No. 44 Ansell / Menards Toyota Camry

“The biggest influence in my life on the racetrack, hands down, was my dad, Bill Kimmel, Sr.,” says Kimmel. “Years of working on his cars in his garage – through the 60s. He was an awesome dirt and asphalt racer, and he taught my brother Bill and I both everything we know.”

“He won three races in 1978– and he always had the determination to never give up. The best lesson he taught us was that you just have to finish the race. Prepare the race car the way it should be, get to the track, make the right decisions throughout the event. After all, a guy can have a perfect race and with 20 [miles?] to go, make a stupid mistake. He was a money racer and had to race every lap. Even to this day, that sits with me. We’ll have breakfast somewhere before Daytona every year, and he’ll tell me the same thing. ‘You know what we’ve got to do down there…finish the race. Make sure you finish that race, Frank.’

Kimmel’s racing career may have been shaped primarily by his dad, but these days, he’ll stick to the local tracks to cheer him on in person. “My Dad won’t come to Daytona normally, but he’ll be in Salem and Winchester, plus all the dirt tracks He’s a racer at heart, so we get to hear a lot of feedback! When we don’t run well, he wants to know why, where, who and how. In his mind, we’re the smartest things in the race car. Sometimes I just have to laugh and tell him that we may still have things to learn! He’s super competitive, and I guess I get that from him.”

Frank Kimmel

During the 2012 season, Kimmel knows the rookies will find him on pit road to ask questions. “A lot of guys come to me and ask questions throughout the season; what we’re doing, how we’re doing it. This generation of racers grew up focused on the racing side of the business, so it’s always helpful to teach new aspects to them about sponsors and the marketing. I’m super grateful for where I’ve come from, and it’s nice to know I’m respected in the garage. The feeling is mutual – I respect all the racers who set foot on the track next to the No. 44. We’re all blessed.”

ABOUT ANSELL:

Ansell Limited is a global leader in protection solutions, with operations in North America, LAC, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. Ansell designs, develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of surgical, examination, industrial and household gloves, protective clothing and condoms. People in over 100 countries around the world put their trust in Ansell’s innovative, high-quality solutions to offer superior protection, combined with high levels of comfort and performance.

Ansell holds its operational headquarters in Red Bank, NJ, USA and its registered office in Melbourne, Australia. Worldwide, the group employs over 10,000 people in 33 countries. In its Fiscal Year 2011, Ansell achieved sales of USD 1.2 bn. For more information visit www.ansell.com, www.safetypro.com, www.activarmr.com and www.ansellconstruction.com.

ABOUT THORSPORT RACING

ThorSport Racing, based in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest tenured active NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. NASCAR’s only Ohio-based team, which has run full season schedules annually beginning in 1998, will run in 2012 the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by Matt Crafton; the No. 13 Safe Auto/Curb Records Toyota Tundra driven by Johnny Sauter; the No. 98 Ferrell Gas/Agrisure Toyota Tundra driven by Dakoda Armstrong; and the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Toyota Camry driven by Frank Kimmel in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. ThorSport Racing operates in a state-of-the-art, world-class 100,000 square foot racing facility in Sandusky. For more information, visit us on Facebook: Facebook/ThorSportRacing or Twitter: Twitter.com/ThorSportRacing.

ABOUT TOYOTA: TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development)

Powering all of Toyota’s American racing programs is TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) in Costa Mesa, Calif., and Salisbury, N.C. A subsidiary of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., TRD serves as the North American racing arm for design, development and assembly of Toyota’s factory racing engines.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of nearly 1,500 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers which sold more than 1.76 million vehicles in 2010. Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com, www.lexus.com, www.scion.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com.

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR)

“Daytona is a bit like a homecoming for me,” commented Mike Skinner, driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet. “Angie and I lived here for 15 years, so we still have a lot of friends and family in the area. I love coming here to race, and I know the equipment at ESR is good. If everything goes according to our plan, at the end of the night we’ll be up front and competing for the win.”

After purchasing assets from Kevin Harvick Inc. following the conclusion of the 2011 season, ESR expected to run three full-time teams throughout the 2012 season. Having Skinner in the No. 8 Chevrolet entry at Daytona International Speedway moves the organization closer to that goal.

