South Carolina Motorsports Racing News

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Contents www.SCMSRN.com

Ø ARCA Nation News

Ø Dustin Long

Ø FOXSports.com News for NASCAR

Ø Motorcycle USA Article Headlines

Ø NASCAR.COM - Camping World Series Headlines

Ø NASCAR.COM - Nationwide Series Headlines

Ø NASCAR.COM - Sprint Cup Series Headlines

Ø Yahoo! Sports - NASCAR News

ARCA Nation Blog Posts

2 FREE NEW JERSEY ARCA TIX & MORE FOR DONATING BLOOD

New Jersey Motorsports Park to host American Red Cross Blood Drive

Penn-Jersey Blood Services Region

New Jersey Motorsports Park will host an American Red Cross blood drive on Saturday, August 7, 2010 at the Officer’s Club on New Jersey Motorsports Park Thunderbolt Raceway (8000 Dividing Creek Road Millville, NJ 08332). All presenting blood donors will receive a collectible “Die-Cast Car” and two weekend tickets, which include parking, to the Garden State ARCA 150 presented by American Red Cross on August 14-15, 2010. Plus you will receive a complimentary race day program and a ride in the New Jersey Motorsports racecar simulator.
The blood drive runs from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Officer’s Club on New Jersey Motorsports Park Thunderbolt Raceway. New Jersey Motorsports Park is teaming up with the American Red Cross to help raise awareness about the need for donating blood during the summer months.
Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in PA and NJ), meet weight and height requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on their height) and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. Please bring your Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive ID when you come to donate.
Directions to NJMP:
CLICK HERE to down load directions. For all attendees using GPS, Google Maps, MapQuest or a comparable service, please use the below address at the destination: 8000 Dividing Creek Rd. Millville, NJ 08332
Waiver: Upon arrival at the NJMP, any attendees can tell the guard on duty that they are there for the American Red Cross Blood Drive. At that time they will be required to sign a waiver. No one will be permitted on premise without signing this waiver in the presence of NJMP Security.
Location

Officer’s Club on NJ Motorsports Park Thunderbolt Raceway 8000 Dividing Creek Road, Millville, NJ, 08332

2 FREE NEW JERSEY ARCA WEEKEND TIX & MORE FOR DONATING BLOOD

New Jersey Motorsports Park NJMP has partnered with American Red Cross to host a blood drive on August 7th from 7am to 3pm.

ALL presenting blood donors will receive:

• Two free weekend tickets to the Garden State ARCA 150 on August 14-15th
...• One event program
• Collectable ModSpace #1 Die Cast ARCA race car
• Ride in the NJMP racecar simulator
• Opportunity to be selected to ride on the track in a REAL ARCA Stock Car on August 7th!

A limited number of appointments are available, so please make yours today! To make your appointment right now, go to Give Blood, Get Tickets! It is fast and easy. Or call 1-800-RED CROSS to make appointments as well.

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ARCA Nation News

Win-Tron Racing, Marks Reveal Special Colors for Tim Richmond at Mansfield

Marks Richmond (LAKEVILLE, Minn – July 13, 2010) - The ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards heads to Mansfield Motorsports Park this weekend for The Tim Richmond Memorial 200. Not only will the entire series recognize one of the sport’s pioneers and greatest of all time, but series points leader Justin Marks will also carry a special paint scheme to honor Richmond on his No. 32 Construct Corps Dodge Charger.

The normal flat black and bright green colors that splash the Win-Tron Racing, Construct Corps sponsored machine will be replaced by a special color combination that will cover Marks’ car instead. The one-time special scheme replicates Tim Richmond’s Folgers Coffee-sponsored, Hendrick Motorsports No. 25 he sported in 1986, his most successful season in what is now the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Collecting seven wins that year, more than any other driver on the circuit, he finished third in the final point standings.

"It’s just something I thought would be fun to do- I’m a real history buff when it comes to racing and I love to read about the eras of the past and the people and things that made racing what it is today. I’ve had the opportunity to get to know a lot of people who knew Tim Richmond and were around when he was running, and I’m excited to do something like this because he was a real star in the sport and was a unique personality," Marks explained.

"I have a great sponsor in Construct Corps, and they allowed us to do something special with this paint scheme that looks just like the Folgers car he ran for Rick Hendrick. It’s just another way to honor someone who impacted the sport and changed it forever, and we’re going to have some fun with it."

Co-Owner of Win-Tron Racing Nate Thiesse is also looking forward to the special honorary colors this weekend, and isn’t surprised by Justin’s desire to participate in the memorial of Richmond.

"The special paint scheme for this weekend is one of the things we talked about back at the beginning of the season when we were putting together our whole package for the year. Justin is a student of motorsports and a history buff when it comes to this sport, so it’s not a surprise to me that he wanted to pay tribute to Tim Richmond in a unique way."

The Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA 200 is set to begin at 8:00 pm EST on Saturday, July 17^th, with live timing and scoring on ARCA Nation, which you can find on ARCARacing.com. Live audio coverage from the event will also be available on the site from the BAS Racing Network. Marks carries a 70-point lead over second place driver Patrick Sheltra into Mansfield, the largest margin any driver has enjoyed all season.?

Oil spill cleanup jobs in Southern Louisiana are still available through Construct Corps. For more information about the cleanup efforts and job openings on the Disaster Recovery Team, please visit

About Justin Marks

California native Justin Marks began his love of racing after attending local races and the Indianapolis 500 with his father at the age of 14. His racing career sprouted from local street stock racing and grew into a successful SCCA and Rolex Sports Car Series career. Marks finished 16^th in the 2001 Rolex Sports Car 24 Hours of Daytona in his first career professional race, and later collected a total of 12 wins in the SCCA and Rolex Sports Car Series combined. In 2009, he competed once again in the 24 Hours of Daytona and came home with a victory.

