2012-02-20

SÉRIE SPORTSMAN - MALTAIS SOUHAITE REVENIR À TEMPS PLEIN

 

Communiqué de presse                                                                                   

Pour diffusion immédiate

SSQ-2012-015

Québec, QC (20 février 2012) – Le pilote de stock-car Jean-François Maltais de Lévis est le douzième pilote à avoir confirmé sa participation au championnat de stock-car de la Série Sportsman Québec 2012.

 

« Au fil des dernières années, j'ai participé que sporadiquement aux courses de stock-car.  J'ai dû choisir mes épreuves faute de temps et d'équipier » déclara Jean-François.  Maltais un préposé dans un centre hospitalier de la région de Québec, a tout de même trouvé le temps de compétitionner en stock-car la saison dernière.  Il a participé à 4 courses et a réussi à enregistrer 1 top-10.

« Si les choses s'alignaient, je pourrais faire toute la saison.  Je sais que je pourrais être compétitif.  D'ailleurs le retour à la piste de Sanair m'enchante, j'y ai participé avec succès en 2006.  Par la suite, en 2007,  j'ai réalisé ma meilleure saison terminant 3e au classement cumulatif » exprima Maltais.  Pour la saison 2012, sa sixième dans la série, il sera associé au constructeur-préparateur DGR de St-Jean-de-Chrysostome.

Selon M. André Poulin, président de la Série Sportsman Québec, Jean-François Maltais est le genre de pilote que toute série voudrait voir sur une base régulière.  Il est respecté des autres pilotes et aligne toujours une voiture compétitive.  « Jean-François a un très bon coup de volant.  Il réussit très bien avec des moyens limités.  S'il arrivait à obtenir un peu plus d'aide d'équipiers et financiers, il pourrait faire le championnat au complet et être un sérieux prétendant au titre de champion. »

Pour tout connaître sur Jean-François Maltais, le pilote de la Chevrolet Impala No.6, visitez sa page de pilote au :
http://www.seriesportsman.ca/francais/pilotes/6-jean-francois-maltais-maltais-racing-team-levis.html

La levée de rideau pour la série se fera avec une journée d’essai et d’inspection à l’autodrome Montmagny le 12 mai et la première compétition, un manche de 75 tours, qui aura lieu le 19 mai à l’Autodrome St-Eustache dans le cadre du festival sportsman qui mettra aussi en vedette les Sportsmans ANCA et la classe Sportsman de la piste américaine Airborne Speedway.

– 30 –

 

Pour de plus amples informations, contactez:

 

André Poulin, Président Série Sportsman Québec, courriel: andre.poulin@sportsman.ca, 581-998-7388

 

Préparé par M.P. Roy, courriel: mproy@roy-motorsports.com, 514-907-1773 poste 35

 


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RACE DISTANCE EXTENDED AT PETTY INTERNATIONAL IN AUGUST

The Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour and Petty International Raceway are pleased to announce that the Pro Stock Tour race slated for 100 laps on Saturday, August 25th has now been extended to 150 laps. The Pro Stock Tour race will be the feature event of the 48th running of the River Glade International weekend. Street Stocks and the Maritime League of Legends are scheduled to open for the Pro Stocks on August 25th.

 

 

For the full 2012 Parts for Trucks Pro Stock schedule please visit www.maritimeprostocktour.com.

 

For more information on Petty International Raceway or the River Glade International Weekend please visit www.pettyraceway.com

 


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Connected to ARCA's Past, Charlson Has Career Day;

For Immediate Release:

Monday, February 20, 2012

 

News & Notes from ARCA's Season Opener at Daytona

(TOLEDO, Ohio) - Drew Charlson had made just one ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards start prior to Saturday's Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200.

 

 Last October, he finished an unremarkable 24th at Toledo Speedway, no surprise for a 17-year-old driver making his first competitive laps in the national tour. One year ago, Charlson attempted to qualify at Daytona, but couldn't make the 43-car field.

 

Now 18 - and just eight days past that milestone birthday on Saturday afternoon - Charlson improved upon his career debut and more than made up for last year's failure to start.