“ESR has made a significant investment over the winter and the vision is to have three full-time teams,” commented Eddie Sharp, owner of Eddie Sharp Racing. “We have two down [with Justin Lofton in the No. 6 CollegeComplete.com Chevrolet and Cale Gale in the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet] and one to go, and now with the opportunity to race Daytona with Mike, we’re inching closer to that happening. The goal is to keep Mike in the truck all year and run for a championship. If you miss Daytona winning a championship is no longer possible—you have to be there.”

“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to drive for Eddie again this year at Daytona,” Skinner continued. “We’ve been in heavy negotiations with a sponsor who has signed an agreement to sponsor our truck the entire season. We’re waiting for the funding to be put in place, which would allow us to race every week and compete for the championship. If the funding doesn’t come through, then Daytona will probably be our only race unless some other sponsorship comes along. In the event that the sponsorship does come through, we can’t afford to miss Daytona—you can make up for hiccups here and there, but you can’t just give up a whole race on the front side of the year.”

Eddie Sharp Racing and Mike Skinner are still searching for sponsorship opportunities to continue competing in the No. 8 Chevrolet for the remainder of the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

The NextEra Energy Resources 250 from Daytona International Speedway will be broadcast live on SPEED at 7:00 p.m. EST on Friday, February 24. Radio coverage of the 250-mile event will be available on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90, beginning at 7:15 p.m. Fans can also tune into SPEED to watch practice sessions at 12:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 23, and qualifying just prior to the race at 4:00 p.m. EST, on Friday, February 24.

About Eddie Sharp Racing

Eddie Sharp Racing (TeamESR.com) is a championship winning race team housed in a 40,000 square-foot facility in Denver, N.C. After just four short years of competition within the ARCA Racing Series, the team impressively accumulated upwards of 20 race wins. 2009 was a pivotal year for ESR, as they dominated the series with six race wins, 15 top-fives and 19 top-10s en route to the series championship with driver Justin Lofton. In 2010, ESR made the transition to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In 2011, Sharp and Lofton were reunited within truck competition. In 2012, ESR expands to three teams, as Lofton returns to the No. 6 Chevrolet Silverado, Cale Gale joins the team behind the wheel of the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado, and for Daytona, Mike Skinner drives the No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado.

- Eddie Sharp Racing Press Release

CGS Imaging

CGS Imaging and ARCA announced today that the digital printing company would once again sponsor the year-end CGS Race for the Wrap award during the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season.

The season-long contingency program will provide a custom car or transporter graphics “wrap” to the 2012 champion car owner, provided the team’s cars have displayed CGS Imaging decals throughout the season.

In addition to the Race for the Wrap, CGS owner Chuck Stranc also announced that his company will renew its sponsorship of the CGS Imaging Hard Charger Award for each of the 20 races on this season’s schedule, as well as the CGS Imaging Hard Charger of the Year Award at season’s end.

CGS will offer teams a $200 per event product certificate, good toward any decals, banners, or graphic signage needs, to the team advancing the most positions during each event. In addition, the driver and team advancing the most positions during the year will be offered a complete custom wrap of their team’s car for the ARCA 200 at Daytona International Speedway in February 2013.

CGS Imaging offers all the latest expertise, materials, and equipment in the ever-changing world of digital printing. CGS specializes in super wide and oversized graphics, for stadiums, race tracks, and other sporting events, as well as being one of the largest wholesale banner suppliers in the Midwest. CGS Imaging has also released its Hot Wraps brand, and is a popular choice for providing custom race wraps and vehicle wraps for advertising and promotion.

CGS, as a graphics manufacturer, currently provides through its partners signage and graphics for many of the host tracks on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule, including Daytona, Talladega Superspeedway, and Michigan International Speedway. More information is available at CGSImaging.com.

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

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

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

Founded by John and Mildred 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 three professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

No. 23 GunBroker.com Ford F-150 (Jason White) - Getty Images for NASCAR

“I am extremely honored to continue my relationship with GunBroker.com and greatly appreciate their support of my racing career,” stated Jason White. “Sponsors such as GunBroker.com are what make this sport so special and I am lucky to have such a loyal supporter and partner. We have worked hard to build this program and we have assembled a talented group of dedicated employees that are working hard to prepare for Daytona and the 2012 season.”

Doug George has joined the organization as Crew Chief for the No. 23 Ford. George is a veteran within the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with 113 career races as Crew Chief including two career victories with driver Kyle Busch.

Jason White

Jason White has become one of the veteran drivers in the NASCAR Camping World Series having compiled 129 career starts in the series. He competed for Joe Dennette Motorsports last season where he finished 15th in the final standings after finishing 10th in the 2010 season standings.

