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

Drew Charlson

“I can’t wait to get to Daytona for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200. We are so thankful to Aluma Trailers, AgriGold Seed and Heitkamp Crop Insurance for giving us this opportunity. With the increased sponsorship dollars, we were able to purchase a car from Richard Childress Racing. This car has visited victory circle at Daytona and Talladega so we know that we have the equipment to be a contender” said Charlson. Daytona is the biggest race on the ARCA schedule, and the list of former winners includes Benny Parsons, Kyle Petty, Ryan Newman and Kyle Busch. “I really feel we can join the ranks of ARCA winners this year. We tested Daytona in December and ended up 8th fastest of over 50 cars so we are very confident in our ability.”

Aluma Aluminum Trailers (Bancroft, Iowa) is a relatively new company that produces light weight, strong, rust free trailers for many purposes. With over 60 models of open utility and enclosed cargo trailers to choose from, you are sure to find a perfect trailer for any need. Today, Aluma builds an average of 50 trailers a day and ships them to all 50 states and Canada. Aluma Trailers also feature an all inclusive five year warranty on all of their products, the best in the industry! “Aluma has provided us with amazing trailers to transport our race cars. We log tens of thousands of miles annually and could not be happier with our trailers. They pull so smooth and easy that sometimes I forget they are behind me. They have the most complete aluminum utility and recreational trailer line in America and we couldn’t be more pleased to expand our relationship with them” added Charlson.

Charlson is also proud to welcome AgriGold Seed Company (The Corn Specialists) and Heitkamp Crop Insurance on board. “If you are a farmer, you already know about AgriGold Seed. If not, you are missing out. I recommend you plant those AgriGold Giants and then see John Heitkamp for all your crop insurance needs. Because of these new marketing relationships, as well as our ongoing relationship with Elmer Schaeffer Amsoil Dealer and Mid America Properties, we are able to step up our racing program to levels only dreamt of in the past!”

Charlson will be running a limited ARCA schedule this year. Confirmed races include the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, Talladega ARCA 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 4th, and the Iowa ARCA 200 at Iowa Speedway on July 13th. All of these races will be televised live on SPEED channel. More races may be added as sponsorship allows. Charlson will also be running the full Main Event Racing Series Outlaw Late Model schedule, where he finished 6th in points last year. He has had a successful racing career so far with over 150 kart wins and 17 championships, 5 USAC Midget Feature wins and a runner up points finish. He also set a USAC record as the youngest driver (age 13) in his 1st USAC National Level Midget race, the Ft. Wayne Rumble indoor, qualifying 15th, winning his heat and finishing 6th behind NASCAR veteran Tony Stewart.

For more information, please call Heitkamp Crop Insurance at 419-305-4798 or visit www.alumaklm.com, www.agrigold.com, and www.drewcharlson.com.

- D C Racing Team Press Release

Tommy Baldwin Racing Thumbnail Logo

Blaney, son of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) and TBR driver Dave Blaney, made a combined three starts last season in the NKNPS East and West, winning in his third start and capturing his first NASCAR victory at Phoenix International Raceway. Blaney also won the 2011 PASS South Championship and found success in the ARCA Racing Series where he finished in the top-10 in his two starts.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity to run a mix of K&N and Nationwide races this season,” Blaney commented. “We were really competitive in the K&N Series last year, and I think we will be even more competitive this year. Hopefully, we will have an opportunity to win all six races. We will have good equipment racing with TBR. It will be great to race with and learn from the Nationwide guys. To be able to race on bigger tracks will be a good learning experience too. I’m grateful that SealWrap is supporting my progression in NASCAR and really excited to work with them throughout the season.”

This season will mark TBR’s fourth season of competition. TBR began as a part-time one-car NSCS team in 2009 and developed into a top-35 team by 2011. In 2012, TBR plans to compete with two NSCS teams. The part time NNS team will expand on TBR’s driver development program in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. The team would like to increase the number of races in both the NSCS and NNS schedules, barring more sponsorship opportunities.

“We are really looking forward to restarting our Nationwide program as we have had much success in the past in that series,” explained Tommy Baldwin. “Watching Ryan the last few years, we are excited to get to the track and see him perform. As we look to the future, this Nationwide program is a stepping-stone for the Cup program, and we are excited to start with Ryan.”

Blaney will join his dad, Dave Blaney, with TBR this season. The elder Blaney drove the No. 36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet last season where he locked the team in to the top-35 in NSCS points and captured a third-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway.

“I’m proud that Ryan is making the next step in his racing career,” Dave Blaney said. “I think it is a great opportunity for him to run with TBR and still run some races in the K&N Series. He has learned very quickly in every series he has driven, so I am anticipating what competing in the Nationwide series brings. Thanks to SealWrap and Heavy Duty who have stepped up their programs as Ryan has moved through the ranks. It’s really refreshing to build a relationship with companies at this level and be able to grow together.”

