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Roderick, a native of Lawrenceville, Georgia will once again be under the guidance of veteran car owner and crew chief Jeff Spraker. The duo recently competed in a span of three ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards where the combination proved to be potent during the months of July and August.

With the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season resuming their 2011 schedule on Labor Day, Spraker and his young protégé look to make an impact that will hopefully will leave a lasting impression.

“I’m awfully excited about having Casey race for Spraker Racing Enterprises on Monday at Greenville-Pickens,” said Spraker, a native of New York. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with him for a couple months now and believe me when I say this; he is one talented racecar driver. Even though he doesn’t have any experience at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway, I know he’ll climb behind the wheel of our No. 37 Spraker Racing Enterprises / Randy Hill Racing Chevrolet Impala and surprise a lot of people.”

For the 18-year old Roderick, his Labor Day plans were supposed to be business as normal, working in the Spraker Racing Enterprises race shop, but when his mentor offered him the opportunity to climb behind the wheel of his racecar, it was an offer he could not refuse.

Casey Roderick

I’m used to going to a lot of new tracks with very little to no track time at all. I’ll do a lot of talking with Jeff and do some studying of the place on my own when I get there. We’ll do an elevation after practice with the plan to qualify well and race smart and see where we can find ourselves in the final rundown.”

Knowing that a stout field is on deck for the 10th race of the season, the team is adequately prepared for whatever situations may stand in their way.

“The competition is so competitive in the K&N Series right now,” offered Spraker. “I think that will be good for Casey though. He is a quick learner and is eager to please. He’ll definitely learn a lot out there. With all that being said though our main goal for the race is to finish somewhere in the top-10 and see the checkered flag.”

In April, Brandon McReynolds, son of NASCAR analyst Larry McReynolds wheeled Spraker’s No. 37 ride to a solid eighth place effort at the historic short track.

Also, Spraker Racing Enterprises will continue to field its second full-time entry on Monday with Martinsville (Va.) Speedway president Clay Campbell at the helm of the No. 08 Mountain Dew Chevrolet Impala.

The Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway is set for this Monday, September 5 with a set liftoff at 5:00 p.m. The event will be tape-delayed on SPEED airing September 15 at 6:00 p.m.

Mike Bliss, Dexter Bean, Drew Brannon, Clay Campbell, Kerry Earnhardt, Joey Gase, Ron Hornaday Jr., P.J. Jones, Alex Kennedy, Brandon McReynolds, Steve Park, David Ragan, Scott Riggs, David Reutimann, Casey Roderick, Michelle Theriault, Darrell Waltrip and Smokey Yunick are just some of the drivers that Spraker, who also has starts for himself in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series (NKNPS), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) and NASCAR Nationwide Series has been affiliated with in one capacity or another through SRE.

For more information on Spraker Racing Enterprises (SRE) and its available programs, please visit sprakerracing.com.

Visit Randy Hill Racing online at RandyHillRacing.com.

- Spraker Racing Enterprises Press Release

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After posting the 30th and 26th, respectively, times in the first and final practice sessions on Friday morning at the road course of Cirque Gilles Villeneuve, the Aztec, N.M. native backed that up by qualifying 26th on Friday afternoon.

When the 74-lap race started, Kennedy wasted little time finding his way to the front by vaulting up to 19th by lap five. From there, some lead lap cars started to take early, green-flag pit stops to ensure they wouldn’t be caught without fuel towards the end.

This helped the 19-year old “Kid” Kennedy as he quickly moved up higher in the running order, until he followed suit and hit pit road for tires and fuel on lap seven. Returning to action in 35th place, crew chief Walter Giles let the driver of the No. 23 Media Master Chevrolet know this was a perfect time to race smart because when the leaders all cycled through on pit stops, he would end up near the top-10.

As the race continued, Kennedy was running in 25th when the first caution waved on lap 14.

When other cars finally hit pit road for the first time and the field cycled through to restart on lap 18, Kennedy was now lined up in 14th place; just like Giles predicted. While running 13th on lap 19, Kennedy was hit from behind and turned into the grassy area of the hairpin turn. This dropped him all the way back to 34th place.

The car was good to go, so Kennedy got back up on the wheel and did what he does best by picking off positions one-by-one to move up the scoring pylon. Laps 22 through 25 was where he started his charge to redemption by picking up six positions to 28th place.

Green flag stops again started on lap 27 and this allowed Kennedy to move back up into the top-20 running positions by lap 30. This was the time Giles had scheduled a stop for Kennedy to pack the car full of fuel and take on new tires, returning him to the race in 34th place, right in front of the leader.

The second caution flew on lap 40 with Kennedy in 27th place. Giles called Kennedy to come to pit road for as much fuel as possible and four new tires. This would leave the No. 23 Media Master Chevrolet team needing just one more fuel stop to go the distance.

Kennedy was running was 19th again when the third caution waved on lap 52.

This was the final stop Giles was looking for to take only fuel while others took fuel AND tires. Kennedy was able to pick up five positions on pit road to restart in 16th place on lap 55.

During the lap, while getting ready to course a turn, the back end of the No. 23 was lifted up from behind by another car which, in turn, sent Kennedy into the back of another car, right front first. After making contact with the car in front, the No. 23 then slid off into the gravel with heavy damage to the right front fender. This brought out the fourth caution so a tow truck could pull him out to drive the car to pit road for repairs.

It took them two laps, but the No. 23 team returned to action in 34th place for the lap 59 restart. Not wanting to damage the car or put the driver in harm’s way, the team agreed to see how things played out during the ensuing laps.

