Peck Motorsports

The team also heads into the New Year with a few early Christmas presents. They recently acquired a second truck and a second engine for use in the upcoming season. This allows the team to take a less conservative approach entering and competing in the series. The acquired truck is a Laughlin Chassis and will run with a Ford body. The original truck will continue to run as a Chevrolet. The new engine was purchased from ECR Engines.

Driver Todd Peck, who earned a best finish of 27th place at O’Reilly Raceway Park in July, is excited to return and build upon the foundation the team established last season.

“I’m really eager to return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series next year and gain more experience,” Peck said. “Last season we had some ups and downs, but it was all a learning experience. We are more prepared for the upcoming year and ready to take another step forward. It’s a very exciting time for our team and we can’t wait to go racing again.”

Keith Wolfe will return as crew chief and general manager for the team. It will mark Wolfe’s seventh season with Peck Motorsports.

“Todd [Peck] and I have made a lot of progress in the off season and we’re really excited about 2012,” Wolfe said. “Once we had a few Truck Series races under our belt, we are able to assess our strengths and weaknesses and make improvements to our team. We’re entering this season with better notes and a better idea of what to expect at the track. I think our team will be more competitive and equipped to race up front.

The team again will collaborate with the Arthritis Foundation to bring awareness to the Foundation and also Juvenile Arthritis. Peck Motorsports continues to seek out companies interested in partnering with the team and the Foundation for a successful 2012 season.

About Peck Motorsports

Peck Motorsports is the only professional NASCAR race team headquartered in central Pennsylvania. Founded in 1988, Peck Motorsports is a family operation. Brothers Dr. Mike Peck and Tom Peck operated the team with success throughout the 90s. Today the team is still led by Dr. Mike Peck, but this time with son Todd Peck behind the wheel.

The family has a long, trusted history in the sport. Tom Peck has numerous top-10 and top-five finishes in the highest ranks of NASCAR. Todd Peck is the next generation of Peck Motorsports hoping to carry on the legacy of proud Pennsylvania racers. The team is currently looking for primary sponsorship in 2012 to support their collaboration with the Arthritis Foundation

About the Arthritis Foundation

Striking one in every five adults and 300,000 children, arthritis is the nation’s leading cause of disability. The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org) is committed to raising awareness and reducing the impact of this serious, painful and unacceptable disease, which can severely damage joints and rob people of living life to its fullest. The Foundation funds life-changing research that has restored mobility in patients for more than six decades; fights for health care policies that improve the lives of the millions who live with arthritis; and partners with families to provide empowering programs and information.

Juvenile Arthritis (JA) affects more than 300,000 children in the U.S. JA is a term to describe the many autoimmune and inflammatory conditions that can develop in children ages 16 and younger. There are several different types of JA.

- Breaking Limits Press Release

Patrick Sheltra

The Indiantown native and reigning ARCA Series champion signed a deal this week to drive for Rick Ware Racing in this weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

“It’s a one-race deal right now, but we may do something again down the road with them,” Sheltra said on Thursday following a practice session.

“I’m very thankful for Rick Ware Racing coming in and letting me race with them.”

Qualifying for the DRIVE4COPD 300 is set for Friday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2. The 120-lap race will also air on ESPN2 at 1:15 on Saturday.

Sheltra will drive the No. 41 Fuel Doctor Ford Mustang in his sixth Nationwide start. Ware’s team is devoted to developing new drivers and fielded a truck last July for Port St. Lucie resident Ryan Rust in the race at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis.

- TCPalm

Leilani Münter

“2011 is going to be an great year,” said Leilani, “we have lots of exciting things in the works with new partnerships as well as ongoing partnerships, and some creative projects I am working on as well. I can’t wait to get started. I just found out today that an expected sponsor for Daytona didn’t come up with the funding they were hoping for, so we are still looking for sponsorship to participate in the season opener on February 12. I will still turn some laps at the test next week and hope to land a sponsor in time for the race. If not, I will start my season at Talladega on April 15.”

Leilani will be at the Detroit Auto Show and will announce her new partnership with an electric supercar on Tuesday (stay tuned for more details) so she will miss the first day of the three day ARCA open test at Daytona. However, she will be at Daytona on Wednesday and Thursday to take some laps on the new Daytona pavement.

Leilani and her team are currently speaking with a variety of sponsors that align with Leilani’s environmental activities outside of her race car. She is still working with some of the companies that appeared on her race car in 2010, as well as several new partners in the “clean energy, vegetarian, and eco friendly” categories. Click here for more information on Leilani’s 2011 Eco Dream Team and for inquiries regarding sponsorship for Daytona or any other 2011 racing events, email our marketing department.

- LeilaniMünter.com

Toledo (Ohio) Speedway

The 150-lap USAC Silver Crown Series championship race is scheduled for Saturday, October 15; the 200-lap ARCA Racing Series finale will follow on Sunday, October 16.

“This national championship weekend at Toledo Speedway will be a unique event for this region. As race weekends go at that time of the year, this is an impressive lineup featuring two storied major national tours,” said Ron Drager, owner and promoter at Toledo Speedway and its sister property, Flat Rock Speedway in Michigan. Drager is the president of ARCA and the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

“For Toledo Speedway, the unique opportunity to host the national championship race for both the USAC Silver Crown Series and the ARCA Racing Series elevates the track’s stature and provides fans with a full weekend of action. The media exposure and energy will be high for both tours, culminating in ARCA’s traditionally televised season finale – the race that determines an ARCA champion – live on SPEED.”

