Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Ø World of Outlaws Fast Talkers: Second Annual Ironman 55
Pevely, MO-August 4, 2010-
Prior to heading to I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri on Friday, August 6 and
Saturday, August 7 for the Second Annual Ironman 55, each of the 14 drivers competing
full-time with the World of Outlaws, shared their thoughts on I-55 Raceway
along with the grueling 55-lap event which is the longest of the season. Craig
Dollansky was victorious in the opener of the Ironman 55 last season battling
Donny Schatz just past the halfway point of that race to take the top spot. In
the finale, it was Dollansky and Joey Saldana mixing it up, with the latter
taking the lead on the 19th circuit and going on to pace the
remainder of the 55 laps to score the win. A hefty $20,000 payday will again
await the winner of the Ironman 55 this season.
Craig Dollansky, Driver of
the No. 7 Big Game Treestands Maxim:
"Pevely is a great race
track and produces some of the best racing that we have all season. There is a
lot of passing back and forth there. It's always been a place I have enjoyed
going to. We came up one spot short in the Ironman 55 last year, so we'll go in
there and see if we can get one spot better. You just have to be ready. You're
team has to be ready and you have to be ready. It's a long race and you just
have to be prepared all the way through."
Ben Gregg, Driver of the
No. 2B Kronik Energy Maxim:
"That was my first time
there in the spring and that is probably one of my favorite tracks of the ones
we've been to so far. We had a pretty good run over there. I'm really looking
forward to getting back there. I would hope that being in shape would help and
we'll definitely need all the help we can get there. I'm not too concerned
about it. We try to stay up on our fitness and hopefully that pays off. We
probably will notice the extra laps there at that time of the year, but
normally we are good start to finish."
Sam Hafertepe
Jr., Driver of the No. 15H G.H. Plumbing Maxim:
"It can be a very fun
place to race and they get the track pretty good over there. We like to dice it
up and at that place they get a top and a bottom and it seems to be a pretty
fun place to race at. You're going to have to conserve tires and keep your
tires under you for 55 laps and that's going to be a hard thing to do. That's
probably the hardest thing to do, keeping your tires under you, but if you can
do that, you should be right there at the finish. All of these races that we
race, we always feel like we can go a little longer. Conditioning wise, I think
we are conditioned pretty well and I think the longer races like that play into
our favor."
Chad Kemenah:
Driver of the No. 63 Golden Flavor Sesame Sticks Maxim:
"Pevely is one of my
favorite race tracks and I always look forward to going back there. Winning my
first Outlaws race there probably has something to do with it being one of my favorites tracks, but it's just a really neat race track
from the first time I saw it. It's kind of like a min-Eldora. I don't know if
you really have to do anything different. You have to get yourself in a good
position in the first half to be able to finish the second half and not get
tore up."
Kraig Kinser, Driver of the No. 11K Quaker State Maxim:
"When I first started
racing, we ran a lot of longer races. I love long races and am looking forward
to 55 laps at Pevely. Some nights when we get done, I feel like I still want to
be going and other nights you feel like that thing didn't end quick enough. Hopefully everything is going well when we get
to Pevely and I really enjoy running there. I got to run there
quick a bit when I was younger and it's a tough track. Hopefully you have
everything working right. It's a long race and you have to do what you need to
do to make your tires last."
Steve Kinser, Driver of
the No. 11 Bass Pro Shops Maxim:
"I really enjoy going
there. We have lost a lot of half-mile tracks and you hate to lose those, but
we have a lot of short tracks that we run on and it's a nice little race
track.. That's a short track, so you have to watch and make sure the track
holds up for 55 laps. It is what it is, and it's the same for everybody."
