ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards

Graham’s morning lap of 48.229 seconds (186.61 mph) in the No. 88 Ford gave him the lead in the weekend’s fifth testing session, and in turn the only top 10 time outside of Saturday afternoon’s drafting session. Duno, Jared Marks, Will Kimmel, and Alex Bowman comprised the remainder of the morning top five.

Only 30 cars participated in the last afternoon session, which Duno led with a best lap of 48.34 seconds (186.161 mph). She was followed by Joey Coulter, Brandon McReynolds, Bowman, and Josh Richards. Full speed charts for both Sunday sessions are available at ARCARacing.com.

Overall, Venturini Motorsports ended the weekend with the top positions among 79 drivers who took laps over 21 hours. Bowman’s Saturday afternoon lap of 47.787 seconds (188.336 mph) in the No. 25 Chevrolet will stand as the test’s top effort, just ahead of teammates John Stancill, Brennan Poole, and Ryan Reed. Marks, driving a Tony Marks Racing Dodge, ended the weekend fifth.

Duno’s Saturday afternoon lap in the Sheltra Motorsports Ford ended the test sixth overall, just ahead of Venturini’s Nelson Canache, DC Racing’s Drew Charlson, Graham, and Coulter Motorsports’ Matt Lofton.

The overall weekend results are listed below.

CAR # DRIVER MFG TIME SPEED

1 25a Alex Bowman Chevy 47.787 188.336
2 55 John Stancill Toyota 47.811 188.241
3 25 Brennan Poole Chevy 47.812 188.237
4 15 Ryan Reed Toyota 47.821 188.202
5 12 Jared Marks Dodge 47.832 188.159
6 63 Milka Duno Ford 48.166 186.854
7 35 Nelson Canache Chevy 48.212 186.676
8 51 Drew Charlson Chevy 48.221 186.641
9 88 Buster Graham Ford 48.229 186.610
10 16 Matt Lofton Chevy 48.234 186.590
11 94 Steve Blackburn Chevy 48.245 186.548
12 69a Fain Skinner Ford 48.251 186.525
13 58 Chad Hackenbracht Chevy 48.340 186.181
14 61 Joey Coulter Chevy 48.363 186.093
15 4 Brandon McReynolds Chevy 48.364 186.089
16 32 Chris Windom Toyota 48.380 186.027
17 66 Josh Richards Toyota 48.438 185.805
18 68 Will Kimmel Ford 48.488 185.613
19 08 Ross Chastain Ford 48.569 185.303
20 12 Maryeve Dufault Dodge 48.573 185.288
21 75 Ginny Quinones Toyota 48.674 184.904
22 44 Frank Kimmel Toyota 48.773 184.528
23 6 Cale Gale Chevy 48.803 184.415
24 14 John Ferrier Chevy 48.839 184.279
25 05 Derrike Cope Chevy 48.846 184.253
26 00 Ed Kennedy Chevy 48.865 184.181
27 66 Mark Thompson Toyota 48.931 183.932
28 1 Alli Owens Ford 48.953 183.850
29 90 Zachary Ralston Ford 48.971 183.782
30 29c Bobby Pelland Dodge 49.076 183.389
31 29a Sam Edwards Dodge 49.092 183.329
32 5a Bobby Gerhart Chevy 49.169 183.042
33 82a Sean Corr Ford 49.190 182.964
34 61 T.J. Duke Chevy 49.193 182.953
35 11b Rick Clifton Chevy 49.340 182.408
36 75a Benny Chastain Toyota 49.392 182.216
37 17 Chris Buescher Ford 49.417 182.124
38 29b Sloan Henderson Dodge 49.461 181.962
39 5b Damon Lusk Chevy 49.469 181.932
40 14a Josh Williams Ford 49.609 181.419
41 05 Spencer Gallagher Chevy 49.625 181.360
42 1a Jeremy Petty Chevy 49.725 180.995
43 40a Michelle Therault Dodge 49.745 180.923
44 10a Dennis Strickland Ford 49.793 180.748
45 13 George Cushman Dodge 49.985 180.054
46 69 Chris Brown Ford 50.133 179.522
47 18 Michael Affarano Chevy 50.207 179.258
48 10b Ryan Glenski Chevy 50.223 179.201
49 90a Grant Enfinger Ford 50.258 179.076
50 40t Nick Tucker Dodge 50.390 178.607
51 11 Paul Harraka Chevy 50.403 178.561
52 11c Trevor Edwards Chevy 50.517 178.158
53 10 Derrick Griffin Ford 50.539 178.080
54 1b Thomas Praytor Ford 50.560 178.006
55 11a Ed Pompa Chevy 50.579 177.939
56 29 Bob Bryant Dodge 50.606 177.845
57 11e Sunny Hobbs Chevy 50.617 177.806
58 29d Andy Jones Dodge 50.626 177.774
59 18f Chris Coker Ford 50.640 177.725
60 04c Danny Esposito Dodge 50.651 177.687
61 04 Scott Edwards Dodge 50.695 177.532
62 1c Alexsander Gregory Ford 50.715 177.462
63 40b Trent Mayo Dodge 50.926 176.727
64 04a Juan Carlos Blum Dodge 51.029 176.370
65 40d Larry Barford Dodge 51.054 176.284
66 11d Bill Coffey Ford 51.162 175.912
67 40d Josh Watkins Dodge 51.162 175.912
68 06 Ricky Byers Chevy 51.173 175.874
69 11h James Hylton Ford 51.243 175.634
70 10f Brad Lloyd Chevy 51.257 175.586
71 10b Daryl Eustice Ford 51.277 175.517
72 18c Tyler Speer Chevy 51.348 175.275
73 89 Chris Lafferty Chevy 51.563 174.544
74 40c Ryan Rust Dodge 51.605 174.402
75 7 Brent Cross Chevy 51.792 173.772
76 40 Michael Bockler Dodge 51.795 173.762
77 40b Roger Carter Dodge 51.827 173.655
78 89a Korbin Forrister Chevy 52.314 172.038
79 74 Jimmy Nowell Chevy 60.220 149.452

