Racing seriesSCCA-RACEDate 2006-05-24[SIZE=2]Lux and White to Debut Miller Motorsports Park
NayKid Racing Vipers to Strike at America's Newest Road Course
TOOELE, Utah, May 24, 2006 -- Dodge Viper SRT10 drivers Cindi Lux (Aloha, Ore.) and Scotty B. White (Puyallup, Wash.) enter this weekend's Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Touring One (T1) event on an upturn. The two NayKid Racing drivers have piloted their matching Viper SRT10 Coupes to six victories in ten races this season and are finding a rhythm that is so crucial to success in the long summer months leading into the championship race in October. Up until this point in the year, Lux and White have competed at tracks that the two are familiar with. However, this weekend marks a new event at a new venue; Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. Their debut at this pristine course will give a strong sense of how the two KUMHO Tires/ Dodge Motorsports/ SRT Dodge Vipers will fare at the remaining events on the calendar.
Built over the last year, Miller Motorsports Park in suburban Salt Lake City is destined to become one of North America's premier race courses. This weekend's event will take place on the 2.183-mile, 10-turn, West Course. The track is just recently completed and few, if any, of the teams will have had an opportunity to test on the track. The teammates' professional approach should give them an edge over many of their competitors that will get frustrated by Miller's daunting layout.
"I am all about driving new tracks, especially ones that Alan Wilson designs," enthused Lux. "I think one of the strong points in our team is the ability to read and attack new tracks much quicker than most teams. Plus, not having a promoter's test day will really add to the drama of getting up to speed. I know my teammate Scotty will be on the gas so I have my work cut out for me. This weekend should be a lot of fun. It will be interesting to see how our KUMHO Tires work on such a 'green' racetrack. There are a lot of unknowns going into this race; we will see how it turns out."
With so many different and technically challenging corners, setup becomes a key ingredient in success at Miller. The Viper's inherent horsepower and braking prowess will help here with the track's one long straightaway, several tight turns and multiple sweeping corners.
"Man, we are so stoked about running the new track," said White. "This is exactly the type of challenge that should make our team shine; brand new track, no test day, no practice, no warm up, no nothing! Just strap your baby to the hood and haul butt on a brand new track nobody has ever seen before. It's kind of like a big autocross where you have to figure it out as you go. I am hoping that my autocross experience and Cindi's phenomenal ability to learn new tracks quickly pays off for us. Then it's just a matter of fine tuning the awesome handling of the SRT Viper Coupes to the surface to optimize the KUMHO bite."
"This weekend is the first National for the SCCA to visit Miller Motorsports Park and we are thrilled that NayKid Racing drivers Cindi and Scotty have chosen to make the trip from the west coast with their Vipers to visit our new facility," said Dan McKeever, Driving School Director at Miller Motorsports Park. "The west track is a good combination of fast corners and technical sections. It will favor a good handling race car and a driver that is a quick study. This racing facility is working very hard to bring top level races and teams into the Salt Lake area."
With four event weekends under her belt thus far this season, Lux has stood on the top-step of the podium twice in the No. 78 KUMHO Tires/ Dodge Motorsports/ SRT/ Nike/ MOMO USA/ Forgeline Viper. She leads the Northern Pacific (NorPac) Division of the T1 class entering Sunday's 30-minute race at Miller. Currently, White is in a battle to recapture his early season points lead and his sixth-straight Southern Pacific (SoPac) Division title. He took the class victory, just ahead of Lux, at Portland International Raceway on May 14 driving the No. 3 KUMHO Tires/ Dodge Motorsports/ SRT/ CORSA Exhaust/ Red Line Oil Dodge Viper SRT10. Portland, the home track for both Lux and White, was the most recent race for the two Vipers.
CASCAR: Kerry Micks wins the Clarington 200 Father’s Day race at Mosport Internationa
CASCAR: Kerry Micks wins the Clarington 200 Father’s Day race at Mosport International Raceway
BOWMANVILLE, ON – CASCAR Super Series veteran Kerry Micks won Sunday afternoon’s Clarington 200 presented by Canadian Shield Anti Crime Response Corporation at Mosport International Raceway. The #02 Trailers by Jim Bray-sponsored Ford Taurus driver took the lead on lap 32 of the 51-lap race with a daring pass on leader Peter Gibbons as the field came up to speed for a re-start. Once out front, the Mt. Albert, ON resident held the top spot until the checkered flag.
Second-place went to Jeff Lapcevich of Caistor Centre, ON. The Tim Hortons / EMCEA Transport Chevy driver made a superb pass on Scott Steckly on the final lap to secure the runner-up spot, and was just 1.6-seconds behind Micks at the end.
Steckly’s (ERB Transport Dodge Charger) third-place finish, coupled with his win in the season opener at Barrie Speedway in May, was enough to move him to the top of the unofficial CASCAR Super Series point standings after two events. Former points leader Don Thomson Jr. experienced engine trouble and finished 23rd at Mosport.
