Catchfence » TJ Bell

MAKE Motorsports to honor local fallen hero for NASCAR Nationwide Series Homestead race

Press Release — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:42:34 +0000

No. 50 In Memory Of Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Newman / Liberty Tire Recycling / Pinnacle Rubber Mulch / MAKE Motorsports Chevrolet Impala

SHELBY, N.C. (November 16, 2011) – For the Liberty Tire Recycling / Pinnacle Rubber Mulch / MAKE Motorsports team, honoring servicemen and women goes beyond one day. The #50 NASCAR Nationwide Series Chevy, driven by T.J. Bell, will feature a special tribute to fallen soldier and Shelby native Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Newman for Saturday’s Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Newman was killed in action in Kabul, Afghanistan on October 29, 2011 during a suicide bomb raid on a bus. Raised by his grandparents, Earlene and Donald Newman, Christopher graduated from Crest High School in Shelby. He leaves behind his grandparents, wife Amanda and a five year old daughter.

The Newman family is longtime friends of MAKE Motorsport co-owners Mark Beaver and Tracy Lowe and they thought it appropriate to dedicate the #50 machine to Christopher’s memory.

“Our families and the local Shelby community have been touched by the loss of Christopher and the tribute is the least we can do to honor him and those who serve our country to protect our freedoms,” said Beaver. “The entire MAKE Motorsports team appreciates what our sponsors Liberty Tire Recycling, Pinnacle Rubber Mulch, Pro Cal and ETA Logistics, as well as the folks at NASCAR have done to allow us to honor Christopher and all he has done for our country.”

ETA Logistics has donated two flights to Saturday’s Nationwide Series race for Newman’s grandparents to attend and spend time with Bell and the MAKE team. Bell will be carrying a special “Campaign Honor Coin” during his qualifying and racing efforts, and that coin will be returned to the Newmans upon the completion of the Ford 300.

MAKE Motorsports has competed in six NASCAR Nationwide Series races and three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races this season, all with Bell behind the wheel. Bell has competed at Homestead-Miami Speedway three times in NCWTS races with a best finish of 10th (2009).

“As someone who has worked with a variety of military forces and foundations over the years, I am honored and humbled to be driving the #50 Chevy carrying a tribute to Christopher Newman,” said Bell. “Our armed forces are made up of true heroes, and to have the opportunity to qualify into the Ford 300 is important to show the world that we do not forget what they have done for us.”

About Liberty Tire Recycling

Liberty Tire Recycling is the premier provider of tire recycling services in North America. By recycling more than 110 million tires annually, Liberty Tire reclaims about 1.5 billion pounds of rubber for innovative, eco-friendly products. The recycled rubber produced by Liberty Tire is used as crumb rubber and industrial feedstock for molded products; as tire-derived fuel for industrial kilns, mills and power plants; and as rubber mulch for landscaping and playgrounds. The company maintains a nationwide network of processing plants, and comprehensive door-to-door collection services. Liberty Tire Recycling is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, please visit LibertyTire.com.

About Pinnacle Rubber Mulch

Pinnacle Rubber Mulch is an innovative and eco-friendly alternative to traditional wood mulch for landscaping and playgrounds. Unlike wood mulch, rubber mulch is resistant to wind and water erosion, bug and rodent infestation, fading caused by sunlight, and decomposition. Plus, rubber mulch is clean, and minimizes airborne dust and particles

LTR Products transforms recycled rubber into smart, eco-friendly landscaping products for landscapers, builders, school districts and businesses across the nation. For more information, updates and promotions, please visit PinnacleRubberMulch.com.

- MAKE Motorsports Press Release

Green Smoke® Driver TJ Bell Slated to Race “Tricky Triangle”

Press Release — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:45:25 +0000

Bell Hopes His Road Racing Background Will Lead to a Great Racing
Performance at Pocono Raceway with No. 50 Green Smoke Camry

TJ Bell

(Mooresville, NC June 10, 2011) - Green Smoke®, one of the nation’s leading electronic cigarette brands, first sponsored TJ Bell in his second attempt to race on NASCAR’s largest stage, the Sprint Cup Series, in the Memorial Day weekend event at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and again at Kansas Speedway. Bell and Green Smoke® learned together what many teams and accomplished drivers have learned before them – starting a new team in the highest level of competition in NASCAR is not the path of least resistance.

“Racing in the Sprint Cup Series means racing against champions, veterans, the best racecar drivers in the world who drive for the best racing organizations in the world. LTD Powersports is a new team, and we are anxious to give Green Smoke® their first appearance on the Sprint Cup Series stage. The playing field in NASCAR is as level as it has ever been, which means it’s tougher than ever to qualify for the 43-car fields that race on Sunday. We’ve learned so much about our No. 50 Green Smoke® Camry that I think we are the most confident heading into Pocono Raceway that we’ve been,” said Bell, who was impressive in his Sprint Cup Series debut at Darlington Raceway.

Green Smoke’s sponsorship of Bell is the company’s first NASCAR endeavor, as well as the first NASCAR sponsorship by any organization within the electronic cigarette industry.

“LTD Powersports is the first team to bring an electronic cigarette sponsor, Green Smoke®, into the Sprint Cup Series garage. They’ve been with us for two race weekends at Charlotte Motor Speedway and in Kansas. We hope that Pocono Raceway will be the event where we get the opportunity to put Green Smoke® in the field for Sunday’s race,” said Bell, of Sparks, NV.

Bell, a NASCAR competitor since 2003 cut his teeth in road racing and he likes his chances for getting a good starting position at Pocono Raceway with the Green Smoke® Camry.

“Pocono Raceway is a three-corner road course. It’s not an oval. I love the track. I’ve been there in the ARCA Racing Series with cars that you shift, and cars that you don’t shift. To head back there with the Green Smoke ® Camry, a car that I’ll be shifting, I couldn’t be more excited. I love racing at Pocono and it should be a great opportunity for this race team,” said Bell, who currently resides in Mooresville, NC.

T.J. Bell (Timothy Peter Bell, Jr.), born August 25, 1980 in Sparks, NV, has raced in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series. Prior to joining the stock car racing scene, he made a name for himself in the Toyota Atlantic Series. Bell has raced for more than two decades, accumulating 20 top-10 finishes in ARCA competition and 13 NASCAR career top-10s.

About Green Smoke®
Green Smoke® Inc. is based in Miami, Fla. and was founded to provide smokers with an exciting new alternative to traditional cigarettes. As a leading electronic cigarette brand, Green Smoke® was amongst the first companies to deliver a simple two piece e-cigarette. Today, Green Smoke® continues to pride itself on consistently delivering the highest quality products and the most authentic e-cigarette smoking experience.

For more information, visit: http://www.greensmoke.com or follow Green Smoke® on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/GreenSmokeElectronicCigarette or on Twitter @greensmokecig

To follow T.J. Bell, visit http://tj-bell.com or on Twitter @TJBell_Racing.
For sponsorship information on T.J. Bell & NASCAR, contact: Dan Leon; danleon@comcast.net; 610,291.7418.

- Green Smoke Media, Press Release

TJ Bell to Partner with the Megan Meier Foundation for Sprint Showdown, Coca-Cola 600

Press Release — Fri, 20 May 2011 16:02:29 +0000

TJ Bell

CONCORD, N.C. – When TJ Bell races his No. 50 BanditChippers.com Toyota Camry in the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway Saturday night, he will have a special passenger with him.

On Oct. 17, 2006, Megan Meier died from a suicide attempt brought on by a campaign of cyber-bullying on a popular social media Web site. Since then, her mother, Tina, has fought a battle to change the bullying laws in this country, meeting with some of the most powerful lawmakers in America, including President Barak Obama. The Megan Meier Foundation (www.MeganMeierFoundation.org) has made national headlines and has brought the age-old problem of bullying to the forefront.

