AUTO & AUTO RACING NEWS
William Oldecam Hoehne Joyce Notaspringchick Chow
Racing goes green part 4 with oldecam and Notaspringchick Racing goes green Oldecam and Notaspringchick part 3 Racing goes green part 2 with Oldecam Notaspringchick Racing Green part 1 with Oldecam and Notaspringchick
Green Pioneer Kris Moller on Driving Green with Joyce Chow on Conserv Fuel The Connection- Green Racing and The Influence on Mainstream Auto Cap and Trade, Motorsports at the Race Goes Green Q & A
Ed Begley Jr and Larry Hagman and the Solar XOF1 Car Solar XOF1 Car and Notaspringchick Race Ramps, The Car Ramp You Dream Of Racing goes green part 5 with Oldecam Notaspringchick
Scott Sharp Patron Highcroft Racing with Joyce Chow Pierre Kaffer Ferrari risi Competizione with Joyce Chow Solar XOF1 Car and Notaspringchick Ed Begley Jr and Peter Fonda in Solar XOF1 Car
Big 3 UAW workers give us a video response Its politically correct to own a hybrid Car maintenance part 1 Maintaining your car part 2 Jeep Compass review with Oldecam and Notaspringchick
Saturn Vue 2009 Chevy Aveo Smart Cars Coming to America! Smart Car part 2 The Chevy Cobalt Can America's Big Three Automakers Survive Its politically correct to own a hybrid
Notaspringchick with news from Goodwood festival of speed Ford Flex Green cars from the big 4 auto makers Smart Car with Notaspringchick 2009 Chevy Aveo Future in Motorsports with Toyota Racing Development
Ford Flex at West Coast Customs - 1 Ford Flex at West Coast Customs -2 Ceo Brian of West Coast Customs Ford Flex preview Courtney Hansen, Cars and the Women in Racing
Cirbin 3 Wheel Roadster Alternative Fuel Cell Vehicles and Q&A Notaspringchick 5-15 stretching your dollar Scott Pruett in the Lexus IS F Test Drive at SEMA
Jamie Little and Mike Skinner in the Winners Circle Danica Patrick at the Toyota Grand Prix Long Beach - Part 2 Danica Patrick at the Toyota Grand Prix Long Beach - Part 1
Oldecam And Notaspringchick at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Oldecam And Notaspringchick at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
The Future of Auto Racing and ALMS at Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Smart Car Test Drive NASCAR Racer Erin Crocker at Chasing Baja Premiere Mini Cooper Clubman Debut
BMW1 Series Debut Cadillac Provoq World Premiere at CES 2008 John Schneider's General Lee GM's Update on Chevy Volt Concept Car
CES 2008 - GM's Wagoner on Technologies 2009 Ford Flex2 by Funkmaster Flex Unveiled at SEMA and the Expedition Funkmaster Flex Chip Foose 2009 Ford Flex Unveiled at SEMA
Women Trade in Your Motorcycles Ford's CEO Mulally on UAW Agreement Ford Motor Company's CEO at the LA Auto Show 2009 Corolla and Matrix Unveiled at SEMA
Yada Yada Yada at SEMA Mercedes Benz E320 Bluetec Runway Debut at MB Fashion Week DUB Show Alpine's IMPRINT Car Orange County Choppers Peavey Guitar Unveiling
Orange County Choppers Peavey Bike Unveiling Toyota Celebrity-Pro Practice- Canon Pit Suite View Smart Cars Coming to America!
Nick Hogan and Dan Pina Drifting Nopi Drift Drivers Meeting with Dan Pina Drifting - What It's Like From the Inside 1925 Rolls Royce Phantom at the LA Concours d'Elegance
Formula DRIFT Announces Schedule Change for
the Pro Am National Championship;
Event will now be held on November 21 at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale
Long Beach, Calif. – October 1, 2009 – Formula DRIFT has announced a schedule
and venue change for the 2009 Pro Am National Championship. The event will now
take place on November 21 at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.
The top amateur drivers from the United States and Canada will meet at the
infamous “House of Drift,” at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. This will be the
first time that a Pro Am competition of this level will take place at this
location. The rising stars of drifting will be discovered and compete for their
chance to earn a Formula DRIFT Pro Championship license. Current professional
drivers that made their way up through the Pro Am circuit include Justin Pawlak,
Ryan Tuerck, Joon Maeng, and Matt Powers.
“Bringing the FD Pro Am National Championship to Irwindale is not only very
cool, but very symbolic as well,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of
Formula DRIFT. “Never has a Pro Am competition of this magnitude and importance
been held at Irwindale before. And to top it off Irwindale is the birthplace of
American professional drifting, back in 2003 when Ryan and I brought D1 outside
of Japan for the first time.”
Tickets for the Pro Am National Championship will go on sale on October 17, the
same day as Round 7: Judgment Day the final event of the 6th season of the
Formula DRIFT Pro Championship. Online tickets can be purchased on the Formula
DRIFT website. For more information, visit:
www.formuladrift.com.
| Formula DRIFT Pro AM National
Championship Invited Drivers List Driver Name / Series Qualified From |
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| Brian Peter | Formula DRIFT Atlanta | |
| Dan Willie | Formula DRIFT Atlanta | |
| Jason Jiovani | Formula DRIFT Atlanta | |
| Tom Barnhart | Formula DRIFT Atlanta | |
| Forrest Wang | Formula DRIFT Las Vegas | |
| Johnny Kanavas | Formula DRIFT Las Vegas | |
| Roland Gallagher | Formula DRIFT Las Vegas | |
| Andrew Coomes | Formula DRIFT Las Vegas | |
| Cyrus Martinez | Formula DRIFT Seattle | |
| Victor Moore | Formula DRIFT Seattle | |
| Ian Fournier | Formula DRIFT Seattle | |
| Trent Stromkins | Formula DRIFT Seattle | |
| Kohei Nakamura | DMCC West | |
| Chris Scremin | DMCC West | |
| Robert Parsons | DMCC West | |
| David Briggs | DMCC East | |
| Ryan Lanteigne | DMCC East | |
| Claude Poirier | DMCC East | |
| Russell Walker | HIN Texas | |
| Ameen Rizvi | HIN Texas | |
| Gary James | HIN Florida | |
| Charlie Thompson | HIN Florida | |
| Derek King | HIN Chicago | |
| Mike Pollard | HIN Chicago | |
| John Johnson | HIN Chicago | |
| Note: In addition to the listed drivers, all current Formula DRIFT Pro License holders that do not meet the minimum points for automatic renewal will be invited to this competition. Alternates and additional drivers will be added to the list pending the results of upcoming Pro Am events. | ||
First-Ever SEMA Show ‘N Shine 2nd Annual SEMA Pinewood Drag Races
Date:
Saturday, August 1, 2009
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Location:
Pasadena Convention Center
300 E. Green Street
Pasadena, CA 91101
Show ‘N Shine:
* Indoor car show featuring hundreds of customized cars, including several
celebrity-owned vehicles
* Legendary designer Chip Foose as grand marshal, bringing with him several of
his personal vehicles
* 20 super cars from Giovanna Wheels
* Awards, raffles, drawings, music
Pinewood Drag Races:
* Derby-style race with hundreds of handmade pinewood cars, including many made
by kids from the charities that money will be donated to
* Six-lane aluminum track complete with laser timers and laptop reading
* Trophy presentation for winning vehicles
Other Activities:
* Exhibitors with products for sale
* Celebrity-signed pinewood cars for sale; includes autographs from popular
NASCAR, NHRA and Indy Car drivers, as well as other celebrities
Ticket information:
* Free for 12 years and under; $5 for all others
* Tickets available at the door
* Proceeds benefit children’s charities
About the Charities:
* Childhelp is an organization that aids victims of child abuse. Childhelp
originally began receiving support from wheel manufacturers in 1994 and now
garners significant contributions from a wide range of industry businesses under
the auspices of Friends of Childhelp.
* Victory Junction Gang Camp was founded in 2004 by Kyle and Pattie Petty in
honor of their son Adam and has received support from the Light-Truck Accessory
Alliance and others in the industry. The organization uses camping experiences
in its racing-themed facilities to enrich the lives of children who suffer from
chronic medical conditions or illnesses.
About SEMA:
* SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, is a trade association
representing the automotive specialty-equipment industry. The industry includes
manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and other companies involved with
enhancing the styling and functionality of cars, trucks and SUVs. The
association represents 7,094 member companies, most of who are small to midsize
business, with an owner entering the industry as an enthusiast whose passion led
to a career. SEMA membership complements their existing staff by providing free
education, training, research, legislative advocacy, international outreach, as
well as group discounts on insurance, shipping and more.
June 25, 2009
Formula DRIFT Announces Schedule Change for 2009 Season;
Round 6: Locked and Loaded to be Added to the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on
August 21-22, 2009
Long Beach, Calif. – June 25, 2009 – Formula DRIFT has announced a schedule
change for the 2009 season. Round 6: Locked and Loaded at Infineon Raceway will
be re-scheduled from September 12 to August 21-22. Formula DRIFT has been added
to the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma race weekend.
“Formula DRIFT continues to bring drifting to the big leagues with the addition
of our event to the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma,” said Jim Liaw, president and
co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “Motorsports fans will be able to experience the
110+ mph average speeds of open wheel racing and all the sideways action of
Formula DRIFT in one weekend.”
Formula DRIFT drivers will be amongst the biggest stars in IndyCar racing,
including Helio Castroneves, Danica Patrick, Dario Franchitti, Marco Andretti,
Graham Rahal, and more. Fans will be treated to both drifting and IndyCar Series
racing during the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma weekend. Tickets may be purchased on
the Formula DRIFT website, 2-day Friday/Saturday pass will run $35. Special
ticket discounts will be available through various Formula DRIFT media and
promotional partners.
The Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma will be held on the weekend of Aug. 21-22 at
Infineon Raceway. The Formula DRIFT Pro Championship Round 6: Locked and Loaded
is scheduled for August 21 and 22. The change in the schedule will open up a
longer break heading into the Finals in Irwindale on October 16-17 leaving time
for teams to prepare and for Formula DRIFT to organize promotional activities
leading into the Finals.
The remaining 2009 Formula DRIFT Pro Championship Schedule (as of June 25, 2009)
Round 4: All In – Las Vegas Motor Speedway – July 10-11
Round 5: Breaking Point – Evergreen Speedway – August 7-8
Round 6: Locked and Loaded – Infineon Raceway – August 21-22
Round 7: Judgment Day – Toyota Speedway at Irwindale – October 16-17
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May 11, 2009
Formula DRIFT Round 2: Proving Ground Results; Chris Forsberg Takes the Victory and the Lead in the Tires.com Triple Crown Long Beach, Calif. – May 11, 2009 – Formula DRIFT Round 2: Proving Ground at Road Atlanta had Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy Drink / Maxxis Nissan 350Z claiming the victory. The win moves him into 2nd place overall in the Formula DRIFT Championship point standings and gives him the lead in the chase for the Tires.com Triple Crown bonus. Road Atlanta, home of the inaugural Formula DRIFT event back in 2004, hosted the 2-day event weekend that was highlighted with the Formula DRIFT Pro-Am competition in association with US Drift and Round 2 of the Professional Championship series. Attendance numbers were the highest of all time for the venue and despite the chance of rain, fans from all across the South East gathered for the drifting filled weekend. “The fans that come to Road Atlanta are some of the most dedicated and enthusiastic that we have,” said Ryan Sage, vice president of marketing and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “The energy of this crowd could be felt and added an additional element of excitement to the event. For the last 6 years we have seen this event grow more and more and we look forward to next season.” For the second time in his career, Chris Forsberg and the NOS Energy Drink / Maxxis Nissan 350Z took the victory at Road Atlanta. Forsberg was consistent throughout the event and fought his way through very tough competition on his way to both the event victory the point lead for the Tires.com Triple Crown bonus. Darren McNamara piloting the Falken / Sears Auto Center Saturn Sky was a close runner-up and gave a very exciting show with his aggressive and skilled driving. In third place, Ryan Tuerck in the Gardella Racing / Mobil 1 Pontiac Solstice added to his Formula DRIFT championship point lead and secured his second consecutive podium finish. “Road Atlanta has always been an awesome track and the team has had great finishes in the past,” said Chris Forsberg, winner of Round 2: Proving Ground and Tires.com Triple Crown points leader. “I really want to thank NOS Energy Drink and Maxxis tires for continuing their support into 2009, and helping us get back to the top of the podium!” Formula DRIFT makes a return to Wall Speedway on June 5-6 in Wall, NJ for Round 3: The Gauntlet. Tickets are on-sale now.
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Full official standings available on:
www.formuladrift.com
** MAKE SURE TO CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTING**
Pro surfer Dave Rastovich went from observer to activist when he embarked on a personal mission to help stop the worldwide commercial slaughter of dolphins and whales. While unsure at first, Rasta quickly found his activist sea legs and helped build a core team of filmmakers, journalists, musicians, eco-pirates, celebrity surfers and even a professional mermaid to help spread the message. All this has been documented in the film, Minds In The Water.
“This whole journey started as no more than a conversation between two friends a few years ago,” says Rastovich. “Since then, it has evolved into an international movement with thousands of followers who are actively making a difference.”
FUEL TV has partnered with The Saltwater Collective to produce a focused half-hour version of the documentary to screen directly to its TV audience. It’s another example of a commitment to “conscious content” that FUEL TV views as import programming to present to its market.
“Minds In The Water is an amazing story about how a group of people can get behind a cause that they’re passionate about.” Says Shon Tomlin, FUEL TV’s VP of Programming and Development. “Dave Rastovich and Justin Krumb do an excellent job of telling an engaging story that connects the dots between passionate surfers and the mammals they share the ocean with. We’re honored to be a part of such a great project.”
The Minds In The Water documentary will benefit Surfers For Cetaceans <www.s4cglobal.org>, a public charity dedicated to raising awareness of the threatened species and state of the world’s oceans, through art, music and highly visible media events.
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April 14, 2009
Formula DRIFT Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Results; Tuerck Takes the Season Opening Victory Long Beach, Calif. – April 14, 2009 – Formula DRIFT Round 1: Streets of Long Beach kicks off their 6th championship season to a sell-out crowd. Ryan Tuerck and the Gardella Racing / Mobil 1 Pontiac Solstice took home the victory and leads the 2009 Professional Championship Point Standings. The Long Beach Grand Prix Street Course hosted the season opening event to a standing room only crowd. The infamous track is the only course that is held on actual city streets making it one of the more unique drifting courses in the world. The 2009 season included the addition of the veteran driver, Tony Angelo, as a new judge to the series. It also marked the first 2-day event structure of the season and the change of competition formats. This season will be the first time a 32 car head-to-head format will be utilized in the Pro Championship series creating more head-to-head competition rounds and more action for the fans. “I think this weekend in Long Beach proved that regardless of the current economic state Formula DRIFT is something that is truly embraced by fans and it showed with a huge attendance on Friday and standing room only on Saturday,” said Ryan Sage, vice president of marketing and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “Without the support of the fans, teams, and sponsors Formula DRIFT would not have been able to pull off this amazing event and I personally cannot wait to get on a plane to Atlanta and get back to where Formula DRIFT held its first event.” The event showcased some of the most exciting drifting to date and the introduction of the Top 32 competition format brought a new element to the event and more action. The season opening event unveiled a few highly anticipated vehicles including Rhys Millen and the Red Bull / RMR Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Vaughn Gittin Jr. and the 2010 Falken Tire Ford Mustang GT, and returning champion Tanner Foust in the Rockstar Scion Racing tC, who finished in third place after a very intense and close battle with Robbie Nishida in the Hankook Tire / Dynamic Autosport Nissan 350Z in the consolation round. The finals pitted 2-time Formula DRIFT champion, Samuel Hubinette in the NuFormz Racing / Mopar Dodge Viper against Ryan Tuerck and the Gardella Racing / Mobil 1 Pontiac Solstice. Tuerck edged out Hubinette with very consistent driving throughout the event taking the first victory of the season. “It's an amazing feeling starting the season off on top,” stated Ryan Tuerck, Round 1: Streets of Long Beach winner and driver of the Gardella Racing / Mobil 1 Pontiac Solstice. “This isn't a one man show and I wouldn't have been able to do it without the support of the Gardella Racing / Mobil 1 Pontiac Solstice team. It's very satisfying to stand at the top of such a talented field of competitors.” The 2009 Formula DRIFT season continues on May 8-9 in Braselton, GA at Road Atlanta for Round 2: Proving Ground. Tickets are on-sale now.
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Full official standings available on:
www.formuladrift.com
Race Central TV to Air on All-New Global Network - MavTV
Starting Saturday April 11th in "Prime Time"
(DENVER, April 10, 2009) - Race Central TV, the premier home for all forms of Motorsports in North America, is proud to announce a partnership with MavTV for the 2009 season and will launch its new programming for 2009 on Saturday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m., EDT, before moving to its regular slot Fridays from 8:00 - 9:00 p.m., EDT.
MavTV is an exciting and cutting-edge, 24-hour HD television network targeting men. MavTV will not only expand Race Central TV's reach in the United States, but will also distribute the show globally to Europe, South & Central America, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and parts of Asia. The partnership brings many assets to the show such as IPTV and mobile downloads to its many fans.
"This relationship validates the booming growth of Race Central over the past five years as a destination for motorsports fans around the world to enjoy not only NHRA, NASCAR, Open-Wheel, Sports Car, Rally, and the Aussie V-8 Supercars, but extreme and cutting-edge motorsports, along with all forms of motorsport whether it be at the track, on the water, in the air, or anywhere else top-flight motorsports take place" says Kurt Hansen, COO of Motorsports Media Inc.
"The partnership with MavTV is a fantastic opportunity to extend
the Race Central brand and reach a large, untapped, affluent audience for our
sponsors. The show will air in HD around the world and is a
perfect fit for the type of high-impact and exciting content we offer our
viewers. Our sponsors could not be happier with the
increased exposure they gain and the value a partnership offers new sponsors
moving forward is second-to-none," said Rich Branch, Executive Vice President of
Race Central. "The inclusion of Race Central in the MavTV
motorsports block of programming is a testament to the growth and awareness of
Race Central TV as one of the most popular television destinations for unique
and diverse motorsports content for fans across the country and now the world.
I cannot think of a better distribution partner than MavTV for our show
at this time in our history, I'm very excited to be partnered with such a
forward thinking and fast growing network as MavTV."
About Race Central
Race Central TV, Race Central Radio and Race Central Webcasts are the productions of Motorsports Media Group, Inc. Founded by former driver and current motorsports insider Kurt Hansen, Race Central brings the greatest names in motorsports to race fans throughout America and the world via multiple platforms: TV, radio and webcasts. Race Central TV reaches tens of millions of American homes, and enables its many sponsors and partners to reach their target audiences with marketing horsepower. Race Central is presented weekly by STP Concrete, Colorado National Speedway, Daveco Liquors, Bear Frame and Axle, Miller Motorsports Park, racecopromotions, Akamai Systems Consulting, Motor Sports Country Club-Ring of The Rockies, Lemay-Americas Car Museum, Little Fish PR, Bimmerhaus and Stuggart MBZ. Race Central Radio can be heard every Friday from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MST on Colorado's Sporting News Radio affiliate, Mile High Sport Radio AM 1510, part of the Altitude Sports Radio Network and can be heard around the world via the World Wide Web by going to www.racecentralmedia.com and clicking the "listen live" link. For more information visit www.racecentralmedia.com. All Race Central TV Broadcasts can be seen at www.racecentral.tv, our streaming television site. For sponsorship, partnership and editorial opportunities, please contact Rich Branch, E.V.P. of Race Central TV and Radio Network Partners at 949.200.7369 or rich@racecentralmedia.com.
About MavTV
MavTV is a 24-hour cable and satellite television network targeting the male demographic. It was launched on October 1, 2004 and is available in over 70 markets across the U.S., Canada, the UK and Australia among others internationally. With a variety of original programming that includes series like "AMA Motorcycle Racing," "American Tailgater," "Bikini All-Stars," "Ultimate Combat Experience," and "Lucas Oil Motorsports Events." MavTV continues to grow and added an HD feed in August 2008. In March 2008, the independently owned and operated MavTV partnered with Lucas Oil Products (www.lucasoil.com) in a comprehensive, strategic agreement that includes a significant investment by Lucas Oil in MavTV over the next four years.
On the Web:
http://www.mavtv.com/ (MavTV)
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Formula DRIFT Prepares to Kick-off the
2009 Championship Season;
Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Activities and Drivers Entry List Announced Long Beach, Calif. – March 31, 2009 – Formula DRIFT prepares to kick-off the 2009 professional championship season with a host of events leading up to the main competition weekend on April 10-11. Round 1: Streets of Long Beach also marks the debut of new cars and drivers and the return of top drifters from around the world. “The 2009 Formula DRIFT season will be as entertaining and exciting as ever,” says Ryan Sage, vice-president of marketing and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “In addition to the main event on the 10-11th we have also lined up some great local, fan-friendly events in Long Beach to add to the overall weekend.” To kick-off the season on Thursday April 9, Formula DRIFT will converge on Downtown Long Beach at 5 PM. The entire roster of drivers and cars will parade from the track into the heart of downtown. The competition vehicles will be on display on Pine and Broadway and fans will have a chance to meet and greet with the drivers. As an added bonus, 2-time Formula DRIFT champion Samuel Hubinette, will be premiering his new DVD “Drift Ya Later,” at Smooth's Sports Grille. The festivities are free and will go from continue from 5 PM to 9 PM. After the first day of Formula DRIFT action on Friday, April 10, Hooters on Pine Ave. in Downtown Long Beach will be hosting a reception for the Formula DRIFT teams. Fans are welcome to join in on the festivities with the drivers. The action takes place from 7 PM to 9 PM. Round 1: Streets of Long Beach tickets are available via the Formula DRIFT website at www.formuladrift.com. Ticket prices start at $28 online for a Saturday reserved seat. Friday, April 10th has been opened to the public as a “Preview Day,” and will feature practice and qualifying. Fans can buy access to Friday's event for just $5 more. Grandstands 16 and 18 have been expanded this season to give more fans the best view of the action. Taking place during the opening ceremonies on Saturday, April 11, West Coast Customs will be presenting reigning Formula DRIFT champion Tanner Foust with a custom-built GTO. The presentation will be aired on an upcoming episode of “Street Customs” on the TLC channel. West Coast Customs owner Ryan Friedlinghaus will be handing the keys to Foust exclusively at this event. New cars and drivers will make their debut at the season opener. The addition of the Top 32 competition format at this event will give the fans the most excitement and action. The drivers will test their limits on the only actual course that takes place on real city streets. Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Entry List Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11
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For more information visit
www.formuladrift.com.