Danny Lasoski, Driver of
the No. 6 Casey's General Store JEI:
"That
55 laps is pretty unique and separates the men from the boys. A guy can sit up
in the seat for 55 laps. You really don't have to do anything different. The
main thing is to make sure you drink enough water, because you are going to
sure sweat it out. Back in the day, a lot of people don't know, I traveled all
around the country with Ray Marlar and Ken Schrader
and they are really good family and friends. There is nothing like going to
that facility. Rayburn (Marlar) loves his sprint car
racing and it's near and dear to him and he always makes sure we have a great
facility to race at."
Toni Lutar, Driver of the
No. 4X Northwest Used Auto Parts KPC:
"That should be a fun
race. We'll run 55 laps in the heat, so I should lose a few pounds there. I
think it's all about tire choice and making sure you have tires left. You'll
have to run a pretty hard tire. I have never run 55 laps, other than on
asphalt. It should be good, as long as the track is prepared well, it should be
a nice race. It's kind of like a min-Eldora and a fun place to go to."
Paul McMahan, Driver of
the No. 91 Great Clips Maxim:
"I love Pevely and am
really looking forward to the Ironman 55 this year. This will be my first time
being part of that and I'm really looking forward to some of these new events
at that the World of Outlaws have. I'm really looking
forward to just getting racing and trying to get some more wins. The main thing
is to make sure you stay hydrated. Pevely is always very hot in the summer
months. You just have to stay as cooled down as you can and get as much rest
the night before that one as you can to make 55 laps. We try to stay in as good
of shape as we can, but 55 laps around Pevely can be tough."
Jason Meyers, Driver of
the No. 14 GLR Investments KPC
"It quite an event and
was really something like year. We had a shot at winning it last year and chose
the wrong tire, so hopefully we learned something there. It should be another
exciting event like it was last year. It's hard to say if you can be patient or
not, it depends on the tires. With 55 laps, you're probably not going to have
much tire left at the end. Before you probably would
try to save yourself and be good at the end. You're probably going to have to
try and get to the front early and then try to maintain."
Joey Saldana, Driver of
the No. 9 Budweiser Maxim:
"That's a cool race and
it's a long one. People watch stock car races or Indy car races and they go 200
or 300 or 400 laps and they hear us say we're going 55 laps and that's a long
and in a sprint car that is a long way and it takes a
lot out of you. I just hope physically I am in good enough to shape to run the
55th lap as strong as the first lap. I think that's what it will
take to win it, to run the whole race as hard as you can. It's a fun track and
I love racing there. The last 10 or 15 laps of that Ironman is pretty tough on
your physically. The cars gets so hot and it's usually
hot and humid down there that time of the year. The way Ray Marlar
is, he's going to give you a good track and you're going to have to race. He's
going to make you earn it and that's what makes it a cool race and why the fans
support it."
Donny Schatz, Driver of
the No. 15 Armor All/STP J&J:
"It's a fun race and
pretty unique. What happens at the beginning of that can be something that is
not even close to being what happens at the end. Last year it was hotter than
heck and I thought we had a chance to win that thing and faded at the end. It's
a fun event and I'm glad to be part of it. The car that won it was up there
banging the wall the whole race. On that red (flag), we were coming and the
other guys got a chance to change some things on the red and that helped them
win the race. I feel like we have always been a little bit better toward the
end of the race and other guys get the chance to adjust on their car and get
better when you have a red and you hate to see that. It is what it is and you
deal with it."
Jason Sides, Driver of the
No. 7S Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim:
"Places like that are always fun to race at. They have a top and a bottom and
that's one of those places where you get to run a lot of laps, so that makes
for an exciting night. There's not a whole lot different, other than tires and
fuel that you need for a longer race. We're looking forward to it and hopefully
will have a couple of strong runs."
Lucas Wolfe, Driver of the
No. 5W Allebach Racing Maxim:
"It was a lot of fun
last year. I think that was one of the better races and events of the year and
I am really looking forward to it this year. It's not that much of a different,
as we usually run 40 laps there, so it is 15 laps longer. It's not like 50 laps
at Knoxville or anything. You try to save your stuff and the track obviously
will go away toward the end, so if you can get rolling good later in the race
you should be in good shape."
