Max Gresham

Gresham and his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota won the pole Thursday and wasted little time getting to the front taking the point early leading until Lap 43 when he missed pitting under caution.

“My crew chief, Bryant Frazier, and I were talking on the radio and we never gave my spotter Curtis Markham a chance to tell me pit road was open,” said Gresham. “We just missed it. It was a little thing that we thought would hurt us in the long run, but we fought our way back. We drove our race and got back to the front. This Toyota Camry that Joe Gibbs Racing gave me was awesome.”

Gresham’s luck went from bad to worse when he pitted a one lap later for fuel. Exiting the pits, the 18-year-old Griffin, GA driver made contact with another vehicle damaging the left-front fender on his World Crown 300-sponsored racer. That forced Gresham to pit again where he took on right-side tires and had the damaged repaired.

Now mired in deep in the field as the race went back to green-flag conditions, Gresham methodically started working his way back through the pack picking off several positions before another caution, this on lap 59, sent him back to pit road for left-side tires.

The stop would prove to be critical later in the race as his rivals would complete the race with fresh right-side rubber only while Gresham had four new tires for the run to the finish in the 125-lap event.

Now 26th in the running order on Lap 62, Gresham rocketed back through the field breaking into the top-five with just under 40 circuits remaining. With 20 to go, Gresham was in second nipping at the heels of leader Brett Moffitt before he finally took the top spot for good at Lap 112.

From there, it was smooth sailing for Gresham as he rolled to his second NASCAR K&N Pro Series win of the season. Moffitt held on for second followed by Corey Lajoie, Brandon Gdovic and Benny Gordon.

The effort was Gresham’s seventh-consecutive top-five finish since coming home 21st in the season-opening division race at Greenville, SC. He is the only driver in the series to complete all 1,185 laps contested this season.

The victory also boosted Gresham’s lead in the 2011 NKNPSE championship point standings to 94 markers over Moffitt.

“It’s awesome to come from the back and win is very cool,” said Gresham. “Most people would want to get back to the front as soon as they could, but we just slowed down and ran our pace. We tried to get a car a lap, keep the tires under the car and keep the fenders clean. We knew if we could do that, we’d have something for them at the end. We were able to do that and it definitely paid off for us in the end.”

Gresham will stay busy in NASCAR K&N Pro Series competition traveling to Columbus (OH) Speedway next weekend for the Jegs 150. The event will mark just the third time the series has appeared in the state of Ohio and the first-ever at the Columbus oval.

The one-day show will open with practice at Noon Eastern with qualifying to roll off at 6 p.m. The Jegs 150 will take the green flag at 8:45 p.m. and can be heard on Internet radio at www.NASCARHomeTracks.com.

Additional information about Max Gresham can be accessed at www.MaxGresham.com.

- Max Gresham Motorsports Press Release

Empire Racing LLC Thumbnail

Bixman joins driver Sean Corr and the Mooresville, North Carolina-based organization, after guiding Grant Enfinger and Grant Enfinger Racing (GER) to a successful 2010 season. Starting off the 2011 season Bixman lead role was as crew chief and consultant for Benny Gordon who in his inaugural ARCA debut finished seventh in the No. 09 VSI / GER Ford Fusion at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February.

Bixman replaces former crew chief Richard Johns.

“Howard is very knowledgeable and we are excited to welcome to the team,” said Empire Racing team manager John Bellesfield. “We appreciate everything that Richard Johns has done for Empire Racing and wish him well in his future endeavors. With Howard’s leadership qualities and extreme dedication, we are hoping he can bring some overall improvement to our young team.”

For Goshen, New York native Corr – the opportunity to work with Bixman is ideally a win-win situation in his bid for the coveted ARCA championship. “Howard has been a fixture in the ARCA Racing Series for a long time,” sounded Corr. “He has always gone out of his way to consult with us (when needed) and now we are welcoming him aboard for this journey towards the top. I feel with his experience, work ethic and passion – he can only bring good things to everyone at Empire Racing.”

Empire Racing enters the second of 19 races on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series schedule 16th in points after a top-15 outing in the season-opener at Daytona nearly two months ago. In preparation for Corr’s second outing with the 2.66-mile superspeedway, the John Corr-owned operation participated in the open ARCA Racing Series test session but Mother Nature washed out one of the scheduled two day sessions – leaving the team optimistic about their chances for Friday afternoon’s expected thriller.

For more on Sean Corr, Empire Racing and marketing partnership opportunities for the 2011 racing season, please visit empireracingllc.com.