ATI's Chris Rini is Ready for the 2009 Season
CARMEL, NY-- After a busy and wet start to the 2009
season Chris Rini is prepared to do battle against the heavy hitters in the NMCA
ProStreet class. After a successful first year racing in the NMCA and a # 4
finish in the books, Rini is coming back for more with his ATI Performance
Products sponsored Dodge Stratus.
Rini and the Stratus Team have made some changes this year forming a new
alliance with Buck Racing Engines. Charlie from Buck Racing Engines has been a
great friend of Rini & Scott Cozzali for years and they have decided to put the
Buck engine to the ultimate test. The motors have been updated to 747” & 784”
with both motors getting brand new manifolds from Speedtech along with 4 stages
of Speedtech Nitrous.
A 3-day test session at Valdosta, GA along with early dyno numbers show promise
for 2009. All is well with the combination and string of E.T.'s at 6.43, 6.41,
6.41, 6.41 & 6.40, all over 218 mph, things are looking good for the start of
the season.
Back for 2009 is ATI Performance Products, with its dedication and thoroughness
to the demands of today's high horsepower drag cars. With the development of the
Superglide 3 and its proven consistency and some new design converters Rini and
the Stratus Team are stocked and ready for battle. Rini and ATI have pulled all
the stops with extensive testing and development to stay on top of the industry
with the quickest Powerglide on the planet.
On the schedule for the 2009 season, Rini and the Stratus Team have committed to
run the entire Piedmont Big Dawg series, along with the Mooresville's Mad Dawg
series, select IHRA Top Sportsman National Events & the NHRA Southern Nationals
in Atlanta as a part of the Invitational Top Sportsman race.
After officially splash-landing into the 2009 season*, Rini and his team are
hoping to keep the adrenaline pumping with an exciting and successful season.
Don't worry; they will keep all flights to a minimum.
*Chris Rini was a passenger on US Airways flight 1549 which made an emergency
landing in the Hudson River following a double bird strike on January 15, 2009.
# # #
Formula
DRIFT Announces 2009 FD Pro Am Schedule
Long Beach, Calif. – March 24, 2009 – Formula DRIFT has announced the 2009 Pro
Am Schedule. Formula DRIFT will partner with the nation's most experienced
regional, grassroots, and amateur organizations to take this three year old
program to new heights in search of the future stars of drifting.
The Pro Am program is multi-faceted with events taking place directly during
Formula DRIFT weekends, events held within Hot Import Nights, and events that
are in affiliation with Formula DRIFT such as Drift Mania Canadian Championship
East and West and Just Drift. These affiliate events will be awarding their
champions and top finishers will be granted automatic Formula DRIFT licenses.
Additionally, affiliates also have the right to qualify their drivers for the
Pro AM Nationals held later in the year.
Pro Am events held directly in alliance with Formula DRIFT will be qualifying
events for the Pro AM nationals. Pro AM events held at Formula DRIFT events also
come with a unique experience for amateur drifters as they will be pitted
directly with the Formula DRIFT drivers and will experience a professional
drifting atmosphere from beginning to end. The events held at Hot Import Nights
will also be qualifying events for the Pro Am Nationals.
“Formula DRIFT has had the Pro Am system in place for the last 3 years and it
has produced FD Pros like Justin Pawlak, Bill Sherman, John Russakoff, Joon
Maeng and others. This new program will only push the search for the next
Formula DRIFT stars forward,” said Jim Liaw, co-founder and president of Formula
DRIFT. “We are proud to have partnered with the most experienced and respected
organizations in the country and are excited to put together the largest Pro Am
Nationals event later this year.”
Affiliate Programs Qualifying Competitions:
Hot Import Nights in association with US Drift
April 11 – Austin, TX
April 25 – Tampa, FL
May 15 – New York, NY
July 11 – Chicago, IL
Top 4 drivers from each competition will receive invitations to FD Pro Am
Nationals
Formula DRIFT Round 2 in association with US Drift
May 8-9 – Braselton, GA
Top 4 drivers will receive invitations to FD Pro Am Nationals
Formula DRIFT Round 4 in association with Vegas Drift
July 10-11 – Las Vegas, NV
Top 4 drivers will receive invitations to FD Pro Am Nationals
Formula DRIFT Round 5
August 7-8 – Monroe, WA
Top 4 drivers will receive invitations to FD Pro Am Nationals
Formula DRIFT Round 7 in association with Drift Association
October 16 – Irwindale, CA
Top 4 drivers will receive invitations to FD Pro Am Nationals
Affiliate Series:
Just Drift's Top Drift Series
Round 1 - March 1 – Willow Springs Raceway
Round 2 - April 26 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Round 3 - Sept 5 and 6 – Willow Springs Raceway, Streets of Willow
Round 4 - Oct 24 and 25 – Willow Springs Raceway, Horse Thief Mile Canyon
Course
Series Champion, #2 and #3 will automatically receives FD Pro License
Series #4-8 receives invitations to FD Pro Am Nationals
DMCC East
Round 1 - June 13 and 14 - Autodrome Montmagny, Quebec
Round 2 - June 27 and 28 - Autodrome St-Eustache, Montreal
Round 3 - July 25 and 26 - St Croix, Quebec
Round 4 - August 15 and 16 - Downsview Park, Toronto
Round 5 - Sept 6 and 7 - Autodrome St-Eustache, Montreal
Series Champion automatically receives FD Pro License
#2,3,4 in Series receives invitations to FD Pro Am Nationals
DMCC West
Round 1- May 31 - Castrol Raceway, Edmonton
Round 2 - TBD
Round 3 - August 22 - Western Speedway, Vancouver Island
Round 4 - September 6 - Castrol Raceway, Edmonton
Series Champion automatically receives FD Pro License
#2,3,4 in Series receives invitations to FD Pro Am Nationals
Formula DRIFT Pro Am Nationals in association with Hot Import Nights:
Hot Import Nights in association with US Drift
December 5 - Firebird International Raceway – Phoenix, AZ
Drivers from Affiliate Qualifying Competitions and Qualifying Series as well
as Formula DRIFT Pro drivers needing license renewals will be converging in
Phoenix for the largest Pro Am competition ever held
*Terms and Schedules Subject to Change*
For more information visit
www.formuladrift.com.
ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT
Entering its sixth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American
professional drifting championship. Established on the streets of Japan,
drifting has evolved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each
driver's driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for
professional drifters to compete in 7 events nationwide for the coveted Formula
DRIFT Championship crown. As the first official series in North America, Formula
DRIFT has taken competitive motorsports to the extreme attracting fans and car
enthusiasts from all walks of life and establishes itself as the global focal
point for the Sport. For a race schedule and ticket information, visit:
www.formuladrift.com.
ABOUT IMG SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Operating in 30 countries, IMG Sports & Entertainment's diverse businesses
include: consulting services; event ownership and management; fashion events and
models representation; licensing; golf course design; and client representation
in golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European football, rugby, cricket,
motor sports, coaching, Olympic and action sports. IMG Academies are the world's
largest, multi-sport training and educational facilities, delivering world-class
training experiences to more than 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult, and
professional athletes each year. More information is available at:
www.imgworld.com.
It's with a heavy heart that I have to inform you that Bob Gilbertson's wife Sally passed away yesterday after a brief illness.
February 24, 2009
Formula DRIFT Prepares for Sixth Professional Championship Season;
Round 1: Streets of Long Beach Tickets On-Sale Thursday, February 26
Long Beach, Calif. – February 24, 2009 – Formula DRIFT prepares to begin the
sixth professional championship season. Reserved tickets will be available
online starting Thursday, February 26 for Round 1: Streets of Long Beach on
April 10 and 11. The season opener will feature the world debut of new drift
cars, new and returning drivers, and lots more.
“Formula DRIFT is excited to enter its sixth season of competition and we have a
lot of new things in store for the fans,” said Jim Liaw, co-founder and
president of Formula DRIFT. “We are proud to present the world debut of new
competition vehicles at Long Beach including the 2010 Ford Mustang driven by
Vaughn Gittin, Jr., the 2010 Dodge Challenger driven by 2-time Formula DRIFT
champion, Samuel Hubinette, and the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe driven by World
Champion and Formula DRIFT champion, Rhys Millen. In these tough economic times
it is great to see that auto manufacturers have chosen Formula DRIFT as one of
their main motorsports platforms.”
Round 1: Streets of Long Beach tickets will be available beginning February 26
via the Formula DRIFT website at
www.formuladrift.com.
Ticket prices start at $28 online with reserved tickets available for Saturday's
competition day. Friday, April 10th has been opened to the public as a “Preview
Day,” and will feature practice and qualifying at a minimal cost with purchase
of a Saturday “Main Event” ticket. Grandstands 16 and 18 have been expanded this
season to give more fans the best view of the action.
Round 1: Streets of Long Beach April 10-11 Ticket Pricing
Saturday, April 11- Reserved Seating Saturday, April 11 - Reserved Seating + Friday, April 10 - GA |
Online / Pre-Sale $28.00 $32.00 |
“Even in this tough economy we have managed to
keep ticket prices low, while still expanding to a two day format,” said Ryan
Sage, co-founder and vice president of marketing for Formula DRIFT. “Reserved
tickets allow our fans to never lose their seat so they can walk around at
leisure and enjoy what has become one of the most anticipated events of the year
in and around Southern California.”
The action begins on April 10th in Long Beach, California and will be held on a
section of the famous Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach street course. New cars
and drivers will be entering the Series and will make for another exciting
season. The addition of Top 32 tandem battle will be sure to challenge the
drivers and add to the action. Current back-to-back Formula DRIFT Champion,
Tanner Foust and World Champion Rhys Millen make their return on different
vehicle platforms and will battle against the best drifters for the Formula
DRIFT championship.
For more information visit
www.formuladrift.com.
ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT
Entering its sixth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American
professional drifting championship. Established on the streets of Japan,
drifting has evolved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each
driver's driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for
professional drifters to compete in 7 events nationwide for the coveted Formula
DRIFT Championship crown. As the first official series in North America, Formula
DRIFT has taken competitive motorsports to the extreme attracting fans and car
enthusiasts from all walks of life and establishes itself as the global focal
point for the Sport. For a race schedule and ticket information, visit:
www.formuladrift.com.
ABOUT IMG SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Operating in 30 countries, IMG Sports & Entertainment's diverse businesses
include: consulting services; event ownership and management; fashion events and
models representation; licensing; golf course design; and client representation
in golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European football, rugby, cricket,
motor sports, coaching, Olympic and action sports. IMG Academies are the world's
largest, multi-sport training and educational facilities, delivering world-class
training experiences to more than 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult, and
professional athletes each year. More information is available at:
www.imgworld.com.
Red Bull Drifting World Championship Tickets On-Sale;
Featuring an All Reserved Seating Layout
Long Beach, Calif. – October 8, 2008 – Tickets for the Red Bull Drifting World
Championship are now available online for the November 15-16, 2008 event at the
Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, CA and will feature an all reserved seating
layout.
Red Bull Drifting World Championship tickets are available online at
www.formuladrift.com and start at $35 for a 2-day pass. VIP tickets are also
available online and will include: 2-Day reserved seating in a covered sky box,
food & beverage, on-site parking, and a discount coupon for the Formula DRIFT
merchandise tent. Formula DRIFT has taken care of the service charges for all
online ticket purchases and there will be absolutely no service charge for
online transactions.
“Online ticket purchases are very much encouraged as they provide the lowest
possible price and guaranteed admission into the event,” says Ryan Sage, V.P of
marketing of Formula DRIFT. “Formula DRIFT and Red Bull want to provide the fans
with the best consumer experience and make purchasing tickets as easy as
possible.”
Tickets will also be available on event days, November 15 & 16, at the Long
Beach Convention Center, which will serve as the official event hub for the Red
Bull Drifting World Championship. Fans will be able to park, purchase tickets,
and take a courtesy shuttle to the secret event venue from this location.
|
Formula DRIFT Round 5: Breaking Point;
Rhys Millen Takes the Victory in the First Rain Event in Series History Long Beach, Calif. – August 11, 2008 – Formula DRIFT entered Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington for Round 5: Breaking Point and former Formula DRIFT Champion Rhys Millen takes home his 2nd victory this season. Samuel Hubinette takes over the lead in the chase for the Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup with a second place finish at the first rain event in Formula DRIFT history. Entering the Pacific Northwest at Evergreen Speedway rain was not a big surprise as showers in the morning and during the Top 16 competition created the first ever rain event in Formula DRIFT history. The track became wet and the drivers had to adjust to the new conditions. The competition was exciting as the drivers proved complete car control on the banked oval and tight technical turns. “The rain made for one of the most exciting events in the history of Formula DRIFT,” said Jim Liaw, President and Co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “The fans from Pacific Northwest are some of the most dedicated fans and despite the wet weather they stayed glued to their seats for the entire event. These conditions definitely showcased the skillfulness of Formula DRIFT’s pro drivers.” All 3 previous Formula DRIFT champions remained in the Final Four. Third place finisher Robbie Nishida and the Hankook / Peak Performance Nissan 350Z found the podium for his first time since his debut in 2005 by defeating current champion Tanner Foust in a very close consolation round. The final battle pitted 2-time Formula DRIFT Champion Samuel Hubinette in his Nuformz / Mopar Dodge Viper against former Formula DRIFT Champion Rhys Millen in the Red Bull Pontiac Solstice. The two faced off and Millen took home the victory for his second win this season and moved him up to the fourth place overall in the Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup point standings. Hubinette with this second place finish takes the top spot over Tanner Foust by 12 points. The competition is as fierce as ever with less than 45 points separating the top 3 drivers. The action continues on at Round 6: Locked and Loaded on September 13 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup 2008 Point Standings
Tires.com
Triple Crown 2008 Point Standings
|
Formula DRIFT Round 5: Breaking
Point Event Results
| 1. Millen 2. Hubinette 3. Nishida |
Red Bull Pontiac Solstice Nuformz Racing / Mopar Dodge Viper SRT10 Hankook / Dynamic Autosport Nissan 350Z |
101 Points 96 Points 83 Points |
Full official standings available on:
www.formuladrift.com
ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT
Entering its fifth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American
professional drifting championship series. Established on the streets of Japan,
drifting has involved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each
racer's driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for
North American professionals to demonstrate their skills against the world's top
drifters. As the first official series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken
competitive motorsports to the extreme attracting fans and car enthusiasts from
all walks of life. For a race schedule and ticket information, visit:
www.formuladrift.com.
About IMG
IMG is the world's premier Sports, Entertainment and Media Company. IMG is a
diversified global business with two major business segments: IMG Sports &
Entertainment, and IMG Media. IMG employs over 2,500 people in 30 countries.
Forstmann Little & Co. purchased IMG in 2004.
IMG Sports & Entertainment includes: consulting services; event ownership and
management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course
design; client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, European football,
rugby, cricket, motorsports, coaching, Olympic sports and action sports. In
addition, IMG Academies are the world's largest and most advanced,
state-of-the-art, multi-sport training and educational facility, delivering
world-class sports training experiences to over 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult
and professional athletes each year.
IMG Media, which includes our content production subsidiaries TWI, Darlow
Smithson Productions (DSP) and Tiger Aspect Productions (TAP), is recognized as
a global leader in the delivery of traditional and new media content and
services, with Internet, broadband and mobile expertise, transforming how
audiences access and interact with content.
IMG Media produces and distributes over 10,000 hours of sports, documentary,
drama, comedy, entertainment, popular factual and children's content annually,
over multiple platforms across 200 countries, including award-winning television
and radio programming. It also represents the broadcast rights to many of the
world's premier sporting events and has the world's biggest sports archive with
more than 200,000 hours of footage.
More information about IMG is available at
www.imgworld.com.
Formula DRIFT Holdings, LLC | 200 Pine Avenue, Suite 615 | Long Beach, CA 90802
|
Formula
DRIFT Round 4: High Stakes;
Toshiki Yoshioka Takes Win at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Long Beach, Calif. – July 15, 2008 – Formula DRIFT entered Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the first time for Round 4: High Stakes and rookie Toshiki Yoshioka took home the victory. This event also marked the 2nd event of the Tires.com Triple Crown bonus prize with Rhys Millen holding the lead over teammate Daijiro Yoshihara. Entering Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the first time the Formula DRIFT Championship presented by Circuit City came back to the West Coast. The course became the fastest on the circuit with multiple drivers topping the high 90 mph range with their initial drift through the challenging track. The competition was as tough as ever with many new faces and vehicles entering the competition. The event showcased one of the most diverse fields in Formula DRIFT history with the world’s best drivers from around the world participating at the event. Drivers such as Toshiki Yoshioka from Japan, Christian Pickering from Australia, JT Wharerau from New Zealand, and world renowned Japanese racing star Manabu “Max” Orido made his Formula DRIFT debut. Japan came out on top with both Daijiro Yoshihara in his Bridgestone / RMR Pontiac Solstice GXP and Toshiki Yoshioka in his ASpec / Works Bell Toyota Sprinter Trueno making it to the finals. After a hard fought battle, Formula DRIFT rookie, Toshiki Yoshioka took home top honors in only his 2nd Formula DRIFT appearance. “The diversity of the series was proven with drivers coming from around the world to compete in Formula DRIFT competition,” said Jim Liaw, President and Co-founder of Formula DRIFT. “You never know who will come out on top as we had a different winner each round so far. It was also proof of our diversity with three pre-1986 Toyota Corollas making it to the head-to-head round and upsetting some of the higher horsepower vehicles.” At the halfway point of the season the competition for the Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup is as tight as ever with 2007 Formula DRIFT Champion Tanner Foust and his Rockstar / AEM Nissan 350Z leading the way and with less than 15 points separating Foust from 2-time Formula DRIFT champion Samuel Hubinette in his Nuformz Racing / Mopar Dodge Viper SRT10 is 2nd in points and top contender Daijiro Yoshihara in his Bridgestone / RMR Pontiac GTO following in 3rd, it will be a hard fought battle to the end. This event also marked the 2nd event for the Tires.com Triple Crown bonus prize and Rhys Millen leads the way by 4 points over teammate Daijiro Yoshihara. Formula DRIFT action continues on August 9 at the Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA. Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup 2008 Point Standings
Tires.com Triple Crown 2008 Point
Standings
|
Formula DRIFT Round 4: High Stakes Event
Results
| 1. Yoshioka 2. Yoshihara 3. Hubinette |
Aspec / Works Bell Toyota
Sprinter Trueno Bridgestone / RMR Pontiac GTO Nuformz Racing / Mopar Dodge Viper SRT10 |
104.25 Points 308 Points 313 Points |
Full official standings available on:
www.formuladrift.com
For more information contact:
John Pangilinan
The ID Agency
562.491.7503
john@theidagency.com
ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT
Entering its fifth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American
professional drifting championship series. Established on the streets of Japan,
drifting has involved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each
racer's driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for
North American professionals to demonstrate their skills against the world's top
drifters. As the first official series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken
competitive motorsports to the extreme attracting fans and car enthusiasts from
all walks of life. For a race schedule and ticket information, visit:
www.formuladrift.com.
About IMG
IMG is the world's premier Sports, Entertainment and Media Company. IMG is a
diversified global business with two major business segments: IMG Sports &
Entertainment, and IMG Media. IMG employs over 2,500 people in 30 countries.
Forstmann Little & Co. purchased IMG in 2004.
IMG Sports & Entertainment includes: consulting services; event ownership and
management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course
design; client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, European football,
rugby, cricket, motorsports, coaching, Olympic sports and action sports. In
addition, IMG Academies are the world's largest and most advanced,
state-of-the-art, multi-sport training and educational facility, delivering
world-class sports training experiences to over 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult
and professional athletes each year.
IMG Media, which includes our content production subsidiaries TWI, Darlow
Smithson Productions (DSP) and Tiger Aspect Productions (TAP), is recognized as
a global leader in the delivery of traditional and new media content and
services, with Internet, broadband and mobile expertise, transforming how
audiences access and interact with content.
IMG Media produces and distributes over 10,000 hours of sports, documentary,
drama, comedy, entertainment, popular factual and children's content annually,
over multiple platforms across 200 countries, including award-winning television
and radio programming. It also represents the broadcast rights to many of the
world's premier sporting events and has the world's biggest sports archive with
more than 200,000 hours of footage.
More information about IMG is available at
www.imgworld.com.
|
| Final | Pts/Bonus | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kyle Busch (18) | 195/10 |
| 2. | Jimmie Johnson (48) | 175/5 |
| 3. | Kevin Harvick (29) | 165/0 |
| 4. | Greg Biffle (16) | 165/5 |
| 5. | Tony Stewart (20) | 160/5 |
| 6. | Brian Vickers (83) | 155/5 |
| 7. | Matt Kenseth (17) | 151/5 |
| 8. | David Ragan (6) | 142/0 |
| 9. | Martin Truex Jr. (1) | 143/5 |
| 10. | Ryan Newman (12) | 134/0 |
July 2, 2008
Formula DRIFT Announcement;
Judge Alex Pfeiffer to Step Down as Drifting Judge to Pursue Driving
LONG BEACH, Calif. – July 2, 2008 – Formula DRIFT Judge Alex Pfeiffer will
officially be stepping down as judge and make his return to driving. Pfeiffer’s
return to competition will begin at Formula DRIFT Round 4: High Stakes on July
11-12 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
After 2 years of contributing to develop the current standard in judging, Alex
Pfeiffer will be returning to his roots behind the wheel of a drift car. His
official return to Formula DRIFT competition will begin in Round 4: High Stakes
on July 11-12 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Pfeiffer will be working on
developing a full time team for the 2009 Formula DRIFT Championship Series.
