Gresham Motorsports Park Logo

A total of 28 Super Late Model teams and drivers have already entered the 125-lap event with several others expected to be on hand with the 2010 season takes the green flag this Saturday. A longtime staple of the Gresham facility when it was known as Jefco, Georgia International and Peach State Speedways, Saturday’s race will mark the first time the Super Late Models have competed at GMP since 2008.

“We couldn’t think of a better way to open our 2010 racing season than having the CRA Super Late Models here,” said Dan Elliott, General Manager at Gresham Motorsports Park. “These cars are going to be some of the fastest ever to compete at our track and they are going to put on a great show. It’s going to be crazy fast and the excitement is going to have the fans on the edge of their seats all night long.”

Heading the list of CRA stars at GMP this Saturday will be 2009 CRA champion Johnny Van Doorn. Also pre-entered in Saturday’s 125-lap headliner are Johanna Long, Cale Gale, Eddie Van Meter, Mike Garvey, Chase Elliott, Jeff Fultz, Scott Hantz, Ryan Crane, Augie Grill, Russell Fleeman and Casey Roderick just to name a few (a full list of the drivers pre-entered for Saturday’s race is listed below).

Saturday’s GMP season-opening program will also feature Outlaw Late Models, Trucks Renegade Street Stocks and multiple divisions of US Legends International Legend and Bandolero racers.

Champion Racing Association

Tickets for Saturday’s 2010 season-opening event at Gresham Motorsports Park are available on line at www.GreshamMotorsportsPark.ticketforce.com and at the Gresham Motorsports Park at-track Administrative Offices all this week from 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. Advance Ticket Phone Orders are also available by calling 706-367-9461 during regular business hours.

Gresham Motorsports Park accepts Visa, MasterCard and Discover Card.

About Gresham Motorsports Park

Opened as Jefco Speedway with a NASCAR Late Model Sportsman (now Nationwide) race in 1967, Gresham Motorsports Park has served the auto racing community for more than 40 years. The half-mile asphalt oval located just outside Jefferson, GA underwent a complete renovation in 2009. In 2010, the multi-use motorsports facility will host a wide range of Stock Car Racing events including the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, USARacing Pro Cup Series, Super, Pro and Outlaw Late Models, Trucks Street Stocks and US Legends International competition.

Additionally, Jackson County’s largest event center will be the site of numerous other events including Drifting and Motorcycle shows, local and regional Craft Shows, Car Shows, Concerts and other community activities. For more information about Gresham Motorsports Park – or to enquire about booking a 2010 event at the facility – please log on to www.GreshamMotorsportsPark.com

- Gresham Motorsports Park Press Release

NOTES

Car(s): #10 Ford Fusion PLM

#10 Ford Fusion SLM

Engine (s): Ford Racing Crate Engine (PLM)

18 Degree Super Late Model Engine (SLM)

Sponsor(s): Can Am Spyder-ATV/Comfort Inn-Pensacola Beach

Event/Series Notes

Event(s)/Date(s): PLM Allen Turner Snowflake 100-December 5, 2009

SLM 42nd Annual Snowball Derby 300-December 6, 2009

Venue: Five Flags Speedway–Pensacola , Florida

Track Size: ½ mile (.500)

Series: N/A

Standings: N/A

QUOTES

-Once again this year longtime Snowball Derby weekend sponsor Comfort Inn on Pensacola Beach has come on board plus you just signed on Can Am Sypder-ATV as a last minute deal, what does it mean for companies like these to be involved with a race team such as yours?

“First off I want to thank Comfort Inn for their continued support even in a tough economical year and with Can Am coming on board here in the last day or two I’ve really been lucky. It really shows how great both companies are and their involvement this year means more than ever. Whenever local companies get involved it not only goes a long way for my team, but when it’s a local company involved you can easily help them achieve the return on investment. Just like this year we always try to refer other teams and fans to them (Comfort Inn-Pensacola Beach) and then Tuesday night before the Derby I am speaking at the local Rotary club meeting in downtown Pensacola . In addition to that we’ll have a Can Am Spyder on display the entire Derby weekend. Things like these are what make sponsorship work not just putting a name on the car.”