 

Charlson charged to the outside as race leader Brandon McReynolds ran out of gas on the final lap of Saturday's race, falling in line just behind Bobby Gerhart and pushing the veteran to a win just as both cars approached the start/finish line. Gerhart's win was his eighth in 25 starts, both Daytona ARCA records, and Charlson earned a runner-up finish that he'll remember forever.

 

"Bobby's spotter (Jason Jarrett) came on and he just said, 'Stick with them, stick with them,'" Charlson said. "I stuck to his bumper and came out of the turn to give him a shove. It's just amazing. This is my second ARCA start. We're just a small team working out of a two-car garage, and I can't thank everyone - Aluma Aluminum Trailers, AgriGold, and Heitkamp Crop Insurance - enough. It was just awesome."

 

With his Lap 83 heroics came the demise of the driver who had led Laps 19-82 - 64 in all: McReynolds.

 

"That's got to be heartbreaking," Charlson said, "to sit in the spot like he did. He led a lot of laps, and I feel for him. That's just the way it goes."

 

Charlson is from New Bremen, Ohio, the same town where sprint car driver Allen Crowe died in a racing accident in 1963. Crowe's name is familiar to many in the ARCA Racing Series; the Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds is the first of ARCA's dirt track races each summer. Likewise, New Bremen Speedway, the track that took Crowe's life, hosted six ARCA events between 1957 and 1973.

 

He plans to run at least two more ARCA events this season.

 

"Right now, we plan on running the Talladega race. Aluma has stepped on board. Their home track is Iowa Speedway, so we're for sure doing those two tracks. Anything's open right now."

 

W. Kimmel Keeps it in One Piece, Earns Award: Will Kimmel's No. 68 Ford stands firmly in the middle ground in the ARCA Racing Series. The family name rings well in ARCA's 60th Anniversary Season, a year celebrating many accomplishments of ARCA's past - including those of Kimmel's father Bill, uncle Frank, and grandfather Bill. Frank is no longer part of the Kimmel Racing bunch, though, having departed for ThorSport Racing early in the offseason. The move leaves Will Kimmel as the face of a team with plenty of fan support and a famed name, but no major sponsor.

 

That mattered little to Will Kimmel on Saturday, though, as he finished third in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200.

 

"Unbelievable," Kimmel said. "I feel like we stole that race. It was just unbelievable. Me and my team, we (started) 21st. The car did not draft at all in happy hour; it ran away from other cars. I'm ecstatic now. (Enterprise Software Development) on the quarter panel, Clarksville Schwinn and Crosley, they help out whenever they can, and we have an all-volunteer crew. I'm just happy to be here. We came out of here good."

 

Asked about his plans to carry the Kimmel name forward from a team's perspective in the ARCA Racing Series, the 23-year-old from Sellersburg, Ind. spoke uncertainly about what was next but said he hopes to have a plan soon.

 

"Right now, I'm not sure," he said. "I'm glad we got out of here in one piece and we're going to roll the car back in the trailer, of course. It looks like we're going to go to Mobile. I'm sure we'll figure something out, and run that, and maybe Salem and Talladega. We'll see what happens."

 

Another highlight of Kimmel's day came in one of ARCA's special award categories, as his rise of 18 spots from a 21st-place start gave him the first CGS Imaging Hard Charger of the Race Award for 2012. Bobby Gerhart's 41-position rise is not eligible for the award since he started with a provisional spot.

 

Daytona the Debut for 10: Ryan Reed, driving Venturini Motorsports' No. 15 JDRF Chevrolet, finished best among the 10 drivers making their first career ARCA Racing Series start in Saturday's race. Reed ran second to Brandon McReynolds for much of the afternoon, but finished 12th - still good enough to top fellow debut driver Fain Skinner by three spots.

 

Zach Ralston (18th) and Brandon Davis (19th) each finished in the top 20 while making their maiden ARCA starts.

 

Nelson Canache Jr. (22nd), Paulie Harraka (26th), Larry Barford Jr. (28th), Sloan Henderson (40th), Aleks Gregory (41st), and Bill Coffey (42nd) all made ARCA debuts.

 

Half of Top 10 New to Daytona: In all, 24 of the 43 drivers who started Saturday's race had never competed in an ARCA Racing Series event at Daytona International Speedway before this year.

 

Five of those drivers finished in the top 10, led by Charlson in second. Max Gresham, Brennan Poole, Chris Windom, and Alex Kennedy finished sixth through ninth, respectively.