SealWrap Repair Tape, a self-fusing rubber tape, partnered with Blaney in 2010 in the NKNPS. SealWrap Repair Tape uses a stretch-and-wrap technology that makes repairing irregular forms and shapes easy. There are no bonding agents, adhesives or glues to make it work. SealWrap fuses to itself and creates an air and watertight seal.

“Everyone at SealWrap is extremely excited to be involved with such a professional organization as Tommy Baldwin Racing,” said Don Lux, SealWrap National Sales Manager. “We have been and will continue to support Ryan Blaney in his racing career, and this sponsorship opportunity is a perfect way for us to continue doing that. Nationwide and K&N fans are our customers. They are hard working, do-it-yourselfers who use our SealWrap product around the house and on their cars and trucks. We here are SealWrap are passionate about our product and passionate about racing!”

Ryan Blaney (Photo Credit: 51 Sports)

· March 17th – NKNSE – Bristol Motor Speedway

· April 26th – NKNSE – Richmond International Raceway

· April 27th – NNS – Richmond International Raceway

· May 11th – NNS – Darlington Raceway

· May 19th – NKNPSE – Iowa Speedway

· June 29th – NNS – Kentucky Speedway

· July 28th – NNS – Indianapolis Motor Speedway

· August 3rd – NKNPSE – Iowa Speedway

· August 24th – NNS – Bristol Motor Speedway

· September 28th – NKNPSE – Dover International Speedway

· October 12th – NNS – Charlotte Motor Speedway

· November 10th – NKNPSW – Phoenix International Raceway

About Tommy Baldwin Racing:

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Crew Chief Tommy Baldwin formed Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) in 2009. Baldwin utilized a declining economy to open a NSCS team with a stringent budget. The team worked to build to full-time competition, and by the 2011 season, the team’s third season, TBR competed in every race and locked the No. 36 Chevrolet in the top-35 in NSCS Owner Points. Dave Blaney drove the No. 36 Chevrolet to TBR’s highest finish of third in the October 2011 event at Talladega Superspeedway. TBR also fielded a second car for select races in the past two seasons with multiple drivers.

Based in Mooresville, N.C., TBR will compete in the NSCS in 2012 with NASCAR veterans David Reutimann and Dave Blaney. The team will also compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with Ryan Blaney.

For more information on Tommy Baldwin Racing, visit tommybaldwinracing.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About SealWrap Repair Tape:

SealWrap is a great product that everyone can use. SealWrap is a repair tape that you just stretch-and- wrap around whatever you need- no adhesives or glues are needed!

The secret is SealWrap’s ability to fuse to itself. That means there are no bonding agents, adhesives or glues to make it work. It simply fuses to itself and won’t let go! Repairing irregular forms and shapes can now be handled easily. Simply STRETCH-N-WRAP!

SealWrap’s tape works in all types of weather conditions – from -55 degrees Fahrenheit to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, water tight and air tight to 100 psi of pressure. This 30 mil. tape will insulate 600 volts per mil. and can be stretched to three times its original length. In addition, the elements of weather will not affect it, allowing it to be a long lasting repair.

Visit www.sealwrap.com for more details

- Tommy Baldwin Racing Press Release

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

It’s an adage that certainly does ring true these days for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

In one of the biggest season-to-season upheavals since the formation of the series in 1995, the 2012 season will feature wholesale changes from 2011.

And the changes run deep.

In addition to a major influx of new faces in new places, the Truck Series’ annual calendar has been trimmed by three races from its 2011 slate.

Now featuring just 22 events, the series will no longer compete at Nashville Superspeedway (previously two dates), New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis.

The trucks will debut at Rockingam — which last hosted a NASCAR national series in 2004 — as Iowa picks up a second race.

An even more seismic shift, however, involves the drivers and teams.

Gone is Kevin Harvick Inc., which dominated much of 2011 but closed its doors at the end of the season.

Also missing will be reigning series champion Austin Dillon, who has been promoted to the Nationwide Series to compete for grandfather Richard Childress’ team.

But the Truck Series won’t be completely devoid of Dillons. Austin’s younger brother, 19-year-old Ty, has seized his brother’s former seat in the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

Despite being just a rookie, the 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion could contend for the title with last year’s NCWTS championship-winning team.

- SPEEDtv.com

Iowa Corn Indy 250

The 2012 Iowa Corn Indy 250 will be one of the most anticipated races on this year’s INDYCAR schedule. Last year’s event at the Rusty Wallace designed track was a highlight with one of the best open-wheeled race finishes as Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan kept spectators standing until the spectacular finish.

Craig Floss, CEO of Iowa Corn, expressed his excitement for the sponsorship and for the continued support of the IZOD INDYCAR series as a promoter of ethanol. “Iowa Corn looks forward to our sixth year as the title sponsor of the Iowa Corn Indy 250 powered by ethanol. This year will be exciting as INDYCAR moves to E85. Consumers can fill up their flex fuel vehicles with E85, and drive just like the pros, except with a speed limit of course.”

