Homestead-Miami Speedway

At the parade’s conclusion near 9th Street, fans are invited to a FREE South Beach fan festival at Lummus Park that will feature the Championship-contending drivers in two of NASCAR’s top series. Drivers scheduled to participate include Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and Ron Hornaday Jr. of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The Top 5 drivers in the Championship standings of both series will be available for autographs, as well as a Q&A session.

“Due to the distance traveled in coming all the way from Phoenix, these haulers usually get to South Florida for Ford Championship Weekend under cover of the night,” said Homestead-Miami Speedway President Curtis Gray. “What a gracious gesture on the part of our NASCAR teams to make a special effort to get to Miami by mid-day Wednesday. South Florida race fans have a really unique opportunity to see the spectacle that is the convoy of Championship-contending haulers en route to NASCAR’s Championship finales at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend.”

All three of NASCAR’s top series will be crowned during Ford Championship Weekend Nov. 20-22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and phenomenal seats are still available for NASCAR’s series-crowning weekend by calling (866) 409-RACE or by visiting
THEChampionshipTrack.com.

Haulers are tentatively scheduled to depart from Bicentennial Olympic Park downtown Miami at 2:30 p.m., with an estimated arrival at Lummus Park set for 3 p.m.

It’s motorsports history in 2009 as Homestead-Miami Speedway becomes the first venue ever to host all of North America’s premier motorsports championships: the IndyCar, Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car and Firestone Indy Lights Series during the NextEra Energy Resources SPEEDJAMsm Championships; and NASCAR’s Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series during Ford Championship Weekend Nov. 20-22. Great seats for all 2009 Championships are available now by calling (866) 409-RACE or visiting
THEChampionshipTrack.com.

- Homestead-Miami Speedway, Press Release

Power is scheduled to drive for Penske Racing at IndyCar Series events in Toronto (July 12), Edmonton (July 26), Kentucky (August 1), Sonoma (August 23) and Miami (October 10).

Upon joining Penske Racing prior to the start of the 2009 season, Power drove for the team throughout pre-season testing and in three of the first four events on the IndyCar Series schedule. He produced solid results, earning a pole position, two top-five and three top-10 finishes.

“Will has done a terrific job for Penske Racing and he has earned the opportunity to compete in more races,” said Roger Penske. “Will is a great asset to the team and we are excited to have him compete at these additional five races in the Penske Truck Rental Indy car.”

Filling in for three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves in the No. 3 Team Penske Dallara/Honda, Power earned a sixth-place finish in the season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg.

After Castroneves returned to the team in April, Power remained with Penske Racing and drove the No. 12 Team Verizon Wireless car. He won the pole position and finished second in Long Beach and enjoyed a strong month of May at the Indianapolis 500, earning a ninth-place starting position and running up front all race en route to a fifth-place finish.

“I am really looking forward to getting back on the track and driving for Penske Racing,” said Power. “I have learned so much working with everyone on the team this season and I plan to make the most of this opportunity to drive the Penske Truck Rental car at these five upcoming races and help the team however I can.”

Power, 28, will join Castroneves, driver of the No. 3 Team Penske Dallara/Honda, and Ryan Briscoe, driver of the No. 6 Team Penske entry, in the Penske stable at these five select events.

“We help hundreds of thousand of families move ahead every year,” said Jim Feenstra, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Penske Truck Rental. “The similarity in quality of product, people and dedication at every turn between Penske Truck Rental and Penske Racing creates great brand-building opportunities. We’re excited about seeing a proven success like Will Power drive the bright yellow Penske Truck Rental No. 12 in the IndyCar Series.”

A native of Toowoomba, Australia, Power was named the Champ Car World Series Rookie of the Year in 2006 and he produced three wins and six pole positions in two plus seasons in Champ Car. In 2008, Power won on the streets of Long Beach in Champ Car’s final race, and after joining the IndyCar Series, he earned his first series pole in front of his home crowd at Surfers Paradise, Australia. Power joined Penske Racing in January of 2009.

Penske Truck Rental is a service of Penske Truck Leasing. With one of the newest fleets, Penske Truck Rental provides do-it-yourself moves with clean, safe and reliable trucks as well as moving equipment, packing supplies and accessories.

Penske Truck Leasing Co., L.P., headquartered in Reading, Pa., is a joint venture of Penske Corporation, Penske Automotive Group and General Electric. A leading global transportation services provider, Penske operates more than 200,000 vehicles and serves customers from more than 1,000 locations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Product lines include full-service truck leasing, contract maintenance, commercial and consumer truck rentals, transportation and warehousing management, and supply chain management solutions. Visit www.GoPenske.com to learn more about the company and its products and services.

Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 310 major race wins, 367 pole positions and 22 National Championships. The team has also earned 15 Indianapolis 500 victories. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.

- Penske Racing Press Release

Milka Duno

She’s the total package:

“Born in Caracas, Venezuela and now living in Miami, Florida, Duno demonstrated from an early age her competitive nature and the dedication necessary to succeed. As a young woman in Venezuela, she recognized the value of education as the first step on her path to fulfilling her dreams.

“I learned to drive when I was 12,” she explains. “I never had driving lessons, I learned how to drive by observing my parents. I learned in my mother’s car, without her even knowing.”

For Duno, however, it wasn’t about the quick glory that comes with driving a race car, it was the earned recognition that comes from being a naval engineer (her masters degrees were in Organizational Development, Naval Architecture, Marine Biology and Maritime Business.

While pursuing this career path, she began driving, and as she told Vista, “I like challenges. I love wining. I do not thrive on danger, but I do like to race all the time. I love taking risks and I welcome the competition.”

She’s also a smokin’ hot actress, playing the part of Kellie Gearbox in the 2008 movie, Speed Racer. And to top it off, she also released a bilingual children’s book called “Go, Milka,Go!”

- Examiner.com

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Darron Cummings