Bell and LTD Powersport will carry a special logo on their Toyota both Saturday night and again for the Coca-Cola 600 at CMS May 29 in an effort to raise awareness of both what bullying can do to a person and how to get help.

“For people who haven’t gone through it or have had children who have experienced it don’t understand how traumatic it can be or the impact,” Meier said, taking a break from a speaking engagement in Philadelphia. “It’s not so easy to just shut things up”

Meier, a resident of O’Fallon, Mo., near St. Louis, met Lloyd Wideman, also a native of the area who now lives in Charlotte and works with TJ Bell Racing. The two were able to put together a plan that would enable the foundation to spread its message to the most loyal followers in sports, NASCAR fans.

“We knew it would be a great way to get our message out to the millions of people that watch NASCAR,” she said. “We got involved with NASCAR so we can get that exposure and awareness to the different people in the stands and the ones watching on TV and so we can get them to either pay attention to this and realize the issue exists and provide them with the resources to talk to their children so they can go back to their schools and come up with programs.”

Bell, making his first attempt at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race this weekend via the Sprint Showdown, said he is honored to help the Megan Meier Foundation. “It’s amazing how social media can affect people in both a positive and negative way,” he said. “We need to keep people from using social media in a negative fashion as it was in Megan’s case. When you really sit down and think about it, it’s unbelievable the effect the computer can have on a person’s life. It really brings you back down to Earth because you’ve really got to watch what you put on (the internet).”

The Sprint All-Star Race will be carried live on SPEED with the green flag for the 20-lap Sprint Showdown scheduled to drop at 7:30 p.m. EDT. The All-Star Race is expected to begin at 9 p.m. For more information on the Sprint All-Star Race including how to purchase tickets, visit CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com.

About the Megan Meier Foundation

The goal of the Megan Meier Foundation is bringing awareness, education and promote positive change to children, parents and educators in response to the ongoing bullying and cyberbullying in our children’s daily environment. If you or someone you know is in suicidal crisis or emotional distress please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a free, 24-hour hotline. Your call will be routed to the nearest crisis center to you.

About TJ Bell:
TJ Bell is a veteran of many of the top racing series in the United States, including the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Series, where he earned rookie-of-the-year honors in 2004. He has also competed in the prestigious Rolex 24 sports car race at Daytona International Speedway and made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut earlier this year at the legendary Darlington Raceway. In addition to racing in the Cup Series with LTD Powersports owned by Joe Falk, he is racing a parttime schedule in the Truck Series. The Nevada native currently resides in Mooresville, N.C., and enjoys wakeboarding, biking, and playing soccer in what little free time he has. For more information on TJ, visit his Web site at TJ-Bell.com.

- High Side Media, Press Release

TJ Bell to Race BanditChippers.com Toyota Camry in Sprint Showdown

Press Release — Tue, 17 May 2011 21:48:44 +0000

TJ Bell

CONCORD, N.C. – On the heels of making his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut two weeks ago at Darlington Raceway, TJ Bell is looking forward to once again driving the No. 50 BanditChippers.com Toyota Camry for LTD Powersports. This time, instead of a Cup Series points race, it’s a dash for cash as Bell looks to race his way into the Sprint All-Star Race Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway via the Sprint Showdown.

Bandit, headquartered in Remus, Mich., is an industry leader in developing innovative chippers, grinders, and waste recyclers. Founded in 1983 when Mike Morey, Sr., built the first built the very first Bandit chipper—a 12-inch capacity Model 100 Brush Bandit—in a 6,000 square-foot converted repair shop with the assistance of just six employees, Bandit Industries now flourishes with nearly 300 employees. Bandit’s strength lies heavily in the quality and commitment of their employees.

Travis Lint, the large equipment sales manager for Bandit Industries, said sponsoring Bell and LTD Powersports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series provides their customers with a source of pride in their product.

“The biggest thing for us is giving our hard-working customers something to do on a Saturday or Sunday by watching their car run around the track. It’s about instilling pride in the customers and, in a lot of ways, paying them back for their support in our product through the years.”

For the Bandit Industries customers watching the race both from home and at the track Saturday, Bell said he is going to work hard to ensure they get an action-packed thrill ride. “It’s awesome to have them on the car,” he said. “They’re great people and I really hope I can represent them and all the people that support and sell their products.”

Bell is a veteran of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and is entered in Friday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at CMS. He is also a past rookie-of-the-year in the ARCA Racing Series and has raced in the prestigious Rolex 24 sports car race at Daytona International Speedway.

For more information on Bandit Industries, visit them on the Web at BanditChippers.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/BanditIndustries and on Twitter at Twitter.com/BanditChippers.

For more information on HighSide Media, its programs, and its clients, visit HighSideMedia.com. You can also follow HSM at Twitter.com/HighSideMedia and on its official page on Facebook.

About TJ Bell:
TJ Bell is a veteran of many of the top racing series in the United States, including the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Series, where he earned rookie-of-the-year honors in 2003. He has also competed in the prestigious Rolex 24 sports car race at Daytona International Speedway and made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut earlier this year at the legendary Darlington Raceway. In addition to racing in the Cup Series with LTD Powersports owned by Joe Falk, he is racing a parttime schedule in the Truck Series. The Nevada native currently resides in Mooresville, N.C., and enjoys wakeboarding, biking, and playing soccer in what little free time he has. For more information on TJ, visit his Web site at TJ-Bell.com.

High Side Media, Press Release

“Lady in Black” Strikes Again, TJ Bell Finishes 22nd at Darlington

Press Release — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 11:07:06 +0000

MAKE Motorsports Thumbnail

Darlington, SC (March 12, 2011)— Starting 29th in the “Too Tough To Tame 200” on Saturday night, driver TJ Bell anticipated 200 miles of hard racing at the “Lady in Black” and hoped to emerge with a solid finish. In traditional Darlington Raceway fashion, several cautions littered the 147-lap event and gave Bell several obstacles to avoid along the way.

A tangle in turn one and two just after the drop of the green flag left Bell with a hole in the right front fender after a chain reaction pushed the Pinnacle Rubber Mulch Chevy into the truck just ahead of it. Spotter Mike Skinner saw the damage from the spotter’s stand and suggested the team bring TJ down pit road under the next caution on lap 14 to fix the fender that was causing a slight tire rub.

The MAKE Motorsports crew would continue to make repairs to the fender during the next several pit stops, with coaching from Crew Chief Mike Cheek and Skinner to get the correct patches made up before coming down pit road. The team pulled the fender out as far as it would go during a stop on lap 75, and driver and spotter commended the team for their continued hard work on each stop.

“I have to give you guys an ‘E’ for effort tonight because you have all worked your tails off trying to get this thing going again,” Mike Skinner said over the radio.

A two-truck accident on the front stretch on lap 96 led to a red flag that would pause the field before a restart on lap 102. Heading into turn one, TJ scraped the nose of the Pinnacle Rubber Mulch Chevy on the apron, shooting him up the track and into the outside wall. The Nevada-native held on and kept his truck under control after sustaining slight damage and an infamous “Darlington Stripe” on the right side of the truck.

He continued to log laps mid-pack until leader Kasey Kahne in the No. 18 caught TJ on lap 117, placing the MAKE Motorsports Chevy one lap down. After falling a lap behind the leader, the crew pulled TJ down pit road on the caution that would follow on lap 119. Cheek’s crew gave their driver four fresh sticker tires and some final adjustments to the truck and damaged right front fender, sending him back out into battle to put himself into the “Lucky Dog” position for the next caution.