Currently a single truck team, GB Racing is considering expanding into a multi-team operation.

About GunBroker.com:

GunBroker.com is an informative, detailed, secure and safe way to find guns for sale, hunting / shooting accessories, and much more. GunBroker.com is an online gun auction that promotes responsible gun ownership. We make sure ownership policies and regulations are followed using licensed firearms dealers as transfer agents. GunBroker.com is not just a gun auction, as we offer hunting gear, collectibles, vehicles, and much more. Start buying and selling guns today at GunBroker.com!

- Integrity Sports Marketing Press Release

JD Motorsports

Johnny Davis, owner of JD Motorsports, will race a No. 4 Chevrolet to double their efforts on the track this season.

Mike Wallace will continue to drive the No. 01 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports on a full-time basis with Newt Moore as the crew chief. The second car will have several drivers in the seat including Danny Efland and Darryl Harr; with the possibility of Mike’s daughter, Chrissy Wallace, driving if marketing partners can be found.

Efland will drive the No. 4 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports in the upcoming NNS race at Daytona International Speedway. Both cars are locked into the first five races via their Owner’s Points from the 2011 season.

“We needed to do this because a two-car operation is better than one,” Davis said. “Any time you can get twice as much information from two drivers and teams, the better understanding you have of what’s going on out there on the track.

“Pairing this new venture with a veteran like Mike (Wallace) adds an even bigger dynamic and improves the feedback we’ll be getting this year. All information is good and we’re looking forward to this being a big part of our success this year.

“This is just another step to making JD Motorsports a stronger team, and more improved all around. We’re feeling pretty good about our outlook this year. We just need to get the marketing partnerships to make it even better.”

- JD Motorsports / Packman Public Relations Press Release

Fain Skinner

Skinner, a well-known Floridian noted for his skills on the short tracks has obtained backing from CarportEmpire.com while carrying associate sponsorship from American Steel Carports, Rimrock Flooring.com and CSBdirect.com. The team’s car number for the first of 20 events on the ARCA Racing Series tour will be announced next week.

“I’m very excited about the race,” said Skinner, who gained attention for his attentiveness in his limited NASCAR Nationwide Series starts last year. “We have a very competitive car and the very best I feel that horsepower has to offer. Our shots of winning the race are not out of the playing cards by any means, but the race will ultimately come down to patience, strategy and luck. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to working with Mario and his DGM Racing team.”

The 26-year old tested extremely well at the 2.5-mile superspeedway two months ago during the open ARCA Racing Series test continued, “I have always dreamed of racing at Daytona, ever since I was a little kid sitting in the stands. Now, thanks to everyone that’s come on board, I’m able to live that dream, I’m incredibly grateful.”

The team’s automobile was acquired from the potent Roush Fenway Racing stables and is being closing monitored by three time ARCA Racing Series winner Gosselin who himself has made five ARCA starts at the “World Center of Racing.”

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona (80 laps / 200 miles) is the first of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 49th ARCA race held at Daytona is a three-day show. Practice begins Thursday, February 16 with a four hour practice session planned from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for Friday, February 17 slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. A forty-five minute final practice session is etched in on Saturday, February 18th 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. ARCA, celebrating its 60th season in 2012 is the preamble for the highly anticipated Budweiser Shootout for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) set to ignite under the lights later that night.

Additional input on Carport Empire is available by logging onto carportempire.com and through its Social Media networks of Twitter @carport_empire and Facebook.

Check out Fain Skinner online at Fainskinner.com.

ABOUT CARPORTEMPIRE.COM:

CarportEmpire.com is one of the largest distributors of quality carports, carport garages, steel buildings and RV carports in the United States. They currently offer installation in all 48 continental states and have a trained staff of steel building specialists waiting to take your phone call. If you are looking to make a smart investment in a steel building or carport, then you are looking for Carport Empire!

CarportEmpire.com has several distribution centers to allow for prompt delivery and installation of your new steel building, carport, carport garage or RV carport. Their corporate offices are conveniently located in north Florida near the intersection of Interstate 75 and Interstate 10 in Live Oak, Florida. This is also home to our superior service department and our team of qualified service technicians who are waiting to assist with all your service needs.