The Clarington 200 was slowed by three cautions for a total of 15 laps. A field of 31 racers participated in Sunday’s feature race. Polesitter J.R. Fitzpatrick set the fastest lap of the feature event for the second outing in a row. The Milwaukee Tools Chevy Monte Carlo driver led from laps 14 to 20, but fell to seventh at the end. Veteran racer Jim Lapcevich (EMCEA Transport / Tim Hortons Chevy) passed Dave Whitlock (NTN Bower Dodge Charger) on the final lap to secure fourth place.
Super Series rookie Jason Hathaway was the Hard Charger of the race. The Snap On Tools Dodge Charger racer started 31st and finished eighth, to advance 23 positions during the Clarington 200.
The CASCAR Super Series returns to action with the MOPAR Canada Day Weekend presented by the Dodge Dealers of Ontario on July 1 & 2 at Barrie Speedway.
Monday, June 19, 2006 By DAVE TREFFINGER, Courier-Post Staff, OLD BRIDGE TWP
"Hot" Rod Fuller denied Larry Dixon a sixth straight victory on Father's Day while Ron Capps returned to dominance in the Funny Car class Sunday on a hot, humid day at the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series K&N Filters Supernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.
The other two professional classes were won by Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
"It seems like during my career I've been a spoiler," Fuller said on his third career Top Fuel victory and second this season.
The driver of the David Powers Homes/Valvoline dragster denied Melanie Troxel a victory earlier this year at Phoenix that would have seen the first husband (Tommy Johnson Jr. in Funny Car) and wife win in NHRA history.
"What a way to honor my dad (Robert)," said Fuller. "He's my best friend."
Fuller called his dad prior to the final against Dixon, with his dad giving him a pep talk from Denver, where he was entered in a divisional race.
Fuller credited veteran crew chief Lee Beard for preparing the car for the hot, humid afternoon which saw temperatures in the low 90s.
"We were hoping for hot weather," said Fuller, a Las Vegas resident. "Lee Beard will tell you that he prevails when the track conditions are the trickiest."
Beard's preparation enabled Fuller to beat Clay Millican, Doug Kalitta -- who was the hottest driver in the class over the last several races -- and top qualifier Brandon Bernstein to reach the final on the famed quarter-mile.
Fuller was first off the starting line against Dixon and outran the two-time series champion, 4.692 seconds/314.24 miles per hour to Dixon's 4.825/299.73.
Capps, who went out early last week at Chicago and saw his points lead fall to 48 points over 13-time champion John Force, is back in control of the division.
The driver of the Don Schumacher-owned Brut Dodge Charger won his series-high fifth race of the season in just 11 races.
K&N FILTERS SUPERNATIONALS Top Fuel winner: Rod Fuller, Las Vegas, Valvoline/84 Lumber dragster
Funny Car winner: Ron Capps, Carlsbad, Calif., Brut Dodge Charger
Pro Stock winner: Jason Line, Terrell, N.C., Summit Racing, Pontiac GTO
Pro Stock Motorcycle winner: Matt Smith, King, N.C., Torco/Skull Gear Buell T-twin
Next race: June 25, O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals, Madison, Ill.
Kahne Wins Rain-Shortened Race at Michigan [SIZE=5]
[/SIZE]By MIKE HARRIS , 06.18.2006, 05:24 PM
Kasey Kahne won from the pole again, helped this time by a timely caution flag and a downpour that ended Sunday's NASCAR Nextel Cup race 71 laps early.
Kahne, earning a series-best fourth victory of the season and his third from the top qualifying spot, fell behind on lap 47 when he had to make a green-flag stop after debris accumulated on the grill of his No. 9 Evernham Motorsports Dodge, overheating the motor.
That knocked the popular 26-year-old youngster, the 2004 Cup rookie of the year, back to 38th in the 43-car field, a lap behind the leaders. But a caution for light rain just seven laps later allowed Kahne to regain the lead lap and he quickly drove back into contention.
Meanwhile, Carl Edwards, who had two top-five finishes on the 2-mile Michigan oval last year in his first full season in Cup, moved to the front in his No. 99 Roush Racing Ford and appeared to be the car to beat.
On lap 112 of the race scheduled to go 200 laps, Kahne barely beat Edwards out of the pits in a battle for fourth place under a caution flag - one of a track record-tying nine yellows.
After the green flag fell on lap 116, Kahne, who had taken four fresh tires, quickly chased down rookie Reed Sorenson, who had taken the lead under the final caution by taking only two tires. Kahne drove into the lead on lap 117 and pulled away from Edwards, who got past the fading Sorenson on the next lap.
The last caution flag came out because of rain on lap 124 and, when the heavy rain began on lap 129, NASCAR stopped the cars with a red flag. Minutes later, the race was called.
"It's pretty crazy to win in the rain and be in the right place at the end," Kahne said. "But we did have the best car."