 

F. Kimmel Disappointed, but Encouraged: Frank Kimmel finished 23rd in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, the final driver on the lead lap after being penalized for advancing his position below the yellow line just before taking the checkered flag.

 

Kimmel was disappointed to miss his first Daytona victory in his 21st start at the track, and more frustrated with missing a sure top-10 finish because of the official decision. However, his run in the season opener has him feeling confident about his chances in 2012 with his new team, ThorSport Racing.

 

"This definitely wasn't the way we wanted to end this race," said the driver of the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota, in a team press release. "It is an unfortunate situation. We had a good car in practice and the guys really worked their tails off to get this Daytona setup ready for us. This team just became a team six weeks ago, so it's a testament to their hard work that we could bring it home in the top 10. I understand the ruling, and again, it's unfortunate, but it is the sanctioning body's decision. We learned a lot today, and the positive is we're that much more close as a team going into Mobile in March. We'll get after it there."


First Trip to Mobile Next:
The next race for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards takes place Saturday, March 10 at Mobile International Speedway, and will start at 2 p.m. Mobile will host practice and Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Friday, March 9. The event at Mobile will be ARCA's first at the track.

 

2012 is the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards' 60th Anniversary Season, featuring 20 races at 18 tracks. The complete 2012 event schedule is available at ARCARacing.com.

 

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. The series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course in its most recent season. This year, the series will visit Alabama's Mobile International Speedway and Minnesota's Elko Speedway for the first time; ARCA's first visit to Minnesota will give ARCA a race in a 29th state.

 

Founded by John and Mildred Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in three professional touring series and local weekly events.

 


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Shootout Eligibility Returns To Its Roots For 2013

2012 Pole Winners, Past Event Winners Will Make Field

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 19, 2012) – NASCAR today released the eligibility requirements for the 2013 Shootout at Daytona, an announcement that signals a return to the fan-favorite preseason event’s roots.

 

Next season’s field will consist of 2012 Coors Light Pole winners and past Shootout winners who have attempted to qualify for at least one race during the 2012 season.

 

Eligibility rules for next season’s annual non-points race mirror those from 1979-2008, and puts greater emphasis on each weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole qualifying session.

 

“Fans have expressed their desire to see this event return to its original eligibility rules,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “We listened and decided it would be best to return to the eligibility rules of years past adding further meaning to pole qualifying for each NASCAR Sprint Cup race.”

 

This announcement comes prior to 2012’s first qualifying session, adding intrigue to an already important event. Today’s fastest qualifier, in addition to winning the pole for next Sunday’s 54th Annual Daytona 500 (Feb. 26 at 1 p.m. on FOX), will also earn a spot in next year’s Shootout. Two Daytona 500 starting positions will be locked in after today’s qualifying session. The fastest two cars in qualifying will sit on the front row for The Great American Race.

 

Last night, Kyle Busch won his first Shootout at Daytona, locking up a spot in next year’s field. Busch passed defending series champion Tony Stewart in the tri-oval, edging the three-time titlist by a margin of victory of .013 seconds – the closest in Shootout history.

 

Last season, 18 different drivers won a pole.

 


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Brandon Davis Goes to Plate Racing School at Daytona with Andy Belmont Racing

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 20, 2012) - - Prior to coming to Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, the biggest oval Brandon Davis had competed on was one mile in length. The high banks of Daytona have always been a challenge for rookies, since 1959, but Davis made the most of his first restrictor plate race, running in big packs, and finishing on the lead lap in 19th position. As a road racer by trade, Davis’ late model background in California paved his way into the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West tour. Those ten starts in NASCAR’s west series paved the way and gave him the experience to put forth a solid effort at “The World Center of Racing.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Going to Daytona was a great experience, especially for the first few laps out it took a bit to get over the wow factor of driving there,” Davis said. “Restrictor plate racing is such a different animal than what I’ve experienced, but I think overall we did a good job being competitive and improving throughout the week.” 

Similar to his Andy Belmont Racing teammate, Mikey Kile, Davis stayed out of the big packs during practice sessions through the weekend. However, Davis was one of 18 cars that took time in Saturday’s “Happy Hour” to draft in small packs to warm up for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200.