ABOUT AMERICAN STEEL CARPORTS:

Located in Kewanee, Illinois; Pioneer, Ohio; Colusa, California; Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; and Joshua, Texas, American Steel Carports, Inc. is your source for quality steel buildings. Choose from our full line of buildings ranging from Open Carports, Partial Carports, Mini Storage Units, Warehouses, Garages and even Portable Hunting Blinds. Their engineer certified, steel buildings are carefully constructed to provide you with the highest quality construction. Their steel buildings are reinforced in order to withstand large amounts of weight or wind. And they use steel with a commercially baked on finish providing years of low maintenance. Your choice of anchors can provide the additional security you need to put your mind at ease. If you can’t find exactly what you need in our catalog, just ask and we’ll work with you to create the building that matches your requirements. For more information, please visit Americansteelinc.com.

- Fain Skinner Racing Press Release

Venturini Motorsports

The 18 year-old from Bakersfield, California will be behind the wheel of the No.15 JDRF– Venturini Motorsports race car for the ARCA Racing Series Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona. Ryan and his team are also excited to announce support from Advance Auto Parts for Ryan’s superspeedway debut.

“Racing at Daytona is a dream-come true,” said Reed. “Since I was a kid I dreamed of the day I would have the opportunity to compete on the historic track. And then to go to the test with Venturini Motorsports in December and be at the top of the charts on the first day was unreal!”

Reed was diagnosed with T1D exactly one year ago – February 2011.

His untimely diagnosis changed his life forever and threatened his promising racing career. After being told his racing career was over, Reed made a decision not to allow T1D to dictate his legacy behind the wheel.

Ryan Reed

Reed’s tenacity and ‘never quit’ attitude has allowed him the good fortune to return to the race car and use his racing platform and personal story to inspire others living with T1D to continue living life to its fullest.

Reed’s off-track goodwill has made him a National Celebrity Advocate of JDRF, the world’s largest funder of research toward curing, treating and preventing T1D and its complications.

Ryan's Mission (Ryan Reed)

Today, Reed is only one of three professional race car drivers in the world to compete at the highest levels of racing with T1D. Indy Racing League driver, Charlie Kimball was diagnosed with T1D in 2007. The two drivers not only share the same circumstances but also share the same doctor, Dr. Anne Peters, MD of USC Clinical Diabetes Program in California.

Reed’s partnership with JDRF will be prominently on display when his JDRF themed racecar is unveiled next week when the ARCA Racing Series returns to Daytona.

To commemorate this historic moment, Reed teamed up with NASCAR’s first officially licensed artist and design icon, Sam Bass to create the paint scheme for Reed’s JDRF car.

Although Bass has designed hundreds of paint schemes for many of today’s NASCAR superstars, the JDRF project with Ryan Reed has a very personal meaning to the motorsports artist.

Like Reed, Sam Bass is also living with T1D. He was diagnosed in 1992.

Bass used this opportunity and his heart to design a show piece and leave his personal imprint on this project to help create more awareness to JDRF and the millions of people affected by this life-long disease.

“I am thrilled to be working with such a talented, young, up and coming driver as Ryan Reed,” said Sam Bass. “His partnership with JDRF has a tremendously special meaning to me, as I also have type 1 diabetes, and have dealt with the disease all of my life. I can relate first hand to the goals and initiatives JDRF has set to help people living with diabetes, and to find a cure. JDRF does very impactful work, and I am extremely proud to assist them in their marketing efforts with the Venturini Motorsports Team and Ryan.”

While November is the official National Diabetes Awareness Month on a worldwide initiative, February marks a significant month for diabetes in Ryan’s life.

Ryan was diagnosed with T1D in February 2011 and 1-year later he will be running the JDRF painted racecar for the first time at Daytona International Speedway in honor of everyone that is affected by T1D.

Practice for the season-opening race starts on Thursday, February 16, while qualifying is Friday, February 17 at 2pm. The race, scheduled to be televised live by SPEED-TV, is Saturday, February 18 at 4:30pm ET.

About Venturini Motorsports

Venturini Motorsports (VMS), fielding cars in the ARCA Racing Series, is one of the premier NASCAR driver development programs in the country. The 2012 season marks the teams 30th Anniversary of competition in the ARCA Series. Multiple team championships and consistent on-track success, VMS has evolved into one of the most recognizable names in motorsports.

Since 2007, VMS has assisted in the career development of notable NASCAR drivers such as Joey Logano, Justin Allgaier, Steve Arpin, Brian Scott, Max Gresham, Miguel Paludo, Josh Richards, Mikey Kile and Scott Lagasse, Jr.