Restarting just outside the top 20 on lap 122, Skinner relayed to Bell to be smart and keep the fenders on it to stay in position to get his lap back. TJ immediately went to work and stayed tight with the lead pack, avoiding trouble and staying in contention to get his lap back.

Just prior to the final yellow flag for debris with less than ten laps to go, the No. 15 truck driven by Dusty Davis fell behind the leader and became the first truck not on the lead lap, unfortunately taking the “Lucky Dog” position away from Bell. A restart with three laps to go left TJ with no time to make up any more ground, and he crossed the finish line in the 22nd position.

TJ Bell - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

“I’m happy that we came home with the truck in one piece and we’ll have something to work on for the next race,” TJ explained. “The guys worked their tails off to fix this truck every time we pitted and continued to make it better and better each time. Liberty Tire Recycling brought a ton of support to the track this weekend and I can’t thank them and this MAKE Motorsports team enough for the job they did and the truck they provided to me.”

Co-Owner of Make Motorsports, Mark Beaver, was also pleased the race truck came home in one piece after a wild night at Darlington Raceway.

“TJ did a great job staying out of the wrecks and keeping the truck on the track,” Beaver said. “We can’t thank Liberty Tire Recycling, Pinnacle Rubber Mulch, Lilly Trucking, VP Parts Warehouse, Pro Gold Engine treatment and all of our partners that helped us get to this point enough. It was a long night but we’re going to work hard to get ready for the next race with what we’ve learned from tonight.”

About Liberty Tire Recycling:

About Pinnacle Rubber Mulch:

About MAKE Motorsports:

Founded in 2010 by Mark Beaver and Tracy Lowe, diverse motorsports owners with 50 years combined in racing, MAKE Motorsports made a natural progression into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In previous endeavors, Mark Beaver has owned NHRA, IHRA, Super Late Model Dirt Series, Legends, SCCA Trans Am and SCCA World Challenge teams. One of the only female team owners in racing, Tracy Lowe has owned and competed in Dirt Late Models and SCCA before taking on the NCWTS ranks.

Believing only in the best quality prepared vehicles, experienced crew and sound business practices, MAKE Motorsports is the first NCWTS team to be operated out of historic Shelby, NC in 15 years. MAKE has partnered with Liberty Tire Recycling and Pinnacle Rubber Mulch, ProGold Engine Treatment, VPPartsWarehouse.com, Twin Oaks Services South, Dedmon Trucking, All Sport, Beaver Bail Bonds and Lilly Trucking for the 2011 season. For more information, visit www.MAKEMotorsports.com, Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MAKEMotorsports.

- MAKE Motorsports Press Release

Mike Skinner to Serve as Team Advisor, Mike Cheek Crew Chief for MAKE Motorsports at Darlington Raceway

Press Release — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 23:42:48 +0000

Make Motorsports

Darlington, SC (March 11, 2011)– Former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Champion Mike Skinner will not be behind the wheel this weekend at Darlington Raceway for the “Too Tough to Tame 200”, but will be involved in the NCWTS action in a different role. Offering advice and a watchful eye during on-track action, Skinner will assume the role of spotter for MAKE Motorsports driver TJ Bell and the No. 50 Liberty Tire Recycling/Pinnacle Rubber Mulch Chevy.

“Mike Skinner is a great asset to me and to this team this weekend and brings a lot of knowledge and experience to the plate,” Bell commented. “No matter what form of racing you’re engaged in, you’re always learning. With Mike on top of the spotter’s stand he’ll be able to help me with the truck’s handling and give me advice throughout the event, which I’m really looking forward to.”

Mike Cheek, veteran of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, will also be an addition to the MAKE Motorsports roster as he assumes the role of crew chief.

For more information, follow the MAKE and TJ Bell on Twitter (@MAKEMotorsports, @TJBell_Racing), and find MAKE Motorsports on Facebook. Tune in to Sirius XM Channel 128 Friday night at 9:15 PM with Claire B. Lang on “Dialed In” as Bell will discuss the changes to his MAKE Motorsports team and what he expects for Saturday night.

About Liberty Tire Recycling:

About Pinnacle Rubber Mulch:

About MAKE Motorsports:

Believing only in the best quality prepared vehicles, experienced crew and sound business practices, MAKE Motorsports is the first NCWTS team to be operated out of historic Shelby, NC in 15 years. For more information, visit www.MAKEMotorsports.com, Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MAKEMotorsports.

- MAKE Motorsports Press Release

T.J. Bell, 2011 NCWTS Too Tough to Tame 200 Race Preview

Press Release — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 01:18:50 +0000

2011 NCWTS TJ Bell - Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

Event: Too Tough to Tame 200

Darlington Raceway; Darlington, SC

Saturday, March 12, 2011

5:00 PM EST on SPEED

Qualifying:

Saturday, March 12, 2011 3:30 PM EST on SPEED

Liberty Tire Recycling and Pinnacle Rubber Mulch Re-visit Site of First Race: Primary sponsor Liberty Tire Recycling and Pinnacle Rubber Mulch will make its second appearance at Darlington Raceway on the MAKE Motorsports No. 50 Silverado. Liberty made its first appearance in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) competition with MAKE in August 2010 at Darlington Raceway, where driver T.J. Bell qualified into the show in the 18th position and drove his way well into the top-ten by the halfway point of the 200 mile event. Bitten by a tire that was cut down from a broken brake rotor, Bell would finish the night in 26th place. After an exciting and solid performance at the season-opening event at Daytona in February, Liberty and MAKE are pleased to be back at the track to continue the momentum.

Last Season at the track “Too Tough to Tame”: While Liberty Tire Recycling and Pinnacle Rubber Mulch made their debut on the MAKE Motorsports Chevy Silverado as the primary sponsor last fall, driver TJ Bell made his first career start at Darlington Raceway as well. A brake rotor failure and cut tire resulted in a 26th place finish for Bell, but only after he had avoided several cautions and maintained his position within the top ten for the 70 laps completed prior to the incident.

“Our finish last year at Darlington didn’t represent our performance and how pleased we were with the truck throughout the first part of the race,” Co-Owner of MAKE, Mark Beaver, explained. “The ‘Lady in Black’ may have ended our day early, but I’m confident we’ll be able to perform well again this weekend and come back with a better finish.”

Riding with a Special Passenger: The passenger side window of the No. 50 Silverado will sport the name of TJ Bell’s long-time family friend, Bob Walls, in memory of Bob’s life. “Grandpa Bob”, as TJ named him, passed away last week and played a big role in Bell’s racing career.

Last Race: Racing himself and the No. 50 Pinnacle Rubber Mulch / Liberty Tire Recycling Chevy into the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona with a qualifying lap of 51.549 seconds, Bell began the race from the 22nd position. The Reno, Nevada native steadily raced his way to the lead pack and reported to his team the truck was handling extremely well and was content to run at the front with the leaders. He continued to race well within the top ten until he was collected with many other trucks during one of the night’s major accidents on lap 75. Unable to repair the damage to the Silverado, Bell and MAKE went home with a 31st place finish.

Catching up with TJ and MAKE This Weekend: The 30-year-old MAKE Motorsports driver will be calling in to Press Box Radio (Florence, SC stations 98.9 FM, 1230 AM) early Friday Morning at 7:45 AM and will make an appearance on “Dialed In” with Claire B. Lang on Friday evening at 9 PM. TJ will also be signing autographs at the NCWTS autograph session on Saturday from 1:30-2:30 PM at the track. Stay tuned to Twitter and Facebook updates throughout the weekend for more appearances as they arise.