After locking himself into his first ARCA start in Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Friday afternoon, Davis and his No. 2 ModSpace Ford Fusion team shifted their focus to formulate a strategy to get the California native as much experience as possible. Davis managed to complete all 83 laps, finish on the lead lap, and kept the No. 2 ModSpace Ford Fusion out of trouble. While falling a lap down past the halfway point, Davis managed to fight his way back on the lead lap to be a part of the action in the final stages.

“The green white checkered I think was good for us,” Davis said. “It allowed us to bunch up again and pick off more positions. It's difficult since there is no more give and take that late and you're hoping that there isn't another caution.”

During the 200 miles of action at Daytona in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, Davis was able to put himself in many different positions throughout the field. Through the intensity that played out in the final stages, Davis managed to keep the nose clean on the ModSpace Ford and came home with a 19th place finish.  As a result, Daytona proved to be an important setup Davis’ development as an oval driver.

I have to say thanks again to Andy Belmont, the Andy Belmont Racing team and ModSpace for allowing me to come out and compete at Daytona,” Davis sounded. “I feel like I was able to learn a lot over the course of the weekend and I'm looking forward to what the remainder of the 2012 season has in store.”

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards in their 60th Anniversary season will be the first of two stops in the state of Alabama with the sanctions first ever visit to Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway for the running of the Mobile ARCA 200 on Saturday, March 10.

About ModSpace:

Modular Space Corporation (ModSpace), based in Berwyn, Pa., is a leading provider of modular buildings, portable storage and services for temporary and permanent space needs. With more than 40 years of experience, ModSpace serves a diverse set of customers and markets through a network of 80 branches throughout the United States and Canada. Further information is available by visiting http://www.modspace.com.

 

About Andy Belmont Racing (ABR):

 

Andy Belmont Racing (AndyBelmont.com) is a competitive and respected motorsports operation who fields race cars in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. ABR has been serving the motorsports community and winning for nearly 25 years. Currently, the team fields a full-time ARCA Racing Series program for series winner Mikey Kile in the No. 1 ModSpace Ford Fusion.

 


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Tom Hessert Gathers Top-10 Finish In Wild Daytona Finish

 

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 20, 2012) - - Tom Hessert III earned his first top-10 finish at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway  (DIS) since 2008 Saturday in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season-opener, however Hessert’s car returned to the garage area mangled after being collected in an accident coming to the checkered flag in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200.

 

 

 

Hessert under the direction of veteran crew chief Donnie Richeson were excited about their chances heading into “The World Center of Racing” and it was clear why. In the first practice session of the weekend on Thursday afternoon, Hessert posted the fourth fastest time overall giving the Ken Schrader Racing (KSR) good vibes about their No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Toyota Camry.

 

The good morale of the team continued into Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell when Hessert posted a time of 49.449 seconds at 182.006 miles per hour, which at the time was good enough for sixth, but when two cars failed post qualifying inspection, Hessert was lifted to fourth for the starting grid of the 49th annual ARCA event at DIS.

 

43 cars took the green flag with Hessert maintaining his presence inside the top-five. Hessert would find himself locked with outside pole sitter Ryan Reed on the high side but drifting back in the running order to 10th with the first caution flag waived on lap seven. It was then that Richeson elected to bring his protégé down pit road for a fuel only with Hessert returning to the track in the 19th position.

 

The former CARS Pro Cup Series (formally known as the USARacing Pro Cup Series) run back to the front though would be stalled when the No. 12 spun on the backstretch ultimately bringing out the second yellow flag of the day thus giving Richeson the opportunity to bring his driver to pit road for another splash of fuel.

 

Returning to the racetrack in the 33rd position, the veteran would have to show extreme patience in a field full of rookies to climb his No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Toyota Camry back towards the front.

 

By the half-way mark, Hessert found himself still clutched onto the lead draft but hovering in the 22nd position and surrounded by a gaggle full of racecars. Still, Hessert continued to march forward. By lap 63, Hessert had climbed the ladder and found himself in the 16th position.

 

A multi-car accident ensued on lap 79, bringing out the yellow flag and allowing the former NASCAR Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car driver to mentally prepare for the final laps of the race. Richeson though during the yellow informed his driver to bring his Japanese nameplate to pit road for a gas-‘n-go putting the Cherry Hill, New Jersey native 18th in the line-up.