- Venturini Motorsports Press Release

Joe Denette Motorsports (JDM) Logo

Among those recently certified to use the classic red, white and blue Made In The USA Brand Certification Mark is Joe Denette Motorsports, a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) team located in Kernersville, NC.

“We are honored to be associated with the Made In USA Brand Certification Mark,” said Joe Denette of Joe Denette Motorsports. “Racing was born in the south and NASCAR team members are hardworking American’s. This association goes way beyond the label in a t-shirt. This certification mark supports America, and the American people by supporting American made products and keeping the American people working. I hope the use of this trademark will grow with companies across the United States and help flourish stateside business. It’s a simple action that can make a big difference.”

Joe Denette Motorsports will have one of the more unique ways of showing off the Made In USA Brand Certification Mark this year placing it front and center on the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Max Gresham in the NCWTS.

Made in USA Brand

“American companies now have a distinctive registered certification mark for labeling the United States as country of origin on their products. Conscientious consumers will be able to identify at a glance products that are made in the USA,” said Gabor.

JDM and Gresham will debut the Made In USA Brand Certification Mark in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 ARCA Racing Series event at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) on Saturday, February 18. He will also pilot the No. 24 Made In USA Brand Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway in the NCWTS NextEra Energy Resources 250 on Friday, February 24.

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 ARCA Racing Series event will roll off at 4:30 Eastern Time on Saturday, February 18. The race will be telecast live on SPEEDTV. Meanwhile, SPEED will also telecast the NextEra Energy Resources 250 NCWTS race live on Friday, February 24. That event takes the green flag at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

“It’s very cool that my race team – Joe Denette Motorsports – has become a Made In USA Brand certified company,” said Gresham. “It’s really important that Americans look to support companies that produce American goods and services. By doing that, you’re helping to stimulate our economy and secure American jobs. JDM and I will be asking fans at Daytona and throughout the rest of the 2012 season to look for and buy products that are American made and have the Made In USA Brand Certification Mark. I’ve pledged to do that and I now check twice before I scan anything at the checkout.”

Race fans interested in pledging along with Joe Denette Motorsports and Max Gresham to purchase made in USA manufactured goods can do so for free by logging on to http://www.PledgeForUSA.com.

Companies interested in securing the Made In USA Brand Certification Mark for their products are encouraged to log on and register at http://www.madeinusabrand.com.

Additionally, firms approved to use the Made In USA Brand Certification Mark who are interested in partnering with Gresham’s NASCAR Made In USA Brand marketing initiatives this season should contact J.R. Longley at jrlongley@maxgresham.com.

For more information about Max Gresham, please visit www.MaxGresham.com.

You can also follow Gresham on Twitter @MaxGresham and at Max Gresham Fan Page on Facebook.

- Joe Denette Motorsports Press Release

Carter-2-Motorsports Logo

After a brief sabbatical from racing, Carter-2-Motorsports returned to the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) last year running a limited schedule with car owner Roger Carter stepping up to the role as the pilot of the No. 40 Dodge Charger. Amazingly through some diversity and setbacks, the team on a below-average budget was able to make three ARCA Racing Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, Iowa Speedway and Madison (Wisc.) International Speedway respectively.

While Michigan, where the team just had one car, one motor and a slim volunteer crew and Iowa didn’t exactly go as planned – C2M still was enjoying the scenes of the ARCA Racing Series circuit – knowing that they had a place to call home.

A gratifying 16th place finish at Madison, a career-best for Carter in the ARCA Racing Series had the team building momentum back in North Carolina at the team’s race shop where they poured long hours in hopes of raising their previous standards. For the season finale at Toledo Speedway, the team opted to bring two cars with Carter at the helm of his No. 40 and avid racecar driver Nick Tucker in a second entry, the No.04 Dodge Charger. Despite limited sponsorship for the event, the team managed to post respectable lap times in practice which led to optimism for qualifying. Ultimately, a cost-saving method for the team but a technicality from series’ officials regarding the use of tires bumped both drivers from the starting field after easily asserting themselves a berth into the 35-car field.

Ultimately unhappy with the eventual outcome at the Northern Ohio-race track, the team used the experience to sail into the off-season to step-up their operation and prepare for a much larger presence in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards which begins with the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (DIS) on Saturday, February 18, 2012.