In 2006, the INDY Racing league switched to ethanol. Since then, the league has saved an estimated 20,000 gallons of fuel per season. In 2012, the league will use E85-an ethanol blended fuel with up to 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline to be closer to products consumers can find at the pump. E85 can be found at more than 160 stations throughout Iowa and can be used in 1 in 10 Iowa vehicles designated as Flexible Fuel vehicles.

Iowa Speedway President Stan Clement shared his feelings about one of the best partnerships in all of motorsports.

“Iowa Corn has been sponsoring this race since our inaugural season, a sponsorship which is now entering its sixth year,” Clement said. “It’s been a tremendous relationship, and we value their partnership, both with us and our race fans.”

One of four ovals on the 2012 IZOD INDYCAR Series schedule, the Iowa Corn Indy 250 will be the headlining race of an open-wheel weekend on Friday, June 22 and Saturday, June 23. Tickets to the race weekend can be purchased by calling 1-866-RUSTY-GO or by going to www.iowaspeedway.com. To find E85 in your area or for questions about Flexible Fuel vehicles, visit www.iowacorn.org.

About Iowa Speedway

Iowa Speedway is a state-of-the-art 7/8 mile asphalt paved tri-oval race track and motorsports facility located just 30 miles east of Des Moines at I-80 Exit 168 in Newton, Iowa. The track is owned and operated by U.S. Motorsport Corporation and designed by former NASCAR Champion Rusty Wallace, now an anchor and analyst for ABC-TV/ESPN. Iowa Speedway is designed for year-round use and includes 30,000 permanent grandstand seats. Call 1-866-RUSTY-GO, visit www.iowaspeedway.com, “like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @IowaSpeedway to learn more.

About the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA)

Established in 1967, the ICGA is the oldest state corn growers association. The ICGA is a membership organization, lobbying on agricultural issues on behalf of its 6,500 members.

About the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB)

Established by grower referendum in 1977, the ICPB directs the investment of the Iowa corn checkoff funds to develop and defend markets, fund research and provide education about corn and corn products.

Each organization is governed by a board of corn growers, elected by their peers. Both share a common mission: Creating Opportunities for Long-Term Corn Grower Profitably.

- Iowa Speedway Press Release

Randy Hill Racing (RHR)

The change allows both entities sufficient time to solidify new opportunities and options for the approaching 2012 racing season. “We are extremely appreciative to Jeff (Spraker) and all of his employees for helping ignite our program in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards and NASCAR Nationwide Series,” explained Randy Hill, owner of Randy Hill Racing. “Our team wishes them nothing but the best in their future endeavors.”

Hill, a successful entrepreneur from Texas who still plans to field an entry in the NASCAR Nationwide Series added, “We’re very close to finalizing everything for 2012. We will be at Daytona for the Nationwide race and we’re looking forward to having Casey (Roderick) at the helm of our Zer08 (No. 08) Ford Mustang.

I also feel that the ARCA Racing Series is a great stepping stone. ARCA was incredibly welcoming to us (Randy Hill Racing) when we made our debut at Iowa Speedway in July. We brought Ross Chastain to their open test at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway two weeks ago and we’re hoping to open the door for newer talent as the new season draws near. We’re confident in the direction of our team and looking forward to the future and impending season(s) ahead.”

Further details on the team’s 2012 effort will be forthcoming shortly after the New Year.

For more on Randy Hill Racing, please visit randyhillracing.com.

Join the team on Facebook by clicking here (Randy Hill Racing).

Tweet with us through Twitter at @RandyHillRacing.

- Randy Hill Racing Press Release

ARCA's 60th Anniversary Season Logo

Officials from ARCA and SPEED jointly announced the 2012 SPEED television schedule for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, comprised of 10 events to be televised live or same-day delayed on the popular network. SPEED in-race analyst Phil Parsons, host for this evening’s banquet, was on hand for the announcement.

SPEED will kick off its live flag-to-flag ARCA coverage at Daytona International Speedway with the 49th running of the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at 4 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, February 18.

In addition to Daytona, other events scheduled for live and/or same-day coverage in 2012 include Talladega Superspeedway on May 4, Toledo Speedway on May 20, events at Pocono Raceway on June 9 and August 4, Michigan International Speedway on June 15, Iowa Speedway on July 13, Chicagoland Speedway on July 21, and the season finale at Kansas Speedway on October 19. The late July race at Lucas Oil Raceway will also be televised; series and track officials have not yet determined the race’s exact date.

ARCA’s relationship with SPEED dates back to April 20, 1997, when the network (then Speedvision) covered the ARCA race at Salem (Ind.) Speedway. Since then, SPEED has aired a total of 188 ARCA races, making the 2012 opener at Daytona the 189th.

Before the SPEED announcement, Drager opened the afternoon by providing a short “state of ARCA” address, recognizing series presenting sponsor Menards, and unveiling the logo for ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season celebration. Drager then introduced Rick Crawford of Mobile International Speedway, which will host the ARCA Racing Series for the first time on March 10. Crawford announced that infield camping for ARCA’s first visit to Mobile has already sold out.

Also speaking was Bob Sargent of Track Enterprises; Sargent’s company will promote the June 2 race at Elko Speedway.

