Cunningham Motorsports

The 18 year old, from Tucson, Arizona competed in two ARCA Racing Series races in the 2011 season, where he certainly got a good feel for the stock cars, when he won both of those races in his first two starts. He is the first ARCA driver to accomplish this feat, winning at Madison International Speedway in Madison, Wisconsin and Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. In addition, Bowman earned the 2011 Sunoco Rookie of the Year award in the K&N Pro Series East, finishing the season with seven top-10 finishes in 12 races. With more than 170 main event wins, 14 track titles and six national titles in Quarter Midgets, Bowman has an abundance of experience to go along with Cunningham Motorsports ARCA expertise.

Alex Bowman

As a warm up for Daytona, the team will be testing at Talladega Superspeedway in a few weeks. This season, renowned championship NASCAR crew chief, Paul Andrews will be guiding Bowman’s efforts. The #22 Dodge driver will begin his quest to visit the ARCA Racing Series victory lane for the third time, when the four hour practice begins at 1 pm EST on Thursday, February 16. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell will take place Friday at 2 pm EST, with a final practice session on Saturday, prior to the race, at 10:00. The garage will be open for fans for a 90 minute autograph session, beginning at 12:00. The 49th ARCA event at Daytona, the 200 mile race, will follow at 4:30. SPEED will cover the race live, with all on-track events also available at arcaracing.com. Follow Cunningham Motorsports on twitter at Cunningham_race.

- Cunningham Motorsports Press Release

Go Green Racing

Bristol Motor Speedway will also mark the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series attempt for Tim Andrews. Following Bristol, the team expects to compete in an additional ten NSCS races.

“Tim proved to us last year that he can get a car into the show, and at this level, that is what it is all about,” said Archie St. Hilaire, Team Owner for Go Green Racing. “The chemistry between Paul and Tim is outstanding. I think that Tim has shown us that he deserves a shot and I have always been a
believer in giving a guy an opportunity.”

Tim Andrews is also scheduled to compete in select NASCAR Nationwide Series races as driver of the No. 37 Go Green Racing Ford Mustang. Calling the shots as crew chief on the No. 37 will be Dave Ingram. Ingram joins Go Green Racing after serving as crew chief for MacDonald Motorsports
last season.

“I feel very fortunate to get this opportunity,” said Tim Andrews. “I have dreamed about being in a Cup car and to do it with my father’s help is unbelievable. I believe in him and he believes in me, it just gives us that much more confidence.”

Paul Andrews is no stranger at Bristol Motor Speedway. As a NSCS crew chief, Paul has earned one pole, two wins, and numerous top-five finishes at the famous half-mile track. “I am really looking forward to this opportunity with Go Green Racing,” said Paul Andrews, also a Maine native. “I was able to work with them at the end of the year and was very impressed with their operations. To be able to work with Timmy for his first Cup race is very special to me.”

St. Hilaire also has big expectations for the 2012 season.

“Bringing on quality guys to Go Green Racing like Paul (Andrews) and Dave (Ingram) is huge for our organization,” St. Hilaire said. “I feel that Paul, Dave, and Clinton (Cram) as our three crew chiefs will bring our entire program to the next level.”

Go Green Racing has purchased their NSCS cars from Roush Fenway Racing and will run the Roush/Yates FR9 motor at all 2012 Cup races. The entire team has been working hard to get all three teams prepared for 2012 at their new shop in Mooresville, NC which will accommodate the
team’s expanded growth.

Go Green Racing has scheduled its NSCS schedule around Paul Andrew’s commitments with Cunningham Motorsports and their ARCA program.

- Go Green Racing Press Release

Scott Naset

Naset will accept the honor Saturday evening at the series’ annual Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky. The banquet will close the 59th season of ARCA competition.

A native of Bloomer, Wis., the 40-year-old Naset has worked at Richard Childress Racing since 1999, notably serving as the car chief for Kevin Harvick’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry from 2002 to 2009 and as the truck chief for Austin Dillon’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entry in 2010, among other roles.

Naset finished with 6850 points in the crew chief division, which awards $3000 at year’s end and tabulates points from qualifying and race action. The crew chief of the fastest-qualifying car earns 200 points, with descending positions earning five fewer points per position. The same scoring system is in place for race finishes. Competing crew chiefs must register at the beginning of the season and carry the decal of Cometic Gasket, Inc. on the car to be eligible to score. A maximum of 400 points is possible in each event weekend.

Naset and the No. 41 team started quickly, as Dillon won the pole and finished 11th in the season opener at Daytona and swept the pole and race wins at Talladega in the next race. The team captured seven wins and seven Menards Pole Awards presented by Ansell in 19 events this year. Naset won Cometic Crew Chief of the Race honors 10 times in 19 races, earning $250 for his team’s performances at Talladega, Salem (May), Chicagoland, Michigan, Iowa, Indianapolis, Pocono (August), and DuQuoin, and in two races at Toledo.

Cometic Gasket, Inc., a Concord, Ohio company, creates the Official Gasket of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards and also contributes $3500 to the year-end championship point fund.

Gary Roulo of the No. 17 Roulo Brothers Racing team finished second in the competition with 6485 points and four race awards. Billy Venturini (No. 25 Venturini Motorsports) was third with 6135 points and one race award. Gere Kennon (No. 31 Richard Childress Racing; 5655 points and one race award) and Bill Kimmel (No. 44 Kimmel Racing; 5650 points) rounded out the top five.

