Robb Brent

Reuniting with Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR), often considered as one of the strongest race teams on the circuit, Brent’s chances were as good as ever to taste victory lane for the second consecutive year.

A sponsorless No. 6 Toyota Camry took to the 2.5-mile oval on Friday afternoon with Brent working with crew chief Tripp Bruce to dial in their automobile. After several runs, Brent maneuvered the 10th quickest time overall but remained confident in his car’s capabilities.

In qualifying, Brent admitted that he wasn’t pleased with his lap as he posted just the 14th quickest lap overall. “I’m frustrated,” offered Brent. “Eddie Sharp Racing has really brought me a good car. I screwed up a little bit in qualifying, but I know we can make it up in the race.”

Just two hours before the Pennsylvania ARCA 125 was set to take the green flag on Saturday, Mother Nature stormed her way into eastern Pennsylvania where she completely drenched the 2.5-mile oval leaving the race in jeopardy for the day. Shortly after 5:00 p.m., officials from ARCA and Pocono (Pa.) Raceway elected to postpone the race until after the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series dash, which was also delayed until Sunday morning.

Overcast skies with peaks of sunshine greeted the ARCA teams on Sunday with the 13th race of the year getting the green flag shortly after 10:00 a.m. In his typical Pocono fashion, Brent pedaled his way forward in the tracks of fellow ARCA competitor Chad Hackenbracht who were both heading to the front.

The caution flag just as Brent was completing lap two for a melee entering turn one. The lengthy cleanup kept the field under caution for nearly 10 laps before Brent restarted the race gunning towards heading to the front.

Clearly on the move, Brent inched his way towards the top-five by the half-way mark before the caution waived just two laps later allowing the prime opportunity for the team to make their only scheduled pit stop of the day. Bruce called his pilot in for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Overall, Brent informed the team he was pleased with his racecar, despite being informed after leaving pit lane that he had a slow leak on the left rear tire.

Back to racing, the road-racing ace settled comfortably in the top-five but another yellow flag would waive, which jolted the No. 6 Toyota into the third spot.

When racing resumed Brent found himself hovering in the top-three but having to fend off the sharks of Tim George Jr. and Chris Buescher who eventually made their way past the No. 6 ESR Toyota sliding Brent back to fifth.

As the race began to come to a close, Brent informed his team that his car was extremely tight. Unbenounced to the ESR team, the leak in the tire in the early stages of the contest affected the handling considerably. As instructed, the tire pressure was reset to its original settings before the green flag which included several more pounds of air in the tire which ultimately resulted in the No. 6 ESR Toyota Camry becoming extremely tight as the race came to a close.

Knowing his only potential chance of making a change was a caution. The yellow flag never materialized and Brent was able to reel respectable lap times and held off a hard-charging Ryan Wilson to take the checkered flag in the eighth position.

“First, I want to thank Eddie Sharp and his team for the opportunity to wheel their racecar,” said Brent. “We really had a good car. I messed up in qualifying on Friday, but I knew that we could go to the front and we did. As the race went on, the car got tighter and tighter, but there was nothing I really could do about it, except the drive the car as hard as I could.”

He added, “It sure would have been nice to go back to victory lane, but I was just thankful to have the opportunity to be in a racecar and compete. We had a good day and the car is one piece, so I hope Eddie (Sharp) and the team are satisfied.”

Amazingly, in his seven starts at the track dubbed the “Tricky Triangle”, the Michigander has been able to post two top-fives and seven top-10s including Sunday’s eighth place effort.

“Pocono has always been one of my favorite race tracks,” sounded Brent. It’s a blast to drive and it has some road course technique mixed in with it, which is my background, so it’s that just much more fun. If Pocono had a weekly series, I definitely think I would be a part of it.”

With the 13th race of the 2011 ARCA season being the final planned with Eddie Sharp Racing, Brent is remaining optimistic that something will materialize that will allow him to get back in the seat before year’s end. “We’re still talking to people about sponsorship and who knows maybe the phone will ring too,” Brent said. “I’m just not going to give up and just hope that I’ll be back racing before the end of the year.”

While, Brent didn’t carry any sponsorship on his automobile this weekend, the 24-year old continued to bring awareness to his two favorite charities the Macomb Charitable Foundation (MCF) and the Animal Aid Foundation.

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards is the first of two dirt races of the season. The 14th race of the year steers the teams to Illinois before landing at the Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield) for the running of the Allen Crowe 100 set for Sunday, August 21.

Prior to joining Eddie Sharp Racing, Brent participated in the ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driving for NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski and Brad Keselowski Racing. Most recently, Brent spent the last two seasons in ARCA with Allgaier Motorsports, the 2008 championship team. In his 59 ARCA starts, Brent has acquired one win (Pocono 2010), six top-five finishes and 19 top-10 efforts. Brent notched his career best qualifying effort of second at Kentucky Speedway in 2008. He has led the ARCA pack five times for 55 laps. His best finish in the NCWTS occurred at Nashville Superspeedway in his inaugural truck debut where he finished 21st after qualifying 26th. The road racing ace also made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in 2010 driving for RAB Racing at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

For more on Robb Brent, sponsorship opportunities and official team merchandise, please visit Robbbrentracing.com.

- Robb Brent Racing Press Release

No. 63 CITGO SUPERGARD Toyota Camry

There is no other track on the ARCA Racing Series, or any series, schedule that compares to Pocono Raceway.Known as the “tricky triangle,” Pocono Raceway has three distinct turns set to challenge drivers and for a first time driver on the 2.5-mile track that challenge becomes even larger.

“I’ve heard a lot about Pocono over the years and I’m excited for the opportunity to race at such an interesting track,” said Duno. “Dave and the team have some history here and I hope that we’ll have enough on-track time to have that experience translate into a good result.”

While it will be Duno’s first time at the tricky triangle, Crew Chief Dave Lanier Jr. is no stranger to Pocono Raceway, where he has a very successful track record. Last year Lanier led Robb Brent to his first career win in ARCA Racing Series competition at the 2.5-mile track and is looking to take that same knowledge to his Sheltra Motorsports team this weekend.

“Pocono is a very challenging track, especially for a driver that has never been there before,” said Lanier. “Our goal during practice will be to get Milka as many laps as we can so she can learn the track. Every week our chemistry together has been improving and she has been giving great feedback on the car. I have no doubt that with enough laps on the track our Sheltra Motorsports team will have a strong finish.”

The ARCA Racing Series rolls into Pocono on Friday for a short practice from 1:40 – 3:00 p.m. EST with qualifying beginning at 5:40 p.m. EST. The green flag will drop for 125 miles of racing action on Saturday, Aug. 6 at 3:00 p.m., immediately after the completion of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event. SPEED will provide live flag-to-flag coverage of the event beginning at 3:00 p.m. EST with live timing and scoring and audio coverage provided by ARCA Nation and the ARCA Racing Network at ARCARacing.com.

