2012-06-07

Statements Regarding The Passing Of Cotton Owens, 2013 NASCAR Hall Of Fame Inductee

STATEMENT FROM THE OWENS FAMILY:

 

“The family would like to express gratitude for the thoughts and prayers of precious friends and fans.

 

“While Cotton was a racing legend with an incredible racing "family," we mourn the irreplaceable great granddad, granddad, father, uncle, brother-in-law and friend we have all lost. The family respectfully requests privacy at this difficult time.”

 

STATEMENT FROM BRIAN FRANCE, NASCAR CHAIRMAN AND CEO:

 

"NASCAR has lost one of its true pioneers, with the passing of Cotton Owens. On behalf of the France Family and everyone at NASCAR, I offer heartfelt condolences to Cotton's family and friends.

 

"This is a sad day for the NASCAR industry, but we are all consoled by the fact that Cotton was voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame before his death. Today we have lost a portion of our past. But people like Cotton Owens are the reason our sport thrives today -- and can look forward to a promising future."

 

Statement from Winston Kelley, executive director, NASCAR Hall of Fame

 

“We lost one of NASCAR’s greats today. Our hearts go out to Cotton’s family, and we hope they find strength in the memories of his remarkable life and career. That career was topped off just a few weeks ago with his selection for the Class of 2013. In speaking to his grandson, Brandon Davis, he reiterated how much being an Inductee meant to Cotton and how much it lifted his spirit.

 

“I vividly remember when I first started following NASCAR in the early to mid-’60s watching his white and red No. 6 Dodge run up front with David Pearson and later Buddy Baker. I was just a child, but I still remember his car being a contender all the time. It was one of the ones to beat. In more recent years I remember how supportive he was of our initiatives. NASCAR recognized his career by inviting him to be an original member of our Voting Panel. You could always count on Cotton to be here for Voting Day and other hall events. He will be missed.”

 

Statement from Buz McKim, historian NASCAR Hall of Fame:

 

“Cotton Owens was one of the first heroes of NASCAR. He was exciting to watch, as he thrilled early-day fans with his patented broadsliding on dirt tracks. Not only a gifted driver, he was a fine mechanic and was a championship car owner. He also mentored many drivers, among them David Pearson. Another chapter of history closes today as the racing world has lost a great friend and pioneer, Everett “Cotton” Owens.”

 


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VT State Championship Heads for Devil's Bowl

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                   TR – 060712 - 42

 

Barre, VT – Round two of the 2012 Vermont State Late Model Championship Series moves to Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, VT for this Friday night’s “I Am Vermont Strong” 100.  Barre, VT sensation Nick Sweet leads the standings in the four race series after a convincing round one victory over Lt. Governor Phil Scott held at Barre’s Thunder Road.  Just seven points separate the two former track champions. 

 

Two points behind Scott rides Milton’s Brent Dragon, the only series driver that has captured a Devil’s Bowl Speedway victory in 2012.  With only a two-point difference between each finishing position, and a five-point bonus for winning, the Vermont State Championship is up for grabs for more than just the top three.

 

Also in the top five are young stars Brooks Clark and Jimmy Hebert. Clark, who clawed his way from 14th in the first event to finish fourth, will look to back up a tenacious start to 2012. Hebert of Williamstown rolls fifth while former Oxford Plains Speedway Champion, Ricky Rolfe maintains sixth.  Chip Grenier, 2011 “King of the Road” Dave Pembroke, Multi-time Thunder Road champion Cris Michaud, and Trampas Demers round out the top ten for the Vermont State Championship title.

 

The campaign continues at the “I Am Vermont Strong” 100 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Friday, June 8.  Post time 7:00 pm. 

 

The third event of the four race series will return to the high banks of Thunder Road for the VT Lottery Commission Governor’s Cup 150 on Thursday, July 12.  The series finale will be at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Sunday, September 16 for the Devil’s Bowl 100. 

 

For more information head to www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com or email us at media@acttour.com or call the Thunder Road office at (802) 244-6378.

 

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Donovan Price: Rebuilding a Dream

By Jim Clarke, Kawartha Speedway PR/Clarke Motorsports Communications

 

Most people look at short track stock car racing as a spectator sport.  They’re content to watch the action from the sidelines or with friends and family members in the grandstands at their favourite track.  From time to time, a speedway’s fan base can also include former racers who’ve stepped away from the driver’s seat for one reason or another.