With 14 laps remaining, Kennedy radioed in that something broke in the front and it was quickly discovered a right front flat was the problem as he limped the car down pit road. A quick tire change, a check of the steering and a mandated stop by NASCAR to make sure all was okay on the No. 23 car showed it was still good to compete.

Now running 34th three laps down, Kennedy was going to be dependent upon other drivers to fall out to pick up spots. And, during the final 10 circuits, another caution with seven to go took place. Kennedy was forced to bring the No. 23 into the garage for more repairs on the back end by NASCAR officials.

When the race restarted on lap 69, Kennedy and the R3 Motorsports team were still in the garage making repairs. However, they were told by NASCAR officials the dragging bar wasn’t fixed when it should have been and they were posted out of the race.

Their undeserved finish of 33rd, after running lap times within the top-10 runners for much of the race, doesn’t show how well Kennedy drove and how the car handled through the turns of this track.

Alex Kennedy

“We ran right there for quite awhile and then fell back to follow the pit strategy Walter (Giles, crew chief) had laid out before the race. We had some cautions go our way and we were right where we wanted with less than 20 laps left.

“That wreck we were in tore up the right front, but the team got it fixed enough to get us back out to try to finish the race. The right front tire went flat, we came in for that and then NASCAR said the bar in back was dragging on the track too much and we couldn’t go back out to finish.

“Not a great way to end the weekend after working so hard to get where we were, especially running lap times in the top-10 for awhile. Thanks to everyone at R3 Motorsports, Media Master and St. Baldrick’s who made this race possible. I can’t wait to get back here again, or any track, to race again.”

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

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Such will be the case for Alex Kennedy when he takes the wheel of the No. 23 Media Master Chevrolet this weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal for R3 Motorsports. Coming off a commendable run this past weekend at Watkins Glen International, the 19-year old resident of Aztec, N.M. is ready to improve on that finish north of the border.

So, off to the road course located along the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence Seaway for this weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race to see Kennedy improve on his already noticeable driving talents.

Fast Facts: This is going to be Kennedy’s 11th career NNS start in the past two seasons and fifth of the 2011. To date, his best overall finish of 16th took place at Watkins Glens in 2010. His best start was at Road America in 2010, as well.

Track Facts: This will be the second start at Montreal for Kennedy, with the first taking place last year. After qualifying 22nd and making contact with another car in the early going, which forced a trip to the garage for repairs, he rallied back for a 26th-place finish. As a result, he has an 83.1 percent lap completion (64 of 77 contested) rate.

Tune in for the Win: The NNS schedule is a little different at Montreal than normal with two practices taking place on Friday morning. The first is 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET, and the second is 10:30 a.m. to Noon. Qualifying takes place at 5:10 p.m., none of which will air on TV. However, race time of 2:30 p.m. on Saturday will be aired on ESPN TV, MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90.

Come see Kennedy: There will be an autograph session by a majority of the NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Alex Kennedy will be one of them taking part in the event.

Alex Kennedy

“We know what held us back from having a better finish last weekend, so that will allow us to be even better in Montreal. We’ve had some great No. 23 Chevrolets out of the R3 Motorsports stable and we just need to be good in the early part of the race, instead of near the end.

“The way the Montreal track is laid out makes it challenging on every lap. But, I like it because there are places to pass. The fans in the stands are great and they really get into having the NASCAR race there, so we’ll do our best to put on a good show for them.”

About MediaMaster

MediaMaster® is the easiest to use full-featured media delivery system for schools.

Video on demand for your school created by Educational Technology Resources, Inc. See their demo system at www.etr-usa.com for more information.

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

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During the two-hour practice session on Friday, Kennedy logged the 26th fastest time. He backed that up in qualifying on Saturday morning when he took the initial green flag 25th on the final grid.

Once the race started, Kennedy maintained his starting position before moving up two positions to 23rd place in the first four laps. On lap five, Kennedy overshot the bus stop turn and had to come to a complete stop before he could get back to racing through the carousel turn.

That cost him eight positions dropping the No. 23 down to 31st place. A scheduled stop on lap 13 brought Kennedy down pit road for fuel, four tires and tape off the grill because the car was running hot. Returning to action on lap 15, the No. 23 Chevrolet was now 35th on the scoring chart.

Green flag stops for the leaders started on the 16th circuit, showing others were taking a similar pit strategy in the early going.

By lap 25, Kennedy radioed into crew chief Walter Giles the running temperature was high. This forced another trip down pit road to remove more tape, but also a chance to add more fuel. Right after he got back on track, the yellow flag flew for a car stopped on the course.

Giles took this opportunity to once again hit pit road to top off the tank. This lined up Kennedy in the 32nd position, as one of 10 cars a lap down to the leaders, for the lap-28 restart.

From there, it was a battle forward as Kennedy was running 27th by the halfway point of the scheduled 82-lap race. By lap 50, he was up to 26th and had to pit under green for fuel and four tires under green two circuits later.

By this time, there were only 22 cars on the lead lap leaving little room for improvement in the running order. What got real interesting for Kennedy and the No. 23 Primalyn Enterprises/Dream Factory team was the fact they were running their fastest laps of the race from laps 60 to 68 as they ticked towards the checkered flag.

By lap 76, Kennedy was now up to 23rd place before being forced to pit road for fuel under green. This took place while the race leader hit pit road, as well, needing fuel to go the distance.

The driver from Aztec, N.M. was running the same lap times as the top-10 cars when the caution came out on lap 81 forcing a Green/White/Checkers finish. And, when the checkered flag finally waved to end the race on lap 85, Kennedy and team finished 23rd in the No. 23 Chevrolet.