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will return to central Florida in less than two months, as the February 18 Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway will open ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season. The 80-lap, 200-mile race is scheduled as the first of 20 races in 2012 and will air live on SPEED, with additional coverage available at ARCARacing.com.

The complete 2012 event schedule is available at ARCARacing.com.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. The series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course in its most recent season. This year, the series will visit Alabama’s Mobile International Speedway and Minnesota’s Elko Speedway for the first time; ARCA’s first visit to Minnesota will give ARCA a race in a 29th state.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Thumbnail

Ryan Reed drove the No. 15 Toyota to a best lap of 48.857 seconds (184.211 mph) in the second session of ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards open testing at the 2.5-mile oval, just edging teammates Brennan Poole, John Stancill, and Mark Thompson for the day’s best times. T.J. Duke, driving for Coulter Motorsports, finished the day fifth.

Poole led the three-hour morning period with a best lap of 48.915 seconds, and he and Reed were the only drivers to top that mark in the four-hour afternoon session.

Reed has never competed in the ARCA Racing Series, but is a track champion and super late model Rookie of the Year and race winner at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in California. Just months past his 18th birthday, Reed enters ARCA with three NASCAR K&N Pro Series starts to his credit. In February, as he prepared to move to North Carolina from Bakersfield, Calif., Reed was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

Rick Clifton, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year Joey Coulter, Chris Windom, Nelson Canache, and Sloan Henderson filled out the top 10 for the first day. Seven-time and defending Daytona winner Bobby Gerhart ended the day 13th, and 2011 Daytona runner-up and ARCA Rookie of the Year Chris Buescher finished 27th.

Open testing for teams and drivers will continue Saturday and Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.

The full list of every driver’s best speed is available below.