T.J. Bell

TJ Bell on Darlington Raceway: “I’m ready to get back to Darlington after the race we had last year,” Bell explained. “MAKE gave me a great truck and I was able to steadily drive to the front with no issues. Unfortunately our hopes for a top-ten finish were dashed when the tire cut down and Pinnacle Mulch Chevy got its ‘Darlington Stripe’, but I’m confident we’ll have another great truck and setup ready for battle this weekend.”

Truck Information: Bell will be taking the controls of MAKE Motorsports chassis #002 this weekend at Darlington Raceway. The truck, named Babe, was purchased during the off-season and will be hitting the track with TJ behind the wheel for the first time this season on Saturday.

Marketing Partners for 2011: Along with Liberty Tire Recycling, several associate sponsors from last season have rejoined MAKE Motorsports for 2011. ProGold Engine Treatment, VPPartsWarehouse.com, Twin Oaks Services South, Dedmon Trucking, All Sport and Beaver Bail Bonds are all on board to support the No. 50 Chevy Silverado this season. A new partnership with Lilly Trucking of Virginia, a company specializing in reliable transportation, was also recently formed.

For More Information: Follow updates on MAKE Motorsports, TJ Bell and the No. 50 Pinnacle Mulch and Liberty Tire Recycling Chevrolet throughout the weekend by following @MAKEMotorsports on Twitter, and log on to the MAKE Motorsports Fan Page on Facebook.

Visit Pinnacle Rubber Mulch online and save 10% on shipping with a spring special in honor of TJ Bell and MAKE Motorsports. Enter TJBELL in the promo code area of our shopping cart at www.PinnacleRubberMulch.com and save 10% off shipping costs.

About Liberty Tire Recycling:

About Pinnacle Rubber Mulch:

About MAKE Motorsports:

Believing only in the best quality prepared vehicles, experienced crew and sound business practices, MAKE Motorsports is the first NCWTS team to be operated out of historic Shelby, NC in 15 years. For more information, visit www.MAKEMotorsports.com, Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MAKEMotorsports.

- MAKE Motorsports Press Release

MAKE Motorsports Bringing “Green” to Daytona with Liberty Tire Recycling

Press Release — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 16:53:01 +0000

“Primary Sponsor of No. 50 Silverado Spreading Message to Reclaim, Reuse and Recycle”

No 50 Liberty Tire Recycling / MAKE Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

Shelby, NC (February 4, 2011)- Hometown, grassroots racing team MAKE Motorsports will kick off the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season at Daytona with returning primary sponsor Liberty Tire Recycling on their No. 50 Chevy Silverado entry. As the nation’s premier provider of tire recycling services, Liberty Tire Recycling will team up with MAKE to spread their message in a positive way.

Each year, Liberty Tire Recycling transforms 110 million tires a year into recycled raw materials that not only keep those scrap tires out of America’s waste stream, but create useful, eco-friendly products that help create sustainable lifestyles. One of these products, Pinnacle Rubber Mulch, creates safe playground surfaces around the country, as well as durable mulch for landscaping. As a part of the sponsorship program with MAKE Motorsports, Liberty Tire Recycling is the official tire recycler of the team and is hoping to spread the word about recycling.

“At Liberty Tire Recycling, the premier provider of tire recycling services in North America, we are pleased to continue our partnership with MAKE Motorsports as the official sponsor of MAKE Motorsports #50 Chevrolet Silverado,” Jeffrey Kendall, CEO of Liberty Tire Recycling. “As leaders in both of our respective fields, Liberty Tire Recycling and MAKE Motorsports are dedicated to helping spread the word about the importance of sustainability, and this partnership enables us to do so. Our many innovative products, such as Pinnacle Rubber Mulch, an eco-friendly alternative to traditional wood mulch for landscaping and playgrounds, have helped us demonstrate to consumers that sustainable products can also offer superior performance and aesthetic value.”

Liberty Tire Recycling made its first appearance in NCWTS competition with MAKE last season at Darlington Raceway in August, where driver T.J. Bell unfortunately fell victim to an accident that produced a 26th place finish. Liberty returned for a second start at Texas in November, where Bell rallied to a 19th place finish.

MAKE Motorsports Owners Tracy Lowe and Mark Beaver are honored to welcome the “green” organization back on board as the primary sponsor of No. 50 Silverado.

“I’m really excited for our first trip to Daytona as a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Team. We’re prepared to make a good run and pleased to welcome Liberty Tire Recycling back as our primary sponsor. They’ve been great partners and we’re looking forward to spreading the word about Liberty’s products to our fans,” Tracy Lowe explained. “The fact that NextEra Energy will be sponsoring the race will just add to Liberty Tire’s message to make our planet a ‘greener’, better place to live.”

“We’re definitely happy to continue our partnership with Liberty Tire Recycling and excited to get back to the track,” Beaver stated. “Products like Pinnacle Mulch made from the recycled tires help keep scrap tires out of our landfills and will continue to help our planet in the future. Liberty Tire Recycling has a really positive message and does amazing things with their recycling programs and we’re proud to carry the Liberty Tire Recycling and Pinnacle Mulch colors on our No. 50 Silverado.”

Driver T.J. Bell will be behind the wheel of the No. 50 Liberty Tire Recycling Chevy at Daytona International Speedway. After making three starts with MAKE in 2010, Bell will once again take the controls of the Liberty Tire Recycling Silverado looking to improve on last season’s performance and best finish of 19th.

Bell, a seven-year veteran of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), will be making his second Daytona start in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 on Friday, February 18, 2011. In 75 career starts, the 30-year-old driver has logged 13 top-ten finishes, and has steadily improved his performance while keeping his trucks in contention and out of harm’s way. Returning to the No. 50 ride, Bell is ready to show off the hard work the MAKE Motorsports team has put in during the off season.

“We really started to pull things together at the end of last season at Texas, and I’m ready to see what we can do at Daytona in a couple weeks,” Bell commented. “Daytona is always full of excitement, and with the new pavement it should be a good show. We’re going to race as hard as we can with the Liberty Tire Recycling Chevy and put ourselves in contention before all 250 miles are complete.”

MAKE Motorsports has appointed Tom Buzze as the crew chief to lead the team into competition at the season opener. Associate sponsors ProGold engine Treatment, VPPartsWarehouse.com, Twin Oaks Services South, Dedmon Trucking, and Beaver Bail Bonds are all returning to support the No. 50 Chevy Silverado at Daytona.

Qualifying for the NextEra Energy Resources 250 is scheduled for 6:00 PM EST on Thursday, February 17th, with the 100-lap main event slated for 7:30 PM EST Friday night. For more about MAKE Motorsports, visit our website at MAKEMotorsports.com. You can also follow the team on Twitter (@MAKEMotorsports) and find us on the MAKE Motorsports Facebook fan page.

ABOUT LIBERTY TIRE RECYCLING:

ABOUT MAKE MOTORSPORTS:
Founded in 2010 by Mark Beaver and Tracy Lowe, diverse motorsports owners with 50 years combined in racing, MAKE Motorsports made a natural progression into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In previous endeavors, Mark Beaver has owned NHRA, IHRA, Super Late Model Dirt Series, Legends, SCCA Trans Am and SCCA World Challenge teams. One of the only female team owners in racing, Tracy Lowe has owned and competed in Dirt Late Models and SCCA before taking on the NCWTS ranks. Believing only in the best quality prepared vehicles, experienced crew and sound business practices, MAKE Motorsports is the first NCWTS team to be operated out of historic Shelby, NC in 15 years. For more information, visit www.MAKEMotorsports.com, Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MAKEMotorsports.