Next weekend, Kennedy returns to the No. 23 Chevrolet for R3 Motorsports at Montreal.

Alex Kennedy

“I hate that we ended up having to pit for fuel there in the middle like we did, but you need to have that to race and make it to the end. I can’t believe there were only two cautions in the entire race. I mean, I’ve seen what’s happened here and in other road course races and was hoping we could’ve taken advantage of some more cautions to improve our running position.

“We had a good car and should have had a much better finish than what we showed here today at The Glen. That gives me a lot of encouragement when we race Montreal this coming weekend.”

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

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With more races under his belt since then, the 19-year old driver from Aztec, N.M. has learned even more as he heads to the Central New York track. With some great backing from Primalyn Enterprises out of Rochester, N.Y., who moved from an associate role last year to a primary partnership this year, Kennedy will also be representing the charity of Dream Factory on the car; along with Cornell Racing.

After a top-15 run at Road America was thwarted when he was pushed off the track in June under the white flag, the up-and-coming driver is even more determined to show what he – and R3 Motorsports – can do this weekend.

Fast Facts: This will be Kennedy’s 10th career NNS start. His previous nine starts have been a mix of road course, short track and one speedway. Through that, his best start took place Road America, which was also his first start, of 15th. His best finish was at Watkins Glen in 2010.

Track Facts: This will be Kennedy’s second NNS start at the 11-turn road course, but third overall NASCAR start there. In 2009, he ran a K&N Pro East Series race finishing an impressive eighth. In this NNS race last year, his start in 23rd place quickly became a top-10 run until a late race caution trapped him a lap down after the red flag was lifted. After getting back on the lead lap via the Lucky Dog, there were too few laps for him to make up the lost difference.

Dream Factory Ambassador: Once again, Kennedy will be hosting people from the Dream Factory, Inc. at the track on Saturday. His involvement with them last year led to them presenting him the President’s Award for his efforts during their annual national banquet.

Tune in for the Win: Kennedy, and the other 49 cars on the entry list, will take part in a two-hour practice session on Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. (ET) on SPEED TV. Then, they will come back on Saturday morning and qualify at 9:45 a.m. before lining up for race time of 1:30 p.m.; which can be seen on ESPN TV, heard on MRN Radio and Sirius XM Radio Ch. 90.

Alex Kennedy Quotes: “We’re looking to back up what we did at Watkins Glen last year; if not improve on that finish. We had a great run going, got into a bit of trouble by no fault of our own and were able to put ourselves back on the lead lap to get a decent finish.

“This will be the third time I’ve raced at this track and that always helps with the comfort level going back again. If everything goes smoothly, there is no reason this No. 23 Primalyn Enterprises Chevrolet can’t have a great run. Everyone at R3 Motorsports has been working hard to get the road course cars ready for this week, and next week at Montreal.

“I’d like to personally thank Primalyn and RJW Enterprises for coming on board for Watkins Glen. Without great people like them, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do in this Nationwide race. So, we’re definitely going to put on a good show for them and the people from Dream Factory that are going to be there, too. “

About Primalyn Enterprises Inc:

Based in Rochester, N.Y., they are a private company which deals in commercial contracting for larger companies. They were established in 2002, are incorporated in New York and have a staff of approximately 10 to 19 people.

About Cornell Racing:

Cornell Racing, fresh off of their 14th place finish (out of 99) at Michigan International Speedway in the World Championships, is currently at Hockenheimring in Germany competing against 108 teams from around the world in Formula Student Germany. With a new engine and their first visit overseas, we wish them the best and look forward to hosting some of the team at The Glen this coming weekend.

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

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After posting the 24th-fastest time in the final practice on Friday evening, Richardson and team backed that up by qualifying 23rd for the race on Saturday afternoon. Once the green flag fell over the .75-mile oval at dusk, Richardson settled into a top-25 running position fluctuating up and down the scoring chart within a few positions of where they started.

Taking advantage of cautions on laps 24 and 49, Richardson was called down pit road by crew chief Walter Giles for tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments to get the car better. They didn’t have much to do because Richardson was saying the car was handing great through the turns.

As the air and track temperatures started to cool once the sun set over the Midwestern plains, the 29-year old driver was looking forward to the track coming to his car later in the race.

However, the team’s progress upward on the scoring pylon was slowed when an overheating engine occurred under green. This forced the No. 23 North Texas Pipe Chevrolet down pit road to cool it off and see what was causing the rise in temperature.

Giles directed the efforts enabling Richardson a return to action and good to go for the remainder of the race. Despite losing some laps on pit road, the good news was he could keep racing towards the checkered flag.

Some late race cautions on lap 154 and 185 allowed for more adjustments, the chance to double check the engine wouldn’t overheat and, for one of them, Giles called for the wave around to make up some laps.

Richardson was logging great lap times keeping up with cars in the top-20 and even some in the top-15, at times. Unfortunately, they were trapped too far down on laps to take advantage of those commendable lap times and race it out for a good finish.

When the race was said and done, Richardson completed the “23 cycle” by finishing right where he started – in 23rd place; in their No. 23 car. Knowing they have a good car ready to race again in the future will keep driver and team looking forward to their next outing.

This weekend, the NNS will race The Glen of Watkins Glen International for their second road course race of the year. Alex Kennedy will return to action for the team, just like last year.

Robert Richardson Jr.

“That was, by far, the absolute best car I have ever driven at Iowa Speedway. We could corner just right, the speeds were consistent and it was just a great-running car all weekend.

“It’s too bad we had that overheating problem in the middle of the race and had to come to pit road under green. We lost some laps, but Walter (Giles, crew chief) and team was able to get us good to go again so we could finish the race.