To prepare for the 60th year of competition for ARCA, the team under the guidance and leadership of Tucker participated in the open test at the 2.5-mile superspeedway in December with a variety of drivers. Based on the outcome of the three-day operation, C2M has casted it’s lineup for next Saturday afternoon’s anticipated thriller.

Leading the team in the No. 40 Ron Paul for President / El Caribe Dodge Charger will be veteran driver Donnie Neuenberger. Despite over 60 starts in three of NASCAR’s divisions, the Brandywine, Maryland native will look to make his inaugural ARCA Racing Series start at the “World Center of Speed.”

Carrying backing from Mariner Bank and Trauma Doc, veteran Late Model driver Larry Barford Jr. will lead the second entry for the Mooresville, North Carolina-based team. The Denton, Maryland native will also make his first start on the high-banks of Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The ARCA rookie who tested for the team in December will run a limited schedule for C2M in 2012.

The third and final entry for Carter-2-Motorsports in Central Florida will be piloted by Charlotte, North Carolina resident Michael Bockler. The word piloted is fitted for ARCA’s newest face as the driver of the No. 67 Ambucs Dodge Charger retired from a successful career as a pilot to build a presence on the race track. Bockler also tackled DIS two months ago to better equip him towards making the starting grid for the 43-car field.

“Obviously, we’ve made some major gains since Michigan last year,” said Carter who himself had planned to race in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 but opted to heed the role as car owner instead. “We could not be more proud of the three drivers we’re bringing to the track. Everyone knows Donnie; he’s a racecar driver whose passion speaks for itself. Larry and Michael are newcomers to the ARCA scene but they will fit in nicely.

With our team and the help of Del and Rich Markle, we’re antsy to get to Daytona and see what we can accomplish. It looks like there’s going to be a strong field of cars, but I feel we’re going to be able to comfortably get all of our Dodge Chargers into the show. That’s how hard we’ve worked.”

Carter, who’s been a fixture in the Motorsports community for nearly two decades continued, “We love being a part of the ARCA Series. We’ve faced some turmoil along the way, but it only gives you the motivation to get back on your feet and make everyone take you seriously. That’s our goal this season. We’ll have our regulars and we’ll have some new faces too, but that is what C2M strives on; giving chances and trying to do a lot with the resources we have to work with. I think when we unload our cars in Daytona; everyone will see just how devoted this team really is for 2012.”

Danny Esposito, a native of Loxahatchee, Florida will forgo his Daytona attempt to concentrate on future ARCA Racing Series events at Salem (Ind.) Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April and May. He, will however be on-sight next week to support and gain priceless experience towards the fundamentals of not only C2M but restrictor plate racing as a whole.

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona (80 laps / 200 miles) is the first of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 49th ARCA race held at Daytona is a three-day show. Practice begins Thursday, February 16 with a four hour practice session planned from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for Friday, February 17 slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. A forty-five minute final practice session is etched in on Saturday, February 18th 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. ARCA, celebrating its 60th season in 2012 is the preamble for the highly anticipated Budweiser Shootout for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) set to ignite under the lights later that night.

The official website of Carter-2-Motorsports is in the process of a complete makeover for the official kickoff of the new season, but for the latest on the team, drivers and sponsors, please log onto RogerCarter2Racing.com.

- Carter-2-Motorsports Press Release

No. 12 The Cove / Dolphins Awareness Dodge Charger

The No. 12 TMR Dodge Charger will feature the Academy Award winning documentary “The Cove” which exposes the annual slaughter of thousands of dolphins in a small cove in Taiji, Japan. The documentary, which won over 70 awards globally, also exposed the undeniable connection between dolphin parks and dolphin captivity with the largest slaughter of dolphins in the world. Munter, a biology graduate, has made three trips to Japan to document the dolphin slaughter first hand and keep the issue in the public’s mind. Leilani comments, “Racing a “The Cove” themed race car at Daytona is an incredible opportunity to reach a new audience about this important issue and since the race is broadcast live on SPEED, it will be seen in the United States and overseas.”

Leilani Munter

“I am excited Leilani is with the team for Daytona and hopefully we can take this further into the future. She is a very driven person and passionate about what she believes in; what she is doing is an honorable thing- she takes risks to expose the brutal slayings of the dolphins and that is something that a lot of us would not even think about doing,” said team owner Tony Marks.