The press conference also served as a weekend welcome to series champion Ty Dillon, who spoke briefly after Drager.

Key series marketing partners and Menards vendor program participants Ansell, Herr’s, and Messina Wildlife Management were recognized. Several teams, including ThorSport Racing, Team BCR Racing, Andy Belmont Racing, and Venturini Motorsports, took the podium to announce new drivers and sponsors for 2012.

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

Richard Childress Racing (RCR)

Gaughan, 36, is the 2002 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year and competed fulltime in the Nationwide Series in 2009 and 2010, earning one pole and 17 top-10 finishes in 71 career starts. He finished ninth in the 2009 driver championship point standings and 11th in 2010. The two-time NASCAR Camping World Series West champion (2000-2001) has also earned eight victories and 63 top-10 finishes in 187 Truck Series starts, finishing 12th in the 2011 driver championship point standings. Gaughan was also part of the five-driver lineup that won the GT3 division of the 2011 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race at Daytona International Speedway.

“The last few years, I have been racing for teams that try to buy their engineering or equipment from organizations as great as RCR, but doing that is never the same as racing for RCR,” said Gaughan. “I have always steered away from switching to a part-time schedule in the past but I had to look at where I would have the best opportunity to win races again and the opportunity to race for Richard Childress is one I couldn’t pass up. By sharing the Nationwide Series seat with RCR’s Cup Series drivers, I know I’m going to be in the best equipment in the garage and have the best opportunity to win races to get myself back to where I want to be and that is to compete fulltime again.”

Brendan Gaughan

The Las Vegas native’s 18-race schedule will kick-off with the Truck Series event at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and includes visits in both series to his home track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Gaughan’s Nationwide Series events include races at Iowa Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Dover (Del.) International Speedway and Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway among others. His Truck Series line-up includes events at Texas Motor Speedway, where he is a four-time winner, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and others, as well as the 2012 season finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

“Brendan is a proven race winner and champion so we’re excited to have him driving for RCR,” said Richard Childress, president and chief executive officer of Richard Childress Racing. “He will be a great addition to RCR’s overall driver lineup as we re-launch our NASCAR Nationwide Series program and continue the strength of our Camping World Truck Series program in 2012.”

The complete crew chief and remaining driver lineup for the No. 33 Nationwide Series team and the No. 2 Truck Series team will be announced at a later date.

For additional information on today’s announcement, and all that’s happening at RCR, please visit www.rcrracing.com.

About Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 200 victories and 14 championships, including six in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its current Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Paul Menard (No. 27 Menards Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser / Rheem / Jimmy John’s Chevrolet) and Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar / Wheaties Chevrolet). Its Nationwide Series program includes Elliott Sadler (No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet), 2011 Camping World Truck Series champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Advocare Chevrolet) and Brendan Gaughan (No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino/Menards Chevrolet). Tim George Jr. and Brendan Gaughan (No. 2 Potomac Family Dining Group/South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet), Joey Coulter, Jr. (No. 22 RCR Chevrolet) and 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion Ty Dillon (No. 41 Chevrolet) will compete in the 2012 Camping World Truck Series season.

- Richard Childress Racing Press Release

Team BCR Racing

Graham, a former Hydroplane racer moves to Team BCR Racing after competing in four races this season with Mark Gibson Racing (MGR). Before his transition to ARCA, he also competed in three CARS Pro Cup Series under the MGR umbrella. In his ARCA outings, Graham posted a best finish of 15th at Iowa Speedway while qualifying a career-best 15th in his final race of the year at Kansas Speedway. Graham finished outside the top-20 just once at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in a spectacular incident on the opening lap.

Buster Graham, driver of the Batter’s Dream Ford Fusion in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards for Team BCR Racing.

The duo will make their first on-track appearance together when the ARCA Racing Series storms onto the high-banks of Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway for three days of testing in preparation for next year’s season opener beginning on Friday, December 16.

“My heart beat increases just thinking about Daytona,” Graham added. “We’ve been able to purchase some really good racecars from Roush Fenway Racing and with the horsepower from RoushYates Engines, I’m looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish at the test.”

Team owner Howard Bixman is eagerly excited about having Graham joining his two-car operation.

“You cannot overlook what Buster has accomplished in just a short amount of time,” Bixman sounded. “I was able to watch him in the couple of races that he competed in this year and you could easily see the comfort and confidence not only with himself but with the racecar as well. With our resources, we are working hard to give Buster everything he’s looking for and more.”

Batter’s Dream will continue to adorn the role as the primary marketing partner for Graham in 2012.

Batter’s Dream is an automated ball feeding system (pitching machine) that allows baseball hitters and softball hitters to maximize time in the batting cage by getting more quality cuts without fixing a tee. One of the key benefits of the Batter’s Dream batting machines is that it allows batters the freedom to focus on rhythm, stance, timing and swing speed without the need for a second person. Simply put, Batter’s Dream is the most effective, simple and easy-to-use soft toss system ever invented to help improve a hitter’s mechanics and increase their batting average.