About Empire Racing:

Established in 2009, Empire Racing LLC. (empireracingllc.com. ) is a two-tier professional Motorsports organization consisting of dirt and asphalt competition. Sean Corr, a 26-year old hailing from Goshen, New York pilots the team’s automobiles in the DIRTcar Series and Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). In 2011, the team will attempt to run for a championship in the ARCA Racing Series with aspirations of moving into the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The team is headquartered in Goshen, New York with an additional operation in Mooresville, North Carolina.

- Empire Racing Press Release

Located in Clawson, Michigan Stanley Industries, Inc. has been serving the fastener industry since 1967 as a full line distributor of top quality products for all your fastener needs. With over 50,000 square feet of inventory, Stanley Industries prides themselves on long term commitment to quality products and service.

Stanley Industries, Inc. supplies your standard and special diameter and length socket products, hex caps, nuts, pins, washers, rods, and screws with the fastest turn around time in the industry. Orders can be accepted for both short and long runs and many special items are in stock and ready for immediate delivery.

Jim Cash, President of Stanley Industries, Inc. commented, “It is with great pleasure to be affiliated as a marketing partner with a thriving driver and team,” Cash said. “The team is off to a fast start and we’re looking forward to jumping aboard again for 2011.”

Over the years Stanley Industries, Inc. has grown to become a major fastener distributor. W. W. Stanley founded the company in 1967. He brought with him 30 years of experience in the fastener industry. Acting as Chairman of the Board, Mr. Stanley’s family is now actively involved in the company’s operation. Stanley Industries is also involved in the community through the Clawson Rotary Club and the Clawson Chamber of Commerce.

“Grant Enfinger Racing welcomes Stanley Industries aboard and we’re looking forward to this marketing relationship,” said GER owner Grant Enfinger. “Stanley has a lot to offer GER both on and off the track and we plan to exercise those capabilities to the best of our ability this season.”

The relationship with Stanley Industries, Inc. was initiated through the No. 09 Grant Enfinger Racing (GER) Ford Fusion by crew chief Howard Bixman in 2010.

“Stanley Industries has been involved racing and the opportunity to introduce them to Grant Enfinger Racing was a no-brainier,” sounded Bixman. “I appreciate their involvement throughout the years and hopefully we can take them to victory lane at some point during the season.”

GER is in the midst of nearly a two-month break in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards series. Last month, GER handed the wheel over to USARacing Pro Cup Series veteran Benny Gordon who delivered a solid seventh place outing in the No. 09 VSI Ford Fusion in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

The impressive performance has rightfully earned the team some momentum and the Concord, NC. -based ARCA team is planning to return in the series’ next event at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on April 15.

For further input on Stanley Industries, please log on to Stanleyind.com.

- Grant Enfinger Racing Press Release

No. 09 VSI Ford Fusion for Grant Enfinger Racing (GER) powered by ROUSHYATES Engines driven by Benny Gordon.

After an extremely impressive outing in the three-day open test last month at Daytona International Speedway were Gordon top the charts. Led by crew chief Howard Bixman returned to the 2.5-mile superspeedway looking for a solid performance.

In practice on Thursday, Gordon, the USARacing Pro Cup Series veteran negotiated the 15th fastest time after circling the racetrack in 49.019 seconds at 183.602 miles per hour. Not satisfied with the effort, the team focused on happy hour were they posted a time of 48.280 seconds at 186.413 miles per hour which put the GER team fifth fastest.

After 47 cars made their attempt around the newly re-paved superspeedway track, Gordon had posted the 20th fastest lap overall with a time of 49.537 seconds or 181.682 miles per hour in qualifying.

From the drop of the green flag in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, Gordon quickly began inching his way up through the running order. When the first yellow flag waived on lap four, Gordon has positioned himself solidly into the top-15.

When racing resume, Gordon maintained a spot inside the top-17 until the second yellow flag waived when the No. 09 avoided an incident ahead of him when Tom Hessert received a tap from behind and went spinning in front of the pack on lap 18.

During the yellow flag, the team took advantage to make their required pit stop when the lead group came to pit road on lap 19. Crew chief Bixman called for fuel only during the stop which allowed a lighting fast stop and Gordon returning to the track inside the top-20.

Racing resumed with the VSI Ford Fusion in the 18th position. Quickly though, the DuBois, Pennsylvania native marched back into the top-10 where he remained during much of the race’s second-half.

In the closing laps, Gordon with Ford teammate Chad McCumbee and car owner Grant Enfinger in the rear-view mirror, the gang tried to catch the lead draft of six cars but ran out of time and had to settle for a 13-position improvement in his ARCA Racing Series debut.

“Overall, we had a great day for the VSI Ford Fusion,” said Gordon, who impressed in his “World Center of Racing” debut The car was real good, we just couldn’t get our group together quick enough to make a dent with the lead pack. I want to thank Howard (Bixman, crew chief), Grant (Enfinger, car owner) and everyone with the GER team for the opportunity.”

