Catchfence

“Heads to Iowa with Message From Over 300,000 Kids”

Glenville, Penn. (July 11, 2011) - Peck Motorsports, the only family-owned NASCAR race team competing out of central Pennsylvania is now fully prepared to head to the .875-mile Iowa Speedway for Saturday night’s Coca-Cola 200. Making their NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) debut, Todd Peck will be behind the wheel of the No. 96 Arthritis Foundation “Kids get Arthritis too” Chevrolet that was unveiled in the nation’s capital last week during the national Juvenile Arthritis (JA) Conference.

With the 25-year-old Peck behind the wheel, his truck will be carrying the message from the Arthritis Foundation that kids get arthritis too. In fact, over 300,000 kids across the country are affected daily by juvenile arthritis. Peck, at the age of 15 was himself diagnosed by JA, but has been able to manage his symptoms and now reach NASCAR’s highest levels. He will not only carry the JA logo, “Kids get Arthritis too” on the hood of his truck, but also the signatures of the kids who attended the JA Conference this past weekend.

Although a different look, Peck Motorsports is not new to the national ranks of stock car racing. Todd Peck’s father, Dr. Mike Peck, and uncle, Tom Peck, previously operated the family operation in the NASCAR Nationwide Series throughout the 90s with Tom behind the wheel. The team was able to collect more than 50 top-10 finishes in five full seasons. Now, Dr. Mike Peck and son Todd Peck take the team to the Camping World Truck Series.

Todd Peck has more than 15 starts in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and currently competes in the Super Cup Stock Car Series. The team is currently looking for primary sponsorship for the 2012 season as it continues its collaboration with the Arthritis Foundation to bring awareness to juvenile arthritis.

Comments from Todd Peck Heading into Iowa:

“I can’t wait to get to Iowa and debut our team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. We have been waiting for this all summer. We’ve been working towards this weekend since we made the decision at the beginning of the year to race a truck. And, really, the last two months or so we’ve been working almost non-stop preparing the truck and our crew for Iowa. I fully believe we’re ready to get to the track and be competitive.

“The level of competition is something I’m really looking forward to. We’ve raced in the asphalt late model ranks and in the NASCAR East Series the past few seasons, but this will be a new, higher level of competition for us. That’s exciting for me and I’m looking forward to that challenge. We know it’s not going to be easy, but we want to keep moving forward as a team.

“Outside the competition in Iowa, I’m also looking forward to working with the Arthritis Foundation and the kids and families who are affected by juvenile arthritis (JA). We’ll be hosting two families at each race we’re running, and we’ll have two families and kids who suffer from JA in Iowa. It’s cool for me, not only because I have JA, but because we’re giving these kids and families an experience they may not have had otherwise. We can bring in the garage, show them something different and hopefully make them NASCAR fans. I want to help inspire the kids that they can reach their goals. We went to Washington, D.C. last week to the national JA Conference and unveiled the truck. I think we already earned some fans and that’s pretty cool. We just want to give something back.

“I hate to give ourselves any expectations for the weekend. I know that in racing things can go in any direction. We just want to get the ball rolling and get off to a solid start. We’re planning on running five races this season and right now we only have one truck and one engine. Our goal all the time is to win, but just getting off to a solid start this weekend will be really good. We just want to get the experience and complete all the laps. That will be a good night for our Arthritis Foundation “Kids get Arthritis too” team.”

About Peck Motorsports

Peck Motorsports is the only professional NASCAR race team headquartered in central Pennsylvania. Founded in 1988, Peck Motorsports is a family operation. Brothers Dr. Mike Peck and Tom Peck operated the team with success throughout the 90s. Today the team is still led by Dr. Mike Peck, but this time with son Todd Peck behind the wheel.

The family has a long, trusted history in the sport. Tom Peck has numerous top-10 and top-five finishes in the highest ranks of NASCAR. Todd Peck is the next generation of Peck Motorsports hoping to carry on the legacy of proud Pennsylvania racers. The team is currently looking for primary sponsorship in 2012 to support their collaboration with the Arthritis Foundation.

About the Arthritis Foundation

Striking one in every five adults and 300,000 children, arthritis is the nation’s leading cause of disability. The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org) is committed to raising awareness and reducing the impact of this serious, painful and unacceptable disease, which can severely damage joints and rob people of living life to its fullest. The Foundation funds life-changing research that has restored mobility in patients for more than six decades; fights for health care policies that improve the lives of the millions who live with arthritis; and partners with families to provide empowering programs and information.

Juvenile Arthritis (JA) affects more than 300,000 children in the U.S. JA is a term to describe the many autoimmune and inflammatory conditions that can develop in children ages 16 and younger. There are several different types of JA.

- Breaking Limits Press Release