“We just kept at it for the rest of the race to get a good finish. They kept telling me were running some good top-20 lap times, just too bad we couldn’t get up there to race with those guys like we wanted.

“Taking advantage of the wave around was a good call, just too bad we didn’t get a chance to do more of them. So, we’ll have Alex Kennedy in the car next week at Watkins Glen and I’m going to go up and help spot for him, so that should be fun.”

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

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However, the 19-year old driver from Aztec, N.M. was running ahead of that in his No. 23 St. Baldrick’s / Media Master Dodge on the four-plus mile, 14-turn layout throughout much of the day. After a sway bar arm came loose during qualifying, Kennedy had to sacrifice his 19th-place qualifying effort after repairs were made for the race.

NASCAR rules mandate any work done to the car after qualifying will be sent to the rear for unapproved changes. So, when the green flag waved, Kennedy did what he does best when racing – he started moving to the front.

Just two laps in is all it took Kennedy to race from the back of the pack to 30th place. By lap three, crew chief Walter Giles called Kennedy in for a fuel only stop to start the pre-planned pit strategy. This would set-up the No. 23 Dodge right where it was needed for future stops.

After the first caution waved on lap six, the call to stay out moved him up to 22nd for the lap-nine restart. Pitting on lap 18 for fuel, tires and no adjustments had Kennedy poised perfectly when the caution waved again on lap 22.

Having already received new Goodyear tires, and filling up with fuel, earlier kept him from hitting pit road like many cars in front of him on the scoring pylon. So, when the race restarted on lap 24, Kid Kennedy was lined up 12th on the grid.

He would run in the top-15 until lap 34 when he broke into the top-10 positions. From there, it was up to sixth on lap 35 before pitting on lap 37 for fuel, tires and air pressure adjustment to help him in the middle of the turns.

Returning to action in 21st place, he would race back into the top-20 just two laps later and by lap 39 through 45 he was turning his fastest laps of the race. This was being done despite a declining loss of electrical power because of a broken lead alternator cable; which forced him to turn off all fans, his AC and switch between the two ignitions to keep going.

With five laps remaining, Kennedy and the No. 23 St. Baldrick’s / Media Master Dodge were in 18th place. A caution on lap 46 allowed him a trip to pit road where the R3 Motorsports crew leapt into action and quickly changed out batteries.

This cost them five spots, but they were still on the lead lap, when the race restarted on lap 49.

A big wreck occurred as the field dove into Turn 1 moving Kennedy up to 17th place and brought out the caution on lap 50, which was the scheduled distance of the race. The green/white/checker rule was put into place lining him up 17th for the for the lap-52 restart.

It was on this restart where the fate of the race changed for the No. 23 Dodge team.

As cars dove into the turns, several went spinning off the racing surface and others were shoved around as drivers jockeyed for position. Kennedy got caught up in that ruckus and was forced off the racing surface, through a large gravel pit backwards coming to rest right at the edge.

Stuck there, he had to wait for a push from the tow truck – despite the efforts of four corner workers who tried to physically assist him out – before getting back on the racing surface.

The car was not damaged, but he went a lap down and was dropped to 24th in the running order. The third, and final, GWC took place on lap 56 and more cars went spinning off the track, into the walls and gravel pits.

On lap 56, the caution waved again and Kennedy was left with an undeserving 21st-place finish. This was after NASCAR took several minutes to decide who actually won the race, and who finished where, because of the last-lap mayhem.

Kennedy returns to action for R3 Motorsports at Watkins Glen and Montreal in August.

Alex Kennedy Quotes: “I am just very frustrated our finish on paper is nowhere near what this car and team had going on at Road America. We raced our way from the back to the top-15 then top-10 out there. We were solidly running in the top-15 and had ourselves set up to be a top-10 contender.

“The crew did a great job all day and were awesome when it came time to switch batteries on that one stop. But, like most of these road races, we got caught up in some guys trying to get good finishes at the end by being aggressive and I got pushed off in the gravel.

“If I could have gotten out of there before the field came by, we would have stayed on the lead lap and come out of here with a better finish. But, I know one thing for sure. When we get to Watkins Glen, we’re going to be ready for a much better finish than what we showed today.”

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

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This will be his third start with the team in 2011 and second at the 4.048-mile, 14-turn road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. In last year’s event, Kennedy made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut recording an eye-opening 15th starting position in the 43-car field.

Throughout the race, he kept earning positions and found himself in the top-10 with less than 10 laps to go when he was tagged from behind after a restart. This sent him sideways where he was a sitting duck for another car coming out around a corner and was t-boned in the driver’s door.

Four laps into the garage for repairs and he returned to finish 28th. This year, however, Kennedy knows what to expect and is looking forward to his return to Road America.

Included in the weekend’s events is a St. Baldrick’s Foundation Headshaving Fundraiser, scheduled to take place Friday evening at 6 p.m. on the Road America grounds. Word is a few of the R3 Motorsports team members might be donating their cranial follicles to the cause.

Fast Facts: Kennedy is making his ninth career NNS start, third of the season with R3 Motorsports and second at Road America. His best finish took place at Watkins Glen last year when he finished 16th at the Central New York road course.

Track Facts: In this race last year, Kid Kennedy’s 15th-place qualifying effort garnered him some good attention for his NNS debut race, which is still his best to date. After that late-race tap from behind sent him spinning, then t-boned on the left side sending him into the garage for repairs, he still managed a 28th-place finish.

Car Facts: Walter Giles and team are bringing chassis No. 50 to Road America. This is a new car to the R3 Motorsports stable taking to the track for the first time.

