Backstretch Motorsports

Sunshine, rain and hail on official test day
Nine Audi factory drivers complete almost 2,600 kilometres
Audi R10 TDI runs with next-generation bio fuel for the first time

Ingolstadt/Le Mans – All set for the “race of the year”: covering a total of almost 2,600 kilometres on the only official test day, the Audi drivers prepared themselves for the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans to be staged on 14 and 15 June. The Audi R10 TDI vehicles completed the eight-hour test without the slightest technical problem.

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Sonoma, Calif. — The Lizards have closed up their home shop at Infineon Raceway for the month of June: the Flying Lizard No. 80 Porsche and its complement of crew and drivers are off to France for the team’s fourth consecutive 24 Heures du Mans. The team arrives this week in the historic town of Le Mans, near the Loire Valley, to prepare for the renowned 24-hour race on a 8.5-mile road course. The official test day is June 1; the race starts on June 14 at 3 pm CET and ends 24 hours later on June 15.

The 2008 Lizard drivers for Le Mans will be Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Johannes van Overbeek (USA), and Seth Neiman (USA). Bergmeister, a Porsche factory driver, drives the No. 45 Porsche for the Lizards in the ALMS, and currently leads the ALMS GT2 drivers’ championship with teammate Wolf Henzler. van Overbeek pilots the No. 46 Lizard Porsche in the ALMS, and together with teammate Patrick Pilet (France), is in third. Neiman, driving the No. 44 Lizard Porsche (with Darren Law and Lonnie Pechnik), is fourth in the points chase.

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NEWTON, Iowa - Brian Ickler packed his bags in December and moved to North Carolina, starting from scratch in the hub of NASCAR in an effort to further his career.

The payoff for the 22-year-old Ickler came Sunday when he drove his family-owned No. 15 Ickler Motorsports Chevrolet to Victory Lane in the US Cellular 200 at Iowa Speedway. To get there, Ickler had to out-race a field full of some of the top up-and-coming drivers in the NASCAR Camping World Series, as well as NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kasey Kahne – less than 24-hours removed from his own victory in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C.

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Vickers’ No. 83 team wins Sprint Pit Crew Challenge

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Brian Vickers’ team kicked off NASCAR’s All-Star week activities by winning the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge on Thursday night, beating Denny Hamlin’s team in a battle of Toyotas in the final round.

Vickers’ crew, which includes a former college football player and two former college hockey players, changed four tires, filled the car with fuel and pushed it 40 yards in 22.902 seconds to collect the $70,000 first prize.

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ARCA RE/MAX Series, ARCA 200 at Daytona Event No. 1, Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Fla.ARCA SIM Factory Pole Qualifying Notes & QuotesFriday, February 8, 2008

Sophomore ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Patrick Sheltra will be one of 43 starters in Saturday’s 45th annual ARCA 200 at Daytona. After posting a very reasonable single-car run (50.70 seconds) during yesterday’s five-hour practice, crew chief John Hayden and team manger Keith Strunk went back to the drawing board making changes on the team’s No. 60 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS hoping to find more speed for today’s qualifying run.

It paid off.

Sheltra, the 21-year old Indiantown, Florida native clocked in the 26th fastest lap after turning a time of 50.482 seconds at 178.281 MPH. At first, Sheltra claimed the 21st position but slipped in the grid after five of the remaining 12 machines were able to post better qualifying times. 

Sheltra, driving for his family-owned and Whitesville, Kentucky based Sheltra Motorsports team will make his inaugural debut at the 2.5-mile superspeedway in his 26th career ARCA start Saturday afternoon.

Here are some quotes and notes from today’s session:

PATRICK SHELTRA, NO. 60 FERGUSON PIPE ENTERPRISES, INC.-FLORAGANICS CHEVORLET MONTE CARLO SS:

SHELTRA: (HOW WAS YOUR LAP?) “I am pretty happy with that. Honestly. We were solid in the single car runs and extremely competitive in the draft and the changes that the Sheltra Motorsports team made were very beneficial. I’m just excited to be competing in my first ARCA 200 at Daytona.”

