2012-07-11

PATRICK CARPENTIER TO DRIVE RAB RACING'S No. 99 NAPA TOYOTA IN MONTREAL NATIONWIDE RACE ON AUG. 18

He will be on track to support the Sainte-Justine UHC Foundation

CORNELIUS, N.C and MONTRÉAL, July 10, 2012 - RAB Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing announced today that Canadian driver Patrick Carpentier will drive RAB Racing with Brack Maggard's No. 99 Napa Auto Parts Toyota in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal on Aug. 18.

 

The Joliette (Québec) native won the pole for this race in 2007 and posted second-place finishes in 2007 and 2008. The last three Montreal races saw Carpentier as one of the fastest on the track before mechanical issues or an accident ended his races early.


"The Montreal race is my Daytona 500," said the 40-year-old Carpentier, who has led 14 laps on the 2.71-mile road course. "I know I said last year would be my final race, but I'm a racer. When they called and asked if I would run Montreal again it didn't take long for me to answer. I've said many times that winning in Montreal would definitely be a highlight in my career. Moreover, this year's race is different, because my participation will benefit the Montreal Sainte-Justine UFC Foundation."


Carpentier owns 15 Nationwide and 39 Sprint Cup starts after winning five races and 22 podiums in CART in a stellar open wheel career. He has also won the Formula Atlantic Championship in 1996.


"We love Patrick just like the fans do in Montreal," said Robert Hattem, President and COO of UAP Inc. "He's one of our heroes and we're thrilled he's agreed to drive the Napa Auto Parts Toyota and represent our company once again."


Carpentier's Toyota will also carry the decals of Harco Brands. The company manufactures and distributes innovative, low VOC wet wipes to the industrial, paint and automotive markets.  "Harco Brands is very excited to support Patrick in his return to racing in his home town and to announce him as our spokesperson to promote our line of products in the U.S. and Canada," remarked Jamie Dall, President of Harco Brands.


RAB Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing announced an alliance in April to field Toyotas in the Nationwide Series. RAB Racing has fielded the No. 99 Boost Mobile Toyota four times in 2012 with driver Travis Pastrana, with an additional four races scheduled throughout the remainder of the year.


NAPA Auto Parts is a subsidiary of UAP Inc., a Canadian leader in the distribution, merchandising and remanufacturing of automotive parts and replacement accessories for cars, trucks and heavy vehicles. Over the years, UAP has earned a reputation for product excellence, unsurpassed customer service, support and dynamic growth in all of its markets - a dynamism prompting profitable expansion from the very beginning in 1926 when the company was established as United Auto Parts Limited. Today, the company has more than 4,000 employees. UAP Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company (GPC).

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PATRICK CARPENTIER AU VOLANT DE LA TOYOTA NAPA NO 99 DE RAB RACING EN SÉRIE NATIONWIDE DE NASCAR LES 16, 17 et 18 AOÛT, À MONTRÉAL

Il courra pour soutenir la Fondation CHU Sainte-Justine


CORNELIUS, CAROLINE DU NORD et MONTRÉAL, le 10 juillet 2012 - RAB Racing et Michael Waltrip Racing confirment que le Québécois Patrick Carpentier sera au volant de la Toyota NAPA Pièces d'auto No 99 de Brack Maggard, pour RAB Racing, lors de la course de la série Nationwide de NASCAR, le NAPA Pièces d'auto 200, le 18 août prochain, au circuit Gilles-Villeneuve du parc Jean-Drapeau à Montréal.

 




Patrick Carpentier, qui a grandi à Joliette au Québec, a amorcé l'épreuve inaugurale de 2007 en position de tête, terminant second cette même année ainsi qu'en 2008. Lors des trois dernières courses disputées à Montréal, il s'est maintenu dans le peloton de tête jusqu'à ce que des bris mécaniques ou un accident viennent mettre un terme à sa course.


« La course de Montréal est mon Daytona 500 », dit Carpentier, âgé de 40 ans, qui a souvent négocié en meneur les 14 virages du circuit de 4,36 kilomètres. « Je sais que j'ai dit l'année dernière que c'était ma dernière course, mais je demeure un pilote. Alors, lorsqu'on m'a téléphoné pour me demander de participer une fois de plus à la course de Montréal, je n'ai pas hésité longtemps avant d'accepter. J'ai répété à plusieurs reprises que de remporter la course de Montréal serait assurément le point culminant de ma carrière. De plus, cette course est différente, car j'y participe au profit de la Fondation CHU Sainte-Justine de Montréal. »


Carpentier compte 15 départs en série Nationwide et 39 autres en coupe Sprint après avoir remporté 5 victoires et obtenu 22 podiums en séries CART, ChampCar et IndyCar pendant sa carrière spectaculaire de neuf saisons au volant de voitures à roues découvertes. Il avait préalablement remporté, en 1996, le championnat de Formule Atlantique.