“Formula DRIFT would like to thank Alex for his sacrifices and contribution to
the Series and the sport of drifting,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder
of Formula DRIFT. “We are excited to see him come back as a competitor in the
Series.”
| Final | Pts/Bonus | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kurt Busch (2) | 190/5 |
| 2. | Michael Waltrip (55) | 170/0 |
| 3. | J.J. Yeley (96) | 165/0 |
| 4. | Martin Truex Jr. (1) | 160/0 |
| 5. | Elliott Sadler (19) | 155/0 |
| 6. | Reed Sorenson (41) | 150/0 |
| 7. | Casey Mears (5) | 151/5 |
| 8. | Denny Hamlin (11) | 142/0 |
| 9. | Jimmie Johnson (48) | 138/0 |
| 10. | Bobby Labonte (43) | 134/0 |
| Final | Pts/Bonus | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kyle Busch (18) | 195/10 |
| 2. | David Gilliland (38) | 170/0 |
| 3. | Jeff Gordon (24) | 165/0 |
| 4. | Clint Bowyer (07) | 160/0 |
| 5. | Casey Mears (5) | 155/0 |
| 6. | Juan Pablo Montoya (42) | 150/0 |
| 7. | Ryan Newman (12) | 146/0 |
| 8. | Matt Kenseth (17) | 142/0 |
| 9. | Carl Edwards (99) | 143/5 |
| 10. | Tony Stewart (20) | 134/0 |
ATLANTA, Georgia – June 12, 2008 – Effective immediately, NOPI Motorsports is
forced to cancel two upcoming NOPI Events located in Colorado (Drag Race and Car
Show) previously set for June 21st and 22nd as well as the Utah event (Drag
Race, Drift and Car Show) previously set for July 18th and 19th of 2008. NOPI
Motorsports has faced extreme weather at their past 8 events, which has affected
NOPI events in a great way. Each event the NOPI staff has pushed through these
adversities to accommodate all of its sponsors, racers and fans in the best way
possible given the circumstances. Many times events have been postponed and made
up at a future event due to weather shutting down tracks and making it unsafe to
run on.
This unfortunate turn of events has placed a major financial burden on NOPI
Motorsports, which already faces an extremely challenging economy. With fuel
costs at a record high, people are watching all of their extracurricular
activities, and taking a chance at attending an event that would possibly be
affected by weather plays a negative roll. “We have been running top notch
events for years now,” said Michael Meyers, President of NOPI Motorsports. “I
have never been faced with anything like this. We are having incredible support
from racers and fans this year, in fact some of the best action we’ve ever seen
has taken place here in 2008. There was no way to forecast any of this. We are
working through all of it to see how we can make these events up. I apologize
for the inconvenience this has caused to everyone. This is a major setback for
NOPI Motorsports and new territory for all of us.”
Makeup events have not been announced for the two cancelled events located in
Colorado and Utah. The NOPI Motorsports staff is working on the possibility of
makeup rounds, as well as determining points towards the 2008 championships.
Each of these issues will be addressed here shortly.
The next NOPI event will take place at the New England Dragway on August 2nd and
3rd
Best Buy 400
|
|
|
|
K. Busch (18) |
C. Edwards (99) |
G. Biffle (16) |
| Pos | Driver (No.) |
| 4 | Matt Kenseth (17) |
| 5 | Jeff Gordon (24) |
| 6 | Martin Truex Jr. (1) |
| 7 | Jimmie Johnson (48) |
| 8 | Jeff Burton (31) |
| 9 | Dave Blaney (22) |
| 10 | Jamie McMurray (26) |
| Order | Driver (No.) | Car | Pts/Bonus | Laps | Laps Led | Winnings | Lap Progress |
| 1 | Kasey Kahne (9) | Dodge | 190/5 | 400 | 66 | $422,766 | |
| 2 | Greg Biffle (16) | Ford | 175/5 | 400 | 2 | $248,600 | |
| 3 | Kyle Busch (18) | Toyota | 170/5 | 400 | 61 | $240,700 | |
| 4 | Jeff Gordon (24) | Chevrolet | 160/0 | 400 | 0 | $197,011 | |
| 5 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) | Chevrolet | 165/10 | 400 | 76 | $152,925 | |
| 6 | Jeff Burton (31) | Chevrolet | 155/5 | 400 | 1 | $167,433 | |
| 7 | Matt Kenseth (17) | Ford | 151/5 | 400 | 1 | $163,341 | |
| 8 | Elliott Sadler (19) | Dodge | 147/5 | 400 | 3 | $147,695 | |
| 9 | Carl Edwards (99) | Ford | 138/0 | 400 | 0 | $160,425 | |
| 10 | David Reutimann (44) | Toyota | 134/0 | 400 | 0 | $116,375 |
Gilbertson looking to turn his season around at IHRA Suzuki Motor City Nationals
Bob Gilbertson, owner/driver of the Tradicion Azul Tequila nitro Funny Car, is on a mission and is looking to rebound at this weekend's IHRA Suzuki Motor City Nationals at Milan Dragway.
Gilbertson, who hasn't had a great start so far this year, is optimistically confident about his chances in Michigan as he made his best run so far this year last weekend at Bristol Dragway, a 4.847 at 318.77 MPH backed up by a 4.96 and it gives him and his team momentum going into the third stop on the IHRA circuit.
"It's no secret that we've been struggling this year but I think we've turned the corner and the whole team is looking for big numbers this weekend at Milan Dragway," Gilbertson said. "My crew chief Nicky (Boninfante) and the guys have been working really hard to give me a car I can win with and I believe that we're now ready to rumble."
Boninfante is as equally as excited about the team's chances at Milan.
"We've had a tough time so far this year with little gremlins haunting us but now that we've hopefully ironed all of them out I think we'll be a threat at Milan," Boninfante added. "Bob's been doing a great job driving the car and he's been cutting great lights, all we have to do is make sure everything is right and the car goes to the end of the track under power and we'll be in good shape. We've got a lot of catching up to do in the points chase and our goal is to go there and get every point we can."
NOPI Englishtown
May 3-4th 2008
Englishtown, NJ May 7, 2008 - This weekend for the first time NOPI came to Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in English Town, NJ. For the first time out NOPI definitely pulled of an outstanding event. This season hasn't been the best for NOPI when it comes to weather and this weekend was no different. Saturday the weather was cold and misty for most of the day which means the event and action wasn't as packed full as it could have been. The forecast looked much better for Sunday though and by 11AM the skies had cleared up and the event was filling with spectators. There were over 21,000 people in attendance to check out all the things NOPI has to offer. English Town is known for great racing action and this weekend didn't disappoint. Racers from all over the country and Puerto Rico came out in full force to see who would take home top honors this weekend. NOPI had 201 drag racers show up to compete this weekend and had 25 drifter show up to compete. Car competitors came from all over to see who had the hottest cars. There was every type of car for any individuals taste, from old school Honda’s to supercharged Hummer’s. In total there were 550 entrants that showed up to register for the car show. This just shows how great an event NOPI puts on seeing most of these numbers were just from Sunday.
There were some incredible drag racing going on all weekend long. Here are the drag race results from this weekend.
All Motor
Name Car ET
1st Jeremy Lookofsky 2006 Honda Civic 9.253
2nd Norris Praayoonto 2004 Honda Insight 9.455
Extreme Dragster
1st Dean Karns 1998 C&F Dragster 6.626
2nd Brian Fitzpatrick 2000 Spitzer Dragster 6.788
Hot Rod
1st Kenny Tran 2006 Scion Tc 8.012
2nd Bryan Jimenez 2008 Chevy Cobalt 8.302
Modified
1st Brent Rau 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse 7.086
2nd Boris Rojas 1988 Mazda RX-7 22.060
Power Street
1st Ben Frieman 1994 Honda Civic 10.440
2nd Stephen Lockett 1996 Dodge Neon 10.671
Pro FWD
1st Marty Ladwig 2007 Chevy Cobalt 7.167
2nd Gary Gardella 2007 Chevy Cobalt 7.397
Pro RWD
1st Carlos Montano 2007 Nissan 350Z 6.953
2nd Jorge Lazcano 1996 Mazda MX6 7.061
Quick 16
1st Hector Suarez 1982 Toyota Corolla 8.501
2nd Brenda Paddock 1983 Camaro 8.722
SCTuned Pure Street
1st Loan Nguyen 1995 Honda Civic 10.961
2nd Time Grey 1994 Honda Civic 11.165
Turbo Street
1st Brian Ballard 2006 Chevy Cobalt 9.527
2nd Kevin Van Natten 2004 Dodge Neon 9.882
Unlimited Street
1st William Thomas 1986 Ford Mustang 8.786
2nd Dan Dixon 1993 Toyota Supra Broke
This was the first time NOPI Drift came to the famed road course as
Englishtown. The drifters showed up and really put on a great show this weekend
letting it all hang out.
Here is a breakdown of how the drivers fared in this weekend’s great
competition.
Top 3
1st Ryan Tuerck
2nd Nathan Brasz
3rd Forest Wang
Round 3
Top 4
Nathan Brasz 1990 Nissan 240SX Winner
Stewart Leask 1998 Nissan 240SX
Ryan Tuerck 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP Winner
Forrest Wang 1995 Nissan 240 SX
Round 2
Top 8
Stewart Leask 1998 Nissan 240SX Winner
Matthew Waldin 1992 Nissan 240SX
Nathan Brasz 1990 Nissan 240SX Winner
Kenji Yamanaka 1993 Nissan 240 SX
Ryan Tuerck 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP Winner
Ali Aljibouri 2007 Pontiac Solstice
Forrest Wang 1995 Nissan 240SX Winner
Aaron Loset N/A
Round 1
Top 16
Sammy “ Tiger” Sritongkham 1992 Nissan Skyline
Matthew Waldin 1992 Nissan 240SX Winner
Stewart Leask 1998 Nissan Skyline Winner
Tyler Cox N/A
Nathan Brasz 1990 Nissan 240 SX Winner
Shawn Milone 1991 Nissan 240SX
Doug Sobolewski 1993 Nissan 240SX
Kenji Yamanaka 1993 Nissan 240SX Winner
Ryan Tuerck 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP Winner
Evan Tuerck 1990 Nissan 240SX
Ali Aljibouri 2007 Pontiac Solstice Winner
Ron Ewerth 1990 Nissan 240SX
Forrest Wang 1995 Nissan 240 SX Winner
Dennis Mertzanis 1995 Nissan 240 SX
Aaron Losey N/A Winner
John Wagner N/A
Next Stop - May 17th and 18th Maryland International Raceway
| Final | Pts/Bonus | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Denny Hamlin (11) | 190/5 |
| 2. | Jeff Gordon (24) | 175/5 |
| 3. | Jeff Burton (31) | 170/5 |
| 4. | Jimmie Johnson (48) | 165/5 |
| 5. | Tony Stewart (20) | 155/0 |
| 6. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) | 160/10 |
| 7. | Casey Mears (5) | 146/0 |
| 8. | Jamie McMurray (26) | 142/0 |
| 9. | Carl Edwards (99) | 138/0 |
| 10. | Clint Bowyer (07) | 134/0 |
Scion Joins Forces with NOPI Motorsports
ATLANTA, GA, March 28, 2008- NOPI continues to add to its partnership
portfolio by teaming up with Scion Corp for the Xplod NOPI Drag Racing Series
Sanctioned by the NHRA. Racing is something that Scion does not take lightly and
it shows. During the 2007 season Scion not only took home the Pro RWD
championship but also set two world records while doing it. Being the first car
in NHRA Sport Compact history to blast through the quarter mile in less than
seven seconds while clocking in at over 200 mph is something that will
definitely put you on the racing world’s radar. In the 2008 season, Scion Racing
has entries in four out of five classes running in the Xplod NOPI Drag Racing
Series Sanctioned by the NHRA
"The momentum for Scion drag racing has been building over the last few years
and we expect it to increase as we continue our participation in NOPI
Motorsports," said Steve Hatanaka, Scion auto shows and special events manager.
"Drag racing is an exciting motorsport. It was thrilling to see our tC sports
coupe speed down the track and take the championship last season. It's also a
great opportunity for Scion owners and enthusiasts to engage with our brand,
experience the cars, get close to the track and meet the drivers."
“It’s exciting to see Scion step up and become a great partner with NOPI
Motorsports this year. It just makes sense. They have great products and an
amazing backing from their owners who attend NOPI events. We are excited to see
the competition through racing that Scion is going to bring. This is not only
good for them and for NOPI, but great for all fans attending NOPI events.” said
Michael Meyers, President of NOPI Motorsports.
Racing is not the only thing Scion and NOPI are about though. Style is a big
part of the Scion lifestyle so for the Scion guys form matters just as much as
function. Scion is helping their owners show off their form this season by
holding Scion events at NOPI events across the country for owners to meet each
other and share in the Scion experience. Scion was a big part of the NOPI scene
last year, bringing fully built Scions to all the shows that showcased just how
a Scion could be decked out. Scion brings an enthusiasm and excitement to every
NOPI event and NOPI looks forward to making the 2008 season one the best one ye
Gilbertson to join NHRA tour at Houston
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson announced that he's filed an entry for the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston March 28-30 and will drive his new Trick Tank Monte Carlo to do battle with the best drivers out there for his first NHRA start of the year.
Gilbertson, who has been testing recently to prepare for his 2008 debut, is anxiously waiting to get back on track.
"Testing is one thing but racing against somebody else is why I do this," Gilbertson said. "It's no secret that we don't yet have a marketing partner to help us pay the bills and we're actively looking for support, but if you're not out there to show what you can do it's tough to get anybody to notice you."
"I love racing at Houston Raceway Park as I won my first NHRA national event there in 2000 driving a Trick Tank car. To do well there this year would be a great start to our season. I would have loved to have kicked off the season at Gainesville this weekend but we're not quite ready just yet. We're going to test one more time and with the parts arsenal we've accumulated over the winter we should be in good shape to race competitively in Houston."
Gilbertson is also welcoming back his former crew chief Nicky Boninfante Jr. Boninfante spent the 2007 season tuning Bruce Litton's Top Fuel dragster to the IHRA Championship and he's returning to Trick Tank Racing to help get Gilbertson another NHRA victory.
"Having Nicky back is just what this team needed," Gilbertson added. "Most of the crew from last year is still here and with the addition of another returning crew member we've got a real experienced team ready to go at our first race of the year and with what we've learned during testing, and the confidence I have in Nicky, I'm optimistically confident that we'll be able to make some noise in Houston."
SPEC MUSTANGS COME HOME TO JIM CLICK RACING
Jim Click racing takes delivery of two FR500S Mustangs for new race series in ‘08
March 6, 2008 (Chandler, AZ) – Mike McGovern, Chief Instructor at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving will race in one of the two new Ford Mustangs delivered to Jim Click Racing. The spec cars are slated for a new race series; the 2008 Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup. Jim Click (Bondurant graduate and McGovern’s teammate) and Mike McGovern will race in the stock Mustangs on tracks across the country beginning May 1, 2008 in Atlanta.
Jim Click, owner of Jim Click Racing and Jim Click Automotive Team, purchased the vehicles for the series in red and blue paint schemes. Click and McGovern will race in the first event of the eight-race series May 1, 2008, at Road Atlanta. “Jim and I will race against one another in this series” said McGovern. Click has been a student at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving where McGovern is the chief instructor.
Click and McGovern currently race in the Koni Challenge Grand Am series in a multi-matic Mustang. The multi-matic is a race specific car and different from the new FR500S. The multi-matic boasts output of 425hp.
NOPI Motorsports Contingency
Up To 250K A Year And Growing!!!
Vacation time is over, and the weather is starting to break in a lot of areas
around the country. You know what that means don’t you. That’s right race fans;
it’s time to hit the track for a new season of racing. Race teams all over the
U.S. are preparing for an amazing year and, from the sounds of it, you will be
excited to see some of these new racecars at NOPI Events across the nation.
So how does it feel to pay out $250,000 dollars to racers? Michael Meyers,
President of NOPI Motorsports said, “Nothing feels better than giving back. I
have been so excited about the new season. NOPI has gone through some great
transformations that are going to be exciting for the racers and fans. It makes
me happy when I think about the fantastic sponsors that have come on board to
support NOPI Motorsports and their racers. These young teams deserve this
attention. They deserve payouts like this and, from the sounds of it, $250,000
is just the start. We are having more sponsors call everyday.”
Special thanks goes out to our NOPI Motorsports Contingency Partners.
Rope Pumps - RoperPumps.com
ACT - Advancedclutch.com
Spec Clutch & Flywheels - Specclutch.com
Autometer - Autometer.com
Clutchmasters - Clutchmasters.com
Exedy - ExedyUSA.com
SC Tuned - SCtuned.com
US Marines - Marines.com
Powertrain Control Solutions - powertraincontrolsolutions.com
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Boyd Coddington Hot
Rod Icon, Automotive Innovator and Star of TV's American Hot Rod Dies at 63 Boyd Coddington was the man who made hot rodding and custom cars a household hobby |
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Anaheim, CA- February 27, 2008- Boyd
Coddington, the creative visionary who took hot rodding to an art form and
custom wheels to a new level dies at 63. Coddington who was a long-time
diabetic died from complications that were brought on from a recent surgery.
It was Coddingtons' ever forward-looking view at the design and art of the
hot rod and his unconditional desire to create the finest quality cars that
became the "Boyd Look". "It is a major loss for the automotive enthusiasts and hot rod aficionados around the world. Boyd Coddington did so much more than create automotive trends, he also built the finest hot rods. He was entertaining on his TV Show (TLC's- American Hot Rod) and an ambassador who educated.", said Harry Hibler, former publisher of Hot Rod Magazine. Coddington who grew up in Idaho was a car enthusiast from a young age. At age 12, young Boyd traded his prized shotgun for a Model A Ford, this began the legacy of the "Boyd Look". Moving to Southern California to chase his dreams of chrome and customizing, he first worked as a shop machinist at Western Gear. Then in the 1970's, Coddington found work as a maintenance repairman and machinist at Disneyland. Coddington would recount fondly his experience at Disneyland and the companys desire for perfection, a trait that he instilled in everyone who worked at his hot rod shops. Coddington's first major opportunity at developing the "Boyd Look" was when Vern Luce bankrolled a dream. The "Vern Luce Coupe" was Boyd's vision of what could be done to create the ultimate 1933 Ford hot rod. Boyd would refer to his look as getting rid of the bumps and allowing the lines of the car to show. Coddington removed door handles, hinges and massaged the body dynamics in a way that no one every had ever realized. To make the Vern Luce coupe even more dynamic was his trademark use of billet aluminum to create parts that were unique to ever hot rod. The result of his first creation was the prestigious "Sloanaker Award", the first of many. Over his thirty-year reign as the "King of Hot Rods", Coddington created dozens of hand-built hot rods and custom cars. Coddington has amassed numerous awards and was the first builder to ever win the America's Most Beautiful Roadster (A.M.B.R.) award six times. Collectively, Boyd created more respect for hot rods than ever thought possible, his hot rods have been in Museum exhibits and even the cover of Smithsonian Magazine. Coddington's innovations have become not just hot rodding touchstones, but influences that have helped the entire aftermarket industry flourish. Building cars that stand the test of time and have creative names such as CadZZilla, CheZoom, Aluma-Coupe, Smoothster, Boydster I and Boydster II set him apart from others. His client list also included ZZ Top, The Beach Boys, Van Halen's- Michael Anthony, Brad Penny of the LA Dodgers, Budweiser, White Cap, Sobe, Old Milwaukee Beer, O'Reilly Auto Parts and Hershey. Boyd Coddington was also an entrepreneur with a driven desire to build his company and see his goal become reality. In the 1980's, Boyd literally re invented the wheel by creating the billet wheel for hot rods. Coddington and long-time friend Lil' John Buttera found they could machine practically anything they needed from solid aluminum. It was Coddington who took the idea and made it commercially viable. In the 1990's, his hot rod shop and wheel company had grown and was so successful that he took the company public in an I.P.O. on NASDAQ. Boyd Coddington was less known as a father of five boys and a man who had an infectious laugh. To many he was the under-the-gun, deadline-stomping star of "American Hot Rod" a persona that led some to believe he was cantankerous. Actually, Coddington was a humble and somewhat shy individual who loved kids and was a true philanthropist. Coddington has continually employed those were mentally challenged and gave them a welcome environment to learn and work. Through his "Coddington Foundation", Boyd and his wife Jo gave to the community and an array of charities. Boyd Coddington was honored during his life as Hot Rod Magazine's "Man of the Year", he was inducted into numerous Hall's of Fame. His hit TV show "American Hot Rod" brought world wide notoriety and corporations sought his talents. The "Boyd Look" will live on and his spirit will forever remain the hot rodders inspiration. Survived by his wife Jo Coddington and his five sons Boyd Coddington Jr, Christopher Coddington, Thomas McGee, Gregory Coddington and Robert McGee. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Coddington Foundation to benefit a variety of Boyd's favorite charities. Please address your donations to: Coddington Foundation, 811 E. Lambert Rd., La Habra, California, 90631 Services will be held on Wednesday March 5, 2008, 9 a.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 900 West La Habra blvd., La Habra, California, 90631, (562) 691-0533. A reception will be held immediately following the service (Approximately 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.) at the Boyd Coddington Hot Rod's and Collectibles, 811 E. Lambert Rd., La Habra, California, 90631 |
Formula DRIFT Expands International
About IMG
IMG is the world's premier Sports, Entertainment and Media Company. IMG is a
diversified global business with two major business segments: IMG Sports &
Entertainment, and IMG Media. IMG employs over 2,500 people in 30 countries.
Forstmann Little & Co. purchased IMG in 2004.
IMG Sports & Entertainment includes: consulting services; event ownership and
management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course
design; client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, European football,
rugby, cricket, motorsports, coaching, Olympic sports and action sports. In
addition, IMG Academies are the world's largest and most advanced,
state-of-the-art, multi-sport training and educational facility, delivering
world-class sports training experiences to over 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult
and professional athletes each year.
IMG Media, which includes our content production subsidiaries TWI, Darlow
Smithson Productions (DSP) and Tiger Aspect Productions (TAP), is recognized as
a global leader in the delivery of traditional and new media content and
services, with Internet, broadband and mobile expertise, transforming how
audiences access and interact with content.
IMG Media produces and distributes over 10,000 hours of sports, documentary,
drama, comedy, entertainment, popular factual and children's content annually,
over multiple platforms across 200 countries, including award-winning television
and radio programming. It also represents the broadcast rights to many of the
world's premier sporting events and has the world's biggest sports archive with
more than 200,000 hours of footage.
More information about IMG is available at
Team Trick Tank scores big in Greensboro
All Four riders lock up spots for US Open in Las Vegas in October
To quote Team Trick Tank owner Bob Gilbertson, Sunday's Live Nation Toyota Arenacross Eastern regional final at the Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum Sunday was "Big." It was the last chance for the four "Js" - Jake Gilbertson, Justin Hopson, Josh Harris and Jim Chester - to lock up starting spots in their respective classes for the Live Nation Arenacross US Open in Las Vegas this October and the riders did what they had to do and will all compete at the most prestigious Arenacross race in the country.
Jake Gilbertson scored a pair of second place finishes in both 85cc and Super Mini that resulted in him qualifying in both classes for the US Open. Gilbertson finished second in the 85cc Eastern region points just one point out of first and he tied for fourth in Super Mini points.
Josh Harris rode to a first place finishes in both 125cc Intermediate and AX Lites and to a second in Collegeboy that guarantees him a starting spot in all three classes in Las Vegas. Harris also won the Eastern region points battle in all three classes.