Other $250 Cometic Crew Chief of the Race winners included: John Monsam (No. 52 Schrader Racing, two) and Bill Gerhart (No. 5 Bobby Gerhart Racing).

Other Cometic Crew Chief of the Race winners included: Mike Chaffee (No. 32 Win-Tron Racing, three); Paul Andrews (No. 22 Cunningham Motorsports, two); and Tony Liberati (No. 55 Venturini Motorsports, two).

Series champion Ty Dillon, Rookie of the Year Chris Buescher, other drivers from the top 20, and the top 10 car owners will be honored in Saturday’s program, which also features special award winners.

Additional special award presentations include the Bill France Four Crown, the Rookie of the Year, the H.G. Adcox Sportsmanship Award, the Manufacturer Championship, the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Award, the Crane Cams Engine Builder of the Year Award, the Marcum Award, the Spirit Award, the Klotz Engine Mechanic Award, and the CGS Imaging Hard Charger Award. In addition, scholarship recipients will be announced, compliments of the University of Northwestern Ohio and the Bob Loga Memorial Scholarship Foundation.

While open to teams, series and track officials, and sponsors, the annual formal gala is also open to ARCA Racing Series fans. Ticket information is available at ARCARacing.com.

The public schedule of events for Saturday, December 10 is as follows:

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Redline Racing Ministry Silent Auction

2 p.m. ARCA Racing Series Press Conference

3 p.m. Redline Racing Ministry Live Auction

4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. Formal Portrait Photo Session

5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. Guest Reception

6:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. Awards Dinner and Program

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards featured 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series 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. In 2011, 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.

The 2012 ARCA Racing Series schedule is currently available at ARCARacing.com.

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

Adding to 11 races previously announced for next year’s schedule, ARCA officials released four more event dates as the unveiling of 2012′s entire race slate approaches.

The series will return to Winchester Speedway, the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile,” on Sunday, June 24. The race will be the 22nd for ARCA at the track 75 miles northeast of Indianapolis; the first ARCA race at Winchester took place in 1957, just the fifth season of ARCA competition. Dakoda Armstrong lifted Cunningham Motorsports to victory at Winchester in June.

“Winchester is exactly the type of Midwestern facility where the ARCA brand is well-known and has the chance to be successful,” said ARCA president Ron Drager. “Winchester is big enough and fast enough to play to the very nature of our cars.”

ARCA will make its seventh visit to the 0.875-mile Iowa Speedway on Friday, July 13 – one day before a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the track. Ty Dillon and Richard Childress Racing earned a dominating win at Iowa in July on his way to the 2011 series championship.

“Racing at Iowa Speedway is important from a market and venue perspective, as we reach a number of fans from several major areas there,” Drager said. “Being as recently built as it is, Iowa Speedway is one of those tracks that has the luxury of incorporating so many amenities – sightlines and facilities among them – to be fan-friendly and competitor-friendly. Iowa Speedway fans have strongly supported ARCA.”

The 25th appearance for the ARCA Racing Series at Berlin Raceway will occur on Saturday, August 11. The 0.4375-mile oval near Grand Rapids, Mich. hosted ARCA for the first time in 1958, and Matt Merrell won this July to take his first victory with Win-Tron Racing.

“Berlin Raceway is unlike any of the short tracks we go to in terms of its unique layout and pit road,” said Drager. “It’s been a staple of the tour for a number of years, and it seems that everyone from local guys like 2002 winner Fred Campbell to multi-time champions like three-time winner Frank Kimmel has a chance to be successful.”

Madison International Speedway will host ARCA for the second consecutive year and the fifth time since 1970 on Sunday, August 26. Alex Bowman drove Venturini Motorsports to the winner’s circle on the half-mile this season. The race is the year’s only event in Wisconsin, home to series presenting sponsor Menards. After taking place as a one-day Friday event in 2011, on-track activities will spread over two days – a Saturday and Sunday combination.

“The state of Wisconsin is renowned for the quality of its racing – teams and facilities – so it’s an important state from that perspective,” said Drager. “In addition, Wisconsin race fans are well-educated about the sport, and Terry Kunes and his staff at Madison provide a great venue at which our series can perform and compete.

“We consider every one of these race tracks important challenges to our racers, and there is a true advantage to racing within the Menards footprint. As Menards continues as our highest-profile marketing partner, racing in these Midwestern and Central states takes on added significance.”

More detailed schedule information for the season will be available shortly. The following race dates for the 2012 ARCA Racing Series schedule have been announced:

February 18 – Daytona International Speedway

March 10 – Mobile International Speedway

May 4 – Talladega Superspeedway

June 9 – Pocono Raceway

June 15 – Michigan International Speedway

June 24 – Winchester Speedway

July 1 – New Jersey Motorsports Park

July 13 – Iowa Speedway

July 21 – Chicagoland Speedway

August 4 – Pocono Raceway

August 11 – Berlin Raceway

August 19 – Illinois State Fairgrounds

August 26 – Madison International Speedway

September 3 – DuQuoin State Fairgrounds

October 19 – Kansas Speedway

The ARCA Racing Series will wrap up the 2011 season with the Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati, on Saturday, December 10.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards featured 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series 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. In 2011, 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.