SHELTRA: (ON HIS STARTING POSITION – 26TH ) “It’s mid-pack and again around where I expected to qualify. This was an extremely tight field to make and I emphasize that. I cannot believe the times that the other teams were posting. It only makes everyone realize that you have to be completely on top of your game when you come to a place like Daytona.”

SHELTRA: (ON THIS AFTERNOON’S DRAFTING SESSION) “I have a feeling there’s going to be some heavy drafting out there. The plan for us is to take it easy. I don’t think you will see us out for the entire hour of practice, but we’ll get our fair share of track time in. There’s no sense of staying out there throughout the entire session and risk taking a chance of the unexpected happening and destroying a very good racecar.”

SHELTRA: (ON THE WEATHER CHANGES FROM YESTERDAY) “Night and day, that’s really the best way to describe it. I wasn’t sure if the late draw was going to help us or hurt us, but it didn’t seem to matter. The car was very solid and I didn’t leave anything on the table. It will be interesting however to see how the car will react from daylight to darkness.” 

SHELTRA: (ON THE ARCA 200 AT DAYTONA BEING A HOMETOWN RACE) “It’s important. Last year we had Lakeland (USA International Speedway) as my home town track, but this year it’s Daytona and that’s huge. I have a lot of family and friends here for this event and that’s extremely important to be surrounded by the people who care about your racing career. Hopefully by the conclusion of the race tomorrow we all can be celebrating our first career ARCA victory.” 

SHELTRA: (ON CLOSE COLLEGAUE JEREMY CLEMENTS MISSING THE ARCA 200 AT DAYTONA) “Absolutely devastating. I could not believe my eyes when I saw it. Jeremy is so strong on these plate races and to see the No. 3 missing from the starting grid tomorrow is everyone’s loss. The field was tight this year, there’s no hiding that, but I don’t think anyone anticipated seeing Jeremy Clements not being a part of the 2008 ARCA 200 at Daytona. I know how he is feeling though, I was in this same position last year.”

SHELTRA: (ON THE 2008 ARCA RE/MAX SERIES SEASON) “I’m really excited about this year. I’m not coming into blindsided like I did last year. That’s important. I’m lucky to have a great group behind me and some superb marketing partners onboard as well. I know there’s a lot of competition this year, but there’s no doubt that we’re going to give everyone a run for the trophy.” 

The ARCA 200 at Daytona (80 laps/200 miles) is the first of 21 events on the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. The 45th ARCA race held at Daytona is a three-day show. A one hour and five minute final practice session is etched in on Friday evening from 5:10pm-6:15pm. The event will take the green flag on Saturday, February 9 shortly after 4:00 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage online at arcaracing.com.  All times are local.Stay tuned for a revamped website, but in the meantime for more on Patrick Sheltra, please visit PatrickSheltra.com.

SHELTRA MOTORSPORTS FAST FACTS:

Team Name: Sheltra Motorsports, No. 60 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS

Driver: Patrick Sheltra, Indiantown, Florida

Car Owner: Grace Sheltra, Indiantown, Florida

Marketing Partners: Ferguson Pipe Enterprises, Inc, FloraGanics, American Concrete Industries, Inc, Hardie Pipe, Indiantown Marina, Drug Discovery Testing (DDT), All About Flowers, Speed Media, The Casite Company, Sheltra & Son Construction, Sheltra Cattle Company, J&S Bulk Transportation, Inc., Martin County Petroleum and Purcell Tire & Rubber.