The home track to the ARCA Racing Series, Toledo Speedway has hosted the season finale for the developmental stock car divison on three occasions, most recently in 2008. Current NASCAR driver Justin Allgaier emerged as the ARCA champion that year after a thrilling Toledo finale which saw five drivers enter with championship hopes. The track also hosted ARCA’s season finale in 1976 and 2007.

The USAC Silver Crown Series made its first appearance at Toledo Speedway just two months ago, crowning Levi Jones the 2010 champion by a mere two points over three-time champion Bud Kaeding. Inspired by the intense October championship atmosphere in Toledo, and a new relationship that will already see USAC and ARCA race together on one night in July’s Kroger SpeedFest at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis, the two long-standing sanctioning bodies will each decide national championships in a single weekend at one venue.

“We were extremely pleased at the success of this year’s ‘Rollie Beale 150′ at Toledo Speedway and the opportunity to return there in concert with the ARCA Racing Series is a great addition to our 2011 schedule,” said Kevin Miller, president and CEO of USAC. “Once again we will determine our series champion at Toledo, and if it’s anything like the 2010 finale it will be a truly memorable event.”

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 tests the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, annually 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.

The United States Auto Club, as the most diversified sanctioning body in American motorsports, has been conducting events for the past 55 years and its Silver Crown and Mopar National Midget Series are among the most cherished championships in open-wheel racing. Spanning the entire country, the yearly schedule incorporates a wide variety of ovals, both pavement and dirt, producing a truly National champion. In all, USAC has conducted over 8,000 events since its inception in 1956, including everything from quarter midgets to Formula 1.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

Cunningham Motorsports

The evening began as the 11th-20th place finishers were honored on stage. After dinner, one of the special awards of the evening, the Spirit Award was given to Cunningham Motorsports’ co-owner, Kerry Scherer, for his dedication and support of ARCA, his uplifting spirit by way of example, and his perseverance and positive attitude.

Another of the most sought after awards, the RE/MAX Rookie of the Year Award, was presented to Cunningham Motorsports / Penske Driver Development driver, Dakoda Armstrong. On his was to claiming this award, Armstrong was the highest finishing rookie in 19 of the 20 races on the 2010 schedule. Armstrong joined an elite fraternity of former ARCA Rookie of the Year Award winners, including Benny Parsons (1965), Davey Allison (1984), and Frank Kimmel (1992), finishing the season with 2 wins, 5 top-5 finishes and 12 top-10 finishes. As the 10th -2nd place finishers were honored, Armstrong and owner Kerry Scherer appeared on stage to accept the seventh place trophies.

As the prestige of the awards began to build, Tom Hessert and team owner, Briggs Cunningham, were recognized on stage for finishing third in the series standings, 105 points behind points leader Patrick Sheltra. Hessert also earned the Aaron’s Lap Leader Award, by leading 387 laps in eight races, while his closest competitor led 270 laps in eight races. Hessert also garnered the S & S Volvo Laps Completed Award by completing 99.7% of all the race laps, while winning his first career ARCA victory at Iowa Speedway and finishing the season with 10 top-5 finishes and 15 top-10 finishes. On stage Hessert thanked team co-owners, Cunningham and Scherer, his parents, Tom and Debbie Hessert, crew chief John Monsam and his entire team for their efforts all season and stated, “This is very unusual for me; to finish in the top three…I have always finished in the 8th spot.”

At a press conference prior to the banquet, the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards released their 2011 event schedule, which is available at ARCARacing.com. The sanctioning body’s 59th year of competition commences with the Lucas Oil Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 12. The event, which will air live on SPEED, will be the 180th event to air on SPEED, since the first race in 1997. There will be 9 additional races airing on SPEED, either live or same-day-delayed. The announcement included the addition of races at two tracks new to the ARCA Series–O’Reilly Raceway Park, in Clermont, Indiana and Madison International Speedway, located in Oregon, Wisconsin.

The Cunningham Motorsports teams will be working in the first month of their “off season” preparing cars for the open test on January 11-13 at Daytona International Speedway.

- Cunningham Motorsports Press Release

ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards

“We’re extremely proud of the depth and quality of the venues on the 2011 schedule, each of which is very important to the identity and industry position of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards,” said ARCA president Ron Drager. “Both the number of scheduled events and the geographic coverage represented by the markets we’ll be racing in are good fits for the series.”

Daytona International Speedway will host the season opener for the 48th consecutive year. The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 will serve as the preamble for the same-day NASCAR Sprint Cup Budweiser Shootout on Saturday, February 12. The 2011 ARCA Racing Series schedule will conclude with the series’ championship weekend at Toledo Speedway on Sunday, October 16. In between, the series will appear at a wide variety of venues, making up the most versatile mix in all of motorsports.

Return visits to O’Reilly Raceway Park (ORP) and Winchester (Ind.) Speedway, as previously announced, and the addition of Madison International Speedway will also highlight the 2011 calendar.

ORP, located in the Indianapolis suburb of Clermont, will host the ARCA Racing Series on July 28 in conjunction with the USAC National Midget and Silver Crown Series races the same day. The event will be the eighth for ARCA at the 0.686-mile oval since 1971.

The ARCA/USAC tripleheader kicks off ORP’s Kroger SpeedFest, which also features a Friday event for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and a Saturday race for the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The ORP events lead in to one of the feature races on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, the July 31 Brickyard 400 at nearby Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The ARCA Racing Series’ visit to Winchester Speedway, the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile,” is scheduled for Saturday, June 25, and will be the series’ first appearance there since May 2007.