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

Cunningham Motorsports

The 25 year old from New Boston, Texas has been racing since he was 8 years old, initially competing in go-karts on numerous dirt and asphalt karting tracks, before progressing to the IMCA Limited Modified and US Legend Series. In 2010, Lynch competed in the United States Super Truck Series, finishing 5th on the national circuit as a rookie. In early 2011, he took on the challenge of testing with the ARCA Racing Series at Daytona and continued his racing career by making his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut at South Boston Speedway.

Ryan Lynch

As the “down-season” for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards begins, preparations in the Cunningham shop are on-going for the Daytona International Speedway test, which is scheduled for December 16th-18th. General Manager and former NASCAR championship crew chief, Paul Andrews, is readying a new speedway Dodge for the upcoming season, in anticipation of the season opener during Speedweeks at Daytona in February, 2012.

Follow Cunningham Motorsports on twitter @cunningham_race for updates during the off-season.

For more information on Ryan Lynch, visit www.ryanlynchracing.com

- Cunningham Motorsports Press Release

Cunningham Motorsports

“JEGS, Althoff Trucking and her sister’s pet all on board for Sunday’s race”

CONCORD, N.C. (October 12, 2011) – With the economy in its current state, finding marketing partners has forced race teams to be more creative in how they obtain funding to compete.

Even if means going to the dogs – literally.

Chrissy Wallace is competing in this Sunday’s ARCA race at Toledo (Ohio) Speedway for Cunningham Motorsports; which can be seen live on SPEED TV at 2 p.m. ET. Coming off her recent ASA Late Model track championship at Lebanon I-44 Speedway, which led to her clinching the ASA West Series Divisional championship as well, put her on the radar map for team owners in all forms of racing.

The offer came from Cunningham Motorsports to run the ARCA race and work with long-time family friend and NASCAR championship crew chief Paul Andrews. She accepted and then the search for additional funding to aid in the effort began.

JEGS Performance Parts came on board and will be on the hood for Sunday’s race. Being from a family of racers, the Coughlin family quickly recognized what the Wallace’s were up against.

Then, one of her primary sponsors at I-44 Speedway of Althoff Trucking from High Ridge, Missouri, said they would like to help. So, a deal was struck and they will be on Wallace’s car at Toledo, as well.

But, when her sister, Lindsey, and brother-in-law, Thomas Van Wingerden said they, and their Maltese dog, Lexi, also wanted to pitch in; she quickly realized the “racing family” concept was true once gain. So, look for Lexi’s furry face on the car this weekend.

“I can’t believe how people have rallied around this effort,” Chrissy said. “My dad (NASCAR driver Mike Wallace) said he would help and see what could be done and when word got out what we were doing for the ARCA race in Toledo, people said they were on board.

“The people at JEGS are just like us, a family of racers. Althoff Trucking helped my dad when he raced Late Models and they were big in my winning the two ASA championships this year. But, when my sister and her husband came over and told me they wanted to help, too, let’s just say it all means a lot to me.

“I can’t thank everyone enough for their help. Now, it’s up to me to go out and have a good showing on Sunday. I’m looking forward to racing at Toledo and with the other drivers in the ARCA Series.”

Chrissy Wallace

JEGS quickly recognized Wallace’s historical championships this year and wanted to help keep the momentum going for her, and the family.

“We have known the Wallace family for years and we also understand what it’s like to have your kids racing,” said John Coughlin, Vice President of JEGS. “It’s a very exciting time for a parent and you always want to give your kids the tools to succeed both on, and off, the track.

“We thought having the familiar yellow and black colors of JEGS on the car in Toledo will make an impact, and help Chrissy and the team.”

About JEGS:

For more than 50 years, the name JEGS has been synonymous with high performance racing parts, dating back to 1960 when Jeg Coughlin, Sr. opened the doors of JEGS High Performance at a small, non-descript shop in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Nearly three decades after Coughlin’s original speed shop was born, he helped his four sons, John, Troy, Mike, and Jeg Jr., purchase the operation, and under their collective guidance, the small family business became a mail-order giant. The original 4,000 square-foot shop now encompasses a 100,000 square-foot warehouse, chassis shop, call center and the original retail store on the very grounds where it all began. A state-of-the-art 225,000 square-foot distribution center and corporate offices were added in early 2000; located in Delaware, OH.

- Packman Public Relations Press Release

The No. 52 Pink Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala driven by Tom Hessert III in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards for Ken Schrader Racing (KSR).

Decked out in a slick looking pink No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala continuing to bring attentiveness to Breast Cancer Awareness month, Hessert looks to close out his first season driving for Ken Schrader Racing (KSR) with high marks.

In all respect, the former CARS Pro Cup Series pilot has had a respectable season. Filled with some bumps along the way, the Cherry Hill, New Jersey has still proven that he has the ability to get the job done even under the toughest situations. Entering the season finale, Hessert and his Donnie Richeson-led team have inherited six top-fives and 12 top-10 finishes including a season-best of second on the road course of New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP).

Victory had been in the clutches of the team on several occasions this year, but for one reason or another, the grasps of clinching onto a trophy or spraying champagne have been derailed. Still, one race remains and it comes at a track where Hessert has boasted success.