Marks moved on to ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series competition in 2007, where he competed in select races over the next two years. This season, Justin is competing full-time in the ARCA Racing Series with Win-Tron Racing in the No. 32 Construct Corps machine. For the latest news on Justin, please visit

www.JustinMarksRacing.com .

About Win-Tron Racing

Based in Lakeville, Minnesota, Win-Tron Racing officially began in 2007 with one main goal in mind: to win races. Owned by a former successful racecar driver in Kevin Cywinski, and engineer Nate Thiesse, Win-Tron has successfully competed for wins in the ARCA Racing Series with the No. 32 machine since its first appearances in 2004 under a former name, Country Joe Racing. Though the organization has seen several different drivers behind the wheel of its entries, Win-Tron and driver Justin Marks are set to compete for the entire season in 2010, with hopes of capturing a team first ARCA championship. For more on Win-Tron Racing, visit

www.Win-TronRacing.com

Marks Leaves Iowa as Points Leader

Monday, July 12, 2010, 8:15:54 PM | Don Radebaugh

Marks Candid Pocono2010 (NEWTON, Iowa – July 12, 2010) - Tough luck for other top competitors turned into fortune for Justin Marks and the Win-Tron Racing team on Saturday night at Iowa Speedway. Heading into the Prairie Meadows 200, Marks sat second in a tight championship points race, 35 tallies behind leader Patrick Sheltra. The Rocklin, California native was able to capitalize in a big way when Sheltra fell out early after an engine failure, with other close competitors suffering from bad luck as well.

With all on-track action taking place in one day this weekend at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, July 10^th, the Win-Tron Racing team kicked into overdrive, preparing the car for two practice sessions, qualifying and 200 laps. Driver Justin Marks did his part as well by hydrating himself on a hot afternoon in the Hawkeye state and wheeling his No. 32 Construct Corps Toyota to ninth on the charts in the first practice session, followed up by an improvement to fifth overall in final practice. Though the car was tight in the middle of the turns, Crew Chief Mike Chaffee and the team threw several changes at the car to help the handling before qualifying.

One of the final three cars to turn a lap in the time trial session, Marks was able to set the third fastest lap of the night, improving from his final practice time to a 23. 797 second lap. After climbing out of the car, Marks admitted that the car slipped slightly coming off of turn two which may have cost him a shot at the pole, but was pretty happy with the handling for the start of the 200 lapper.

With just about two hours between the end of qualifying and the 8:00 pm starting time for the race, track conditions changed significantly as the sun went down and, in turn, changed the handling on the Construct Corps machine. Just five laps after taking the green flag, Marks radioed to his crew that the car was chattering and extremely tight through the turns. Chaffee instructed his driver they would make some changes the first chance they got, which came under caution on lap 40. Holding steady within the top ten, Justin brought his Toyota down pit road for two tires and a chassis adjustment to help aid the issues he was facing.

Though the changes helped the tight condition, the car began to break loose exiting the corners and Justin reported just past halfway that the brakes were beginning to lose their stopping power. Co-owner Kevin Cywinski began to coach the Win-Tron Racing driver through the turns, giving him options to run different lines to help both the handling and braking conditions. After searching for a few laps, Marks was able to find a line that compensated for both conditions and held steady within the top 10.

Another caution came with less than 50 laps remaining, giving the Win-Tron Racing pit crew a chance to put four new Hoosier tires on the No. 32 and fill it full of Sunoco race fuel to propel it to the finish. The quick stop by the crew helped Justin gain two spots on pit road and moved him back into the top ten on the restart. The changes weren’t enough for Justin to maneuver to the front to challenge for the lead, but he was able to come home in ninth position.

“These one day shows are always difficult because you practice in the heat of the day, you qualify under the sunlight and then you race and night. When the sun goes down the track changes and it’s difficult to prepare for that because you almost have to take a stab at it, guess and hope you land on it,” the driver commented after the finish.

“We just missed it a little bit tonight. It felt like we had the car working really well in the sunlight which made me a little nervous, and tonight the car started out really tight, then we made a change and it got really loose, and we sort of just split the difference for the last 100 laps.

“I raced hard and clean but I made everyone really earn it tonight because I really wanted to take advantage of the misfortune that the 60 (Sheltra) and 25 (Mikey Kile) had. I’m a little bit frustrated we didn’t run better but obviously it was a good points day,” said Marks.

Persevering through a tough night and holding onto a top-10 finish helped Marks regain the points lead for the second time this season, ahead of second place Sheltra by 70 points. The Win-Tron team is confident taking the points lead into next weekend, as their strong short track program will be a factor and main driving force in their success next Saturday in the Tim Richmond Memorial at Mansfield Motorsports Park.

About Justin Marks

About Win-Tron Racing

Promising Day Comes to a Crashing End for Iowa Rookie

Monday, July 12, 2010, 8:15:54 PM | Don Radebaugh

Gase Candid Iowa10 (MOORESVILLE, N.C. - July 12, 2010) - Realistic expectations coupled with excitement made for a great start to the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards weekend for Spraker Racing and Iowa native Joey Gase. After running in the top-15 for most of the night, a lap 52 incident relegated Gase to a 27^th-place finish in the Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway.

Gase made his first laps in an ARCA Chevrolet Saturday morning at the first practice. He turned the 23^rd fastest lap of 24.922 seconds (126.394 mph) before having motor problems. The team hurried to change the engine in time for qualifying, so the No. 37 Spraker Racing Chevrolet did not have to start at the back of the field. The Spraker Racing team missed final practice while changing the motor but finished in time to make a qualifying run. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native took to the track to qualify for his first ARCA Racing Series start. He drove his No. 37 Spraker Racing Chevrolet to the 14^th starting spot with a lap of 24.151 seconds (130.429 mph).