Madison International Speedway, located in Oregon, Wisc., will host the ARCA tour on Friday, August 26 in the first appearance of the ARCA Racing Series at the semi-banked, half-mile paved oval.

In addition to its position as the host for ARCA’s season finale, Toledo Speedway – the home track of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards – will host the series for its traditional spring date on Sunday, May 15.

Speedway events returning in 2011 include Kansas Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Pocono Raceway, and Talladega Superspeedway, in addition to the season opener at Daytona. The Talladega event will be the 50th ARCA Racing Series appearance at the renowned 2.66-mile Alabama superspeedway since 1969, and the upcoming events at Pocono mark the 52nd and 53rd appearances of the ARCA Racing Series at Pocono since 1983.

Additional short tracks again hosting events in 2011 include Salem (Ind.) Speedway, Berlin (Mich.) Raceway, and Iowa Speedway. The Illinois State Fairgrounds and DuQuoin State Fairgrounds will host the traditional mile-dirt races late in the summer.

Contributing to the diversity of the ARCA Racing Series schedule will be another road course race at New Jersey Motorsports Park, scheduled for Sunday, May 22. The race will be ARCA’s fourth consecutive appearance at the 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway course in Millville, N.J.

Companion events in 2011 include races with the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series, as well as with the USAC National Midget and Silver Crown Series.

The full 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule is as follows:

Saturday, February 12 – Daytona International Speedway

Friday, April 15 – Talladega Superspeedway

Sunday, May 1 – Salem Speedway

Sunday, May 15 – Toledo Speedway

Sunday, May 22 – New Jersey Motorsports Park

Saturday, June 4 – Chicagoland Speedway

Saturday, June 11 – Pocono Raceway

Friday, June 17 – Michigan International Speedway

Saturday, June 25 – Winchester Speedway

Saturday, July 9 – Berlin Raceway

Saturday, July 16 – Iowa Speedway

Thursday, July 28 – O’Reilly Raceway Park

Saturday, August 6 – Pocono Raceway

Sunday, August 21 – Illinois State Fairgrounds

Friday, August 26 – Madison International Speedway

Monday, September 5 – DuQuoin State Fairgrounds

Saturday, September 17 – Salem Speedway

Friday, October 7 – Kansas Speedway

Sunday, October 16 – Toledo Speedway

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 tests the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, annually 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

O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis

The evening will be called the “Thursday Night Triple Header” and will feature the ARCA Racing Series, the USAC Mopar National Midget Series, and the USAC Silver Crown Series, marking the first time that all three series have raced at one venue on the same night.

“We feel the Thursday Night Triple Header will be an incredible night of racing and will be a tremendous addition to the storied history of Kroger SpeedFest,” said Wes Collier, acting general manager at O’Reilly Raceway Park. “All three of these series will add to what is already some of the best racing in the country during the course of three evenings.”

ARCA’s appearance at the 0.686-mile Indianapolis oval will mark the series’ first race at O’Reilly Raceway Park since the 1985 season, when Bob Schacht won for the second time. Schacht is the all-time leading ARCA winner in the series’ seven-race history at O’Reilly Raceway Park.

“USAC and O’Reilly Raceway Park have provided us with a tremendous opportunity to join what is already a great night of racing during the Kroger SpeedFest,” said ARCA president Ron Drager. “We hope to add to the energy and excitement of all the racing taking place in Indianapolis that week.”

USAC has a rich and storied tradition at O’Reilly Raceway Park, with 292 races run at the facility and a list of winners including A. J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, and Jeff Gordon. USAC and ARCA have raced together in the past; the Silver Crown Series raced with ARCA in 1998 at Memphis and the Mopar National Midget Series appeared on the same bill at South Boston in 2003.

“Our long relationship with our friends at ARCA has produced some memorable racing weekends,” said Kevin Miller, president and CEO of USAC. “We are pleased that we can offer this tremendous tripleheader event to the race fans at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, one of the nation’s premier racing facilities. It’s been seven years since the Midgets and ARCA shared billing and a dozen years since ARCA and the Silver Crown cars were on the same bill. We are extremely excited about this program and look forward to what we expect to be one of our season’s signature events.”

Bob Sargent, president of Track Enterprises, is the promoter of the ARCA stock car portion of Thursday’s activities.

“Having promoted a large number of USAC and ARCA events at various facilities in the past decade, I’m very familiar with the quality of racing events USAC and ARCA have provided for race fans,” said Sargent. “Being able to see a USAC National Midget Series, USAC Silver Crown Series, and ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards race in one night makes this a real value for the ticket buyer.”

The 2011 Kroger SpeedFest triumphantly returns to O’Reilly Raceway Park on July 28-30 and will once again feature the NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ARCA Racing Series, and USAC Midget and Silver Crown Series during the course of three thrilling nights of racing.

More information on ticket prices, schedule of events and event information will be available at OReillyRacewayPark.com, USACRacing.com, and ARCARacing.com in the coming months.

One of five drag racing facilities owned and operated by the National Hot Rod Association, O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis was built in 1960 and has presented organized racing events since 1961. From March through October, the facility hosts more than 120 dates of racing on three tracks: a quarter-mile drag strip, a 0.686-mile paved oval and a 2.5-mile road course.

Home to drag racing’s biggest event, the NHRA U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend, the drag strip runs more than 50 days of point-to-point action, from national events to street legal community programs. The oval track draws racing’s biggest events, including annual visits from the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series and annual USAC races. The road course provides a home for several racing sanctions, while providing an ideal resource for driving schools, corporate outings and open-road tests for professional drivers.

- ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Press Release

JR Motorsports

EVENT – Ford 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)

TRACK – Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

DATE – Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010

TV / RADIO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 4 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 4 p.m. EST)

Aric Almirola

No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet

“It’s been a long season but a good one for me. I think my success in the (NASCAR Camping World) Truck Series opened the door for a lot of things to happen, including hooking up with JRM at ORP. That was a big turning point for me this year. Fortunately we ran well enough there that I was able to land a full-time ride with JRM. Now we get the chance to compete for a championship next season.

“I’m excited to have some time off, but I’ll still be looking forward to a fresh start next season. It’s going to be good going into next year knowing the guys on the team and how things work over here. I’ve got a solid relationship with “Pops” (crew chief, Tony Eury Sr.) and I think we both have a good understanding of each other. That’s an important element in racing. I’m glad we had the chance to work together so much over these last couple months. It gives us a good head start heading into 2011.”

Danica Patrick

No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet

“It was frustrating following last week’s race. We started off OK, but as the race progressed things kept happening. I just need to start racing competitors the same way they race me. My Go Daddy crew works too hard all weekend for me to let competitors use us up. I’ve always been a clean racer, but sometimes you’ve got to make a statement.

“This is probably one of the busiest racing years I’ve ever had. This whole NASCAR experience really left me out of my element, but it was a lot of fun. I had no idea what to expect when I started the season, and the good thing is we’ve made some progress over the year. It’s funny, in the beginning of the year I wasn’t even familiar with the cockpit of the car. Now I feel a lot more comfortable, both inside the car and on the racetrack. Most everyone has been supportive and patient of my transition, especially Kelley (Earnhardt), Dale (Jr.) and Bob Parsons (Go Daddy CEO and Founder). Tony (Eury) Jr. and my entire Go Daddy crew have been great too, and I want to thank them all for that.”

JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –

NEW LOOK FOR THE GO DADDY MACHINE - Patrick’s No. 7 Chevrolet features an all-new paint scheme this weekend, which was designed by Hot Wheels. The design is one of three sketches that Hot Wheels designers created by hand and in digital form. Of those three blueprints, Patrick and Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons mutually selected their favorite. The winning selection features a black No. 7 Chevrolet accentuated with vibrant Go Daddy-green flames that emblazon the hood, roof and sides of the vehicle. A 1:64-scale die-cast version of Patrick’s No. 7 GoDaddy.com Designed by Hot Wheels Chevrolet will be available in retail stores and at track beginning this weekend.

MEET ARIC ALMIROLA AT GT VODKA SIGNING – Fans are welcome to meet Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet, for autographs on Thursday, Nov. 18, from 9:00 – 9:45 p.m. at the Mutineer Restaurant located at 11 SE 1st Ave, Homestead, Fla.

A WRAP FOR DANICA’S ROOKIE CAMPAIGN – Patrick embarks on the 13th and final race of her rookie season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Homestead. In her previous 12 starts, she’s earned a career-best finish of 21st at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with her season-best qualifying effort of 14th coming at Auto Club Speedway. Patrick’s average finish on the season is 28.8.

ALMIROLA’S SUCCESS – In his short time driving the No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet, Almirola has already posted one top-five and four top-10 finishes. His sixth-place finish a PIR last week marked his best Nationwide Series showing at the facility. The eight laps Almirola led on the day also marked a personal best for his 2010 NNS season. His average finish with the 88 team is 10.1.

HOMESTEAD STATS – On the IndyCar side, Patrick owns five starts with one top-five and two top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile speedway. Her career best finish at the facility was a second-place outing earlier this year.

ALMIROLA AT HOMESTEAD – Almirola has four starts at Homestead across NASCAR’s top-three series. His best finish of 14th came during the Camping World Truck Series season finale last year.

SEASON RECAP FOR 88 TEAM – The GT Vodka team has notched one win (Jamie McMurray), seven top-five and 16 top-10 finishes on the year. They’ve also led a total of 124 laps. The team is ranked eighth in owner points with an average finish of 12.8 on the season.

ALL–STAR CAST - Fourteen different drivers have piloted JRM’s No. 88 and No. 7 Nationwide Series entries in 2010. The driver lineup includes Aric Almirola, Steve Arpin, Kelly Bires, Landon Cassill, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ron Fellows, J.R. Fitzpatrick, Jamie McMurray, Danica Patrick, Coleman Pressley, Greg Sacks, Elliott Sadler, Scott Wimmer and Josh Wise.

SEASON RECAP FOR 7 TEAM – The No. 7 team has secured six top-10 finishes and led 42 laps with seven different drivers in 2010. Fitzpatrick and Wimmer both tied for the team’s best finish of the season with seventh-place showings at Nashville, Road America and Montreal. The team’s average finish on the year is 20.5. They are ranked 17th in 2010 owner points.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY – Patrick will be available to members of the NASCAR media on Friday, Nov. 19, at 3 p.m. in the Homestead-Miami Speedway media center.

JRM SOCIAL NETWORKING – Join the JR Motorsports team on Facebook at Facebook.com/dalejr and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/jrmotorsports.

FREE JR NATION CREW FAN CLUB – Dale Jr. and JR Motorsports encourage fans to join the JR Nation Crew Fan Club for free. The official fan club provides members with exclusive ticket and merchandise offers, in addition to JRM blogs, forums, and chat rooms to interact with other members of JR Nation. For more information, visit www.jrnation.com.