 

34 year-old Donovan Price enjoys watching the show – specifically his brother Dan’s effort in the #09 thunder car – at Kawartha Speedway, but all the while he’s been itching to get back into action himself.  The Brooklin, Ontario resident – who works as a delivery driver for Canadian Springs – campaigned in go karts, thunder cars, open wheeled modifieds and late models on a part-time basis for more than 10 years.  This year, the father of 2 will head back into battle at the Fraserville, Ontario 3/8th miler but knows it’ll be an uphill climb before he’s able to fight his older sibling for the checkered flag.

 

“I bought a Camaro that had last been raced by Jeremy Gerrow,” said Price.  “Its going to take some long hours to get it race-ready because the car had just been parked by its previous owner after the last race of the 2006 season.  I’d like to be out of the June 15th show at Kawartha, but it’s not worth rushing things.  I’ve waited this long to come back and another couple of weeks isn’t going to matter much.”

 

The thunder car effort of Donovan Price – whose 2 main event wins give him bragging rights in the clash with his brother – will carry sponsorship support from Richard Price Financial, Krista’s Baits and Bites and A & T Mechanical.  The driver – who volunteers as a scout leader and baseball coach in his spare time – is coming back to the sport he loves because of the adrenaline rush that comes with racing and the people he’s met over the years. Never one to take things too seriously, he says his car will carry the number 96...and there is an interesting story as to why.

 

“You never know what’ll happen on the racetrack and ‘96’ looks the same whether the car is right-side-up or on its roof,” said Price with a smile.  “Sometimes, racers – even at our level – put too much pressure on what they do once the green flag waves.  Like everyone else, I want to do as well as possible but we’re racing at Kawartha Speedway, not Daytona or Talladega.  Winning is great, but any success at the grassroots level is something drivers in every class can enjoy.”

 

Behind the scenes and at the track, Donovan Price’s thunder car will be prepped by big brother Dan, long-time friend Gord Trimm, the driver’s son Connor and anyone else who is willing to put in some long hours for no pay, other than the satisfaction of seeing the car run well on the track.

 

“We’re going to have a great time and I can’t wait to get back to the track.”

 

Prospective sponsors can e-mail donovanprice@yahoo.com or follow the driver @Donovanprice on Twitter.

 

Kawartha klips:  With the rainout Friday, June 1st the 2012 season opener at Kawartha Speedway has been delayed until Friday, June 15th.  A 100 lap invitational event for the NAPA Auto Parts ACT Late Models will headline a show that also features Thunder Cars and the Hasiuk Trailer and Container Rental Mini Stocks...Late Model racer Earl Ireland of Earl Ireland Auto Sales will supply trophies for feature event winners throughout the 2012 season...Kawartha Speedway welcomes Rice Lake Fuels as the official supplier of Klotz Racing Fuel for all 3 regular divisions.

 

Photo attachment:  team supplied

Donovan Price will be putting in some long hours to get ready for Kawartha’s 2012 season.

The thunder car he purchased had been in storage since it was last raced in 2006.

 

Prepared by:  Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

 


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PASS North super late models invade Speedway 660 Saturday night

For Immediate Release: Media, contact Norm Desjardins - racewithpass@yahoo.com

 

NAPLES ME (6/7) The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North super late models venture north to Maritime Canada for their annual appearance at Geary New Brunswick's Speedway 660 on Saturday June 9. It's a road trip that every PASS team looks forward to and a rare home turf appearance for the New Brunswick racers that follow the series.

 

Lonnie Sommerville will be on familiar ground Saturday; he's won the tracks Auto Value 250 event twice but a PASS North  660 win is definitely on his bucket list. Sommerville is currently third in the season long point standings with a top five and two top ten finishes after three starts, and he will look for win number one of 2012 on Saturday night. Matt Matheson calls Geary New Brunswick home and his team will appreciate the home game atmosphere at Speedway 660, where the PASS road show always plays to a packed house. PASS newcomer Matt Harris lives just up the road in Fredericton Junction and he will have the home track advantage on his side as well. Chris Duncan rounds out the list of early New Brunswick early entries that will take on their USA counterparts.

 

That list is topped by defending PASS North champion Johnny Clark, winner of the last two PASS North Speedway 660 events. Ben Rowe has several PASS wins in the Geary Woods and Rowe will be looking for his first win of 2012. PASS North point leader Joey Doiron, DJ Shaw, Gary Smith, Travis Benjamin, Mike Rowe, Kyle DeSouza , Cassius Clark and Derek Ramstrom are just a few of the top guns making the Speedway 660 trip, as are Quebec racers

Alex Gingras and Kevin Roberge. It's an all star field that will likely see some last minute additions from the Maritimes and beyond.