 

With five laps remaining, Hessert immediately began trying to blast his way to the front utilizing the bumper of Chad Hackenbracht and Frank Kimmel to get there, Hessert moving forward would be halted with two laps to go when the No. 17 was spun bringing out the event’s final caution.

 

A green-white-checkered would be placed in the lap of Hessert. On the restart, Hessert continued to craft his way to the front but found himself taking abrasive actions coming to the checkered flag as the two leaders at the front of the pack ran out of fuel; contact from the chaos unraveled with Hessert being collected in the wreck and initially crossing the line 13th. Three drivers ahead of Hessert though were penalized for passing below the yellow line which raised Hessert into the top-10.

 

“It was an interesting race,” offered Hessert. “Our No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Toyota Camry was strong, and I have to give it all to these guys on the Ken Schrader Racing team. The outside line didn’t go at the start of the race, so we tried to use the cautions to our advantage. We were making headway to come back to the front and we stalled out there near the end of the race. We came down during the last stop just making sure we were good to go to the finish. Coming to the finish, the leaders ran out of gas and it sent everyone scattering to dodge them and it really just screwed everyone up and some cars got together and unfortunately we were collected. It doesn’t matter where you finish, you hate to bring home a wrecked racecar when you can see the checkered flag.”

 

Still with mixed feelings on the finish, Hessert was offering his thoughts on the upcoming superspeedway race at Talladega in May. “I’m looking forward to Talladega,” he added. “This (rule) package works a lot better at Talladega than it does at Daytona, so I think you’ll see a more exciting race there. Hopefully this car is salvageable and we can get it ready for Talladega, because I would love to take it back there.”

 

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will be the first of two stops in the state of Alabama with the sanctions first ever visit to Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway for the running of the Mobile ARCA 200 on Saturday, March 10.

 

Exiting Daytona, Hessert has 84 career ARCA Racing Series starts. In those outings, he has maneuvered two poles, one win, 19 top-fives and 44 top-10s.

 

For more on Tom Hessert III, please visit tomhessert.com

 

Hessert has joined the Twitter crave. Follow and connect with him @TomHessert.

 


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Steve Blackburn Produces Career-Weekend At Daytona



DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 20, 2012) - - All the hard work paid off. Steve Blackburn and his Steve Blackburn Motorsports (SBM) team made numerous changes since the 2011 ARCA Racing Series season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway all with the intentions of earning an opportunity to beaming into the spotlight in this past Saturday’s Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200.


               










Mission accomplished.

It was clear to the ARCA Racing Series garage that Blackburn in his No. 94 Harley Davidson Pikeville / Pop’s Chevrolet Buick Cadillac Honda of Prestonsburg Chevrolet would be a threat for the opening-race for the 60th season of competition.

When the first four-hour practice session concluded it was the Prestonsburg, Kentucky native that led the 52-car parade by turning a lap time of 47.712 seconds at 188.632 miles per hour, the only machine in the 47-second bracket.

Knowing that he had a car capable of drafting and running strong in single-car runs, the team was looking forward to Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell on Friday afternoon.

During time trials on Friday, Blackburn originally wheeled his No. 94 Harley Davidson Pikeville / Pop’s Chevrolet Buick Cadillac Honda of Prestonsburg Chevrolet to the fifth quickest lap at 49.416 seconds topping a speed of 182.127 miles per hour but when two drivers including original pole sitter Bobby Gerhart’s times were disallowed for failing post-qualifying racing inspection, Blackburn moved into the inside line of row two, third, his career best start in the ARCA Racing Series surpassing his previous best efforts of 11th twice at Kentucky Speedway in his inaugural ARCA debut (2005) and Talladega (2008).

A final practice session opened track activity on Saturday morning with Blackburn playing conservative in the drafting-session and producing the 12th fastest lap overall.

43 cars took the green flag with Blackburn quickly finding his comfort zone and tucking behind leader Sean Corr and holding the second position. He would continue to hold in the runner-up position through the race’s first caution flag. On the restart, Blackburn continued to stay tucked behind Corr but when Leilani Munter spun on lap 14.