“Without the help and support of my father in-law Don Mashburn, none of this would be possible,” Graham explained. “We’re working hard on bringing additional marketing partners into the ARCA Racing Series with Team BCR, but we’re eager to keep spreading the word about Batter’s Dream and its capabilities.”

With the addition of Graham to the Mooresville, North Carolina’s operation, Team BCR Racing will officially become a two-car operation with the recent announcement of an expanded schedule for 21-year old Charles Evans Jr. in the Elevator Transportation Services / Casite / RoushYatesParts.com Ford Fusion.

“I’m looking forward to working with CJ,” Graham concluded. “I don’t know a lot about him, but from what I hear, he’s a pretty talented driver. I’m looking forward to working with him and learning things together and us representing Team BCR Racing with stellar results on the track.”

For more information including marketing partnerships for the 2012 ARCA Racing Series season for Team BCR Racing and Buster Graham, please log onto teambcr.com.

For more on Batter’s Dream, please visit Battersdream.com.

Connect with RoushYates Performance Products and RoushYates Engines through their official web site at roushyatesparts.com.

About Batter’s Dream:

Batter’s Dream is an automated ball feeding system (pitching machine) that allows baseball hitters and softball hitters to maximize time in the batting cage by getting more quality cuts without fixing a tee. One of the key benefits of the Batter’s Dream batting machines is that it allows batters the freedom to focus on rhythm, stance, timing and swing speed without the need for a second person. Simply put, Batter’s Dream is the most effective, simple and easy-to-use soft toss system ever invented to help improve a hitter’s mechanics and increase their batting average.

- Team BCR 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

ThorSport Racing

“We’d like to thank everyone at Chevrolet for all the support over the last 16 years,” said Matt LaNeve, vice president of motorsports partnerships for ThorSport Racing. “ThorSport Racing, along with dedicated owners Duke and Rhonda Thorson, have a long-standing history and commitment to conservative, steady growth within NASCAR. Toyota’s business and competitive philosophies are in line with our 2012 goals for both Frank Kimmel, as he pursues his 10th ARCA Racing Series Championship; and our NCWTS teams of the 13, 88 and 98, as we further look to increase competition. We are aggressively chasing not only wins in our two respective series, but championship trophies for our drivers and sponsors.”

ThorSport Racing currently operates three NCWTS teams – the No. 13 of Johnny Sauter; the No. 88 of Matt Crafton; and the No. 98 of Dakoda Armstrong. The organization will also field the No. 44 Ansell / Menards Toyota Camry during the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season. The No. 13 Safe Auto / Curb Records entry finished second in driver championship points in 2011, matching the organization’s highest previous finish by the No. 88 Menards entry and Matt Crafton in 2009 – narrowly missing the championship by six points but capping the year off with a win at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18th; adding to driver Sauter’s win list, shared with a trophy clock at Martinsville earlier in the year. The No. 88 Menards entry, piloted by Matt Crafton, finished 8th in overall driver championship points, earned two poles and wheeled into Victory Lane at Iowa Speedway during the 2011 season.

“ThorSport Racing is a first-class organization and a championship-caliber race team, as well as one of the most respected teams in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,” said Lee White, president and general manager of TRD, U.S.A.(Toyota Racing Development). “We look forward to working together with the entire ThorSport race team and are confident that it will raise the level of our entire Toyota Tundra racing program.”

“We’re always on the forefront of competition in whatever series we are competing in,” said David Pepper, Director of Competition and Team Manager for ThorSport Racing. “We’re looking forward to forging ahead with Toyota in the competition arena in 2012. We’re actively hiring top talent to our existing crew members on our championship-caliber teams. We’re encouraged, during a down economy in both the country and in racing, to be hiring and adding jobs back into our industry.”

ABOUT THORSPORT RACING

ThorSport Racing, based in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest tenured active NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. ThorSport Racing’s first race came at the Milwaukee Mile on July 6, 1996. 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 has wheeled into Victory Lane with Terry Cook, Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter since its inception and has finished a dominating eight times within the top 10 in points with both trucks. Sauter wheeled into Victory Lane twice in 2011 – Martinsville and Homestead-Miami; Crafton in Iowa. Both earned two poles, respectively. In 2011, ThorSport Racing matched its highest previous driver points finish by Matt Crafton and the No. 88 in 2009 – with the No. 13 of Johnny Sauter. In 2009 and 2010, both Crafton and Sauter finished in the top five in driver points. 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

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Thumbnail

“Each of the venues on the 2012 schedule is very important to the identity and industry position of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards,” said ARCA president Ron Drager. “The geographic coverage represented by the markets we’ll be racing in and the overall number of races are good fits for the series.”

In the ARCA Racing Series’ 49th consecutive February Speedweeks appearance, Daytona International Speedway will host the season-opening Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on Saturday, February 18. The race will precede that evening’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

The 2012 ARCA Racing Series schedule will conclude with the series’ championship event at Kansas Speedway on Friday, October 19. In between, the series will appear in 18 other races at a wide variety of venues, setting the most versatile schedule in motorsports.