« Nous aimons Patrick, comme tous ses admirateurs de Montréal », mentionne Robert Hattem, président et chef de l'exploitation de UAP inc. « Patrick est un de nos héros et nous sommes ravis qu'il ait accepté de piloter une fois de plus la Toyota NAPA Pièces d'auto et de représenter notre compagnie et ce, en appuyant une cause importante, celle des enfants malades. »


La Toyota que conduira Carpentier arborera également les couleurs de Harco Brands. L'entreprise fabrique et distribue des chiffons humides novateurs à faible teneur en COV sur les marchés des biens industriels, de la peinture et de l'automobile. « Harco Brands est très heureuse d'appuyer Patrick à l'occasion de son retour à la course dans sa ville natale et d'annoncer la nomination du pilote à titre de porte-parole pour promouvoir la gamme de produits de l'entreprise aux États-Unis et au Canada », a souligné Jamie Dall, président de Harco Brands.


En avril dernier, RAB Racing et Michael Waltrip Racing concluaient une alliance pour la participation de voitures Toyota à la série Nationwide. RAB Racing a mis en piste la voiture Toyota No 99 Boost Mobile quatre fois en 2012 avec le pilote Travis Pastrana au volant. Quatre autres courses sont au calendrier d'ici la fin de la saison.


NAPA Pièces d'auto est une filiale de UAP inc., chef de file canadien de la distribution, de la mise en marché et du réusinage de pièces et accessoires de remplacement pour automobiles, camions et véhicules lourds. Au fil des ans, UAP s'est fait connaître pour l'excellence de ses produits, la qualité de son service à la clientèle et son activité dynamique dans les marchés qu'elle exploite. Ce dynamisme lui a valu une expansion continuelle depuis sa fondation en 1926 sous le nom de United Auto Parts Limited. L'entreprise compte aujourd'hui plus de 4 000 employés. UAP inc. est une filiale en propriété exclusive de Genuine Parts Company (GPC).

 

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Bryan Mercer Emerges Battered and Bruised With a 10th Place Summer Sizzler Showing

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications

 

After winning 2 of the 3 segments and becoming the first Kawartha Speedway regular to claim a Summer Sizzler victory during the race’s 2011 edition, Bryan Mercer had high hopes heading into this year’s running of the Fraserville, Ontario oval’s marquee event.  Too bad things in the world of motorsports don’t always go according to plan.

 

A runner-up finish in the night’s second qualifying heat meant Mercer’s #81 Sine’s Flooring/Durmach Excellence in Tooling Chevrolet Impala would take the green from the 4th starting spot in the night’s first 50 lap segment.  From the beginning of the run, the car seemed to be ready for a solid finish, but things changed quickly as the laps clicked away and it wasn’t long before Mercer was dropping back through the field.  With only 2 caution flags to slow the pace, he’d have to rely on the changes that could be made from the cockpit. That led to a 9th place run in the first round.  Not what the team was looking for, but there was still plenty of racing left.

 

“It’s tough to find the perfect set-up. From looking around, I think a lot of us are trying to find more speed and better handling,” said Mercer, while the crew checked his car.  “Some of the guys were trying to win a 150 lap event in the first 50 laps and that’ll never happen.  I would have liked to have the same results we enjoyed last year, but big picture racing is what’s most important.  We’ll keep working on things to be around at the end of the night when it counts.”

 

A full-field inversion brought Bryan Mercer to the line in 9th spot to kick-off the second round of Summer Sizzler action.  Changes made during the break allowed the Port Hope, Ontario racer get more out of his equipment, but the frequent yellow flags made it difficult to find a comfortable race pace.  Contact on the track sent the #81 pit side on a couple of occasions, but Mercer – who celebrated his 39th birthday the day before the race – kept a positive attitude.  A 10th place finish wasn’t the perfect recipe for success, but another break gave the team time to try for a better result in the final 50 lapper.

 

Coming from 5th place gave Mercer to chance to run at the front of the pack during the final stanza, but getting through traffic was far from a walk in the park.  Trying to stay in front of the drivers who started behind him after the last inversion meant pushing the car harder than usual and his normally pristine piece was showing signs of wear.  An issue with another car in the 3rd turn saw Bryan Mercer’s machine leave the track on the hook and ended his day with a 14th place in the closing 50 lap run and 10th spot overall.

 

“The wreck that knocked us out of the show was one of the hardest hits I’ve ever had,” said Mercer, who also complained about sore ribs after the crash.  “It was one of those nights where nothing seemed to go as we thought it would.  There’s not a corner on the car that doesn’t have some sort of damage, but we’re not alone in that department.  I’m going on a family vacation next week, so it’ll be nice to get away and put things out of my mind for a while.”