Milka Duno

Duno at Pocono Raceway: Milka Duno will be making her first-career start at Pocono’s tricky triangle.

Sheltra Motorsports at Pocono Raceway: Sheltra Motorsports has nine starts at Pocono Raceway, all with Patrick Sheltra behind the wheel. They have five top-10 starts with a best starting position of sixth in the spring of 2010. Sheltra Motorsports also has three top-10 finishes and two top-fives with a best finish of third in 2009.

This Week’s Toyota: Duno will be piloting chassis No. 13 this weekend. This is the first time this car will be run in 2011. It was run by Patrick Sheltra at both Pocono races last year with finishes of fourth and sixth.

Keep Up With Milka: Want to learn more about Milka Duno? Log on to her official website at www.milkaduno.com. Fans cans also log on to her official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheOfficialMilkaDunoFanPage.

Follow Sheltra Motorsports: Want to know what is going on at the Sheltra Motorsports shop or what 2010 Champion Patrick Sheltra is up to? Be sure to follow Sheltra Motorsports on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SheltraMotorsports.

About Sheltra Motorsports:

Sheltra Motorsports, established in 2007, is in the midst of its fifth season of ARCA Racing Series competition. Owned by Florida-native, Patrick Sheltra, the owner-driver team captured the 2010 ARCA Racing Series driver and owner’s championship titles on the strength of two wins, 12 top-fives and 17 top-10 finishes in 20 events. Sheltra Motorsports is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C., with additional operations in Indiana and Florida. For more information, visit www.sheltramotorsports.com.

About Milka Duno:

Duno has eight major race wins in the highest classes (Prototype) in the American Le Mans Series and Rolex Series and the highest finish ever by a female driver (2nd Place) in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the 48-year history of the race. Go, Milka, Go! – a book about her life and racing career was awarded the Best Young Adult Sports/Recreation Book of 2009 at the 11th Annual International Latino Book Awards. In 2010, Duno became the first Venezuelan athlete inducted into the Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame.

- Sheltra Motorsports Press Release

Allgaier Motorsports Logo Thumbnail

12 races complete, the Springfield, Illinois-based team has maneuvered four top-fives and 10 top-10 finishes. If you expand into their season statistics a little more, you would find that the team has finished no worse than 14th in what has been deemed a very competitive ARCA Racing Series season.

With the second and final ARCA race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway on deck for Saturday’s Pennsylvania ARCA 125, the duo looks not only to keep their strong season alive but also land themselves in victory lane for the first time in a year.

That’s right, a year ago at Pocono; Allgaier Motorsports provided the car that allowed Robb Brent to surge to his first career ARCA victory. This weekend, the veteran team is looking to pull off that same feat with Enfinger aboard their No. 36 Hoosier Tire Midwest / racetires.com Dodge Charger.

In fact, Allgaier Motorsports has two victories at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway as former ARCA Racing Series champion and current NASCAR Nationwide Series star Justin Allgaier tallied his fifth career ARCA win in 2008, the same year that the family-owned team hoisted the ARCA championship trophy.

30 ARCA Racing Series races added to his resume and with three runner-up finishes including a second at Toledo Speedway in May, no one would be surprised if Enfinger’s dream of winning an ARCA race would come true.

Grant Enfinger

That’s a wise statement coming from the Fairhope, Alabama native who made his inaugural debut at the track doomed the “Tricky Triangle” back in June. After qualifying fifth, the team found themselves in contention for the win but had to settle for third.

“We were so close to victory, we could almost taste it,” recalled Enfinger. “Kelly (Kovski, crew chief) and the entire Allgaier Motorsports team gave me a superb racecar that day and I don’t expecting less on Saturday. It’s pretty cool knowing that the Allgaier Motorsports team has a couple of victories here, which helps just make our chances at a possible win in the No. 36 Hoosier Tire Midwest / racetires.com Dodge Charger that much sweeter.”

Should Enfinger take the checkered flag first in the 13th race of the season, there will be many people for the 26-year old to thank and praise. “I wouldn’t have a chance at winning or having another good run on Saturday if not for Mike (Allgaier, car owner), Justin (Allgaier) and Ashley (Allgaier). We’ve been running this program virtually sponsorless all season long but they have continued to give us what we need to get the job done. The win would be important for me and all those who helped me in my racing career, but it would be extra special for a great family like the Allgaiers.”

With Saturday’s contest shortened to just 50 laps because of a double-header with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), Enfinger and his posse know that when the green flag flies, it’s game on.

“Believe it or not, even though Pocono is a long track, those 50 laps can go by relatively quickly, especially if we’re under green flag conditions,” offered Enfinger. “The team was able to win utilizing some strategy last year and we’ve armed ourselves with that exact same game plan should we need to use it. You have to be after it right from the start or you may never have the opportunity to catch backup.”

With seven races remaining and because of their respectable ninth place finish last Thursday night at Lucas Oil Raceway, Enfinger and Co. lock third in the ARCA Racing Series championship surpassing Chris Buescher (+ 30) while trailing nine-time champion Frank Kimmel for second by just a mere 10 markers. Fifth place runner Chad McCumbee sits in the deficit of 175 points to Enfinger’s current placement.

Entering Pocono, Enfinger has 30 ARCA Racing Series starts to his credit. In those events, he has maneuvered 11 top-fives and 20 top-10 finishes including a career-best finish of second three times at Kentucky Speedway (July 2009), Chicagoland Speedway (August 2009), and Toledo Speedway (May 2011). He has controlled the field nine times for 216 laps. His best qualifying run occurred at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway where Enfinger bolted to his first career pole.

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

For more on Grant Enfinger, please visit grantenfinger.com.

Additional input on Allgaier Motorsports is available by logging on to AllgaierMotorsports.com.

- Allgaier Motorsports Press Release

Robb Brent

A year later, Brent returns to the historical site with one goal in mind, defending the title. To help him in his quest, Brent has paired again with the potent Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) for Saturday’s Pennsylvania ARCA 125.

Although Brent will be with a completely different team, manufacturer and crew chief, the 24-year old strongly believes that he has all the tools to back-up his win from last season.

“I’ve been waiting for this race for several months now and it’s finally here,” said Brent, who also piloted an entry for ESR at Michigan International Speedway where he finished 11th. “I love road course racing but this undoubtedly is one of my favorite oval tracks. Well, I guess you can’t really call it an oval, but it’s one that is at the top of my list.”

Indeed, the road racing ace cannot refer Pocono (Pa.) Raceway as your typical oval. Often called the “Tricky Triangle”, the track’s unique layout offers some resemblance of a road course which could partly explain why Brent has yet to foil at the 2.5-mile track.