 

It's the first extra distance race of 2012 for the PASS North racers, with 200 green flag laps on tap for the fastest full fendered touring series in the east.

Speedway 660's own Street Stock and Sportsman divisions round out the Saturday night June 9 action. The first green flag  flies at 7:00 PM.

Visit www.proallstarsseries.com and www.speedway660.com for more information.

 


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Kyle Busch Wins Eighth Annual Prelude To The Dream

Top-10 Finishers Get Transporter Filled with Food from Feed The Children

Delivered to Their Hometown or City of Choice

 

ROSSBURG, Ohio (June 6, 2012) – After knocking on the door to victory lane countless times in his five previous runs in the Prelude To The Dream at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, Kyle Busch finally broke through Wednesday night to score his first win in the all-star dirt Late Model race benefiting Feed The Children.

 

“This is cool,” said Busch, who outlasted strong challenges from Kasey Kahne and Clint Bowyer before finishing 2.283 seconds over runner-up Tony Stewart. “This is what it’s all about when you go dirt racing. It’s a lot of fun. I can’t say enough about (team owner) Scott Bloomquist and all these guys. They give me great racecars every time we come here and I’ve torn them up a few times, including tonight (in qualifying). We were able to come back through, get a good heat race, get a good starting spot for the main event and run up front there with the leaders all night.”

 

Busch started the 40-lap feature event in second place and dueled with Kahne and Bowyer, who together led the first 24 laps (Kahne 1-12; Bowyer 13-21; Kahne 22-24) before Busch took over the lead on lap 25 when Kahne crashed into Bobby Labonte. Busch then checked out, beating three-time Prelude winner Stewart to nab his first career victory at Eldora.

 

“When Kahne had his mishap, we inherited the lead and just were able to set sail from there,” Busch said. “I felt like Kahne had a fast car tonight. He was probably the class of the field. Bowyer was really hustling hard and making it work through traffic and got by him. Then we caught the lapped cars and everybody just slowed down, the pace slowed up and everybody got loose trying to slide each other. Crazy, freak deal there with Kahne sliding (into the No. 44 car of Labonte) in (turn) three. I don’t know if he didn’t see him, or what. They called the caution a little late and I bet he didn’t even have time to react. From there, we had 16 laps to go and it felt like the longest 16 laps of my career here at Eldora.”

 

Finishing third was Austin Dillon in just his second Prelude start. Four-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz finished fourth in his dirt Late Model debut. Stewart’s NASCAR teammate at Stewart-Haas Racing, Ryan Newman, finished fifth. Aric Almirola, Cruz Pedregon, Dave Blaney, Ty Dillon and Justin Allgaier completed the top-10, all of whom will get a tractor-trailer filled with food from Feed The Children delivered to their hometown or city of choice.

 

Stewart, owner of Eldora Speedway, took great pride in seeing the sixth different winner take the checkered flag in the charity race he created back in 2005.

 

“We had another first-time winner tonight. That’s what the fun part is,” said Stewart, the three-time and reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion who like the rest of his Sprint Cup counterparts had to commute between a test at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and the Prelude To The Dream at Eldora. “There’s a lot of stuff going on. Five days in a row at Pocono, and for these guys to leave practice at the end of the day today, fly here and race, and then fly back to Pocono tonight and be back in cars at Pocono at nine in the morning, I think that speaks volumes to what this event is all about and what it means for these guys to be here. I know as a promoter and a fellow driver in the Cup series, I’m honored they were that committed to doing this with us tonight to benefit such a good cause as Feed The Children. Really, ‘honored’ is the best word I can think of to describe it. It’s truly an honor with the week we’ve got this week at Eldora and Pocono.”

 

Complete event information can be found in the Prelude to the Dream online media kit at www.TrueSpeedMedia.com.

 

KYLE BUSCH, (2012 Prelude to the Dream Winner):

 

What are your overall thoughts about winning your first Prelude to the Dream?

 

“This is cool. This is what it’s all about when you go dirt racing. It’s a lot of fun. I can’t say enough about (team owner) Scott Bloomquist and all these guys. They give me great racecars every time we come here and I’ve torn them up a few times, including tonight (in qualifying). We were able to come back through, get a good heat race, get a good starting spot for the main event and run up front there with the leaders all night. And then, when Kahne had his mishap, we inherited the lead and just were able to set sail from there. We were pretty fast. At the beginning, I was just trying to pick the start as best I could. (Kasey) Kahne obviously had the preferred line at the bottom there to slide in and get in front of me. I kept trying the get my momentum around the top but I just couldn’t get to him from there. But I did feel once we did get the lead that we were pretty fast and we could hold it.”