Bixman commented on his driver’s performance. “I was very impressed with Benny, he did a great job all week long. We gave up a little in qualifying to be a good in the draft. We were a little nervous starting from 20th, but Benny was able to quickly position himself in the right place and move up rapidly. I wish we would have had five more laps, but we’ll take seventh and move onto to Talladega.”

For car owner and ARCA driver Grant Enfinger, who finished ninth two positions behind his familiar No. 09 in the No. 36 BeasleyAllen.com / Excaliber Coach Dodge Charger for Allgaier Motorsports, he was proud of the team’s effort.

“Benny (Gordon) showed a lot of patience and Howard (Bixman, crew chief) did a great job like he always does, he has the superspeedway tracks covered at Daytona. The car looked strong and I believe Benny learned a lot not only about the draft but ARCA racing in general. I’m happy.”

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will take nearly an eight week pause before actions resumes at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on Friday, April 15th, 2011 live on SPEED.

- Grant Enfinger Racing Press Release

Jason Bowles, No. 6 Rusty Wallace Racing Experience Eddie Sharp Racing Toyota Camry and Kevin Swindell, No. 98 Curb Records / Eddie Sharp Racing Toyota Camry

Race Break Down: Jason Bowles | No. 6 Rusty Wallace Racing Experience Eddie Sharp Racing Toyota

Start: 16th

Finish: 5th

Bowles, coming off his 2011 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown win, looked to compete in his first ARCA Racing Series event. He tested with ESR in January at the newly-paved track and hoped to take his knowledge from the test into the event Saturday.

In qualifying, Bowles laid down a lap of 49.368 seconds (182.304 mph), which would land him in the 16th position for the main event on Saturday. Crew Chief David Leiner Jr. and Bowles decided to go out for happy hour practice on Saturday morning for drafting practice, which helped prepare the No. 6 for the 200-mile event later in the day.

The green flag waved on the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, and Bowles remained confident and calm among the 42 other entries. By lap 11, Bowles climbed up to the ninth. With a caution on lap 18, the No. 6 came down pit road for the lone stop of the day, taking on right-side tires and fuel.

By lap 35, Bowles moved up into the eighth position and would remain there when the red flag came out on lap 46 due to an accident involving Chad Hackenbracht’s No. 58. The team strategized and decided to stay out on the track when pit road opened based on advantageous gas mileage.

The green flag waved again, and Bowles followed the leaders, cautious of the threat of getting out of line and losing the all-important draft. By lap 66, Bowles moved his way into the sixth position as he hugged the yellow line and stayed in the draft.

On the final restart, Bowles kept his line behind fourth-place Ricky Carmichael and sailed across the finish line in fifth place.

“It was a good race,” said Bowles. “We ended up fifth, and the guys did a great job on the No. 6 Rusty Wallace Racing Experience Toyota. Unfortunately, we did not have any help there at the end. We did what we said we were going to do and road around on the yellow line toward the end. On that last restart, the guys behind us ran two-by-two for quite some time and lost the draft. The guys at Eddie Sharp Racing gave us a great car. I think that we could have gone up there and competed for the win if we had some help, but fifth place isn’t too bad. Rusty Wallace Racing Experience coming on board was a great thing, and I thank them for their help over the past two races. I hope we can put together something else and come back to race later this year.”

Race Break Down: Kevin Swindell | No. 98 Curb Records Eddie Sharp Racing Toyota

Start: 12th

Finish: 12th

Swindell, also coming off a big win at the 2011 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals, competed at DIS for the first time in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200.

The 21-year-old driver started the weekend off with practice, where he was able to gain valuable experience on the recently re-paved surface. Friday afternoon, Swindell laid down a lap of 49.291 seconds (182.589 mph) in qualifying, good enough to land the No. 98 in the 12th spot for the start of the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200. Crew chief Jefferson Hodges and Swindell decided not to go out for the happy hour practice on Saturday morning and focused on race strategy taken from the information they received during the test and practice sessions.

The green flag waved on the 80-lap event on Saturday afternoon, and Swindell quickly moved into eighth position by lap 11. The yellow flag came out on lap 18 and provided a perfect opportunity for Swindell to come down pit road for his only stop of the day. The crew gave the No. 98 right-side tires and fuel, which would last the remainder of the race.

The race resumed and Swindell continued to remain calm, yet aggressive in his driving. By lap 36, Swindell held steady in the 13th position, where he would remain when the red flag waved due to Hackenbracht’s turn four incident on lap 46. Crew chief Hodges strategized with the driver and team during the brief break in racing and decided not to come in for a pit stop.