In six races, Brent has never finished worse than seventh (twice) and has recorded two top-fives and six top-10s overall. In his inaugural ARCA debut at Pocono, Brent impressed many in the garage with an outstanding third place qualifying run then driving for fellow Michigan native Brad Keselowski.

“I’ve always raced well at Pocono, it’s been my type of track,” sounded Brent, who will drive the No. 6 Eddie Sharp Racing Toyota Camry Saturday afternoon. “A lot of the drivers come up to me for advice around there and that’s extremely humbling. I’m taking everything I’ve learned over to ESR this weekend with the goal of putting this team back in victory circle. It will not only do a lot for me, but I know it would be big for them too.”

Guiding Brent this weekend will be veteran crew chief Trip Bruce. Bruce, who has played several leadership roles at ESR undeniably, has the knowledge and experience to put the Michigander in the hunt for his second career win.

“Everyone at Eddie Sharp Racing has been really easy to work with,” continued Brent. “I know it may be a little awkward at first working with Trip, simply because we’ve never worked together before. Though, everyone has told me a lot of great things about him, so I’m not worried or anything, I’m just anxious to get going and being competitive right off the truck.”

With sponsorship still difficult to acquire as the economy continues to battle shaky grounds, Brent is also utilizing the 13th race of the season as a way of auditioning not only to potential sponsors but other teams in the racing industry; that he does have what it takes to get the job done.

“It’s hard being a racecar driver and having to watch a lot of this from the sidelines,” Brent explained. “I’ve been fortunate enough to do some spotting and act as a driver coach this year, so that’s been fun; but I’m focused on finding a way at reviving my career in a way that it will keep me at the racetrack every weekend. There’s a lot riding on Saturday’s race but there’s even more to gain from competing in it too.”

For Pocono, Robb Brent Racing (RBR) will continue to support his two favorite charities. Macomb Charitable Foundation and Animal Aid Foundation will adorn the No. 6 Toyota Camry like they did in the RainEater Wiper Blades 200 at Michigan International Speedway in June.

The Macomb Charitable Foundation (MCF) is a group of volunteers who seek and assist the homeless and poverty stricken children in Macomb County, Michigan. They assist with things that other agencies cannot.

The Animal Aid Foundation is a volunteer-based non-profit charitable fundraising organization dedicated to finding lifelong loving homes for lost or abandoned animals, working together with other no-kill shelters, public donations and corporate support.

“It’s important to promote some of the places I like to support on or off the track,” explained Brent. “Both of these charities are very important to me and my family. Even though they are based in Michigan, we’re hoping to spread their word through the car at Pocono and hopefully drum up some additional support.”

Before strapping in his No. 6 Toyota Camry on Saturday afternoon, Brent will cheer on his fellow ESR teammate Justin Lofton in his No. 6 CollegeCompete.com Toyota Tundra who will be competing in the Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service 125, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series contest that serves as the preamble for ARCA’s second go-around with Pocono (Pa.) Raceway this season.

Prior to joining Eddie Sharp Racing, Brent participated in the ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driving for NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski and Brad Keselowski Racing. Most recently, Brent spent the last two seasons in ARCA with Allgaier Motorsports, the 2008 championship team. In his 59 ARCA starts, Brent has acquired one win (Pocono 2010), six top-five finishes and 19 top-10 efforts. Brent notched his career best qualifying effort of second at Kentucky Speedway in 2008. He has led the ARCA pack five times for 55 laps. His best finish in the NCWTS occurred at Nashville Superspeedway in his inaugural truck debut where he finished 21st after qualifying 26th. The road racing ace also made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in 2010 driving for RAB Racing at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

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

Brent, sponsorship opportunities and official team merchandise, please visit Robbbrentracing.com.

- Robb Brent Racing Press Release

Milka Duno

“I’m looking forward to hitting the track at Iowa Speedway in a stock car,” said Duno. “I like the track very much and the fans in Iowa have always been good to me – so I look forward to seeing many of them again. I welcome David Leiner Jr. to the effort and I’m anxious to work together with him and the crew for a good result.”

While the stock car rookie, Duno, will be learning to wheel her No. 63 CITGO SUPERGARD Toyota around Iowa’s 0.875-mile track, she will have the experience of her 2010 championship winning Sheltra Motorsports team’s four previous starts at Iowa Speedway to guide her. The team will have a slightly different look this weekend at Iowa Speedway as David Leiner Jr. will be taking over command as crew chief.

“I am really excited to be joining the Sheltra Motorsports team and to have the opportunity to work with Milka Duno,” said Leiner. “We are looking forward to kick starting our relationship with a strong finish at Iowa Speedway. Milka has done a tremendous job and has had some strong runs so far this year, and I can’t wait to build upon that success in the second half of the ARCA Racing Series Season.

While it will be Leiner’s first start with Duno and Sheltra Motorsports, he is certainly no stranger to success in the ARCA Racing Series. Sporting 51-career wins and three championships (Tim Steele-1993, 1996, 1997), Leiner has over 16 years of experience as an ARCA Racing Series crew chief. The veteran crew chief led drivers such as Blaise Alexander, Blake Feese, Kyle Krisiloff, Boston Reid and most recently Robb Brent (Pocono, 2010) to their first-career ARCA victories and looks to continue that success with Milka Duno beginning in Saturday’s Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway.

Duno and her Sheltra Motorsports team will take to Iowa Speedway’s 7/8-mile oval on Friday, July 15 for two afternoon practice sessions. ARCA Racing Series action will begin on Saturday, July 16 when the green flag drops for 200 laps of stock car racing action at 4:15 p.m. CDT. SPEED will have live television coverage of the Prairie Meadows 200 with live timing and scoring on ARCARacing.com.

Milka Duno and the No. 63 CITGO SUPERGARD Toyota Fast Facts:

Duno at Iowa: Milka Duno will be making her first stock car start at the 7/8-mile track.

Sheltra Motorsports at Iowa: Sheltra Motorsports has four previous starts at Iowa Speedway. 2010 Champion Patrick Sheltra gave the team their best finish in 2008 when he started eighth and finished ninth.

This Week’s Toyota: Duno will pilot chassis No. SM020 at Iowa Speedway. This chassis comes from Red Bull Racing and is a brand new chassis to the Sheltra Motorsports team.

New Look: Duno’s Sheltra Motorsports team will have a new look at Iowa Speedway as veteran crew chief Dave Leiner Jr. takes over the reins as crew chief. Leiner, a three-time ARCA Racing Series champion, earned his last and 51st-career victory at Pocono Raceway in 2010, bringing Robb Brent to victory lane for the first time in his young career. Leiner spent the first half of the 2011 season with Eddie Sharp Racing.