 

The race got off to a rough start with several incidents and yellow-flag laps. Was that any cause for concern in the early going?

 

“I was a little concerned. I felt like (Kasey) Kahne had a fast car tonight. He was probably the class of the field. (Clint) Bowyer was really hustling hard and making it work through traffic and got by him. Then we caught the lapped cars and everybody just slowed down, the pace slowed up and everybody got loose trying to slide each other. Crazy, freak deal there with Kahne sliding (into the 44 car of Bobby Labonte) in three. I don’t know if he didn’t see him, or what. They called the caution a little late and I bet he didn’t even have time to react. From there, we had 16 laps to go and it felt like the longest 16 laps of my career here at Eldora.

 

 

Does it feel particularly special beating Tony Stewart, who owns this track and puts on this event?

 

“Tony’s the best here. He loves this place. It’s cool whether you beat Tony Stewart or whether you beat Jimmie Johnson, it’s a lot of fun to race these races for a good cause. Tony’s turned this into a huge deal. It takes a lot of people to do this, so we appreciate them, and HBO for all their support.”

 

 

TONY STEWART, (Finished 2nd; Three-Time and Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion; Three-Time Prelude Winner):

 

First off, you almost pulled out another win in your own event. Talk about the racing effort.

 

“I think we had a great run. We were a lot better in the main event than we were in qualifying and the heat race. So, I was pretty happy with our run. It was a shame to see Kasey (Kahne) crash out of the lead like that. But it was fun. I think if it would’ve stayed green instead of having that caution, I think we would’ve had a little something for him. We had a pretty good racecar and I was pretty happy with it.

 

 

What are your thoughts about the 2012 Prelude to the Dream, in general?

 

“I think it went great. I don’t know what it was like to watch but I know how much fun we had in the cars. When I was out of the car, I was watching the crowd and it looked like everybody was having a good time.”

 

 

Getting your fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers here this year was a bit more of a challenge than in previous years with pre-race testing already underway at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway today and Thursday, but you had as strong of a field as ever. How does that make you feel about the popularity of the Prelude?

 

“Really, ‘honored’ is the best word I can think of to describe it. It’s truly an honor with the week we’ve got this week at Eldora and Pocono. There’s a lot of stuff going on. Five days in a row at Pocono, and for these guys to leave practice at the end of the day today, fly here and race, and then fly back to Pocono tonight and be back in cars at Pocono at 9 in the morning, I think that speaks volumes to what this event is all about and what it means for these guys to be here. I know as a promoter and a fellow driver in the Cup series, I’m honored they were that committed to doing this with us tonight.”

 

AUSTIN DILLON, (Finished 3rd; 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion):

 

You got a top-three finish in just your second Prelude to the Dream. You’ve got to be happy about your performance tonight.

 

“I got to do this last year and had a blast. Tonight was a really good night for us. It was tough racing out there, really. You had to slide – you had to make that move. We were a little loose for the feature. Actually, it wasn’t loose so much as I just couldn’t get a lot of speed coming off the corner. We’re going to work on that. I’m glad we qualified up front and got to run up front. We did our work early in the night and it paid off for the feature. And it was a good test session for the Dream coming up this weekend. I can’t wait to run it. Our car’s clean, and we had a chance to raise a lot of money for Feed the Children. It had to be a great show. I hope all the people here and at home enjoyed it. It had to be a wild show.”

 

DONNY SCHATZ, (Finished 4th; Four-Time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Champion):

 

For your first Prelude, finishing inside the top-five had to be something you are happy about.

 

“It’s a good thing they are stock cars and they’ve got fenders. I think I hit everything there was and I was bouncing off guys. If you did that in a Sprint car, you’d be laying out in the weeds. It was a fun race. I wish I could’ve had a restart there at the end. When you drive Darrell Lanigan’s racecar, you know you’ve got something really good underneath you. It took me all night to figure out what to do with it when the track finally cleaned off. It was really fun to drive. I didn’t know the STP car was this beat up but, hopefully, we can try again next year.”

 

 

You were involved in an accident during the early part of the race. What happened, and how were you able to run up through the field?