Racing resumed, and Swindell moved up to the ninth position by lap 60. With only 20 laps to go, Hodges encouraged the young driver to remain patient.

A chain-reaction accident on lap 64 sent nine cars sprawling across the backstretch, but Swindell was clear from the incident in the ninth position.

The final restart of the night would leave a 10-lap shootout. The green flag waved on lap 70, and the top-five cars pulled away, leaving the No. 09 of Benny Gordon, No. 1 of Chad McCumbee and Swindell to play catch-up. Unfortunately, Swindell made a last-lap push to the front but did not find any help from the cars behind him. He crossed the finish line 12th.

“It wasn’t too bad of a race,” said Swindell. “We just weren’t at the right place at the right time. We made an attempt to pick up a few spots right there on one of the restarts and got shuffled and never could recover. At the end, I tried to get a few cars behind me to go with me and pick up a few spots, but I got left hanging. We ended up in one piece, and I learned a little bit. Just not too happy.”

Eddie Sharp Racing will return to Daytona International Speedway next week for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Craig Goess will kick off his rookie season in the NCWTS in the No. 46 Greenville Toyota of N.C. Mike Skinner will join ESR for the first time in the No. 45 Cushman Toyota Tundra. The green flag waves on the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at 7:30p.m. on Friday, Feb. 18.

- Eddie Sharp Racing Press Release

The No. 09 VSI Ford Fusion for Grant Enfinger Racing (GER) powered by ROUSHYATES Engines driven by Benny Gordon.

Set to make his ARCA debut at the “World Center of Racing”, Gordon, a famed competitor in the USARacing Pro Cup Series returns to the 2.5-mile superspeedway on the heels of setting the fastest time at the official ARCA DIS test just three weeks ago. Not to mention, Gordon will have his biggest cheerleader actually competing in the race as car owner Grant Enfinger will drive a car fielded by 2008 ARCA championship team, Allgaier Motorsports.

Howard Bixman, the team’s crew chief also hopes to guide Gordon to victory circle in his ARCA debut, the first time that would happen since Matt Hawkins succeeded in 2008 at Iowa Speedway.

“We’re hoping for a real strong weekend for the Grant Enfinger Racing Ford Fusion,” said Bixman. “Benny (Gordon) did a tremendous job last month along with this entire GER team. We have since put a lot of time into this car along with the ROUSHYATES Engine program to find a little more speed that will give us that little extra push for the race.”

He continued, “While our focus and attention will be on Benny and the No. 09 VSI Ford Fusion, we’re also going to be keeping our eyes on that No. 36 with Grant (Enfinger) and hoping that the two cars can work together and maybe pull off one of the best finishes in ARCA history.”

Bixman concluded by saying, “without a second thought, this will probably be one of the most competitive and most nerve racking ARCA races ever held at Daytona. The track is incredibly smooth since it’s been re-paved which pretty much throws handling and tires out the window. The race will be determined by smart driving and being at the right place at the right time.”

“It’s going to be fun racing against my own car,” said Enfinger, who nearly soared to victory lane in Gordon’s machine at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway last April. “I know Benny is going to do a great job for my team and our sponsors. Hopefully all the cards will pan out and we can hook-up at the end and be the duo that everyone is chasing.”

Enfinger concluded “I’m very thankful for all our marketing partners that support us, Beasley Allen Law Firm, ROUSHYATES Engines, ROUUSHYATES Performance Parts, FORD Racing and Stanley Industries.”

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona (80 laps / 200 miles) is the first of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 48th ARCA race held at Daytona is a three-day show. Practice begins Thursday, February 10 with a four hour practice session planned from 1:00-5:00 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for Friday, February 11 slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. A forty-five minute final practice session is etched in on Saturday, February 12th from 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. The event will take the green flag later that day shortly after 4:30 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage including live timing and scoring and radio broadcast through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.

- Grant Enfinger Racing Press Release

Benny Gordon (No. 09 Grant Enfinger Racing (GER) Ford Fusion practices alongside Chad McCumbee (No. 1) last week at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway during the three-day open test session for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

Enfinger wasn’t the man behind the wheel. For the test, Enfinger, considered one of ARCA’s finest drivers handed the wheel off to USARacing Pro Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Benny Gordon who maneuvered the No. 09 Grant Enfinger Racing (GER) Ford Fusion for the three day test.

While it was tough for Enfinger to sit back and watch someone steer his familiar bold and brilliant No. 09 entry, Enfinger had other responsibilities after and being called just days before the test to drive the No. 36 Justin Allgaier Motorsports Dodge Charger for the 2008 ARCA championship team.