He did throughout the weekend, despite crashing during the final practice session on Saturday, forcing his team to repair the right side of the fast Charger.
Edwards finished second, his best finish of the season, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., defending race winner Greg Biffle, Sorenson and series points leader Jimmie Johnson.
Racing seriesNHRADate 2006-06-17[SIZE=2]PRO STOCK ROOKIE CARLSON DOES NOT QUALIFY IN E'TOWN
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 17, 2006) - Don Schumacher Racing Pro Stock Rookie Shaun Carlson is making gains in the Team Mopar/SRT Dodge Stratus R/T, but the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Pro Stock class keeps raising the bar. For the second straight event the class has set a new hallmark as the quickest field in NHRA history.
The No. 16 bump for this weekend's K&N Filters SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park was set at 6.686 seconds, while Carlson's best run for the weekend was a 6.720-second pass at 206.61 mph (his fastest speed to date) Friday night.
His other three runs featured a 6.765/204.82 in the first session, a 6.735/205.60 in the third session, and a 6.765/204.94 in the final session when track conditions turned unfavorable because of the hot weather.
"Everyone is moving at the same pace out here and the field just keeps getting better," said Carlson, a Southern California native. "Unfortunately, we are just a little behind them right now and they are making it tough to catch up. But, I know everyone over here at DSR is trying their hardest to get it corrected as soon as possible."
The 6.720-pass Friday night put him in the field temporarily before being bumped out later in the same session. "I didn't want to get my hopes up at all. After the run we were like, 'good run.' But then people just started killing it and rapping off .69s. It shows how important that Friday night session is, and we knew that coming into this race."
"Now we just have to get focused for next weekend and try to get into the show for Mopar, Don (Schumacher, team owner), and everyone over here putting everything they have into this program."
Next up for Carlson is the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway International Raceway (Madison, Ill.), June 23-25.
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Drifting and NASCAR Stars Set to Make History in 'Mopar D1 All-Star Duel'
Auto Racing Daily, DODGE MOTORSPORTS - - In what will amount to a tire-smoking, sideways battle between drivers from two vastly different motorsports disciplines, Team Mopar‘s Samuel Hubinette, along with some of the hottest names in the D1 Professional Drift Grand Prix Series, including Yasuyuki Kazama and Ken Nomura, will take on Dodge Motorsports’ Kasey Kahne, Bill Elliott and several of their NASCAR friends in the “Mopar D1 All-Star Duel presented by ShiftIntoGear.” The event is the first-ever exhibition pitting drifting and NASCAR stars in head-to-head battle.
The “Mopar D1 All-Star Duel presented by ShiftIntoGear” is slated for August 31 at California‘s Irwindale Speedway, known as the “House of Drift,” and the site of the first U.S. D1 drift event in 2003. The exhibition event pits eight headliners from America‘s most recognized form of racing, the Nextel Cup stock car series, against an equal number of pro drifters. Proceeds from the event, a natural lead-in to that weekend‘s NASCAR Nextel Cup race at the nearby California Speedway in Fontana, will benefit the Kasey Kahne Foundation, which raises and donates funds to charitable organizations that care for chronically ill children and their families.
“Drifting is really starting to take its place in the mainstream,” said Kevin Miller, Senior Manager, Mopar Brand, Performance & Motorsports. “Mopar was there at the ground level, helping to grow the sport, and we‘re proud to help continue that growth by sponsoring this ground-breaking event and teaming up with NASCAR stars such as Kasey Kahne.”
ShiftIntoGear, Inc., is one of the world‘s premier personal training and coaching resources for established racing professionals and young, up-and-coming development drivers alike. The company is jointly owned by Pennsylvania businessman Chris Evans and longtime driving instructor and professional racer Chris Cook, who carried the “Mopar D1 All-Star Duel presented by ShiftIntoGear” logo on his No. 43 Dodge while competing in the NASCAR Busch Series race at Kentucky Speedway over the weekend. Cook will also be training the NASCAR drivers in drifting technique prior to the event.
Dodge Motorsports’ Ryan Newman returned to his USAC racing roots last week, as he competed in the Ryan Newman Night USAC Regional Midget Car Series event at South Bend Motor Speedway in Indiana, on June 14. Newman qualified the No. 39 Keith Kunz Motorsports machine in fourth place and transferred from the fourth heat race event to make the feature. The NASCAR star drove his Gary Stanton built Mopar-powered machine to a ninth-place finish in the feature event.
Ganassi Racing‘s development driver Bryan Clauson also competed in the event. Clauson qualified the No. 67 Keith Kunz Motorsports entry in second place and finished second in the second heat race event to transfer to the feature. The No. 67 team finished second in the feature event on the night.
Josh Wise, Levi Jones, Kyle Nicholas, Jerry Coons Jr., Clauson and the rest of the USAC National Midget Car Series will resume action on July 1 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Coons Jr., leads the points chase heading into the event. For more information regarding USAC Racing, log on to usacracing.com.