Crew Chief: John Hayden

Team Manager: Keith Strunk

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 Daytona Beach, Fla. (Feb. 8, 2008)  - After a nail biting qualifying session for Saturday’s ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway, Alli Owens breathed a sigh of relief. Driving her No. 12 ElectrifyingCareers.com Chevrolet, Owens turned a lap of 178.137 mph, which translates to a 29th starting spot. “We made it in and that’s the most important thing,” said Owens. “I’ve been dreaming of this day for a long time. This is awesome. My phone has been blowing up with so many people calling to congratulate me.” Owens, a rookie in the ARCA RE/MAX, will line up behind her teammate and team owner Mario Gosselin. “The lap was very good,” added the 19-year-old.  “I’m starting behind Mario so we are going to be doing a lot of drafting together. I have faith in him, my team and the car. I know we are capable of making it to the front.” The race will be broadcast live on SPEED at 4:00 p.m. ET

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POS NO DRIVER/HOMETOWN TEAM & CAR TIME SPEED 1 65 Justin Marks/Rocklin CA Voodoo Ride Toyota 49.632 181.335 2 2 Scott Speed/Manteca CA Red Bull Toyota 49.637 181.316 3 28 Michael Annett/Des Moines IA Pilot Travel Centers Toyota 49.702 181.079 4 5 Bobby Gerhart/Lebanon PA Lucas Oil Chevrolet 49.710 181.050 5 94 Max Dumarey/North Haverhill NH Body Coach Ford 49.826 180.629 6 99 Ricky Stenhouse Jr./Olive Branch MS K&N Ford 49.880 180.433 7 46 Matt Carter/Denver NC Fort Dodge Animal Health-Hantz Group-NuSouth Ford 49.906 180.339 8 88 Landon Cassill/Cedar Rapids IA Stanley-Vidmar-Proto Chevrolet 49.956 180.159 9 40 Dario Franchitti/Edinburgh Scotland Fastenal-Ingersoll Rand Dodge 50.113 179.594 10 27 Kirk Shelmerdine/Welcome NC Wabash Motorsports-Lilly Trucking Chevrolet 50.122 179.562 11 1 Tom Hessert III/Cherry Hill NJ Maaco Auto Painting Ford 50.136 179.512 12 30 Terry Jones/Amherstburg Ontario Jones Group Dodge 50.150 179.462 13 19 Jack Bailey/Huntersville NC Eddie D'Hondt Racing Toyota 50.168 179.397 14 93 Pierre Bourque/Ottawa Ontario Impre Media Dodge 50.258 179.076 15 7 Kyle Krisiloff/Indianapolis IN Clabber Girl Baking Powder Chevrolet 50.274 179.019 16 39 J.R. Heffner/Stephentown NY Park East Sales-A. Colarusso & Son Chevrolet 50.286 178.976 17 52 Bill Baird/Sarasota FL Saturn Machine Dodge 50.293 178.951 18 32 Dominick Casola/Holmdel NJ A. Casola Farms Dodge 50.303 178.916 19 09 John Wes Townley/Watkinsville GA Zaxby's-SPS Ford 50.327 178.830 20 37 Dexter Bean/Westby WI Glock Chevrolet 50.343 178.774 21 4 Tayler Malsam/Sammamish WA Dodge Motorsports-Cunningham Motorsports Dodge 50.354 178.735 22 72 Dawayne Bryan/Lakeland FL Hi Tech Construction Service Dodge 50.386 178.621 23 54 Benny Chastain/Tallahassee FL Chastain-Schacht Motorsports Chevrolet 50.396 178.586 24 11 Bryan Silas/Stuart FL Nortrax-ICI Homes Ford 50.406 178.550 25 25 Ryan Fischer/Surrey British Columbia Venturini Motorsports Chevrolet 50.421 178.497 26 60 Patrick Sheltra/Indiantown FL Ferguson Pipe-FloraGanics Chevrolet 50.482 178.281 27 21 Mario Gosselin/Lake Wales FL James Carter Attorney At Law Chevrolet 50.508 178.190 28 38 Danny Sammons/Hamilton NJ Shark Lounge-Daytona Lagoon Chevrolet 50.513 178.172 29 12 Alli Owens/Daytona Beach FL ElectrifyingCareers.com Chevrolet 50.523 178.137 30 16 Justin Allgaier/Springfield IL AG Tech-Hoosier Tire Midwest Chevrolet 50.550 178.042 31 00 Ed Kennedy/Coppell TX Thunder 2-Daytona Lagoon Chevrolet 50.561 178.003 32 75 Brian Scott/Boise ID IWX-Strutmasters.com Chevrolet 50.569 177.975 33 47 Brad Baker/Nashville TN Envirox Ford Provisional 34 22 Ken Butler III/Sherrills Ford NC Aaron's Toyota Provisional 35 45 Nur Ali/Fort Worth TX Tara Energy Group Dodge Provisional 36 23 Brandon Kelley/Humble TX Porter Glass-Royal Purple Synthetic Oil Chevrolet Provisional 37 90 Gabi DiCarlo/Phoenix AZ Great Clips-Lucas Oil Chevrolet Provisional 38 84 Norm Benning/Pittsburgh PA Shodeen Chevrolet Provisional 39 24 Mike Harmon/Birmingport AL D.A.B. Constructors-Dellasolla Restaurant Chevrolet Provisional 40 34 Darrell Basham/Henryville IN Anti Monkey Butt Powder Chevrolet Provisional 41 26 Brad Smith/Shelby Township MI Magna Steyr-Koolmat Dodge Provisional 42 06 Tim Mitchell/Fayetteville TN Star Wheels Skate Center Chevrolet Provisional 43 44 Frank Kimmel/Clarksville IN Prestolite Wire Dodge Provisional