Keep Up With Milka: Want to learn more about Milka Duno? Log on to her official website at www.milkaduno.com. Fans cans also log on to her official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheOfficialMilkaDunoFanPage.

Follow Sheltra Motorsports: Want to know what is going on at the Sheltra Motorsports shop or what 2010 Champion Patrick Sheltra is up to? Be sure to follow Sheltra Motorsports on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SheltraMotorsports.

About Sheltra Motorsports:

Sheltra Motorsports, established in 2007, is in the midst of its fifth season of ARCA Racing Series competition. Owned by Florida-native, Patrick Sheltra, the owner-driver team captured the 2010 ARCA Racing Series driver and owner’s championship titles on the strength of two wins, 12 top-fives and 17 top-10 finishes in 20 events. Sheltra Motorsports is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C., with additional operations in Indiana and Florida. For more information, visit www.sheltramotorsports.com.

About Milka Duno:

Duno has eight major race wins in the highest classes (Prototype) in the American Le Mans Series and Rolex Series and the highest finish ever by a female driver (2nd Place) in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the 48-year history of the race. Go, Milka, Go! – a book about her life and racing career, was awarded the Best Young Adult Sports/Recreation Book of 2009 at the 11th Annual International Latino Book Awards. In 2010, Duno became the first Venezuelan athlete inducted into the Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame.

- Sheltra Motorsports Press Release

Robb Brent

Brent, who after running two full time seasons in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards took a brief sabbatical this season to regroup his racing career announced a two-race deal with the potent Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) which launched in Brent’s backyard at the two-mile oval of MIS.

With AutoDealerAds.com stepping up to the plate as the primary sponsor of Brent’s first ARCA event at the wheel of a Toyota Camry, the road racing ace was looking to use the eighth race of the season to strut his stuff.

In the lone practice session on Thursday afternoon, Brent who reunited with crew chief Dave Leiner worked on the chassis setup on their No. 2 AutoDealerAds.comToyota Camry which landed the Denver, North Carolina-based team 20th in the overall rundown.

Not discouraged by the practice effort, Brent gathered his thoughts with Leiner and the two put their heads together to put a qualifying setup that would be both fast but not take away from the team’s overall plan of a healthy race setup.

In time trials Friday morning, Brent maneuvered his ESR machine around the Irish Hills track in 40.147 seconds or 179.34 miles per hour landing 22nd in the starting lineup. Comfortable with the car’s handling, Brent knew his car was setup for racing conditions.

At the start of the RainEater Wiper Blades 200, Brent patiently began moving through the field. Tucked in with ESR teammate Bryan Silas, the two tried to use the draft to manhandle their way into the top-20. The duo would be stalled on lap three when the first yellow flag of the day waived.

Restarting on lap 10, Brent would hold steady in his No. 2 AutoDealerAds.com Toyota Camry up the ladder during the first solid green flag run of the day. By lap 20, Brent had found himself locked in the 22nd position. By the time the third yellow of the day waived on lap 30, Brent had moved up to the 20th position.

Four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment was the call from the pit box by Leiner. A solid pit stop by the ESR crew re-entered their driver 13th in the battle.

After another caution flag, Brent remained safely in the top-15 but had his sights set on entering the top-10. By the halfway mark, lap 50, the part-time NASCAR driver hoisted the 11th position.

When Tom Hessert and Maryeve Dufault crashed on lap 52, the yellow flag conditions returned offering a perfect time for Leiner to bring his driver back to pit road to top off the fuel in case the race would stretch into a long green-flag run.

Restarting 13th, Brent would quietly maintain a spot inside the top-15 but with 35 laps remaining, the former Pocono ARCA winner would nearly avoid disaster when the No. 42 of Clay Rogers spun directly in-front of the No. 2 AutoDealerAds.com Toyota Camry, the two made slight contact before the No. 23 of Levi Youster joined the mess also making minimal contact with the two colleagues.

Under the caution, Brent brought his machine to the attention of his ESR crew for damage control. With the thumbs up on the overall condition of Brent’s automobile, they sent their driver back into the race.

Over the final 25 laps, Brent would slice and dice his way from his 15th position and survive a green-white-checkered finish to claim the 11th position.

“I had a lot of fun,” said Brent. “I appreciate the opportunity and support from Eddie Sharp, Eddie Sharp Racing and AutoDealerAds.com for allowing me to race at my home track with a really good race car. We didn’t quite have enough for those leaders, but we had a competitive car and we learned a lot together that will help us going to Pocono in August.”

Ironically, Brent’s 11th place lead-lap finish on Friday was the third time in the last four races where he captured the exact same position. Last June, Brent delivered a 10th place outing for Allgaier Motorsports.

Brent would personally like to thank his family and friends who attended Friday’s contest. In addition to his duties at the track, Brent participated in two autograph sessions. On Thursday night, Brent joined a slew of ARCA drivers in Downtown Brooklyn, while on race day Brent spent time with children from DeVos Children’s Hospital and the Make A Wish Foundation.

The Michigander also supported his two charities during the race week, the Macomb Charitable Foundation (MCF) and the Animal Aid Foundation.

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards is a return to Winchester (Ind.) Speedway for the running of the Winchester ARCA 200 presented by Federated Auto Parts. Brent will return to ARCA competition in August and will look to defend his title at the 2.5-mile oval of Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in the Pennsylvania ARCA 125 on August 6th in the No. 2 Eddie Sharp Racing Toyota Camry.

Prior to joining Eddie Sharp Racing, Brent participated in the ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driving for NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski and Brad Keselowski Racing. Most recently, Brent spent the last two seasons in ARCA with Allgaier Motorsports, the 2008 championship team. In his 59 ARCA starts, Brent has acquired one win (Pocono 2010), six top-five finishes and 19 top-10 efforts. Brent notched his career best qualifying effort of second at Kentucky Speedway in 2008. He has led the ARCA pack five times for 55 laps. His best finish in the NCWTS occurred at Nashville Superspeedway in his inaugural truck debut where he finished 21st after qualifying 26th. The road racing ace also made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in 2010 driving for RAB Racing at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

For more on Robb Brent, sponsorship opportunities and official team merchandise, please visit Robbbrentracing.com.

About AutoDealerAds.com:

AutoDealerAds.com is Michigan’s largest on-line auto dealer inventory website – with over 300 Michigan based new and used car dealers, and over 40,000 new and used cars to view – with just one click. They have developed a quick and easy to use website, to view area auto dealer’s ads all in one place – with over 2,000,000 hits per month.

Accessing AutoDealerAds.com, consumers at a car dealership can easily comparison shop other area dealer’s current new and used car ads using a SmartPhone, Note Pad, iPad, etc. AutoDealerAds.com has a proven track record – substantially beating newspaper advertising’s price per call – quickly becoming a favorite of area dealerships. AutoDealerAds.com is owned by Auto Connection Media Inc., which specializes in marketing and publishing for Auto Dealers for the past 20 years.