With his eighth start at the half-mile oval on deck for Sunday afternoon, the former NASCAR Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car ace is thriving on three top-fives including a then career-best of third in 2009 before mounting a third and seventh last year driving for Cunningham Motorsports. Despite an uncharacteristic 14th place run in May, the popular ARCA driver is eager to put his No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala back at the top.

“Overall, Toledo Speedway has been a relatively good track for me,” said Hessert, who finished 13th last Friday night at Kansas Speedway. “We didn’t quite have the run we were looking for earlier in the year, but we’ve worked immensely hard on our short track program since then and I feel we have as good of a shot as any to win on Sunday afternoon.”

Tom Hessert III

“It’s truly been a blessing to work with the folks at Federated Auto Parts,” Hessert continued. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to meet all of the corporate representatives and a lot of their cliental. I know just like the spring race, we’re going to have a lot of support in the grandstands on Sunday, so hopefully with their cheers and chants, we can thank them for their support by being the first one to take the checkered flag.”

Mathematically, despite locking the seventh position in the ARCA Racing Series championship standings, just 125 points separate Hessert for leaping into the fifth position. With a grueling and expected 200-lap torrid battle set for Sunday, the 25-year old knows that he will need a picture-perfect day to bring that statistic to fruition but he’ll also need his competitors to have some misfortune as well.

“No one wants to see anyone have any bad luck, but that could be on our gain on Sunday,” Hessert humbling said. “It’s been a very competitive season, so finishing strong has been extremely important towards gaining those valuable crucial points. We’ve been plagued by some bad luck that has us ultimately sitting where we are now, but we’re going in to fight this weekend and whatever happens, we’ll take it in stride.”

In addition to Federated Auto Parts, Cherry Hill Classic Cars will serve as an associate marketing partner for Hessert’s 83rd career ARCA start. In his previous 82 outings, he has maneuvered one win, 18 top-fives and 42 top-10s.

The Federated Car Care 200 (200 laps / 100 miles) is the 19th of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 70th ARCA race at Toledo Speedway is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, October 15 with a forty five minute practice session planned from 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. A final forty five minute “happy hour” session has been etched in from 1:40 p.m. – 2:25 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 4:00 p.m. A one hour on-track autograph session has been etched in from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. on race day (Sunday). The contest will take the green flag shortly after 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 16. The event will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage including live timing and scoring throughout the 1,331st race for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards since it was formed in 1953 will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com presented by ARCANation.com. All times are local.

For more on Tom Hessert III, please visit tomhessert.com.

To join Hessert and Ken Schrader Racing in their plan to spread the message about Breast Cancer awareness and to order you own “Pink” KSR memorabilia, please visit SchraderRacing.com.

- Ken Schrader Racing Press Release

Cunningham Motorsports

October 9, 2011 – (Mooresville, NC) –

Chrissy Wallace, daughter of current NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Mike Wallace, will be driving the #22 Dodge for Cunningham Motorsports. The 23 year old Wallace, originally from St. Louis, Missouri, is the first female driver to win the ASA Track championship in the Late Model division at Lebanon I-44 Speedway in Missouri, on her way to earning the 2011 West Region ASA Member Track championship. Wallace was awarded the West Region championship after all the other participating ASA tracks and drivers completed their seasons, based on her 6 wins, 12 top-5 finishes and 16 top-10 finishes earned in 19 starts at I-44. She and her father, Mike share this honor, as he won the Mid-America NASCAR Region Championship in 1990. In addition to two previous ARCA starts, Wallace has two NASCAR Nationwide Series starts and seven Camping World Truck Series starts.

“This is a great opportunity for me and exactly what I was hoping would happen with my success in the ASA Late Model championship,” Wallace said. “I know the team at Cunningham Motorsports fields great entries and I’m looking forward to driving for them at Toledo. Working with Paul (Andrews) is an added bonus, because he’s been a friend of the family back when we all lived in St. Louis. He’s a proven success in working with young drivers like me, which will shorten my learning curve at (the) track.

Chrissy Wallace - Sam Greenwood / Getty Images for NASCAR

“We’re still looking for some sponsorship to help out in the effort. ARCA has some great competition in their series and the racing is pretty intense. I’m looking forward to racing with them in Toledo and would like to thank Cunningham Motorsports and Paul for this opportunity.”

The team tested at Caraway Speedway last week in preparation for the Toledo ARCA 200 presented by Federated Car Care. According to Paul A
The first practice on the .5 mile Toledo track is scheduled from 12:00-12.45 pm EST Saturday afternoon. The final 45 minute session will begin at 1:40, with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell following at 4:00 pm. An autograph session will kick off Sunday’s events from 12:00-1:00 pm EST. The 200 lap/ 100 mile season finale will begin at 2:00 pm EST Sunday, with live coverage on SPEED. Live timing and scoring will be available at www.arcaracing.com. Live updates from Cunningham Motorsports for all of the weekend’s events can be found on twitter@cunningham_race.ndrews, crew chief for Wallace, “The test went real good. Chrissy picked up speed quickly. We didn’t put new tires on the car at any time during the test session, but ran speeds quicker than we tested the last time we were at Caraway. We are looking forward to the Toledo race with Wallace.” In 7 previous races this season, Cunningham Motorsports has 1 win, 2 top-5 finishes and 6 top-10 finishes.