TMR Racing is holding a screening of the film at the race shop so the team will have a deeper understanding of the motivating force behind their driver. Leilani’s birthday is Saturday, February 18th and this year it falls on race day- what better way for her to celebrate than to take the No. 12 “The Cove”/Dolphin Awareness Dodge Charger to Victory Lane.

Be sure to follow Leilani in her No. 12 “The Cove”/Dolphin Awareness Dodge Charger in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway LIVE on SPEED Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. EST.

For more information on “The Cove” go to thecovemovie.com, opsociety.org and dolphinproject.org

To learn more about Leilani and her endeavors visit leilanimunter.com

To learn more about Tony Marks Racing visit tmr-racing.com

- Tony Marks Racing Press Release

Maryeve Dufault

When I say that Dufault has become a badass now that she has a seat for the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide season, I’m not exactly telling the truth. This French Canadian got started racing since she was four years old, starting off in motocross and breaking both her arms before she turned nine. So she has a history of being tough.

The first time you might’ve heard of her was back in 2000, when she won the Miss Hawaiian Tropic International beauty pagent. She spent the next few years working in Hollywood, being prized for her looks and her skills. The first job she landed here in the States was as a model on “The Price Is Right,” but she also worked as a Hollywood stunt driver.

Her breakout year came in 2011. She joined the ARCA Racing Series at the end of 2010, so 2011 was her first full season competing in stock cars. Driving in many of the tracks used in NASCAR, she finished 16th in the standings, despite having missed over a quarter of the races due to a lack of sponsorship. In August she got her first drive in NASCAR Nationwide, a feeder series to the Sprint Cup major leagues and she’ll be running a full season this year in a Quebecois Dodge Challenger.

She won’t be challenging the leaders this year in Nationwide, but we are looking forward to seeing more women in racing, especially someone as driven as Dufault.

- Jalopnik

Spraker Racing Enterprises

“Duo teamed up for top-10 points finish in 2009″

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 8, 2012) – Spraker Racing reached back into their history books a bit to find a driver for the ARCA race on Saturday, February 18 at Daytona International Speedway.

Alex Kennedy of Aztec, N.M. will wheel the No. 08 Ford for the team. The 20-year old driver and team raced together in 2009 where they achieved a top-10 points finish in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. He also ran one race in 2010 for the team.

Since then, Kennedy has gone on to make 11 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts the past two seasons achieving one top-20 finish and six finishes better than 25th place.

And, as has been the case in almost all of his NNS starts, he will be carrying the Dream Factory on board for Daytona. Dream Factory (http://www.dreamfactoryinc.org) is a non-profit volunteer organization granting dreams to children with critical or chronic illnesses between the ages of three and 18. Other marketing partnership opportunities are still available for the race.

This will be Kennedy’s first time racing the 2.5-mile high banks of Daytona.

“New venues are nothing for us with Alex,” said Jeff Spraker, team owner. “We went to Dover with him a few years back and he was third on the sheet after the first practice. This car has been tested at both Daytona and Talladega and we’re pretty confident we have a good Ford. Alex is a quick study and adapts quickly to new tracks.

“We have a Roush engine and will be getting some pit support from them for the race, too. They have been very helpful towards our team and this couldn’t happen without them.

“You know, the first time we had Alex in our car at Caraway (N.C.) Speedway he was all of 15-years old. And now, five years later, the same group of guys is going to Daytona with him. There aren’t too many teams that can say that these days.”

For Kennedy, the chance to race at Daytona is something he’s been looking to do for years.

“When this all came together, I couldn’t believe the opportunity to finally race the historic track of Daytona was finally going to happen,” he said. “We’ve always had a good relationship with Spraker and were fairly successful during our K&N Pro Series East days together.

“We’re going to have a Roush motor and some crew guys helping us out on the track and NASCAR veteran Jimmy Kitchens is going to spot for me. I’m going to take it all in and learn everything I can during every lap.”

Qualifying takes place on Friday, February 17 with race action starting at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 18. The 80-lap race can be seen live on SPEED TV.

- Packman Public Relations Press Release

David Ragan

It of course will be Ragan’s first start in a points-paying race at Daytona since he won last July’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 400-miler. He hasn’t driven a Nationwide race at Daytona since July 2009 and has just one Nationwide start since the end of that season, coming last November in Texas. He has a pair of Nationwide Series victories, both coming in 2009 at Talladega and Bristol. In six starts at Daytona in NASCAR’s second-tier division, he has one eighth-place finish and three ninths.