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Panhandle Motorsports

Panhandle Motorsports continues to make “firsts” at NASCAR tracks – this time at the last race weekend of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Camping World Truck Series Ford 200 (NCWTS) under the lights on Friday, November 19th. It’s also the first race at the 1.5-mile oval in the NCWTS for driver Johanna Long.

The start will be her seventh NCWTS race this year, after three starts with Billy Ballew Motorsports where she logged two top 20 finishes – her best at ORP in July with 17th; and three starts with Panhandle Motorsports at Las Vegas, Martinsville and Texas. In all six of her starts, Long has qualified in the top 20 – the fastest coming at Texas Motor Speedway, qualifying 9th & making history as the highest-qualifying female at that track.

Miami Brings the “Heat” – Long Brings the “Chill”

A Blizzard Series Champion in late models, Johanna, first and foremost, looks to continue her Truck education at Texas with a veteran crew. However, noting that she’s following her Homestead-Miami Speedway attempt by racing one of the biggest late model finales of the year – the Snowball Derby -the team felt it would be appropriate to pay homage. The No. 20 Panhandle Motorsports Toyota Tundra will sport a Five Flags Speedway / Snowball Derby decal for the truck race on Friday.

“I love to race the trucks, it has been quite an education this year – complete with highs and lows,” said Johanna. “After focusing so much on speedway development for me, I can’t wait to get back to a little short track racing. There is just nothing like the Derby – it’s where I came from, it’s my hometown (Pensacola, Fl). I’m happy to showcase the spirit of that whole weekend on my truck at Homestead. I don’t have lucky charms or superstitions, but maybe it will bring a little bit of luck to us!”

Tweet All About It!

A longtime Twitter user, Johanna will be hosting her second “Fan Tweetup” at Homestead Miami Speedway on Friday. Held at the Homestead Miami Speedway Fan Display at the track at 12:30pm ET, she’ll meet and greet with Twitter fans and talk shop. .

Onwards & Upwards for Bright 18-year-old

Hopeful for a Rookie season next year, Johanna is actively seeking sponsors for the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule. “This year has been amazing – to be able to get to some of the biggest tracks on the schedule – and I’d love to really show what a full year can do for my development,” she said. While I’ve got to focus on my schoolwork and finishing high school, it’s important to me to follow my dreams in NASCAR. We’ll keep trying – and if you have a company that wants to come on board, give me a call!”

A Cowboy in the Tropics – with Two Indians

Panhandle Motorsports is again enlisting the help of veteran crew chief Kevin ‘Cowboy’ Starland, who will be handling the truck chief duties for the No. 20 Panhandle Motorsports Toyota Tundra. Starland, well-known as crew chief for the No.15 Billy Ballew Motorsports (BBM) truck, has the benefit of working with drivers such as Johnny Benson, Steven Wallace & Nelson Piquet, Jr. He will also be joined at Homestead-Miami by two new “honorary crew members” – Girl Scouts Tropical Florida Council. As part of the partnership with the Girl Scouts through the weekend, the girls will have a chance to learn the ins and outs of being part of a NASCAR crew.

Chassis Info:

No. 20 Panhandle Motorsports Toyota Tundra: Chassis No.02, built by Kyle Busch Motorsports & Triad Technologies. Second track appearance by this chassis – the first being at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September.

Team:

Crew Chief: Kevin “Cowboy” Starland

Chassis: 02

Race: Friday, November 19th, 2010 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Length: 134 laps / 201 miles

Track Layout: 1.5-mile oval

SCHEDULE:

TV: SPEED TV Prerace 7:30pm, Race 8pm CST; Radio: MRN Broadcast, Sirius NASCAR 128

- Girl Friday PR & Marketing Press Release

R3 Motorsports

This will be Richardson’s first start at the 1.5-mile oval in South Florida since 2007. Locked into the top-30 in Owner’s Points for the start of the 2011 season allows R3 Motorsports the opportunity to concentrate on one thing – go race. And, have fun doing it, too.

Speaking of, team owner Robert Richardson, Sr. has brought the shop guys down to join the road crew for some Florida sunshine. After the racing action on Saturday, the team is heading out deep-sea fishing to try their luck and lures in the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean first thing Sunday morning.

Fast Facts: This will be Richardson’s 69th NASCAR Nationwide Series race of his career. Through that span, the 28-year old native of McKinney, Texas has achieved six top-20 finishes with his career best finish of 15th coming at ORP in July of this year. This will be start No. 23 for him in the No. 23 this year, as well. This season, he’s achieved two of his top-20 finishes and completed 94.4 percent (3,901 of 4,131) of the laps contested.

Track Facts: Richardson will be making his second start at HMS, with the first taking place in 2007. In that event, an engine problem knocked him out of competition 139 laps into the 200-lap race. Having finished 20 of the 22 races this season, Richardson is looking to go the distance in the NNS finale for a good finish.

Car Facts: Steve Plattenberger and team will roll chassis No. 43 off the R3 hauler in South Florida this weekend. This car was last raced at Atlanta Motor Speedway with Robert Richardson, Jr. finishing 33rd after electrical problems sent him to the garage for nine laps. Before that, Alex Kennedy raced it at the first Gateway event where he finished 28th after getting a flat tire just eight laps into the race.

Did you know: The winningest driver at Homestead is the one and only “Front Row” Joe Nemechek? He’s been to Victory Lane three times (’97, ’99 & ’01) compared to Jeff Burton’s two trips to the Winner’s Circle in ’98 and ’07. In the latter event, Burton did set the mark for slowest qualifier (30th) to go on to victory.

Robert Richardson Jr.