Darlington Adds an Experience-Building Stripe to the MAKE Motorsports Race Resume

Press Release — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:22:57 +0000

No 50 Liberty Tire Recycling / MAKE Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

Starting the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ (NCWTS) Darlington “Too Tough to Tame” 200 on Saturday night, driver TJ Bell knew almost immediately that the #50 Liberty Tire Recycling Chevy Silverado was ready to push itself to its limits. “The crew primed this truck perfectly during our two practices, and final practice I knew we had a very competitive truck,” he said. “During qualifying, I remember saying on the radio – ‘no vibrations, no lifting, let’s race!’”

Beginning on the grid in 18th position, Bell was able to navigate through five cautions in 73 laps and move up the field to as high as 6th position mid-race. “Everything was on point for the first 70 laps,” said MAKE Motorsports co-owner Mark Beaver. “Being the first time in Darlington for the NCWTS in six years, plus TJ’s first outing here, we knew we’d have to race clean & conservative. But TJ made some impressive saves and showed his maturity level & experience handling on the track.”

A particularly tricky save came when the GunBroker.com Dodge, driven by Jason White, went loose in turn one with heavy tire smoking as he went sideways, leaving TJ a narrow path to move high out of the turn with driver Matt Crafton within inches to his low side. Even SPEED commentators Rick Allen & Michael Waltrip mentioned the impressive driving to recover here.

“I really felt we had a top-10 truck,” said TJ. “I wasn’t pushing the truck too hard, and we were advancing the whole time. We had great communication in the pits and from the spotter’s stand, and all systems were firing just right. I knew when I felt like I drove over a bump, something was definitely wrong.”

Make Motorsports

The #50 Liberty Tire Recycling Chevrolet would suffer a brake rotor loss, which led to a tire cut, leaving Bell no place to go but to add the notorious ‘Darlington Stripe’ to his right side panels. “I just tried my best to save it from the wall,” said the driver. The truck was off the track as of lap 73, and driver in the infield care center for a precautionary checkup – with the prognosis of the striped side body, cut tires & brakes.

The 26th place finish wasn’t a disappointment to the young MAKE Motorsports team – it was actually very encouraging to the owners. “We were so excited to host the Liberty Tire Recycling employees & management in the infield suites in turn 1, and to show them not only a great team, but also a great race at an awesome track,” said co-owner Tracy Lowe. “TJ did an amazing job the whole night, battling track debris and cautions like a true trooper. The folks who joined us from Liberty Tire, Jetpool & Dedmon Trucking; plus the folks at All Sport – all were happy with the day and the experience.”

“For my first time at Darlington, I learned a lot and also am positive about my performance,” Bell said, shrugging off any attempt at defeat. “We’re focused on close, competitive and sometimes aggressive driving in the Truck series. It’s not a birthday party. So to make it as far as we did, it was encouraging. Definite congratulations to friend & fellow racer Todd Bodine, who took the checker. Now we’ve got to take that Liberty Tire Recycling Chevrolet to the next track – this journey has just begun.”

All NCWTS events this season will be broadcast on SPEED, with radio coverage on MRN. The next outing for the NCWTS is this Wednesday at Bristol Motor Speedway. For more information about team MAKE Motorsports, visit www.MAKEMotorsports.com. For Series information, check out www.NASCAR.com.

- MAKE Motorsports Press Release

Liberty Tire Recycling Becomes One of 1st “GREEN” Primary Sponsors in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series at Historic Darlington Raceway’s “Too Tough to Tame 200″

Press Release — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:22:59 +0000

Nation’s Premier Provider of Tire Recycling Services Joins MAKE Motorsports as Primary Sponsor; Challenges Stock Car Enthusiasts to Reclaim, Reuse & Recycle

No 50 Liberty Tire Recycling/MAKE Motorsports Chevy Silverado

Shelby, NC (August 3, 2010) - MAKE Motorsports will return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) at Darlington Raceway in the August 14th race with well-known driver TJ Bell & a new Primary Sponsor on the hood, the nation’s largest tire recycling provider, Liberty Tire Recycling. The #50 Liberty Tire Recycling Chevy Silverado will first take to the track in Darlington, with a continued partnership during the 2010 season. Liberty Tire Recycling joins the growing marketing partnership team with MAKE Motorsports, to include ProGold Lubricants, All Sport® Beverages, JetPool & TwinOaks South.

As part of the sponsorship program, Liberty Tire Recycling is the official tire recycler of the team – the first NASCAR sponsorship of its category, in the history of the “green” space of the sport. “MAKE Motorsports is a positive, boots on the ground, grassroots team; and Liberty Tire Recycling is about spreading the message of recycling & reclaiming in a positive, viral way,” said Thomas Womble, Vice President of Liberty Tire Recycling. “Our company donated over 500,000 pounds of recycled rubber to build athletic fields in Iraq. We hope to bring that grassroots effort to NASCAR, and we hope to help the overall outside view of the sport merge into one that actually can be ‘green.’”

“We’re a team that is built on family, our word, and our sustainability in the sport of stock car racing,” said Tracy Lowe, MAKE Motorsports co-owner & one of the only female team owners in NASCAR. “As a mom, I like to do whatever I can to help give my children a better planet someday. Teaming with Liberty Tire Recycling is perfect – spreading that message of sustainability through our daily working lives in NASCAR. Who would have thought? I can’t wait to see what the true impact will be in the sport.”

Liberty Tire Recycling

Co-owner & veteran stock car motorsports team owner Mark Beaver said, “The guys at Liberty Tire Recycling have grown with quiet strength & domination – moving from a family company of a few, to now transforming 110 million tires a year into recycled raw materials that change our lives in a sustainable way. It’s rare that you step on an outdoor rubber surface, mat or other rubber material, without it being from Liberty. I’m excited to see that GREEN Chevy Silverado get on the track, to help them gain more exposure for that great GREEN message!”

The growing MAKE motorsports marketing partnership team is proof that a smaller, hometown team can continue to network and grow its competitive base through “smart growth.” ProGold Lubricants (www.ProGold.com), JetPool (www.FlyJetPool.com), All Sport (www.DrinkAllSport.com) and Twin Oaks South have proudly supported the MAKE team in 2010. For more information about viral support, please visit the team website at www.MAKEMotorsports.com.

Make Motorsports

ABOUT MAKE MOTORSPORTS:

Founded in 2010 by Mark Beaver & Tracy Lowe, diverse motorsports owners with 50 years combined in racing – MAKE Motorsports makes its natural progression into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Mark Beaver has owned NHRA, IHRA, Super Late Model Dirt Series, Legends, SCCA Trans Am & SCCA World Challenge teams. One of the only female team owners in racing, Tracy Lowe has owned or competed in Dirt Late Models & SCCA. Believing only in the best quality-prepared vehicles; experienced crew; and sound business practices, MAKE Motorsports is the first NCWTS team to be operated out of historic Shelby, NC in 15 years. For more information, visit www.MAKEMotorsports.com. Find us on Facebook: MAKE Motorsports, & follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MAKEMotorsports.

ABOUT LIBERTY TIRE RECYCLING:

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, Liberty Tire Recycling is the premier provider of tire recycling services in the United States. By reclaiming more than 33 percent of the nation’s discarded tires, Liberty Tire annually transforms more than 110 million tires into raw materials for smart, sustainable products that improve people’s lives. With innovative tools, technologies and processes, Liberty Tire is a revolutionary American conservation enterprise – from coast to coast, and from whole tire to end product. The company’s commitment to finding new and better ways to RECLAIM, RECYCLE and REUSE bridges the sustainability goals of scrap tire generators nationwide with those of local scrap rubber consumers. For more information, visit www.LibertyTire.com.