One-Two Finish for Teammates; Lux Makes History Winning Second Road America Title
ELKHART LAKE, Wisc., June 26, 2006 -- The Kohler/ SCCA Chicago Region June Sprints® at Road America are either a boon or a bust for NayKid Racing. NayKid Racing has enjoyed great success in even number years (Cindi Lux won in 2004 with Scotty B. White in second) while damaged race cars have been the order of the day in odd number years (Lux and teammate Ryan Snodgrass were both injured here last year on the first lap). The cycle of even years versus odd continued in 2006. This year, the first jewel in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Triple Crown was a windfall event for the two KUMHO Tires/ Dodge Motorsports/ SRT Dodge Viper SRT10s of Lux (Aloha, Ore.) and White (Puyallup, Wash.). Lux took the title with White biting on her heels for second.
Starting from the pole position in Sunday's 30-minute Touring One (T1) class race, Lux would take the top honor in the No. 78 KUMHO Tires/ Dodge Motorsports/ SRT/ Nike/ MOMO USA/ Forgeline Viper for the second time of her career. White came home a close second again after starting third and battling for the lead throughout the event. White, a six-time Southern Pacific (SoPac) Division champion, set the race's fastest lap in his No. 3 KUMHO Tires/ Dodge Motorsports/ SRT/ CORSA Exhaust/ Red Line Oil Viper. In 2004, the pair, then driving Corvettes, did the same one-two finishing order showing the team's ongoing strength.
"It's bittersweet when you're fighting tooth-and-nail with your teammate for this deal," said Lux. "I'm glad we're one-two but I'm sorry that someone had to lose. Scotty was putting the hammer down. We both wanted this race pretty badly and it showed on track. We definitely demonstrated there are no team orders at NayKid Racing! For whatever reason the June Sprints are either exceedingly kind or exceedingly dreadful for us. Last year we came in here and she slapped us around. This year we came in and sent her down for the count. The Viper SRT10s were awesome; they were on rails. Considering we are the heaviest car in class we, as a team, work really, really hard at maximizing the handling and braking of these race cars. We set the Vipers up for the long run and the yellow-free race played into that."
The win moved Lux into a league of her own on the 4.048-mile road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisc. The '04 T1 victory made her only the second woman in the June Sprints storied history to ever win a class. By crossing the line first after a heated battle with teammate White this weekend, she becomes the only woman to ever win multiple races in the 51 year history of the June Sprints. The victory also gives Lux a shot at the SCCA Triple Crown which includes a win at the June Sprints, a Division Title and a victory at the season-ending National Championship Runoffs in Topeka, Kan. Lux currently leads the Northern Pacific (NorPac) Division T1 class standings; a division she has won three-time times (2003-2005).
"I am kind of embarrassed to admit we had a miscue on what the weather was supposed to do on Saturday," said White referring to the sub-par performance of the two NayKid drivers in qualifying. "We weren't ready for the rain in the first qualifying session and it caught us out. So, we ended up 27 and 31. The weather was still a little dicey Sunday but we got back to our usual form. A Corvette split us with Cindi on pole and me in third. When the green flew the Corvettes didn't hold-up so well. They were all pretty racy early on and then started fading, breaking and crashing after a half-dozen laps. The end result was three SRT Viper HOT RODS on the podium! Cindi and I swapped the point a few times and we were fighting for it at the end until my car stumbled on fuel with a lap and a half to go. What a killer day for racing though: cool, about 68 degrees, and absolutely ideal conditions for speed. The cars were awesome and we ran our fastest lap at the end of the race which shows we had them setup for the long haul. It was a great day for SRT and all three of the Vipers on the podium were on KUMHO Tires; how cool is that?"
Racing series NHRA Date 2006-06-28MOPAR RENEWS SPONSORSHIP; EXPANDS MOPAR HEMI CHALLENGE
GLENDORA, Calif. (June 28, 2006) -- Mopar has renewed its sponsorship of the popular Mopar HEMI Challenge at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals for the seventh consecutive year, expanding the action by two races to make the special event a full series, NHRA officials announced today.
Featuring events at the JEGS.com NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals, the JEG'S Northern SPORTSnationals and Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the Mopar HEMI Challenge offers more than $20,000 in prize money in 2006.
"The expansion of the Mopar HEMI Challenge represents Mopar's commitment to the growth of this event," said David Hakim, marketing manager, Mopar Performance Parts. "The 1968 Plymouth Barracudas and Dodge Darts that compete in the Mopar HEMI Challenge represent the high water mark of the production of super stock package cars. This event helps to preserve the legendary status of these machines while, at the same time, implementing modern technology to further their status in the sport of drag racing."
The JEGS.com NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals and JEG'S Northern SPORTSnationals events feature $5,000 payouts, while the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Indianapolis Raceway Park at Indianapolis continues to feature a $10,000 winner's purse. The series winner of the Super Stock/AH series also will receive a cash bonus after the series' finale on Sept. 1, 2006.