- Cunningham Motorsports Press Release

Chrissy Wallace - Sam Greenwood / Getty Images for NASCAR

The Toledo ARCA 200, presented by Federated Car Care, will be held on Sunday, October 16 to wrap up the 2011 season for the ARCA Series. The 200-lap event on the half-mile paved oval will be shown live on SPEED TV.

Wallace, 23 and the daughter of NASCAR driver Mike, is the first female to clinch an ASA championship, which she did earlier this month at I-44 Speedway. She is currently in a tight battle for the ASA Joe Gibbs Driven Oil National championship and the ASA West Series championship awaiting outcomes from other tracks.

Cunningham Motorsports has a long association with Andrews, who won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in 1992 with driver Alan Kulwicki, who will utilize his veteran expertise to guide Wallace’s ARCA effort. This will be her third career ARCA start, with her two previous ones taking place in 2008 at Pocono and Talladega, where she finished ninth.

Marketing and sponsorship opportunities are available for this race shown live on the nationally-recognized network of SPEED TV.

“This is a great opportunity for me and exactly what I was hoping would happen with my success in the ASA Late Model championship,” Wallace said. “I know the team at Cunningham Motorsports fields great entries and I’m looking forward to driving for them at Toledo.

“Working with Paul is an added bonus because he’s been a friend of the family back when we all lived in St. Louis. He’s a proven success in working with young drivers like me; which will shorten my learning curve at track.

“We’re still looking for some sponsorship to help out in the effort. ARCA has some great competition in their series and the racing is pretty intense. I’m looking forward to racing with them in Toledo and would like to thank Cunningham Motorsports and Paul for this opportunity.”

In addition to her two previous ARCA starts, Wallace also has two NASCAR Nationwide Series starts and seven in the Camping World Truck Series.

- Packman Public Relations / Cunningham Motorsports Press Release

Cunningham Motorsports

Frank Kimmel II

After testing the prior week at the .555 mile oval, Kimmel II, son of 9-time ARCA Series champion Frank Kimmel, was looking forward to returning for the race and actually competing for the win. With all of the experience he has had on the Salem bullring, he felt he could put those laps to good use. The practice session led to some uncertain moments when Kimmel II continued to tell crew chief, Howard Bixman, “The car is not right, it is still uncomfortable.” After multiple adjustments and a mock qualifying run, Kimmel II could tell his crew chief, “It’s very, very comfortable.” After qualifying in the 9th spot, Kimmel II was excited about competing in his first full ARCA Series race.

As the race began, Frank II fell back slightly from his starting spot, falling as far as the 13th position. As his father passed him, Kimmel II fell in line and followed in his dad’s tire tracks. In spite of running slightly different lines through turns 1 and 2, Frank and Frank II moved through the field toward the front. As the caution came out on lap 65, most of the leaders pitted for fresh rubber. With Kimmel II staying out during this caution period, he assumed the lead. Since the leaders had new tires, Kimmel II dropped steadily back to 7th after the race restarted. As the caution flag flew on lap 85, Kimmel II brought the #77 into the pit crew’s attention for four tires and fuel, returning to take the green in 11th. One position at a time, Frank II picked off the cars in front of him. At one point during the race, it was the Kimmel show as cousin Will, dad Frank, and Frank II ran 1, 2, and 3.

As the caution came out on lap 149 he was riding in 2nd, commenting, “This car is awesome!” As he came into the pits for right side tires, he took the lead and with a great stop by his crew, he came out of the pits first. With seven cars remaining on the lead lap and 47 laps to go in the race, Kimmel II led the next 17 laps, until lap 168 when he got a tap from his eventual Salem nemesis, Tim George, who moved him up the track, allowing the 2nd place car to move around him into the lead. As this was happening, the caution came out for fluid on the track. Kimmel II lined up in 2nd on the restart on lap 180. With Kimmel II in 3rd, on lap 190, the final caution of the night came out when Tim George, who was in 4th, put Kimmel II into the wall on the front stretch. Kimmel lost a lap as he came into the pits to allow his crew to take a look over the car. Kimmel returned to the track to take the checkered flag one lap off the pace, in 7th.

After the race, the younger Kimmel said, “Wow, what a great car. The guys worked so hard, they deserved a top 3 finish. Thanks to everyone that helped out. Gotta watch who I’m racing around next time.”

Ryan Lynch

When the #22 Cunningham Motorsports team pulled the Dodge off of the hauler, they were looking to gain more valuable track time on the Salem bullring. The test session last week for the team and Ryan Lynch had proven to be a struggle, with the weather causing problems, not allowing Lynch enough laps to become comfortable in his first ARCA stock car experience. After the 90 minute practice session, Lynch had the 20th quickest position on the speed chart. After the practice session, an excited Lynch said, “This track is a tough old track. It is very unforgiving, but I am getting more comfortable with each lap.” Lynch picked up .4 seconds during his qualifying run, posting the16th starting spot.

The Texas Wildfire Relief Fund Dodge, driven by Ryan Lynch from New Boston, Texas, took the green flag in 16th, as Lynch settled in to his rhythm, finding a comfortable spot to learn all that he could from his fellow drivers during the race. He maintained a top 20 spot for the first 65 laps. As the caution came out, crew chief Paul Andrews brought Lynch into the pits for right side tires and fuel. As the field restarted the race on lap 70, Lynch was posted in 15th. With a long green flag run during the middle half of the race, Lynch experienced how the race car changes as the tires wear and the fuel is burned off, making the handling considerably different than after a pit stop.