-Explain what the Snowball Derby means to you and your family each year and take us through your 2009 season that has lead up to the Derby weekend?

“The snowball derby is the last race of the season for my family owned team. We try to make the most of it since it is our last one of the year and the Five Flags venue is the closest track to our home in Panama City . I’ve had a fair amount of success at Five Flags Speedway and hope to continue with a win at the Snowball Derby. The 2009 season was a short season for me since I have ran a select amount of races and had a short tenure in the ARCA RE/MAX series. Not racing as many venues in 2009 forces me to put great effort into the Snowball Derby to make up ground on what I missed during the regular season.”

-What is your fondest Derby weekend memory thus far since you’ve competed?

“Without question, winning the 2007 Allen Turner Snowflake 100 would be the fondest memory of the Snowball Derby weekend of my racing career so far. I have won lots of races but none come as close to coming from the last chance race to win the trophy of the 100 lap main event. Hopefully this year will be my year to notch the Snowball Derby off my list of races to win.

-You won the Snowflake 100 pro late model race in 2007 and over the last few years we typically see you with both the pro and super late models come Derby weekend, will that be the same case this year and what does it take to make both cars successful on an already stressful weekend of racing?

“This year we’ll again be fielding entries for both the Snowball and Snowflake races. I have both car configurations and it makes perfect sense to enter both events with full intentions on taking home the trophies for both races. Both cars have their own identities and drive completely different. The most effective way to prepare the cars is to focus on each one entirely on different days to ensure both cars are at their greatest potential of winning their respective races.”

Stay tuned to www.ryancrane10.com for all the latest news and information regarding Ryan Crane Racing in 2009.

- Ryan Crane Racing Press Release

Crane showed perhaps a little rust in qualifying when he only managed the twelfth quickest lap out of the twenty-three cars that made up the field. When the green flag was waived Crane settled into his comfort zone of passing cars and making his way to the front. Missing the carnage that ensued was the key to having a shot at the end as several cautions slowed the field in the first half of the event making each restart key to getting through traffic.

With the 100 lap event being a four tire race, meaning competitors are not allowed to change tires unless they have a flat, Crane knew the key to success would be to have the most rubber left for the closing laps. With the #10 machine not handling the ideal way to save the tires until the end, Ryan managed to wheel it for all it was worth and produce a solid forth place finish in what was deemed a successful return to late model competition in over two months.

“It was nice to be back behind the wheel of one of these late models, because they are just so much fun to drive,” stated Crane, after the race. “We didn’t really have the best car tonight but it was a pretty good race for us. I pretty much had to call the shots from the seat during practice because Mike (Garvy) wasn’t able to make it, so overall I think we ran pretty well considering. This is just the beginning on prepping for the derby because we’ve got a lot of new stuff we plan on testing between now and then including a new car so it should be interesting over the next couple of months.”

Next up for Crane and company will be the Alabama 200 at the South Alabama Speedway in Opp, Alabama on October 18th. The South Alabama Speedway is the same track the Ryan Crane Racing team kicked off their 2009 season at posting a ninth place finish in the Rattler Pro Late Model 125 back in March.

Be sure to stay tuned to the Ryan Crane Racing website at www.ryancrane10.com.

- Ryan Crane Racing Press Release

“I haven’t raced so few races since I was still in college at Florida State . But, I know the opportunity that James (Finch) has given me to get in these bigger and heavier cars is priceless when it comes to gaining the right type of experience for the next level of my racing career,” stated Crane. “Races where both ARCA and one of James’ NASCAR teams has been the type of races we’ve tried to target because it allows us to use the same personnel from both garages which is a big help.”