- Robb Brent Racing Press Release

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Thumbnail

Thirteen drivers appeared Thursday night at an autograph session held during the Brooklyn/Irish Hills Race Fest, just several miles north of the speedway, and had the chance to interact with a steady line of passionate race followers over the course of one hour.

From Friday’s starting lineup, Robb Brent, Benny Chastain, Sean Corr, Joey Coulter, Maryeve Dufault, Tim George Jr., Chad Hackenbracht, Hal Martin, Chad McCumbee, Josh Richards, and Bryan Silas all posed for pictures and signed hero cards and other memorabilia for fans. Additionally, Salem race winner Brennan Poole and rookie driver Jared Marks showed at the session to do the same, even though neither entered Friday’s race.

“That’s what drives our sport, and we’re all very blessed to be in the position we’re in,” said McCumbee. “Any time we can give back and take care of the sport, and use our sport to bring joy to people, that’s what it’s about. That’s the number one goal.”

McCumbee’s No. 1 ModSpace Ford from the Andy Belmont Racing stable was on display, giving fans in Brooklyn’s village square a sharp visual next to local classic cars and a festive array of hometown displays.

Friday afternoon, many of the same drivers joined some others – including eventual race winner Ty Dillon and runner-up Max Gresham, as well as nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel – in a suite above the MIS pit road to greet a group of children from the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, a Michigan city located approximately 125 miles northwest of MIS. The event took place as part of the annual “MIS Cares” program, a track community initiative.

MRN Radio turn announcer Jeff Striegle, a West Michigan native, acted as the master of ceremonies, introducing the ARCA drivers to a full room before the drivers posed for pictures and walked table-to-table to sign autographs and take pictures with ill children, many of whom were enjoying their first trip to a major sporting event.

“We need to count our blessings as race car drivers,” said McCumbee. “To be able to influence and to be able to make a difference in people’s lives, we can’t take that for granted.”

Tom Hessert, Grant Enfinger, and Matt Merrell, all top-10 drivers in the series standings, appeared for the children.

“It’s awesome, and anywhere we go we try to do stuff like this,” said Enfinger. “It’s always nice. I think they’re having the time of their lives just watching, and to have guys who are as privileged as we are to actually race talk to them is always a cool thing.”

“It’s a lot of fun to come up here and see the kids,” Hessert said. “Like Grant said, we’re really fortunate to do what we’re able to do every weekend. It’s fun to take a little time out of the day and hang with the kids. They really enjoy it and it’s nice to come up and meet some people.”

“It takes a lot for them to be able to come out here and do this stuff,” said Merrell. “You can tell they’re enjoying it. Their eyes light up and it’s really neat.”

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards returns to action Saturday, June 25 in the Winchester ARCA 200 presented by Federated Auto Parts at Winchester Speedway in Indiana. The event is scheduled as the ninth of 19 on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series schedule; the ARCA Truck Series will join the ARCA Racing Series at the track.

ARCA Racing Series practice begins at 1:45 p.m., and will last for 90 minutes. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell begins at 4:45 p.m., and the 200-lap, 100-mile race will take place at 8 p.m. ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring coverage of all events.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards features 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. 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

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards

Thirteen drivers appeared Thursday night at an autograph session held during the Brooklyn/Irish Hills Race Fest, just several miles north of the speedway, and had the chance to interact with a steady line of passionate race followers over the course of one hour.

From Friday’s starting lineup, Robb Brent, Benny Chastain, Sean Corr, Joey Coulter, Maryeve Dufault, Tim George Jr., Chad Hackenbracht, Hal Martin, Chad McCumbee, Josh Richards, and Bryan Silas all posed for pictures and signed hero cards and other memorabilia for fans. Additionally, Salem race winner Brennan Poole and rookie driver Jared Marks showed at the session to do the same, even though neither entered Friday’s race.

“That’s what drives our sport, and we’re all very blessed to be in the position we’re in,” said McCumbee. “Any time we can give back and take care of the sport, and use our sport to bring joy to people, that’s what it’s about. That’s the number one goal.”

McCumbee’s No. 1 ModSpace Ford from the Agndy Belmont Racin stable was on display, giving fans in Brooklyn’s village square a sharp visual next to local classic cars and a festive array of hometown displays.

Friday afternoon, many of the same drivers joined some others – including eventual race winner Ty Dillon and runner-up Max Gresham, as well as nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel – in a suite above the MIS pit road to greet a group of children from the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, a Michigan city located approximately 125 miles northwest of MIS. The event took place as part of the annual “MIS Cares” program, a track community initiative.

MRN Radio turn announcer Jeff Striegle, a West Michigan native, acted as the master of ceremonies, introducing the ARCA drivers to a full room before the drivers posed for pictures and walked table-to-table to sign autographs and take pictures with ill children, many of whom were enjoying their first trip to a major sporting event.

“We need to count our blessings as race car drivers,” said McCumbee. “To be able to influence and to be able to make a difference in people’s lives, we can’t take that for granted.”

Tom Hessert, Grant Enfinger, and Matt Merrell, all top-10 drivers in the series standings, appeared for the children.

“It’s awesome, and anywhere we go we try to do stuff like this,” said Enfinger. “It’s always nice. I think they’re having the time of their lives just watching, and to have guys who are as privileged as we are to actually race talk to them is always a cool thing.”

“It’s a lot of fun to come up here and see the kids,” Hessert said. “Like Grant said, we’re really fortunate to do what we’re able to do every weekend. It’s fun to take a little time out of the day and hang with the kids. They really enjoy it and it’s nice to come up and meet some people.”

“It takes a lot for them to be able to come out here and do this stuff,” said Merrell. “You can tell they’re enjoying it. Their eyes light up and it’s really neat.” 

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards returns to action Saturday, June 25 in the Winchester ARCA 200 presented by Federated Auto Parts at Winchester Speedway in Indiana. The event is scheduled as the ninth of 19 on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series schedule; the ARCA Truck Series will join the ARCA Racing Series at the track.

ARCA Racing Series practice begins at 1:45 p.m., and will last for 90 minutes. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell begins at 4:45 p.m., and the 200-lap, 100-mile race will take place at 8 p.m. ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring coverage of all events.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards features 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. 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.

- ARCA, Press Release

Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR)

Brent will pilot the No. 2 Toyota Camry for Sharp, a number that is arguably one of the most prestigious in series history. Many successful drivers have jump started their careers and sustained long-standing success in the No. 2 machine, including former wheelmen Scott Speed and Michael McDowell. The same team also ran with championship contender and winner at Pocono Raceway, Craig Goess, under the No. 81 distinction in 2010.