He picked off positions, running as high as 11th, before pitting, during caution, on lap 150 for four tires and fuel. The green flag flew on lap 152. By lap 162 Lynch radioed to Andrews that his left rear tire had gone flat, just after he had passed the entrance to pit road. As he slowly limped around to the pit opening, he was getting lapped several times. After losing only a couple of positions, to 14th, Lynch rejoined the race. In the final 20 laps, Lynch picked up one position, to his finishing spot of 13th.

After the race Lynch, commented, “It hasn’t really even soaked in, what we accomplished this weekend at Salem. To finish 13th in my first ARCA start is pretty unbelievable. That just says so much about the Cunningham Motorsports team. They are committed to helping you do your best and they believe in you whether you are a rookie or seasoned veteran. The support from the whole team—Kerry, Paul and every single one of those guys who laid a hand on that car this weekend—was just phenomenal. It was a very fast paced learning experience. The car was just awesome the whole race, it just took some time for me to get in a rhythm, especially in turn 3 where the car seemed to be on the edge of grip every lap. The cut tire incident under green was just really unfortunate, but you are going to have that kind of deal in racing. It was a completely awesome experience all around and I can’t thank Cunningham Motorsports and MPM enough for giving me this opportunity. It was also great to support the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund and help my home state, not to mention the excitement of racing in front of the packed Salem Speedway crowd. I can’t wait to do it again!”

- Cunningham Motorsports Press Release

This organization is a non-profit operation committed to generating awareness and garnering support for Texas volunteer firefighters. With Texas facing the worst wildfire season in the state’s history, the volunteer fire departments are grossly underfunded. The damage is overwhelming, with 19,616 wildfires raging across Texas, with 3,685,120 acres burnt. These wildfires have consumed 4,658 structures, including more than 2000 homes. In addition the fires have caused more than $78.1 million in agriculture financial losses. Losses from these fires have also included 3 firefighters and 2 civilian lives since January 1, 2011. “As something that hits very close to home for us, we really want to help get the word out on how people can help get these firefighters what they need. Texas is so dry right now that everyone is in danger, with even the smallest fire getting out of hand. I personally know firefighters who have been called to help, and have friends in areas of the state that are dangerously close to some of the large fires. We want to do our part in helping save towns from possible disaster,” said Lynch. Cunningham Motorsports co-owner, Kerry Scherer commented, “I’m really proud to have this opportunity to tell people the Texas firefighters’ story. Those people are awesome.”

Lynch and his Cunningham Motorsports team will team up with the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund for the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic by Federated Car Care. It is a one day event on Saturday, September 17th, with practice taking place from 1:05-2:35 pm EST. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell will begin at 4:00pm EST, with a driver autograph session beginning at 4:45pm EST. During this time, fans will be able to find out more about the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund and pick up a donation form, as a way to help the firefighters. The 110 miles of racing on the .55 mile speedway has a scheduled start time of 7:15pm EST. All of the racing events will be covered live at www.arcaracing.com.

For live updates from Salem, follow Cunningham Motorsports on Twitter @cunningham_race

For more information on the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund visit www.txwildfirerelief.org

For information on Ryan Lynch see www.ryanlynchracing.com

- Cunningham Motorsports Press Release

Ryan Lynch will drive the #22 Dodge in the 200 lap event. The 25 year old from New Boston, Texas has been racing since he was 8 years old, initially competing in Go-Karts and continuing through IMCA Limited Modifieds, INEX Legends, United States Super Trucks and K&N Pro Series. While racing, Ryan earned his college degree from The University of Texas at Tyler and used it while developing and maintaining the website, points system and lap timing system at the 201 Go-Kart Speedway in New Boston, Texas, which his dad and family own. In 2010, Lynch competed in the United States Super Truck Series, finishing 5th on the national circuit. Ryan has experienced some new challenges in 2011, making his first career NASCAR K&N Pro Series start at South Boston Speedway and testing at Daytona International Speedway with the ARCA Racing Series. After getting his first look at the .555 mile track during the test last week, Lynch commented, “The track is unique…it’s wild. This is my first opportunity to drive a car with this much horsepower. It was so different going down a front stretch with that kind of power. With a little more track time, I think we can be real competitive during the race.”

Frank Kimmel II, the son of 9-time ARCA Series champion, Frank Kimmel, is going to pilot the #77 Ford at Salem. “Frankie”, as he is known to those of us who have watched him grow up, has won three championships at Salem Speedway. He won the super stock championship in 2010 and 2009, in addition to the street stock championship at Salem in 2008. The fact that Salem Speedway is only 30 minutes from his home should be enough incentive for Frank II to put on a good show for his many fans at the speedway. But, he has additional incentive in the fact that he will be racing against his father, Frank, who has won at Salem 9 times and his cousin, Will. Bragging rights in the Kimmel family are at stake! When asked about the opportunity to race with the Cunningham team at Salem, “We have Briggs Cunningham and Kerry Scherer helping us out and I can’t be more excited for that,” explained Kimmel. “That really made all of this possible. My dad put the car together and Paul Andrews and his team are going to put the finishing touches on it. I know the car will be capable of winning; the driver is another story.”