Kansas will mark just the third career ARCA RE/MAX series start for Crane, all of which have come this year driving the #51 Dodge out of the Phoenix Racing stable. So far a pair of top ten finishes (8th Rockingham/7th Michigan) has showed the fact that the transition has been a smooth one but the room for improvement is definitely there. Kansas Speedway will be no exception as this will be Crane’s first race on a 1.5 mile oval. With a track that produces multiple grooves of racing, quickly finding the fastest way around the fifteen degree banking corners as the track conditions change will be the key to success.

“Even though I’ve actually never seen the place, from what I’ve heard and the races I’ve seen on TV, it’s a track that has plenty of room to race and you have to really search around to find out which line through the turns is best for the way your car is handling at the time. That’s kind of the way Michigan was and I’m thinking that Kansas is the same way but there’s no way I’ll really know until I hit the track for that first practice. Lucky enough for me, I’ve got some really experienced personnel on my side in the Phoenix Racing team that know these cars and know what it takes to get around the place so I think we’ll be ok once I get some laps under my belt,” said Crane.

The Kansas Lottery 150 kicks off on Thursday October 1st with practice from 9AM-11AM followed by qualifying at 1PM . Then that afternoon at 4PM , live on Speed Channel, the green flag will drop for 100 laps of racing around the 1.5 mile Kansas Speedway in the Kansas Lottery 150. For more information including practice times, qualifying results, and official race results visit www.arcaracing.com.

Be sure to stay tuned to the Ryan Crane Racing website at www.ryancrane10.com for complete 2009 racing information

- Ryan Crane Racing Press Release

After Thursday’s qualifying and practice session got washed out due to heavy rains, Crane was forced to a twenty ninth place starting position and only fifty minutes of practice race day morning to get accustomed to the two mile track and his James Finch owned race car. After quickly getting used to the track, Ryan posted the fourteenth quickest time during the abbreviated session.

From the drop of the green flag Crane had his work cut out for him coming from the rear of the field. Crane and fellow short track racer Brian Ickler worked in tandem slicing their way through the forty one car field. Early on, Crane did an excellent job dodging an accordion style restart which saw several cars stack up and spin just missing the #51 machine.

“We had a pretty decent day I thought; each lap I was learning something new and learning on communicating with the team on what the car needed to make it faster. Just not having that extra practice on Thursday hurt us a bit and it pretty much took three quarters of the race to get the car where I needed it to be to get up on the wheel. It’s just a learning experience for me each and every time I hit the track in one of these cars and I can’t thank James Finch enough for giving me this opportunity because without him there’s no way I would be here right now,” said Crane.

Next up for Ryan will actually come at a speedway the Florida native has competed on, the Kentucky Speedway for the Click It or Ticket Kentucky 150 on Saturday July 18th which can be seen live on Speed Channel.

Be sure to stay tuned to the Ryan Crane Racing website at www.ryancrane10.com for complete 2009 racing information.

- Tex Motorsports Marketing Press Release

Parker Kligerman (No. 77) Wins the ARCA RE/MAX Series Racing for Wildlife 200 at Michigan International Speedway

Kligerman, in the Cunningham Motorsports Dodge, battled from one lap down, and then held off series rookie Austin Dillon during a last-lap shootout to win the Racing for Wildlife 200 Friday afternoon at Michigan Int’l Speedway, earning his second career series victory in his 10th series start. He also marched out the back gate as the series’ new point leader headed to Mansfield Motorsports Park for the next event on tour.

“It was eventful, exciting,” said Kligerman, who led 19 laps. “(Justin) Lofton was really fast in the beginning; we were too tight. Then, we had to pit for gas under green, which caught us a lap down. Got the Aaron’s Lucky Dog, and came back through. Even after we adjusted on it, we were still really tight, but we were fast. My crew chief said ‘go for it’ so I did. The 15 got sideways in front of us on that restart and I shot through the middle.”