Close shave for St. Baldrick’s?: As part of his association with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, Racing to Find a Cure, Kennedy will take part in the Headshaving Fundraiser on Friday night at Road America. Money is raised via donations and pledges by people willing to have their heads shaved for the cause. As of right now, two members of the R3 Motorsports crew hope to partake in the event if time allows. No word on Kennedy’s participation – yet.

Tune in for the Win: There are two practice sessions on Friday at Road America before qualifying takes place 3 p.m. ET on Saturday. Fans can catch the race action on ESPN for all 50 laps beginning at 5 p.m.

Alex Kennedy Quotes: “I am looking forward to getting back on the track at Road America. We had a great run in the No. 23 of R3 Motorsports last year before that deal at the end, so I’m looking for a little personal redemption in Wisconsin.

“The best part is I’m going back to a track I’ve run before and I know Walter and the crew have done a great job in building our Media Master / St. Baldrick’s Foundation Dodge for all the twists and turns. I’m going to use every lap to get better and better during practice and then the race.

“As far as me shaving my head for the St. Baldrick’s Headshaving Fundraiser, all I’m going to say is – I love watching them take place – and leave it at that. They do a great job and raising money for their cause for children’s cancer is incredible.”

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

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The inaugural event at Bowman Gray (N.C.) Stadium was bound to produce some excitement and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East delivered that. The 21-year old Shaw in his No. 37 Precision JLM Chevrolet Impala methodically worked his way from his 18th starting position and used patience during a race that featured yellow flag fever to solider on to an impressive fifth place finish.

“D.J. did an incredible job,” said team owner Jeff Spraker. “The race was historic because of its setting but we knew that our biggest challenge would be avoiding the carnage. Of course, the event supplied its typical beating and banging but D.J. stayed patient and hung on for his second career top-five effort.”

Ironically, Shaw also started 18th and finished fifth in his first career NKNPSE at Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway last year.

SRE’s second entry driven by Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell in the No. 08 Mountain Dew Chevrolet Impala also showed strength despite his outcome. After starting 26th, Campbell cautiously moved forward through the field but encountered overheating issues just before the 100-lap mark resulting in a 25th place finish.

“Clay should be proud of his effort,” continued Spraker. “The more laps he embraced, the better he became. He did a good job moving the field, just got engulfed in the carnage of short track racing. We’ll have him fixed up and ready to go this weekend at Gresham.”

Trekking to Gresham (Ga.) Motorsports Park this weekend, Spraker, a former driver himself is enthused about the potential outcome for both of his drivers.

“Gresham is such a nice facility that offers some great racing,” he said. “We recently took Clay there to test to get him accustomed to the track, so I think he’ll be just fine. D.J. is encouraged by his performance at Bowman Gray and is hungry for even strong results. I think both Spraker Racing entries have a great chance at being contenders on Saturday night!”

The Slack Auto Parts 150 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Gresham (Ga.) Motorsports Park is set for this Saturday, June 11 with a set liftoff at 8:30 p.m. The event will be tape-delayed on SPEED airing June 16 at 6:00 p.m.

Mike Bliss, Dexter Bean, Drew Brannon, Clay Campbell, Kerry Earnhardt, Joey Gase, Ron Hornaday Jr., P.J. Jones, Alex Kennedy, Brandon McReynolds, Steve Park, David Ragan, Scott Riggs, David Reutimann, Michelle Theriault, Darrell Waltrip and Smokey Yunick are just some of the drivers that Spraker, who also has starts for himself in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series (NKNPS), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) and NASCAR Nationwide Series has been affiliated with in one capacity or another through SRE.

For more information on Spraker Racing Enterprises (SRE) and its available programs, please visit sprakerracing.com.

- Spraker Racing Enterprises Press Release

Clay Campbell

Campbell will drive the No. 08 Mountain Dew Chevrolet Impala as he attempts his third career NKNPSE start on Saturday, June 4. The Pepsi-brand soft drink will carry its signage for the remainder of the year with Spraker Racing Enterprises owner Jeff Spraker calling the shots as crew chief.

“We are very humbled but yet excited about this announcement,” said Spraker Racing’s Jeff Spraker. “Clay undoubtedly has a passion for racing and this opportunity for us to pair with him and Mountain Dew is huge. We’re eager to advance Clay’s program to a full-time effort and we’re hoping to find some great success on and off the track with this new program.”

The 51-year old Campbell is eagerly excited about the opportunity to pair with Spraker and his team.

“It’s truly been a dream come true to drive for Spraker Racing Enterprises this year,” said Campbell. “I feel Jeff and I have a lot in common in that we both grew up in this sport. We both have a passion and love for racing which really aligns our thought process perfectly. When I first started looking to get into the K&N Series, everyone told me to go talk to Jeff Spraker. I think that says a lot. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him and Sue (Spraker, wife). I can say this, if he tells you something, you can take it to the bank.”

When Campbell was asked how a now-full time driving role may affect his duties at the legendary Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, he offered this explanation.

“The K&N Pro Series East schedule fits nicely into my work schedule at Martinsville Speedway. Most of the races are in the summer months and our big races at Martinsville are early in the year and late in the year. I’ve been driving late model stock cars in the summer months for a long time so now I’m just taking it another step up and traveling a little more. It doesn’t interfere at all with my day job though. In fact, I hope it works to my advantage by getting Martinsville Speedway some more attention.”

Spraker agreed with Campbell’s sentiments.

“The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule works well for a lot of different reasons,” Spraker said. “Not only is it a great developmental series that races on some of NASCAR’s most ideal race tracks but it’s schedule offers a lot of flexibility to allow someone like Clay to focus on some of the bigger items off on the race track. We’re going to have everything taken care from a competition side, so all he has to do when he shows up at the track is drive.”