It was under that caution that crew chief Gary Hostettler elected to bring his driver down pit lane for a fuel only stop. Blackburn would restart the season-opener in the 30th position.

By lap 20, Blackburn had improved six positions on the racetrack. Racing resumed a few laps later with the No. 94 Harley Davidson Pikeville / Pop’s Chevrolet Buick Cadillac Honda of Prestonsburg Chevrolet on the move and shoving his way into the top-15 by lap 30.

The race would take a green flag look through the halfway mark, Blackburn held his own in the 13th position just waiting for his opportunity to strike.

Inside the final 30 laps remaining, Blackburn drafted his way into the top-10 when the caution flag waived on lap 69 for a multi-car incident.

Racing resume with five laps remaining with Blackburn locked in the fifth position after several competitors elected to make a pit stop for a splash of fuel. Blackburn would remain in single-file formation and make the move on Chris Buescher with the lead group draft to move into the fourth position and take the white flag in that same position.

As the field thundered out of turn four, both leaders nearly simultaneously ran out of gas forcing Blackburn to take abrasive maneuvers to avoid a collision but it allowed the Chevrolets of Bobby Gerhart and Drew Charlson to make a bold move to the outside to take the checkered flag first and second. Meanwhile with all the shuffling because of the slowing racecars, Blackburn originally crossed the start-finish line sixth, but Brett Hudson and Nelson Canache would be yanked of their unofficial running positions for passing below the yellow line to bolt Blackburn into fourth, his first career-top five in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

“Man, that was a lot of fun, but incredibly hectic there at the end,” offered Blackburn. “We had a good car from the moment we unloaded. We didn’t have to make many adjustments to it and that’s a huge credit to the guys on this Steve Blackburn Motorsports team.

We came in early for fuel and really had to work hard to get back to the front, when we did I thought we were sitting in a prime position to maybe make a move with Kimmel (No. 68) if we could but then the No. 4 and No. 32 ran out of fuel and everyone went scattering. This is the first time I’ve taken the checkered flag at Daytona and man that feels awesome. The car is in good shape, so I think we’re going to Talladega.”

Since 2005, Steve Blackburn has competed in nine ARCA Racing Series races. In addition to Daytona and Talladega, Blackburn also has made three starts at Kentucky Speedway and one at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway respectively. In those nine outings, Blackburn has delivered a best starting position of fourth at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2012) and backed it up the same weekend with a career-best finish of fourth in the same weekend.

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will be the first of two stops in the state of Alabama with the sanctions first ever visit to Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway for the running of the Mobile ARCA 200 on Saturday, March 10.

For more on Steve Blackburn and SBM, please log onto steveblackburnmotorsports.com.

PHOTO CAPTION: Steve Blackburn, driver of the No. 94 Harley Davidson Pikeville / Pop’s Chevrolet Buick Cadillac Honda of Prestonsburg Chevrolet in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards for Steve Blackburn Motorsports (SBM). 


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Kimmel Racing Surges To Third Place Finish At Daytona


“Father-Son Duo Surge To Podium Finish In Season-Opener”

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 20, 2012) - - Kimmel Racing opened up the 60th season of competition for the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) with a fresh face and a lot of unknowns. However, by the end of Saturday night’s Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, it was Will Kimmel who shined into the spotlight by producing a thrilling third-place effort at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.