The ’15′ that Kligerman was referring to belonged to Justin Marks, who was leading on a restart with 10 laps to go when he bounced off the turn two wall hard after his right-rear tire went down. That set the stage for the one-lap shootout during which Kligerman refused the final charge from Dillon. Marks, who finished 27th as a result, had an eight-second lead at one point inside of 20 laps from the finish. Marks, in the Venturini Motorsports Toyota, also led the most laps with 39 laps-led.

Dillon, the grandson of team owner Richard Childress, started 36th and finished a career-best second about five lengths away from the winner.

“I think we got through the gears a little better than Parker because he had to pull low and when he came up he had to arc through the corners and he was able to get through the corners faster and that’s what helped him,” said Dillon. “He lifted and I didn’t right there. That’s what won him the race I think. It’s live and learn and I think we learned a lot today.”

Chase Miller, in a Cunningham Motorsports team car to Kligerman, finished third after being involved in an accident during an early-race restart.

“It was not an easy day,” said Miller. “Those restarts were one giant accordion and I got caught up in it and tore the whole rear end of my car off. For a while it just felt like we were wrecking every lap there. We went to work on the car made some adjustments and it took off like a missile again. Just an unfortunate break but the Cunningham team is really good out there and took care of things to get the car running fast again.”

James Buescher finished fourth in the Wolfpack Rentals Toyota in front of 18-year-old rookie Joey Coulter, who finished fifth in the Darrell Gwynn Foundation-Tempest Cycles Chevrolet, his third consecutive top-10 finish.

Justin Lofton, who led the points going in, led the first 39 laps before a loose fuel fitting caused him to make an unscheduled pit stop under green. Lofton lost 17 laps while the crew repaired his Valvoline Instant Oil Change Toyota. He eventually returned to finish 30th, and fell to second in the series standings.

Kligerman, who is already entered for next Saturday’s race in Mansfield, is not sure the team has the resources to finish the year.

“Right now, it’s race by race,” added Kligerman. “We know we’re going to Mansfield. Truthfully, we haven’t even paid attention to the points. We just don’t know if we can do the whole year, so we show up and race to win. I have no expectations. I just keep an open mind and try and build on our success.”

Mikey Kile, Ryan Crane, Steve Arpin, Bryan Silas and Craig Goess completed the top-10 finishers respectively.

The next event for the ARCA RE/MAX Series will be the Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA RE/MAX 200 at Mansfield Motorsports Park Saturday, June 20.

“We came out of Rockingham pretty well not to have ever raced these types of race cars before. I did have a few rookie mistakes but that’s all part of gaining experience, I suppose, and that’s one of the main reasons we wanted to go to Michigan was to gain experience on a bigger track. With the Phoenix Racing team already there with the cup car all weekend it was the logical decision to make Michigan our next race,” said Crane.

The #51 team will also be hitting the high banks of Michigan with a different car compared to the one Crane piloted in his series debut. A black Dodge Charger that the team has high hopes of producing a better finish will be on track and that thought alone has Ryan eager to hit the track.

“The guys from Phoenix Racing say this car will be better than the one we took to Rockingham and I was pretty happy with the piece we had there so if they say this one is better it could be a real good weekend for us,” added Crane.

Since Crane’s eighth place finish at Rockingham, Ryan Crane racing made the decision to scale back the super late model program a bit to focus more towards the ARCA program. Ryan Crane fans need not worry because plans are still in place for him to make several “big show starts” including the All-American 400, Winchester 400, and most importantly the Snowball Derby weekend at his home track of Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida.

The Racing for Wildlife 200 kicks off Thursday morning at MIS with practice from 10am-12noon followed by qualifying at 3pm. The following day the start of the 200 lap event which will be televised live on Speed Channel will go green at 5pm.

Visit the all new Ryan Crane Racing website at www.ryancrane10.com for a complete 2009 racing schedule.

- Tex Motorsports Marketing Press Release