The 90 minute practice session will begin Saturday at 1:05 ET, followed by Menard’s Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell scheduled for 4:00pm ET. An autograph session will take place right after qualifying, currently planned for 4:45-5:15. The 200 lap, 110 mile main event will start at 7:30 ET. ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring coverage of all events.

For live updates from Salem, follow Cunningham Motorsports on Twitter @cunningham_race

- Cunningham Motorsports Press Release

Frank Kimmel Racing II

While Kimmel II will be considered a rookie in the ARCA Racing Series, the 21-year-old driver is by no means a rookie when it comes to racing on Salem Speedway’s famed high-banks. As the home track to the Kimmel family, Salem has played host to several of Kimmel II’s early-career wins, including a season championship at the .555-mile oval in the street stock division (2008) and two super stock championships (2009, 2010). With the confidence from that success along with the advice from his father, a nine-time ARCA Racing Series winner at Salem Speedway, Kimmel II looks to carry that success to ARCA Racing Series competition.

“I am really excited to get to start my first full ARCA race at Salem,” said Kimmel II. “I have run about 50 races up there and believe my experience at Salem will help me get more comfortable in the car. I have to thank Dad for getting this all together and of course Mom for letting us do this racing thing we love.”

Adding to Kimmel’s excitement is that he will be teaming up with Cunningham Motorsports to pilot the No. 77 Ford Fusion. Cunningham Motorsports has a proven track record of success at Salem Speedway, just last year bringing rookie driver Dakoda Armstrong to victory lane at the .555-mile short track. The Mooresville, N.C. based team already has one ARCA Racing Series short track victory in 2011 (Winchester) and Kimmel II knows they have what it takes to that success next weekend.

“We have Briggs Cunningham and Kerry Scherer helping us out and I can’t be more excited for that,” explained Kimmel. “That really made all of this possible. My dad put the car together and Paul Andrews and his team are going to put the finishing touches on it. I know the car will be capable of winning; the driver is another story.”

In addition to the help from his Cunningham Motorsports team, Kimmel II has several local Salem-area sponsors jumping on board to make his dream a possibility.

“I am very lucky that we have had a lot of help in order to make this happen. I really have to thank Mars Trucking, Jim French Builders, Clarksville Schwinn and Fitness, Newlons Grocery and Green Oak Farms. Without their support this would not be possible.”

Kimmel II will begin his foray with the Cunningham Motorsports team on Thursday, September 8th as he heads to Salem Speedway for a test session.

“I am excited we have the opportunity to test test too; not only for the learning experience in an ARCA car but also for the chance to practice restarts and maybe some pit stops. If the race results sheet says 200 of 200 laps completed next to our car next weekend I will think the whole weekend was a success.”

The ARCA Racing Series is set to roll into Salem Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 17th for 200 laps of short track racing action under the lights. Practice begins at 1:05 p.m. EST with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell 4:00. The green flag will drop on the ARCA Fall Classic 200 at 7:15 p.m. EST.

- Frank Kimmel II Racing / Cunningham Motorsports Press Release

No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala

During the only practice session on Friday, Hessert posted the 18th quickest lap overall with a time of 19.110 seconds at 94.192 miles per hour, an uncharacteristic placing for the veteran team and driver. Fighting an incredible tight No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala.

Throwing everything but the “kitchen sink” at their Chevrolet bowtie before qualifying Friday afternoon, Hessert climbed into his racecar optimistic about where he would land for his 79th career ARCA start. Mounting a lap of 18.697 seconds transferring to 96.272 miles per hour, the KSR team landed 13th in the lineup.

“We’re making some progress,” said Hessert following qualifying. “We’re still tight, but it’s not as bad as it was in practice. A good finish won’t be handed to us; we’re going to have earn it.”

The green flag waived shortly after 8:30 p.m. with Hessert quickly thundering his way towards the front. By lap six the Cherry Hill, New Jersey native moved into 11th and maintained his position just outside the top-10 through the race’s first 25 circuits.

Knocking on the door of the top-10, Hessert would find himself in a close battle with Sean Corr for 10th. Tight quarters at Madison International Speedway meant a lot of incidental contact on-track including the incident on lap 30 when the No. 52 and No. 82 made contact going into turn one. No harm no foul for Hessert as the caution flag waived with Hessert claiming 10th.

Moving into eighth when the yellow flag waived on lap 87, Monsam elected to bring his driver to pit road for tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment to combat the tightness on the No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala.

By lap the half-way mark, good work by the team on pit road and a determined driver saw them into the top-five claiming fourth. Fending off his prey behind him, Hessert would maintain a safety-net inside the top-five until a spin on lap 157.

With his coveted track position now gone, Hessert would bring his No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala where the team inspected the vehicle and bolted on new Hoosier rubber sending their driver back into the hunt, now restarting 10th.

On the restart, Hessert knew that patience was out the window. If he wanted to revive his team, some harmless aggressiveness from behind the wheel would have to be in the playing cards to battle his way back through.

Using the new rubber to his advantage, Hessert was quickly and impressively able to climb the leaderboard moving back into eighth by lap 166. A few laps later, Hessert continued to motor his way back towards the top-five and found himself their by lap 176.