Girl Friday

TJ Bell Hopes To End Season On A High Note

Press Release — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:42:59 +0000

No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra

TJ BELL QUICK FACTS

Homestead-Miami Speedway

Ford 200

November 20, 2009

· Bell at Homestead… The Ford 200 will mark TJ Bell’s third start at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In two previous starts at the 1.5-mile Florida oval, Bell has finished inside the top-20 both times. In 2007, he started 20th and finished 17th. Last season, in 2008, Bell started 19th and finished 12th.

· New Sponsor On Board For Homestead… Sea Land Environmental and Time Bandit Fishing Vessel are teaming up with the #11 Red Horse Racing team for the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Time Bandit joined forces with Sea Land Environmental, a company that develops and manufactures eco-friendly products, to make the Time Bandit the first boat in the Bering Sea to “go green.” The partnership will make the environment cleaner because the Time Bandit will burn 30% less fuel than before and have 90% cleaner emissions coming from the exhaust stack.

· Strong End To 2009… The #11 Red Horse Racing team started the 2009 season with an 11th place finish at Daytona International Speedway and a season high, fifth place finish at Auto Club Speedway in February. They are looking to end the 2009 campaign on the same high note they started it. Last weekend in Phoenix Bell raced his way to a 13th place finish. Now he is looking to a top-five a Homestead to end the year just as it started.

· R&R In The Off Season… TJ Bell and his fiancé’ Alexis Gamboa are heading west for the Winter. Both of their families spend the holidays in the Reno, Nevada area so they will be going back and forth between Reno and Mooresville for most of the off season.

T.J. Bell

TJ Bell on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway: “I’m really excited for the last race of the season. It’s been a bumpy road for us at times but we stuck together and worked through it as a team. I’m so proud of these guys. We are heading to Homestead with the goal or earning a top-five finish. That would make us all feel good going into the off season and it would help us in our sponsor search for next year.”

Crew Chief Rick Gay on Homestead-Miami Speedway: “Our team is heading to homestead with a different goal that almost everyone else. We don’t have to worry about points right now; we just want to win the race. While the other guys are worrying about maintaining their points position, we can take risks that will put TJ in the position to bring home a great finish for this team. It would be great to end the season on such a high note as we prepare for next year.”

Equipment Information: The #11 Red Horse Racing team will compete with chassis # 110 in the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This is the same chassis that Bell raced at Chicago where he started 23rd and finished 15th.

- Red Horse Racing Press Release

Solid Run Spoiled By Late-Race Contact for James Buescher at Phoenix

Press Release — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:22:17 +0000

“The 19-Year-Old Finishes in the 23rd Position”

No. 10 International MAXXFORCE Diesel Ford F-150

AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 16, 2009) - As the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series headed to the Valley of the Sun, James Buescher returned to a track which the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Candidate had previously competed at twice in his career – Phoenix International Raceway, the site of his first NASCAR start in 2008. Buescher started the Lucas Oil 150 from the 21st position and steadily moved into the top-15, where the No. 10 MaxxForce International Ford F-150 consistently ran for the majority of the race. Unfortunately, with three laps remaining in the event, Buescher and a fellow competitor made contact, which sent the youngster into the wall and relegated the Circle Bar Racing team to a 23rd-place finish.

After qualifying in 21st-place, Buescher patiently worked his way through the field at the beginning of the race. By lap 30, the Texas native had broken into the top-15, as five short laps later, a caution slowed the pace for the second time. Buescher radioed to crew chief Jamie Jones that his Ford F-150 was a little tight in turns three and four. Jones called the teenager to pit road for four tires and an air pressure adjustment, followed by a fuel and track bar adjustment the next lap. Restarting from the 14th position on lap 35, Buescher moved as high as 12th-place during a long green-flag run, before slipping back to 15th-place as the yellow flag waved once again on lap 91.

As the 19-year-old was facing a tight handling condition late in the green-flag run, Buescher returned to the attention of his MaxxForce International pit crew for four fresh tires and an air pressure adjustment, in addition to a fuel stop the following lap. The No. 10 Ford restarted in the 13th position, which is where Buescher continued to run until lap 136 as a caution slowed the field for the fifth time. When the race went back to green-flag conditions on lap 140, Buescher fell back two spots to 15th-place, as the adjustments made the Ford very loose all around the one-mile oval. With three laps remaining in the scheduled 150-lap race, Buescher and a fellow competitor raced side-by-side coming off turn four. Unfortunately, the two trucks made contact, sending Buescher into the wall and leaving the MaxxForce International Ford team with a 23rd-place finish.

James Buescher

“I guess we just ran out of room,” said Buescher, after the race. “It’s just hard racing. TJ (Bell) and I were running hard down the backstretch and continued into turns three and four. I was all the way down to the grass and tried to hold on to it, trying to give him all the room I could. I couldn’t give him much room as my truck ran up the track, so I hit him and it sent me spinning. The MaxxForce International Ford was pretty good early on in the race and about halfway the brakes started fading pretty bad and the truck got loose everywhere towards the end. We tried to adjust on it but I wish we would have had some more tires in the pits with 20 laps to go. We’ll just head to Homestead next week and finish out this year.”

With one race remaining in the 2009 season, Buescher currently sits in the 14th position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings. He is currently 115 points behind 13th-place Terry Cook and 133 behind 12th-place Tayler Malsam.

James Buescher and the No. 10 MaxxForce International Ford team will return to action this Friday, November 20th, as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the final race of the 2009 season and the running of the Ford 200. Buescher, who made his NCWTS debut one year ago at the 1.5-mile track in South Florida, will take the green-flag shortly after 8 P.M. Eastern. SPEED will have live television coverage of the 134-lap event, beginning at 7:30 P.M. Eastern. Select affiliates of the MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio will have the live radio broadcast.

- James Buescher Racing Press Release

Chevrolet: Kevin Harvick Inc. / Ron Hornaday Championship Notes & Quotes

Press Release — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:56:32 +0000

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

LUCAS OIL 150

PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

POST RACE NOTES AND QUOTES

NOVEMBER 13, 2009

Ron Hornaday Jr. celebrates winning his fourth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. Hornaday is the oldest driver to win a championship in NASCAR's three national series. (Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
RON HORNADAY, JR., NO. 33 VFW SILVERADO, KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 LONGHORN SILVERADO, DELANA HARVICK, TEAM OWNER AND ERNIE COPE, CREW CHIEF, POST RACE AND POST CHAMPIONSHIP TRANSCRIPT –

RON HORNADAY, JR:
CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS FOURTH TRUCK SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP: “Thank you. I couldn’t think of a better track. I love Phoenix. It looked pretty grim for a while, but it’s not over by far. We’re racing Kyle Busch for the owner’s points — that’s the true goal. That shows how great our team is and Kyle (Busch) has really been running strong. He’s got six or seven wins this year. We’re going to do everything we can to hold him off down there. At least we can go down there and have a little fun and race a little different now — we can have some fun.”

IS YOUR STRATEGY TO RACE SMART AND NOT MAKE ANY MISTAKES?:

“I guess you didn’t watch the race because we tried to race smart. We left the gas can out in the back and that put us pretty far back. I was sweating it out because I got behind the 11 (TJ Bell) and I just started pushing real bad and I thought my right front tire started blistering. I put about five turns of rear brake in it and started sliding it in. I learned something a little bit. Third to the last restart I got in there and the thing wouldn’t turn and it just started shoving the tires. I had to put more rear brake in it then. Luckily, that all happened that run because that put us in the top-five and Johnny Sauter was really coming strong. To come home in the top-five, that’s what we needed to do to keep Matt (Crafton) behind us.