 

For 2012, Bryan Mercer’s #81 Kawartha Speedway NAPA Auto Parts ACT Late Model is supported by Sine’s Flooring, Durmach Excellence in Tooling, Creative Edge Graphics, Jim’s Pizza, Appleman Carstar Collision, APX Racewear, B & G Equipment, Cressman Tree Maintenance, DenTec, Glass1Autoglass Mobile Service, LVG Auctions, Northumberland News, Quantrill Chevrolet-Buick-GMC-Cadillac, Reflection Glass and Accessories, UAP NAPA - Port Hope and Clarke Motorsports Communications.

 

Photo attachment:  Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

A rough night saw Bryan Mercer emerge with a 10th place finish in the 2012 NAPA Auto Parts ACT Late Model Summer Sizzler – Friday, July 6th – at Kawartha Speedway.

 

Prepared by:  Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

 

 

 


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Linc Brown Fights to an 8th Place Summer Sizzler Finish

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications

 

Today’s short track racecars are built to withstand almost anything. Their frames, roll cages and reinforcing bars have been designed to take a hit, while maintaining the integrity of the chassis components and protecting the driver.  After 150 laps of action Friday, July 6th – in the annual Summer Sizzler at Kawartha Speedway – Linc Brown can tell you that every part of his McColl Racing Enterprises racecar did what it was supposed to do.

 

“It’s not pretty.  There isn’t a corner on the car that didn’t sustain some sort of damage, but it still rolls and we finished what we started,” said Brown, while talking with family members and supporters.  “It’ll mean some more time in the shop, but we have another off-week before the next show – Friday, July 20th – so we shouldn’t be too rushed to get everything ready.”

 

After scoring a 5th place finish in his qualifying heat, Linc Brown rolled to the line in 9th place to kick-off the first 50 lap segment of the big money event.  The car performed well on the high side during the early stages, but it was tough to get through traffic and gain position on the track.  After running alongside another car 3 times, he was finally able to make a clean pass but contact hooked the car, damaging the back bumper and caused the right-rear quarter-panel to act like a parachute.  Brown says that made the car tight and difficult to turn.

 

“I think the same guy got into me a couple of times, but there wasn’t much either of us could do about it,” conceded the driver.  “We were all trying to get ahead of the next car in line.  I could’ve wrecked him, but that’s not how I race.  I was disappointed that we didn’t finish higher than 10th in that first segment, but not discouraged.  There was still time to make changes to the car and 100 laps remaining on the agenda.”

 

By luck of the inversion, Brown’s #99 Kawartha Metals/Rousseau Automobile Communications/The Wolf 101.5/Don Butt Auto Body/Mayhew Graphics/Clarke Motorsports Communications Dodge Charger started the second Summer Sizzler stage from 8th spot.  Within a couple of circuits, he was running strong enough to take a shot at the lead but got into the corner too hard and checking-up let another car slip by.  Brown made a couple of restarts on the outside of the front row, but the car lost power that was the result of a blocked fuel cell vent tube after the back bumper hit.  That dropped him back to 9th – one spot behind where he had started – as the checkered flag fell.

 

As the final 50 lapper came to the line, Brown fired from the 6th starting position and again had a top 5 car.  Contact in the second turn put the #99 into the infield wall.  Following a quick visit to the pits, the crew sent the car back to action minus the nose and rad duct to turn some decent laps before pitting again at the next yellow.  After running half a lap behind the leaders, he was able catch the pack on the final caution and make-up some more spots.  From there, Brown settled into a pace that allowed him to turn some steady laps and even though his battered ride was running well, a 7th place finish was all he could muster.

 

“Despite the issues we experienced, I was okay with the way things went over the 150 lap distance,” said Brown.  “Finishing 10th, 9th and 7th gave the team an overall run of 8th.  With no hood or nose for downforce, it was a good effort.  I started the night 14th in points, but finished ahead of several drivers who were higher than me in the standings.  That makes us 11th overall...and that’s after only running 2 of this year’s 3 main events.  No matter what happens, you need to keep looking at the big picture.”

 

Linc Brown Motorsports invites inquiries from prospective secondary and associate sponsorship partners.  The team offers supporters a solid promotional plan including weekly media releases, team appearances and special events with the racecar and promotional opportunities throughout Central Ontario in conjunction with The Wolf 101.5 FM.  To learn more, contact Linc Brown: vickilinc@xplornet.ca.

 

Photo attachment:  Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

It wasn’t what he expected, but Linc Brown managed an 8th place finish in the 2012 NAPA Auto Parts ACT Late Model Summer Sizzler – Friday, July 6th – at Kawartha Speedway.