Anxious to make his first ARCA Racing Series start and sixth start at Iowa Speedway, Gase got into his No. 37 Spraker Racing Chevrolet looking for a solid finish. Taking the green flag in 14^th, the 2008 Hawkeye Downs Speedway Late Model Champion held his position for the first 15 laps. By lap 20, he was solidly in the 16^th position.

The first caution flew on lap 38 and owner Jeff Spraker called the rookie down pit road for a gas-only pit stop. During the pit stop, the team made a trackbar adjustment, hoping to relieve the car's tight condition. Gase restarted the race in the 12^th position. The rookie raced clean and hard and found himself in the 15^th position on lap 50.

On lap 52, the second yellow flag was waved with the No. 37 Spraker Racing Chevrolet still in the 15^th position. Gase radioed to the crew that the car was tight when he hit the gas in the corner and loose on exit. The Spraker Racing team elected to stay out and gain valuable track position.

When the restart came on lap 56, Gase was in the ninth position, just behind ARCA Racing Series veteran Frank Kimmel. Spraker coached his rookie to stay with Kimmel and watch his lines. Soaking up valuable experience from the nine-time ARCA Racing Series champion, Gase stayed close to the No. 44, mirroring his line. Throughout the green flag run, Gase kept up with Kimmel, although they were passed by a few cars on new tires. While running on old tires, the No. 37 Spraker Racing Chevrolet was still fast on lap 85.

Sitting solid just outside the top-10, there was contact with Gase and the lap-down car of Bobby Gerhart in turn two, resulting in major damage to the rear of the No. 37 Chevrolet. Gase pulled his Spraker Racing Chevrolet down pit road in hopes that the team could fix the damage. The damage was too severe to fix on pit road, and Gase pulled his car into the garage, relegating him to a 27^th-place finish is his ARCA Racing Series debut.

"It was a lot of fun," reflected Gase. "We were running well in the top-15, top-10 most of the race. I guess a lapper booted us. It is what it is. The car was tight but we were still running as well as the guys with new tires. We were catching guys in front of us. I feel a lot more comfortable running in ARCA now."

Spraker Racing will return to the track July 30 for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East 125 at Lee USA Speedway.

Sour Finish Overshadows Strong Showing from Sheltra at Iowa

Monday, July 12, 2010, 8:15:54 PM | Don Radebaugh

Sheltra Candid Iowa10 (NEWTON, Iowa - July 10, 2010) - - Patrick Sheltra entered Saturday night’s Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway as the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards points leader but a motor failure 46 laps into the 200-lap contest resulted in a disappointing 29th finish for the Indiantown, Florida native.

Sheltra was making his fourth start at the .875-mile paved oval and after notching the sixth and fastest (first) time respectively in the day’s duo practice sessions, the Sheltra Motorsports team had all the intuition that Saturday night’s event could be the night that the Jon Wolfe-led organization celebrated in victory lane.

In Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying, Sheltra maneuvered his No. 60 Recycling Services / Ferguson Pipe Toyota Camry to the eighth fastest time after the rising star admitted that he overdrove his machine gunning for his first career ARCA pole.

When the green flag dropped for the ninth race of the season, “Mr. Showtime”, as he’s known in the ARCA garage wasted no time slicing and dicing his way through the front pack as by the completion of the fifth lap, Sheltra had worked his way into the sixth position.

Studying the No. 16 Chevrolet of Joey Coulter for fifth, Sheltra finally passed his fellow racing colleague by lap 15 and had set his sights on the top-four racers. As Sheltra continued to inch closer to the lead pack, the ARCA pro informed Wolfe that his brakes were shot and the pedal was going to the floor, which virtually simultaneously caused the No. 60 to begin a backslide in the running order.

Wolfe acknowledged his driver’s problem but also gave his pilot a few pointers to try and challenge the braking woes. On lap 38, a caution flew for a two-car incident which allowed Sheltra to make a trip down pit road for four tires and fuel and an overview of the braking system.

Under the yellow flag, Sheltra advised his Mooresville, North Carolina based team that the brake pedal had returned to its normal function from previously in the day. The team was pleased with their driver’s final assessment of the situation and had hoped that would be the only issue the four year ARCA team would face during the night.

Restarting in the 12^th position, Sheltra fiercely negotiated his green and orange machine back into the top-10 and was clearly on the move back towards the top-five when he radioed the team on lap 46 that the motor was “done”.

Slowly, the frustrated driver made his way back to the attention of his crew on pit lane where upon further review, the engine seizure was diagnosed as terminal.

For the first time this year, Sheltra would finish a race outside the top-10.

“Man, we had a good car, I hate for that to have happen,” offered Sheltra. “It just wasn’t our night. I guess, it’s all apart of racing – my emotions are just all over the place right now because we’ve worked so hard to make this team a factor week in and week out. We did that again tonight, just didn’t receive the result we were looking for. I want to thank everyone on the team, our marketing partners and everyone else who makes this deal possible. We’ll bounce back. We’ll take this race as our mulligan and get back on track next week at Mansfield.”

Sheltra’s finish on Saturday night halted an impressive eight consecutive top-10 finishes in a row which started off in the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February where he finished fifth and before Iowa, Sheltra finished a solid third at Michigan International Speedway, the eighth race of the 2010 season.

The mishap ultimately slipped Sheltra to second in the ARCA point standings now 70 markers behind Justin Marks, who was leading the championship chase before the No. 60 team assumed the top position three races ago at Toledo (Ohio) Speedway.