Matt (Crafton) is a heck of a racer, I’m glad they turned their program around. They gave us a run for our money all year long. There’s just so many people to thank. You guys have been following all year what it takes to go racing with Copart, Longhorn, VFW, Georgia Boots, hold on one more, one more — Turtle Wax. It takes a lot and having all them sponsors work together and do what they’ve done, it works great. Mark Smith with the motor program, what he’s done with Chevrolet and everything that they do — the wind tunnel and what they do with all their support — it just take a bunch of people and I’m just fortunate enough and my wife and I are old enough to where the kids are growing up and now we’re coming to the race track and having fun.”

HOW SIGNIFICANT IS THIS CHAMPIONSHIP IN NASCAR HISTORY? HOW BIG OF A DEAL IS IT TO YOU TO SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM JACK SPRAGUE AND BE THE FIRST GUY TO WIN FOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS?:

“You said it, I got one up on (Jack) Sprague and that’s all that counts. I said it on my interview out there, I told him that now he has to come back and try to get a fourth one and just keep me racing. Jack (Sprague) and I have been fighting for wins and championships back and forth and Jack (Sprague) kind of quit and gave me a little head start so I don’t know how many he’s won — he’s got 27 or 28 wins and I think we’re back and forth.

I would win 23 and he would be 24 and then I was 24 and he was 25. It’s been a fun battle with Jack (Sprague) and I wish he was still out here. He’s a heck of a little racer. I don’t know — I don’t look it — I have to build another trophy case I guess. I only have five so I’ll have to move one over and put two together. This has been a long week, Lindy’s (Hornaday) Mom went through surgery, she came out of that real well. They only gave her a 35 percent chance of surviving it and she came out of it real well. She’s at home today so we can’t wait to get home and see her tomorrow.”

HOW COOL IS IT TO THINK ABOUT THE DRIVERS THAT HAVE SLEPT ON YOUR COUCH — JIMMIE JOHNSON, KEVIN HARVICK? COULD YOU HAVE IMAGINED THAT GUYS SLEEPING ON YOUR COUCH COULD HAVE AS MANY CHAMPIONSHIPS AS THEY HAVE AND YOU WOULD HAVE THIS MANY?:

“My wife made me sleep on the couch last week. It’s kind of cool and I think this is the payback — what Kevin and Delana (Harvick) have given me. It’s not over, we have to go win that owner’s points for them. They definitely deserve it, they give me great trucks all year. The truck Kevin (Harvick) drove tonight was a 2010 — what we’re going to run next year. A lot of help from Chevrolet and Kevin (Harvick) never quits. I went in the shop like two weeks ago and we had 14 trucks, I got down there and there’s only five trucks left. I said, ‘Where’s all the trucks?’ They said, ‘Kevin sold them all — you’re getting all new ones again next year.’ I think we won five races in a row and they were all brand new trucks so my hats off to the boss man right here — he knows what it takes to win. Here’s the boss lady, I forgot. It’s been fun and we’re not done. As long as Kevin and Delana (Harvick) will still have me, we’re going to win some more.”

ARE YOU GOING TO DONATE THE COUCH TO THE NASCAR HALL OF FAME?:

“You know what’s funny is that it don’t work no more. We had a good friend, Blake Feese slept on it and he went back that Monday morning and got fired from Hendrick. Or he didn’t sleep the whole night on it and he left in the middle of the night. Kevin (Harvick) slept there for months. We got rid of the biggest part and we’ve got the smallest part. I really can’t tell you the real story as to why they slept on the couch — they just couldn’t make it upstairs.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PEOPLE SAYING THAT NASCAR IS A ‘YOUNG MAN’S GAME’ WHEN YOU ARE A CHAMPION AND MARK MARTIN IS BATTLING FOR THE SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP?:

“When you drive Kevin and Delana’s (Harvick) equipment, you feel like you’re 18 years old. If you want to watch the race from here last year, Kyle Busch was 22 back then or whatever, I tried to out drive him going into turn three. You feel young, the trucks they give me, it just makes me feel like a hero. It didn’t show how good my truck was tonight. We were points racing and we did what we had to do. Kevin (Harvick) said he was going to win the race. Only one more week, he promises. I don’t know how it feels. Next week when we try to win that owner’s championship, then it will all come into play. Jimmie (Johnson) slept on the couch so I would like to see him win four (championships) too, but they’ve got their game together just like we do over at KHI (Kevin Harvick Incorporated). It’s fun to drive the trucks and I’m sure Jimmie (Johnson) and Mark (Martin) and all them are having fun driving over there too.”

HOW BIG OF A LUXURY IS IT TO WRAP UP THE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH ONE RACE REMAINING?:

“If you look at the whole year, we’ve had a pretty good points lead then we ended up blowing the tire at Dover and Matt (Crafton) caught us. Then we had another bad race where we ran out of fuel and Matt (Crafton) passed us. We’re not even done racing — we have to go down and race Kyle Busch. Those owner’s points mean more to me than that trophy because it says that whole team worked hard and we beat everybody. Kyle Busch comes in and pulls an upset, then it’s going to be terrible. We’re going to go out and do what we have to do and Kyle’s (Busch) on a roll. He almost won three last weekend. We’re going to try to go out there and get the owner’s championship and we’re not done racing.”

HOW NICE IS IT TO CLINCH THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN PHOENIX?:

“I already said how nice it is — I think Kevin (Harvick) was telling (Ricky) Carmichael that I raced it when it was dirt before they even started it. It was fresh asphalt. It’s cool, I’m not talking about the championship, it’s cool to win it for me, but it’s not over yet and it’s not even close. Kevin and Delana (Harvick) deserve a lot more because of the equipment that they give me, the people that they put in places — it takes a lot. To get all our sponsors to work together, the program that they put together to make it happen, this is what it’s all about.”

IS THERE AN ADDED SPECIAL SENSE OF WINNING THIS CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE SAME WEEK AS VETERAN’S DAY AND SO SOON AFTER THE TRAGEDY AT FORT HOOD?:

“I appreciate that. We’ve been VFW for the past couple races and its hard to go out there and see all them soldiers, men and women and see the tragedy up there at Fort Hood. A lot of support from VFW and you can’t say enough about them. I’ve got an opportunity to go to Iraq and see what those men and women do first hand and TV, newspapers and everything don’t do it justice. I brought pictures home and I can’t explain them to my wife, you have to smell and everything else. My hats off to all the men and women and its pretty cool and it’s special and I never even thought about it, but thanks for bringing it up.”

HOW UNIQUE IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU BEING A VETERAN DRIVER AND A YOUNG DRIVER, OWNER?:

“I’m mad because I couldn’t go up there and race him for the win. I had to play it smart and I did what I had to do, we overcome our pit stop failure. Rick Ren (crew chief) made a great call by only putting one can of fuel in just to beat the 88 (Matt Crafton) out and it worked out great. It always fun to race Kevin (Harvick) because you know he’s going to race 120 mph faster than you are. The first time I ran his Nationwide car and he was running two of them and he turned me sideways and passed me, I thought, ‘Does he know he owns this car?’ I couldn’t go run into the back of him because he did that. That was the first experience that I really had with Kevin (Harvick), he don’t really care whose car it is, he’s going to move you out of the way to race it. You would be amazed for him being my good friend and now being my boss, the things that I don’t do in front of him no more. Yes sir, no sir, yes mam, no mam. And I’ll see you tomorrow or Monday morning.”