Among the entries for the prestigious event this season include past winners Bucky Hess, Richard Beshore, Jerry Jenkins, Jeg Coughlin and Charlie Westcott.
"The Mopar HEMI Challenge is an extraordinary way to exhibit the power of the vehicles made famous by some of the legends of NHRA drag racing," said Len Imbrogno, NHRA director of sportsman racing and member tracks. "We're excited to see this unique event continue to grow in popularity and offer a special spotlight for these drivers."
Mopar is based in Center Line, Mich., and is the exclusive original equipment supplier of parts and accessories for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles.
Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., the NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. It presents 23 events through its NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The NHRA has 80,000 members and 140 member tracks. The NHRA-sanctioned sportsman and bracket racing series' provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels. The NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by offering the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series, NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Street Legal Drags presented by AAA. The NHRA also offers the O'Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League for youths ages 8 to 17.
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NASCAR + DRIFTING Stars In ‘Mopar D1 All-star Duel’ AUGUST 31
NASCAR + DRIFTING Stars In ‘Mopar D1 All-star Duel’ AUGUST 31
Center Line, Mich. — In what will amount to a tire-smoking, sideways battle
between drivers from two vastly different motorsports disciplines, Team
Mopar’s Samuel Hubinette, along with some of the hottest names in the D1
Professional Drift Grand Prix Series including Yasuyuki Kazama and Ken
Nomura, will take on Dodge Motorsports’ Kasey Kahne, Bill Elliott and
several of their NASCAR friends in the “Mopar D1 All-Star Duel presented by
ShiftIntoGear.” The event is the first-ever exhibition pitting drifting and
NASCAR stars in head-to-head battle.
The “Mopar D1 All-Star Duel presented by ShiftIntoGear” is slated for
August 31 at California’s Irwindale Speedway, known as the “House of Drift,”
and the site of the first U.S. D1 drift event in 2003. The sport of
drifting, created in Japan, is a judged competition. Judges take into
account the technique, style and flair with which contestants slide their
cars around specially-configured tracks at speeds up to 130 miles per hour,
all the while billowing great clouds of tire smoke.
The exhibition event pits eight headliners from America’s most recognized
form of racing, the Nextel Cup stock car series, against an equal number of
pro drifters. Fans in attendance will have the chance to get autographs
during the event.
“We’ve conducted some of the most exciting NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series short
track racing and D1 Drifting here at Irwindale Speedway,” said Bob DeFazio,
COO and General Manager of Irwindale Speedway. “It’s an absolute honor to
host a showdown between the giants these two forms of motor sports
competition and help contribute to a great cause on what will be one heck of
a fun night!”
Proceeds from the event, a natural lead-in to that weekend’s NASCAR Nextel
Cup race at the nearby California Speedway in Fontana, will benefit the
Kasey Kahne Foundation, which raises and donates funds to charitable
organizations that care for chronically ill children and their families. The
Foundation is also committed to positive cultural changes by focusing on
diversity awareness and providing at-risk youth ample opportunities for
success.
“I’m very thankful that D1 has not only worked with us to create their
first series All-Star event, but also agreed to earmark all of the event
proceeds to the Kasey Kahne Foundation,” Kahne said. “I know that we as
NASCAR drivers are going to have our hands full trying to compete with the
best D1 drifters in the world, but we’ll definitely be ready to duel.”
Hubinette has led Mopar’s drifting efforts. Also known as, the “Crazy
Swede,” Hubinette has scored top ten spots in two D1GP point series events
competing against the world’s top D1 drivers in the past. The wildly popular
Kahne is one of this season’s hottest NASCAR stars, with three Nextel Cup
victories thus far in 2006, and is fifth in the Nextel Cup points race.
“Drifting is really starting to take its place in the mainstream,” said
Kevin Miller, Senior Manager, Mopar Brand, Performance & Motorsports. “Mopar
was there at the ground level, helping to grow the sport, and were proud to
help continue that growth by sponsoring this ground-breaking event and
teaming up with NASCAR stars such as Kasey Kahne.”
Mooresville, N.C.-based ShiftIntoGear, Inc., is one of the world’s premier
personal training and coaching resources for established racing
professionals and young, up-and-coming development drivers alike.
Development drivers receive instruction in all skills from track and sponsor
etiquette to how to win races, and through the ShiftIntoGear program are
exposed to the top NASCAR teams. Its client roster features top drivers from
all forms of racing, including current NASCAR Nextel Cup regulars Tony
Stewart and Clint Bowyer.
Jointly owned by Pennsylvania businessman Chris Evans and longtime driving
instructor and professional racer Chris Cook, the company offers both east-
and west-coast fleets of purpose-built high-performance race cars enhanced
for coaching and testing. Cook and his team of world-class instructors
conduct training at racing facilities throughout North America.