CAR # DRIVER TIME SPEED

1 15 Ryan Reed 48.857 184.211
2 25 Brennan Poole 48.862 184.192
3 55 John Stancill 48.921 183.970
4 66 Mark Thompson 48.931 183.932
5 61 T.J. Duke 49.193 182.953
6 11b Rick Clifton 49.340 182.408
7 61 Joey Coulter 49.350 182.371
8 32 Chris Windom 49.360 182.334
9 35 Nelson Canache 49.439 182.043
10 29b Sloan Henderson 49.461 181.962
11 5b Damon Lusk 49.469 181.932
12 82a Sean Corr 49.475 181.910
13 5a Bobby Gerhart 49.502 181.811
14 58 Chad Hackenbracht 49.552 181.627
15 4 Brandon McReynolds 49.553 181.624
16 99 Buster Graham 49.637 181.316
17 14 John Ferrier 49.666 181.210
18 94 Steve Blackburn 49.717 181.025
19 16 Matt Lofton 49.725 180.995
20 00 Ed Kennedy 49.761 180.865
21 12 Jared Marks 49.772 180.825
22 63 Milka Duno 49.787 180.770
23 1 Alli Owens 49.813 180.676
24 69a Fain Skinner 49.862 180.498
25 68 Will Kimmel 50.016 179.942
26 6 Cale Gale 50.034 179.878
27 17a Chris Buescher 50.035 179.874
28 90 Zachary Ralston 50.114 179.591
29 08 Ross Chastain 50.131 179.530
30 69 Chris Brown 50.133 179.522
31 18 Michael Affarano 50.207 179.258
32 10b Ryan Glenski 50.223 179.201
33 90a Grant Enfinger 50.258 179.076
34 75 Ginny Quinones 50.278 179.005
35 11 Paul Harraka 50.403 178.561
36 75a Benny Chastain 50.461 178.356
37 11a Ed Pompa 50.579 177.939
38 11c Trevor Edwards 50.681 177.581
39 04 Scott Edwards 50.695 177.532
40 51 Drew Charlson 50.744 177.361
41 05 Spencer Gallagher 50.903 176.807
42 13 George Cushman 50.928 176.720
43 04a Juan Carlos Blum 51.029 176.370
44 04c Danny Esposito 51.089 176.163
45 11d Bill Coffey 51.162 175.912
46 06 Ricky Byers 51.173 175.874
47 10b Daryl Eustice 51.277 175.517
48 04b Nick Tucker 51.405 175.080
49 40d Larry Barford 51.511 174.720
50 04d Josh Watkins 51.674 174.169
51 40b Roger Carter 51.827 173.655
52 40 Michael Bockler 51.990 173.110
53 05a Derrike Cope 52.067 172.854
54 7 Brent Cross 52.376 171.834

2012 will be the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards’ 60th Anniversary Season, featuring 20 races at 18 tracks. The season begins with the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 18. The event will air live on SPEED.

The complete 2012 event schedule is available at ARCARacing.com.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. The series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course in its most recent season. This year, the series will visit Alabama’s Mobile International Speedway and Minnesota’s Elko Speedway for the first time; ARCA’s first visit to Minnesota will give ARCA a race in a 29th state.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

Larry (L) and Brandon McReynolds (R) talk during Friday’s ARCA test session at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway

“Brandon McReynolds eyes first start at Daytona in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200″

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Two-time Daytona 500 winning crew chief Larry McReynolds, who serves as an analyst on the NASCAR broadcast team for FOX Sports, watched over his son Brandon as the annual three-day ARCA Racing Series test session kicked off on Friday at Daytona International Speedway.

Approximately 60 drivers are participating in the test session in advance of the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season opener on Saturday, Feb. 18, the kick-off event to the stock car portion of Speedweeks 2012.

The 20-year-old McReynolds is turning laps at the “World Center of Racing” in the No. 4 Chevrolet for Turner Motorsports as he prepares for his first start on the 31-degree high banks of Daytona International Speedway.

McReynolds participated in the ARCA test two years ago with Eddie Sharp Racing, but didn’t have plans at the time to compete at Daytona. This year’s test is different. He knows he’s preparing for his Daytona debut in the upcoming 80-lap, 200-mile event.

“It’s a little more serious,” McReynolds said. “We’re always looking for speed. I think you got some guys out here laying down some PR laps. That’s not what Turner Motorsports is about. We’re down here for a legit test to see how fast we can go with what we’re going to be racing. I think we got a good piece.”

In background of the test is Brandon’s father Larry McReynolds, who won the Daytona 500 serving as the crew chief for Davey Allison in 1992 and Dale Earnhardt in 1998.