 

Prepared by:  Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

                       clarkemotorsports@hotmail.com

                       613.968.6410  /  613.922.0654

 


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Special Offer from OSW and NSS!

 

New Smyrna Beach, Florida (7/11/12)

 

To say Thanks to our loyal fans, we're sending you the following Special Offer Coupons for this weekends action... Print either or both of the Coupons below and bring to Orlando Speedworld and/or New Smyrna Speedway and receive $5.00 OFF Adult General Admission.

 

 7/13/12 - Orlando Speedworld - Mini-Stock 50 / Strictly Stocks 35 - Regularly $15.00 Adult General Admission, You pay $10.00 with your coupon.

 

7/14/12 - New Smyrna Speedway - Bright House Challenge Series - Super Late Models 100 - Regularly $20.00 Adult General Admission, You pay $15.00 with your coupon.

 

And don't forget to look for this weeks New Smyrna Speedway - Checkered Flag Cafe Coupon coming soon!

 

See you at the races!

 

 

 

 


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Devil's Bowl Speedway Mid-Season Championships All About Luck on Friday the 13th

ATTACHED PHOTO: Ron Proctor (#27) will have double the pressure to hold onto his lead in the Bond Auto Parts Modifieds at Devil's Bowl Speedway at the double-points Rutland Herald Mid-Season Championships.  (MemorEvents photo)

 

Title races tighten entering pivotal double-points event; driver autograph session planned

 

For Immediate Release                                  DBS-071112-1

 

WEST HAVEN, VT – Stock car drivers at Devil’s Bowl Speedway will look for twice the luck on Friday, July 13 at the double-points Mid-Season Championships event presented by The Rutland Herald.  Just as the title races begin to tighten in the weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, drivers will fight for double points in the race considered by many as the most important event on the calendar.

 

With good luck, the Rutland Herald Mid-Season Championships event can jumpstart a second-half push toward a track championship with a good finish.  Likewise, bad luck at the double-points event means double the hit, and can leave a top runner scrambling to play catch-up for the rest of the season.  Point values will be doubled in qualifying and feature races across all divisions; heat race wins will be worth 10 points, while the runner-up receives eight, third place earns six, fourth place takes four, and all others receive two.  Feature wins jump to 100 points, with the runner-up taking 96 points, third place getting 92, and each subsequent position decreasing by four points to a minimum of 20 points (21st place).

Defending Bond Auto Parts Modified track champion Ron Proctor of Charlton, NY has had the best luck so far and holds the lead by 17 points over Vince Quenneville, Jr., of Brandon, VT, 493-476.  Quenneville fell behind in the People’s United Bank Twin 20s special on Memorial Day weekend, but has been able chip a dozen points off his deficit in the last three weeks.

With double points on the line on Friday, Quenneville will only need to outperform Proctor by a few positions in order to close in on him at the top.  Two-time feature winner Jessey Mueller of Olmstedville, NY sits third at 436 points, well within striking distance of the leaders. Coca-Cola Firecracker 44 winner Hunter Bates of Middlebury, VT and veteran Leon Gonyo of Chazy, NY are next in line.

Craig Bushey of Fairfax, VT holds an impressive 50-point lead in the J&S Steel Late Model class after amassing five victories.  Bushey has been seriously challenged up front lately, though, and won’t be able to rest on his laurels at the double-points event, as Matt White, Bryan Town, Kevin Elliott, and Dan Petronis are waiting to capitalize on any mistake.

Milton, VT’s Robert Gordon has three Renegade division victories this year, but only a 12-point lead (452-440) on second-place Ryan Keith of Pittsford, VT.  Keith and Jeremy Jones of Leicester, VT have pounced on several opportunities to reel Gordon in, with third-place Jones just 26 points out of the lead.

Rookie Josh Masterson of Bristol, VT has led the Bomber division after each of the first ten events, but his cushion is down to just five slim points (454-449) over Gabriels, NY veteran Harold LaVair.  Two-time winner Ray Germain, Jr., of Bristol, VT is third, 29 points back.

A full card of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action is planned for the Rutland Herald Mid-Season Championships event on Friday, July 13, along with a special autograph session at intermission with drivers from all four regular divisions. Regular general admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors (62+), and free for children 12 and under.  Gates open at 5:00pm with racing scheduled to begin at 7:30pm.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway also offers special fan amenities including the Daredevil community racing division, the Interstate Batteries “Fun Bus” for race track and pit area tours, a video arcade, the “Devil’s Den” lounge with live closed-circuit television, and delicious food at family-friendly prices.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, VT, four miles north of Exit 2 on US Route 4.  For more information, call (802) 265-3112 or click www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com.  Devil’s Bowl Speedway is on Facebook at facebook.com/devilsbowlspeedway and Twitter at @DevilsBowlSpeed.