The team's coach/mentor Jim Chester once again swept all three classes he entered and he hasn't been beat in the Over 25, over 30 and Over 35 and will race for an unprecedented three titles in Vegas. Chester also topped the points standings in all three senior classes.
Justin Hopson qualified for his second main event since turning Pro this year and finished a respectable 14th. Hopson also competed in the Expert class where he came away with a fourth that gave him enough points to be able to race in Las Vegas.
"To have everyone on the team qualiry for Vegas is an incredible feat and I'm really proud of each and every one of them," said the senior Gilbertson. "They've all worked hard and those long hours of practice and training really made the difference and we're going to continue training and practicing to be prepared for Vegas where they'll be going up against against the best riders in the country."
For more information on Team Trick Tank go to:
www.jakegilbertson.com
Team Trick Tank Scores In Kentucky
Team Trick Tank riders Jake Gilbertson, Justin Hopson and Josh Harris competed in Pikeville, Kentucky this past weekend for round No. 5 of the Live Nation Toyota Arenacross series and came away with wins and solid podium finishes.
Missing from action was the team's coach/mentor Jim Chester who was working a motorcycle trade show but even though he didn't compete he still held on to his points lead in the three senior classes.
Jake Gilbertson finished third in both 85cc and Super Mini and is currently 3rd in the 85cc points and 4th in the Super Mini points battle.
Josh Harris had a great weekend with a 1st in College Boy, a 1st in AX Intermediate and a 2nd in AX Lites. Harris currently leads the points in both College Boy and AX Intermediate and is 2nd in AX Lites.
Hopson, who turned Pro this year, had a respectable showing in AX Lites with an 11th place Friday night after mechanical problems held him back and a 16th place finish after crashing during Saturday night's main event.
The team now heads to Greensboro, N.C. this weekend for the 6th and final round of the Eastern Region series to cap off the 2007-2008 indoor season and it looks like all Team Trick Tank riders will qualify for the US Open in Las Vegas in October.
For more information on Team Trick Tank go to:
www.jakegilbertson.com
Team Trick Tank scores big in Virginia
The Trick Tank Motocross team headed into round No. four of the six-race Live Nation Toyota Arenacross series this past weekend in Hampton, Virginia with big expectations and when the dust cleared it was mission accomplished for the "4 Js" Jake Gilbertson, Justin Hopson, Josh Harris and Jim Chester.
The team's coach/mentor Jim Chester was the star of the show as once again he swept all three of the senior classes he entered winning Over 25; Over 30 and Over 35. Chester hasn't been beaten in these classes so far this year, winning 12 out of 12 main events in the series and leads the points standings by a wide margin. Chester's stellar performance so far this year has guaranteed his starting spots for the prestigious U.S. Open in October in Las Vegas, the first rider to clinch this year in the Eastern region.
Chester also entered the Lites class on both Friday and Saturday night, and racing against riders half his age, claimed finishes of 5th and 7th to cap off his weekend.
Justin Hopson qualified for his first main event since turning Pro this year and came away with a 12th in the big show Saturday night. He also competed in the Expert class on Sunday and came away with a 3rd and was 2nd in the very popular Extreme Jump Off to the delight of the capacity crowd.
Josh Harris continued his winning ways by winning both the 250cc and 450cc Lites classes where he leads the points in both divisions and also scored a second in the highly competitive College Boy class for a great weekend of racing.
Jake Gilbertson got a 7th in 85cc and 8th in Super Mini, not his best outing of the year, but the good news is that he moved up to 5th in the Super Mini points and into a solid 3rd in the 85cc standings.
The team has this weekend off before back-to-back events in Pikeville, Kentucky February 15-17 then in Greensboro, N.C. the following weekend, February 23-24 to finish off the Eastern region winter Arenacross series that will determine who gets invited to the U.S. Open.
For more information on Team Trick Tank go to:
www.jakegilbertson.com
Formula DRIFT Tickets for the 2008 Championship Available Online
Long Beach, Calif. – February 4, 2008 – Formula DRIFT kicks off their 5th
Championship season on April 12, 2008 for Round 1: Streets of Long Beach.
Tickets for this event and the other rounds are available for purchase online.
The Formula DRIFT Championship presented by Circuit City begins with Round 1:
Streets of Long Beach on April 12. Online ticket purchases for this event will
guarantee you a reserved seat in the grandstands. Discounted pre-sale tickets
are available through Ticketmaster and on the Formula DRIFT website at:
motorguru.com’s Justin Bell and Father Derek Bell to Race in the 2008 Rolex 24 Hours Of Daytona
2008 will be an extraordinary year for racecar champion Justin Bell as he competes in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and embarks on the launch of the new automotive video website motorguru.com.
DELRAY BEACH, Florida (PRWEB) January 26, 2008 – motorguru.com’s Justin Bell, world champion driver and winner of the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, will team up this weekend with his father and 5-time Le Mans champion Derek Bell to race in the 46th Rolex 24 Hours Of Daytona – a race Derek has won three times previously. The pair will pilot the No. 12 RVO Motorsports Pontiac Riley Daytona Prototype alongside team owner Roger Schramm and co-drivers Paul Dallenbach and Tonis Kasemets. Justin and Derek have a history of competing together in endurance sports car racing in Europe and the U.S., including the 2003 Daytona 24 Hour in a GTS Corvette and driving a McLaren F1 in the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Justin’s childhood and professional career has always evolved around cars. He has previously owned and operated racing, defensive driving and young driver training schools – including a stint training defensive driving techniques to the U.S. Secret Service. But his skills extend far beyond the driver’s seat, having nurtured a career as an automotive television host for a variety of media outlets including BBC, MTV and Speed Channel.
Justin’s most ambitious project is about to take-off with the launch of motorguru.com, a video-centric automotive review website dedicated to bringing the latest vehicles, news and information to consumers exclusively in video format. Justin has partnered with automotive industry veteran Mark Ramsey, formerly responsible for Mercedes-Benz’s exclusive AMG, SLR McLaren and Maybach products in the U.S., to develop motorguru to become the leading on-line portal for entertaining, informative, credible and engaging automotive videos and information. motorguru users will expect regular and entertaining stories and reviews of all types of vehicles such as the MINI Cooper S whirling around a go-kart track (e.g. a ‘mini’ racetrack) to road and track driving in the best performance vehicles U.S., European and Asian brands have to offer. Each story will be hosted by credible on-screen personalities such as motorguru’s lead host Justin Bell.
motorguru will launch to the public in early 2008 and change the way consumers stay informed about automobiles. To see previews and register for updates about the upcoming launch, visit motorguru.com.
About motorguru.com:
Launching in early 2008, motorguru.com is an automotive video web platform that produces and distributes entertaining, informative and credible original automotive programming exclusively in video format. Automotive enthusiasts will visit motorguru regularly to stay up to date and comment on the latest vehicles, automotive news and information, while everyday car buyers will depend on motorguru’s content and intuitive search and navigation tools to research, compare and discuss with other users the various choices of vehicles in the marketplace.
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Hot Rod Legend Boyd
Coddington Hospitalized Coddington Recovering from Emergency Surgery |
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Anaheim, CA- January 25, 2008-
Boyd Coddington was unable to attend the North American International Auto
Show in Detroit to enjoy the sneak peak of his latest creation or any of the
collector car auctions in Scottsdale, Arizona. The legendary hot rod
designer and fabricator who just completed a million-dollar, hand-built
Delehaye inspired hot rod fell ill shortly after the holidays. According to his wife Jo Coddington, Boyd was rushed to the hospital after a fall at his home. Boyd Coddington, the multi-award winning designer, fabricator and alumni of the Hot Rod Hall of Fame, was admitted for observation and then released. Several days later, Boyd complained of continued complications and was re-admitted to a hospital near his Southern California home. There doctors made a diagnosis and he was rushed to surgrey. "We are happy to report that Boyd is recovering and doing very well, he is expected to go home next week. Boyd and I would like to thank all of the people who have sent their well wishes and support!", stated Jo Coddington. Boyd Coddington is a Southern California automotive icon and star of TV's "American Hot Rod". Coddington has designed and fabricated numerous show winning hot rods for rock stars, corporations and individuals. Coddington vehicles have appeared in museums, hit TV shows and even the cover of The Smithsonian Magazine. It is quite certain that with all of the idle time he is spending in the hospital, Boyd Coddington is dreaming up a way to hot rod his hospital bed. Coddington customized medical equipment could be the next product from this innovative genius! About Boyd Coddington and The Boyd Coddington Company Boyd Coddington is an internationally recognized automotive designer, builder, fabricator and television star. He is recognized as one of the winningest hot rod builders of all-time and has been included in many automotive Hall of Fames. The Boyd Coddington Company is well-known for designing and constructing numerous show-quality, custom automobiles for celebrities such as Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and Michael Anthony of Van Halen, Brad Penny of the LA Dodgers and Johnny Halladay "The Elvis of France". The corporations that have sought Boyd Coddington include Budweiser, White Cap, Amsoil, Sobe, Old Milwaukee Beer, O'Reilly Auto Parts and Hershey. With his name representing companies and products world wide, it is not uncommon for the Boyd Coddington name to be found in most automotive stores. His trademark billet aluminum wheels, the product that launched an industry, are today manufactured in his Southern California factory. Find more about Boyd Coddington by visiting www.boydcoddington.com |
Gilbertson dominates IHRA World Finals at Rockingham
One thing that has eluded Bob Gilbertson in his 30 plus years of racing Funny Cars has been a victory at his home track, Rockingham Dragway, which is just 80 miles from his Charlotte, N.C. home base.
That all changed this past weekend at the season-ending IHRA World Finals as Gilbertson and his Trick Tank team, lead by crew chief Tommy Delago, won the Funny Car title in dominating fashion literally overpowering the field to give him his third career IHRA win.
Gilbertson has had a tough IHRA season so far in 2007 but finished the year on a high note by qualifying No. 1, setting Low ET and Top Speed and posted the quickest elapsed time in every round of racing. Gilbertson took out two-time series champion Dale Creasy Jr. in the first round and Mitch King in the semi-finals then recorded the quickest elapsed time for the class (4.877 seconds at 314.53 mph) to beat journeyman driver Cory Lee in the finals.
"Winning at Rockingham is something I've always wanted to do," Gilbertson said. "I had my family, friends and a lot of my employees there to cheer me on and to win in front of all of them was really cool. I've set track records and qualified No. 1 but this is the first time we ever won at The Rock and it means a lot to me and my team. I just wish that this was the first race of the season instead of the last."
"I've got to give a lot of credit to my crew chief Tommy Delago, he made the right decisions today," Gilbertson added. "He and the guys were perfect today, everything went as it should have, nothing fell off, we didn't catch on fire, it was big. If I was my own crew chief I'd be in the burn center right now because I'd go crazy with the tune-up but they gave me a car that I could win with and the driver did a pretty good job so I've got another Iron Man trophy to take home."
Gilbertson will spend a few days at home savoring his win before he leaves Thursday for an 11-day road trip for the last two races on the NHRA schedule at Las Vegas and Pomona, Calif. with a stop in-between at the SEMA/AAPEX Shows in Las Vegas where he'll be appearing at the Honeywell Consumer Products booth # 5700 on Wednesday, Oct. 31st from 10 AM - 12 PM.
Television coverage of the World Finals will be on SPEED TV on a date to be announced.
| Final | Pts/Bonus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |
Subway 500 - Martinsville Speedway
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| Final | Pts/Bonus | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jeff Gordon (24) | 190/5 |
| 2. | Jimmie Johnson (48) | 175/5 |
| 3. | Dave Blaney (22) | 170/5 |
| 4. | Denny Hamlin (11) | 170/10 |
| 5. | Ryan Newman (12) | 160/5 |
| 6. | Casey Mears (25) | 150/0 |
| 7. | Kurt Busch (2) | 146/0 |
| 8. | Tony Stewart (20) | 147/5 |
| 9. | Tony Raines (96) | 143/5 |
| 10. | Reed Sorenson (41) | 134/0 |
Gilbertson to re-join NHRA tour at Richmond
Richmond, prerace: After skipping a few races on the NHRA circuit due to financial concerns, nitro Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson will compete at the last three races on the schedule starting at this weekend's Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.
Buoyed by the way his car has been running the past two weeks at events in Michigan and Maryland, Gilbertson is looking for good results from his Autolite/Prestone Dodge Stratus.
"We ran our best ever 60 foot and 330' numbers last weekend and if the track will hold it I'm sure we'll be able to make some noise at VMP," Gilbertson said. "It's been a long time since I've been to the track as I had to put a substitute driver (Frank Pedregon) in the car last year due to the race being rained out on the original date. I was scheduled to be at my son Jake's motocross race in Las Vegas on the rain out date that I couldn't miss so I'm looking forward to going to Richmond this year and maybe even becoming a spoiler in the Countdown points battle."
"Hopefully it won't rain again this weekend as I'm facing the same situtation as last year," Gilbertson added. "Jake and the rest of the Trick Tank motocross team will be racing in Vegas the following weekend and with the recent drought we're having in the southeast I don't think it will rain and even though we desperately need the rain I hope it holds off so we can get this race in as scheduled."
| Final | Pts/Bonus | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Greg Biffle (16) | 190/10 |
| 2. | Clint Bowyer (07) | 170/0 |
| 3. | Jimmie Johnson (48) | 170/5 |
| 4. | Casey Mears (25) | 160/0 |
| 5. | Jeff Gordon (24) | 160/5 |
| 6. | Kevin Harvick (29) | 155/5 |
| 7. | Reed Sorenson (41) | 146/0 |
| 8. | Elliott Sadler (19) | 142/0 |
| 9. | Kasey Kahne (9) | 138/0 |
| 10. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) | 134/0 |
| Final | Pts/Bonus | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Carl Edwards (99) | 190/5 |
| 2. | Greg Biffle (16) | 175/5 |
| 3. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) | 165/0 |
| 4. | Mark Martin (01) | 165/5 |
| 5. | Kyle Busch (5) | 155/0 |
| 6. | Casey Mears (25) | 150/0 |
| 7. | Jeff Burton (31) | 146/0 |
| 8. | Jamie McMurray (26) | 142/0 |
| 9. | Tony Stewart (20) | 138/0 |
| 10. | Juan Pablo Montoya (42) | 134/0 |
Gilbertson runner-up at Milan, hopes momentum continues at Maryland Int'l Raceway
Bob Gilbertson came out of the IHRA Motor City Nationals Sunday with a runner-up finish, top speed of the meet and a track record but he's not happy with himself as he lost in the final round due to a holeshot.
Gilbertson raced reigning champ Dale Creasy Jr. in the final round and even though he ran a quicker 4.962 elapsed time to Creasy's 4.977, with the holeshot advantage Creasy got the victory by only .049 of a second, a margin of only a few feet.
"I'm kicking myself in the butt right now, I know what happened. I had just heard about John Force's accident in Dallas and I just couldn't put that out of my head. I was cutting good lights all weekend and when it counted I just didn't react the way I should have, I didn't have a bad light, Creasy was just better off the line." Gilbertson said. "We had the quicker and faster car but the driver didn't do his job on the starting line and I've got nobody to blame but myself. I really feel bad for Tommy (Delago, crew chief) and the team, I feel like I let them down as they gave me a car that I could win with and I just plain screwed up, I'm not going to dwell on it, just go to the next race and we'll do the best we can."
"All I can say is that we'll go to the IHRA President's Cup Nationals this weekend in Maryland and race to win," Gilbertson added. "I really like the track as I ran my career best elapsed time there last year so I'm looking for good results this weekend and hopefully if all goes right a win."
| Unofficial | Pts/Bonus | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Clint Bowyer (07) | 0/0 |
| 2. | Jeff Gordon (24) | 0/0 |
| 3. | Tony Stewart (20) | 0/0 |
| 4. | Kyle Busch (5) | 0/0 |
| 5. | Martin Truex Jr. (1) | 0/0 |
| 6. | Jimmie Johnson (48) | 0/0 |
| 7. | Matt Kenseth (17) | 0/0 |
| 8. | Casey Mears (25) | 0/0 |
| 9. | Ryan Newman (12) | 0/0 |
| 10. | J.J. Yeley (18) | 0/0 |
GILBERTSON WINS MATCH RACE AT CAROLINA DRAGWAY
Sets both ends of track record in the process
JACKSON, S.C. -- Bob Gilbertson had one of the best weekends of racing he's had this year Saturday night in a match race against Andy Kelly at Carolina Dragway.
Billed as a race to determine who had the quickest and fastest nitro Funny Car in the Carolina's, Gilbertson and his Trick Tank team prevailed over Kelly in the two run match race that was part of the IHRA's Thunder Jam series.
It was the first time in many years that nitro Funny Cars raced at the almost 50 year-old track and Gilbertson set the overall track record and became the quickest and fastest man to ever transverse the historic 1/8th mile track.
Gilbertson cranked out a 3.50 second elapsed time at 240.25 mph in the first round and bettered that in the final round with a 3.44 at 248.69 to the delight of the capacity crowd.
"This was probably the most fun I've had racing in a long time," Gilbertson said late Saturday night. "Match races are cool for not only me but the rest of the team as there's not a lot of pressure to qualify and we can just go out and burn some rubber. Another plus is that Tommy (Delago, crew chief) can do a little experimenting and try some ideas he has, luckily we didn't hurt anything, no parts fell off and other than a little body damage on the Trick Tank Monte Carlo when I hit a timing block in the final round we came out of there unscathed."
"I really have to give a lot of credit to Jeff Miles (track operator) his staff, the IHRA and especially the fans for a great night of racing," Gilbertson added. The place was a mob scene, the track was in perfect racing condition, we were treated like royalty and we all had a good time, if they ever want us to go back there we'll go in a New York minute. I've got to say I don't think that I've ever signed more autograph cards than I did Saturday night, I know I wore out a few Sharpies doing it."
Gilbertson and his team now head out to Milan, Mich. for the rescheduled IHRA Motor City Nationals this weekend.
|
| Final | Pts/Bonus | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jimmie Johnson (48) | 190/5 |
| 2. | Tony Stewart (20) | 175/5 |
| 3. | David Ragan (6) | 165/0 |
| 4. | Jeff Gordon (24) | 170/10 |
| 5. | Johnny Sauter (70) | 155/0 |
| 6. | Denny Hamlin (11) | 155/5 |
| 7. | Kevin Harvick (29) | 146/0 |
| 8. | Kasey Kahne (9) | 142/0 |
| 9. | Kurt Busch (2) | 138/0 |
| 10. | J.J. Yeley (18) | 134/0 |
| Pts/Bonus | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jimmie Johnson (48) | 0/0 |
| 2. | Carl Edwards (99) | 0/0 |
| 3. | Kyle Busch (5) | 0/0 |
| 4. | Jeff Burton (31) | 0/0 |
| 5. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) | 0/0 |
| 6. | Martin Truex Jr. (1) | 0/0 |
| 7. | Matt Kenseth (17) | 0/0 |
| 8. | Brian Vickers (83) | 0/0 |
| 9. | Kurt Busch (2) | 0/0 |
| 10. | Kasey Kahne (9) | 0/0 |
NITRO FUNNY CAR RACER BOB GILBERTSON RETURNS TO HIS MATCH-RACING ROOTS AT CAROLINA DRAGWAY SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15TH
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It's been quite a few years since Nitro Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson has run a match-race but Gilbertson will face off against South Carolina's Andy Kelly in a two-round battle on Saturday night, September 15th at Carolina Dragway in Jackson, S.C. at the O'Reilly Auto Parts Thunder Jam.
Gilbertson, who cut his teeth in in the sport match racing all over the west coast where he started his career, is looking forward to making some laps at the track nicknamed "The House of Hook."
"Being that Carolina Dragway is just a few hours from our raceshop this is a home town race for us and the team and I are ready to show the fans what we've got in a no-holds barred match race," Gilbertson said. This will be fun and we're looking to setting the track record deep into the three second range at over 250 mph and give the fans their money's worth. Plus we'll be able to determine who's got the quickest and fastest Nitro Funny Car in the Carolinas."
Gilbertson will be racing his very popular "Jungle Jim" tribute car body that won the prestigious "Best Appearing" awards last year at both the IHRA Nationals in Epping, N.H. and the NHRA Nationals in Indy last year.
"Everywhere we run this Jungle body the fans go nuts and I'm happy to be able to bring back some memories for the older fans who remember him from the 70s."
Gilbertson might possibly also have a special guest in his pit for this race. Gilbertson's long-time friend Bret Michaels, who's currently starring in the Rock of Love show on MTV and lives in Charlotte, is going to try to show up if he can clear his schedule. Michaels will be looking for some cool drag race chicks for the next season of his hit show and hopefully he'll kick off the search at the Thunder Jam.
The Thunder Jam will also feature jet powered Dragsters and Funny cars and one of Gilbertson's favorite acts, Benny "Boom-Boom" Koske, the "Human Bomb." Koske, who places himself in a coffin loaded with dynamite and blows himself up, is a cult hero in the drag racing world and Gilbertson, who likes to blow up stuff himself, is a big fan of Koske.
"Our shop is right across the street from a giant fireworks store and we blow up stuff all the time but Benny's explosion beats out anything we've ever done," Gilbertson added. All of us are really looking forward to this race, having a good time and sending Andy Kelly home with his tail between his legs."
For more information go to:
http://www.carolinadragway.com/
| 1 | Carl Edwards (99) | Ford | 190/5 | 500 | 182 | $297,050 | |
| 2 | Kasey Kahne (9) | Dodge | 180/10 | 500 | 305 | $265,541 | |
| 3 | Clint Bowyer (07) | Chevrolet | 165/0 | 500 | 0 | $180,125 | |
| 4 | Tony Stewart (20) | Chevrolet | 160/0 | 500 | 0 | $178,386 | |
| 5 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) | Chevrolet | 160/5 | 500 | 1 | $164,008 | |
| 6 | Kurt Busch (2) | Dodge | 155/5 | 500 | 2 | $145,608 | |
| 7 | Ryan Newman (12) | Dodge | 151/5 | 500 | 2 | $139,775 | |
| 8 | Bobby Labonte (43) | Dodge | 142/0 | 500 | 0 | $144,238 | |
| 9 | Kyle Busch (5) | Chevrolet | 143/5 | 500 | 3 | $116,875 | |
| 10 | Greg Biffle (16) | Ford | 134/0 | 500 | 0 | $120,300 |
|
Gilbertson looking to make some noise at Indy
| 1. | Kurt Busch (2) | 195/10 |
| 2. | Martin Truex Jr. (1) | 170/0 |
| 3. | Jimmie Johnson (48) | 170/5 |
| 4. | Matt Kenseth (17) | 165/5 |
| 5. | Denny Hamlin (11) | 155/0 |
| 6. | Dave Blaney (22) | 150/0 |
| 7. | Carl Edwards (99) | 146/0 |
| 8. | Brian Vickers (83) | 147/5 |
| 9. | Bobby Labonte (43) | 138/0 |
| 10. | Tony Stewart (20) | 134/0 |
GILBERTSON HEADS TO MILAN DRAGWAY ON A MISSION
MILAN, Mich. -- When Nitro Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson pulls into the gate at Milan Dragway next weekend for the Suzuki Motor City Nationals the rest of the Funny Car competitors better watch out as Gilbertson is obsessed with winning.