Continuing to stay focused on the wheel, Hessert set his sights on fourth place runner Ty Dillon. Inside the final 10 laps of the race, a caution flag waived which set the field for a three-lap shootout. Despite trying to make the move around Dillon, Hessert would have to protect fifth from nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel. Despite being unable to pass point’s leader Dillon, Hessert was able to keep Kimmel at bay and take the checkered flag in fifth, recording his sixth top-five finish of the season.

Tom Hessert III

Completing the puzzle consists of Hessert bettering his runner-up finish earlier this month at Springfield which would have put him in victory lane for the second time in his career.

“I’m always thrilled to go back to the dirt. I think you’re going to have to battle Chad (McCumbee), Frank (Kimmel) and the likes of Josh (Richards), but I feel we have a good of a shot as anyone to celebrate in victory lane on Labor Day.”

Hessert’s sixth top-five of the year and 12th top-10 overall has him detached from McCumbee whom he entered Madison tied for fifth in the championship standings. With four races remaining, Hessert solely controls the spot at 3,450 points. 165 points separates the former USARacing Pro Cup Series star from fourth in the championship standings hoisted by Grant Enfinger.

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards is the second and final installment on the dirt when the sanctioning body makes their annual trip to the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds for the running of the Southern Illinois 100 presented by Federated Auto Parts on Labor Day, Monday, September 5. Hessert will make his fifth start at the one-mile dirt track and look to better his runner-up finish their last year with Cunningham Motorsports.

In addition to Federated Auto Parts, Cherry Hill Classic Cars served as an associate marketing partner for Hessert’s 79th career ARCA start. In those outings, he has maneuvered one win, 18 top-fives and 42 top-10s.

For more on Tom Hessert III, please visit tomhessert.com.

- Tom Hessert Racing Press Release

Tom Hessert III

Hessert, driver of the No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala is no stranger to the track dabbed at the “Tricky Triangle.” Poised to make his eighth career start their and searching for his second-career win, Hessert knows that Saturday’s shootout may be as good as time as any.

“You cannot help but not like Pocono,” said Hessert, who has one top-five and three top-10 in his previous seven starts. “We had a pretty good run with our No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala in June, but we know we need to step up our game this weekend. The action will be just as competitive if not more, so it’s crucial to put ourselves in contention this weekend.”

While Hessert has found himself contending at the 2.5-mile triangle, the 13th race of the on season offers a shoot-out style contest. Serving as the finale after the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event, the stars and cars will have just 125 miles or 50 laps to get the job done. While Hessert dealt with this last August driving for Cunningham Motorsports, where he nestled a fourth place finish, he knows that once the action begins, there is no time to mess around.

“It’s literally a shootout,” added Hessert, a former USARacing Pro Cup Series star. “50 laps is short and even though it’s a big track, a lot can happen. Sometimes we can have some lengthy cautions there that really take away from the number of laps that we can run under green. There’s no doubt that we’re going to have to use some strategy, but that’s why I have one of the best in the business on top of the box.”

The man he is referring to is crew chief John Monsam. Making the move to Ken Schrader Racing (KSR), the duo has still proven that they have the bond that makes them contenders.

“Pocono will be my third race with John (Monsam), explained Hessert, a native of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. “Even though we are working with a different manufacturer than we did last year, we still have a pretty good baseline on where we need to be. I’m confident that when we hit the pavement in practice on Friday afternoon, you’re going to see that No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala near the top.”

With the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series revving their engines early Saturday afternoon, Hessert realizes that the different tire compound could potentially play a difference in the early stages of the Pennsylvania ARCA 125, but he also knows that it really won’t be something he’ll really be thinking about.

“Any time you put a division on a racetrack with two different types of tires, you’re a little hesitant. In the scheme of things, I don’t think it’s really going to be that big of a deal, but it’s still pondering in the back of all our minds. If it does come into play, there won’t be anything we can do about it until we’re racing ourselves.”

Seven races remain in the 2011 ARCA Racing Series schedule with Hessert currently tied for the sixth position in the championship standings with Tim George Jr. A mere 90 points separates Hessert from climbing into the top-five which currently locked by Chad McCumbee.

“We made some huge gains in the points last weekend,” sounded Hessert. “That’s important and that’s what we need to keep doing as the season begin slowly heads towards the checkered flag. There is no doubt in my mind that with luck, that our Federated Auto Parts Racing team will be somewhere in the top-five, we just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing over the last month or so.”

In addition to Federated Auto Parts, Cherry Hill Classic Cars will serve as an associate marketing partner for Hessert’s 77th career ARCA start. In his previous 76 outings, he has maneuvered one win, 15 top-fives and 39 top-10s.

The Pennsylvania ARCA 125 (50 laps / 125 miles) is the 13th of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 53rd ARCA race at Pocono Raceway is a two-day show. Practice begins Friday, August 5 with a one hour and twenty minute practice session planned from 1:40 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is slated to begin later in the day at 5:40 p.m. The field will take the green flag shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 6. The event will be televised live on SPEED beginning at 3:00 p.m. EST. Live timing and scoring throughout the 1,325th race for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards since it was formed in 1953 will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com presented by ARCANation.com. All times are local.

For more on Tom Hessert III, please visit tomhessert.com.

- Tom Hessert Racing Press Release