Thoughts for the weekend in Homestead: “Well, it’s been awhile since I raced there, so the first practice is going to be real important for myself and the team. We’ll use that time to get our car dialed in to see how it handles through the turns. The second practice will be closer to the time we’re going to be racing on Saturday, so that will helps us with track conditions and how the car reacts once the sun goes down.

“I’m looking forward to logging some laps there and closing out this season on a good note. And, we’re going to treat the guys to a fishing trip Sunday morning. After all the hours, travel and hard work they’ve put in this year, they deserve to have a little fun in the sun. We did it last year and everyone had a good time. I think we even caught some fish.”

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

Panhandle Motorsports

Continuing the Girl Scouts partnership this year, Long will also take on two of the local Girl Scouts – from Girl Scouts Council of Tropical Florida – as “honorary pit crew” members for the team at the Ford 200. Long partnered at each track this year with a local council, speaking about her journey in motorsports, hard work and determination in whatever they choose to do in life. She will also have her “honorary pit crew” members cross the stage with her at driver introductions.
“I’m excited to have the Snowball Derby decal on the truck this weekend,” said Long. “Late models are my roots, my comfort zone and my first love, so it’s nice to be able to showcase the Derby where I’m racing now – the Truck Series.

The Snowball Derby is a tough week of racing, and I look forward to it every year. A lot of people know me from the Derby and the Blizzard Series – so it’s nice to show where I came from in the sport. I’m looking forward to shedding some light on these races, as well as my home track of Five Flags Speedway. Plus, it might give me a little luck going into the weekend!”

Johanna Long

This season she made another major jump in the racing ranks, moving to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Panhandle Motorsport – running a limited schedule this year to gain track knowledge and experience on the Speedways. Her season-best finish of 17th came at Indianapolis Raceway Park. She also has qualified among the top 20 in all six of her previous starts, with a top qualification of 9th at Texas Motor Speedway in November.

“I have such great people around me this year, teaching me so much about the tracks. Plus, it has been really awesome to get support from so many of the veteran drivers, all of whom don’t hesitate to get me in a car to do track walks. I’m really hopeful for a Rookie season in 2011 – it’s time to show what I can do with a full year. We’re looking for marketing partners now, and it’s critical for that to happen. If anyone out there wants to help support our efforts, please be in touch – let’s keep this momentum going!”

ABOUT DRIVER JOHANNA LONG & PANHANDLE MOTORSPORTS:

Johanna Long, 18, is the youngest driver in the elite NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Her career to date has included racing in NCWTS in 2010 with family race team Panhandle Motorsports in Las Vegas, Martinsville & Texas Motor Speedway; as well as three starts with Billy Ballew Motorsports in the NCWTS; and two starts in 2009 in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Former Blizzard Series Champion on the Gulf Coast & driver since the age of five, Long has caught the eyes of many top teams over the years as an “up-and-coming” teen driver.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SNOWBAL DERBY:

The Snowball Derby draws the best and brightest Super Late Model teams from all across the land to Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. For more information about the week’s events from December 1-5, 2010, visit http://5flagsspeedway.com / or www.speed51.com.

- Girl Friday PR & Marketing Press Release

Venue: Phoenix International Raceway (1.0-mile oval)

Date / Time: November 13, 2010 / 4:30 PM ET

Distance: 200 laps / 200 miles

TV / Radio: ESPN2 (Live at 4:00 PM ET) / MRN Radio, Sirius NASCAR Radio

Steve Wallace, No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry

Points Race Continues: Steve Wallace and his 5-Hour Energy team head to the Valley of the Sun this weekend looking to clench their place among the top-ten in the year-end point standings. Assuming Wallace starts the Homestead event, he can clench tenth-place by leaving Phoenix with a margin of 162 points or greater over his 11th-place teammate, Brendan Gaughan. Wallace currently leads Gaughan by 145 points.

Pointing Forward: Wallace is also in the middle of a ferocious fight for seventh through tenth in the standings. He currently sits a mere 77 points adrift of seventh-place Trevor Bayne.

Wallace at Phoenix: Steve Wallace scored his first Phoenix top-ten in last year’s running of this event. His tenth-place effort set off a streak of five straight top-ten finishes that ran through this season’s event at Las Vegas. In this spring’s event at Phoenix, Wallace, sporting a broken foot, ran among the top-ten for the first 110 laps, before a tire failure ended his day.

Streaking: Wallace and the 5-Hour Energy squad enter Phoenix with four finishes of 12th or better in their last six races. They also sport four top-ten starts during that span. Wallace has been ranked among the top-ten in NNS driver points for 21 straight weeks, the seventh-best such streak in the series; he has been among the top-ten for 47 of the last 55 weeks.

Flat-Out: Wallace sports three top-ten finishes (ORP, Iowa, Gateway I) and five finishes of 12th or better (New Hampshire, Gateway II) on flat tracks this season.

The Machine: Steve Wallace’s primary car for this weekend is RWR-042. Car 42 last ran at ORP during the summer, where Wallace’s piloted it to the outside pole, en route to a top-ten finish.

This Week’s 5-Hour Energy Shot

Welcome Aboard: 5-Hour Energy Racing is pleased to welcome Circle K Convenience Stores to its family of partners; Circle K branding will appear on the television panel of Steve Wallace’s No. 66 car this weekend at PIR. For more than 50 years, Circle K has been one of North America’s most popular and successful operators of convenience stores. Today, there are more than 3,300 Circle K stores across the USA and over 4,000 international locations.