Cook will compete in the NASCAR Busch Series race at Kentucky Speedway this
weekend and will carry the “Mopar D1 All-Star Duel presented by
ShiftIntoGear” logo on his No. 43 Dodge. He will also be training the NASCAR
drivers in drifting technique prior to the event.
Racing series NHRA Date 2006-07-12Baca trumpeting Alex's Lemonade Stand charity in Denver
DENVER (July 11) -- Top Fuel driver David Baca has been on a mission this summer, using his Mach 1 Air Services race team to support various charities while he competes on the NHRA drag racing tour. This weekend at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals, Baca will be inviting everyone to stop for some lemonade at one of 540 Alex's Lemonade Stands that will be set up at neighborhood Big O Tire stores across the country. Big O Tires is a major associate sponsor on Baca's 330-mph dragster.
The Denver-based tire industry leader has set aside the week of July 10-17 to support the 501c3 charity that raises funds for pediatric cancer research. Each Big O Tire store will set up an Alex's Lemonade Stand in the customer waiting area with 100-percent of the proceeds going to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.
Alexandra "Alex" Scott was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of childhood cancer, at the age of 4. She decided to open a lemonade stand to help her doctors raise money to find a cure for all kids with cancer. Although Alex later succumbed to the illness, she knew that her lemonade stand, with the help of many others started in her name, had raised more than $1 million. The charity has continued to grow and donates millions of dollars each year in Alex's honor.
"We are excited to help in the cause of finding cures for childhood cancer," Big O Tire president John Adams said as he announced the in-store program and his company's donation of $50,000. "Partnering with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation provides opportunities for all Big O associates and our customers to become aware of this wonderful cause started by an inspired child in her own fight against cancer. This is also an opportunity to give back to the communities that have supported Big O Tires."
As a big part of Baca-Windham Racing (Baca's partner Bill Windham owns several Big O Tire centers in Northern California), Big O Tire's association with Alex's Lemonade Stand prompted the Baca to get involved. Throughout the race weekend at Bandimere Speedway, Baca will display a giant Alex's Lemonade Stand logo on his race vehicle.
"This is one of the coolest things we've ever done and we're more than happy to help Big O Tires and Alex's Lemonade Stand raise awareness on a national level," Baca said. "It's inspired everyone on the team to get this Mach 1 car on ESPN2 as much as we can so everyone can get an idea of what Alex's Lemonade Stand is all about.
"We've had friends from the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Mark Hindy Charitable Foundation for the kids of 9/11, and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation out to the races this year as our guests and we're thrilled to add the folks from Alex's Lemonade Stand and, of course, Big O Tires this weekend.
"Our car has been getting stronger every weekend and we'd love to break through for a big win in Denver. We've made plenty of deposits in the luck bank. It's time for us to get some breaks and win a race, and we'll do it in Alex's name."
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2006-07-13 NHRA MEDIA - - Pro Stock Rookie Shaun Carlson has been busy during the past few weeks testing a new Jerry Haas-built Dodge Stratus R/T that he will campaign for the remainder of the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series for Don Schumacher Racing, beginning at this weekend‘s Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.
Carlson and his Mopar team took full advantage of the two-week mid-season break and tested at Bandimere Speedway immediately following the Midwest Nationals in Madison, Ill. They also tested yesterday for one day back at St. Gateway International Raceway (Madison, Ill.) before heading west on I-70 towards Denver.
The California native is pleased with the test results and his new Team Mopar/SRT Dodge Stratus R/T. “The testing at Bandimere went well. All of the DSR team drivers tested great, and we continue to find things out about our cars,” said Carlson. “My new car is 35 pounds lighter than my old car, and one of the problems we have figured out is that we didn‘t have the weight located the best way possible on the old car. Jerry (Haas) put a lot more carbon-fiber pieces on this new car, so we can arrange the weight similar to Richie‘s (Stevens Jr., teammate). We think that is really going to help us with our 60-ft. time, which has been a constant problem for us all season.”
As for the July 11 Gateway test session, “Yesterday we worked with the small things. With a new car there are so many things that can go wrong, and the last thing we would want is to have something like brake lines go bad, or have the car turn left or turn right real hard, or something weird. Terry (Adams, co-crew chief) worked with the four-link suspension as well, ” he said.
Carlson is eager to do well for Mopar this weekend, “Not only do you have a lot of true racing fans with Mopar, but you have a lot of casual fans at this event because of what Mopar has done to promote it and themselves,” he added. “I‘m going to be down at the Mopar Big-Block Party in Golden tomorrow night hanging out and having a good time with the fans. We‘ll have several of the DSR team cars down there, Dodge concept vehicles, and I‘m actually going to have my new Dodge Charger Formula Drift car and the Dodge Viper Drift car there.
“Then on Friday the racing starts, and we can concentrate on getting into the show and doing a good job for Mopar. It‘s their race and one of their cars should win it.”