After a disappointing finish at last weekend's race in Epping, New Hampshire, Gilbertson and his Autolite Spark Plug/Prestone Antifreeze Dodge Stratus Funny Car crew will be swinging for the fences in Michigan. Gilbertson, who lost in the semi-final round at Epping, knows what he has to do in order to claw his way back up the IHRA points standings.
"I said last week that it's do or die for this team and I'll say it again, we've really got to qualify well and win the race to have any chance to finish up top in the points standings and the whole team knows what we have to do," Gilbertson said. "Smoking the tires in the semi's last weekend really hurt our chances in our quest for the championship but after all the bad luck deposits we've put in the bank lately I'm bringing a withdrawal slip with me to Milan. We still hold the track record at Milan, I've got a lot of great fans there and we're going to do whatever it takes to succeed.
Gilbertson also knows that reigning champion Dale Creasy has to be stopped in the first round this weekend for him or any of the other Funny Car competitors to be able to overtake him.
"We've got four more races to catch Creasy and if he has problems it's possible that it could come down to the wire and me and my team aren't giving up," Gilbertson added. "We've got a weekend off from racing and the team is going to go over every nut, bolt and square inch of the race car and we'll be ready to rumble in Michigan.
TELEVISION SCHEDULE:
Tape delayed coverage of the Suzuki Motor City Nationals will be televised on Saturday, December 8, 2007 on Speed TV from 5 to 6 PM ET.
Centurion Boats at The Glen
| 1 | Tony Stewart (20) | Chevrolet | 190/5 | 90 | 20 | $239,286 | |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin (11) | Chevrolet | 170/0 | 90 | 0 | $167,225 | |
| 3 | Jimmie Johnson (48) | Chevrolet | 165/0 | 90 | 0 | $169,711 | |
| 4 | Ron Fellows (96) | Chevrolet | 160/0 | 90 | 0 | $124,675 | |
| 5 | Robby Gordon (7) | Ford | 155/0 | 90 | 0 | $96,025 | |
| 6 | Martin Truex Jr. (1) | Chevrolet | 150/0 | 90 | 0 | $124,995 | |
| 7 | Kyle Busch (5) | Chevrolet | 146/0 | 90 | 0 | $94,825 | |
| 8 | Carl Edwards (99) | Ford | 142/0 | 90 | 0 | $86,000 | |
| 9 | Jeff Gordon (24) | Chevrolet | 148/10 | 90 | 51 | $129,461 | |
| 10 | Greg Biffle (16) | Ford | 134/0 | 90 | 0 | $92,950 |
GILBERTSON HEADS TO EPPING TO DEFEND NITRO FUNNY CAR TITLE
Charlotte, N.C. -- It was one year ago at the 2006 Amalie Motor Oil North American Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire that nitro Funny Car pilot Bob Gilbertson got one of the biggest wins of his 30 year career. Gilbertson was not only the number one qualifier but he also won the race and in the process set both ends of the IHRA World Record for the class at 4.786 seconds at 318.09 mph, a record that still stands today.
Gilbertson and his Terminator Motorsports team return to NED for this weekend's event and will be running the same "Jungle Jim" tribute car body that they blew the side off during the final round last year when the engine exploded at the finish line.
"I had Jungle riding with me last year in the final and he bought me some luck," Gilbertson said. "Since then we've had the body repaired and it's always been the most popular Funny Car body at any race we go to. Jungle has a lot of history at New England Dragway and the rabid New England fans remember him and his antics here in the 70s. I'm proud that I can keep his memory alive and hopefully he'll help me out again this year."
Gilbertson is also hungry as he needs a win this weekend to keep his points hope alive, with a good showing he has a chance at the 2007 title.
"It's make it or break it time for me and this team," Gilbertson added. "A win here will give us the points we need to stay in contention for the championship so we're going to pull out all the stops, if we can duplicate last year's performance and get the qualifying points, the record points and win the race we'll be in good shape to fight down to the wire for the title. We've got four more races after Epping and if we get on a roll we'll be there at the end."
TELEVISION SCHEDULE:
Tape delayed coverage of the North American Nationals will be televised on Saturday, November 3, 2007 on Speed TV from 5 to 6 PM.
| Final | Pts/Bonus | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kurt Busch (2) | 195/10 |
| 2. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) | 175/5 |
| 3. | Denny Hamlin (11) | 165/0 |
| 4. | Jeff Gordon (24) | 160/0 |
| 5. | Jimmie Johnson (48) | 155/0 |
| 6. | Tony Stewart (20) | 150/0 |
| 7. | Ryan Newman (12) | 151/5 |
| 8. | Clint Bowyer (07) | 147/5 |
| 9. | Mark Martin (01) | 138/0 |
| 10. | Casey Mears (25) | 134/0 |
|
Formula DRIFT Mid-Season Report and
Launch of New Online Shop
– Formula DRIFT launches new e-commerce website with official Formula DRIFT licensed apparel. The season is halfway complete and with only a few points separating the leaders of the Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup which is still up for grabs. Formula DRIFT has launched their official e-commerce website. The site will allow consumers to purchase official Formula DRIFT licensed merchandise including t-shirts, hats, and other apparel. Products that were only available at track events are now available online. The online store will be updated frequently with all the latest Formula DRIFT gear and is located on the Home Page of the Formula DRIFT website at www.formuladrift.com. “The season has been better than expected with an increase in attendance at every venue and extremely fierce competition. We are excited to see who comes out on top for the most competitive season yet,” said Jim Liaw, president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT. With the Formula DRIFT Championship presented by Circuit City halfway complete, the battle for the Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup has intensified with less than 100 points separating the top 6 drivers. Every win counts for the remaining 3 events. Tanner Foust leads the way with 346 points followed by Dai Yoshihara and Chris Forsberg. The Tires.com Triple Crown continues with the second of 3 events at Round 5 of the Formula DRIFT season at Infineon Raceway on August 11. Chris Forsberg leads the chase for the $10,000 bonus prize money with Dai Yoshihara and Tanner Foust right behind him. Last year’s winner Rhys Millen is currently in 6th Place. The new Team Drift competition has been a success with the fans. Team Retaks and Super Ramen Allstars are currently tied for the lead with 24 points. Team Mazda, Drift Alliance, Drift Pro and Team Fast and Furious are right behind them in the points standings. The next and final event on November 30 at the Arizona Grand Prix will determine the Team Drift winner. The Formula DRIFT season continues with the next event on August 11 at Infineon Raceway for Round 5 “Fastest in the Circuit”. Full official standings available on: www.formuladrift.com.
|
GILBERTSON MISSES FRAM/AUTOLITE NATIONALS DUE TO PARTS BREAKAGE AND MECHANICAL GREMLINS
Sonoma, postrace: Bob Gilbertson and his Terminator Motorsports team experienced problems on every qualifying run they made with the Autolite/Prestone Funny Car at the Fram/Autolite NHRA Nationals in Sonoma and missed qualifying for Sunday's final eliminations.
"Parts breakage and stupid little mechanical problems cost us at Sonoma." Gilbertson said. "I've never experienced anything like this in my 20 plus years of racing one of these cars. To have something break on four consecutive runs is unheard of, I really wanted to do good at my sponsor's race but it just didn't happen."
Gilbertson's mechanical woes started with a clutch lever breaking on the first run, the fuel shut-off vibrated close on the second pass, the clutch cannon malfunctioned on the third run on Saturday morning and the blower drive broke when they tried to start the car for the fourth and last shot at qualifying.
"When stuff like this happens it's really frustrating and disappointing," added Gilbertson's crew chief Tom Delago. "We're going to go over this car with a fine tooth comb and be better prepared for the up-coming races."
Allstate 400 at the Brickyard
| 1 | Tony Stewart (20) | Chevrolet | 195/10 | 160 | 65 | $488,111 | |
| 2 | Juan Pablo Montoya (42) | Dodge | 170/0 | 160 | 0 | $360,850 | |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon (24) | Chevrolet | 165/0 | 160 | 0 | $324,411 | |
| 4 | Kyle Busch (5) | Chevrolet | 165/5 | 160 | 17 | $271,075 | |
| 5 | Reed Sorenson (41) | Dodge | 160/5 | 160 | 16 | $282,408 | |
| 6 | Mark Martin (01) | Chevrolet | 150/0 | 160 | 0 | $223,075 | |
| 7 | Kevin Harvick (29) | Chevrolet | 151/5 | 160 | 18 | $244,411 | |
| 8 | Jeff Burton (31) | Chevrolet | 142/0 | 160 | 0 | $221,391 | |
| 9 | Dave Blaney (22) | Toyota | 138/0 | 160 | 0 | $204,958 | |
| 10 | Matt Kenseth (17) | Ford | 134/0 | 160 | 0 | $226,241 |
Formula DRIFT - Round 4 “Drift, Slide, Collide” Evergreen Speedway Results
Long Beach, Calif. – July 17, 2007 – The Formula DRIFT Championship presented by
Circuit City continued the season with a stop at Evergreen Speedway for Round 4.
The Pacific Northwest event proved to be both action packed and entertaining
with Daijiro Yoshihara gaining his 2nd career win.
“This is our second year here at Evergreen Speedway and it was another
successful event with an increase in attendance and packed grandstands. We are
excited to see the growth of Formula DRIFT in the Northwest.” said Jim Liaw,
president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT.
Toyo Tires brought out UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Quentin “Rampage”
Jackson, to the event and he experienced his first drift ride along with the
Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup Points Leader, Tanner Foust. A massive line formed for
“Rampage” autographs and during opening ceremonies fans were treated to an
up-close and personal interview with the Champ conducted by Formula DRIFT
announcer J-Rod in the grandstands.
“Drift Slide Collide” was the headline of this event and it lived up to its name
as many of the competitors pushed themselves to the limit which resulted in
contact with barriers and other competitors in a very dramatic fashion.. Daijiro
Yoshihara in his Rockstar/Nitto Tires Nissan S15 stayed clean and aggressive and
took home the victory and jumped up to the 2nd spot overall in the Castrol
SYNTEC Power Cup Standings. Coming in a close second was the Falken Tires Ford
Mustang with a newly built Hasselgren motor driven by Vaughn Gittin, Jr. and in
third place was the Hankook Tires/JIC Nissan S15 driven by Kenji Yamanaka. The
battle for the Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup continues as only a few points separate
the leaders from winning the Championship.
GILBERTSON NO. 1 QUALIFIER FOR THE SECOND RACE IN A ROW
Broken part ends his chances in semi-final round
Nitro Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson went into eliminations Sunday at the IHRA MOPAR Canadian Nationals with high hopes and expectations but a two dollar part failed during the semi-final round ending his racing for the day.
After qualifying at the top of the field for the second consecutive race Gilbertson was excited about his chances on Sunday.
"Everyone in Canada is pretty cool," Gilbertson said after his pole winning run on Saturday night. "Live Nation and the IHRA do a great job putting these races on. I hope everyone who came out today comes back tomorrow. We're planning on putting on a great show. We're either going to blow it up, put it into the wall or put it in the winner's circle."
Gilbertson met and defeated Andy Kelly in the opening round but he was shut off on the starting line in the semi-final when a camshaft plug broke allowing oil to leak from the car. This allowed Gilbertson's opponent Mitch King to take the win with an off-pace 23.98 second elapsed time.
"Once again another parts failure cost us," Gilbertson added. "At the last race the wheelie bar broke and now the cam plug breaks, we had the car to beat at both of these Canadian races and we couldn't capitalize on it. All we can do is go on to the next race and try our best and hopefully win a few to climb our way back up in the points."
Gilbertson's team was also short two crew members as they were stopped at the border by Canadian officials who wouldn't allow them to enter the country because their rabies shots weren't up-to-date.
"Not having two key guys there put a big load on the rest of the team who worked their butts off and I'm proud of them," Gilbertson continued. "They all did their regular jobs then jumped in and did the rest of the work that had to be done. It was a team effort and I'm disappointed for them more than me."
Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup Current Point Standings after Round 4 – Evergreen
Speedway
| 1. Foust 2. Yoshihara 3. Forsberg 4. Millen 5. Yamanaka 6. Hubinette 7. Gittin 8. McNamara 9. McQuarrie 10. Sherman 11. Hayashida 12. Tuerck 13. Canul 14. Haruguchi 15. Gushi 16. Petty 17. Aono 18. Nishida 18. Sumida 20. Miki |
346 Points 316 Points 305 Points 277 Points 254 Points 235.25 Points 221.25 Points 209.25 Points 201.25 Points 188.25 Points 185 Points 171 Points 167 Points 160.25 Points 119.50 Points 118 Points 112.50 Points 110.25 Points 110.25 Points 58.75 Points |
ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT
Entering its fourth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American
professional drifting championship series. Established on the streets of Japan,
drifting has involved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each
racer's driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for
North American professionals to demonstrate their skills against the world's top
drifters. As the first official series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken
competitive motorsports to the extreme attracting fans and car enthusiasts from
all walks of life. For a race schedule and ticket information, visit:
www.formuladrift.com.
About IMG
IMG is the world's premier Sports, Entertainment and Media Company. IMG is a
diversified global business with two major business segments: IMG Sports &
Entertainment, and IMG Media. IMG employs over 2,500 people in 30 countries.
Forstmann Little & Co. purchased IMG in 2004.
IMG Sports & Entertainment includes: consulting services; event ownership and
management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course
design; client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, European football,
rugby, cricket, motorsports, coaching, Olympic sports and action sports. In
addition, IMG Academies are the world's largest and most advanced,
state-of-the-art, multi-sport training and educational facility, delivering
world-class sports training experiences to over 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult
and professional athletes each year.
IMG Media, which includes our content production subsidiaries TWI, Darlow
Smithson Productions (DSP) and Tiger Aspect Productions (TAP), is recognized as
a global leader in the delivery of traditional and new media content and
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audiences access and interact with content.
IMG Media produces and distributes over 10,000 hours of sports, documentary,
drama, comedy, entertainment, popular factual and children's content annually,
over multiple platforms across 200 countries, including award-winning television
and radio programming. It also represents the broadcast rights to many of the
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more than 200,000 hours of footage.
More information about IMG is available at
www.imgworld.com.
GILBERTSON RETURNS TO NHRA TOUR AT SONOMA
Sonoma, prerace: After skipping the past four races on the NHRA tour due to funding issues, Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson will return to competition this weekend at the FRAM/Autolite Nationals at Infinion Raceway.
Gilbertson, who's nitro Funny Car is sponsored by Autolite Spark Plugs and Prestone Antifreeze, is looking for good results at his sponsor's race.
"Like most of the other racers out there I really enjoy going to Infinion," Gilbertson said. "It's one of the nicest tracks on the circuit, it's nestled in the heart of wine country and the racing surface is second to none. We've had some luck there in the past and hopefully we'll be able to make the folks from Honeywell happy with our performance. Our car has been running good lately and with a little luck we should be able to go some rounds become a spoiler in the points chase."
Gilbertson's crew chief, Tommy Delago, is from northern California and wants to do well at his home track.
"I'd like nothing better than to run good at Infinion," Delago added. "My goal is to qualify well, go rounds and give Gilby a car he can win with. Infinion is a really good track and if you have your set-up right you can run big numbers there, I'm looking forward to the Friday night session."
TELEVISION SCHEDULE:
Saturday, July 28th Qualifying 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM ET (ESPN2)
Sunday, July 29th Eliminations 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM ET (ESPN2)
Tony Stewart wins USG Sheetrock 400
| 1 | Tony Stewart (20) | Chevrolet | 195/10 | 267 | 108 | $0 | |
| 2 | Matt Kenseth (17) | Ford | 175/5 | 267 | 1 | $0 | |
| 3 | Carl Edwards (99) | Ford | 165/0 | 267 | 0 | $0 | |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick (29) | Chevrolet | 165/5 | 267 | 54 | $0 | |
| 5 | Casey Mears (25) | Chevrolet | 160/5 | 267 | 5 | $0 | |
| 6 | Kurt Busch (2) | Dodge | 155/5 | 267 | 2 | $0 | |
| 7 | Jeff Burton (31) | Chevrolet | 146/0 | 267 | 0 | $0 | |
| 8 | Ryan Newman (12) | Dodge | 142/0 | 267 | 0 | $0 | |
| 9 | Jeff Gordon (24) | Chevrolet | 138/0 | 267 | 0 | $0 | |
| 10 | Clint Bowyer (07) | Chevrolet | 139/5 | 267 | 1 | $0 |
| Final | Pts/Bonus | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jamie McMurray (26) | 190/5 |
| 2. | Kyle Busch (5) | 175/5 |
| 3. | Kurt Busch (2) | 170/5 |
| 4. | Carl Edwards (99) | 160/0 |
| 5. | Jeff Gordon (24) | 160/5 |
| 6. | Greg Biffle (16) | 150/0 |
| 7. | Clint Bowyer (07) | 156/10 |
| 8. | Matt Kenseth (17) | 142/0 |
| 9. | Kasey Kahne (9) | 138/0 |
| 10. | Jimmie Johnson (48) | 134/0 |
| Final | Pts/Bonus | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Denny Hamlin (11) | 190/5 |
| 2. | Jeff Gordon (24) | 175/5 |
| 3. | Martin Truex Jr. (1) | 170/5 |
| 4. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) | 170/10 |
| 5. | Jimmie Johnson (48) | 160/5 |
| 6. | Jeff Green (66) | 150/0 |
| 7. | Jeff Burton (31) | 146/0 |
| 8. | Kevin Harvick (29) | 142/0 |
| 9. | Matt Kenseth (17) | 143/ |
Thirty years later Gilbertson returns to Edmonton's Castrol Raceway for the IHRA Rocky Mountain Nationals
Nitro Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson is returning to a track that he last raced on 30 years ago, Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta Canada for this weekend's IHRA Rocky Mountain Nationals.
Gilbertson, who last raced his Alcohol Funny Car there in 1977, is really looking forward to going back to Northwest Canada where he competed many times during his career.
"It's going to be way cool to go back to Edmonton and see how the place has changed," Gilbertson said. "I ran there a lot during what I call the "golden years" of drag racing, the 70s and I've got many good memories from that track. Hopefully I can add another good memory this weekend by claiming the Funny Car victory."
Gilbertson, who's currently 6th in the Torco Race Fuels Funny Car points standings is cautiously optimistic going into the event based on his most recent performances and is looking to claw his way back up the points standings.
"Our car will run 4.80s on a hot track and depending on the weather conditions we should be able to hopefully capture the last man standing points and qualify well enough to gain points on the leaders," Gilbertson added. "Another cool thing about going to Canada is the fans up there are rabid about drag racing. They only get to see the nitro cars once a year and they're very enthusiastic which gets me and the team pumped up. To give them something to cheer for we'll be running our popular orange "Jungle Jim" tribute car body that won the best appearing car award last year and "Jungle" will return to Edmonton , a track he ran at many times in the 70s."
Toyota/Save Mart 350
| 1 | Juan Pablo Montoya (42) | Dodge | 190/5 | 110 | 7 | $310,600 | |
| 2 | Kevin Harvick (29) | Chevrolet | 170/0 | 110 | 0 | $241,561 | |
| 3 | Jeff Burton (31) | Chevrolet | 165/0 | 110 | 0 | $189,616 | |
| 4 | Clint Bowyer (07) | Chevrolet | 160/0 | 110 | 0 | $129,725 | |
| 5 | Greg Biffle (16) | Ford | 155/0 | 110 | 0 | $123,875 | |
| 6 | Tony Stewart (20) | Chevrolet | 155/5 | 110 | 6 | $147,961 | |
| 7 | Jeff Gordon (24) | Chevrolet | 146/0 | 110 | 0 | $136,986 | |
| 8 | Kyle Busch (5) | Chevrolet | 142/0 | 110 | 0 | $105,350 | |
| 9 | Boris Said (160) | Ford | 138/0 | 110 | 0 | $91,900 | |
| 10 | Denny Hamlin (11) | Chevrolet | 139/5 | 110 | 3 | $105,875 |
GILBERTSON LOOKING FOR BIG THINGS AT ENGLISHTOWN
Englishtown, prerace: Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson is optimistically confident heading into this weekend's Pro Care Rx NHRA SuperNationals at New Jersey's famed Raceway Park and for good reasons.
Gilbertson qualified for the last race on the circuit (Chicago) where many drivers of the more highly funded teams didn't make the cut. Even though Gilbertson lost in the first round due to parts breakage he believes that he's got a car that's fast, can qualify well and hopefully go some rounds.
"Our performance in Chicago proved that we're going in the right direction," Gilbertson said. "We're making a lot of horsepower and since Englishtown is always known for great traction and good conditions, especially during the Friday night qualifying session, so we're looking for some big numbers."
Another reason Gilbertson loves going to Raceway Park is that it's one of the original "Super Tracks" that is steeped in tradition.
"Racing at the same track that most of my drag racing heroes like "Jungle Jim" Liberman, Don Garlits, the Blue Max and many, many more raced on is special to me. Plus the rabid Englishtown fans pack the place and it's really cool to be racing in front of huge crowds."
TELEVISION SCHEDULE:
Saturday, June 23, 2007 Qualifying 11:00 PM - 01:00 AM ET (ESPN2)
Sunday, June 24, 2007 Eliminations 10:00 PM - 01:00 AM ET (ESPN2)
| 1 | Carl Edwards (99) | Ford | 195/10 | 200 | 63 | $177,850 | |
| 2 | Martin Truex Jr. (1) | Chevrolet | 175/5 | 200 | 54 | $154,445 | |
| 3 | Tony Stewart (20) | Chevrolet | 170/5 | 200 | 2 | $157,586 | |
| 4 | Casey Mears (25) | Chevrolet | 165/5 | 200 | 1 | $113,325 | |
| 5 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) | Chevrolet | 160/5 | 200 | 1 | $128,558 | |
| 6 | Kyle Busch (5) | Chevrolet | 150/0 | 200 | 0 | $111,650 | |
| 7 | Kevin Harvick (29) | Chevrolet | 146/0 | 200 | 0 | $129,761 | |
| 8 | Jamie McMurray (26) | Ford | 142/0 | 200 | 0 | $92,400 | |
| 9 | Jeff Gordon (24) | Chevrolet | 143/5 | 200 | 18 | $124,986 | |
| 10 | Michael Waltrip (55) | Toyota | 139/5 | 199 | 1 | $99,208 |
BOB GILBERTSON'S "JUNGLE JIM" TRIBUTE CAR RETURNS TO NEW JERSEY FOR THE NHRA SUPER NATIONALS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Bob Gilbertson, owner/driver of Terminator Motorsport's Autolite Spark Plugs/Prestone Antifreeze nitro Funny Car, announced that the very popular blue "Jungle Jim" tribute car that he debuted at the Englishtown race in 2003, will be on display at two different venues during the NHRA Super Nationals at Raceway Park June 21-24.
