not only see their new race car in its first race, but to also hopefully witness the milestone win, which ironically came at the same track where Anderson had recorded the team’s first Pro Stock victory during their first year of existence in 2002.

“A couple of weeks ago, I lost to Allen Johnson in the Topeka final,” recalled Anderson.  “I thought I had a better car than he had, and I somehow had a better light than he did in the final, but my car shook the tires and we ended up losing the race.   

“When I spoke to Ken later that night I told him that I thought it was a sign that he was supposed to be on hand for his team’s 100th win, and he responded by telling me he was coming to Englishtown.  Traveling cross-country is a major effort for him, but he just had a feeling about this race, and fortunately, everything worked out perfectly.”

Further adding to Anderson’s accomplishment was the fact that he did it in a new and virtually untested race car.  Since taking delivery just over a month ago, the team had worked feverishly to get it ready for competition, completing it just over a week ago.  Following a brief two-day test session last week in North Carolina, they finished their pre-race preparation and headed north to the Garden State, where they would post the first Pro Stock win by a Chevrolet Camaro since the 2000 NHRA Finals in Pomona, Ca.

“We brought our new Summit Camaro to Englishtown with high hopes, but exceeded even those today,” said Anderson.  “After all, with everything we had on the line this weekend, it was a bit of a gutsy call to bring a new car out for the first time this weekend, especially as I had just gone to a final in my old car.  

“It was a tough decision, but we are so excited about General Motors’ getting back into Pro Stock with a true muscle car.  We also felt that the sooner we could get that car on the racetrack, the better off both KB Racing and the class would be.  We tested for a couple days last week, gained on it throughout qualifying, and then ran very well today.

“The Pro Stock class is fantastic right now.  We have Mopars, Fords and General Motors cars, which were primarily Pontiacs up until now with the introduction of the Camaro, racing in arguably one of the most competitive classes in all of motorsports.  I feel very fortunate to have been in General Motors cars for my entire career, and the future looks even brighter.  If you think about GM and racing, it’s Chevrolet, and it feels great to get them their first win in their return to Pro Stock drag racing.”

Anderson was also quick to recognize those whose support had made today’s success possible. Finally, with another new car in the works for his teammate and the next race rapidly approaching, he admitted that any post-race celebrations would be kept to a minimum.

“Of course, we would not have been able to reach 100 wins without the support of several outstanding people and companies,” said Anderson.  “Naturally, it all starts with Ken, Judy and Kenny Black, who started this team ten years ago.  They mean everything to us.  Also at the very top of the list is Summit Racing Equipment, who has been such a big part of our team for so many years.  In addition, we want to thank Chevrolet, Red Line Oil, Cometic Gaskets, Mac Tools, PAC Valve Springs, Wilson Manifolds, Diamond Pistons, K&N Filters, Speed Dawg Shift Knobs, Oakley and everyone else whose involvement with our race team makes days like today possible.  We are glad to share this win with all of them.

“This was certainly a storybook weekend, but with the next race only two weeks away, we won’t have a lot of time to enjoy it.  We have to finish and test Jason’s Camaro so we can bring it out in Bristol, fix anything we broke this weekend as well as doing our normal pre-race preparation.  It’s a full schedule, but today’s win will give us more than enough motivation.”

Honda Racing

Dixon Masters Motown, Leads Honda Sweep

Dixon Masters Motown, Leads Honda Sweep

Scott Dixon was unstoppable Sunday on the streets of Belle Isle Park, fending off all challenges presented by his fellow IZOD IndyCar Series competitors, a two-hour race stoppage for track repairs and even a spot rain shower once the race resumed to win the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix and lead a 1-2-3 sweep for Honda.

Starting from the pole, Dixon led all 60 laps around the city park temporary circuit, which was run in two halves when deteriorating track conditions led to a red flag after 45 laps to repair holes in the pavement. After a delay of just over two hours while repairs were completed, the race was resumed with a 15-lap “trophy dash” to the finish. But Dixon was never headed in either segment, leading his teammate TargetmChip Ganassi Racing teammate Dario Franchitti and Schmidt Hamilton Racing’s Simon Pagenaud home for a Honda sweep of the first-three finishing positions.