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Contact: Justin St. Louis  

 


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NASCAR Technical Institute Celebrates Ten-Year Anniversary

Exclusive Educational Partner Of NASCAR Continues To Launch Careers,

Redefine Auto Tech Role

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 11, 2012) – One decade ago this month, NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech) – a branch of Universal Technical Institute – became the first exclusive educational partner of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Inc. (NASCAR). The 146,000-square-foot training facility located in Mooresville, N.C. opened in July 2002 as the first technical school of its kind to combine automotive training and a NASCAR-approved technologies curriculum into one program.

 

Today, NASCAR Tech is celebrating ten years of operation and has helped change the vernacular from auto mechanic to automotive technician. With state-of-the-industry classrooms designed to effectively train students for the workforce, NASCAR Tech has become the leader for automotive technical education, graduating thousands in its ten-year existence.

 

“We are fortunate to have had such exceptional partnerships with NASCAR, racing teams, industry partners and dealerships that have offered our graduates opportunities to wake up every day and work in industries that they love and are passionate about,” said Jennifer Waber-Bergeron, campus president for NASCAR Technical Institute. “The work these students and grads undertake each day goes beyond the definition of mechanic. The work is so technical we wouldn’t call them anything other than technicians.”

 

In celebration of its ten-year anniversary, NASCAR Tech will spotlight graduates who have excelled in their industry. Since its opening, thousands of NASCAR Tech graduates have gone on to careers in the automotive repair and motorsports industry. Many have benefited from the school’s specialized programs, providing students with valuable, hands-on training in the heart of NASCAR country.

 

“We are proud to say that for a decade, NASCAR Tech has delivered thousands of well-trained and professional entry-level technicians to both the motorsports and automotive industries,” said Todd Armstrong, managing director, NASCAR Automotive Group. “The extraordinary number of skilled automotive technicians Universal Technical Institute had cultivated made them the ideal partner for NASCAR Tech. The result has been a one-of-a-kind, NASCAR-approved technologies curriculum that better prepares students to enter the extraordinarily competitive motorsports industry.”

 

During the past ten years, NASCAR Tech has also been an integral part of the community and has given back through several different initiatives. In 2010, NASCAR Tech students and staff volunteered more than 10,000 hours to more than 50 organizations. The campus has received many awards including the 2010 NASCAR Diversity Affairs Award and 2010 Motorsports Industry Award from the North Carolina Motorsports Association. Since 2011, NASCAR Tech students have built engines for NASCAR Drive for Diversity and Rev Racing, producing a total of eight NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victories.

 

Download the NASCAR Tech infographic, with highlights of NASCAR Tech’s history and graduate spotlights. To keep up with NASCAR Tech news, follow the campus on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NASCARtech or on Twitter at @NASCARTechUTI.

 

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, MRN Radio, PRN Radio 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 three 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, Mexico and Europe. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., NASCAR has offices in eight cities across North America. The next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, will air July 15 on TNT at noon ET. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.nascar.com. Follow NASCAR on www.facebook.com/NASCAR or on Twitter: @NASCAR.

 

Contact:

Nick Kelly

NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

 


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ARCA Insider - Iowa Speedway - Friday, July 13

 

 

WEEKEND SCHEDULE 

Friday, July 13      

Practice: 10:20-12 Noon. Final Practice: 1-2 p.m.  

Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell: 4:30 p.m.

Prairie Meadows 200 at 8:00 p.m.  

(Times Here Local, Central)  

 

 

FACTSHEET 

  • RACE: Prairie Meadows 200         
  • TRACK: Iowa Speedway
  • LOCATION: Newton, Iowa
  • WEBSITE:  www.arcaracing.com 
  • RACE DISTANCE: 200 Laps / 175 Miles
  • TRACK CONFIGURATION:  .875-Mile Paved Oval
  • FIRST ARCA RACE: 2006
  • TOTAL ARCA RACES RUN: 6      
  • QUALIFYING RECORD: Steve Wallace, 22.933, 137.357 mph, 2006
  • RACE RECORD: Tom Hessert, 105.634 mph, 2010   
  • NO. OF ARCA RACES WON FROM THE POLE: 2  

 

Iowa Race #11; 60th Anniversary Season  The Prairie Meadows 200, the seventh appearance of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards at Iowa Speedway, is the 11th of 20 events on the 2012 schedule. It follows events at Daytona, Mobile, Salem, Talladega, Toledo, Elko, Pocono, Michigan, Winchester and New Jersey Motorsports Park. It also marks the official start of the second half of the 2012 season. The 2012 season also marks the 60th Anniversary Season for the ARCA Racing Series.