5-Hour Energy Show Car Appearances in Phoenix:

Friday, November 12, 2010, 12:00 PM-2:00 PM: Safeway 3151, 9090 South Estrella Parkway, Goodyear, AZ 85338 Friday, November 12, 2010, Contact Store for Time: Safeway 1511, 14175 West Indian School Road, Goodyear, AZ 85448 Saturday, November 13, 2010, 11:00 AM-2:00 PM: Circle K 1130, 11502 West Southern, Tolleson, AZ 85353

Did You Know?: The key ingredients in 5-Hour Energy are also available in everyday foods – like broccoli, avocados, bananas and apples – or already in you. 5-Hour Energy contains zero sugar, only four calories and as much caffeine as a cup of the leading premium coffee.

Brendan Gaughan, No. 62 Alliance Parts Toyota Camry

Trucking Along: Rusty Wallace Racing is pleased to welcome Alliance Parts as the primary sponsor of Brendan Gaughan’s No. 62 team this weekend. Alliance Parts is a brand of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America and a leading manufacturer of Class 4-8 vehicles. The brand offers a range of new and remanufactured reliable parts and accessories at an affordable price to the commercial transportation industry. For more information, or to locate the nearest Alliance Parts dealer, visit alliancebrandparts.com.

Double Duty: Brendan Gaughan will make his first Sprint Cup Series start since 2004 this weekend, as he wheels TRG’s No. 71 South Point Hotel & Casino car in Sunday’s event at PIR.

Gaughan at Phoenix: In three career NNS starts at Phoenix, Brendan Gaughan has posted one top-five and two top-ten finishes, including a fourth-place effort this spring.

Flattening the Competition: Although he professes not to be a short track expert, Gaughan has shown much prowess on flat tracks this season, with four top-ten finishes (Phoenix I, Richmond I, New Hampshire, ORP).

The Machine: Brendan Gaughan will pilot RWR-018 this weekend in Phoenix. Car 18, a workhorse of the RWR fleet, has made seven 2010 starts, including one with Kenny Wallace at the controls last month in the 5-Hour Energy 250 at Gateway.

About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary history of its founder, Rusty Wallace—one of NASCAR’s top-ten drivers of all-time. The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys in the prestigious NASCAR Nationwide Series, driven by Steve Wallace and Brendan Gaughan, respectively. In 2009, RWR stood as the only team with multiple drivers among the top-ten in the final Nationwide Series driver standings. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

About 5-Hour Energy

Made by Living Essentials, LLC, 5-Hour Energy is the category leader in 2 oz. liquid energy shots. 5 Hour Energy is available nationwide in major retailers in the Grocery, Drug Store, Mass Merchant Warehouse and Convenience Store classes of trade. Living Essentials sells over 7 million bottles of 5 Hour Energy per week. For more information, please visit 5hourenergy.com.

About Alliance Parts

Alliance Parts offers a range of new and remanufactured reliable parts and accessories at an affordable price to the commercial transportation industry. Alliance brand parts are available at more than 1,000 retail locations, including Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses dealerships in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, or to locate the nearest Alliance Parts dealer, visit alliancebrandparts.com.

Alliance Parts is a brand of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America and a leading manufacturer of Class 4-8 vehicles. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets commercial vehicles under the Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses nameplates. Daimler Trucks North America is a Daimler company.

- Rusty Wallace Racing Press Release

No. 98 Richmond / Menards Ford Fusion - Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

Race: WYPALL 200 at Phoenix International Raceway (1.0-Mile Oval)

Team: No. 98 Richmond / Menards Ford Fusion

Crew Chief: Matt Puccia

Chassis: RK-395 Last ran at ORP, July 2010, finished ninth

Broadcast Information: Saturday, November 13, 2010- 4:46 p.m. (ET) ESPN and 4:46 p.m. on MRN radio affiliates and Sirius channel 128

FAST FACTS

- PAUL MENARD will make his 34th start of the season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Phoenix International Raceway in the WYPALL 200

- MENARD at Phoenix International Raceway …In nine starts Menard has one top-10 finish

- LAPS…Menard has completed 97.8% of the laps he has attempted in NNS competition in 2010

- ON THE TRACK…The No. 98 team will carry the Richmond / Menards paint scheme on its Ford Fusion in this weekend’s WYPALL 200 at Phoenix International Raceway

QUOTES

Paul Menard on racing at Phoenix International Raceway: “Phoenix is a drivers’ track. You have to get up on the wheel and make things happen. It is a very challenging race track that can be tough on the best drivers on the circuit. I am prepared for what is ahead of me and fully confident we will turn in a solid performance this weekend.”

Crew chief Matt Puccia on racing at Phoenix International Raceway: “The car set-up and is critical at Phoenix because it must handle the distinct differences at both ends of the race track. We had some success there in the spring and we are confident this team can make some noise this weekend.”

REWIND, Fort Worth, Texas – Paul Menard and the No. 98 Richmond/Menards team overcame a little bad luck on pit road and an ill-handling car early in the race, to secure a hard-fought top-10 finish in the O’Reilly Challenge on a beautiful fall afternoon at Texas Motor Speedway. Menard posted his 18th top-10 finish of the season and remains fifth in the Nationwide Series point standings.