ARCA’s first visit to Mobile International Speedway in Alabama will be the season’s second race on Saturday, March 10. Another new track – Minnesota’s Elko Speedway – appears on the ARCA schedule for the first time, with a race on Saturday, June 2. The ARCA Racing Series has never raced in Minnesota, adding significance to the June visit to Elko and establishing the North Star State as the 29th visited by ARCA’s premier national tour since 1953.

Toledo Speedway – ARCA’s home track – will host the series on Sunday, May 20.

ARCA Racing Series teams will compete in July at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis over the Brickyard 400 weekend, following ARCA’s 2011 return to the track for the first time in 26 years. The exact date of the race will be determined shortly.

Additional short tracks returning to the ARCA Racing Series schedule include Salem (Ind.) Speedway on two weekends, Winchester (Ind.) Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Berlin (Mich.) Raceway, and Madison (Wis.) International Speedway.

Talladega Superspeedway will host its 50th ARCA Racing Series race on Friday, May 4, and Pocono Raceway will host two race dates for the 25th consecutive year, in June and August. Additional speedway events scheduled to return in 2012 include races at Michigan International Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway.

Contributing to the long-recognized diversity of the ARCA schedule will be the traditional mile dirt races in August at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and in September at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds. Road course racing is in the plan for the fifth consecutive year, as the 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park will host ARCA on the first day of July.

Companion events in 2012 include race weekends with the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series, as well as the USAC Silver Crown Series, the ARCA CRA Super Series, and the ARCA Truck Series.

The full 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule is as follows:

Saturday, February 18 – Daytona International Speedway

Saturday, March 10 – Mobile International Speedway

Sunday, April 29 – Salem Speedway

Friday, May 4 – Talladega Superspeedway

Sunday, May 20 – Toledo Speedway

Saturday, June 2 – Elko Speedway

Saturday, June 9 – Pocono Raceway

Friday, June 15 – Michigan International Speedway

Sunday, June 24 – Winchester Speedway

Sunday, July 1 – New Jersey Motorsports Park

Friday, July 13 – Iowa Speedway

Saturday, July 21 – Chicagoland Speedway

To be determined – Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis

Saturday, August 4 – Pocono Raceway

Saturday, August 11 – Berlin Raceway

Sunday, August 19 – Illinois State Fairgrounds

Sunday, August 26 – Madison International Speedway

Monday, September 3 – DuQuoin State Fairgrounds

Saturday, September 15 – Salem Speedway

Friday, 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

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Thumbnail

Two events are scheduled at the demanding, high-banked 0.555-mile oval between Indianapolis and Louisville, Ky. The 91st Salem race in ARCA history will take place Sunday, April 29, with the 92nd following on Saturday, September 15.

Salem Speedway first hosted ARCA in 1955, the third season of ARCA competition.

“ARCA’s history at Salem Speedway stretches back to the MARC era and our earliest decade,” said Ron Drager, president of ARCA. “The fans in southern Indiana and northern Kentucky turn out with great support year after year. We look forward to providing them with the traditional Sunday afternoon show in the spring and our classic Saturday night race in the fall.”

Indiana native Frank Kimmel is the all-time leading winner at Salem, with nine victories. Jack Bowsher is second in history with seven wins. Brennan Poole won at Salem in his first career start in May, and Chris Buescher won in September as part of his charge to the 2011 ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year Award.

“We are once again honored to have Salem Speedway represented with two dates on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule,” said Salem Speedway general manager Richard Deaton. “ARCA has played a very prominent role in the storied history of the famed high banks and we are excited to carry on that tradition in 2012.”

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

April 29 – Salem 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

September 15 – Salem Speedway

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

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

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hoists a championship flag after clinching the NASCAR Nationwide Series crown at the Ford 300 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, Nov. 19. - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

FORD RACING NOTES AND QUOTES

Ford 300,

November 19, 2011

Homestead-Miami Speedway

RICKY STENHOUSE JR. POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCE

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON WINNING THE CHAMPIONSHIP?

“It is unbelievable. There are a lot of people that have worked really hard for this. My family has sacrificed a lot. Jack Roush and all these guys on our team, they were with us when we were struggling and they never gave up last year. Everybody at Ford Racing, Blackwell Angus Beef and Cargill, everybody has worked really hard and rallied together to be a team effort. Our cars back at the shop are phenomenal and all the guys that work hard there. Everybody at Roush Yates engines. It is a total team effort and it means the world to bring this championship to Jack and be a little bit of the history that he has in this sport. For Ford to get the manufacturers and Jack to get the owners it was for sure a huge team effort. Mike Kelley never let us down. He rallied us, even when we weren’t good and I would get a little mad out there on the race track he straightened me up and helped us keep digging.”

MIKE KELLEY, crew chief No. 6 Ford Mustang – WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE THE CREW CHIEF OF THE 2011 NATIONWIDE CHAMIPIONS?