Under the guidance of crew chief Howard Bixman, the No. 09 posted its fastest lap during drafting practice on Wednesday afternoon. Gordon, who plans to make his first ARCA start of the 2011 season at Daytona in less than a month drafted his blue oval around the historic track in 48.414 seconds or 185.897 miles per hour. The fastest time could not be beaten during a full-day of testing on Thursday.

“I’m real proud of the GER team,” said Enfinger, who intends to compete in the 2011 ARCA season-opener next month. “We showed last year that we have a solid restrictor plate program and from what I can tell, we haven’t lost any steam since then. I want to thank Benny (Gordon), Howard (Bixman) and the entire Grant Enfinger Racing team for their hard work during the test. Our goal is to come back and be as competitive when that green flag drops.”

For Bixman, a well-known fixture in the ARCA community, he echoed similar sentiments of his car owner.

“Benny (Gordon) did a superb job for his first go-around in an ARCA super speedway car,” Bixman said. “We came here with a plan and to get Benny some laps. But to leave here atop the board it just shows how dedicated and focused this team and talented Benny really is. I want to thank ROUSHYATES Engines and Ford Racing. Hopefully we’ll be able to secure some sponsorship so Grant and this team can be a permanent fixture in the ARCA Racing Series and not just on a part-time basis ”

For Enfinger, who nearly pulled off his first ARCA victory last April at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, he maneuvered the second-fastest time overall in the No. 36 Dodge Charger. His fastest lap of 48.418 seconds or 185.881 miles per hour was just four-one thousands of a second slower than Gordon’s.

GER will join the remainder of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards teams for the first of 19 races on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series schedule, the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona set for Saturday, February 12, 2011. The event will be televised live on SPEED and is the preamble for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Budweiser Shootout which will commence shortly after the conclusion of the 80-lap / 200-mile contest.

- Grant Enfinger Racing Press Release

Grant Enfinger

The driver from Fairhope turned in the second fastest time during a three-day test session at Daytona that ended on Thursday. But Enfinger did it in a Dodge belonging to Allgaier Motorsports.

Enfinger’s own Roush-assisted No. 09 Ford turned in the fastest time — 48.414 seconds for an average speed of 185.897 mph — with Benny Gordon behind the wheel. Enfinger’s time was 48.418 at 185.831 mph.

There were several other notable drivers at the test session — IndyCar refugee Milka Duno turned in the 13th fastest time. And 76-year-old James Hylton was tied for 11th fastest.

- al.com

USARacing Pro Cup Series

While all the teams were busy learning how to mange tire wear on the .625-mile speedway, two drivers were particularly attentive to every detail: Clay Rogers and Logan Ruffin. Rogers leads Caleb Holman by 34 points in the battle for the series championship. Ruffin, meanwhile, is leading the battle for Raybestos® Rookie of the Year – and seeking respect from his fellow competitors.

Another series title would be Rogers’ fourth and tie him with Bobby Gill for most championship in Pro Cup Series history.

“For me it would be big,” Rogers said. “It’d be my fourth championship and that would tie me with Bobby Gill with four championships and that’s a pretty elite group to be in with guys like him. Nobody’s got five so I’m happy with four,” Rogers said with a smile.

Not smiling is second-place Holman, who knows the only way to win the championship is to beat Rogers – and that means winning races.

“If we don’t win he’s going to,” Holman said. “That’s the bottom line, that’s all there is to it. This is his kind of racetrack and we’ve just got to beat him. We’re going to have to outrun Clay and he’s probably going to finish second if we wins. I feel like we’re probably the best two in the series right now as far as race teams. If we don’t win I feel like he’s going to be right there and at least finish top two or three. That’s what it’s going to take.”

After a half-day of track time, Rogers had a clear understanding of what it was going to take to be successful at Historic North Wilkesboro Speedway.

“It’s all going to be about tire conservation,” Rogers said. “You’re going to see a lot of people sitting back and riding. It’ll be similar to our races that we have at Myrtle Beach. In our case we’ll have to go hard for the first few laps and try to get bonus points for leading a lap and then after that we go into conservation mode and start backing out early and not spinning the tires up off. Right now everybody is looking for speed but consistency is what it’s going to be all about. Whoever is going to have the fresher tires at the end of the race is going to be the one to beat.”

While Rogers and Holman are locked in a battle for the series crown, Logan Ruffin is trying to earn respect, win races and take home the Raybestos® Rookie of the Year award.

“I’ve been fighting that since I was 13 years old my first time that I ran late models,” the 16-year driver said. “If you can race around the guys that have been doing it for years and years, don’t wreck ‘em and rough ‘em up, drive with ‘em and be clean, be smooth, finish the races and if you finish well then you start catching their attention to say this is a kind that we can go race with. And that’s been my goal since I started running the late model or even the Pro Cup cars. Guys like Jeff Agnew, J.P. Morgan, Clay Rogers and Benny Gordon, you have to gain their respect. These are all guys who have been doing this for a long time, much longer than I have, and I’ve had to go out and prove that I’m not going to come up behind you and just wreck you. I’m going to race you clean, I’m going to do the best I can.”