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series is a stop to Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park for the running of the second annual Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA 200 next Saturday night, July 17^th. Last year, Sheltra finished 21^st in the No. 60 Sheltra Motorsports Dodge Charger.

Cost-effective marketing partnerships are still available for the remainder of the 2010 ARCA Racing Series season. For additional information, please contact brandon@patricksheltra.com or marketing@patricksheltra.com.

Exiting Iowa, Sheltra has 76 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards starts to his credit with one career victory at Salem (Ind.) Speedway (April 2009). During his ARCA tenure, Sheltra has accumulated 15 top-fives and posted 30 top-10 finishes. A third place qualifying effort at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway (April 2009) and Michigan International Speedway (June 2010) is Sheltra’s best time trials effort to date. He has controlled the ARCA field six times for 148 laps.

For the latest on Patrick Sheltra, Sheltra Motorsports and marketing partnership opportunities please visit PatrickSheltra.com.

Join the official Patrick Sheltra fan page on Facebook by clicking here.

About Sheltra Motorsports:

Sheltra Motorsports (sheltramotorsports.com) is a three-tier professional Motorsports organization consisting of dirt and asphalt competition. Patrick Sheltra, a 24-year old native of Indiantown, Florida competes in the UMP and WoO (Dirt) Series; while also running a full schedule in the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards (No. 60) and a limited schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The team is headquartered in Indiantown, Florida with additional operations in Richmond, Indiana and Mooresville, North Carolina.

Bourque, Fowler Post-Iowa Reports

Monday, July 12, 2010, 8:15:54 PM | Don Radebaugh

Bourque Candid Iowa10 (NEWTON, Iowa - July 12, 2010) - Pierre Bourque and the No. 2 ESR Toyota began Saturday night looking for Bourque's best career finish in the ARCA Racing Series.

Unfortunately, the night ended early for the No. 2. On lap 37, Mikey Kile in the No. 25 cut his right front tire and hit the wall, and Bourque was caught up in the accident. The disappointing early exit placed Bourque 31^st at the end of the night.

The race marks Bourque's seventh career ARCA Racing Series start. His best finish to date is 13^th at Winchester Speedway in May 2006.

"I really enjoyed racing in the ARCA Racing Serise at Iowa Speedway with Eddie Sharp Racing in the No. 2 Toyota. If not for being wrecked by someone else, I'm sure we would have had a top-15 finish. I want to thank Eddie Sharp, my crew chief Wayne Carroll, spotter Jefferson Hodges and the whole crew that worked on the No. 2. I look forward to re-joining ESR later this summer once my Canadian NASCAR schedule lightens up again."

Bourque's next NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race is July 17 at the Streets of Toronto.

Kyle Fowler

Fowler Candid Iowa10 No. 6 Alabama Air National Guard Toyota

Starting Position: 17

Finishing Position: 22

Kyle Fowler started his second ARCA Racing Series race in Saturday night's Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway in the No. 6 Alabama Air National Guard Toyota.

n his ARCA debut, Fowler fought damage from and a disconnected battery to lead to his 15h-place finish. When the green flag waved, Fowler was ready to shake his bad luck and compete for a top finish. Fowler clawed his way through the field, even after going a lap down, and posted lap speeds quicker than the leaders.

"My first set of tires were hard to work with, and we were free from the get-go," said Fowler. "We were hanging about where we started. When we came to the pits for the first time and changed tires, the car was definitely better. We were one lap down-- the only car a lap down. We were faster than the leaders, at that point, which was pretty cool. We ran our fastest lap times with 135-lap tires."

Bad luck unfortunately found the No. 6 when Fowler came in for a pit stop and got stuck in fourth gear. Leaving the car in fourth gear burned the clutch out, ending the day for the No. 6.

"We were set up to get a solid top-10," said Fowler. "We just can't catch a break. The car was great, after we got that set of tires and made one adjustment that really helped the car, and I think that we were definitely set up for a top-10 finish. As of now, we are not sure when I'll return to the ARCA Racing Series. I would love to run some more races pending sponsorship."

Armstrong Has Solid 4th Place Finish at Iowa

Monday, July 12, 2010, 8:15:54 PM | Don Radebaugh

Armstrong Candid Iowa10 (NEWTON, Iowa – July 12, 2010) - Dakoda Armstrong and the #22 Ferrellgas team practiced 3^rd quickest in the first practice session in preparation for the Prairie Meadows 200. After falling to 8^th in the final practice, in the heat of the day, Armstrong qualified 10^th.

The Cunningham Motorsports Dodge started the 200 lap event in the 10^th spot and battled close to that position through the first two cautions. After the second re-start on lap 56, Dakoda took over the 7^th spot, falling to 8^th prior to the third caution, on lap 88. Crew chief, Paul Andrews called his driver to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Coming back on to the track in 10^th position, Armstrong started picking up positions one by one when the green flag flew. By lap 103 he was back to the 7^th spot. As the tires began to wear, Armstrong lost a couple of positions. When the final caution flew on lap 154, Armstrong brought the #22 to the pits for the four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. With this adjustment made, Armstrong was able to head back towards the front. He re-started 8^th on lap 158 and was 6^th by lap 175, 5^th by lap 189, 4^th by 193, before running out of laps to complete the pass for third. The fourth place finish moved the #22 team to 7^th in championship points.

After the race, the driver of the Ferrellgas Dodge said, “We lost brakes early in the race, but we had a good finish. The guys never gave up. The adjustments that Paul made on our last stop made the car work great. It was really fast at the end. We needed another lap or two to take over third place. We had a good race going with the 88 (of Matt Crafton), but it took me too much time to get by him. Even though we struggled some during the race, we had a good finish and a good points day.”