Kimmel taking the vacated seat of his Uncle, Frank Kimmel was optimistic heading into his second career start at “The World Center of Racing.” Primed and ready in his No. 68 Enterprise Software Development / Clarksville Schwinn Ford Fusion when Thursday morning arrived, it was time to get down to business.
In the first practice session of the weekend, Kimmel in his blue-oval produced the 15th fastest time overall in an affair that was consisted of both drafting and single-car runs. Under the guidance of his father and multiple ARCA championship crew chief Bill Kimmel, the duo consulted about ideas to make minor tweaks for their No. 68 Enterprise Software Development / Clarksville Schwinn Ford Fusion in time for Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell on Friday afternoon.
In time trials, Kimmel circled the legendary racetrack in 50.375 seconds topping a speed of 178.660 miles per hour which lined the Indiana-based team in the 21st position. Safely in the starting field, the team turned their attention to the short but influential final practice session on Saturday morning to fine-tune their automobile for ARCA’s version of the Super Bowl.
Acquiring the ninth fastest time overall in the “happy hour” practice session, the Kimmel Racing team remained optimistic despite their No. 68 Enterprise Software Development / Clarksville Schwinn Ford Fusion wasn’t exactly drafting to their liking.
43 cars took the green flag with Kimmel easing his way towards the front. Climbing into the top-20 by the end of the first lap, Kimmel’s blue-oval continued to climb the leaderboard until the race’s first caution occurred on lap six when Milka Duno went for a spin on the frontstretch.
Electing to utilize pit strategy, the call from atop of the pit box was to bring the 23-year old to pit road to top off the fuel tank. Restarting in the 29th position on lap 13, Kimmel would have to show extreme patience as he tactically began working his way back towards the front.
Another caution for Leilani Munter jumbled up the field again but with Kimmel restarting the event on lap 17 in the 19th position. Methodically, the No. 68 Enterprise Software Development / Clarksville Schwinn Ford Fusion continued its march forward and entered the top-10 on lap 47.
Continuing to hover in a single-car formation, Kimmel would squeeze underneath the No. 58 of Chad Hackenbracht on lap 60 to steal another position in the top-10.
A multi-car incident ensued on lap 69 with Kimmel knocking on the door of entering the top-five. A restart with five laps remaining would begin to seal up the exciting finish in the 49th ARCA race held at Daytona International Speedway.
With some cars electing to make a trip down pit lane for a splash of fuel, Kimmel would take the lap 75 restart in the fourth position behind fellow Ford driver Chris Buescher (No. 17). While Buescher tried to make an attempt to pass second-place second Chris Windom on the outside, Kimmel kept his No. 68 Enterprise Software Development / Clarksville Schwinn Ford Fusion on the yellow-line freight-training the No. 17 and moving into third.
Buescher brought out the final caution of the race on lap 78 when we tagged from behind by another competitor setting up for a green-white-checkered finish. With father Bill encouraging his driver to try his best and save fuel, the family-owned team knew they had the opportunity to win ARCA’s most prestigious events.
On the restart, Kimmel remained glued to the yellow line on the back bumpers of McReynolds and Windom. The group would take the white flag with Kimmel searching for a way to maneuver past the two leaders.
As the field thundered out of turn four, both leaders nearly simultaneously ran out of gas forcing Kimmel to take abrasive maneuvers to avoid a collision but it allowed the Chevrolets of Bobby Gerhart and Drew Charlson to make a bold move to the outside to take the checkered flag first and second. Brett Hudson and Nelson Canache both made moves underneath Kimmel for third coming to the stripe but ARCA officials quickly would yank those positions away from them for passing below the yellow line to move Kimmel from fifth into the third position in the final rundown.
“Wow, that was crazy,” said Kimmel, who collected just his third top-five finish of his ARCA career. “We had a shot at winning the race but when those guys ran out of gas, I had to check-up and I was done. I tried to keep those guys from passing me but it was already then too late. At that point, I was happy to finish fifth, but when they penalized them and moved us back into third, it was even a better feeling.”
He added, “I can’t thank everyone on this Kimmel Racing team for all of their support and dedication. We have an all-volunteer crew and we picked up some sponsorship from Enterprise Software Development and man, I’m happy for them. Hopefully this run will help us moving forward and we can acquire some more sponsorship that will keep us in the ARCA championship battle.”
In addition to Enterprise Software Development (ESD), Kimmel Racing extends a huge thank you to their other sponsors for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 including Clarksville Schwinn, Crosley Radio and Ingersoll Rand.
Kimmel unofficially sits third in the ARCA championship standings just 10 points from leader Bobby Gerhart. Kimmel though could inherit the point’s lead by traveling to Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway for round two on March 10 as Gerhart and Charlson are not expected to enter that event.
Next up for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will be the first of two stops in the state of Alabama with the sanctions first ever visit to Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway for the running of the Mobile ARCA 200 on Saturday, March 10.
For more on Will Kimmel, please visit willkimmel.com.


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Creative Recycling Systems, Inc. Joins NASCAR as Official Green Partner

Company Offers Environmentally Safe Solutions

For Surplus, End-of-Life And Obsolete Electronic Devices

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 20, 2012) – NASCAR announced today that Florida-based Creative Recycling Systems, Inc. (CRS), a leader in the processing of end-of-life electronics, has joined the stable of Official NASCAR Green Partners.