"This was the coolest car I've ever driven," Gilbertson said. "Since then we've run three other "JJ" bodies but this one is my favorite. With 2007 being the 30 anniversary of Jungle's death it was important to me that we honor a guy who I consider the greatest Funny Car owner/driver/personality the sport has ever seen. Englishtown was considered Jungle's home track and the rabid New Jersey fans remember his wild wheelstand in the final of the 1974 Summernationals and his only NHRA National event win there in 1975. We first ran this car at Englishtown four years ago to rave reviews and I was compelled to drag it out of mothballs so everyone could have another look at it."
The first appearance will be at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Monroe, N.J. on Thursday and Friday, June 21-22. The hotel is located right off of exit 8A of the N.J. Turnpike. A pair of tickets for both Friday and Saturday's qualifying sessions will be up for grabs both nights in the sports bar.
Then on Saturday and Sunday, June 23-24 you'll find the car at Yogi's All-American Grill & Sport Bar located inside the Radisson Hotel at Exit 12 of the New Jersey Turnpike in Carteret, N.J. The car will be the focus point of the "Racers Appreciation Party" that the hotel will be hosting Saturday night for racers and fans alike. Open to anyone and everyone you'll have the chance to meet many racing personalities and a chance win tickets to the finals on Sunday.
For more information go to:
http://www.yogisallamerican.com/
Pocono 500
| 1 | Jeff Gordon (24) | Chevrolet | 190/5 | 106 | 26 | $238,286 | |
| 2 | Ryan Newman (12) | Dodge | 175/5 | 106 | 20 | $190,375 | |
| 3 | Martin Truex Jr. (1) | Chevrolet | 170/5 | 106 | 1 | $156,545 | |
| 4 | Casey Mears (25) | Chevrolet | 165/5 | 106 | 2 | $131,800 | |
| 5 | Tony Stewart (20) | Chevrolet | 160/5 | 106 | 3 | $146,736 | |
| 6 | Denny Hamlin (11) | Chevrolet | 160/10 | 106 | 49 | $123,625 | |
| 7 | Mark Martin (01) | Chevrolet | 151/5 | 106 | 1 | $112,483 | |
| 8 | Kyle Busch (5) | Chevrolet | 142/0 | 106 | 0 | $93,225 | |
| 9 | Matt Kenseth (17) | Ford | 138/0 | 106 | 0 | $123,916 | |
| 10 | Clint Bowyer (07) | Chevrolet | 134/0 | 106 | 0 | $89,375 |
| The Best Nostalgia Racing to Hit the Midwest! | |||
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Don’t Miss the 5th Annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion presented by
SoffSeal |
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Besides the race cars, Race Director Steve Gibbs has gathered an impressive
line up of Cacklefest cars. In 2006, there were more than 30 and the sight
and sound of all those nitro-burning front-engined dragsters was incredible. |
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GILBERTSON RE-JOINS NHRA TOUR IN JOLIET
Chicago, prerace: After skipping a few races on the NHRA tour due to financial concerns, Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson will return to competition at this weekend's Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals.
Gilbertson is really looking forward to getting back to racing at the track where he's recorded career best elapsed times and speeds.
"Route 66 has always been good to me," Gilbertson said. "Traditionally Route 66 has been the quickest and fastest track that we run on all year and every Funny Car team out there will be swinging for the fences so we've got our work cut out for us. Just to qualify will be a major accomplishment and hopefully we'll be able to get in the show and race on Sunday."
Gilbertson's crew chief, Tommy Delago, is optimistically confident about the team's chances this weekend.
"We're making a lot of power but we've had some problems applying it to the track but I really think we've got a handle on the combination and there's no better track than Chicago to prove it," Delago added. "With any luck we'll be able to get down the track and make some noise at Route 66."
TELEVISION SCHEDULE:
Qualifying Saturday, June 9, 2007 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM ET (ESPN2)
Eliminations Sunday, June 10, 2007 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM ET (ESPN2)
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| 1 | Martin Truex Jr. (1) | Chevrolet | 195/10 | 400 | 216 | $295,045 | |
| 2 | Ryan Newman (12) | Dodge | 175/5 | 400 | 135 | $231,650 | |
| 3 | Carl Edwards (99) | Ford | 170/5 | 400 | 18 | $190,100 | |
| 4 | Denny Hamlin (11) | Chevrolet | 160/0 | 400 | 0 | $149,400 | |
| 5 | Matt Kenseth (17) | Ford | 155/0 | 400 | 0 | $161,341 | |
| 6 | Greg Biffle (16) | Ford | 150/0 | 400 | 0 | $119,850 | |
| 7 | Mark Martin (01) | Chevrolet | 146/0 | 400 | 0 | $128,308 | |
| 8 | Clint Bowyer (07) | Chevrolet | 147/5 | 400 | 2 | $106,275 | |
| 9 | Jeff Gordon (24) | Chevrolet | 138/0 | 400 | 0 | $138,261 | |
| 10 | Robby Gordon (7) | Ford | 134/0 | 400 | 0 | $97,675 |
Indy 500 Finish Grid
| 1 | Dario Franchitti (27) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 166 | Running | - | ||
| 2 | Scott Dixon (9) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 166 | Running | - | ||
| 3 | Helio Castroneves (3) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 166 | Running | - | ||
| 4 | Sam Hornish Jr (6) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 166 | Running | - | ||
| 5 | Ryan Briscoe (12) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 166 | Running | - | ||
| 6 | Scott Sharp (8) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 166 | Running | - | ||
| 7 | Tomas Scheckter (2) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 166 | Running | - | ||
| 8 | Danica Patrick (7) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 166 | Running | - | ||
| 9 | Davey Hamilton (2) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 166 | Running | - | ||
| 10 | Vitor Meira (4) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 166 | Running | - | ||
| 11 | Jeff Simmons (17) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 166 | Running | - | ||
| 12 | Tony Kanaan (11) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 166 | Running | - | ||
| 13 | Michael Andretti (39) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 166 | Running | - | ||
| 14 | A.J. Foyt IV (22) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 165 | Running | - | ||
| 15 | Alex Barron (98) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 165 | Running | - | ||
| 16 | Kosuke Matsuura (55) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 165 | Running | - | ||
| 17 | Ed Carpenter (20) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 164 | Accident | - | ||
| 18 | Sarah Fisher (5) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 164 | Running | - | ||
| 19 | Buddy Lazier (99) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 164 | Running | - | ||
| 20 | Darren Manning (14) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 164 | Running | - | ||
| 21 | Roger Yasukawa (24) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 164 | Running | - | ||
| 22 | Dan Wheldon (10) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 163 | Accident | - | ||
| 23 | Richie Hearn (91) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 163 | Running | - | ||
| 24 | Marco Andretti (26) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 162 | Accident | - | ||
| 25 | Buddy Rice (15) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 162 | Accident | - | ||
| 26 | Al Unser Jr (50) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 161 | Running | - | ||
| 27 | Jaques Lazier (21) | Panoz G-Force/Honda | 155 | Accident | - | ||
| 28 | Marty Roth (25) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 148 | Accident | - | ||
| 29 | (R) | Phil Giebler (31) | Panoz G-Force/Honda | 106 | Accident | - | |
| 30 | John Andretti (33) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 95 | Accident | - | ||
| 31 | (R) | Milka Duno (23) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 65 | Accident | - | |
| 32 | (R) | Jon Herb (19) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 51 | Accident | - | |
| 33 | Roberto Moreno (77) | Panoz G-Force/Honda | 36 | Accident | - | ||
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Coca Cola 600
| 1 | Casey Mears (25) | Chevrolet | 190/5 | 400 | 6 | $367,425 | |
| 2 | J.J. Yeley (18) | Chevrolet | 175/5 | 400 | 1 | $264,733 | |
| 3 | Kyle Petty (45) | Dodge | 165/0 | 400 | 0 | $208,983 | |
| 4 | Reed Sorenson (41) | Dodge | 160/0 | 400 | 0 | $177,783 | |
| 5 | Brian Vickers (83) | Toyota | 160/5 | 400 | 76 | $148,525 | |
| 6 | Tony Stewart (20) | Chevrolet | 155/5 | 400 | 55 | $179,661 | |
| 7 | Ricky Rudd (88) | Ford | 151/5 | 400 | 1 | $149,933 | |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) | Chevrolet | 147/5 | 400 | 1 | $168,058 | |
| 9 | Denny Hamlin (11) | Chevrolet | 143/5 | 400 | 1 | $136,550 | |
| 10 | Jimmie Johnson (48) | Chevrolet | 139/5 | 400 | 83 | $176,811 |
GILBERTSON TO SKIP NHRA EVENT IN TOPEKA
Cites increasing costs and decrease in sales
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Nitro Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson has elected to skip the next race on the NHRA schedule, the O'Reilly Auto Parts Summer Nationals in Topeka, Kan.
Gilbertson, who has skipped a few NHRA races already this year, regrets having to miss the race but was forced to make that decision due to budget restraints, availability of parts and the cost of having to travel to the Midwest for a single event.
"Once again this was a tough decision to make," Gilbertson said. "The same factors that caused us to miss Las Vegas and St. Louis figured into the equation. The new diesel engine emissions law that was implemented January 1, 2007 has had a direct impact on our racing budget. Freightliner, the largest truck manufacturer in the world, is one of my company's biggest customers, we supply them with air tanks and they've seen their sales drop off 40% and they've laid off over 6,000 people so far and with that, the demand for air tanks has dropped like a rock. They don't expect sales to improve until the fourth quarter and look to increase production then and into 2008.
"With the ever increasing cost of diesel fuel the huge expense of traveling to Kansas for this race would be outrageous. I regret having to do this as competing on the NHRA circuit is what the team and I want to do but it's decision I'm forced to make. We will re-join the NHRA tour at Chicago and we'll also compete at the following race at Englishtown. I want to apologize to all my sponsors and fans who support this team and wanted to see us in Topeka but it's something I'm forced to do to keep this team alive for the rest of the season. just had to do."
NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge
| 1 | Kevin Harvick (29) | Chevrolet | 0/0 | 80 | 20 | $1,031,539 | |
| 2 | Jimmie Johnson (48) | Chevrolet | 0/0 | 80 | 0 | $256,535 | |
| 3 | Mark Martin (01) | Chevrolet | 0/0 | 80 | 0 | $133,535 | |
| 4 | Jeff Burton (31) | Chevrolet | 0/0 | 80 | 0 | $106,535 | |
| 5 | Tony Stewart (20) | Chevrolet | 0/0 | 80 | 0 | $101,535 | |
| 6 | Johnny Sauter (70) | Chevrolet | 0/0 | 80 | 0 | $96,535 | |
| 7 | Matt Kenseth (17) | Ford | 0/0 | 80 | 36 | $216,385 | |
| 8 | Ryan Newman (12) | Dodge | 0/0 | 80 | 0 | $90,385 | |
| 9 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) | Chevrolet | 0/0 | 80 | 0 | $89,385 | |
| 10 | Martin Truex Jr. (1) | Chevrolet | 0/0 | 80 | 0 | $88,385 | |
| 11 | Jeff Gordon (24) | Chevrolet | 0/0 | 80 | 0 | $127,360 | |
| 12 | Dale Jarrett (44) | Toyota | 0/0 | 80 | 0 | $86,360 | |
| 13 | Brian Vickers (83) | Toyota | 0/0 | 80 | 0 | $85,360 | |
| 14 | Kasey Kahne (9) | Dodge | 0/0 | 80 | 0 | $84,860 | |
| 15 | Greg Biffle (16) | Ford | 0/0 | 80 | 0 | $84,260 |
| 1 | Helio Castroneves (3) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 225.817 mph | |
| 2 | Tony Kanaan (11) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 225.757 mph | |
| 3 | Dario Franchitti (27) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 225.191 mph | |
| 4 | Scott Dixon (9) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 225.122 mph | |
| 5 | Sam Hornish Jr (6) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 225.109 mph | |
| 6 | Dan Wheldon (10) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 224.641 mph | |
| 7 | Ryan Briscoe (12) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 224.41 mph | |
| 8 | Danica Patrick (7) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 224.076 mph | |
| 9 | Marco Andretti (26) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 223.299 mph | |
| 10 | Tomas Scheckter (2) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 222.877 mph | |
| 11 | Michael Andretti (39) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 222.789 mph | |
| 12 | Scott Sharp (8) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 223.875 mph | |
| 13 | Jeff Simmons (17) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 223.693 mph | |
| 14 | Ed Carpenter (20) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 223.495 mph | |
| 15 | Darren Manning (14) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 223.471 mph | |
| 16 | Buddy Rice (15) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 222.826 mph | |
| 17 | Kosuke Matsuura (55) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 222.595 mph | |
| 18 | A.J. Foyt IV (22) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 222.413 mph | |
| 19 | Vitor Meira (4) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 222.333 mph | |
| 20 | Davey Hamilton (2) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 222.327 mph | |
| 21 | Sarah Fisher (5) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 221.96 mph | |
| 22 | Buddy Lazier (99) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 221.38 mph | |
| 23 | Roger Yasukawa (24) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 222.654 mph | |
| 24 | John Andretti (33) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 221.756 mph | |
| 25 | Al Unser Jr (50) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 220.876 mph | |
| 26 | Alex Barron (98) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 220.471 mph | |
| 27 | (R) | Jon Herb (19) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 220.108 mph |
| 28 | Jaques Lazier (21) | Panoz G-Force/Honda | 219.409 mph | |
| 29 | (R) | Milka Duno (23) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 219.228 mph |
| 30 | Marty Roth (25) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 218.922 mph | |
| 31 | Roberto Moreno (77) | Panoz G-Force/Honda | 216.229 mph | |
| 32 | Jimmy Kite (18) | Dallara Automobili/Honda | 214.528 mph |
Team Orange Announces ENEOS Oil Sponsorship for 2007 D1 GP USA Series
Team Orange had an excellent start of the 2007 D1 Grand Prix USA series last weekend at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey. Team driver Nobushige Kumakubo won the first place and team driver Kazuhiro Tanaka qualified to the best 16. Both drivers fascinated the east coast crowd with their notoriously acrobatic and entertaining drifting style, which has already been attracting thousands of fans all over the world.
Team Orange, based in Fukushima, Japan, consists of three drivers, Kumakubo, Tanaka and Naoto Suenaga. Of those, Kumakubo, the 2006 D1 GP series grand champion, and Tanaka, ranked the 6th place in the 2006 series, compete in the 2007 D1 GP USA series with their SUBARU WRX. The world renowned racing vehicle has been intensely modified and Team Orange introduced the never-seen-before rear wheel drive SUBARU WRX drifting machine.
Prior to the US series opener in Englishtown, Team Orange welcomed ENEOS, the high performance motor oil by Nippon Oil Corp., as the official oil sponsor for the 2007 US series. As it is the most trusted lubricant in the premiere racing events all over the world such as Formura-1, Team Orange has chosen ENEOS 0W-50 motor oil and ENEOS 75W-90 gear oil for their SUBARU EJ engine. The combination has been carefully tested and ENEOS oil consistently enhanced the performance of delicate yet powerful EJ engine.
Equipped with the ultimate drifting machine, and now powered with ENEOS, Team Orange is sure to outperform the competition in the US, and the team leader Kumakubo proved just that by winning the series opener in Englishtown. During the demonstration run, Kumakubo and Tanaka frenzied the crowd, many of whom witnessed the outrageous D1 live performances for the first time.
“They seemed to like our performances a lot,” commented Kumakubo. “It was a tough competition especially when we had to run rounds after rounds, but the oil temperature was stable and the engine didn’t heat up, so I could push my machine to keep doing my thing. And the crowd loved that” Team Orange will hit the rest of the country with their exceptionally entertaining drifting style for the rest of the season. The next round of D1 USA series is scheduled for June 23/24 at Altamont Motorsport Park in Tracy, California.
For more information on the Team Orange and D1GP, please visit: www.TeamOrange.jp and www.D1GP.com
SPONSOR PROFILE
Founded in 1888, Nippon Oil Corporation has grown to become Japan’s largest oil company, commanding seven refineries and over 11,000 service stations nationwide. Among the company’s most notable technological innovations is its elite line of fully synthetic ENEOS motor oils, which in 2000 became the first Japanese-produced oils used in Formula One racing, debuting with the Honda Racing F1 Team. Since then Nippon Oil has put its proprietary motor oil technologies to work in the Champ Car Atlantic Championship, one of the most fiercely competitive racing series in the world, as well as in the Sport Compact Series of the NHRA, the most popular drag racing organization in the U.S.
ENEOS MOTOR OIL 0W-50 is a100% fully synthetic oil researched and developed by Nippon Oil with technology proven on the Formula One circuit. Targeted toward drivers who demand high power from their engines and the ultimate in driving performance, this oil boasts an ultra-wide 0W-50 viscosity range, so it provides outstanding performance from the very lowest to the very highest temperatures. ENEOS 0W-50 is especially well-suited for sports cars with high output large engine displacements and turbo-charged engines.
ADVANCED FEATURES
100% Synthetic Gasoline Motor Oil
When high-output cars with large engine displacements are driven for long periods at high temperatures and heavy loads, they demand the outstanding heat resistance and oxidation stability that only fully synthetic motor oils can provide. Because ENEOS is made from 100% synthetic oil, it has an ultra-wide 0W-50 viscosity range that ensures superb starting performance even at the coldest winter temperatures as well as excellent oil film retention in the hottest summer conditions.
Outstanding High-Temperature Oxidation Stability and Coking Resistance
Made from a carefully engineered blend of 100% synthetic base oils and optimized additives, ENEOS 0W-50 provides high-temperature oxidation stability vastly superior to motor oils made from mineral base oils. ENEOS 0W-50 also has outstanding coking resistance, an essential property for protecting turbo rotors operated at high temperatures and speeds.
Superior Drive-Train Wear Resistance and Excellent Cleanliness
The synthetic base featured in ENEOS 0W-50 allows it to maintain a strong oil film even at high temperatures, speeds and loads. This anti-wear protection is particularly effective in the drive trains of overhead cam systems, where lubrication conditions are especially challenging. In addition, ENEOS 0W-50 delivers superb thermal and oxidation stability, so it maintains excellent engine cleanliness by suppressing sludge formation, which can cause engine seizures and pump clogging.
Meets Latest API Standard
The outstanding performance of ENEOS 0W-50 is evidenced by its certification for the SM specification, the latest motor oil standard issued by the American Petroleum Institute.
For more information, contact Nippon Oil (U.S.A.) Ltd. at 3625 Del Amo Blvd, Suite 385, Torrance, CA 90503, call 310/214-2050 or visit our website at www.eneos.us
Formula DRIFT - Round 2 Road Atlanta “Fight Night” Results
Long Beach, Calif. – May 14, 2007 – Formula DRIFT entered Road Atlanta for Round
2 of their Championship Series and the first stop on the
Tires.com
Triple Crown Event with Chris Forsberg taking home the victory.
“Road Atlanta was our inaugural event 4 years ago and each year it gets bigger
and bigger. From a drifting demonstration from Japanese legend, Nobuteru
Taniguchi and the U.S debut of the HKS Toyota Altezza to the BP Amoco Power
Lounge fans were in for a treat despite the hot weather,” said Jim Liaw,
president and co-founder of Formula DRIFT.
HKS driver Nobuteru Taniguchi wowed the crowd with his HKS Drift Altezza
performing a drift demonstration to begin the Top 16 Battle. Best known for his
versatile driving ability from drift to grip racing, Taniguchi is one of the
most widely recognized motor sports figures in Japan. He will be performing
drifting demonstrations at the remainder of the Formula DRIFT events this
season.
The gloves came off for “Fight Night” as Chris Forsberg and his Forsberg Racing
/ Maxxis Tires Nissan 350Z took home the victory, with his consistent and
exciting driving throughout the weekend. Forsberg now leads the pack in points
for the Tires.com
Triple Crown competition and jumps up to second place in the overall
championship standings. Newcomer to Formula DRIFT, Darren McNamara, coming all
the way from Ireland, surprised the crowd with his Falken Tires / MCN Sport
Toyota Corolla SR86, taking a close 2nd place finish, while Tanner Foust took
home 3rd place, with his AEM / Memphis Car Audio Nissan 350Z and the overall
lead for the race for the Formula DRIFT Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup.
Castrol SYNTEC Power Cup Current Point Standings after Round 2 – Road Atlanta
| 1. Foust 2. Forsberg 3. Yoshihara 4. Millen 5. Hayashida 6. Petty 7. Tuerck 8. Yamanaka 9. Canul 10. Haruguchi 11. McNamara 12. Gittin 13. Sherman 14. Hubinette 15. McQuarrie 15. Gushi 17. Angelo 17. Aono 19. Rutherford 20. Okubo |
182 Points 163 Points 149 Points 140 Points 122 Points 118 Points 113 Points 112 Points 110 Points 104.25 Points 90.25 Points 76.25 Points 65.25 Points 64.25 Points 63.25 Points 63.25 Points 57.25 Points 57.25 Points 57.00 Points 56.00 Points |
ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT
Entering its fourth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American
professional drifting championship series. Established on the streets of Japan,
drifting has involved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each
racer's driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for
North American professionals to demonstrate their skills against the world's top
drifters. As the first official series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken
competitive motorsports to the extreme attracting fans and car enthusiasts from
all walks of life. For a race schedule and ticket information, visit:
www.formuladrift.com.
About IMG
IMG is the world's premier Sports, Entertainment and Media Company. IMG is a
diversified global business with two major business segments: IMG Sports &
Entertainment, and IMG Media. IMG employs over 2,500 people in 30 countries.
Forstmann Little & Co. purchased IMG in 2004.