“Just like Ricky said, it means a lot. I heard Carl say the other day that it isn’t about the trophy that you get but the journey you take to get there. I couldn’t say that anymore for working with Ricky the last 16 or 18 months together. We had tough times last year and it was documented very well. Anyone could have walked away. Jack could have turned his back on him, Ford could have and our guys could have. There were a lot of tough days and grim nights back at the shop. Nobody did though. I am so proud of my guys and Jack and Ford for sticking behind Ricky and seeing it through. To come through what we did all last year and during the off season we really put our heads down and we weren’t picked to be the favorite and that is probably what helped us the most. We were kind of overshadowed by the Elliott Sadler’s and the Allgaier’s and Sorensen’s and that kinda gave us a fight and desire back at the shop to make sure we came out strong. It was a total team effort. It wasn’t me. I have a great engineering staff and we moved our shop. Jack let us move down to the Cup shop in Concord and that was a big plus for us. The cars that we get are second to none out there and the engines are second to none. We never quit. We had bad days at the beginning of the year and we learned as a group on fuel mileage and strategy. I feel like we gave up a couple wins based on that. I am proud of the effort of this team during the hard times. We dug in there and finished off strong.”

JACK ROUSH, owner, No. 6 Ford Mustang – WE MADE HISTORY TONIGHT AS A TEAM WON THE DRIVER AND OWNERS CHAMPIONSHIP WITH TWO DIFFERENT PRIMARY DRIVERS. CONGRATULATIONS JACK.

“When Carl won his Nationwide championship in 2007 I didn’t win the owners championship and I didn’t know what I did wrong. I didn’t do anything more wrong than I did right this time. It is an honor given to team owners that is really at the mercy of the efforts of the crew chiefs and drivers and the crew. I am glad to be sharing the honors with Carl and with Ricky and with Mike Beam and Mike Kelley. One thing I want to say, and I have been doing this for my 24th year and this is my third Nationwide championship that I have helped a driver win, but Ricky sits here tonight because of the sacrifice and dedication of a great family.

Without his mother and father, I am looking at his mom across the room here, without their sacrifice and dedication and determination to see to it Ricky had everything he needed to develop into the driver he has become it wouldn’t happen. People like myself or Tony Stewart or other owners that have the race cars would never find a Ricky Stenhouse without the family doing all they have to do and the dark days before it really goes public. Mike Kelley did a great job this year, Mike Beam did a great job behind the scenes. Carl Edwards provided great leadership from a driver point of view. Trevor Bayne did a great job challenging Ricky in some ways and supporting him in others. It has been a great team effort that we are celebrating tonight but I am especially thankful and respectful of the sacrifice of the whole Stenhouse family that they made to get Ricky where he is.”

STENHOUSE CONTINUED – IS THE THE BIGGEST THING TO HAPPEN TO OLIVE BRANCH?

“I would say so. It is going to be cool. I plan on taking the trophy when I got to the Christmas parade as Grand Marshal December 3rd. It will be a good homecoming for sure. There are a lot of people back there that are really supportive of what we are doing. The whole school system and everybody down there. It is really cool to have a community behind you like that.”

YOU WERE IN THE TOP FIVE IN POINTS ALL YEAR BEFORE MOVING TO FIRST AND STAYING THERE. WAS THERE A MOMENTUM SHIFT AFTER YOU GOT TO FIRST?

“We look at it as one whole year. We got the lead a couple times and lost it but that last time we got it we were bound and determined not to give it back. We wanted to seal it up before coming to Homestead. We did the best job we could and it was just a whole year of total team effort and really working to not make mistake on pit road and not making mistakes as a driver and crew chief. I think at the end of the year we really limited our mistakes we made in our first half the year that gave those points leads back to other people. That was the main thing we focused on.”

WHAT WAS THE ONE BIGGEST LESSON YOU LEARNED FROM JACK DURING THE TROUBLES LAST YEAR?

“The one biggest thing I think I learned from everything Jack has done for me is that he cares about me as a person and really wanted me to succeed. If he didn’t care he wouldn’t put me in the body shop. That is one thing I learned from my dad. He was tough on my growing up but it was always for a reason. Jack has been an awesome team owner. He has done a lot of great things in NASCAR and I am glad to be a part of this one little thing. He has been doing it a long time. He has his ways of doing things and you have to look at the positives from it. I think that was the biggest thing I learned.”

JACK ROUSH CONTINUED – WHAT WAS IT YOU SAW IN RICKY THAT MADE YOU INSIST ON PUSHING HIM TO THE POINT TO SEE IF HE HAD WHAT IT TOOK?

“Ricky was extraordinarily talented. Every challenge we gave him with a new race track or problem with a car as we changed the car Ricky was bright and quick and talented in meeting those challenges. The thing that was always there when you would reach a situation when it was clear that you could go down this or that path and Mike Beam or Mike Kelley or myself decided to go down a certain path Ricky always went along with it. He never called his dad for support and said we were being to hard on him, he just went along with the program. That is what a rookie needs to do. He needs to go with the program with the people looking after him and our group had his interests in mind.