 

“Someone was spinning down the backstretch and I tried not to get into him and someone got me from behind. I got bounced around a few times, but that’s what happens in stock car racing. The crazy thing is that I didn’t get to see much of it that happened, so I can’t fault anyone. I kept my cool and the racecar really came to me. The track cleaned off. I was really decent around the bottom on one end (one and two). When I got to Cruz (Pedregon), he was on the bottom, so I had to get off it and it really helped me get more speed through three and four. It was fun. It was a great opportunity for me to drive this car. Darrell Lanigan and his guys did a great job. I’m glad we got it in the top-five. Maybe if we get to come back again, we’ll be able to get up there and fight for a win.”

 

CRUZ PEDREGON, (Finished 7th; Two-time NHRA Funny Car Champion):

 

You started 18th but, with 15 laps to go you were at the front fighting for the win. How did you get there?

 

“We had a plan coming into the feature. (Crew chief) Rodney Dehaven Jr., said we are going to tighten the car up. I asked if we could run the bottom where it was moist and he said, ‘Yes.’ I just started running down there, got comfortable and started picking guys off. As I kept coming up on guys, I started seeing good cars that started way in front of me. I just kept my rhythm. The red (flag) certainly broke my rhythm and I had to restart on the top. My car was working so good on the bottom, I just couldn’t back down there fast enough. By the time I did, I had lost a few spots. It was all I could do to salvage a seventh. I really wanted a second or a win so bad. I think, had we not had the red, I really felt like we had a shot at it. I tied my career-best finish, so I’m pretty happy with that.”

 

 

JIMMIE JOHNSON, (Finished 11th; Five-Time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion; 2010 Prelude Winner):

 

You looked like one of the early contenders for the win tonight. How was your night, and what happened in the closing laps?

 

“I worked my way up to fourth pretty quickly. But they’re telling me I pretty much destroyed the tires. We went too soft on tires. I’m not used to having compound options and all that kind of stuff. The first half of the race, I started 14th and shot up to fourth. That was cool and, overall, it was a lot of fun. I’m happy to support Tony and I feel like I get better every time I run one of these things. Any time there’s an engine running, I have fun, and I had a lot of fun tonight.”

 

 

DANICA PATRICK, (Finished 15th; 2005 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year; 2008 IZOD IndyCar Series winner at Twin Ring Motegi):

 

You’ve finished your first Prelude. What did you learn from start to finish?

 

“I realized early that I wasn’t really in the mix, so I figured I would take the chance to get comfortable driving sideways a little bit more as I’ve found that that helps in driving a stock car. I was just feeling it out and I really wanted to bring the car home without balling it up. I sort of did that. It was a good experience for me but, more than anything, I’m proud to be a part of this event. Tony is definitely my role model for charity work. This is a big deal. It’s very cool that he puts this on, and it’s obviously his party, but he invites all of his friends and that’s cool.”

 

KASEY KAHNE, (Finished 16th; 13-time Winner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series):

 

You started on the pole and it looked like you had the car to beat. What happened out there?

 

“I just had a really, really good car. I got battling with Clint (Bowyer). He got by me in lapped traffic and then I got back by him in lapped traffic and, every time I looked up, the 44 car (Bobby Labonte) was backwards and, that time, he was up against the wall in the preferred line. I saw him but there was no slowing down. That far down the backstretch, it’s like you’re on ice. I just slid across and nailed him. It was actually a pretty hard hit. I was surprised how hard it was. It’s discouraging because I thought we had a good shot at winning. But, I’m still glad I was here. We had a great crowd. Everybody enjoyed the Prelude. It’s a great night and we get the chance to help a lot of children.”

 

 

CLINT BOWYER, (Finished 19th; Defending Prelude to the Dream Winner and Two-Time Prelude Winner as a Car Owner):

 

It looked for a while like you were going to make it back-to-back Prelude victories. How disappointed are you that a mid-race incident put you out of the race?

 

“I just kind of got used up there. It is what it is. I hate it for these guys (crew). I’m here for fun, but these guys work so hard on this car. It was brand new and now it’s pretty much destroyed right there – at least the body, it’s all pretty much cosmetic on these things. I guess karma caught up with us a little bit, which is a little disappointing. But, oh well, it was fun.”

 

 

STEVE KINSER, (Finished 25th; 20-Time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Champion):

 

Your first Prelude ended more quickly than you probably could have imagined. How was the experience for you?

 

“It was a good time. I hated tearing up a racecar. I’m not sure what happened there, if I got loose and someone got into me or what. All I knew is that I was spinning down the frontstretch the wrong way. After that, it was all over. It was a lot of fun to be part of something that is put on for such a great cause. I’d love to come back and give it another shot.”

 

 

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