“When we won the 500 here with Davey in 1992, Brandon was not even a year old,” Larry McReynolds said. “He was Davey’s godson. I’ve got pictures of him in Victory Lane wrapped up in a baby’s blanket. It’s pretty cool to see him make laps here.”

During this week’s test, McReynolds stays at a distance but is always ready to offer advice to his son.

“He’s been racing since he was seven,” McReynolds said. “I’ve always played a huge role in his racing whether it was paying the bills or running the race team. We did that for a number of years with our own stuff. But Steve Turner and Turner Motorsports are giving him a great opportunity with great people.

“It’s actually kind of neat just being down here and being dad and just listening on the radio. At the end of the day, I can look at him and tell him things that I heard or saw or this is something you might want to think about. I do not want to be a meddling dad. I want to be here and support him and the race team and enjoy watching his career grow.”

Brandon McReynolds is unsure of his 2012 plans but hopes it will be at Turner Motorsports.

“We’re still working on it. I hope to be over at Turner Motorsports. I really enjoy working with those guys. They’ve let me do some testing over the offseason and I ran Talladega with those guys. I feel like I’ve got a really good home over there. We’re working away on it. It takes sponsorship to make race cars go around these days and we’re working on it. We’ll see what happens.”

Alli Owens

The 23-year-old Owens, who attempted to qualify for the February NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at DIS, sat out the majority of the 2011 season to have a baby. After giving birth to a daughter in October, Owens is ready to return to the track.

“It’s huge,” Owens said. “I just had a baby a couple of months ago. To be able to come back out here after everybody pretty much wrote me off . . . it seems like if you’re a mom, you’re done.”

During the test, Owens is driving the No. 1 Ford for Andy Belmont Racing and is planning on making her fourth career start in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200.

Her husband Paul Chodora, who works for a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team, is serving as her crew chief for the test.

Owens, with sponsorship from Baby Jock, is only scheduled to compete in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 but is exploring opportunities in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series for 2012.

“I was nervous,” Owens said of having a baby and then returning to racing. “It’s never been done before. You never see females who decide to have a family come back and be successful in the sport. We’re trying to do something that hasn’t been done before.

“To be back out here this year, it’s been even more special because I am a mom and now I’m getting the respect of being a parent and a driver.”

ARCA testing continues on Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A section of the Oldfield Grandstands will be open free to the public with access available through the lobby of the Daytona International Speedway ticket office.

Tickets for the 54th running of the Daytona 500 and other Speedweeks 2012 events are available online to www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

- Daytona International Speedway Press Release

Alli Owens

The former South Daytona resident and new mother is scheduled to return to the ARCA Series and participate in today’s test session at Daytona International Speedway.

The 23-year-old driver missed most of the 2011 season to have a baby.

“It’s so weird when women get pregnant and people around them think, ‘OK, that’s her life now, as a mom,’ ” Owens said. “They forget we have careers.

“It’s a little unfair to think if a woman has a baby, that from that point forward, all she will be is a mother. Being a mom was part of the plan, and now I want to go back out and race.”

Alli and her husband, Paul Chodora, who live in Charlotte, were joined by Braelynn Chodora — 19 1/2 inches long; 6 pounds, 13 ounces — in October.

Now back to full strength, Owens — who has 32 career ARCA starts — will be driving Andy Belmont’s No. 1 Ford.

“The last time I was in a racecar was my attempt to make the Truck (Series) race at Daytona in February,” Owens said.

Owens raised the money to race with a grass-roots program, but she failed to qualify for the 100-lap season-opening event.

When Owens started sending out feelers for a 2012 NASCAR or ARCA ride, Belmont was one of the first people on the phone with the new mother.

- Daytona Beach News-Journal

Race4Girls is an organization founded by Tracey Passantino earlier in 2011 with hopes of bringing female drivers in top racing series – currently listed as the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, Camping World Truck Series, IndyCar, ARCA, World of Outlaws, and American Le Mans Series – some support. “The incentive to become a registered driver has to do with qualifying by earning points doing different things,” Passantino said. “Once somebody has qualified, then they can earn the grant (for equipment).” Registered drivers also have to get fans involved by bringing them to the website to make contributions. “If we can get better equipment for these girls, then maybe they have a better chance of running, earning more when they finish.”D

- Yahoo!