The next event for the Cunningham Motorsports team is Saturday, July 17, at Mansfield Motorsports Park. Practice begins at 2:30-4:00, with qualifying at 5:00. The 200 lap event starts at 8 pm EST. All live timing and scoring will be covered by www.arcaracing.com.

Hessert Dominates Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa for Career-1st Win

Monday, July 12, 2010, 8:15:54 PM | Don Radebaugh

Hessert Candid In Car Iowa10 (NEWTON, Iowa – July 12, 2010) - Tom Hessert, driving the Cherry Hill Classic Cars Dodge, won the Prairie Meadows 200 in dominating fashion. He was second on the speed charts during the first practice, 6^th in final practice and qualified on the outside pole. After the final practice, an optimistic Hessert said, “Our car came off of the trailer fast. This is the same car that Cunningham Motorsports won here with last year. The guys at the shop have given me an awesome car. We have a good shot at the pole.” Even though he came up one position short of that prediction, he had a good view of the green flag from the outside pole position.

When the race began, it didn’t take Tom long to take control of the race. By lap 9 he had taken over the point, which he held for the next 49 laps. During the first caution, Hessert told crew chief, John Monsam, “the car is amazing.” On the re-start after the second caution on lap 56, Tom lost the top spot to Max Gresham and had some amazing battles with the #71 car until the next caution on lap89. Monsam called for four tires and fuel as Tom brought the #77 to the attention of the pit crew. Hessert came back onto the track in 6^th and started his climb back to the front on the green flag at lap 95. Twelve laps later, he was battling for the top spot with Matt Crafton and retook the lead on lap 124. The final stop for the #77 crew was on lap 154 for four tires and fuel. The crew got Tom back on track in the top spot. Hessert very appropriately led the final “77” laps of the 200 lap event to capture his first ARCA Racing Series career win.

After a burnout that was also a first for Tom and a reminder from crew chief Monsam to, “take it easy”, Hessert drove into Pizza Ranch Victory Lane to receive a “shower” from the ecstatic pit crew. In victory lane, Tom thanked everyone at Cunningham Motorsports, including Kerry Scherer, Briggs Cunningham, John Monsam and his crew, in addition to a heartfelt thank you to his #1 supporter, Tom Hessert Jr., his dad.

In the media center, after signing all autographs requested in victory lane (including a piece of Pizza Ranch pizza) Hessert said, “I have had an incredible night. I knew we had a great car the first lap off of the truck. The car was phenomenal. I had a great car, great people around me, and great motors from Ilmore Racing Engines. It was so special that my dad was here and could share this with me—I wish the rest of my family had been here.”

The win puts Tom into a close battle for the championship points. The team is currently in 5^th place, 140 points out of the lead. Hessert also took over the race record for speed of the race—from previous Cunningham Motorsports driver, Parker Kligerman, who had the record for the 2009 race in the same race car.

The next event for the Cunningham Motorsports team is Saturday, July 17, at Mansfield Motorsports Park. Practice is at 2:30-4:00, with qualifying at 5:00. The 200 lap event starts at 8 pm EST. Follow all of the live action at www.arcaracing.com.

Craig Goess Finishes 8th at Iowa Speedway

Monday, July 12, 2010, | Don Radebaugh

Goess Car In Garage Iowa10 (NEWTON, Iowa – July 11, 2010) - Under the lights at Iowa Speedway on Saturday night, Craig Goess felt right at home racing around the lit track.

"It reminds me of growing up, racing on the weekend nights," said Goess. "I love this atmosphere."

Goess and the No. 81 Greenville Toyota of N.C. Eddie Sharp Racing team looked to channel the excitement from the environment at Iowa Speedway into excitement on the track for the Prairie Meadows 200.

On-track activities were condensed into one day, beginning with the track opening for ARCA Racing Series teams at 8 a.m. The Prairie Meadows 200 was scheduled for 12 hours later, setting the No. 81 ESR team for a marathon day.

Action got started early, as Goess participated in two practice sessions. He logged 40 laps in the morning session with the eighth quickest time of 24.432 seconds (128.929 mph). He finished the final practice, which proved to be the hottest part of the day, ninth after 19 laps with a time of 24.268 seconds (129.801 mph).

Qualifying followed after a short three-hour break, and Goess was prepared to wheel his Greenville Toyota of N.C. Toyota to the front of the pack. He qualified with the sixth-fastest time of 40 cars at a time of 23.957 seconds (131.486 mph).

At the drop of the green flag, Goess looked for his second win of the season and a push to the top of the ARCA Racing Series points battle. Even early, Goess battled to keep his car in the top-10, dropping to the 13^th position by lap 14. Crew Chief Johnny Allen began strategizing ways to help Goess with the ill-handling car. "Cut off the right rear fan, and we will work on the car in the first pit stop. Just keep doing what you are doing," said Allen.

The first caution flew on lap 38 for a two-car incident, providing Goess with the chance to make his first trip down pit road for four tires and fuel. Restarting 12^thon lap 45, Goess didn't waste time on his new tires as he passed the No. 22 of Dakoda Armstrong for the 11^th position.

Goess radioed to the crew on lap 49 that the car "still feels loose off turn four." The team received their opening to make the car better as a caution flew just three laps later when Steve Arpin's No. 55 brushed the wall after blowing a tire. When pit road opened on lap 54, the No. 81 came down pit road, and the ESR crew went to work making adjustments to the right-side track bar and left-side wedge, and topped the Toyota off with fuel.

The yellow flag flew for the third time on lap 88, and Allen and the crew strategized for this stop and how to best utilize the remaining laps. The No. 81 took on fuel and four tires, the same tires that started on the car.