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Concord, N.C.  –Roush Fenway Racing announced today that K&N will be the primary sponsor of the No. 99 Ford Fusion driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Daytona International Speedway.  This Saturday’s race marks Stenhouse’s ARCA debut and first race in a stockcar and the Olive Branch, Miss. native is anxious to hit the track.

“Besides the Chili Bowl I haven’t raced in a while so I’m ready to go racing,” said Stenhouse.  “We’ve tested several times during the off season and I think we have one of the best cars out there so I’m looking forward to driving the No. 99 K&N Ford in Saturday’s race.  I was really happy to hear K&N wanted to come on board for Daytona.  They are a great company and I’m proud to carry their colors on the No. 99.”

“I have watched Ricky drive in USAC and I believe that he has a well balanced approach to his skill behind the wheel,” said Charles Maier, director of sports marketing K&N.  “He drives hard and aggressive yet he maintains his stability in traffic.  Ricky respects his equipment and gives it 100%; nothing is left on the table when the race is over..  K&N is always happy to see good drivers move up the ladder of motorsports.  While we don't have the budget to participate at the highest level regularly… we do our best to help many good drivers get there!”

Stenhouse made a name for himself in 2007 when he drove for Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) in the USAC National Sprint and Midget Series’.  In 26 Midget starts, Stenhouse racked up five wins, 10 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes and in the Sprint car, Stenhouse was equally as impressive garnering two wins, nine top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in 29 starts.  Stenhouse also captured 2007 Rookie-of-the-Year honors in both the USAC Midget and Sprint car divisions, only the second driver in USAC history to do so.

In October of 2007 Roush Fenway Racing signed Stenhouse to a multi-year contract that had Stenhouse driving the No. 99 Roush Fenway Ford full-time in the ARCA RE/MAX Series beginning in 2008.  Over the last several months Stenhouse has worked hard to make the transition from open wheel to stock cars and his effort has not gone un-noticed. 

"Ricky is a talented driver,” said Robbie Reiser, Roush Fenway Racing general manager.  “He's been working really hard over the last several months to make the transition from open wheel to stock cars and he's done a great job.  His dedication is evident, he's tested extremely well and we're real excited about his future at Roush Fenway. We're looking forward to lots of great things from Ricky well beyond 2008.”