 

10 Races, Seven Different Winners; Ranger Newest Winner in 2012  The first six events in 2012 produced six different winners: Bobby Gerhart at Daytona, where he picked up a record eighth career Daytona triumph; at Mobile, Cale Gale, who's spending the majority of his time on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule; at Salem, Alex Bowman; Brandon McReynolds at Talladega; Chris Buescher at Toledo, and point leader Brennan Poole at Elko. However, Poole became the first repeat winner in 2012 with his dominant win at Pocono Raceway. Buescher, as a result of his thrilling victory at Michigan, became the second repeat winner of 2012. Bowman became the third repeat winner of 2012 with his victory at Winchester. Roxton Pond, Quebec's Andrew Ranger became the seventh different winner of 2012 most recently at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

 

Series Standings Tight to Iowa
Brennan Poole, driver of the No. 25 Venturini Motorsports entry, holds a slim 10-point advantage over Chris Buescher headed to Iowa Speedway. Buescher, driver of the No. 17 Roulo Brothers Racing Ford, is under the Roush Fenway Racing driver development banner. Both Poole and Buescher have two wins each on the season. Veteran and nine-time champ Frank Kimmel, with no wins this year, is third, 160 behind the leader. Alex Bowman, despite a DNF early on at Talladega, and a mechanical issue that relegated the Tucson, Ariz. driver to 13th at New Jersey, is fourth in points, 165 from first.

 

Kimmel Still in the Hunt; Winless Streak at 73
Frank Kimmel turned 50 years young in late April, yet the nine-time ARCA champion is clearly still on his game. Kimmel, whose winless streak is 73 races long, has not gone to Victory Lane since September 13, 2008. After struggling with his own team for four seasons, the 74-time ARCA Racing Series winner (second all-time to Iggy Katona's 79 wins) has new life with ThorSport Racing in 2012. After a disappointing start in 2012, Kimmel has rebounded with runner-up finishes at Salem and Toledo, coupled with a solid seventh-place finish at Talladega, a fourth-place finish at Elko, a sixth-place result at Pocono, a seventh-place finish at Michigan and seventh-place finish at New Jersey. Kimmel is the all-time ARCA Racing Series lap leader with 10,395 laps led in 195 races. Kimmel is also the all-time superspeedway lap leader with 2,677 laps led in 81 races.

 

Kimmel and Hessert Only Former Iowa Winners Entered
Frank Kimmel, who won at Iowa in 2007, and Tom Hessert, victorious at Iowa in 2010, are the only former Iowa winners entered. Both, however, have moved onto different teams. Kimmel drives for ThorSport Racing while Hessert drives for Ken Schrader Racing. Kimmel's sole Iowa win came in a car fielded by nine-time ARCA car owner champ and Newton, Iowa native Larry Clement; Hessert's victory at Iowa in '10 came in a Cunningham Motorsports car.

 

Cunningham Motorsports Two-Time Iowa Winners
Cunningham Motorsports, the winningest ARCA team since 2009, is the only team which has won twice at Iowa Speedway. Cunningham won for the first time in 2009 with Parker Kligerman at the helm, and again in 2010 with Tom Hessert driving. Cunningham has entered the No. 22 Dodge for the upcoming Prairie Meadows 200 with Tucson, Ariz. rookie Alex Bowman driving. Bowman has already won twice for Cunningham in 2012, at Salem and again at Winchester.

 

W. Des Moines Rookie Mitchell to Make Debut for Championship ESR Team
Mason Mitchell, an 18-year-old from West Des Moines, Iowa, will join Eddie Sharp Racing as a developmental driver in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. Mitchell will make select starts this season, and plans to make his debut in the Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway this Friday. Mitchell spent the last year racing on the American Speed Association Midwest Tour and as a regular at Hawkeye Downs Speedway. "It's been my dream since I was a little kid to make it to big-time stock car racing," said Mitchell, who has over 50 late model races under his belt. "Joining a team the caliber of ESR is a dream come true. I want to thank my dad and our great sponsor J&S AG Services for making this a reality." In addition to the Iowa event, the team's plans are to run Mitchell in several test sessions and a handful of ARCA Racing Series events this season including July 27 at Indianapolis, and the October 19 season finale at Kansas to get his feet wet leading into a full-time ARCA effort for 2013. ESR earned the 2009 ARCA Racing Series championship with Justin Lofton driving.