Battling a car that felt like a "snowplow," the No. 81 remained in the 13^th position until the fourth and final caution of the race fell on lap 152. "Brake vibrations are bad right now, but I know we can't fix that," said Goess. "I am getting a great foot massage though."
The No. 81 came down pit road for the last pit stop of the night, making adjustments to get the car to the front of the pack.

On lap 171, Goess went low to pass the No. 32 of Justin Marks. Going into turns one and two, Goess finally got past Marks, but the No. 32 was able to muscle back around the No. 81. Goess continued to dig for the next five laps, finally passing Marks on lap 176 for the eighth position.

Even posting his fastest times of the night in the last 24 laps, Goess had a considerable distance to catch the seventh place car of Casey Roderick. With only 10 cars finishing on the lead lap, Goess crossed the finish line eighth.

"The group in front of us had such a lead that by the time we got past the 32, there wasn't enough time to catch up to them. It was a good points night for us. Some of the top contenders for the championship had some bad luck, and we picked up some good points at the end of the night. It should have moved us up the boards a bit. That's the positive of the night."

In six out of the nine ARCA Racing Series races this season, the driver of the No. 81 finished in the top-10. Goess' consistent finishes this season helped him move up in the championship standings to third. He is only 30 points out of second and 140 behind Justin Marks at the top of the point standings.

Goess returns to the track next week as the ARCA Racing Series heads to Mansfield Motorsports Park for the Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA 200 in Mansfield, Ohio on Saturday. The race will be broadcast live on the BAS Racing Network and ARCARacing.com.

Crafton Another Top-5 in 2nd ARCA Start

Monday, July 12, 2010 | Don Radebaugh

Crafton Candid Iowa10 (MOORESVILLE, N.C. - July 12, 2010) - Matt Crafton drove his No. 88 Messina Wildlife Management - Menards Ford to a fifth-place finish in his second ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards start. Crafton, who lined-up 12th for the Prairie Meadows 200, was sent to the back for the start at Iowa Speedway but quickly made his way through the field.

Saturday was a jam-packed day for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver, as he practiced and qualified both his truck and ARCA car before the Prairie Meadows 200. Crafton started off his day with ARCA practice, where he laid down the 17^th fastest lap of 24.681 seconds (127.629 mph). Ten minutes later, Crafton switched gears and practiced his truck. Crafton had another ten minute break before ARCA final practice. Crafton improved from first practice, completing the fourth fastest lap of 24.069 seconds (130.874 mph).

Following truck final practice and an autograph session, the Calif. native jumped back into his No. 88 Messina Wildlife Management - Menards Ford for ARCA qualifying. Crafton circled the .875-mile oval in 24.063 seconds (130.906 mph), good enough for the 12^th starting spot.

Crafton then qualified his truck and got ready for the start of the Prairie Meadows 200. Crafton lined-up 12^th for the start of the race but was sent to the back for not keeping pace on the warm-up lap. Taking the green flag from the back of the pack, Crafton muscled his No. 88 Messina Wildlife Management - Menards Ford to the 22^nd position by lap eight. Radioing to the crew that the car was really good, Crafton was on a mission to get back to the front. By lap 10, Crafton was up to the 14^th position, when the car started to get a bit tight and free off the corner.

Crafton settled into the 14^th spot for the next 25 laps but worked his way up to the 13^th position before the first caution flew. The Messina Wildlife Management - Menards team opted to stay out during the first caution in order to save new tires for later in the race. The race went back to green on lap 45 with the No. 88 in the eighth position. Fast on the restart, Crafton passed the No. 51 of Casey Roderick and a lap car three-wide to take the seventh position, when they crossed the line for the 46^th time. Crafton then passed a car a lap to take the fifth position by lap 48.

When the second yellow flag few on lap 52, Crafton was up to the fourth position despite a tight condition. Crafton drove his No. 88 Messina Wildlife Management - Menards Ford down pit road on lap 54. The team got to work, adding fuel, changing four tires and making a trackbar adjustment during the stop.

On lap 56, the green flag was dropped again, with Crafton in the 12^th position after the stop. During the next run, Crafton methodically worked his way through the field. He was up to the sixth position by lap 83. On lap 85, Crafton was the fastest car on the track and making his way to the front. A crash off turn two brought out the third caution of the day. The team elected to stay out once again.

Crafton restarted the race in the second position on lap 95. Crafton took no time to pass the leader in turn one. The No. 88 Messina Wildlife Management - Menards Ford lead the field for 28 laps, before eventual winner Tom Hessert passed Crafton on lap 124. Crafton continued to battle a tight race car and began running different lines looking for an answer. The fourth and final caution of the day was called on lap 152, with Crafton in the third position.

Crew Chief Bud Haefele called the No. 88 down pit road for a four-tire pit stop and a trackbar adjustment. Crafton came out from the stop in fourth. Unfortunately, this set of tires did not help the car on the track. Crafton radioed to the crew that the car was worse than when they came in. By lap 162, Crafton was in the fifth position. Lap 174 saw the start of an intense battle with the No. 22 of Dakoda Armstrong. The two drivers battled until lap 193 when Crafton could no longer hold-off the fast rookie. The No. 88 Messina Wildlife Management - Menards Ford finished the Prairie Meadows 200 in the fifth position.

"Scuffs were really, really good," Crafton reflected. "It's our second ARCA race, so we didn't know what tires we were going to do. We put stickers on at the end, and it went from a fairly neutral balance, free off to just dead-sideways, really, really loose with stickers. I guess we realized that scuffs were a lot better. We live and learn. All in all, it was not a bad night. We had fun tonight. We got some good TV time for Menards and Messina Wildlife Management, so it was a good outing for them too."