MENARDS ON THE TRACK… In addition to their partnership with Roush Fenway Racing and the No. 98 Ford NASCAR Nationwide Series team, Menards is also affiliated with the racing ventures of Matt Crafton and Frank Kimmel, as well as the No. 98 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford entry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

ABOUT MENARDS …

Menards is well-known throughout the Midwest for its complete selection of high-quality, name brand merchandise, tools for any job, and state-of-the-art in-store computers to help guests design their special projects. Menards carries the materials and tools for all of your home improvement projects from just needing a light bulb to building a new house! Plus, many Menards stores also carry name brand appliances, pet products, lawn and garden supplies, and even groceries as your one-stop shopping experience.

As always, Menards is known for its excellent guest service and the place to “Save Big Money.” There is something for everyone at Menards from the beginning do-it-yourselfer to the experienced contractor. For more information and to find a store near you, please visit www.menards.com. For more Menards Racing info, please visit www.menardsracing.com.

- Roush Fenway Racing Press Release

ThorSport Racing

What do you remember about your first race at Phoenix?

“It was in 1997. I don’t remember how we finished so it must not have been that good, but I do remember how anxious I was getting to go there. That whole week leading up to that race I could feel the butterflies. At that point the biggest track I’d ever raced a stock car on was a quarter mile. We took the car to Bakersfield to get some test laps in before we went to Phoenix just so I would have a little better feel for the speed involved. This was before they had a committee to review your resume, so really all you had to do was file an entry and go. I remember getting there and I couldn’t believe how big the place was compared to everywhere else we’d raced. It really was like racing at Daytona to me then.”

Why is Phoenix such a big deal to you?

“Well it all goes back to when I was a kid, watching my dad race there. And once I started having the chance to run there, we were always so fast but we just had the worst luck. We started on the pole there a few times and had the fastest car out there. One race we were leading by half a lap and the rear gear went out, and the next race we were there leading by a straightaway and we lost another rear gear. It’s always a place I’ve wanted to win at, so I built my own car to run the last Copper World there. I had three guys in a 15 passenger van and a little box trailer and we went out and won the race. It was great to finally get that win but I really want to get a Truck win there.”

Matt Crafton – Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood / Getty Images for NASCAR

“We just need to have everything go right. I know we had the truck to win last weekend but something outside of our control took away our chance to win. We qualified on the pole but had to start from the back. We could run with Kyle (Busch) and Johnny (Sauter) but it was like a brick wall of air whenever we got within a couple of lengths of them. I know we’ll have a truck just as capable of running up front this weekend, we just need to get track position. That’s what cost us last weekend.”

Matt at Phoenix: Matt has nine career NCWTS starts at PIR; he has two top-five finishes (third, 2004; fifth, 2006) and six top-ten finishes. His best start was second in 2007. His average start is 10.4 and his average finish is 9.3. He has completed all 1,362 possible competition laps at PIR.

Matt’s Phoenix Truck: Matt will be driving ThorSport Racing Chassis No. 43 this weekend at PIR. This chassis was brand new for the Iowa race in July and has also been used at Gateway, ORP, and New Hampshire. It has four top-five finishes in the four races in which it has been used.

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

Whitney Motorsports

Ft. Worth, Tex. (October 15 2010) –

Starr, who lives in the shadows of Texas Motor Speedway, will drive the No. 05 Chevrolet at Charlotte, Texas, Phoenix, and Homestead to close out the 2010 season.

“I am really looking forward to this weekend,” Starr said. “I know that Wayne Day and his team work really hard to compete with some of the bigger teams in the series and I have been very proud to have the chance to drive for them this season. The Day Enterprises team has had some really good finishes so far this year. We have four races together to close out the season and I think we should have a great chance to get a good finish at each one of them.”

Cash America is currently in its first season as a NASCAR team sponsor, having sponsored the Whitney Motorsports team in the Sprint Cup Series along with supporting Starr in the Nationwide Series. WRL General Contractors is also making its initial foray into NASCAR racing in 2010, having previously sponsored the Day Enterprises # 05 at Daytona, Indianapolis and Richmond earlier this season.

“We couldn’t be happier being on board with David at Charlotte, Texas, Phoenix, and Homestead,” said Bob Leavine of WRL General Contractors. “David is a great racecar driver and a fine person too. We’ve watched David’s career for some time and we jumped at this chance to support him this year and have been very happy with the results so far. We know it’s tough in the Nationwide Series when you’re up against Sprint Cup teams and drivers, but we know David has what it takes to get up and race for a top-15 finish.”

The Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is scheduled for 8 P.M. Eastern on Friday night. It will be televised live on ESPN2 and broadcast live on select radio affiliates of the Performance Racing Network as well as on Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 128.

About Cash America:

Cash America International, Inc. provides specialty financial services to individuals in over 1,000 locations in the United States and Mexico and over the Internet in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. Cash America is the largest provider of secured non-recourse loans (commonly referred to as pawn loans) in the United States and currently operates under the brand names Cash America Pawn and SuperPawn in the United States and under the brand name Prenda Fácil in Mexico. The company also offers short-term cash advances in many of its locations in the United States, including close to 250 stores that offer this service under the brand names Cash America Payday Advance and Cashland.

The company also offers check cashing services in many of its lending locations and in its company-owned and franchised check cashing facilities operating under the Mr. Payroll trade name. The company also offers short-term consumer loan products over the Internet in the United States at http://www.cashnetusa.com, in the United Kingdom at http://www.quickquid.co.uk, in Australia at http://www.dollarsdirect.com.au, and in Canada at http://www.dollarsdirect.ca. The company also owns a card services business that processes cash advances on behalf of a third-party lender with balances outstanding in all 50 states and four other United States jurisdictions. The company’s corporate offices are located in Fort Worth, Texas.

- Linkous Enterprises, Inc., for Whitney Motorsports,  Press Release