Ruffin said that capturing top rookie honors in the series was a primary objective for the team since the start of the 2010 season.

“That was our goal going into the season and that’s what my team owner Steve Turner told me, that his goal this season was for us so we’re going to try to get it,” Ruffin said. “It would mean a lot. This is the first time in a long time that I’ve run a whole season of something in the same series. Like my last years in late model everybody was telling me that ‘We don’t want you to go out and run for a championship. We want you to go run the biggest, fastest racetracks that you can and get as much experience as you can.’ So I went from running an ASA car to a PASS car to a CRA car to running a local track car once in a while. But this is the first time that I’ve been in something racing for points. I think it’d be really neat to go out and be able to say that we finished this whole season and we won the championship or Raybestos® Rookie of the Year or both.”

The USAR Pro Cup Series, formerly Hooters Pro Cup, is owned by Interstate Investment Group (IIG) and is based in Concord, N.C. For more information on USARacing, visit www.usarprocup.com.

- USARacing Pro Cup Series Press Release

A.J. Frank

Frank, driving for Mac Hill Motorsports (MHM) invaded the historic Tennessee short track looking to gain some ground in the championship chase in what was expected to be one of the most demanding races of the season.

Mother Nature played havoc with the USARacing Pro Cup Series teams as steady showers resulted in little practice on Saturday and forcing the field to be set by current car owner points. With Frank starting third and just a handful of laps on the .5-mile oval in practice, the Bluffton, South Carolina native was optimistic about the race.

During the course of the first 100 circuits, Frank and crew chief Todd Myers utilized the green flag to properly dial in their No. 56 Speedco / Lucas Oil / 3 Wide Apparel Chevrolet Impala.

A caution inside the final 40 laps of the event allowed a trip down pit road for Frank and allowed the MHM team to change tires and make a chassis adjustment on their Chevrolet bowtie. Confident about the changes, Frank nailed the throttle on the restart and quickly began slicing and dicing through the pack and turned laps faster than the leaders which eventually allowed the No. 56 Chevrolet to catch his competition in lap traffic.

Despite a gallant effort to make several passes on leaders Benny Gordon, Clay Rogers and Brandon Ward, Frank simply ran out of laps and took the checkered flag in the fourth spot, claiming his seventh top-five in eight races.

“It was another strong run for Speedco, Lucas Oil and the Mac Hill Motorsports team,” sounded Frank, who made his Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on September 11. “I really want to thank all of the members of Mac Hill Motorsports, they have done a tremendous job all year. Todd (Myers, crew chief) and Julian (Heitz, car chief) have made our new relationship which began just one race ago a very smooth transition. They continue to supply me with very good race cars. The rest of my crew has made great sacrifices to race with me this year and I am indebted to them for that. They do this on a volunteer basis because they want this as bad I do. That says a lot. With the quality and confidence my team has winning, I know we are very close to victory lane!”

Frank wasn’t shy to give his opinion on Bristol. “Getting to race at Bristol was awesome. I want to thank USAR and Bristol Motor Speedway for giving us the chance to race at a great racetrack. Since the re-pavement, the track has multiple grooves which made it a lot of fun to race on!”

In the race for the championship, Mac Hill Motorsports moved to second in the car owner standings with A.J. Frank moving up to fourth in the driver standings, just 15 markers behind J.P. Morgan. 80 credits separate Frank from the top-spot held by Clay Rogers.

Frank’s finish on Saturday capped him his 24th career top-five and 43rd top-10 finish of his career in 75 starts. Frank will return behind the wheel of the No. 56 Mac Hill Motorsports Chevrolet at the historic North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 3 for the third of five championship races for the USARacing Pro Cup Series tour in the Brushy Mountain 250.

Join A.J. Frank on Facebook by visiting, Facebook.com/ajfmotorsports.

Visit the USARacing Pro Cup Series on the web at, USARProCup.com.

For additional input on Speedco Truck Lube & Tire, please click to, Speedco.com.

About Speedco Truck Lube & Tires:

Speedco Truck Lube & Tires is the only national network to specialize in quick lube and tire service for heavy-duty trucks. We don’t preach speed. We live and breathe it. Every second of our time, every inch of our stores is dedicated to one simple goal: getting your trucks back on the road faster than anyone else.

We are Speedco. Built for speed. Staffed for Quality. Delivering world class value.

For more information, visit Speedco.com.