The GCMI team debuted last April in Nashville with Canadian J.R. Fitzpatrick behind the wheel. Fellow Canadian Andrew Ranger and American J.J. Yeley also drove races for the team. Fitzpatrick scored a pair of top-10 finishes, including a fifth in Montreal. Ranger, a two-time champion of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, will pilot the car in several Nationwide races this season while chasing a third title north of the border.

- SB Nation

Fain Skinner

“I’m very excited about the race. We have very competitive car and the very best horsepower under the hood I know that we have a realistic shot at winning this race and I’m looking forward to putting on a good show for all the sponsors. I have always dreamed of racing at Daytona since I was a little kid sitting in the stands, and now thanks to everyone that came on board I’m able to live that dream” said Skinner. Skinner will be piloting a 2012 red Ford Fusion a car built out of the Roush stables, the crew chief will be Mario Gosselin a past ARCA winner and proven champion. Fain would like to give a personal thanks to CarportEmpire.com and Rimrock Flooring.com for continuing to be a great supporter of him on and off the track.

Carport Empire.com information:

Carport Empire is one of the largest distributors of quality carports, carport garages, steel buildings and RV carports in the United States. We currently offer installation in all 48 continental states and have a trained staff of steel building specialists waiting to take your phone call. If you are looking to make a smart investment in a steel building or carport, then you are looking for Carport Empire.

American steel carports information:

Located in Kewanee, Illinois; Pioneer, Ohio; Colusa, California; Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; and Joshua, Texas, American Steel Carports, Inc. is your source for quality steel buildings. Choose from our full line of buildings ranging from Open Carports, Partial Carports, Mini Storage Units, Warehouses, Garages and even Portable Hunting Blinds. Our engineer certified, steel buildings are carefully constructed to provide you with the highest quality construction. Our steel buildings are reinforced in order to withstand large amounts of weight or wind. And we use steel with a commercially baked on finish providing years of low maintenance. Your choice of anchors can provide the additional security you need to put your mind at ease. If you can’t find exactly what you need in our catalog, just ask and we’ll work with you to create the building that matches your requirements.

- Fain Skinner Racing / DGM Racing Press Release

ARCA's 60th Anniversary Season Logo

Founded in Toledo, Ohio in 1953, the Temperance, Mich.-based company will begin 2012 with a refined business plan and offer new opportunities to increase the level of on-track competition and off-track growth within the racing industry.

“Entering our 60th season, we’ve done some internal alignment to best position ourselves going forward,” said Ron Drager, ARCA’s president and chief executive officer. “Our moves will offer continued stability and a responsible pattern for growth at an important time in our company’s history.”

Drager announced the promotion of Jeff Brehmer to executive vice president and chief financial officer. Brehmer, 47, of Tecumseh, Mich., had been the vice president of finance and administration since joining the ARCA staff on a full-time basis in 2008.

Brehmer’s involvement with ARCA stretches back to the early 1980s, when he sold programs and stubbed tickets at ARCA’s two short track properties, Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. He advanced to become the tour director for the ARCA Figure-8 Series, and returned to ARCA over three years ago after spending 20 years working in the cement and building products industry.

“Jeff has the best comprehensive base of knowledge across all of our properties, from our on-track racing activities to our business interests,” said Drager. “His experiences in racing and the strong business acumen he has developed over the years make him a worthy leader for many of our efforts going forward.”

Brehmer will directly oversee the business operations of the sanctioning body, including: the flagship ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards; Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways; the ARCA Truck Series; and the newly formed sanction agreement with Champion Racing Association and the ARCA CRA Super Series.

In addition to Brehmer’s promotion, Drager also announced changes in the marketing department, including the promotion of Mark Gundrum to vice president of business development and corporate partnerships. Gundrum, 49, has been the vice president of marketing and communications since 2004, and will now focus more of his time and efforts on business development and sales opportunities.

“Mark’s ability to bring new business opportunities and marketing partners to our company in challenging economic times has been extremely valuable,” Drager said. “Our new structure allows him to spend more time on the sales and corporate partnership side of the business, and with the growth and development of the marketing department as a whole, this is a logical progression.”

ARCA’s director of marketing, George Mergen, will be charged with the added responsibility of public relations. Mergen, a former Ford Racing agency representative who joined ARCA in the spring of 2010, will oversee the marketing and communications department.

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

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

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

Founded by John and Mildred 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 three professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release