“The whole team has missed the ARCA Racing Series, and we’re all excited to be back in the garage,” team owner Eddie Sharp explained. “I’m ready to get back to the success that has given us a long-standing reputation among the ARCA competitors, and we feel there’s no better way to do that than with a driver like Robb Brent.”

The team will be preparing two of the chassis with the most previous success for Brent’s races. Each has visited victory lane and had several competitive runs with former ESR driver Justin Lofton during his championship-winning season in 2009.

“These cars have performed well for us in the past on the bigger tracks like Michigan and Pocono,” Sharp recalls. “Robb’s history paired with our cars is going to be a winning combination.”

Robb, a Michigan native, is looking forward to getting back behind the wheel at his home track with his new team. The June 17th event will also be Brent’s first of the 2011 season.

“We chose the Michigan and Pocono events because they are two of my favorite tracks,” Robb expressed. “Michigan is my home track and I always have a good run there, and Pocono is an obvious choice since it is the site of my first ARCA win.”

Though Brent has never taken the controls of an ESR machine, he isn’t a complete stranger to the team. Crew chief Dave Leiner worked with Robb during the 2010 season when the two competed under the Allgaier Motorsports Banner.

“Dave Leiner and I work really well together—he knows what I like in the car and we already have the communication part down, so it’s a natural fit for us to compete together again.”

The RainEater Wiper Blades 200 at Michigan International Speedway is scheduled to air on SPEED on Friday, June 17th at 5 PM EST. For more information on Eddie Sharp Racing, Craig Goess and the No. 46 Greenville Toyota of NC Tundra, visit TeamESR.com and CraigGoess.com. Follow us on Twitter (@TeamESR) and find Eddie Sharp Racing on Facebook.

- Eddie Sharp Racing Press Release

Robb Brent

Brent who has spent much of the 2011 season dormant from the cockpit will pilot the No. 2 Eddie Sharp Racing Toyota Camry in The RainEater Wiper Blades 200, set for Friday, June 17.

Additionally, the road racing ace will pilot a second ESR entry in the summer Pocono (Pa.) Raceway event on August 6th in the Pennsylvania ARCA 125 where Brent is the defending race winner at the 2.5-mile triangle. Last August, Brent whooped the ARCA field with a dominating late race charge to capture his first career ARCA win driving for Allgaier Motorsports.

The announcement comes at a splendid time for the part-time NASCAR driver. Michigan International Speedway is two hours east of his hometown of Shelby Township, Michigan. And of course, Pocono (Pa.) Raceway signifies the thrill and taste of victory lane.

The opportunity that lies ahead of Brent is an ideal situation, and the Michigander knows he wants to make the best of it.

“To have the opportunity to drive for a high caliber operation like Eddie Sharp Racing is literally a dream come true,” said Brent. “I’ve come to know Eddie and what his organization is all about for the last three years or so and I know that he delivers nothing but a first class operation. I’m thankful to have won at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway last year, but I feel pairing with ESR for Michigan and Pocono definitely gives me a chance to potentially add two more tallies to the win column.”

Not only will Brent align with one of the most successful teams in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, but the recent college graduate will reunite with former crew chief Dave Leiner, who will call the shots for Brent in his two contests.

“To be able to work with Dave again just makes this deal that much sweeter,” sounded Brent. “Dave was an instrumental part of my victory at Pocono. He gave me a great handling race car. He knows what I’m looking for behind the wheel, so when we arrive in Michigan next week, we can unload and just go out there and try and set our sights on victory.”

Team owner Eddie Sharp offered his thoughts on today’s announcement.

“I’ve really missed being a part of the ARCA Racing Series and it’s good to be back after a brief absence from the garage, especially with talent like Robb Brent behind the wheel,” said Sharp. “We feel that Robb is a great fit for our organization and we’re excited to reunite him with his former crew chief, Dave Leiner, and provide him with the most competitive equipment possible to win these races.”

Marketing partnerships for the two upcoming events will be announced at a later date.

For more on Robb Brent, sponsorship opportunities and official team merchandise, please visit Robbbrentracing.com.

- Robb Brent Racing Press Release

Coulter, who is running full time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Richard Childress Racing (No. 22), will be testing the No. 16 Rip It Energy Fuel Chevrolet in preparation for the RainEater Wiper Blades 200 on June 17th. The race at Michigan International Speedway will mark the third start of 2011 for Coulter out of the five scheduled races with sponsorship from Rip It Energy Fuel.

Brent, a 24-year-old Shelby Township, MI native will be piloting the team’s second car, the No. 61 Chevrolet Impala. The No. 16 and 61 have become synonymous with the newly formed Coulter Motorsports Driver Development Program, including the rides in the ARCA Racing Series. Coulter Motorsports still has numerous opportunities available for funded drivers to join their program, including rides in their flagship ARCA program (No. 16 and 61) along with their UARA-Stars late model.

You can follow along with all of the testing action from Michigan International Speedway with LIVE timing and scoring at www.ARCAracing.com. Also be sure to follow Coulter Motorsports on Twitter for LIVE updates throughout the day, at http://twitter.com/CoulterMtrsprts

Log onto Facebook and ‘LIKE’ Coulter Motorsports for updated news and chances at great giveaways:

www.facebook.com/CoulterMotorsports

About Coulter Motorsports

Coulter Motorsports’ driver development program started with humble beginnings in 2009 & today has grown to become the premier program in the ARCA Racing Series. We have worked with drivers from multiple series and helped mold them in both on-track racing and off track presentation. Through our program, we have garnered over 20 wins in series ranking from ASA Late Models, FASTRUCK Series, Late Model Stocks, Super Late Models and the ARCA Racing Series.

- Coulter Motorsports Press Release

Sean Corr

After notching four consecutive top-20 performances thus far in 2011, Corr would like nothing more than to conquer New Jersey’s tight and twitchy course with a top-10 run in the No. 82 Roush Yates Performance / Roush Yates Engines / Empire Racing Ford Fusion.

To assist Corr and his Empire Racing team in those efforts, the team will have former ARCA winner and road racing sensation Robb Brent on-hand with Mooresville, North Carolina-based team for the fifth race of the season.

Brent who used to race as a competitor against Corr will now be on the same team and is determined to have the New Yorker digest the tricks and trades that come with the boundaries of road course racing. In addition to shaking down the No. 82 Roush Yates Performance / Roush Yates Engines / Empire Racing Ford Fusion, the Shelby Township, Michigan native will also spot for Corr on Sunday afternoon.

“There’s some jitterbugs for sure,” said Corr, who enters the contest 10th in the ARCA Racing Series championship standings. “I’ve done a lot of things that I’ve never done before and this weekend will be another one to add to the list. I see now why they call the ARCA Racing Series such a diversified series.”