- A.J. Frank Motorsports Press Release

Gordon was leading when the race went green on lap 169 of the 200-lap event. One lap later Rogers made a daring pass to take the lead but on lap 171, Gordon returned the favor – with perhaps a bit of a nudge – off Turn 2. He beat Rogers to the checkered flag by three car lengths, officially measured at .398 seconds.

The move gave Gordon his first win of 2010 and left Rogers a bit miffed.

“First couple of laps it took a second for my tires to come in, I needed about two laps,” Gordon said. “He [Rogers] muscled his way through there pretty good. He didn’t touch me. He muscled his way through there. I’ve been off this year. I’ve had such a rough year and I finally had a good car under me and there was no way that was going to happen. I just lifted him up coming off the corner over there a little bit. The problem is, being a good driver like he is, you can do that to him and he won’t wreck it. That’s a problem in any series with knowing that the guy is not going to wipe it out. A lot of guys I would never touch like that. They would have wrecked. Clay saved it and then I ran as hard as I could so he didn’t get back to my bumper.”

Rogers, well, disagreed.

“I got by him, I cleared his clean on the restart, and coming here off of two, about quarter of the way down the back straightway, you know he had the momentum from the high side,” Rogers said. “You’re going to lose a little bit of momentum on the bottom but I passed him, cleared him. I didn’t even slide job him or nothing. He just had the momentum and rather than shooting to the inside ‘cause he knew he couldn’t complete the pass down there, he just picked my back tires about two foot off the ground and we about had a hell of a mess down here on the backstretch. That’s the way he races.”

Gordon said that while winning any race is special, parking his car in victory lane at Bristol could have huge sponsorship implications for him and his team.

“This weekend couldn’t have been any better for me because the CEO of Samuel Metals is here,” Gordon said. “He brought 20-25 people here so that’s huge. If he comes here and we wipe out and he leaves here discouraged, negotiations are a lot harder. We did the ride car yesterday. We thought it was going to rain out the ride car but it didn’t. We got everybody in and that’s all they could talk about last night was getting rides around Bristol. Then we come today and win and it justs strengthen the whole thing.”

Rounding out the top-five: Brandon Ward, A.J. Frank and Chase Elliott.

The USAR Pro Cup Series, formerly Hooters Pro Cup, is owned by Interstate Investment Group (IIG) and is based in Concord, N.C. For more information on USARacing, visit www.usarprocup.com.

- USAR Pro Cup Series Press Release

Holman, an Abingdon, Va. native, survived 10 cautions and two Red Flags at the 0.395-mile track to score his third win of the 2010 Season. He started third, behind May race winner, Clay Rogers and Rookie-of-the-Year contender Logan Ruffin.

“Devine intervention is the only thing I can figure,” said Holman, driver of the No. 75 Food Country USA Chevrolet. “We were just hanging on and they just kept wrecking each other on those starts and things just kept happening.”

When the green flag fell on the field, it looked like reigning Series Champion, Clay Rogers would add win number seven to his season total, but fate had other plans. When Ryan Heavner, of Lincolnton, N.C., brought out the fourth caution for his spin on the backstretch, Rogers lost the lead to Jeff Agnew exiting the pits.

Agnew, of Floyd, Va., took over the lead on Lap 121 and would go on to lead a total of 25 laps for the evening. On Lap 146, Agnew and Rogers went around in Turn 3, in tandem as they battled for the lead. It was that incident that would end Rogers’ bid for the win.

“My spotter said [Rogers] wasn’t there and dove at the last minute,” said Agnew, driver of the No. 73 Team 7 Motorsports Ford. “We had a slower car than him, but I thought he should have used more patience.”

At the time of the fourth caution, rookie Logan Ruffin was in the perfect position to inherit the race lead. Ruffin, of Memphis, Tenn., officially took the lead on Lap 148. Lap 242 saw the first Red Flag of the night when Brandon Ward got turned around crossing the Start/Finish Line. The Red Flag lasted just four minutes.

After the stoppage, Ruffin continued his campaign for the win until he got into the back of Lucas Ransone on Lap 249, bringing out the seventh caution of the night. On Lap 252, Ruffin was sent to the tail end of the lead lap for his involvement in the accident.

From Lap 253, Holman would persevere through two cautions and one Red Flag, lasting 14 minutes and three green-white-checker attempts before being awarded the victory. Following Holman across the finish line were Jeff Agnew, Benny Gordon, Tyler Young and J.P. Morgan.

Gordon, of Dubois, Penn., started fourth in the field and managed to better his position by one spot at race’s end on Lap 265.

“Anything above sixth or seventh was a gimmie, I’ll take it,” said Gordon. “I was rooting for these two [Holman and Agnew] to screw up and I probably would have taken a win.”