IMG Sports & Entertainment includes: consulting services; event ownership and
management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course
design; client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, European football,
rugby, cricket, motorsports, coaching, Olympic sports and action sports. In
addition, IMG Academies are the world's largest and most advanced,
state-of-the-art, multi-sport training and educational facility, delivering
world-class sports training experiences to over 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult
and professional athletes each year.
IMG Media, which includes our content production subsidiaries TWI, Darlow
Smithson Productions (DSP) and Tiger Aspect Productions (TAP), is recognized as
a global leader in the delivery of traditional and new media content and
services, with Internet, broadband and mobile expertise, transforming how
audiences access and interact with content.
IMG Media produces and distributes over 10,000 hours of sports, documentary,
drama, comedy, entertainment, popular factual and children's content annually,
over multiple platforms across 200 countries, including award-winning television
and radio programming. It also represents the broadcast rights to many of the
world's premier sporting events and has the world's biggest sports archive with
more than 200,000 hours of footage.
More information about IMG is available at
www.imgworld.com.
Formula DRIFT Holdings, LLC | 200 Pine Avenue, Suite 615 | Long Beach, CA 90802
Dodge Avenger 500
| 1 | Jeff Gordon (24) | Chevrolet | 190/5 | 367 | 22 | $317,486 | |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin (11) | Chevrolet | 180/10 | 367 | 179 | $217,350 | |
| 3 | Jimmie Johnson (48) | Chevrolet | 170/5 | 367 | 44 | $197,761 | |
| 4 | Ryan Newman (12) | Dodge | 165/5 | 367 | 39 | $159,875 | |
| 5 | Carl Edwards (99) | Ford | 160/5 | 367 | 33 | $125,475 | |
| 6 | Tony Stewart (20) | Chevrolet | 150/0 | 367 | 0 | $145,961 | |
| 7 | Matt Kenseth (17) | Ford | 151/5 | 367 | 29 | $143,516 | |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) | Chevrolet | 142/0 | 367 | 0 | $133,033 | |
| 9 | Clint Bowyer (07) | Chevrolet | 143/5 | 367 | 16 | $114,575 | |
| 10 | Jeff Burton (31) | Chevrolet | 134/0 | 367 | 0 | $127,541 |
Gilbertson Ready To Do The Bristol Stomp
Bristol, prerace: Nitro Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson is a big fan of
oldies music and one of his favorite songs is the 1961 hit The Bristol Stomp by
the Dovells.
You can bet that song will be loaded into Gilbertson's I-Pod that he listens to
get him into the 'zone' before he climbs into his Autolite XP Spark Plugs/Prestone
Antifreeze Dodge Stratus for this weekend's NHRA O'Reilly Thunder Valley
Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
Bristol is a 'home town' race for Gilbertson who is based in nearby Charlotte,
NC and he'll have a lot of fans on hand to cheer him on.
"Bristol is just an couple of hour's drive from Charlotte and I'll have a bunch
of family, friends and employees there to support me and my team," Gilbertson
said. "It's a great track, I've had some success there in the past and hopefully
we'll be able to do well for my cheering section and maybe be able to do the
Bristol Stomp in the winner's circle."
TELEVISION SCHEDULE:
Saturday, May 19, 2007 Qualifying 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM ET (ESPN2)
Sunday, May 20, 2007 Eliminations 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM ET (ESPN2)
Johnson wins Jim Stewart 400 -
| 1. | Jimmie Johnson (48) | 190/5 |
| 2. | Kyle Busch (5) | 175/5 |
| 3. | Denny Hamlin (11) | 170/5 |
| 4. | Jeff Gordon (24) | 170/10 |
| 5. | Kurt Busch (2) | 160/5 |
| 6. | Ryan Newman (12) | 155/5 |
| 7. | Kevin Harvick (29) | 151/5 |
| 8. | Tony Stewart (20) | 147/5 |
| 9. | Clint Bowyer (07) | 138/0 |
| 10. | Matt Kenseth (17) | 139/5 |
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| For a complete Schedule of Events, Honorees, Hotel Information and more CLICK HERE |
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To purchase credentials call 1-800-884-6472 |
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This is one of the
most Exciting Events in our Industry .... |
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| Standings | Points |
|---|---|
| 1. Dan Wheldon | 171 |
| 2. Scott Dixon | 144 |
| 3. Helio Castroneves | 136 |
| 4. Dario Franchitti | 131 |
| 5. Tony Kanaan | 130 |
INDY CARS
Kansas Lottery Indy 300
| Final | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dan Wheldon (10) | |
| 2. | Dario Franchitti (27) | |
| 3. | Helio Castroneves (3) | |
| 4. | Scott Dixon (9) | |
| 5. | Tomas Scheckter (2) | |
| 6. | Sam Hornish Jr (6) | |
| 7. | Danica Patrick (7) | |
| 8. | Vitor Meira (4) | |
| 9. | A.J. Foyt IV (22) | |
| 10. | Jeff Simmons (17) | |
Cart Car Standings
| Standings | Points |
|---|---|
| 1. Sebastien Bourdais | 74 |
| 2. Will Power | 69 |
| 3. Robert Doornbos | 61 |
| 4. Alex Tagliani | 57 |
| 5. Bruno Junqueira | 53 |
Grand Prix of Houston
| Final | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sebastien Bourdais (1) | |
| 2. | Graham Rahal (2) | |
| 3. | Robert Doornbos (14) | |
| 4. | Oriol Servia (3) | |
| 5. | Simon Pagenaud (15) | |
| 6. | Mario Dominguez (7) | |
| 7. | Bruno Junqueira (19) | |
| 8. | Ryan Dalziel (28) | |
| 9. | Alex Tagliani (8) | |
| 10. | Justin Wilson (9) | |
Formula DRIFT Enters Road Atlanta and Discount Tire Doubles the
Tires.com
Triple Crown Prize Purse
– Formula DRIFT enters Road Atlanta for Round 2 of the Formula DRIFT
Championship. Road Atlanta is the first Triple Crown event of the season and
Discount Tire has doubled the
Tires.com Triple Crown prize purse.
“We are very excited to be in a position to support the drivers and series in
this way. With the increasing exposure of the sport of Drifting and Formula
DRIFT’s coverage on ESPN2, the 2007 series should be an exciting one,” says
Marcus Bolland, Discount Tire marketing manager.
The Tires.com
Triple Crown prize purse has been increased from $5,000 to $10,000 by Discount
Tire, the “Official Tire and Wheel Retailer of Formula DRIFT”. The
Tires.com
Triple Crown follows the Formula DRIFT circuit to three of North America’s
premier tracks to find the driver that performs the best over all three events.
The driver that performs consistently well over all three events becomes the
Tires.com
Triple Crown Champion.
The 2007 Tires.com
Triple Crown events are Road Atlanta, Infineon Raceway, and Irwindale Speedway.
Each venue was chosen to represent the different conditions for competition
drifting. From Road Atlanta’s fast entry speed and wide turns, Infineon’s tight
and technical turns, to Irwindale’s infamous banked oval, different driving
skills will be tested and one driver will be awarded the
Tires.com
Triple Crown.
ABOUT FORMULA DRIFT
Entering its fourth season, Formula DRIFT is recognized as the North American
professional drifting championship series. Established on the streets of Japan,
drifting has involved into a worldwide competitive sport that challenges each
racer's driving ability and vehicle control. Formula DRIFT provides a forum for
North American professionals to demonstrate their skills against the world's top
drifters. As the first official series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken
competitive motorsports to the extreme attracting fans and car enthusiasts from
all walks of life. For a race schedule and ticket information, visit:
www.formuladrift.com.
About IMG
IMG is the world's premier Sports, Entertainment and Media Company. IMG is a
diversified global business with two major business segments: IMG Sports &
Entertainment, and IMG Media. IMG employs over 2,500 people in 30 countries.
Forstmann Little & Co. purchased IMG in 2004.
IMG Sports & Entertainment includes: consulting services; event ownership and
management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course
design; client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, European football,
rugby, cricket, motorsports, coaching, Olympic sports and action sports. In
addition, IMG Academies are the world's largest and most advanced,
state-of-the-art, multi-sport training and educational facility, delivering
world-class sports training experiences to over 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult
and professional athletes each year.
IMG Media, which includes our content production subsidiaries TWI, Darlow
Smithson Productions (DSP) and Tiger Aspect Productions (TAP), is recognized as
a global leader in the delivery of traditional and new media content and
services, with Internet, broadband and mobile expertise, transforming how
audiences access and interact with content.
IMG Media produces and distributes over 10,000 hours of sports, documentary,
drama, comedy, entertainment, popular factual and children's content annually,
over multiple platforms across 200 countries, including award-winning television
and radio programming. It also represents the broadcast rights to many of the
world's premier sporting events and has the world's biggest sports archive with
more than 200,000 hours of footage.
More information about IMG is available at
www.imgworld.com.
Formula DRIFT Holdings, LLC | 200 Pine Avenue, Suite 615 | Long Beach, CA 90802
Aaron's 499
| 1 | Jeff Gordon (24) | Chevrolet | 195/10 | 192 | 71 | $355,511 | |
| 2 | Jimmie Johnson (48) | Chevrolet | 175/5 | 192 | 12 | $251,736 | |
| 3 | Kurt Busch (2) | Dodge | 170/5 | 192 | 7 | $212,483 | |
| 4 | David Gilliland (38) | Ford | 160/0 | 192 | 0 | $182,689 | |
| 5 | Jamie McMurray (26) | Ford | 160/5 | 192 | 2 | $134,675 | |
| 6 | Kevin Harvick (29) | Chevrolet | 150/0 | 192 | 0 | $164,536 | |
| 7 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) | Chevrolet | 151/5 | 192 | 2 | $149,233 | |
| 8 | David Stremme (40) | Dodge | 147/5 | 192 | 1 | $106,025 | |
| 9 | Ryan Newman (12) | Dodge | 138/0 | 192 | 0 | $133,450 | |
| 10 | Martin Truex Jr. (1) | Chevrolet | 134/0 | 192 | 0 | $126,495 |
GILBERTSON TO SKIP NHRA EVENT IN ST. LOUIS
Cites increasing costs and decrease in sales
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Nitro Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson has elected to skip the next race on the NHRA schedule, this weekend's O'Reilly Auto Parts Midwest Nationals in St. Louis.
Gilbertson, who is currently 14th in the NHRA POWERade points standings, regrets having to miss the race but was forced to make that decision due to budget restraints, availability of parts and the cost of having to travel to the Midwest for a single event.
"Again this was a tough decision to make," Gilbertson said. "There are a few factors that figured into the equation. First off the new diesel engine emissions law that was implemented January 1, 2007 has had a direct impact on our racing budget. Freightliner, the largest truck manufacturer in the world, is one of my company's biggest customers, we supply them with air tanks and they've seen their sales drop off 40% and they've laid off over 6,000 people so far and with that, the demand for air tanks has dropped like a rock. They don't expect sales to improve until the fourth quarter and look to increase production then and into 2008."
"Secondly availability of parts is an issue," Gilbertson added. "Essential parts such as cranks, rods and blocks are on back order due to the buying power of the multi-car teams. Last but not least is the huge expense of traveling to the Midwest for just one race then have to travel back to the east coast for the next race at Bristol. With the ever increasing cost of diesel fuel and lodging the costs of getting the team out there would be outrageous."
"I regret having to do this as competing on the NHRA circuit is what the team and I want to do but it's decision I'm forced to make. We will re-join the NHRA tour at Bristol and I want to apologize to all my sponsors and fans who support this team and wanted to see us in St. Louis but it's something I just had to do."
Gordon wins Subway
| 1 | Jeff Gordon (24) | Chevrolet | 190/5 | 312 | 53 | $251,411 | |
| 2 | Tony Stewart (20) | Chevrolet | 180/10 | 312 | 132 | $209,411 | |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin (11) | Chevrolet | 170/5 | 312 | 70 | $158,150 | |
| 4 | Jimmie Johnson (48) | Chevrolet | 160/0 | 312 | 0 | $158,046 | |
| 5 | Matt Kenseth (17) | Ford | 155/0 | 312 | 0 | $149,766 | |
| 6 | Jeff Green (66) | Chevrolet | 150/0 | 312 | 0 | $124,283 | |
| 7 | Kyle Busch (5) | Chevrolet | 146/0 | 312 | 0 | $97,875 | |
| 8 | Bobby Labonte (43) | Dodge | 142/0 | 312 | 0 | $118,561 | |
| 9 | Johnny Sauter (70) | Chevrolet | 138/0 | 312 | 0 | $79,925 | |
| 10 | Kevin Harvick (29) | Chevrolet | 139/5 | 312 | 54 | $126,261 |
|
Bourdais, who has won 24 of 61 starts and three straight Champ Car titles, was the class of the field here. He started from the pole and raced away to a nearly 25-second lead -- about a third of a lap on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn circuit -- and appeared on the way to a rout.
But that lead disappeared when rookie Simon Pagenaud slid into a tire barrier on lap 53, bringing out one of three full-course caution flags.
After pit stops by the leaders, Bourdais found himself trailing French rookie Tristan Gommendy, who had pitted last on lap 39. With the runner-up Oriol Servia conserving fuel and not pushing the leaders, Bourdais chose to be patient and wait for Gommendy to make his final stop.
``I made one try to pass Tristan and I decided it was better to back off and wait because he was pretty fast at that point,'' Bourdais said. ``I didn't want to make a mistake and embarrass myself by winding up in the tires.''
Bourdais regained the lead on lap 68 and stayed out front the rest of the way, easily holding off Servia on a restart on lap 77 after the last caution period.
It's the longest winning streak at Long Beach since Al Unser Jr. won a record four in a row from 1988 through 1991
|
GILBERTSON TO SKIP NHRA EVENT IN LAS VEGAS
Cites increasing costs and decrease in sales
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Nitro Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson has elected to skip the next race on the NHRA schedule, this weekend's
Summitracing.com Nationals in Las Vegas.Gilbertson, who is currently ninth in the NHRA POWERade points standings, regrets having to miss the race but was forced to make that decision due to budget restraints, availability of parts and the cost of having to travel to the west coast for a single event.
"This was the toughest decision I've ever had to make in my racing career," Gilbertson said. "There are a few factors that figured into the equation. First off the new diesel engine emissions law that was implemented January 1, 2007 has had a direct impact on our racing budget. Freightliner, the largest truck manufacturer in the world, is one of my company's biggest customers, we supply them with air tanks and they've seen their sales drop off 40% and they've laid off over 6,000 people so far and with that, the demand for air tanks has dropped like a rock. They don't expect sales to improve until the fourth quarter and look to increase production then and into 2008."
"Secondly availability of parts is an issue," Gilbertson added. "Essential parts such as cranks, rods and blocks are on back order due to the buying power of the multi-car teams. Last but not least is the huge expense of traveling 2,500 miles for just one race then have to travel back to the east coast for the next race at Atlanta. With the ever increasing cost of diesel fuel and lodging in Las Vegas the costs of getting the team out there would be outrageous."
"I regret having to do this as being in the top ten is a big deal to me and my team but it's decision I had to make. We will re-join the NHRA tour at Atlanta and I want to apologize to all my sponsors and fans who support this team and wanted to see us in Vegas but it's something I just had to do."
GILBERTSON ADVANCES TO QUARTER-FINALS IN HOUSTON, CLIMBS TO NINTH IN NHRA POWERADE POINTS
Houston, postrace: Considering the circumstances, nitro Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson had a pretty good weekend at the O'Reilly Auto Parts Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park.
With torrential downpours playing havoc with the qualifying schedule, racers only got two chances to qualify and Friday's second session was do or die for Gilbertson and his Autolite XP Spark Plugs/Prestone Antifreeze team.
They were up for the challenge and Gilbertson cranked out a stellar 4.854 - 302.82 mph that put him the ninth spot in the field, his best start since St. Louis last year when he qualified sixth.
Gilbertson met and defeated Jeff Arend driving the Worsham's blue team entry in the first round with a holeshot of .024 and ran a 4.907 at 304.94 to get the win light over Arends close 4.908, a margin of victory of only 0.0252 seconds, the closest race of the round.
Gilbertson then raced Cruz Pedregon in the quarter final round and smoked the tires immediately giving the win to Pedregon who also had traction problems and ran a sub-par 5.36 to advance to the semi-finals.
"All-in all it was a decent weekend for us," Gilbertson said after his second round loss. "Eric Medlin was inside all of our hearts and besides thinking about him we had to deal with the rain which really put a damper on the racing. At least we got a round win and advanced to ninth in the points which keeps the weekend from being a total bummer."
Goody's Cool Orange 500
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson (48) | Chevrolet | 190/5 | 500 | 113 | $198,736 | |
| 2 | Jeff Gordon (24) | Chevrolet | 175/5 | 500 | 92 | $153,861 | |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin (11) | Chevrolet | 170/5 | 500 | 125 | $139,125 | |
| 4 | Kyle Busch (5) | Chevrolet | 165/5 | 500 | 10 | $105,375 | |
| 5 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) | Chevrolet | 165/10 | 500 | 137 | $141,833 | |
| 6 | Jeff Burton (31) | Chevrolet | 150/0 | 500 | 0 | $119,316 | |
| 7 | Tony Stewart (20) | Chevrolet | 151/5 | 500 | 11 | $124,486 | |
| 8 | Scott Riggs (10) | Dodge | 142/0 | 500 | 0 | $89,275 | |
| 9 | Jamie McMurray (26) | Ford | 138/0 | 500 | 0 | $88,525 | |
| 10 | Matt Kenseth (17) | Ford | 139/5 | 500 | 1 | $130,266 |
Kyle Busch wins Food City 500
| 1 | Kyle Busch (5) | Chevrolet | 190/5 | 504 | 29 | $179,400 | |
| 2 | Jeff Burton (31) | Chevrolet | 170/0 | 504 | 0 | $161,691 | |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon (24) | Chevrolet | 170/5 | 504 | 6 | $165,586 | |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick (29) | Chevrolet | 165/5 | 504 | 9 | $154,911 | |
| 5 | Greg Biffle (16) | Ford | 155/0 | 504 | 0 | $111,900 | |
| 6 | Jeff Green (66) | Chevrolet | 150/0 | 504 | 0 | $124,383 | |
| 7 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) | Chevrolet | 146/0 | 504 | 0 | $131,908 | |
| 8 | Clint Bowyer (07) | Chevrolet | 142/0 | 504 | 0 | $98,500 | |
| 9 | Jamie McMurray (26) | Ford | 138/0 | 504 | 0 | $103,700 | |
| 10 | Casey Mears (25) | Chevrolet | 134/0 | 504 | 0 | $101,750 |
 March 22, 2007 Formula DRIFT Launches New Website and Logo – Formula Drift announced today the launch of the company’s new website, www.formuladrift.com, and introduced a new corporate logo. A new addition to the website will allow designated users access to media downloads, forms, and high-resolution images. Another addition will be a video Podcast, provided by CK Media, which will allow users to view streaming video and download it directly to their video iPod. The new Formula Drift website will give fans, sponsors, and media more access to information about the series, specific events, in-depth driver profiles, track technical information, integrated event series results, new Team Drift series information, multimedia downloads and much more. Jim Liaw, president & co-founder of Formula Drift, commented, “The new website is more interactive and will provide the user an easy and friendly experience while browsing the website. Both the additions of the media portion and Podcast to the website will add a very important dynamic from the previous version.” Media and designated users will now have direct access to download Formula Drift information, high-resolution images, forms, logos, and event results. This will allow for the media and sponsors to find and easily access important document and files. Podcasts, provided by CK Media, will allow fans and users to view streaming videos via XML directly on the Formula Drift website and download them straight to any video iPod. “Drifting is growing at a dramatic pace and the new logo symbolizes our company’s dedication to the sport,” Liaw stated. Along with the new website and to kick-off the new season, a new Formula Drift logo has been introduced. The new logo prominently displays the word, “drift” to represent the sport of which the series is based. The continued emphasis on the “D” communicates to those that refer to the series as “Formula D”. This new logo is more legible and has more versatility for the brand. The overall design more accurately represents the company leading the North American industry in drifting.
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GILBERTSON HEADS TO SAN ANTONIO WITH WINNING ON HIS MIND
Bob Gilbertson has just one thing he's thinking about right now and that's winning the International Hot Rod Association's Knoll Gas - Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car Championship in 2007 and he's looking to jump-start that quest at this weekend's Amalie Oil Texas Nationals at San Antonio Raceway.
Gilbertson will be debuting his wild new Trick Tank sponsored Monte Carlo that he'll be running at all of the IHRA Nitro Jam series this year. Painted by Brian's Kustom Paint in Easly S.C., the body was put into action at this past weekend's Gatornationals where it ran a 4.819 second elapsed time at 318.69 mph which both numbers are quicker and faster than the current IHRA Nitro Funny Car World Records that Gilbertson currently holds.
"I just can't wait to get to Texas," Gilbertson said. "We're making a concerted effort this year to capture the IHRA title and we're going into San Antonio with momentum on our side. I know that a lot of the Funny Car "hitters" will be there like my buddy's Del (Worsham) and Gary (Densham) but we're ready for the fight. We've qualified for every race so far this year and we know that we have a fast car and we're looking forward to making some noise in Texas. Seriously, I know that the competition will be tough this year but I think we're up to the challenge and I just can't wait to kick off the 2007 IHRA season with a win."
Las Vegas NASCAR Results
| Jimmie Johnson (48) |
| Jeff Gordon (24) |
| Denny Hamlin (11) |
| Matt Kenseth (17) |
| Mark Martin (01) |
| Carl Edwards (99) |
| Tony Stewart (20) |
| Ryan Newman (12) |
| Kyle Busch (5) |
| Jamie McMurray (26) |
Saturday April 7th
In addition to the new Panoz DP01 chassis, the Champ Car World Series will be tweaking the rule book to add even more excitement for 2007.
The changes won’t affect the basic Champ car racing outline…providing fair and equal competition for all teams, as well a putting on consistent and exciting events for fans at the track and watching on TV.
For 2007, the series will introduce standing starts at venues where the procedure can be accommodated safely, and is expected to be used at the season-opening Vegas Grand Prix Fueled by Visa.
The rules on tire usage have been changed to promote more on-track action in practice and qualifying sessions.
The use of spare cars by teams has also been changed, with teams allowed to use only one car – either the primary car or the backup - in any practice or qualifying session, and all Champ Car 2007 races will be timed, with each event to begin and run to a set time limit.
"These rule changes will provide a competitive atmosphere that will allow our world-class teams and drivers to put on a great show for our fans around the world," said Champ Car President Steve Johnson. "We are always looking for new ways to bring excitement to the series and these rule changes are another positive step toward that goal."