The 26-year old continued, “after running so strong last week and not getting the finish we were hoping for, it would be nice to bounce back at New Jersey at a place where we’ll have a lot of fan support. I also sincerely appreciate Robb (Brent) offering to come to New Jersey to help me. We had some time at Toledo to talk about the track and he showed me some video, so I’ve been studying that this week hoping that when practice rolls around on Saturday, I’ll be in a good comfort zone.”

Should Mother Nature’s forecast attempt to throw a curve-ball at the series for a third consecutive race, Corr knows that he has to be prepared for the unexpected, which could include racing in the rain.

“Now that will be interesting,” Corr said in a much firmer voice. “If it was to come down to it, I’ll be ready to do it, but I’m glad that I have someone like Robb (Brent) who has done it before in an ARCA car and can give me some influential tips.”

For team manager John Bellesfield attacking New Jersey Motorsports Park this weekend is like rewinding the clock back in time to his original racing roots.

“I am looking forward to heading back to NJMP not only so I can visit friends and family but also I have had great success at the track with winning a Ford Racing Mustang Challenge race and a pole award in SCCA World Challenge GT,” sounded Bellesfield, who also owns and operates Excel Motorsports Services.

Also this weekend at NJMP, Empire Racing and Andy Belmont Racing will support Roush Yates Performance and Roush Yates Engines initiative with their mission to ship necessities to those affected by the devastating severe weather in the South within the past month. Items including newly-used clothes, water, canned food and even monetary donations will be accepted at NJMP this weekend. Items can be dropped off behind each of the team’s No. 1 and No. 82 transporters.

The ModSpace 150 (67 laps / 150 miles) is the fifth of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The fourth ever ARCA event held at New Jersey Motorsports Park is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, May 21 with an hour and a half practice session planned from 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. A final “happy hour” session has been etched in from 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. The field will take the green flag on Sunday May 22 shortly after 1:00 p.m. The race will not be televised but event coverage including live timing and scoring throughout the weekend will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com presented by ARCANation.com.

Recently, Empire Racing and BoomText officially announced the “Hard Corr Fans” program powered by BoomText, a mobile marketing campaign which allows fans to pledge towards becoming an official member of the Empire Racing team – not to mention helping three of Corr’s personal charities. To join the campaign, fans just simply have to text the word “CORR” to 411247 where they will receive an automated safe-secured link to join the “Hard Corr Fans” team. The activation of the project continued this weekend at Toledo.

For more on Sean Corr, Empire Racing and marketing partnership opportunities for the 2011 racing season, please visit empireracingllc.com.

Are you FORD tough? Connect with Roush Yates Performance Products and Roush Yates Engines through their official web site at roushyatesparts.com.

Tweet with Sean Corr through Twitter @EmpireRacingLLC.

For additional input on BoomText, please visit BoomText.com.

About Empire Racing:

Established in 2009, Empire Racing LLC. (empireracingllc.com) is a two-tier professional Motorsports organization consisting of dirt and asphalt competition. Sean Corr, a 26-year old hailing from Goshen, New York pilots the team’s automobiles in the DIRTcar Series and Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). In 2011, the team will attempt to run for a championship in the ARCA Racing Series with aspirations of moving into the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The team is headquartered in Goshen, New York with an additional operation in Mooresville, North Carolina.

- Empire Racing Press Release

Empire Racing LLC Thumbnail

Brent, a familiar icon in the ARCA Racing Series garage over the last five years has accelerated his talents on the road courses in the development series which included a runner-up finish in last year’s Tire Kingdom 150 presented by ModSpace at Palm Beach (Fla.) International Raceway last February.

The Shelby Township, Michigan native will assist Corr, the Goshen, New York native with the potential challenges that road course racing may present. Brent, who also has experience in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series will also spot for Corr in the fifth race of the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season.

“I’m looking forward to working with Robb,” said Corr, who enters the ModSpace 150 10th in the championship standings. “As far as I’m concerned and what I’ve learned, Robb is one of the best when it comes to road course racing, so I’m looking forward to having someone with his expertise on his side.”

While the two drivers have raced against each other several times over the past two years, Brent and Corr sat down as members of the same team this past weekend at Toledo Speedway to begin strategizing their plan for the series’ annual trip to the 2.25 mile paved road course.

“To be asked by Empire Racing and Sean Corr is very humbling,” said Brent, who soared to his first career victory in the ARCA Racing Series at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway last year. “This is a very good family-owned team who wants to do everything by the books. Hopefully, I can be some assistance to them that will help deliver a good finish.”

John Bellesfield, team manager of Empire Racing LLC. also offered his sentiments on having Brent apart of the family this weekend. “Robb is a real asset to us this weekend,” he said. “Robb will help us shake down No. 82 Roush Yates Performance / Roush Yates Engines / Empire Racing Ford Fusion and work with Sean immensely to make sure he is comfortable with race day.”

Empire Racing and Andy Belmont Racing will also support Roush Yates Performance and Roush Yates Engines initiative with their mission to ship necessities to those affected by the devastating severe weather in the South within the past month. Items including newly-used clothes, water, canned food and even monetary donations will be accepted at NJMP this weekend. Items can be dropped off behind each of the team’s No. 1 and No. 82 transporters.

The ModSpace 150 (67 laps / 150 miles) is the fifth of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The fourth ever ARCA event held at New Jersey Motorsports Park is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, May 21 with an hour and a half practice session planned from 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. A final “happy hour” session has been etched in from 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. The field will take the green flag on Sunday May 22 shortly after 1:00 p.m. The race will not be televised but event coverage including live timing and scoring throughout the weekend will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com presented by ARCANation.com.

Recently, Empire Racing and BoomText officially announced the “Hard Corr Fans” program powered by BoomText, a mobile marketing campaign which allows fans to pledge towards becoming an official member of the Empire Racing team – not to mention helping three of Corr’s personal charities. To join the campaign, fans just simply have to text the word “CORR” to 411247 where they will receive an automated safe-secured link to join the “Hard Corr Fans” team. The activation of the project continues at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

For more on Sean Corr, Empire Racing and marketing partnership opportunities for the 2011 racing season, please visit empireracingllc.com.

Are you FORD tough? Connect with Roush Yates Performance Products and Roush Yates Engines through their official web site at roushyatesparts.com.

Tweet with Sean Corr through Twitter @EmpireRacingLLC.

For additional input on BoomText, please visit BoomText.com.

About Empire Racing:

Established in 2009, Empire Racing LLC. (empireracingllc.com) is a two-tier professional Motorsports organization consisting of dirt and asphalt competition. Sean Corr, a 26-year old hailing from Goshen, New York pilots the team’s automobiles in the DIRTcar Series and Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). In 2011, the team will attempt to run for a championship in the ARCA Racing Series with aspirations of moving into the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The team is headquartered in Goshen, New York with an additional operation in Mooresville, North Carolina.