On Friday, August 6 at I-55 Raceway, general admission tickets will be $30, with
reserved tickets $32. A two-day ticket package is available for advance
purchase for $55 by visiting www.worldofoutlaws.com/tickets
or by calling the track at (636) 479-3219.
On Saturday, August 7 at I-55 Raceway, general admission tickets will be $30, with
reserved tickets $32. A two-day ticket package is available for advance
purchase for $55 by visiting www.worldofoutlaws.com/tickets
or by calling the track at (636) 479-3219.
The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Chizmark & Larson Insurance , Goodyear Tires (Official Tire), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, Jake's Custom Golf Carts, KSE Race Products, Penske Shocks , R2C Performance, Racing Electronics, S&S Volvo; Engine Builder's Challenge participants Don Ott Racing Engines, Kistler Engines, Shaver Specialties and Speedway Engines; and Chassis Builder's Challenge participants J&J Auto Racing, Maxim Racing and XXX Race Company.
NEW RICHMOND, WI - Aug. 4, 2010 -
HE’S BACK: Cedar Lake Speedway has been very, very good to Rick Eckert.
His memories of past success at the three-eighths-mile oval will come flooding
back this week when he returns with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series to
compete in the track’s 23rd annual USA Nationals presented by United States
Steel Corporation, a $50,000-to-win spectacular that runs from Aug. 5-7.
Eckert, 42, of York, Pa., hasn’t visited Cedar Lake since 2005 – the last time
the USA Nationals was part of the WoO LMS – but he has made eight career starts
in the prestigious event. He won the 2002 edition of the race to earn himself a
huge payoff of $140,000 – a $40,000 check for the 100-lapper plus the $100,000
UDTRA ‘Great Northern Challenge’ bonus for capturing three of five specified
events on that year’s UDTRA tour schedule.
“We’ve made some money at that place,” said Eckert, who also won Cedar’s
UDTRA-sanctioned ‘Masters’ event in June 2002 to put him on track for the Great
Northern Challenge bonus. “Hopefully we’ll have the same kind of success when
we go back.”
Eckert will be bringing some momentum into this weekend’s action, which
features time trials, heat races and a dash on Fri., Aug. 6, and B-Mains and
the 100-lap feature on Sat., Aug. 7, as well as a complete DIRTcar Racing
UMP-sanctioned Late Model program on Thurs., Aug. 5, that boasts a $5,000 top
prize. He won his second WoO LMS A-Main of the season in dramatic fashion last
Friday night at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park, coming back from a blown engine
during time trials that forced him into a backup car and a mid-race pit stop to
change his car’s radiator to take the lead late in the distance.
“I don’t know if one win will get you back,” said Eckert, who has struggled to
ring up victories on the WoO LMS since leading the tour in checkered flags in
2006. “But we’re hoping it wasn’t a one-race deal and we can keep running good. Maybe we can build on it.”
OUTLAW CONNECTION: This year’s USA Nationals carries presenting sponsorship
from the United States Steel Corporation, which will be represented at Cedar
Lake by Scott Coleman, a big dirt Late Model fan who
serves as the general manager of the Pittsburgh, Pa.-based company’s Minnesota
Ore Operations.
Coleman also has ties to the family of 2009 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year Russell
King. Before relocating to the Upper Midwest Coleman lived in eastern Ohio near
the King family and frequented Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio, the
three-eighths-mile oval where Russell, his father Rex Sr. and his younger
brother Rex Jr. have run big-block Modifieds regularly.
The 21-year-old King will make his first-ever start at Cedar Lake this weekend,
one week removed from the best WoO LMS performance of his young career. He won
his first heat race on the tour and led laps 1-11 of the 50-lap A-Main last
Friday night at Attica, though he settled for a disappointing 13th-place finish
due to some bad breaks.