Crafton finished the weekend third in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 200 at Iowa Speedway. The ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards will return to racing next week for the Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA 200 at Mansfield Motorsports Park.

Kimmel Earns 6th Place Finish in Milestone Start at Iowa

Monday, July 12, 2010, 8:15:54 PM | Don Radebaugh

Kimmel Car In Garage Iowa10 (NEWTON, Iowa - July 12, 2010) - On a day full of big surprises, special guests and hard racing, Kimmel drove his No. 44 Ansell/Menards Ford Fusion to a sixth-place finish in the Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway Saturday night. Making his 400th-career ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards start, Kimmel had a strong-showing all night. The finish moved him up one position in the championship standings and closed the gap to only 120 markers behind new leader, Justin Marks.

Saturday was a full day of action as the ARCA Racing Series crammed in two practice sessions, qualifying and the Prairie Meadows 200. Kimmel was 12^th on the speed chart after the morning practice session before setting the second-fastest time in the final session, recording a lap of 23.975 seconds (131.387 mph).

With a fast car, Kimmel had high hopes for qualifying but came up short after a loose condition caused his No. 44 Ford to get completely sideways in turn two. With a miraculous save, Kimmel was able to post the 16^th-fastest time of 124.227 seconds (130.020 mph), lining up on the outside of row eight for the start of the Prairie Meadows 200.

For his momentous start, Kimmel reunited with long-time, champion car owner Larry Clement who stood atop the spotters stand. Kimmel and Clement won nine championships together before Kimmel left to start his own team, Kimmel Racing, with brother and crew-chief Bill Kimmel, Jr.

More surprises were in order for the nine-time champion as pre-race festivities began. Celebrating his 400^th start, Kimmel's family delivered a special command that allowed him to start his engine before the rest of the ARCA Racing Series field.

Taking the green from the 16^th position, Kimmel kept his car in the top-15 for the first green-flag run, radioing to the crew that his car was "too loose off." When the caution came out on lap 39, the Ansell/Menards crew took the opportunity to call their driver to pit road for fuel and a track bar adjustment and sent him back to the track in 15^th place.

The field returned to racing on lap 45, and Kimmel began a tear through the field, running lap times as fast as the leaders. During the next 44-lap run, Kimmel climbed 10 spots, bringing his Ansell/Menards Ford into the fifth position.

The field slowed again on lap 87, and Kimmel called to his team that he needed "forward bite off." Crew Chief, Bill Kimmel, Jr. called to drop air pressure in both rear tires to fix the condition. The No. 44 team serviced their Ansell/Menards Ford Fusion under the yellow, changing four tires and adding fuel before sending Kimmel back to the track in the seventh position.

Green-flag racing resumed on lap 97, and Kimmel quickly dropped back three positions claiming the car was very loose on the start. A long green-flag run enabled the nine-time champion to show the power of his Ansell/Menards Ford as he methodically picked his way back up to fourth while running lap times as fast as the leaders.

Unfortunately a yellow-flag slowed Kimmel's progress as he was reeling in third-place driver, teammate Matt Crafton. Kimmel's team took advantage of the yellow, bringing him in for his final pit stop of the day. The Ansell/Menards crew had a great pit stop, changing four tires and dropping the track bar down one round before sending their driver back to the track in fifth place.

The green flag came out on lap 158 for the final 42-lap run, and Kimmel quickly proved he would be a competitor, wasting no time passing teammate Matt Crafton's Menards Ford for fourth position. As the laps counted down, Kimmel began reeling in the second and third place cars before his Ansell/Menards Ford Fusion got extremely tight on lap 175.

Kimmel did all he could to hold on to the Ansell/Menards Ford Fusion and was able to cross the finish line with a sixth-place finish.

"The Ansell/Menards Ford Fusion was really fast," explained Kimmel. "The car just got tight during that last run. I have to thank my team; we had a fast car and great pit stops all night. It was a great points day for us, so we'll take it and get ready for Mansfield next weekend."

Short-track racing action returns next week as the ARCA Racing Series stars will head to Mansfield Motorsports Park for the Tim Richmond Memorial 200. The Tim Richmond Memorial 200 will be broadcast LIVE on the BAS Racing Network as well as ARCARacing.com.

Gear Failure Leads to Long Night for Robb Brent, Allgaier Motorsports at Iowa

Monday, July 12, 2010, 8:15:54 PM | Don Radebaugh

Brent Car In Garage Iowa10 (NEWTON, Iowa - July 10, 2010) – It was a gorgeous day for racing at the Rusty Wallace designed .875- mile Iowa Speedway. The No. 36 Allgaier Motorsports Orchard Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Team worked hard to overcome a parts failure and fought back to a 23^rd place finish in the Prairie meadows 200.

Coming off two consecutive top 10 finishes at Pocono Raceway & Michigan International Speedway, Brent and the team were poised and hoping to carry the momentum into Saturday night under the lights. Both practice sessions were a success for the Shelby Township, MI native Robb Brent. Crew Chief Dave Leiner II & Brent were happy with the handling and felt comfortable with the 20^th place qualifying effort. The car was set up to race well at night and not in the heat of the day.

When the green flag flew Brent was immediately on the move toward the front and up to 14^th position by lap No. 15. Brent radioed in on lap No. 18 that something in the drive train had broken and coasted to the attention of the Allgaier Motorsports team. Quickly finding that it was a broken rear gear and getting the car repaired, Brent lost 37 laps to the leaders during the repair and regained the field on lap 55. The Allgaier Motorsports team did a stellar job with a quick repair under green flag racing conditions.