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Stenhouse’s crew chief Jeff “Lumpy” Campey agrees with Reiser stating, “Ricky is all business.  You would never believe he’s only 20 years old because his maturity level is so much higher and that shows through his dedication.  He’s in the shop every day and the few times he’s been in the car during testing, he’s adapted quickly.  He’s definitely taken advantage of everything Roush Fenway has to offer asking questions of myself, our engineers, crew chiefs, other drivers, crew members, everyone.  He’s like a sponge.  We’re real excited to have him as a wheel man for the No. 99 Ford in 2008.”

Stenhouse tested at the famed 2.5-mile superspeedway in December with teammate Erik Darnell.  The two put both Roush Fenway cars at the top of the speed charts all three days which left Stenhouse looking like a strong contender for Saturday’s 80-lap race. 

"I was pretty impressed with Ricky at the test back in December,” said Darnell following the test.  “He doesn't really have any experience in these cars, but he gave really good feedback.  I know they've got a pretty good car, so I think they should be able to get a good finish out of it."

As for Stenhouse, he doesn’t listen to the hype, he just wants to race and meet the expectations set forth to him at the beginning of the year.

“Our goals are to make all the laps and finish the race in one piece.”  Stenhouse continued, “I just need to gain as much experience as possible and the only way to do that is to make laps.  We want to qualify up front, draft a little, stay out of trouble and be there at the end.  I know we have the car to do it, it’s just up to me to keep the car in one piece but I’m up for the task.  It should be fun.”

About Roush Fenway RacingRoush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating 13 motorsports teams.  Five in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; four in the Nationwide Series with Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, McMurray, Ragan, Erik Darnell and Colin Braun; and three in the Craftsman Truck Series with Darnell, Braun and Joey Clanton; and one in the ARCA RE/MAX Series with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.  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.

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(Concord, NC)  – A little over 10 years ago, then ARCA driver Andy Belmont walked through the NASCAR garage and saw the Continental Fire & Safety decals on the Dick Trickle racing machine.   The impression was made on the Penn. native, who called the local company to purchase fire extinguishers for his race shop.  Belmont, a man who seems never to meet a stranger, quickly befriended owner partner Greg Gore and the two entities have enjoyed a decade-long team sponsorship partnership.

“Andy was from here,” said Gore.  “I knew of him racing in Winston Cup and knew of him racing locally, so when he called us needing fire extinguishers, we ended up talking about racing.  The tie between racing and fire & safety is imperative- race cars do not go on the track without the proper safety products and features in place and our company sells and services those products.  From fire trucks to pumps to ladders, hoses, apparel, first aid equipment and apparatus, Continental Fire & Safety outfits the fire departments and EMS squads that respond to your 911 calls. I enjoy going to the race tracks and looking around at all the safety equipment on site, knowing that we have positively positioned our marketing efforts.”

 Trenton, NJ-based Continental Fire & Safety’s motorsports affiliation has stretched back much further that its relationship with ABR.  In the early ‘90’s Continental sponsored veterans Dick Trickle and Dave Marcis in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and remained a sponsor of both through their careers.  With a territory stretching from New Jersey through eastern Pennsylvania, 34-year old Continental Fire & Safety also has a relationship with Front Row Motorsports for the Dover and Pocono NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup events. 

“We associate ourselves with racing not only because the motorsports industry uses the equipment we sell and service, but also because the fire and safety industry people are race fans themselves,” said Gore.  “It’s simply a great fit. Our company is all about people.  When you call us you will get a real person on the phone.  Through our sister company, Fire Apparatus Repair, Inc., we service everything we sell and our employees go that extra mile to make that personal contact.  We are proud to have Andy Belmont Racing as part of the Continental Fire & Safety family.”