Alli Owens

Owens’ grassroots effort rallied her fans and local sponsors to contribute to her cause. Within weeks, Owens raised enough money to subsidize her No. 76 Ray Hackett Racing Ford F-150 at the famed Florida race track. Local Daytona establishments Mullinax Ford, Rue and Ziffra, P.A., Giles Electric Company, AXA, Miller Electric Company, NECA North Florida, Bob Evans of Port Orange, IBEW Local Chapters 756, 915, 1205, 613 and 222 all contributed to the cause. She has rewarded her supporters by placing their indivdual names on her truck.

“It has been overwhelming to see the support of my fans,” Owens said. “When I lost my primary sponsor during the off season, I didn’t know if I’d be able to race at all this year. I’m so fortunate for my fans. They’re truly the best. I can’t thank them enough for all of their dedication. It means the world to me. I’ve had kids, adults, friends, strangers and everyone in between donate money for me to race. Their names will all be on my truck and I’m going to do everything I can to bring them a win.”

No stranger to DIS or restrictor plate racing, Owens sat on the outside pole in 2009 for the ARCA event at DIS. In 2010 at DIS, she ran inside the top five for the majority of the ARCA race before being shuffled out of the draft in the closing stages of the event. Owens recorded her best ARCA finish at Talladega Superspeedway in 2009, finishing in the top-10.

With sponsorship in place, Owens is ready to focus on the task at hand.

“I’m so excited to make my first NASCAR start,” Owens said. “Growing up in Daytona, I’ve dreamed of this since I was a kid. It took a lot of hard work and effort to get to this point and I can’t wait to hit the track.”

- Breaking Limits Press Release

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (January 26, 2011) - With NASCAR announcing a new points system Wednesday night, drivers in all three of the sport’s national touring series are looking forward to how it will simplify matters for all involved — from the driver in the cockpit to the fan watching at home.

NASCAR officials announced that in the 2011 season, drivers will earn from 43 points for first place to one point for last (43rd) place. The winner will also receive bonus points.

Travis Kvapil, David Gilliland, Jennifer Jo Cobb and Alli Owens make their points about the points:

2010 NSCS Travis Kvapil - Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

Driver, No. 34 Long John Silver’s Ford

Front Row Motorsports

“I don’t think it will make a difference how we race, as far as passing cars or going for a win. It’s still going to be the same, in that the higher you finish, the more points you get.

“I like the idea of it being easier to understand, though. If you’re battling someone around you in points — say someone who’s 10 points ahead — you’ll know how many spots you need to catch up to him. Before, it was harder to figure out. You had to wait until after the race or even until you got home to look it up on the Internet to see how many points you got.”

2010 NSCS David Gilliland - Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

Driver, No. 38 Taco Bell Ford

Front Row Motorsports

“I definitely think this new point system is going to be better, especially for the fans. I think NASCAR has done a great job in listening to the fans and trying to make changes for their benefit.

“For us, as drivers on the track, I don’t think it’s really going to change anything there. You’re always going to race hard and race to get ahead of the guy in front of you, whether it’s for one point or five or 10. But it will definitely make it easier when you’re trying to figure out what you wind up with when you cross the finish line.”

Jennifer Jo Cobb (Photo Credit: Jerry Markland / Getty Images)

Driver, No. 10 “Driven” Ford

Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing

“I like the new system a lot. It simplifies the process. It’s not just easier for the fans to follow, but it mirrors the system that I grew up with in NASCAR’s grassroots level. Each position was always separated by one or two points from first place to last place. It keeps the competition close throughout the year, which I know the fans will enjoy.”

Alli Owens

Driver, No. 76 Mullinax Ford/
TheQualityConnection.org Ford

Ray Hackett Racing

“This will be an easy system for the fans to follow. The old way was very confusing to the casual fan. Heck, it was too confusing for the diehard fans. There were so many variables and factors that made it too tough to know what was going on.