Mountain Dew, a long-time fixture in the NASCAR community will continue its relationship with Campbell from a business standpoint at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway but now leans on a new enterprise to back his racing endeavors.

“We couldn’t be more pleased than to have Mountain Dew come on board as our sponsor. For so long that Mountain Dew logo was so iconic in this sport and to have them on our car is just phenomenal! The fine folks at Pepsi have been associated with me and Martinsville Speedway for a long time and I’m just thrilled they will now have their colors on my race car,” sounded Campbell.

With no prediction and guarantee on results on the race track both driver and team are on the same page knowing that giving 150 percent will boast a package that cannot be broken.

“The NASCAR K&N Series is very competitive right now, probably one of the most competitive divisions in all of NASCAR,” added Spraker. “This team has shown that it can run up front and we believe in Clay’s ability to drive a race car. With that being said we know that if we stick to our game plan and give all we can that results will come.”

The Army Strong 150 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Bowman Gray (N.C.) Stadium is set for this Saturday, June 4 with a set liftoff at 8:00 p.m. The event will be tape-delayed on SPEED airing June 9 at 6:00 p.m.

Mike Bliss, Dexter Bean, Drew Brannon, Kerry Earnhardt, Joey Gase, Ron Hornaday Jr., P.J. Jones, Alex Kennedy, Brandon McReynolds, Steve Park, David Ragan, Scott Riggs, David Reutimann, Michelle Theriault, Darrell Waltrip and Smokey Yunick are just some of the drivers that Spraker, who also has starts for himself in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series (NKNPS), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) and NASCAR Nationwide Series has been affiliated with in one capacity or another through SRE.

For more information on Spraker Racing Enterprises (SRE) and its available programs, please visit sprakerracing.com.

- Spraker Racing Enterprises Press Release

Shaw, the son of former NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion Dale Shaw finished sixth last season in the championship standings piloting his No. 60 Precision JLM Chevrolet Impala courtesy of one top-five and six top-10s, but will make his first start for veteran Spraker Racing team this weekend.

Joining Shaw in his efforts this weekend are long time supporters Precision JLM, Community Pharmacy and Mulkern Excavating.

“Julio and Rita Miglioli, owners of Precision JLM are great people and we are honored to have them along with the rest of D.J.’s supporters on our race car,” stated team owner Jeff Spraker.

Veteran Motorsports crew chief George Church will join SRE and Shaw this weekend at the .075-mile paved oval.

Additionally, Spraker Racing Enterprises announce that Ryan Lynch of New Boston, Texas who made his inaugural NKNPSE debut at South Boston (Va.) Speedway and finished a very respectable 16th will drive the team’s second No. 08 Chevrolet Impala entry.

Lynch hails experience from Go-Karts, Limited Modifieds, Legends and Super Trucks with his family’s support onto the developmental series. Although listed as a rookie, Lynch undoubtedly holds a wealth of Motorsports experience with 17 plus years of experience.

“We have tested Ryan and raced him at South Boston and he has done a very good job,” added Spraker. “With time, Ryan has the potential to become one of NASCAR’s finest talents. He has a natural ability and respects his equipment and opportunities.”

With the combination of these two drivers Spraker Racing Enterprises goes into this weekend at Iowa with high hopes of collecting two top-10 finishes.

The Pork Be Inspired 175 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East / West Challenge presented by Tompkins Industries at Iowa Speedway is set for this Saturday, May 21st at 7:00 p.m.

Mike Bliss, Dexter Bean, Drew Brannon, Kerry Earnhardt, Joey Gase, Ron Hornaday Jr., P.J. Jones, Alex Kennedy, Brandon McReynolds, Steve Park, David Ragan, Scott Riggs, David Reutimann, Michelle Theriault, Darrell Waltrip and Smokey Yunick are just some of the drivers that Spraker, who also has starts for himself in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series (NKNPS), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) and NASCAR Nationwide Series has been affiliated with in one capacity or another through SRE.

For more information on Spraker Racing Enterprises (SRE) and its available programs, please visit sprakerracing.com.

- Spraker Racing Enterprises Press Release

Alex Kennedy

CHINA GROVE, N.C. –

After a fairly good practice session on Friday where Kennedy registered the 29th fastest time, but second fastest average for a 10-lap run, the team was poised for a good qualifying session on Saturday morning. When that was washed out by Mother Nature, the starting line-up was set by practice times lining the No. 23 Dodge up 24th on the grid.

After some rain delay, the team’s fired up their cars and took to the one-mile, concrete oval of the “Monster Mile” under threatening skies. Kennedy started out with solid runs and settled into 26th place.

A competition caution was set for lap 40, but an opportunity to make adjustments arose when the caution waved on lap 19. Walter Giles opted to pit the car for a chassis adjustment, lining up Kennedy 28th for the restart.

He would fall to 30th on lap 27, then started to pass cars to run 26th when the competition caution waved. Giles called for four tires, fuel, chassis and air pressure adjustments on the stop. Lined up 26th for the restart, Kennedy gained two positions in six laps.

While running 24th on lap 79, he radioed in the car was sliding pretty bad on the right-rear tire and the loose condition on the exit of the turns was getting worse. Giles said they would fix it on the next stop and for Kennedy to hang on until then.

While exiting Turn 2 on lap 87, the back end came out from underneath Kennedy. He tried to hang on after brushing the outside wall with the right rear quarter panel, but ended up spinning around and down the track with the right side making heavy contact with the inside wall.