Although Clay Rogers will have to accept defeat tonight, the other competitors know that he is still a threat.

“I’ve got to get it together if I want to do something and take care of Clay,” said Gordon.

“We ruffled his feathers tonight a little bit. He can be beat, but we have to get it together and nobody has their stuff together to beat him.”

The USAR Pro Cup Series, formerly Hooters Pro Cup, is owned by Interstate Investment Group (IIG) and is based in Concord, N.C. For more information on USARacing, visit www.usarprocup.com.

Race Results:

1. (3) Caleb Holman, Abingdon Va., Chevy, 265 laps

2. (5) Jeff Agnew, Floyd Va., Ford, 265

3. (4) Benny Gordon, Dubois, Penn., Ford, 265

4. (13) Tyler Young, Midland, Texas, Chevy, 265

5. (9) J.P. Morgan, Charlotte, N.C., Chevy, 265

6. (1) Clay Rogers, Mooresville, N.C., Ford, 263

7. (12) Ryan Heavner, Lincolnton, N.C., Chevy, 263

8. (2) Logan Ruffin, Memphis Tenn., Chevy, 259, accident

9. (10) Michael Mohelski, Frederick, Md., Chevy, 257, accident

10. (6) Lucas Ransone, Madison, N.C., Ford, 249, contact

11. (11) Matt Lofton, Roxoboro, N.C., Chevy, 240, contact

12. (8) Brandon Ward, Winston Salem, N.C., 239, accident

13. (14) Ronnie Sauders Jr., Beloit, Ohio, Chevy, 93, mechanical

14. (17) Megan Reitenhour, Statesville, N.C., Chevy, 21, mechanical

15. (15) Rick Watson, Sevierville, Tenn Chevy, 20, mechanical

16. (19) John Gibson, Springfield, Mo., Chevy, 15, mechanical

17. (7) Danny Abold, Liverpool, N.Y., Chevy, 11, contact

18. (18) Danny Edwards, Paquson, Va., Chevy, 7, mechanical

19. (16) Tracy Thompson, Floyd, Va., Ford, 2, mechanical

20. (19) Larry Barrett, Ringgold, Va., Chevy, 1, mechanical

- USAR Pro Cup Series Press Releasee

CIRCUIT: USARACING PRO CUP SERIES

RACE: IOWA 150 (RACE 8 OF 14)

DATE: JULY 30, 2010 (150 LAPS)

START: 3RD

FINISH: 3RD

Logan Ruffin

Scattered thunderstorms pre-empted the day’s time trial session, rewarding Ruffin with a third-place starting spot (based on owner points) for the 150-lap event Friday night.

Delayed an hour-and-a-half by rain and track-drying procedures, the race was stalled early due to three separate accidents (one of which saw rival competitor Benny Gordon and Ruffin make contact while side-by-side on the entry of turn three, sending Gordon for a spin). Each accident required a complete restart.

Following the official start, Ruffin battled with colleague J.P. Morgan for the third spot in the running order, which foreshadowed the running theme of the evening for the 16-year-old Ruffin.

Ruffin’s defense of the third-place (and at times, fourth-place) position provided some of the more entertaining racing of the evening’s Blue Ox 150 as he guarded the spot from all-comers, including fellow rookies Chase Elliott and Ryan Heavner in the race’s later stages.

While Ruffin maintained his average running position throughout the race, his Turner Motorsports crew kept his No. 31 Chevrolet as formidable as possible, with back-to-back pit stops for tires and fuel after a caution on lap 51. As Ruffin lost two spots on pit road in a strategic, fuel-packing move, he made up the spots on the track, retaking the third-place position.

Though the car’s handling was primarily neutral throughout the race, Ruffin experienced brake chatter in the closing laps that prevented him from any offensive gain on the leaders. As defense was the theme of his race, Ruffin protected his position all the way until a caution on lap 113 for poor visibility due to low cloud cover.

The race was called official on lap 121, giving Ruffin the third-place finish, his fourth consecutive top-five finish, and his fifth top-five score of the season.

Veteran and former Roush Fenway Racing driver Clay Rogers earned his sixth win of the season.

FAST FACTS:

· Ruffin maintained his second-place position in the driver standings and increased his Raybestos Rookie of the Year point lead as a result of his fifth “Rookie of the Race” award of 2010.

LOGAN RUFFIN QUOTE:

“Today went well. I’m proud of how this Turner team did. We fought the weather all day and weren’t able to qualify, but we started third and were able to maintain that position. The stops on pit road were good. It was tough holding onto third toward the end of the race with the 14 (Heavner) and 9 (Elliott) on top of us. I had to keep pushing. The caution came out at a good time for us, so we’ll take the third tonight.”

- Turner Motorsports Press Release</strong>