Backstretch Motorsports

Dale Jr. to Match Contributions

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 7, 2009) – In a monthlong push to raise money and awareness for key charities dedicated to helping children, The Dale Jr. Foundation has created three initiatives as part of its All Star Charity Line Up. Through these events, The Dale Jr. Foundation will donate to Make-A-Wish, March of Dimes / Bikers for Babies, The NASCAR Foundation and Speedway Children’s Charities.

Beginning this Saturday at the Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com at Darlington Raceway, The Dale Jr. Foundation (TDJF) will host 50 guests from the Victory Junction Gang Camp, Make-A-Wish and Kid’s Wish Network in a pre-race chalet. The chalet and 50 race tickets were donated to TDJF by GoDaddy.com and includes an appearance by Brad Keselowski.

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Greensboro, NC - David Poole, longtime Charlotte Observer and Sirius Satellite Radio NASCAR reporter, friend and supporter of the sport of auto-racing, passed away today. He was 50.

His love of the sport was all -encompassing, from driver to owner, crew chief and engine builder, roof line to tires, Poole loved the race. He enjoyed the spectacle. He knew the business.

Mostly, David Poole love bring the inside word, his immeasurable gift of insight to his readers. and David Poole’s readers were all his, they listened to the man, because they knew that he knew…he had an uncompromising style that endeared him to the daily readers and listeners. They are truly his folks. [read more...]

Joe Gibbs Racing Signs Matt DiBenedetto To Driver Development Program

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (February 10, 2009) – Joe Gibbs Racing announces today that it has signed 17-year-old Matt DiBenedetto to its driver development program.

Matt moved to North Carolina from Northern California at the age of 13 to pursue a career as a race car driver and over the past four years has established himself as one to watch.

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6. How are Ford Racing engineers helping race teams be more competitive behind the scenes where people may not know?

“One of the key things that a manufacturer can offer that a financial sponsor can’t is the technical ability of Ford Motor Company. With the engineers we have on staff, it may be aerodynamic development to get the right downforces and the right drags to make the cars competitive in NASCAR and drag racing and Daytona Prototypes in Grand-Am. Those things are important and with our engineering resources, you can’t really buy that type of vast knowledge. We also work on the computer simulations as I’ve already mentioned, whether it’s helping make cars safer or making the cars handle better. Our proprietary FRAMS software we think is superior to anything else out there, so we have this enormous software power that we then train our teams in, and help run those simulations to get the right setup on the tracks. Today’s age in racing is just like today’s age in engineering. You can’t afford to do this: I’ll build it, I’ll test it, I’ll refine it, I’ll build it, I’ll test it, I’ll refine it. You don’t have the time or money to do that so you have to use computer engineering to make that efficient. And we offer that to the teams. Not to mention we worked in conjunction with Doug Yates at Roush Yates Engines with our new NASCAR engine, code-named FR9. And we have an engineer stationed down there that has access to the assets of Ford Motor Company up in Dearborn. We run simulations and work with what the developers are going to do to really offer a superior hardware set for NASCAR.”

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Brian Wolfe, director, Ford North America Motorsports, took over the top job at Ford Racing mid-way through the 2008 season. As both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series get their 2009 seasons going this weekend, Wolfe took a few minutes to answer 10 questions.

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Bobby Labonte will drive the #41 Target Chevrolet for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing in 2009, joining Martin Truex,
Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya and Aric Almirola as part of a newly merged,four-car team. Labonte has not commented since announcing his split from Petty Enterprises last week, and the new Earnhardt-Ganassi operation remains in a virtual media lockdown. However, multiple sources close to the situation tell Sirius Speedway that a deal to put Labonte in the #41 is signed, sealed and delivered, after receiving the approval of sponsor Target. Work has already begun on the necessary promotional infrastructure — photo shoots, marketing campaigns, ancillary programs, etc. — for the coming season.

(No Official announcement has been made by BL or EGR)

Iowa Speedway To Host NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race In 2009

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 17, 2008) – The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced today that Iowa Speedway will host a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on September 5 in place of the event that was originally scheduled May 23 at Mansfield Motorsports Park.

The realignment of the race was a result of Mansfield’s request that the event be moved from its track because of its inability to meet the requirements necessary to remain a NASCAR sanctioned facility.

“It is always exciting to go to a new venue and show the fans what the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is all about,” said NASCAR’s Vice President of Racing Operations Steve O’Donnell. “The Midwest has some of our sport’s most loyal fans and Iowa Speedway produces some incredible racing as we’ve seen with the NASCAR Camping World East and West Series. We look forward to racing there this season.”

In addition to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, Iowa will host the NASCAR Nationwide Series, as well as the NASCAR Camping World East and West Series in 2009.

“We are extremely pleased to continue our strong relationship with NASCAR with the awarding of yet another NASCAR series race to Iowa Speedway,” said Iowa Speedway CEO Stan Clement. “We know from past experience that fans here in the Midwest will support this exciting new event.”

Daytona Beach, Florida (July 3, 2008) - Randy Moss, NFL All Pro wide receiver with the New England Patriots, will make his debut as a NASCAR team owner on July 19 in the Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway. Moss has purchased a 50-percent stake in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team owned by long-time series participant David Dollar. Dollar’s team, known as Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, will be renamed Randy Moss Motorsports effective immediately.

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O'Reilly 200, Bristol Motor Speedway   Jackie Mohrfeld didn't know she would love working in a major motorsports series; in fact, until she was in college at Texas A&M University, she didn't know anything about the sport.

Now she climbs on the pitbox of the No. 33 Camping World Silverado team driven by two-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday every race as the GM Racing engineer assigned to the team to lend critical support.

A native of Houston, TX, Mohrfeld attended and graduated from Texas A&M. Her first entry in to the racing world was a Texas A&M Formula SAE project.  In 2000, the team won its first championship in only its second year of competition.

"I knew the Indy 500 existed, and that was about it until I got to college," she said. "It was kind of a neat thing to do. You get a little bit of everything to do, and to work with good people is the best part."

She continued her education and involvement in Formula SAE at Purdue University in Lafayette, IN. After graduating from Purdue with a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, her full-time career in the world of NASCAR racing began.  Mohrfeld started as a race engineer and the changed assignments to focus on vehicle dynamics research and development.

Her passion for the sport grew with her experience. In 2005 she landed a position with Pratt & Miller on assignment to GM Racing's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series program.

As one of a very limited number of female engineers in the garage area of all three NASCAR major touring series, Mohrfeld has quickly established herself as one of the best by assisting Hornaday and his Kevin Harvick, Inc. Chevrolet Silverado team capture three wins so far in 2007 and wage a great battle to capture his third NCTS title. He is currently second in points, just 82 points down to the leader.

"My specialty is vehicle dynamics," Mohrfeld continued. "I actually deal with the setups that go underneath the trucks. In vehicle dynamics, my goal is to help the car or truck get to the corner faster than anyone else."

Providing technical support to the GM truck teams and constantly developing cutting edge engineering software, "both utilizes and challenges my skills," she said. "It has ultimately developed into a rewarding and fulfilling career for me."  

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