“In honor of our 10th anniversary, ABR will feature Continental Fire and Safety on the upper quarter panel as title sponsor of the 14 car”, said Andy Belmont. “I am excited about the 14 being back on our cars as most of my races in my career were won with this number. Rookie Jake Francis is set to go for his Daytona debut this weekend.  We anticipate good things for our team and our rookie driver.” For more company information, please contact www.continentalfireandsafety.com or www.fireapparatusrepair.net. For more information on Andy Belmont Racing, please visit www.andybelmont.com

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Mooresville, NC (February 7, 2008) - A year ago, Mark McFarland came home third in the final USAR Hooters Pro Cup championship standings. This season, the driver of the No. 81 Knight's Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo feels like he’s got an even better shot at the Pro Cup title - thanks in large part to the addition of new crew chief Wes Ward. “I very excited to have Wes join our team this year,” said McFarland. “We went through about a two-month process to figure out who we wanted. I’ve worked with Wes in the past at Jr. Motorsports in the NASCAR Busch Series and I really liked it. Wes is very organized and is great on the radio during the race. He’s a great teacher and even though I am a veteran racer, you can always learn something. Wes brings that to our team and a lot more.” Ward, 45, is a career racer who rose out of the ultra-tough Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway stock car ranks to forge a 30-year career in auto racing.

“My story is pretty typical,” said Ward (left), who got his start behind the wheel of a 1969 Chevy Camaro at Hickory in 1978. “I won some races, wrecked a lot, and finally, it just got too expensive to do. It was too tough for me and my dad to afford it. The good thing that came out of it was that since we didn’t have a lot of money, I learned how to work on cars. I learned a lot about racing.”

After 10 years in the driver’s seat, Ward’s skill with a wrench earned him a spot in the Busch Series working with legendary driver Tommy Houston. Later, Ward spend four years tending to Dale Jarrett’s Busch cars before he got his first chance calling the shots from the top of the pit box for Diamond Ridge Racing and driver Jeff Green’s Busch Series effort in 1997.

Over the next eight seasons, Ward worked with a number of top teams as crew chief for the likes of Elton Sawyer, Kenny Irwin, Kasey Kahne, Jason Keller and Kenny Wallace just to name a few. Along the way, Ward also got a taste of NASCAR Sprint Cup competition.

Then, in 2006, the veteran top kick blazed into the Hooters Pro Cup Series guiding the fortunes of Shane Huffman in an entry fielded by Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

“I didn’t really know a lot about the Pro Cup Series back then and we didn’t get much time to learn because by the middle of the season, they moved Shane and I up to the Busch Series,” said Ward. “Even though I was there only a short time, I got to know the Hooters Series and some of the people in it. It was very cool. The Hooters deal reminds me a lot of the Busch Series back in the early 1990's. I’m not saying that as a bad thing, but rather just the opposite. I’ve been doing this a long time and I remember when racing was a lot more fun than it can be at times now. That’s a big part of what I am looking forward to this season.”

Another one of the things Ward is most looking forward to this season is an old-school, hands-on approach to stock car racing.

“The sport has really changed on the NASCAR level with all the engineers coming in,” Ward stated. “That will eventually trickle down to divisions like the Hooters Series, but for right now, Hooters Pro Cup is still very much a racer’s series and not an engineer’s series. That’s something that was very attractive to me in coming to Pete Knight Racing and the Hooters Pro Cup Series.”

In the end, Ward’s competitive drive, the ability to partner with a proven winner in McFarland, and opportunity to contend for a championship made his decision to move to the Pro Cup ranks this season an easy one. “Even though I ran the Busch Series for years, I was never able to compete for a championship,” said Ward. “This is a situation that is very lucrative for me. It’s a great opportunity to contend for a title. It’s not a part-time, or partial deal like a lot of the places I’ve been in the past.

“You know, I’ve been doing this so long that it really doesn’t have anything to do with money or prestige or any of that anymore,” Ward concluded. “It’s all about quality of life. I want to enjoy myself. I’m not riding out my career here by any means. I still have a long time to go in my career. It’s nice and refreshing to be in a place where there’s not some sort of politics going on all the time. You still have to win races and contend for championships, but I’m all about having a good time this year. We plan on doing that a lot this year.”

McFarland and Ward will open the 2008 USAR Hooters Pro Cup season on Saturday March 15 at USA International Speedway in Lakeland, FL. The Sears Auto Center 200 will take the green flag at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.

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