Coming from 14th in the 25-car starting field, Indianapolis 500 winner Franchitti moved through the field to sixth during the first 45 laps, then gained four more positions in the final two restarts after the race resumed to follow Dixon home in second.

It was the second consecutive 1-2 IndyCar finish for Honda and the Target Chip Ganassi Racing team, as today’s finish reversed the 1-2 result for Franchitti and Dixon at last week’s Indy 500. Pagenaud rounded out the podium sweep for Honda in Detroit by passing championship points leader Will Power on Lap 47.

After starting well down the order, 20th, Charlie Kimball equaled his best previous results of 2012 with an eighth-place finish for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing, while Mike Conway rebounded from the disappointment of his crash last week at Indianapolis to finish ninth today for A.J. Foyt Racing.

Alex Tagliani and his Bryan Herta Autosport team posted their own impressive recovery today. After qualifying third, electrical issues on the starting grid resulted in Tagliani starting last, from pit lane. Clever pit strategy and timely passes in the closing laps saw Tagliani make up 15 positions for a 10th-place finish.

The post Indianapolis 500 run of consecutive IZOD IndyCar Series races continues next week, with a return to oval track racing and the June 9 Firestone 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas.

Summit Racing

Anderson Slots New Camaro Sixth in Englishtown

Anderson Slots New Camaro Sixth in Englishtown

Event:  43rd annual NHRA SuperNationals

Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

Day/Date: Saturday, June 2, 2012

Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team had multiple objectives entering the second and final day of qualifying for the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J.  On one hand, they wanted to secure as high a starting position as possible for Sunday’s final eliminations, while they also looked to continue to familiarize themselves with their stunning new Camaro.  Fortunately, they were able to accomplish both goals on Saturday, closing their qualifying effort with their quickest pass of 6.538-seconds and a top speed of 211.99 mph to earn the sixth starting spot and a first round encounter with veteran Ron Krisher.

Although acknowledging that work still remained to be done in order to extract the maximum performance from his new ride, Anderson was pleased with the progress his team had made with the race car during the two days at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.  

“The bottom line is that there is a ton of potential with this new Summit Racing Camaro,” said Anderson.  “We just haven’t gotten all the round pegs in the round holes yet, but we will.  You always think it’s going to happen quicker than it does because we have so much confidence in this crew.  They’re sharp guys, so you always think you’re going to get it done right away, and I still believe we’ll get this new car straightened out fairly quickly.

“I love everything about this car.  Just the fact that it’s a Camaro and a muscle car makes perfect sense that we’re racing it in Pro Stock.  There’s no downside to it, and when we get it to run at the top of the class and winning races, it’s going to be happy times.

“The last run we made today was absolutely our best one so far with this car, and I’m confident we wouldn’t have done any better with my Pontiac. We just have missed the set-up, and it took us a few runs to figure out what this track wanted.  The good news is that we took a big step forward this afternoon, and should be able to take another one tomorrow.

“I think this Camaro is going to be very fast in the first round.  I feel confident about our chances, so I’ll sleep well tonight, and I will be itching to get out here tomorrow so we can try to get Chevrolet their first win with this new car, and Ken (team owner Black) his 100th with the KB Racing team.”

Summit Racing

Line Captures Fifth 2012 Pole in Englishtown

Line Captures Fifth 2012 Pole in Englishtown

Event:  43rd annual NHRA SuperNationals

Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

Day/Date: Saturday, June 2, 2012

Jason Line and the Summit Racing team continued their season-long qualifying excellence, capturing the No. 1 qualifying position for Sunday’s final eliminations of the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J.  Taking advantage of the cooler temperatures on Friday evening at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Line raced through the quarter-mile in 6.518-seconds, best among the 18 cars attempting to qualify.

Although rival Allen Johnson was able to match his elapsed time on his final attempt on Saturday afternoon, the reigning Full Throttle Pro Stock champion earned the top spot on the basis of the top speed tiebreaker, with his Pontiac’s 212.09 mph effort besting Johnson’s 211.76 mark. This was Line’s fifth No. 1 qualifying performance of the season, 29th of his career and second consecutive at the venerable Englishtown quarter-mile.