King’s storybook run at Attica went downhill on lap 11 when he spun in turn two
trying to avoid a lapped car that swerved to miss Mike Knight’s disabled
machine. While King restarted in the lead because the caution flag was for
Knight, his car’s steering had been knocked off-center and he lost the top spot
to Josh Richards when the green flag flew. King hung with Richards until
sliding high in turn two on lap 22, and one circuit
later he tangled with Matt Miller while battling for fourth and slid off the
backstretch to draw a caution flag.
“I feel good because we had a fast car and I’m happy that my dad got to see us
run good,” King said of his Attica performance. “But I just feel like I screwed
up our best chances to win one of these things (WoO races). It ain’t too often
you unload and you’re stuff’s as good as ours was. I’m not afraid to say we had
the fastest car (at Attica), if not the second-fastest.”
DRIVER TO WATCH: No current WoO LMS regular has made more USA Nationals starts
than Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who has qualified for the A-Main 11 times
and never finished outside the top 10.
Francis, 42, made his first USA Nationals appearance way back in 1989 when he
was a WoO LMS regular during the second year of the tour’s first incarnation
under the direction of late WoO Sprint Car Series founder Ted Johnson. A
seventh-place finisher in 1989, Francis counts three third-place finishes
(2005, 2002, 1998) among his six career top-five runs
in the Cedar Lake’s headline event. He hasn’t visited Cedar Lake since 2005.
EMPIRE STATE STARS: Last year’s USA Nationals had a definite New York tinge to
it thanks to Tim Fuller and Tim McCreadie, a pair of DIRTcar big-block Modified
greats-turned-dirt Late Model standouts from Watertown, N.Y. Fuller won the
Thursday-night preliminary feature (sanctioned last year by the World Dirt
Racing League) and led half of the 100-lapper before finishing second, while
McCreadie chased Fuller across the finish line in both events.
The New Yorkers return to Cedar Lake this weekend as WoO LMS regulars.
McCreadie, who currently sits third in the points standings in his first season
following the tour since he won the title in 2006, will make his fifth USA
Nationals appearance; his third-place run last year is his best, but he also
placed fourth in 2005 and 2007 (he was 20th in 2008 but was a contender before
experiencing bad luck). Fuller, meanwhile, is trying to get back in rhythm
after being slowed last month when he underwent an emergency appendectomy;
he’ll make his second visit to Cedar Lake.
THE OUTLAWS: Defending WoO LMS champion and current points leader Josh Richards
of Shinnston, W.Va., has made only USA Nationals start in his young but very
successful career, finishing 12th in 2005.
Other 2010 World of Outlaws regulars with USA Nationals experience include
Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga. (four starts, top finish of seventh in 1997);
Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky. (two, 10th in 1995); Shane Clanton of
Fayetteville, Ga. (two, ninth in both 2005 and 2004); and Chub Frank of Bear
Lake, Pa. (one, 15th in 2005). Travelers who hope to make the USA Nationals
A-Main cut for the first time are rookie sensation Austin Hubbard of Seaford,
Del., Brent Robinson of Smithfield, Va., and rookie Jill George of Cedar Falls,
Iowa.
FAMILIAR FACES: Eckert is among a group of six former USA Nationals winners
expected to participate in this weekend’s festivities, joining five-time victor
Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg,
Tenn. (four-time victor), Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa (2007 and 2004
winner), Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis. (2009 and 1996) and Dale McDowell of
Chickamauga, Ga. (2005).
Birkhofer has arguably the most consistent USA Nationals performance record of
any driver, finishing outside the top five just once in 10 career
A-Main starts. His finishes are remarkably steady: 10th (’99), fifth (’01),
fourth (’02), second (’03), first (’04), fifth (’05), second (’06), first
(’07), third (’08) and fourth (’09).
BIG NAMES: Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., will make the USA Nationals his
first appearance in a high-profile event since he clinched the 2010 DIRTcar
Summer Nationals championship last month. He will try to improve on his
eighth-place finish in his USA Nationals debut last year.