 

Matt Lofton, Man on the March; Iowa Familiar to Roxboro, N.C. Driver
After a bumpy start in 2012, Matt Lofton has become one to watch. The Roxboro, N.C. driver struggled at the onset with a 34th-place finish at Daytona followed by 16th and 14th place results at Mobile and Salem, respectively. However, after shaking off the first three, Lofton was second at Talladega, 11th at Toledo, second at Elko, fourth at Pocono, third at Michigan, and fifth recently at Winchester. However, Lofton crashed in his road course debut at New Jersey last week and finished 25th. But, for a driver who was nowhere near the top-10 in points early on, he has risen to seventh in the series standings headed to Iowa. It's also worth noting that, while most of the tracks on the ARCA tour are new to Lofton, he is quite familiar with Iowa Speedway, having raced there twice in the Pro Cup Series and in the ARCA race in 2011.

 

Hackenbracht Knocking on Victory Lane Door
New Philadelphia, Ohio's Chad Hackenbracht is knocking on the Victory Lane door, and Iowa Speedway could be his next best shot to get there. With crew chief Kevin Reed turning the wrenches and Hackenbracht's confidence on the rise, the team won the pole on the New Jersey road course last time out. Hackenbracht has already finished second twice in 2012, at Mobile and most recently at Pocono. In between, the driver of the No. 58 family-owned Chevrolet finished third at Talladega, seventh at Elko, and eighth at Toledo and Winchester. Hackenbracht is currently fifth in the championship standings.    

 

Superspeedway King Gerhart Entered for Iowa, A Rare Short Track Appearance
Lebanon, Pa.'s Bobby Gerhart, renowned for his record eight victories at Daytona Int'l Speedway, and another at Talladega, has filed an entry at Iowa in his own No. 5 Lucas Oil sponsored-Chevrolet. Gerhart's ARCA schedule is mostly comprised of the superspeedways, all of which are televised on SPEED. However, the lure of the live SPEED telecast at Iowa is enough for Gerhart to enter the event. Bobby's brother Bill Gerhart serves as his crew chief.

 

Venturini Motorsports x 5 at Iowa
Venturini Motorsports is headed to Iowa with plenty of momentum, not to mention five race teams. On the near heels of back-to-back wins with Brennan Poole (The Woodlands, Texas) at Elko and Pocono that has him atop the series standings, Venturini Motorsports has entered five teams at Iowa, including the No. 15 Chevrolet with Ryan Reed (Bakersfield, Calif.) in the driver's seat. Venturini Motorsports has also entered the No. 20 Chevrolet with Tom Berte (New Berlin, Wis.) driving, the No. 25 Chevrolet with Poole, and the No. 55 Chevrolet with Erik Jones (Byron, Mich.). Jones, 16, became the youngest driver to ever race in an ARCA Racing Series event at the age of 15 when he debuted in early March at Mobile Int'l Speedway. If Jones were to win at Iowa, he would become the youngest winner in ARCA history, surpassing the mark set by James Buescher in 2007, who won at USA Int'l two days shy of his 17th birthday. Nelson Canache, who has just moved into 10th in the Series standings, is also entered in the No. 66 Venturini Motorsports-Venezuela Tourism Chevrolet. Canache, from Caracas, Venezuela, is coming off a career-best 12th place finish at New Jersey.

 


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Vermont Governor's Cup Earns Special Invite

Governor’s Cup Winner Will Gain Invite To ACT Invitational

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                           TR – 071112-53

 

Barre, VT –Thunder Road officials have announced that the winner of the Vermont Governor’s Cup 150 sponsored by the VT State Lottery Commission on this Thursday, July 12, will also earn an invite to the Bond Auto ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 22.  Thunder Road’s marquee race of the summer will feature the top talent from Thunder Road, and the Vermont State Championship Series, all coming to town to claim the Vermont Governor’s Cup to be presented by Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin. 

 

Eight-time American Canadian Tour Champion Brian Hoar announced his last-minute entry to the race, trying for his third straight Thunder Road win, and second of 2012. Barre sensation Nick Sweet will have a target on his back entering a race where he has the best average finish (3.25) of any driver in the last four years. In his rookie year in the Late Model division in 2008, Sweet posted his worst Governor’s Cup finish of his career with seventh. He followed it up with a podium third-place finish in 2009, won the event in 2010, and ran second to Graniteville’s John Donahue in 2011 when he famously slowed down for a caution that never flew. Sweet enters the Governor’s Cup as the point leader, but will face stiff competition from defending Champion Dave Pembroke and multi-time track Champion Phil Scott, both of whom the Governor’s Cup has narrowly eluded.

 

The Vermont State Championship Series will bring added pressure, as Milton’s Brent Dragon, Maine’s Ricky Rolfe, NH’s Joey Polewarczyk and more come to town as the Governor’s Cup serves as the third race of the four event series. Both Dragon and Rolfe, who are first and third in points respectively, enjoyed remarkable runs in the series opener at Thunder Road and expect more of the same on Thursday. For Phil Scott, the Governor’s Cup will be double trouble, as he currently sits second on the Vermont State Championship Series and fourth overall in Late Model points standings at Thunder Road.