Gilbertson advances to quarter finals, moves into tie for ninth in NHRA POWERade points
Bob Gilbertson drove his Autolite XP Spark Plugs/Prestone Antifreeze Dodge Stratus to a first round win over Ashley Force at the Checker Schucks Kragen Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Firebird Int'l Raceway Sunday and in the process moved into a tie for ninth place in the NHRA POWERade points standings.
Gilbertson was the underdog against the daughter of 14 time champion John Force, who was competing in only her second race as a professional, but took the win when Force crossed the centerline resulting in an automatic disqualification handing the win to Gilbertson.
"I knew she was in trouble when I saw timing blocks flying all over the place," Gilbertson said. "It was a very tricky track with a very narrow grove and it created problems for not only Ashley but all the other Funny Car drivers. I was on a good run but had to back pedal so she wouldn't hit me and when the timers got knocked out I didn't get a time slip so all I ended up with was a win light."
Gilbertson faced good friend Gary Densham in the second round and went into severe tire shake right off the line forcing him to shut off allowing Densham to take the victory.
"I left on Densham off the starting line and was out in front when it started shaking so bad that I had to click it," Gilbertson added. "The good news is that we have a pretty good car that can get down the track and qualify and during the next few weeks that we have off, Tommy (Delago, crew chief) and the team will have the opportunity to go over the car with a fine tooth comb and we'll be ready to rumble in Gainesville."
| Final | Pts/Bonus | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Matt Kenseth (17) | 195/10 |
| 2. | Jeff Gordon (24) | 175/5 |
| 3. | Jimmie Johnson (48) | 170/5 |
| 4. | Jeff Burton (31) | 165/5 |
| 5. | Mark Martin (01) | 160/5 |
| 6. | Clint Bowyer (07) | 155/5 |
| 7. | Kurt Busch (2) | 146/0 |
| 8. | Tony Stewart (20) | 147/5 |
| 9. | Kyle Busch (5) | 143/5 |
| 10. | Brian Vickers (83) | 134/ |
| 1. | Jeff Gordon (24) | / |
| 2. | Kasey Kahne (9) | / |
| 3. | Mark Martin (01) | / |
| 4. | Kevin Harvick (29) | / |
| 5. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) | / |
| 6. | Clint Bowyer (07) | / |
| 7. | Martin Truex Jr. (1) | / |
| 8. | Jeff Burton (31) | / |
| 9. | Juan Pablo Montoya (42) | / |
| 10. | Casey Mears (25) |
Harvick wins Daytona 500 in an nose
K. Harvick
(29)
M. Martin (01)
J. Burton (31)
| 4 | Mike Wallace (109) | |
| 5 | David Ragan (6) | |
| 6 | Elliott Sadler (19) | |
| 7 | Kasey Kahne (9) | |
| 8 | David Gilliland (38) | |
| 9 | Joe Nemechek (13) | |
| 10 | David Stremme (40) | |
| 11 | J.J. Yeley (18) | |
| 12 | Jeff Gordon (24) | |
| 13 | Reed Sorenson (41) | |
| 14 | Robby Gordon (7) | |
| 15 | Johnny Sauter (70) | |
| 16 | Sterling Marlin (14) | |
| 17 | Boris Said (160) | |
| 18 | Clint Bowyer (07) | |
| 19 | Juan Pablo Montoya (42) | |
| 20 | Bobby Labonte (43) | |
| 21 | Casey Mears (25) | |
| 22 | Carl Edwards (99) | |
| 23 | Dale Jarrett (44) | |
| 24 | Kyle Busch (5) | |
| 25 | Greg Biffle (16) | |
| 26 | Ricky Rudd (88) | |
| 27 | Matt Kenseth (17) | |
| 28 | Denny Hamlin (11) | |
| 29 | Martin Truex Jr. (1) | |
| 30 | Michael Waltrip (55) | |
| 31 | Jamie McMurray (26) | |
| 32 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8) | |
| 33 | Tony Raines (96) | |
| 34 | Dave Blaney (22) | |
| 35 | Ken Schrader (21) | |
| 36 | Jeff Green (66) | |
| 37 | Scott Riggs (10) | |
| 38 | Ryan Newman (12) | |
| 39 | Jimmie Johnson (48) | |
| 40 | David Reutimann (00) | |
| 41 | Kurt Busch (2) | |
| 42 | Tony Stewart (20) | |
| 43 | Kyle Petty (45) |
Roush Racing and Fenway Sports Group Partner to Form Roush Fenway Racing
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 14 - Today, during Speedweeks in Daytona Beach,
Fla., Roush Racing and Fenway Sports Group (FSG) announced the formation of
Roush Fenway Racing. Under the agreement, FSG will purchase 50 percent of Roush
Racing to form the new entity. Jack Roush will continue to manage the
competitive operations of the race teams and Geoff Smith will continue as
president to oversee business activities. FSG will support Roush Fenway Racing's
marketing and sales activities by using their experience, network of
relationships, and powerful demographic base to add value to Roush Fenway Racing
sponsors and help Roush Fenway Racing maintain an unsurpassed position among
NASCAR teams on and off the track.
"This partnership will bring a whole new perspective to our business," said
Jack Roush. "There is a lot of hard work that goes into being successful in
sport. John Henry and FSG understand what it takes. Anybody that has watched the
Red Sox has been impressed with their tenacity and their ability to prevail
after all the frustration. To be able to have someone to bounce ideas and
strategies off of will be fun. Everyone at Roush Racing is excited to welcome
our new partner and we look forward to our success together."
"This is an unprecedented partnership of two extremely successful
organizations with proven track records for winning in their respective
businesses and sports," said Mike Dee, chief operating officer of the Boston Red
Sox and president of Fenway Sports Group. "We believe in NASCAR and like its
long-term business future and are thrilled to be a part of this exciting and
growing industry."
Over the last 35 years, Roush Racing has become one of the most successful
teams in motorsports. Having won 30 championships and more than 300 races in
drag racing, sports car racing and NASCAR, the team looks to continue its
winning tradition under the new name. The new Roush Fenway Racing logo will make
its track debut at Daytona International Speedway beginning Thursday, February
15 during the Gatorade 150 qualifying races. All of Roush Fenway Racing's 13
teams will be competing throughout the weekend.
Off the track, the Roush Fenway Racing focus will be to continue to service
its world-class sponsorship base which includes such great companies as: DeWalt
Power Tools, Diageo (Crown Royal), AAA, Office Depot, Ameriquest Mortgage
Company, 3M, Ford Motor Company, Northern Tool + Equipment, Dish Network,
Discount Tire and Coca Cola, whose sponsorships Roush supports with public
relations, licensing, event marketing and account management services.
Geoff Smith summed up the overall goal by saying, "We wholeheartedly believe
that the addition of FSG, and the incorporation of its expertise and demographic
power will insure that Roush Fenway Racing will indefinitely preserve our
pre-eminent position among NASCAR teams both on and off the track."
A premier sports marketing organization headquartered in Boston, FSG
specializes in representation, sponsorship sales, event marketing and strategic
marketing consulting for corporations who conduct business in sports and
entertainment. The company has created successful marketing platforms for
clients such as Boston College, Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the Boston
Red Sox and the PGA TOUR's Deutsche Bank Championship.
"Although there have been many instances of cross ownership in the world of
professional sports, this partnership marks the first time that owners of a
professional franchise in one of the four major leagues have crossed over into
the world of NASCAR," said Dee. "Both Roush Racing and FSG have reached a mature
stage in their evolution and this partnership will provide both organizations
with the necessary resources to remain competitive at the highest levels of
their respective sports. We recognize the significant opportunity to enhance and
preserve Roush Fenway Racing's already powerful position and intend to
aggressively market NASCAR and our stable of drivers to the sports fans of New
England."
For more information, visit www.RoushFenway.com. ABOUT FENWAY SPORTS GROUP
FSG, a subsidiary of New England Sports Ventures, which owns the Boston Red
Sox and eighty percent of New England Sports Network (NESN), is a strategic
sports marketing firm with experience in professional and collegiate sports.
FSG's core strengths include property representation and acquisitions,
entertainment marketing, sponsorships and consulting services. For more
information please visit
http://www.fenwaysportsgroup.com/
ABOUT ROUSH FENWAY RACING
Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR's largest team operating 13 motorsports teams,
five in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup with drivers Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle,
Carl Edwards and David Ragan; five in the Busch Series with Kenseth, Biffle,
Edwards, McMurray, Ragan, Todd Kluever, Michel Jourdain Jr. and Danny O'Quinn
Jr.; and three in the Craftsman Truck Series with Edwards, Peter Shepherd,
Travis Kvapil and Erik Darnell. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway
Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. For sponsorship inquiries please
contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.
Source: Roush Fenway Racing
Web site:
http://www.fenwaysportsgroup.com/
http://www.roushfenway.com/
Documentary on NASCAR Legend Dale Earnhardt to Debut In February Alongside the Daytona 500
DALE to Roll Out Theatrically In 40 Markets Following the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series
Distribution Approach Includes Private Screenings Hosted by Chevrolet/GM Goodwrench, Followed By Large Event Screenings and Public Film Showings Through National CineMedia in Select Movie Theaters Nationwide
NASHVILLE, Tenn. and CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 5 - DALE, the only authorized
documentary on racing legend Dale Earnhardt, will be showcased in movie theaters
beginning in February, coinciding with the launch of the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
Series in Daytona Beach, Fla. The release of DALE includes private premieres
hosted by presenting sponsor Chevrolet/GM Goodwrench, large-scale consumer event
screenings, and through partner National CineMedia, limited showings in select
AMC, Cinemark, Regal Entertainment Group and Georgia Theatre Company movie
theaters nationwide.
DALE will continue to roll out in 39 additional markets, as it follows the
2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. DALE is produced by NASCAR Images and CMT Films.
"These unique, rolling market theatrical events, following the NASCAR NEXTEL
Cup Series circuit, are the first of their kind and provide an incredible
opportunity for fans and sponsors alike," said Jeff Yapp, executive vice
president, program enterprises, MTVN/CMT Films.
"To be able to directly tap into such a devoted fan base, with a movie on the
sport's biggest hero, is a winning combination for NASCAR, CMT Films, Chevy/GM
Goodwrench and National CineMedia," said Jay Abraham, president/CEO, NASCAR
Images.
Two weeks prior to race day in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series markets and selected
secondary markets, Chevy/GM Goodwrench will initiate each market's showings with
one to two nights of invitation-only shows. Consumers who test drive a Chevy
vehicle in these markets will receive complimentary tickets to these exclusive
Chevy screenings, along with other VIP clients.
In those same markets, NASCAR fans will have the opportunity to see the film
at special screening events in large auditoriums/venues (generally 1,500 - 3,000
seats) for one to two nights. With the large, expanded setting, these events are
designed to give fans a concert-like, state-of-the-art, movie-going experience.
These events will be open to the public, with tickets being sold at
www.dalethemovie.com.
Following the Chevy/GM invitation-only shows and the special event
screenings, leading in to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race weekend, DALE will debut
through NCM Fathom, a division of National CineMedia, at select AMC, Cinemark,
Regal Entertainment Group and Georgia Theatre Company theaters throughout the
race market area. Trailers for DALE began running in theaters in select markets
in December 2006. Ticket information for National CineMedia theater showings is
also available at www.dalethemovie.com, as well as local ticket outlets and
participating movie theater box offices. A complete list of markets, dates,
venues/theaters is also available on the website. DALE will be made available
for private screenings and corporate events nationwide through National
CineMedia's CineMeetings & Events (www.cinemeetings.com/dale).
Narrated by Paul Newman, DALE is the first documentary on the late driver
that has been given the full support of Teresa Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt's widow
and executor of his estate; as well as Richard Childress, founder of Richard
Childress Racing and owner of Earnhardt's famed No. 3 Chevrolet race cars. The
film includes archival race footage, rare outtakes, never-before- seen family
home videos and interviews with his closest friends and family, toughest
competitors and most avid fans, illustrating the depth of Earnhardt's influence
in the racing world and beyond.
Dale Earnhardt is widely regarded as one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of
all time. In his 22 seasons on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series circuit, he racked
up an amazing 76 wins and seven championships, with career winnings totaling
more than $41 million. A perpetual fan favorite, Earnhardt was nicknamed "The
Intimidator" for his competitive instincts and highly aggressive driving style.
Although his death in 2001 on the last lap of the Daytona 500 cut short his
legendary career, he will always be remembered for his skill, determination and
passion for the sport.
DALE is executive produced by NASCAR Images' Jay Abraham and Jim Jorden, with
Ryan McGee serving as editor-in-chief; Rory Karpf and Mike Viney, producers; and
Al Francesco, director of photography. For CMT Films, Jeff Yapp, Paul Villadolid
and Lewis Bogach serve as executive producers.
Visit CMT's press-only web site www.cmtpress.com for more information and
downloadable photos.
Formed in 2005, CMT Films is a division of MTV Networks that uses innovative
distribution methods including theatrical and television network premieres to
distribute its films before premiering them on CMT and releasing for DVD sales.
The first CMT Film, Toby Keith's Broken Bridges, debuted in National CineMedia
theaters in September 2006, and then later released on CMT and DVD. More
information is available at country music's biggest website, www.CMT.com.
NASCAR Images, the exclusive rights holder of NASCAR event footage, is a
marketing and entertainment company in business to leverage The Sight, Sound and
Emotion of NASCAR(R) through TV and Film production, home video, licensed
consumer products and premiums for the sports' sponsors, tracks, teams and fans.
www.nascarimages.com
National CineMedia, LLC is a venture of AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark USA,
Inc. and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE:RGC)
, three of the world's leading theatrical exhibition companies. The company
develops pre feature entertainment; cinema and lobby advertising products;
comprehensive meeting and event services; and alternative forms of entertainment
content for distribution across the approximately 13,000 screens operated by its
owner theatre circuits and other theatre affiliates. Over 11,000 of these
screens are part of NCM's Digital Content Network (DCN), one of the world's
largest in-theatre digital distribution networks. The network provides content
and advertising to 150 U.S. markets, including 49 of the top 50, reaching an
estimated 500 million movie patrons annually. For additional information, please
go to www.ncm.com.
Source: CMT
Web site:
http://www.cmt.com/
http://www.cmtpress.com/
http://www.dalethemovie.com/
http://www.cinemeetings.com/dale
http://www.nascarimages.com/
http://www.ncm.com/
Abu Dhabi to Host Formula 1(TM) Grand Prix in 2009
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, February 3
- Thousands Celebrate Ecclestone Confirmation at F1 Showcase on Abu Dhabi Streets
In front of an elated crowd of tens of thousands of people, Formula One(TM) Management today announced that Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, has secured the rights to host a Formula 1(TM) Grand Prix from 2009.
On behalf of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the announcement was made to the public who had gathered to watch the sport's elite at the first-ever Abu Dhabi F1(TM) Festival - featuring the largest gathering of current Formula One(TM) drivers and cars ever assembled outside of a Grand Prix.
An official signing ceremony immediately followed at the stunning Emirates Palace Hotel by the Chairman and CEO of Formula One(TM) Management, Mr Bernie Eccelstone and the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority (EAA), His Excellency Khaldoon Al Mubarak, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
"A Formula 1(TM) Grand Prix is one of the world's most prestigious sporting events, in the same category as an Olympic Games or World Cup, and is unrivalled in terms of continuous global resonance. That is why this new partnership is such an exciting one for Abu Dhabi and the entire UAE," said His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
"For Abu Dhabi, and indeed the whole of the UAE, the opportunities that are presented by increased international attention and connectivity will deliver very real macroeconomic benefits."
Abu Dhabi, the capital, and largest of the seven Emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, will provide an idyllic location for one the world's most popular sport. With over 200 natural islands, offering some of the most untouched beaches in the region, it is fast becoming one of the most sought out destinations in the world.
Formula One(TM) Management CEO Bernie Ecclestone commented: "We are delighted to welcome Abu Dhabi into the Formula One(TM) family, and look forward to a long and successful partnership. Abu Dhabi's hospitality, the genuine warmth of its people, and ever increasing number of world class facilities, will ensure that its round of the FIA Formula One(TM) World Championship is a wonderful addition to the Formula One(TM) calendar."
The 2009 Formula 1(TM) Abu Dhabi Grand Prix track is being constructed by ALDAR Properties, one of the UAE's leading property development companies, and designed by renowned Formula 1TM circuit designer Hermann Tilke.
Already under construction, the track is situated on a 2,550 hectare, natural leisure island, Yas Island, situated on the east coast of Abu Dhabi and only minutes away from the expanding Abu Dhabi International Airport.
"Abu Dhabi will bring its own unique culture, landscape and fans to the F1(TM) experience," said HE Khaldoon Al Mubarak. "The track design alone is an indication of the visionary approach we are taking and I am confident we will deliver something truly special," he added.
"Spectators will enjoy high speed action played out on three distinct sections of the 5.6km circuit, including high speed areas ending in tight overtaking turns, a street section and a marina section. Each section of the circuit combines to deliver an unrivalled viewing experience."
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach facts
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Juan Pablo Montoya drove past Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon to grab the lead late in the third hour Saturday of the Rolex 24 sports car endurance race at Daytona International Speedway.
Montoya, making the jump from Formula One to NASCAR's Nextel Cup series this year with the Ganassi team, chased and caught former IRL champion Dixon, who was struggling with brake problems after building a nearly full-lap lead on the 3.56-mile road circuit.
Alex Gurney, who started from the pole in a Pontiac Riley, slammed into one of the slower GT3 Class cars just 10 minutes into the race. The son of longtime racing star Dan Gurney was able to limp back to the pits for repairs. The car was running, but 27 laps behind the leader
| At Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Fla. Lap length: 3.56 miles (Car number in parentheses) Final 1. (01) Scott Pruett; Salvador Duran; Juan Pablo Montoya; DP, TELMEX/Target
Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley, 668. Race Statistics Time of race: 24 hours, 0:55.002
seconds. |
Justin Bell will driving for RVO motorsports with Jack Baldwin and Bill Lester. He says the car is #12. He is not listed on the roster as he was asked 2 weeks ago to join in.
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NHRA Newsmakers
Your inside glimpse at the world’s fastest motorsport
NEWS NUGGETS
 |
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WALLY PARKS: Wally Parks, NHRA
founder and Chairman of the
|
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ASHLEY FORCE DEALING WITH CELEBRITY:
Last
Tuesday's announcement of Ashley Force's move to the pro ranks in Funny Car
this season already is earning the second-generation driver huge amounts of
ink in high places. The story was on the Yahoo! home page Thursday morning (direct
story link) and also was featured on
AOL's top news. Ashley was yahoo.com’s No. 1
searched subject on Friday ahead of Britney Spears and Beyonce Knowles. On
Friday, USA Today ran a full-page ad featuring Force in the sports
section. Force is dealing with the media crush well, as she told National
DRAGSTER in an exclusive interview for the current issue, “Doing the
reality show [Driving Force on the A&E Network] last year took me into
a whole new realm. As much as it drove me crazy at times, it really helped
prepare me. It threw me into a lot of stuff I’d never been through before.
There were so many more fans at the ropes, more events and interviews during
the week, more photo shoots, and all kinds of stuff that I hadn’t experienced
before. I’m glad I did it last year and didn’t try to bring it on this year
with everything else that’s going on. I know it’s going to be a little hectic,
especially in the beginning.” |
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NITRO BLAST OFF:
Several
NHRA drivers and riders participated in the first test sessions at the Nitro
Blast Off at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this past weekend. Kenny
Bernstein climbed into a car for the first time in a few years. He drove his
Monster Energy/Lucas Oil Dodge Charger through a few launches to become
familiar with the car. The weekend’s best runs were posted by Dave Grubnic,
Hillary Will, and John Force. Grubnic, driving his Zantrex-3 dragster, led
the way with a 4.483 at 322.27 followed closely by Hillary Will in her KB
Racing dragster. She drove to two consistent runs of 4.492 seconds at 323.89
mph and 319.67 mph. In Funny Car, John Force in his Castrol GTX High Mileage
Ford Mustang out drove teammate Eric Medlen with a time 4.783 seconds at
286.80 mph. Medlen in his Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang drove to time of 4.862
seconds at 260.49 mph. Two Funny Car newcomers, Ashley Force in her Castrol
GTX/Auto Club Ford Mustang and Jeff Arend in his Checker Schuck’s Kragen Chevy
Impala SS, made partial runs. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Mike Berry on his MB
Precision Machine Suzuki made some passes to re-familiarize himself with his
bike and the track. His best time of the weekend came on Saturday with a
7.215 at 183.17. |
·
EDWARDS ENJOYS HELPING
KIDS:
Mike
Edwards with his sponsor Young Life has helped out kids through the “A Team on A
Mission” program.
During the second year of “A Team
on a
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WHAT IS THE COUNTDOWN?:
It is NHRA’s new and improved system for
determining its four POWERade Series world champions and it officially gets
underway a month from now at the season-opening CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA
Winternationals (Feb. 8-11 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona), the first of 17
regular-season events in the 23-event schedule. The top eight drivers from
each class after the 17-event regular season will advance to the playoffs and
remain in contention for the 2007 POWERade Series world championship. Media
will be kept abreast of the Countdown throughout the inaugural season via a
Countdown-specific post-event wrap-up, identifying the most significant moves
up and down in the POWERade Series standings, who’s in and who’s out, and what
to look for as we move through the regular season, playoffs and championship
rounds. Look for these updates via e-mail and on the Media Web site, which
will be re-launched in February with a page dedicated to educating media about
the Countdown and answering any and all questions related to the Countdown. |
·
NATIONAL TIME
TRIALS,
·
LAST CHANCE TEST
SESSION AND
·
CARQUEST AUTO
PARTS NHRA WINTERNATIONALS,
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
|
4:
The number of pro categories
(Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle) that will have
women competing after Ashley Force announced her plans to drive in the Funny
Car category for 2007. This is the first time in drag racing history that all
four pro categories will have women racing during the same season. As NHRA
President Tom Compton said, “No one else in Motorsports can say that.” |
DRIVERS TELL ALL
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THE TOUGHEST THING ABOUT DRAG RACING:
In the January 19
edition of National DRAGSTER Top Fuel driver Larry Dixon tells the fans
what he believes is the toughest thing about being a drag racer. “No doubt,
it’s the finality of every single run. You work all day and - boom! - what’s
going to happen happens in an instant, and that scoreboard is going to tell
you whether you’re worthy or not. Your whole day - maybe your year or your
whole life - might be judged on that one instant. It’s the most cutthroat
thing I can think of in life.” |
(C) MBN 2008
![tn_poster_jpg[1]](http://www.hotrodhotline.com/newslett/hrrjune6/assets/images/tn_poster_jpg_1_.jpg "tn_poster_jpg[1]")