Other well-known racers expected to enter the USA Nationals include Dennis Erb
Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., who saw his streak of three straight Summer
Nationals title snapped by Feger; former World 100 and Dream winner Jimmy Owens
of Newport, Tenn.; Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla.; Shannon Babb of
Moweaqua, Ill.; Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis.; Chris Madden of Grey Court,
S.C.; Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning, Mich.; Dan
Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis.; Josh McGuire of Grayson, Ky.; Will Vaught of
Crane, Mo.; Adam Hensel of Barron, Wis.; Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis.; and Chad Simpson of Mt. Vernon,
Iowa.
Several drivers also have a chance to receive travel money for making the trip
to Cedar Lake thanks to the FansFund, a unique
program in which fans donate cash and vote for the drivers they would like to
see compete in the USA Nationals. The competitors eligible for the FansFund this year are Brian Harris of Davenport, Iowa,
Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, Ala., Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville,
Ga., Chris Ferguson of Mount Holly, N.C., Robbie Blair of Titusville, Pa., Matt
Lux of Franklin, Pa., Daren Friedman of Forrest,
Ill., and Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss.
INFORMATION: Advance reserved tickets for the USA Nationals are no longer
available online. All remaining seats are now general admission and will be
sold the day of the event at the gate only.
Thurs., Aug. 5 – DIRTcar UMP Late Model program paying $5,000 to win
along with Winged Modifieds. The grandstands open at 5 p.m. and racing starts
at 6:30 p.m.
Fri., Aug. 6 – USA Nationals time trials, heats and dash along with
complete show for Cedar Lake’s weekly NASCAR Late Models. Admission is $25 for
adults, $12 for students 6-16 and free for kids 5-and-under. The grandstands
open at 4:30 p.m. and racing starts at 6:30 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 7 - B-Mains, last-chance race and the 100-lap, $50,000-to-win
USA Nationals along with complete show of NASCAR Late Models. Admission is $30
for adults, $15 for students 6-16 and free for kids 5-and-under. The
grandstands open at 4 p.m. and racing begins at 6:30 p.m.
Cedar Lake officials will once again accent the racing with an exciting array
of pre- and post-race entertainment, including a Saturday-morning golf scramble
at the nearby Pine Meadows Golf Course; a Ladder Ball competition at 12 noon on
Friday; the popular Apple River Tubing expeditions on Friday and Saturday afternoons;
a luncheon on Saturday afternoon that allows ‘FansFund’
contributors an opportunity to meet the drivers they helped bring to the USA
Nationals; a driver autograph/meet-and-greet session prior to Saturday night’s
first green flag; go-karts in the backstretch parking lot; and the ‘Party in
the Pits’ under the Big White Tent following the Thursday and Friday programs.
Advanced tickets for the USA Nationals are available by calling 612-363-0479 or
by visiting www.cedarlakespeedway.com.
Fans who can’t make the trip to Cedar Lake can still
catch all the action through a live pay-per-view broadcast of the event over
the web produced by DirtonDirt.com. Log on to www.dirtondirt.com for details.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by
many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official
Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Hoosier Racing Tires
(Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), SuperClean (Official
Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard
Charger Award) and Chizmark Larson Insurance; in addition to contingency
sponsors Eibach Springs, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, Pink Carburetors, Pro
Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis, R2C Performance and Wrisco
Aluminum.
ARCA RACING NETWORK, LIVE TIMING & SCORING, with Live Streaming Audio! ARCA Racing.com
Weekend Schedule
Saturday, August 7th
Practice: 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell: 5:00 PM On-Track Autograph Session: 6:15 PM - 6:45 PM Start of the Berlin ARCA 200: 8:30 PM All Times Eastern
Fact Sheet...