Having posted one of the top two elapsed times in each of the four qualifying sessions, Line was cautiously optimistic heading into his first-round meeting with No. 16 qualifier Grace Howell, targeting his fourth New Jersey win in what will most likely be his final race in his current race car before switching to the new Camaro.  However, he was equally concerned with making sure his teammate Greg Anderson had a successful debut this weekend in his own Chevrolet.

“Obviously it feels good to hold on to the No. 1 position,” said Line.  “We had a little bit of a tense moment when AJ matched our time in the final session, but we were able to get him on speed and hold on to the pole, which is a really big deal.  This Summit Racing Pontiac has been a great car, and the guys are doing a tremendous job of working on it.

“We were also able to make some positive strides with Greg’s Camaro, which is more important than anything else to us right now.  We have to run it at different tracks under all sorts of conditions so we can learn how to tune it.  We’re really pretty happy with it – it’s come a long way in a very few runs, so we’re hoping to have two good race cars for tomorrow.  This is our last race with this particular car, and I’d certainly like to send it out a winner.”

RCR

RCR Post Race Report — Dover International Speedway–

RCR Post Race Report — Dover International Speedway
 
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series   
RACE: Lucas Oil 200    
TRACK: Dover International Speedway   
DATE: June 1, 2012  
 
Race Highlights:       
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished third (Kevin Harvick), sixth (Ty Dillon) and 11th (Joey Coulter).  Harvick earned his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series pole award of the season, setting a new track record of 158.235 mph.

According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, each of the RCR entries spent the entire race running in the top 15.

Harvick led for 96 of 147 laps in the Lucas Oil 200.  Harvick earned the highest driver rating of the race (143.7), Dillon earned a 101.7 driver rating ranking him fifth while Coulter ranked seventh with a 95.9 driver rating.

Coulter ranked third in the Closers category, gaining two positions in the final 10 percent of the race.

Todd Bodine took the checkered flag followed by Parker Kligerman, Harvick, Nelson Piquet Jr. and Cale Gale in the rain-shortened race.

The next scheduled Camping World Truck Series race is the Texas 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, June 8. The seventh race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on SPEED beginning at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

Honda Racing

Dixon Delivers Detroit Pole

Dixon Delivers Detroit Pole
Scott Dixon edged Will Power by just over four-thousandths of a second in IZOD IndyCar Series qualifying Saturday at Belle Isle Park to claim the pole for Sunday’s Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. It is Dixon’s first pole of the 2012 season, breaking a string of poles by Team Penske drivers, and the first pole for Honda with the return of manufacturer competition to the IZOD IndyCar Series this year. Dixon also qualified on the Detroit pole in 2008, the last race on the temporary Belle Isle circuit prior to this year’s event.

Honda-powered drivers claimed three of the top four starting positions for Sunday’s race, with Alex Tagliani third-fastest, his best qualifying run of 2012 in only his second race with Honda for Bryan Herta Autosport. Simon Pagenaud equaled his previous best starting position of 2012 and will start fourth for Schmidt Hamilton Racing.  Graham Rahal just missed advancing to “Fast Six” final qualifying, coming up hundredths of a second short, and will start seventh. Justin Wilson, winner of the most recent IndyCar Series race in Detroit in 2008, qualified 11th; with Indianapolis 500 star Takuma Sato rounding out the top 12 qualifiers. Reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Dario Franchitti will start 15th. Sunday’s 90-lap race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT, with live television coverage on ABC.

Scott Dixon (#9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) pole qualifier, 1st pole of 2012, 18th career IndyCar pole, 2nd Detroit pole; 1st Honda pole of 2012: “Qualifying on the pole here is definitely very important. This is one of the toughest tracks we have in terms of providing passing opportunities, so starting at the front is critical. It’s a fun track, but it was crazy out there … crazy. It was a pretty close session, so you had to keep pushing all the way through.