Canadian Jon Nichols Selected for 2WD Class at X Games Rally
Story Courtesy Rally America
Photo by Andrew Harvey
Up-and-coming rally driver "Cowboy" Kenny Bartram will join veterans Doug Shepherd and Canadian Jon Nichols in a demonstration of two-wheel drive talent at this summer's X Games 12 Rally.
The three drivers won't be vying for gold in the action-sports contest. Instead, they'll be showing the X Games audience that two-wheel drive action is just as much fun to watch as four-wheel drive.
John Nichols, one of Canada's undisputed masters of slick-surface driving, began his motorsport career as an ice racer but has been a regular rally driver since the early 1990s. Although he has competed in the all-wheel-drive category, he is a two-wheel-drive pro who has earned six Group 2 National championships in a Volkswagen Golf GTI. His skills are so respected in his home province of Quebec that a regional rally series has been named after him. He will be co-driven by Carl Schenk at the X Games.
Bartram, a motocross pro and X Games veteran who will compete for gold this year in the Moto X Freestyle category, emerged on the rally scene early in the 2006 season. The Oklahoma-based driver, along with co-driver Dennis Hotson, has been taking consistent class wins this year in a Volkswagen New Beetle affectionately known on the scene as the "StudBug."
Shepherd, a factory Mopar driver, is a regular threat for any two-wheel drive win in his snarling Group 5 Dodge Neon SRT-4 and has taken home the prestigious Woodner Cup four times during his lengthy career. Before he signed on with Dodge as a driver, Shepherd was a co-driver to John Buffum during the 1970s and early 1980s. Most recently, Shepherd and co-driver Pete Gladysz stood atop the two-wheel drive podium at the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally in Wellsboro, PA.
The annual X Games is the premier action sports event in the world, featuring athletes from across the globe competing for medals and prize money in sports including BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, Surfing and Rally. X Games 12 will be telecast live on ESPN and ABC.
In addition to the three-car two-wheel drive demonstration, there will be a dozen crews competing for gold all-wheel drive, Open class cars at the X Games Rally. Among them: WRC veteran Colin McRae, motocross superstar turned Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana, eight-time U.S. champ Paul Choiniere and 2005 Rally America champion, Pat Richard. The last two all-wheel drive teams to be included in this year’s X Games Rally will qualify at the Maine Forest Rally in late July.
Follow a Dream Crew chief Blake is devoted to his Alcohol Funny Car team despite coping with blindness
BY JOHN R. IRBY TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Jul 15, 2006
Political correctness is a language consideration, including context and use of the word disability. But Jay Blake doesn't care about political correctness. He is disabled.
The point is, I do have a disability," Blake said. "I can't see. Some things I just can't do, but it doesn't keep me from doing a lot of things."
One of those is being crew chief for an Alcohol Funny Car dragster team with a top-speed quarter-mile of 259 mph in 5.56 seconds.
Blake, 39, has his Follow a Dream team at Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg this weekend for the National Hot Rod Association Division I Drag Racing Series. He was blinded at 31 when an industrial forklift tire exploded in his face. Not only did he lose his sight, but also his sense of smell and taste. But he has retained and advanced his love and passion of racing - and helping others through a nonprofit foundation and inspirational speaking.
"We all get caught on a pinwheel, going to work, paying the bills," he said. "We have to stop and put things in perspective."
Blake, who recently married, is a father to five children. One of his favorite things is spending time with his family. He says enjoying life is all about the opportunities we have, not the ones we've lost.
"There are so many wonderful things in my life since my accident, and it would be hard to give all those up just to see."
The Follow a Dream team races a 2002 Dodge Avenger on a Murf McKinney TA/FC chassis powered by a 3,000-horsepower aluminum hemi engine. Funny Cars are methanol-injected and distinguished by carbon fiber bodies and supercharged engines.
"There is so much emotion [at the race]," Blake said. "I don't know if it is anxiety, but you get so built up. We may win a race at 5.9 seconds, and people might be excited, but in reality, we might be disappointed because we wanted to run a 5.7 seconds."
Racing is important to Blake, but he also derives great pleasure in the 20 to 30 speaking appearances he gives every year.
"My blindness makes me different in what I am doing," he said. "If I could see, I'd be just another guy racing a car. But I can make a difference in people's lives because I can talk to them. I can share my situation and inspire people to go after their dreams."
Blake's positive outlook is often tested, however, by how others react to him because of his disability, missed everyday pleasures that many take for granted and day-to-day financial concerns.
People who don't know him often will try to do too many things for him. Sometimes they talk louder, thinking that will somehow compensate for his blindness. And they also talk to whoever he's with, asking questions to say, his daughter, rather than to him.
"The majority of all people are good people, but they don't know how to act. If I need assistance, I'll ask for it."
Blake also misses being able to see the impact and power of basic life experiences.