Race: Berlin ARCA 200
Track: Berlin Raceway
Location: 2060 Berlin Fair Dr., Marne, MI 49435 For tickets call: 616-662-2051
Website: www.berlinraceway.com
Race Distance: 200 Laps / 100 Miles
Track configuration: .5 mile paved oval First ARCA race: 1958 Total ARCA races run: 22 Qualifying record: 2009, Justin Lofton, 93.540 mph Race record: 2003, Frank Kimmel, 70.658 mph No. of ARCA races won from the pole: 7
FIRST ARCA RACE AT BERLIN: July 25, 1958
PAST BERLIN WINNERS:
Frank Kimmel 3, Bob James 2, Brian Keselowski 2, Tim Steele 2. Tied with 1 each are Fred Campbell, Andy Hampton, Iggy Katona, Bob Keselowski, Justin Lofton, Joey Miller, Bob Senneker, Harold Smith, Les Snow, Scott Speed, Nelson Stacy, Ramo Stott, Don White.
NOTES OF INTEREST:
The Berlin ARCA 200, the 12th of 20 events in 2010, is first of four in pursuit of the Bill France Four Crown, the season-within-a-season contest which rewards ARCA Racing Series drivers for success on a diverse slate of tracks. The Four Crown schedule is comprised completely of the ARCA Racing Series races scheduled for August, to be held at Berlin (short track), New Jersey Motorsports Park (road course; August 15), the (Springfield) Illinois State Fairgrounds (dirt track; August 22), and Chicagoland Speedway (1.5-mile speedway; August 27). Parker Kligerman won Four Crown honors last season before finishing second in the final series standings.
Grueling Stretch
Ahead for ARCA Warriors
Last week's race at Pocono Raceway lifted off a grueling late season stretch during which the versatile ARCA Series tour will race at 10 different tracks over an 11 week span reaching up to the Rockingham Speedway season finale on October 9. Championship Points Battle Tight to Pocono; Kimmel Methodically Climbing the Ranks Rocklin, California's Justin Marks holds a slim 30 point advantage over Greenville, North Carolina's Craig Goess in the championship battle headed to Berlin. 3-time Berlin winner Frank Kimmel, who has not won since September, 2008, on the strength of consistency, is methodically moving closer to the top. Kimmel, the only former Berlin winner entered, is third in championship points, 70 away from first. Tom Hessert is fourth, 120 out of first, and Patrick Sheltra is fifth, 130 out of first.
10 Different Winners in 11 Events in 2010; 9 First-time Winners
After 11 events in 2010, there have been 10 different winners - Bobby Gerhart (Daytona), Justin Marks (Palm Beach roadcourse), Steve Arpin (Salem & Texas), Dakoda Armstrong (Talladega), Chris Buescher (Toledo), Craig Goess (Pocono), Mikey Kile (Michigan), Tom Hessert (Iowa), Max Gresham (Mansfield) and Robb Brent (Pocono). 9 of the aforementioned drivers - Marks, Arpin, Armstrong, Buescher, Goess, Kile, Hessert, Gresham and Brent - are first-time series winners. Though the race winner total is five away from the 15 different winners in 23 races in 2007, the nine first-time winners in 11 races is very close to the total of new winners three seasons ago. Of the 15 drivers who visited Victory Lane that year ('07), 10 were first-time ARCA Racing Series winners.
Rookies
The Berlin ARCA 200 marks the debut of Syracuse, NY rookie Brandon Kidd. Kidd, 18, is entered in the No. 5 Bobby Gerhart Racing Chevrolet. Brian Campbell, son of 11-time Berlin Raceway late model track champion Freddie Campbell, is also entered. Brian made one career ARCA Series start in 2004 at Toledo Speedway where he finished third behind series champions' Frank Kimmel and Justin Allgaier. Freddie won the ARCA race at Berlin in 2002. Other notable rookies include Griffin, Georgia's Max Gresham, who won recently on tour at Mansfield Motorsports Park; Penske Racing Development driver Dakoda Armstrong (Talladega winner); and Nick Igdalsky, grandson of Pocono Patriarchs' Drs. Joe and Rose Mattioli. Igdalsky is also the Senior VP of Pocono Raceway.