Summit Racing

Line Claims Provisional Pole on Friday in Englishtown

Line Claims Provisional Pole on Friday in Englishtown

Event:  43rd annual NHRA SuperNationals

Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

Day/Date: Friday, June 1, 2012

While teammate Greg Anderson took to the track in his new Summit Racing Camaro on Friday at NHRA Supernationals in Englishtown, N.J., with his new mount not quite ready, Jason Line continued to campaign the Pontiac which had carried him to the 2011 Full Throttle Championship.  Not unexpectedly, therefore, he proved to be the class of the field at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, posting the quickest elapsed time and fastest top speed in each of the two qualifying sessions, with his 6.518-second, 212.09 mph best placing him atop the field with two final attempts remaining on Saturday.

Although naturally pleased with his showing, Line believed further improvement was certainly possible, while also looking forward to joining his teammate (who occupies the provisional ninth position) in the Bow Tie Brigade.

“I certainly like my current car, but I’m looking forward to getting out of it and into my new Summit Racing Camaro,” said Line.  “Greg’s may not have had the debut we were hoping for today, but we’ll get it straightened out.   As for my performance today, we’re off to a great start.  I’m not sure that time will hold for the pole, because if the weather holds, I think tomorrow’s morning session could be even faster.

“Even so, it was still a good run and my guys have done a tremendous job.  There was quite a bit of water in the air today, which slowed the entire Pro Stock field down by a couple hundredths, but I felt like we should have gone faster, so there’s something we could be missing.  The good news is that we have two more chances to figure it out tomorrow and make this car even better.”

Established in 1968, Summit Racing Equipment is the leading high performance parts and accessories company. Summit Racing offers the largest selection, lowest prices, and best customer service in the high performance industry via catalogs, Internet, and Retail Super Stores. The company is headquartered in Tallmadge, Ohio with retail locations in Tallmadge, Ohio; Sparks, Nevada; and McDonough, Georgia.  For more information, please visit www.summitracing.com.

Summit Racing

Anderson Rides Learning Curve to Ninth on Friday

Anderson Rides Learning Curve to Ninth on Friday

Event:  43rd annual NHRA SuperNationals

Location: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

Day/Date: Friday, June 1, 2012

Greg Anderson and the KB Racing team opened a new chapter in their storied history on Friday, with their Summit Racing Pro Stock Camaro making its competitive debut during the first day of qualifying for the NHRA Supernationals in Englishtown, N.J.  Although the cool and overcast conditions at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park were completely unlike those in which he made his initial testing runs one week ago, Anderson was still able to make two competitive passes, highlighted by his 6.554-second, 211.03 mph best in the evening session.  

Sitting an uncharacteristic ninth midway through the qualifying procedure, the four-time champion sang the praises of his new car, while admitting both he and his team were still in the process of determining its performance envelope.     

“I absolutely love my new Summit Racing Camaro,” said Anderson.  “I think it’s going to be a tremendous car.  It looks fantastic, I love driving it and it feels great.  It obviously wants to run, but we’re just not getting off the starting line or through the first two gears the way we would like, which is not the car’s fault.   

“We’re just off on the tune-up both car-wise and motor-wise, which has nothing to do with what body we’re running.  We’ll have to make some big moves tomorrow to get it in the game.  My hat’s off to the General for building a great car – I’m excited about the future.  For now, we need to get it closer to the bulls-eye.”

Established in 1968, Summit Racing Equipment is the leading high performance parts and accessories company. Summit Racing offers the largest selection, lowest prices, and best customer service in the high performance industry via catalogs, Internet, and Retail Super Stores. The company is headquartered in Tallmadge, Ohio with retail locations in Tallmadge, Ohio; Sparks, Nevada; and McDonough, Georgia.  For more information, please visit www.summitracing.com.

Honda Racing

Honda Racing- Wilson Looks for Detroit Replay

Wilson Looks for Detroit Replay
After a three-year absence, the IZOD IndyCar Series returned to the streets of Belle Isle Park Friday as 2008 race winner Justin Wilson led the Honda-powered field in opening practice for Sunday’s Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix.

In 2008, the most recent IndyCar race on the temporary park circuit, Wilson led the final 15 laps in his Newman Haas Racing Honda Dallara to win by 4.4 seconds over Helio Castroneves. It was the final IndyCar triumph for team co-owner Paul Newman, who succumbed to cancer later that year.