 

CRS supplies small, mid-size and Fortune 100 companies, government agencies, non-profit organizations, educational institutions and concerned citizens with the best solutions for electronics reuse and recycling. By providing electronic asset disposition management, data security services and by utilizing state-of-the-art processing and separation technology, CRS prevents millions of pounds of electronics from entering the world’s landfills each year.

 

“By partnering with NASCAR we will be able to reach millions of concerned fans every week, fulfilling our mission of building awareness around the fastest growing waste stream in the world,” said CRS Founder & CEO Jon Yob. “We have spent 18 years developing and utilizing the best available technology in the world to provide true solutions for the reuse and recycling of the gadgets we as a society have come to rely on.”

 

The Information Age has created a virtual tidal wave of electronics worldwide. Each year in the United States just less than three million tons are made ready for end of life management, with residential households responsible for more than five times more computer products (by weight) than commercial establishments, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. However, 75% of these items end up going into landfill.

 

“Creative Recycling offers the best end-of-life solution for the electronics our fans use. As our Green platform grows, so does the number of partners featuring sustainability components in their activation,” said Jim O’Connell, NASCAR chief sales officer for NASCAR. “Those partners are not only setting new benchmarks with sponsored initiatives across the sport, but they’re also doing their part by helping to educate our fans on the importance of sustainable behavior.”

 

NASCAR fans are more likely than non-fans to recycle and describe their households as green. They are also more likely to own electronics and be involved in purchasing decisions at work. Nearly two-thirds of NASCAR fans describe their household as very or somewhat green (Sources: Ipsos, 2011 NASCAR Brand Tracker and Experian Consumer Research - Simmons National Consumer Survey, Fall Full Year 2010).

 

According to research, 91% of NASCAR fans say they recycle items at least some of the time, compared to 87% for non-fans. Additionally, NASCAR fans are more likely than non-fans to say they plan to buy various mobile devices in the coming year (such as an iPhone, Blackberry, Android-powered phone or other mobile device), suggesting they will have millions of “old” electronic devices that can be recycled. (Sources: Ipsos, 2011 NASCAR Brand Tracker and Experian Consumer Research - Simmons National Consumer Survey, Fall Full Year 2010.)

 

Since its 2008 launch, NASCAR Green has focused on three key areas: waste, emissions and power. Aside from a host of new partners joining the effort with substantive programming, many track and team operators have launched their own programs in areas such as recycling, advancing land and energy conservation, and adopting alternative energy sources. 

 

“We’re proud to welcome Creative Recycling as an Official NASCAR Green Partner and to join them in the effort to productively and profitably reprocess and reuse electronic products,” said Dr. Michael Lynch, NASCAR managing director of green innovation. “Our fans are avid recyclers, as evidenced by the largest recycling program in all of sports, and adding a partner like this is another positive step toward reducing our sport’s impact on the environment.”

 

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for one of North America's premier sports. NASCAR races are broadcast in more than 150 countries and in 20 languages. In the U.S., races are broadcast on FOX, TNT, ABC/ESPN/ESPN2, SPEED and SiriusXM Satellite Radio. NASCAR fans are among the most brand loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, and one local grassroots series, as well as two international series. Also part of NASCAR is GRAND-AM Road Racing, known for its competition on road courses with multiple classes of cars. NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., NASCAR has offices in eight cities across North America. The next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the 54th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, will air Feb. 26th on FOX at 1 p.m. ET. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.nascar.com. Follow NASCAR on www.facebook.com/NASCAR or on Twitter: @NASCAR.

 

About Creative Recycling Systems, Inc.

Founded in 1994, Creative Recycling Systems is an award-winning global leader in the reuse and recycling of surplus and end-of-life electronics.  Working with its worldwide partners, CRS is a pioneer in the development and utilization of state-of-the-art processing and separation technology, including the recovery of rare earth elements found in commercial and consumer electronics. Incorporating cutting-edge technology for the recycling of Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) televisions and monitors, CRS provides the United States with the best solution for the millions of tons of electronics that become obsolete every day. For more information: www.crsrecycling.com

 


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