The other thing was that he was just driven to be competitive to the extent of self destruction to start with. It is much easier to temper that and deal with that that it is for someone that doesn’t want it as bad as those next to them. They couldn’t realize the ultimate prize. Ricky wanted it bad and he raised himself to be a race car driver. This was his opportunity and he tried to hang on to it too tight to start with and couldn’t realize the success there for him but very quickly we got over that.”

RICKY STENHOUSE CONTINUED – THIS IS THE FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP UNDER THE NEW FORMAT. YOU ARE THE CHAMPION WITH TWO WINS. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING THE FIRST CHAMPION IN THIS NEW FORMAT?

“It means just as much. We race week in and week out with those guys. We gave them a run for their money here tonight. Ultimately my goal is to go out there and win the drivers and owners championship. We finished third in the owners championship so we ran really strong all year. We beat Carl, we beat Brad, we passed those guys and raced Kyle Busch. I think as a race team and me as a driver I felt like we are just as good as those guys. I think that racing up there and beating them definitely makes this championship worth it.”

YOU FINISHED STRONG.

“This race track is one of my favorites. I wish we came here twice at least. Last year was the first year here. I had a lot of fun and this is just my style of race track. You can drive it in hard, let it slide up to the wall and get back in the gas and really hang it out, it just reminds me a lot of sprint car racing. Last year, we finished fourth and ran really strong and this year we just came up one spot short and maybe one corner short, but, man, it was fun racing those guys. We were sideways, turning right, trying to keep it off the fence, getting into the fence every now and then, and to race up there with Carl, Brad, Denny, Clint Bowyer, Elliott Sadler, they’re some of the best in the business and to be up there racing with them is fun.”

AT WHAT POINT DID YOU KNOW THE TITLE WAS YOURS AND DID IT CHANGE YOUR PHILOSOPHY?

“We were going 100 percent there from the start. It’s tough to get me to back down any. I’m not good at riding around, so I’m not sure what lap it was, Mike Kelley came over and told me we were good to go, that we had won the championship, but we still stayed focused and I think I drove 110 percent after that, so that was the only thing that really changed.”

WAS THERE A TURNING POINT FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM THIS SEASON?

“I can think of two. Early in the year when we led laps at Bristol, ran up there with Kyle and I was kind of playing around with him the whole time. Talking to Kyle after he was like, ‘Man, you had the best car.’ We made a mistake on fuel mileage and we made a mistake as a race team getting lined up and we got caught two laps down, so I think we rallied together and we worked on our fuel mileage with Ford and everybody at Roush Fenway and Roush Yates, worked on our fuel mileage, and we kind of got a direction there and that really helped us. And then Indy when we led 190 laps and we came up a couple spots short. That was pretty tough for us, but we were bound and determined to win some more races and really run up front and dig hard, and Mike was the one that kind of rallied everybody together and kept everybody digging.”

MIKE KELLEY CONTINUED –

“I kind of agree with him. Early on in the year we kind of made a few mistakes and left a lot of points on the table, a lot more than we ever thought, and I really feel if we would have been a little smarter, a little better earlier in the year, we’d have been right in the middle of that owner’s championship, and that was our goal from the beginning. But the thing that meant a lot to me is we sat down in January and we circled a bunch of dates on the calendar for Ricky’s experience level on the road course races, we kind of had a goal, we said we’d have to be 25 points in the lead coming into the last two road course race swing knowing that Elliott had a lot of experience and Ricky had never been to Watkins Glen.

We knew we’d take our lumps there, but if we could get out of there, we didn’t care if it was a one-point lead or a two-point lead, we would tell ourselves on the way home that we came out of there with the lead and now it was ours to hold on to the last 10 races of the year, kind of really laid into Ricky’s schedule – a bunch of short tracks thrown in there with some mile-and-a-halfs that the cars have been good on.

When we made it through those two road course races, I don’t know if it was six, seven, eight points or something, we came out of there with the lead and I remember looking at him on the plane and I told him, ‘Picture that we came in here five points behind and we actually came out six points ahead and we’ll look at it that way, instead of saying we lost 10 today.’ We got the guys rallied back at the shop and said, ‘We’ve only got to turn left from here on in and Ricky can do that as good as anybody out there.’ Lack of experience or not, he’s as talented as anyone I’ve ever seen behind the wheel.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR. CONTINUED – AT THE START OF THE YEAR MANY PEOPLE DIDN’T HAVE YOU IN THEIR TOP FIVE. DID YOU USE THAT AS MOTIVATION?

“We definitely used that as motivation. We felt like at the end of last year, Mike Kelley and I were sitting down at the banquet watching Brad get the trophy, we told each other right there that as strong as we were running at the end of the year, running up in the top five with the Cup guys, that we were going for that championship and that was before they ever changed the point system. Obviously, they changed the point system and we still weren’t in sight to do that from the media’s perspective, but we felt like as a race team we could do that, I felt like as a driver I was just as good as anybody else out there, and if we put everything together, then we knew we had a shot at this championship. But it was just fun. You all have been doing this a long time and I’m just getting started, so it was good to come out here and get this championship.”

- PCG Campbell Press Release