Once back on track the No. 36 was running lap times faster then the leaders and Brent was happy with the handling of the car. “We would have won this race, said Robb Brent. I am telling you… We would have won this race; I am rolling thru the corner and letting off the gas not to run over the leaders.” The goal of the day went from winning at Iowa Speedway to picking up positions & staying out of the way.

As the race came to a close Brent radioed Leiner on lap No. 181 saying he had a flat right front tire. The Allgaier Motorsports team was quick to the draw, they gave Brent 4 fresh Hoosiers and sent him back out for the last 19 laps.

“Man, we can’t seem to catch a break… That car was a dream come true to drive, said Brent.” “I am excited for Mansfield and I want to win. This team deserves it!”

Finishing in 23^rd place gaining 11 positions by going back out after the gear failure, Tom Hessert went on to win his career first ARCA Racing Series race. The ARCA Racing Series will return to action this Saturday, July 17, in the Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA 200 at Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park. Live timing and scoring and live audio broadcast coverage presented by ARCA Nation will be available online at ARCARacing.com, 8 p.m. EST.

Be sure to cast your vote for Robb Brent as the 2010 National Speed Sport News Most Popular Driver. Visit ARCANation.com and vote for Robb Brent today!

Follow Allgaier Motorsports official twitter page @allgaiermtrspts for live updates from the track. Allgaier Motorsports will be giving away autographed items & race tickets to some of its twitter followers, be sure to follow! Follow driver Robb Brent, @robbbrent for updates and incite into his everyday life.

For more on Allgaier Motorsports, please log onto www.allgaiermotorsports.com

For more on Robb Brent, please log onto www.robbbrentracing.com

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Dustin Long

Rusty Wallace apologizes for comment at Kyle Busch during Nationwide race

Monday, July 12, 2010, 4:44:24 PM

ESPN broadcaster Rusty Wallace apologized Monday for an expletive he directed toward Kyle Busch during Friday night's Nationwide broadcast from Chicagoland Speedway. The comment could be heard after Busch finished his Victory Lane interview.

Bible verse helps Dillon to win and 3 again to Victory Lane

Monday, July 12, 2010, 3:00:40 PM

You might have heard that 20-year-old Austin Dillon won Sunday's Camping World Truck Series race at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, but you might not have heard what helped Richard Childress' grandson pilot that black No. 3 truck to Victory Lane. Dillon credited a Bible verse taped to the truck's dashboard.

Johnson's baby has a name (and a picture) ....

Monday, July 12, 2010, 10:10:34 AM

The name of Jimmie Johnson's daughter is Genevieve Marie Johnson. Notice her initials are GM Johnson. Hmmm. Anyway, Johnson's publicist posted a picture of the girl here. So, who had Genevieve in the name-the-baby pool?

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FOXSports.com News for NASCAR

ESPN analyst apologizes for Kyle Busch remark

Yesterday, July 13, 2010, 5:06:27 PM

Rusty Wallace apologizes for remark about Kyle Busch.

Rusty Wallace - NASCAR - Kyle Busch - Auto racing - Sports

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Yesterday, July 13, 2010, 5:06:27 PM

Dillon wins NASCAR Trucks race in Iowa

Sunday, July 11, 2010, 4:44:19 PM

Austin Dillon held off Johnny Sauter in a green-white-checkered finish and picked up first career win at Sunday's NASCAR Trucks Series race in Iowa.

Johnny Sauter - Austin Dillon - NASCAR - Green-white-checker finish - Camping World Truck Series

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Johnson finally settles on name for 'Baby J'

Sunday, July 11, 2010, 12:41:03 PM

NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson has finally come up with a name for the daughter he'd been calling ''Baby J'' since her birth earlier this week. The four-time defending NASCAR champion introduced Genevieve Marie Johnson in a Twitter posting Sunday. The introduction included a photo link of her official birth announcement.

NASCAR - Jimmie Johnson - Twitter - Sprint Cup Series - Jeff Gordon

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Motorcycle USA Article Headlines

2010 Modified Supersport Shootout

Today, July 14, 2010, 5 hours ago | Steve Atlas

MotoUSA puts the 2010 middleweights to the test, only adding a new twist through a series of equal modifications to each of the four Japanese machines in this multi-stage Supersport Shootout.

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NASCAR.COM - Camping World Series Headlines

Dillon dominates en route to first career Truck win

Monday, July 12, 2010, 11:27:26 AM

Rookie Austin Dillon scored his first Camping World Truck Series victory Sunday, dominating the Lucas Oil 200 at Iowa Speedway.

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NASCAR.COM - Nationwide Series Headlines

Ride nearing an end for the ever-talkative Wallace?

Yesterday, July 13, 2010, 6:42:35 PM

A conversation with Kenny Wallace is a lot like riding a roller coaster for the first time -- lots of twists and turns and momentum and sometimes you're upside down and you don't know how you got there.

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NASCAR.COM - Sprint Cup Series Headlines

Popular win for NASCAR's most admired 'Franchise'

Monday, July 12, 2010, 12:02:58 PM

They spent lap after lap dueling with one another, each nosing out front and then falling behind, until David Reutimann finally muscled past Jeff Gordon to seize the lead at Chicagoland Speedway. That's when the four-time series champion bestowed upon the one-time race winner the highest of praise.

Chicagoland success has Edwards wanting more

Monday, July 12, 2010, 11:35:18 AM

Carl Edwards found himself in an unfamiliar location on the race track Saturday night -- up front.

Johnsons settle on name for baby: Genevieve Marie

Sunday, July 11, 2010, 5:33:08 PM

Jimmie Johnson has finally come up with a name for the daughter he'd been calling "Baby J" since her birth earlier this week.

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