After coming to a stop for a bit, Kennedy re-started the No. 23 Dodge and was trying to bring it to pit road. As he moved up the track, the car didn’t turn as quickly as desired and was hit in the right front fender by the No. 16 of Kevin Swindell causing it to spin around on the backstretch

The hit was so severe it tore the right-front suspension from the car leaving the right tire sitting out in front of the grill. The car was loaded on a roll back and taken to the garage leaving Kennedy and the No. 23 Dodge team of R3 Motorsports with a 32nd-place finish.

The team remains locked in via Owner’s Points tied for 29th place, trailing 28th by one marker and 27th by 11 points. Robert Richardson, Jr. returns to the No. 23 Dodge next week at Iowa Speedway.

Alex Kennedy Quotes: “This team didn’t deserve this finish. We had a good car that was getting better on the longer runs in the early part. After I spun to the inside wall out of Turn 2 there I was just trying to get back rolling again, but I just didn’t know how bad the damage was on the right side. I was expecting it to turn and it didn’t. I had the wheel cranked to get back to the pits to see if we could salvage the car, but it wouldn’t turn.

“It felt normal at first, then it just stopped turning and went straight to the top of the track. That’s when the 16 hit me and really tore the car up, and ended his day, too. I feel real horrible for Kevin (Swindell) because I ruined his day. I can’t apologize enough for that.”

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

R3 Motorsports Thumbnail

Kennedy, 19, will have Funny Dan the Race Car Man on the hood and St. Baldrick’s Foundation on his quarter panels and decklid as he races on the one-mile concrete oval of the “Monster Mile.” This will be his second start for R3 Motorsports this year and fourth start at Dover, with the prior ones coming in K&N East Pro Series competition.

Funny Dan the Race Car Man is a children’s book about a NASCAR driver who competes for the pure joy of doing what he loves best –racing. Written by Tim Packman, the team’s Communications Director, the book was published by Headline Kids and debuted last week; it is also part of the NASCAR Library Collection. The idea to put the colorful cover on the hood came from Kennedy himself when deciding how to decal the car for Dover.

In 2006, Headline Kids published a book titled, Cutting Class: The St. Baldrick’s Story of Christian Academy of Louisville Rock Creek by students and teachers of Christian Academy of Louisville Rock Creek, Louisville, KY with Martin & Delia Wach. Kennedy is the National Spokesperson for St. Baldrick’s in the NASCAR Nationwide Series attending multiple functions.

With the combined forces of Kennedy, Funny Dan and St. Baldrick’s all teaming together to take on Miles the Monster, R3 Motorsports is looking to continue their success as of late. A finish of 20th by Robert Richardson, Jr. at Richmond and 13th at Darlington last week by Scott Riggs put them back in the top-30 in Owner’s Points.

Fast Facts: Kennedy, from Aztec, N.M., made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Road America last year where he achieved his best start of 15th. His best finish of 16th came at Watkins Glen in August. Through six NNS starts, he completed 96.2% of laps contested.

Track Facts: This will be Kennedy’s first NNS start at Dover, but he does have three prior NASCAR K&N East Pro Series starts on the concrete oval. His qualifying average of 12.3 is based off his 12th, seventh and 18th place starts. His best finish of 11th took place last year.

Car Facts: Walter Giles and team are rolling out chassis No. 36 for this race. The last time this car saw action was at Bristol Motor Speedway when engine problems cut their day short just 67 circuits into the race.

Did you know: Alex Kennedy cut his teeth in Legends cars out west winning at tracks like Infineon Raceway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway?

Come meet Kid Kennedy: Alex Kennedy will take part in the NNS Driver’s Autograph Session at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning in the souvenir alley outside of the frontstretch.

Tune in for the Win: All the action is covered this weekend with Speed TV taking the practice session from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. (ET) on Friday. Qualifying will be on ESPN2 at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday then ESPN takes the 200-lap race later in the day at 2 p.m. MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 will have it live on the radio.

Alex Kennedy Quotes: “I’m looking forward to getting back in the No. 23 Dodge for R3 Motorsports, and I couldn’t pick a better place than Dover. I love the Monster Mile and its due time we avoid getting bitten again there. I’m looking forward to continuing the momentum that Rob Jr. and Scott Riggs have built up the past few weekends.

“Funny Dan the Racecar Man is on our hood for Dover. This is a new children’s book written by our very own Tim Packman. St. Baldrick’s is also returning to our car on the quarter panels. I can’t think of a better combination; a kid’s book and a kid’s cancer charity on the car of Kid Kennedy. Having spent some time with the St. Baldrick’s people, I’m looking forward to what we can do together to “Conquer Kid’s Cancer.”

“My primary goals are to set a quick pace in practice, bust out a good qualifying time and keep that momentum rolling for the race. I’m really looking forward to this weekend at one of my favorite tracks.”

About Funny Dan the Race Car Man

Funny Dan the Race Car Man is a fun-loving NASCAR driver who is motivated by the desire to enjoy what he does. He enjoys working with his crew and just having fun in the sport he loves so much. He may not be the first on race day, but he’s a winner to those around him every day. Author Tim Packman spins an engaging story about teamwork and competition which is brought to life through the eye-catching illustrations by Brendan Sellaro. Included is a glossary of racing terms, so get ready to start your engines and join Funny Dan in this exciting race car adventure. www.FunnyDanRaceCarMan.com

About the St. Baldrick’s Foundation

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. The Foundation funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government. St. Baldrick’s funds are granted to some of the most brilliant childhood cancer research experts in the world and to younger professionals who will be the experts of tomorrow. Funds awarded also enable hundreds of local institutions to participate in national pediatric cancer clinical trials, a child’s best hope for a cure. Since the Foundation’s first grants as an independent charity in 2005; St. Baldrick’s has funded more than $57 million in childhood cancer research. For more information about the St. Baldrick’s Foundation please call 1.888.899.BALD or visit www.StBaldricks.org.