"Seeing things can make life much more stimulating. Take for instance the scenery while driving down the highway, which I do a lot. It never changes for me."
While Blake gained some financial security in a settlement from his accident, his racing and motivational speaking opportunities are aided by Permatex Inc., a manufacturer, distributor and marketer of chemical products to the automotive maintenance and repair markets, and one of its products, Fast Orange, a biodegradable petroleum solvent-free hand cleaner.
"We've gone into debt and remortgaged the house twice," he said. "While we used to speak for free, the reality is we need financial help to cover expenses. We don't race with an enormous budget. Our all-volunteer team does a great job."
Le Mans International Circuit Wednesday, July 12, 2006 Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Pre-Race Notes: 2006 French Grand Prix Preview
, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
LE MANS, France -- The 2006 Formula 1 Championship returns to Europe this week following the two North American fly-away races. France is the location for the 11th Grand Prix of the season.
Pedro de la Rosa will join Kimi Raikkonen in the race driver line-up for the French Grand Prix, as Team McLaren Mercedes and Juan Pablo Montoya have mutually agreed for him to step down in the forthcoming races of this year's Formula 1 World Championship. Pedro will make his second race appearance for the team following a thrilling points scoring debut in the 2005 Bahrain Grand Prix.
100 years ago, France was the location for the first automobile race to be called a Grand Prix. On 26th June 1906 32 cars set-off at 90 second intervals on the circuit, which was formed of public roads. The race lasted for two days over a distance of 1,238 km. The race, which was staged near Le Mans, was won two years later by Christian Lautenschlager, clinching the first Mercedes victory in the event. The four-cylinder engine of his car had a displacement of 12.8 litres and an output of 135 bhp.
The French Grand Prix has also been a permanent fixture on the calendar since the start of the Formula 1 World Championship in 1950, with the exception of 1955. The race was initially run at Reims where Mercedes-Benz took a one-two victory with Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling on their return to Grand Prix racing in 1954. The French Grand Prix then alternated between Rouen, Reims, Clermont Ferrand, Paul Ricard, Dijon-Prenois and Le Mans before moving in 1991 to its current home at Magny Cours.
KIMI RAIKKONEN
"The team has been testing really hard last week, and we will be bringing new parts to the car for the French Grand Prix. The car felt good at Indy and with our strategy we would have secured a couple of solid points finishes. Magny Cours can be quite a challenging track to set-up for, because its characteristics change a lot, probably more so than at most other circuits. However I quite like driving here, it seems to suit my style and I hope we can have another good race this year. It is a slow track, with low speed corners, hairpins and no major straights, it is a total contrast to the previous three circuits we have raced at. Magny Cours has a smooth surface, with no bumps and less kerbs, as a result we can run with more front wing and a lower ride height, as the car is less upset by kerbs and bumps. You tend to generate high tyre temperatures here, so blistering can be a problem, this is because the track gets very hot during the day due to the blackness of the asphalt. The track also has reasonable grip levels.
PEDRO DE LA ROSA
"I'm of course extremely thrilled to have this opportunity to race the MP4-21 – a car in which I'm really comfortable. People don't always link it to Magny Cours, but you can overtake here, you just need to make sure your set-up allows you to do so. The only real place to do it is by getting good speed along Golf, the stretch between Estoril and Adelaide. You need to take Estoril really well behind the car ahead, and this needs to be considered when you are working on set-up. If you get the right set-up you can then push the limits through the sweeping Estoril and have the speed you need in order to pass. Most things about Magny Cours are fairly medium in nature from the downforce, brake severity to tyre wear. Another characteristic of the track is the number of corners, and this means it can be quite physical if it is hot."
MARTIN WHITMARSH, CEO FORMULA 1, TEAM McLAREN MERCEDES
"As always winning is our aim and, with all the hard work the team have done, we are pushing very hard towards achieving that result. The MP4-21 has made a step forward, and we hope that at France, which is of course Michelin's home race, we are able to demonstrate this. Everyone within the team welcomes Pedro to the race car this weekend, who has completed more than 9,500 test kilometres in the MP4-21 to date. We completed a comprehensive test programme last week at Jerez and now have one more session remaining before the August break. The work completed will allow us to bring online developments to the cooling package. The test team have an intensive work load and are pushing the development programme forward as we seek to find the performance enhancement we need from the MP4-21."
NORBERT HAUG, VICE PRESIDENT, MERCEDES-BENZ MOTORSPORT
"It was bitter to lose both cars already at the second corner after the start of the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis. The three races before the team had shown an upward trend. We had a chance of winning in two races and finally claimed three podium positions. A podium would have been possible also in the USA, not least because of our tyre choice and our one-stop strategy. At Magny Cours our aim is to continue that trend and we all welcome Pedro at his first race since Bahrain last year. Our last test at Jerez was positive and we now have to improve in order to win races. A focused and concentrated process will help to achieve our targets.”
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NayKid Racing Utah's new road course preview
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, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport 
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