Wilson posted the second-fastest time in practice today, just one-tenth of a second off the fastest time, recorded by Team Penske’s Will Power. Series rookie Simon Pagenaud was third quickest in his Schmidt Hamilton Racing Honda, while Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon rounded out the top six.

Sunday’s 90-lap race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT, with live television coverage on ABC.
Justin Wilson (#18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda) 2nd quickest in Friday practice: “There’s no margin for error in the IndyCar Series today, just lots and lots of very hard work. There are many good drivers and competitive teams; one small mistake and your ‘P20’ instead of ‘P1’. But having said that, this circuit is a lot of fun, and we appear to have a pretty good car. Hopefully, on Sunday, we can do exactly what we did here last time.”

Honda Racing

Honda Racing- Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix

Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix
June 3, 2012
3:30 p.m. EDT
ABC

COMPETITION
• Honda-powered drivers finished 1-2 at last weekend’s 96th running of the Indianapolis
500-Mile Race, with Dario Franchitti scoring his third win at the historic “Brickyard”, followed by his Target Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, Scott Dixon.
• Five different Honda-powered drivers led the “500” at different points in the contest, including Franchitti (23 laps), Dixon (53 laps), Takuma Sato (31 laps), Charlie Kimball and Alex Tagliani.
• Honda-drivers dominated the second half of the race, holding down the top-five positions with 20 laps remaining.
• Honda comes to this weekend’s race second in the Manufacturers’ Championship, with 33 points, to 42 for Chevrolet. Lotus is third, with 20 points.
• The 2012 season marks the return of manufacturer competition to the IZOD IndyCar Series after six years of Honda serving as single engine supplier. Chevrolet and Lotus now join Honda in providing engines to the 25-car starting field.

HONDA AT DETROIT
• The IZOD IndyCar Series returns to the temporary street circuit at Belle Isle Park in 2012 after a three-year absence. Justin Wilson won the most recent IndyCar race at Belle Isle, driving for Newman Haas Racing in 2008. Wilson returns to Belle Isle with Honda power, now driving for Dale Coyne Racing.
• Honda-powered drivers have won six times on the streets of Belle Isle Park, including four victories in competition with other engine manufacturers and twice as the single engine supplier.
• Honda-powered race winners at Detroit include Alex Zanardi in 1998; Dario Franchitti in 1999; and Helio Castroneves in both 2000 (his first Indycar victory) and 2001. Honda was supplying engines to the entire IndyCar field when the series returned to Belle Isle in 2007, a race won by Tony Kanaan, while Wilson won the 2008 event, the final race win for team co-owner Paul Newman, who succumbed to cancer later that year.

MARKETING
• Honda’s popular “Fastest Seat in Sports” sweepstakes makes its sixth stop of the 2012 season at the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix this weekend. Legendary racer Mario Andretti will take Robert Locke of Pennsauken, NJ for the ride of a lifetime around the 2.07-mile temporary circuit in a two-seater IndyCar, in advance of the green flag for Sunday’s race. Interested fans can find out more information on the “Fastest Seat in Sports” at shophonda.com.

HONDA CIVIC Si PACE AND SAFETY CARS
• A fleet of new 2012 Honda Civic Si coupes and sedans is being utilized for Safety Car and Pace Car duties in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series. The Civic Si Coupe made its debut as an IZOD IndyCar Series Safety Car at last year’s Honda Indy Toronto. That first Civic has now been joined by additional coupes and sedans, replacing the Honda Accords formerly used by the series.
• Cars start out as standard Civic Si models, and one coupe has been developed into an IndyCar Series Safety Car by Honda Performance Development in Santa Clarita, Calif.
• Modifications installed at HPD include Sparco seats and four-point racing harnesses; an HPD high-performance brake system, with four-piston calipers, competition rotors, racing pads, and stainless brake lines; a Honda Genuine Accessory aerodynamic body kit, consisting of front, side and rear under spoilers; Firestone Firehawk 225/40 R18 tires mounted on Enkei alloy wheels, and an IZOD IndyCar Series graphics package.

Racer News and Results