Arpin Returns
Fort Frances, Ontario driver Steve Arpin, who missed the last two races at Mansfield and Pocono due to opportunities to drive Dale Earnhardt, Jr's NASCAR Nationwide Series car, will resume in his fulltime driver role in the No. 55 Venturini Motorsports Mike's Hard Lemonade car this Saturday at Berlin. Arpin, is one of three entries from the Venturini Motorsports stable - the others being Mikey Kile in the No. 25 and the No. 15 of Andrew Belmont.
Youngest to Oldest Entered
The ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards is in its 58th consecutive season of competition. That's also how many years separate the youngest and oldest drivers entered for Saturday's Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA 200 at Mansfield. Max Gresham, who earned the Menards Pole in his career-first start at Salem Speedway earlier this year and later won at Mansfield, turned 17 back on April 30, 2010. By contrast, James Hylton, three times a runner-up in championship points in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, will be 76 on August 26, 2010.
4 Michiganders Entered
The series' most recent winner (Pocono Raceway - 7/31/10) Robb Brent (Shelby Township MI) highlights the list of Michiganders entered for the race. Other Michiganders include Brian Campbell (Wyoming MI), son of multiple-time Berlin Late Model track champion and former ARCA winner (Berlin 2002) Freddie Campbell and series veteran Brad Smith (Shelby Township MI).
Kimmel to Meet & Greet
Frank Kimmel will meet fans and sign autographs from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Menards store located at 4151 Alpine Avenue Northwest in Comstock Park. Kimmel is the driver of the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Ford in the ARCA Racing Series, and his appearance is designed to promote the Berlin ARCA 200 and the series' relationship with Menards, a presenting sponsor. Kimmel's No. 44 Ansell/Menards show car will be on site, as will the No. 44 Ansell/Menards transporter. Kimmel is the only three-time winner in the history of ARCA competition at Berlin Raceway.
Also on Thursday, the Holland Police Department will host its annual Race Day at Family Fare, located at 1185 S. Washington in Holland. The event - scheduled from 5-7 p.m. - will promote traffic safety and educate the public on the importance of seatbelt and child restraint use, as well as other traffic safety issues.
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From VIR: Legendary Stunt Bike Rider Jason Britton to Appear at Virginia International Raceway ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PRESS RELEASE FROM VIR
DANVILLE, Va. – VIRginia International Raceway announced that Jason Britton, star of Speed TV's SuperBike series, will be a featured performer at the Suzuki White Lightning AMA Pro SuperBike Nationals presented by Foremost Insurance to be held August 13th - 15th, 2010. Britton, who is widely recognized as the premier motorcycle stunt rider in the sport, is now in his fourth season of the popular television series.
"Jason Britton has been a popular attraction and a tremendous crowd pleaser here in the past," said Josh Lief, General Manager of VIRginia International Raceway. "His presence will only add to what already promises to be our biggest event of the year."
Britton, who started riding motorcycles when he was just two years old, began competing in motocross at age 12 and has gone on to star in a number of movies in addition to his TV work on SpeedTV. Today, he is considered a leading figure in the realm of extreme motorsports.
This new and improved event will showcase the stars of AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, Daytona SportBike, SuperSport and the Vance & Hines XR1200 Series headlining the competition. Fans will also find free parking, big screen outdoor viewing, fireworks, two nights of live music, vendors, unique food and the always popular umbrella girls as part of an exciting show this year.
"VIRginia International Raceway has always been one of our favorite stops," said Jason Britton about the upcoming event. "With everything that is planned, we firmly believe that the Suzuki White Lightning AMA Pro SuperBike nationals presented by Foremost Insurance will be one the highlights of the 2010 season."
About VIRginia International Raceway
VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Virginia. VIR hosts a wide range of professional and amateur auto and motorcycle racing and track events, and is well established as "America's Motorsport Resort." For further information, call 434-822-7700 or visit our web site at www.VIRnow.com
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AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing
organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and
championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.
Ó SCMSRN.com/Paul J Miller 3rd, 2000-2010