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

McReynolds, 20 made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut in the No. 37 Spraker Racing Enterprises Chevrolet at the tricky GPS. However, the inexperience of the Mooresville, North Carolina native could not shake his abilities behind the wheel as McReynolds cleverly maneuvered an eighth place finish in his inaugural NKNPSE outing.

The team guided by racing veteran Jeff Spraker unloaded solid off the trailer. McReynolds and Spraker continued to adjust their Chevrolet bowtie between practice and qualifying – hoping to attract a soothing setup for the race.

In qualifying, McReynolds, nicknamed “the franchize” wheeled his No. 37 Spraker Racing Chevrolet Impala to the 15th fastest time overall, a respectable starting berth for his Greenville debut.

During the course of the 150-lap event, McReynolds, the son of former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crew chief and current NASCAR analyst battled a tight racecar but continued to steadily and patiently negotiate his black and grey automobile up the ladder. With the limited adjustments prone to the series, McReynolds had to masterfully save his tires for the end of the race, which ultimately changed the handling of his race car to a “looser” feeling.

Despite the change, McReynolds, the multiple UARA Series winner would counteract with his car’s condition but further battled his way past the competition to take the checkered flag in the eighth position, claiming his first top-10 in a NASCAR sanctioned series.

“I am really proud of Brandon,” said Spraker. “He showed maturity years beyond his age and proved to everyone why he is becoming a popular name in the garage. For having never competed at Greenville before in one of these heavier cars, he did spectacular. There was hardly a scratch on our car. Brandon showed patience and aggressiveness at the same time but easily was able to adjust those tactics as he saw fit on the track.”

Spraker continued, “our goal was to go to Greenville and prove that Spraker Racing has equipment that can run competitively in the top-10. Brandon did that and more. We’re talking about working together for some more races and honestly, I’m hoping it can happen, because with a little more time behind the wheel – this kid is going to prove a lot.”

Mike Bliss, Dexter Bean, Drew Brannon, Kerry Earnhardt, Joey Gase, Ron Hornaday Jr., P.J. Jones, Alex Kennedy, Brandon McReynolds, Steve Park, David Ragan, Scott Riggs, David Reutimann, Michelle Theriault, Darrell Waltrip and Smokey Yunick are just some of the drivers that Spraker, who also has starts for himself in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series (NKNPS), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) and NASCAR Nationwide Series has been affiliated with in one capacity or another through SRE.

For more information on Spraker Racing Enterprises (SRE) and its available programs, please visit sprakerracing.com.

- Spraker Racing Enterprises Press Release

No. 23 Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Dodge Challenger R/T (Photo by Chris Graythen / Getty Images)

And, for the No. 23 Wildlife Conservation Society Dodge and Robert Richardson, Jr. of R3 Motorsports, that was the case during Saturday’s 150 lap/300-mile race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Matter of fact, their problems started in qualifying Saturday morning.

Richardson went out for his first lap and when the engine reached, what should have been, full power – that wasn’t the case. Rather than harm the engine, he completed his first lap and went to the garage area. It was quickly deemed to be a faulty plug and the team made quick repairs, re-fired the engine and all was well.

For Alex Kennedy in the No. 03 St. Baldrick’s Foundation Dodge, he made use of his laps to qualify 28th putting two R3 Motorsports cars in the race.

An early-race caution on lap six sent some leaders to pit road for fuel and/or tires. This put Kennedy and Richardson 13th and 15th, respectively, for the restart because they stayed out. However, just one circuit back into the action on lap 10, Kennedy was tapped from behind off of Turn 2 sending him spinning to the inside.

Thankfully, he was able to save it and not get any damage to his Dodge as the race continued caution free. Trouble was, Richardson was right behind him and was one of several cars that had to check up to avoid making contact with anyone else. This dropped him into the 30’s as the race action continued.

A few laps later, Kennedy’s Dodge was checked over and there was some internal damage to the rear end ending his day early. Richardson, meanwhile, was left to deal with the long green-flag runs and a car that wasn’t handling well enough in the turns to capitalize on gaining some positions.

Walter Giles called for air pressure, track bar and chassis adjustments throughout the race to get the car better for the long runs. By the halfway point, because of some untimely cautions, Richardson was trapped on his own lap with four other drivers leaving little room for improvement in the lower 20’s running order.

The last pit stop under green on lap 138 was to make it to the checkered flag on lap 150. Richardson crossed over the start/finish line in 29th place. This puts the No. 23 R3 Motorsports team 32nd in Owner’s Standings, just four markers out of the top-30 and five out of 28th place. Richardson, however, is 23rd in the Driver’s Standings.

The Nationwide Series teams are off this coming weekend, but return to action at Richardson’s home track of Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, April 8 under the lights.

Robert Richardson Jr.

“It’s too bad we had that plug problem for qualifying, but the good news is we caught in time and didn’t have to change the motor. The car just wouldn’t keep up with the changing track conditions and so few cautions kept us from making the best of pit stops to make more changes. Walter (Giles, crew chief) and the guys did a great job on the stops, which is always a good thing to know when you hit pit road.

“We’re just going to make sure everything is buttoned up real tight for practice, qualifying and the race when we go to Texas. We have to qualify on time, but I’m pretty confident we’re going to be able to do that with this team we have here at R3 Motorsports.”

- R3 Motorsports Press Release