“I think you’ll see this system engage new fans. It will make it easy for them to keep up with the points race and follow their favorite drivers.”

- Breaking Limits Marketing, Press Release

Alli Owens

Owens, who lost her sponsorship after the 2010 racing season, used social media websites Facebook and Twitter to raise money to rent a truck to compete in the NASCAR Camping World Series race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18.

“We are racing at Daytona. Yeah!” said Owens, 22, who hails from South Daytona.

“We were able to come up with the bottom-line dollars. We did it because of the race fans. They gave us about $6,000.”

The southern region branches of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and National Electrical Contractors Association are launching a new website, thequalityconnection.org.

The website will be Owens’ primary sponsor.

“The website is geared for contractors and their workers,” Owens said. “This is going to help them promote the quality of their work.”

- Daytona Beach Journal

Alli Owens

Owens was able to raise the funds after getting support from Mullinax Ford, a dealership from New Smyrna, Fla.; local Daytona Beach area chapters of the IBEW and NECA to promote www.thequalityconnection.org, a website dedicated to the National Labor-Management Cooperation Committee of the Electrical Construction Industry; and also her fans, who helped her raise enough funds to complete the sponsorship needed.

“It’s amazing that in such a short period of time everything has come together like it has,” said Owens.  “I went to Twitter and Facebook and put the word out there that we needed help.  Almost immediately we had people jumping on board.  It’s been humbling, and I’m so truly grateful for the businesses and fans who have helped me.”

Owens has three top-10 finishes in the ARCA Series and started on the outside pole at Daytona in the series in 2009. Owens will be the only female competitor from Daytona Beach competing at Speedweeks in 2011.

“I’m really honored to race for the city of Daytona Beach, the local IBEW and NECA chapters, Mullinax Ford and my family in the area,” said Owens.  “Growing up, the Daytona International Speedway meant everything to me.  It still does, and I’m ready to make a successful NASCAR debut there.  It’s going to be a special day.”

Owens will stay in North Carolina to help with the team the remainder of this month and into February.  She will travel with the team to Daytona, where their first practice is scheduled for Wednesday, February 16.

Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available for Owens in 2011. For more information, please visit www.AlliOwens.com.

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Alli Owens/Ray Hackett Racing, Press Release

Alli Owens

On the other end of the line was a representative of her racing sponsor, who explained there were no funds to support her racing efforts in 2011.

“Just the worst time,” Owens said in a telephone interview from her new base in Mooresville, N.C. “That’s way past the deadline for a driver to make plans for the next season.”

As a rule, it takes six months to one year to lasso a company for sponsorship funds, money generally budgeted for advertising and marketing.

The 22-year-old Spruce Creek High School graduate knew when the call ended there was little or no chance of starting any race during Speed Weeks at Daytona International Speedway.

Owens has three top-10 finishes in the ARCA Series and started on the outside pole of the 2009 Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona. When Owens didn’t show up at ARCA testing last week, it got friends and associates talking about how they could help get her back in the game.

- Daytona Beach News-Journal

Alli Owens

Owens has also dedicated her website to her fans to help donate and show them what they will receive in return for different levels of sponsorship. So far, Owens has collected over $3,000, and has even taken $1,000 from her own wedding fund to help her race. Owens plans to get married this spring in victory lane at the Daytona International Speedway.

“I’m just really grateful for all my fans right now,” said Owens. “We have some support from some local businesses, but we need to raise a little bit more to make this happen. My fans have been such great supporters of mine throughout my career that we decided to reach out to them and communicate with them every day using Facebook and Twitter. It’s been great. Every day, almost every hour I can update everyone on our progress. It’s been a great tool and something the fans have been excited about.

Owens has three top-10 finishes in the ARCA Series and started on the outside pole at Daytona in the series in 2009. She’s looking to make her first NASCAR start in Daytona, no matter at what cost, including dipping into her wedding fund.

“Yeah, maybe our honeymoon will be cut a bit short,” said Owens. “But, my husband-to-be has been very supportive of my efforts. He knows how much this means to me to race at Daytona and make my first NASCAR start.”

Fans who are interested in helping Owens reach her goal may log onto www.alliowens.com where they can donate via paypal.

-