 

Qualifying for the Vermont Governor’s Cup presented by the VT State Lottery Commission will begin at 6:30pm this Thursday, July 12 at Thunder Road. Adult admission is $15, and kids under 12 will get in free.

 

For additional information head to www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com , email us at media@acttour.com  or call the Thunder Road office at (802) 244-6963.

 

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SIMON ROUSSIN UNE TROISIÈME VICTOIRE DE SUITE

 

Communiqué de presse                                                   Pour diffusion immédiate

SSQ-2012-030


SIMON ROUSSIN UNE TROISIÈME VICTOIRE DE SUITE

Québec, QC (7 juillet 2012) – Les pilotes de la Série Sportsman Québec iSPEEDZONE étaient en piste du côté de l’Autodrome Montmagny pour la 5e manche du championnat.  Une épreuve de 100-tours sur le rapide circuit de 3/8 de mile.  Le double champion de la Série Simon ROUSSIN de Québec a poursuivi sa domination en enregistrant une quatrième victoire cette année et une troisième consécutives.  Il a été suivi au fil d’arrivé par Jimmy NADEAU de Beauceville, Steve MALOUIN-MCKIBBIN de Lévis, Sylvain LABBÉ de St-Joseph de Beauce et Jonathan CÔTÉ de St-Jean-Chrysostome.

 

En début d’après-midi, les vingt voitures ont été séparées en deux groupes pour les séances de temps chronométrés.  La grille de départ était déterminée par le meilleur temps enregistré de chacun sur une période de 14 minutes, comme c’est fait en Formule 1.  Les plus rapides ont été : Steeve LESAGE de Pont-Rouge, Jonathan CÔTÉ et François LESSARD de St-Joseph de Beauce.

Une fois les cinq premières positions redistribuées par le biais d’une pige, Réjean BLANCHET et Steve LESAGE occupaient la première ligne de départ.  BLANCHET a pris les commandes de l’épreuve  jusqu’au 11e passage.

Simon ROUSSIN qui avait pris le départ en sixième position a doublé BLANCHET pour prendre la tête du peloton et dominer jusqu’à la fin, malgré les 9 relances occasionnées par des incidents mineurs, du même coup enregistrer sa quatrième victoire de la saison et prendre creuser encore sont avance à la tête du classement cumulatif.

Jimmy NADEAU a terminé deuxième enregistrant sont premier podium de l’année.  Une position qui a fait un grand bien à l’équipe de NADEAU qui, une semaine avant, avait sérieusement endommagé sa voiture sur le même tracé.  Le jour même, l’équipe parlait de peut-être avoir à abandonner la compétition pour cette année devant la lourde tâche de reconstruction.  Ils ont travaillé de nombreuses heures pour refaire la section avant et la section arrière de la voiture et investi des milliers de dollars pour revenir en force.  Ils ont remporté le pari.

Le sympathique pilote de Lévis, Steve MALOUIN-MCKIBBIN a enregistré un troisième podium en cinq courses, après avoir remonté de la neuvième position au départ, pour terminer troisième au fil d’arrivée.

Le champion de 2012, Sylvain LABBÉ a encore une fois surmonté les épreuves qui semblent s’acharner sur lui cette saison.  Impliqué dans un incident de course, bien malgré lui, en première moitié d’épreuve, dans laquelle il a endommagé la calandre de sa voiture.  Celle-ci s’étant refermée, elle limitait l’apport en air pour refroidir le moteur qui a roulé à plus de 260F à partir de ce moment-là et aurait pu exploser à n’importe lequel instant.

Jonathan CÔTÉ a terminé cinquième et a enregistré sa meilleure performance cette année.  Steeve LESAGE et François LESSARD continuent d’accumuler les top-10.  Louis-Philippe LABRECQUE quand à lui enregistre une belle huitième position, un premier top-10 pour lui cette saison.  Jean LAMONTAGNE et Stéphane ROY complètent le groupe des dix premiers.

Les dix suivant furent : Réjean BLANCHET, Patrick LAROUCHE, Jean D’AMOURS, Danny GAGNÉ, Alex MONTMINY, Stéphane FOURNIER, Kara GUÉNETTE, Junior GUILLEMET, Marco SAVOIE et Jean-François MALTAIS.

La Série Sportsman Québec iSpeedzone présentée par Lucas Oil fait relâche cette semaine et sera de retour en piste au Circuit Riverside Speedway de Ste-Croix-de-Lotbinière, samedi le 21 juillet prochain.

 

– 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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