- Empire Racing LLC. Press Release

Pocono (Pa.) Raceway

The season’s first race at Pocono – an 80-lap, 200-mile event – is scheduled for Saturday, June 11. The second event – scheduled for 50 laps, or 125 miles – will take place Saturday, August 6 in conjunction with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race that day. Both events take place one day before NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.

“Pocono Raceway is an integral part of our series, with superspeedway speeds and short track and road course turns,” said Ron Drager, president of ARCA. “When a driver is transitioning from a short track career to superspeedway racing as many of our drivers do, Pocono is often the track to do just that. It’s a great place for someone to run their first superspeedway race.”

“Racing at Pocono takes on special significance because of our long-term relationship with the Mattioli family, especially Dr. Joseph and Rose, as well as Brandon and Nick Igdalsky, third generation family members in track management. In addition, the track’s location near major East Coast markets is important to our series.”

ARCA’s history at Pocono dates back to 1969, when Bobby Watson defeated Benny Parsons to win the track’s first ARCA race on the now-defunct 0.75-mile oval at the facility. Single ARCA Racing Series events were held on the oval in 1983, 1985, and 1986, with Schacht winning the first two and Bobby Jacks winning the third.

2011 will be the 25th consecutive year that ARCA has contested two annual races at Pocono Raceway. Bob Schacht won both races at the track in 1987, the first year that ARCA scheduled two races on the “Tricky Triangle.” This season’s events will be the 52nd and 53rd for the ARCA Racing Series on the 2.5-mile oval at Pocono Raceway. Craig Goess won the 50th in June, and Robb Brent followed that with a win in July’s race, the first 50-lap event for ARCA at the track.

Nick Igdalsky, the senior vice president of the track, raced a full season in the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards for the first time in 2010 and finished the year 13th in overall driver points. Igdalsky spoke about his unique connection as executive and competitor.

“This is a tradition, and something we always look forward to doing every year. There’s that personal date in some of our hearts with ARCA, and we’ve been associated with the series from very early on,” Igdalsky said. “We plan on having ARCA accompany every race we have at Pocono.”

Tim Steele is the all-time wins leader at Pocono with nine (including five consecutive from 1996-98), and he is closely followed by Schacht (six) and Bob Keselowski (five). Familiar names like Ryan Newman and Joey Logano dot the winner list.

Races at Daytona International Speedway on February 12, Michigan International Speedway on June 17, Salem Speedway on May 1 and September 17, and Winchester Speedway on June 25 have already been announced, and the remainder of the diverse 2011 ARCA Racing Series schedule will be released shortly. Meanwhile, the thrilling 2010 campaign will close Saturday, December 4, with the series’ Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and 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 left- and right-turn street and road courses.

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

CGS Imaging

Sheltra, who won the award in 2007 and 2008, finished the season with 93 points to edge Jerick Johnson, who scored 88. Robb Brent and Craig Goess tied for third at 59 points, and Tom Hessert completed the top five with 57 points.

“We are proud to be affiliated with the ARCA Racing Series during one of the most competitive seasons in the history of the series, and we are pleased to present this award to Patrick Sheltra. We congratulate their entire organization,” said Chuck Stranc, CEO and president of CGS Imaging.

Points for the CGS Imaging Hard Charger Award are awarded race-by-race, with drivers accumulating totals based on positions advanced from the start within a race. Cars must feature a CGS Imaging decal for drivers to be eligible for the award, and drivers using starting provisionals are not eligible.

The driver who advances the most positions during each race receives the CGS Imaging Hard Charger Award for that event, and the driver with the most points at the end of the season receives the CGS Imaging Hard Charger of the Year award. The CGS Imaging Hard Charger Award provides a $200 product certificate per race, and the year-end CGS Imaging Hard Charger of the Year receives a full race car wrap, which is valued at $2500.

Sheltra improved from his starting position in a series-high 15 races in 2010, with notable jumps of 14 positions at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway, 13 at Talladega Superspeedway, 12 in DuQuoin, Ill., 11 in the spring at Salem (Ind.) Speedway, and 10 at Toledo Speedway in May.

The driver of the No. 60 Sheltra Motorsports entry won the race award twice, at Berlin and DuQuoin, and was joined by fellow multiple race award winners Darrell Basham (Toledo – May, Springfield) and Chris Buescher (Toledo – September, Salem – September).

“I am used to winning this award, so I am happy to take home this award again in the ARCA Racing Series,” Sheltra said with a laugh. “I really thought, though, this was an award that we weren’t going to win, but it just shows you that even with the strong qualifying runs we did have this year, that the competition was so fierce so when we did bobble in qualifying and have to come from the back we were, in a sense, racing to win a title within a title.”

Other race winners in 2010 include: Tommy Joe Martins (Daytona), Tim Cowen (Palm Beach), Goess (Salem – April), Steve Arpin (Texas), Scott Stenzel (Talladega), Ed Pompa (Pocono – June), Alli Owens (Michigan), Casey Roderick (Iowa), Max Gresham (Mansfield), Armstrong (Pocono – July), Frank Kimmel (New Jersey), Brent (Springfield), Tom Hessert (Kansas), and Bryan Silas (Rockingham).

Though a series champion, Sheltra admitted that he’s not known for qualifying well, and acknowledged that in winning the CGS Imaging Hard Charger Award.

“For the champion to win this award, I guess in a sense, says that we were able to overcome the obstacles and maneuver our Sheltra Motorsports car to the front in times of doubt. An award is an award, though, and we’re honored to bring it home to the team and our marketing partners one more time,” Sheltra said.

CGS Imaging, the Official Wide Format Digital Printing Supplier of ARCA and the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards, is one of the nation’s premier suppliers of digital printing and sporting event graphics.

The Maumee, Ohio-based company specializes in wide and super-wide format banners, custom vehicle wraps, and stadium graphics. Much of CGS Imaging’s work can be seen at many of the host tracks in ARCA and NASCAR, including Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and Michigan International Speedway.

“CGS Imaging is still a relatively new company to the ARCA Racing Series but they have not wasted any time by stepping up to the plate and showing their commitment to the series and drivers by sponsoring awards and offering discounts,” Sheltra said. “When I won the Hard Charger award in 2007 and 2008 it was sponsored by another company, so this year is the first year I will be honored under the CGS banner.

“It’s great to show that companies are still spending money and willing to go above and beyond their requirements not only to try and expand their business but make everyone happy. CGS is a prime example of that. Sheltra Motorsports thanks them for their support this season and hopes that they have found themselves a comfortable home in the ARCA Racing Series.”

More information on CGS Imaging is available at http://www.cgs-imaging.com.

The 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards Championship Awards Banquet will take place Saturday, December 4 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 racetracks 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 left- and right-turn street and road courses.

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