(L-R) DeLana Harvick, team owner Kevin Harvick, Ron Hornaday Jr. (C), driver of the No. 33 VFW.org Chevrolet, Linda Hornaday, and crew chief Rick Ren, celebrate after Hornaday clinched the series title with a fourth place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 13, 2009 in Avondale, Arizona

KEVIN HARVICK:
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE RON HORNADAY WIN THE DRIVER’S CHAMPIONSHIP?:

“In 2005, we put Ron (Hornaday) in the truck and we really didn’t have our stuff together and we knew from that point that we had what we needed from the driver’s side of it and we finally in 2007 built a team that was capable of keeping up with the driver. From that point on, it’s been a lot of fun to watch and from an owner’s standpoint, it’s one of those things where you really don’t have to do a whole lot because these guys, when they’re off, they know it and they go to work and try to fix it. If they do something wrong, you don’t even have to tell them and they fix it.

From an owner’s standpoint, that makes life easy. It’s been a long year to say the least. With the economy and everything and everybody has really chipped in to make sure the team is where it needs to be from a performance standpoint. Been a lot of challenges and to see it finish with Ron (Hornaday) winning the championship is something that’s really neat. I know it’s very rewarding for Delana (Harvick) and I, but it’s more rewarding to watch theses guys as a team and Ron (Hornaday) as a person, as a friend, as an employee, there’s a lot of things that go with it and come into the equation. It’s just a lot of fun to see it all evolve and come together.”

CAN YOU SPEAK TO JIMMIE JOHNSON TALKING ABOUT RON HORNADAY BEING KNOWN FOR HELPING YOUNG RACERS?:

“I don’t think that’s it, you go over there and there’s still a lot of people and their house is always open. It’s always been that way. What you see is what you get with Ron and Lindy (Hornaday) and the whole family. It’s always been one big family and if you want to be a part of it then come on over. That’s just the way that they’ve always been. Always been the same is what you can say. I know his hair has changed colors a couple times, but that’s about it. To lock up the championship here for us is extra special too just for the fact that a lot of us spent a lot of time here growing up and racing here. It’s pretty cool, he’s got a great following here and I know we’ve got a lot of fans here. It’s fun to be able to win the race and win the championship and I know there’s a lot of fans that appreciate that in this particular area.”

HOW UNIQUE IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU BEING A VETERAN DRIVER AND A YOUNG DRIVER, OWNER?:

“I think for me, I think its just really neat for me just for the fact of the whole scenario as I came up through my career and I always think back to races at Mesa Marin and the nights that he and Rick Carelli and Mike Chase and all the guys that used to race in the open comp days back then and at the start of the Southwest Tour. I was sitting in the grandstands and now I have Ron (Hornaday) and Rick (Carelli) and Ernie Cope and a couple kids from the West Coast. We have Andy Houston who came up through the Truck Series so its just a lot of us that have raced together. I know from our standpoint, we don’t go in the shop — when they see me coming in the shop they think, ‘Oh no, what is he going to make us build this week.’ Its all about the race vehicles. There’s a time and a place for the stuff on the other side of the wall from the marketing side of it, but I really enjoy the fact that we go in and we’re very aggressive on how we build stuff. These guys go out and drive it and I really enjoy all different aspects of it so that makes it a lot of fun.”

KEVIN HARVICK ON RACE WIN
HOW WAS YOUR RUN TONIGHT?:

“We made it entertaining in the beginning, that’s for sure. I don’t really know what happened other than I spun out. I went into (turns) one and two and pushed the front tires like there was something on the race track and go to (turns) three and four and just lost it. We came in and we left that set of tires on and Ernie (Cope, crew chief) said that they were down to the cords on the right rear. We overcame that and we didn’t hit anything and they did a great job on pit road. It took me a little while to get my confidence back up to dive the thing in and get up underneath another truck and know that it was going to stay underneath me. The truck was great the rest of the night and we made up spots on pit road, we made up spots on the track and once we finally got track position back and from there it was good.”

HOW WAS THE TRUCK HANDLING TONIGHT AS THE TEMPERATURE CHANGED?:

“The handling was really loose in the beginning, much looser than what we had at any point during practice. We came back in and changed the tires after we ran the first 35 laps or whatever it was and the truck was right back to where it was. The characteristics of the race track seemed to stay pretty much consistent through the night. Our truck didn’t change a lot from practice until tonight except for the first little bit of run there. All in all I think the track stayed pretty good.”

DOES IT STILL MAKE IT SPECIAL FOR YOU WHEN YOU BEAT KYLE BUSCH?:

“Yeah, I think we’ve run like five races and it seems like we’re racing Kyle (Busch) every time we’re on the track. That makes it a lot of fun and its cool that it came down to a couple green-white-checkers, I think that was the biggest chance that he had to make up some ground there and we were able to hold him off. It makes it fun. Kyle (Busch) and I get along really good and I like the way he races. I like the way he goes about things, I like his attitude. Even though sometimes you get mad, he gets frustrated, I get frustrated the same way too. Both of us aren’t very good about keeping our tempers to where it needs to be so it’s fun. I just like the fact that he likes to race so that makes it a lot of fun. He says a lot of dumb things sometimes, but we all say dumb things, right?”

DID YOU FEEL ANY PRESSURE TONIGHT WITH RON HORNADAY RACING TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP?:

“I felt like those guys are pretty much in control of their own destiny, they just need to go out and be smart. Obviously, anything can happen and we came in pretty focused on going out and trying to win the race and I felt like they could handle what they needed to from their standpoint.”

HOW MUCH AS YOUR TRUCK AND NATIONWIDE TEAM BOOSTED YOUR SPIRITS THIS SEASON?:

“Every time we get in the truck, we have a chance to win the race. Nationwide car runs in the top-five and won races all year. I tell people all the time that if it wasn’t for these two things and being competitive that I feel like I would put a hole in my head or feel like it anyway. Its just one of those things where it hasn’t been fun on Sunday and this is a lot of fun to come over and win races, run in the top-five every week and it makes you still know that you remember how to do it from the driver’s seat. Those guys have done a great job on Sunday, we were absolutely terrible at the beginning of the year and the last eight to 10 weeks, our cars have been very competitive. It hasn’t been a small project for Sunday. When you start off the year and build 30 or 40 cars that you think it’s the right road to go down and you have to start over in the middle of the year, I can respect that from an owner’s standpoint. You don’t like it from a driver’s standpoint, but they’ve done a good job in getting it turned around.”

ERNIE COPE, CREW CHIEF
WHAT WAS YOUR VIEW OF THE RACE TONIGHT?:

“The biggest thing was that we never give up there when we spun out on lap three there. We knew those tires were worn out from spinning, but we couldn’t put a set on at that time. He just had to tough it out and ride it out — didn’t have no grip. Might have over-adjusted on it, but came back for that last set and took another shot at it. Then pretty much had a dominant truck.”

DELANA HARVICK

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE RON HORNADAY WIN THE DRIVER’S CHAMPIONSHIP?:

“I actually wasn’t even going to come, I’ve been battling the flu and had the flu for the past week. I gave it to Ron (Hornaday) apparently. This is quite honestly the best medicine for anything that ales you. Just to watch Ron (Hornaday) go out and do what he does. I told him back in 2007 that he had a job forever — I didn’t tell him that he was going to get paid forever, but as long as he keeps winning championships we’ll work on something. I’m just so impressed with everybody at KHI (Kevin Harvick Incorporated) and like Kevin (Harvick) said, this year was pretty hard to come together. The challenges that we faced with the economy, but everybody at KHI pulled together and we worked toward a common goal. To see Ron (Hornaday) win his fourth championship is unbelievable.”

- GM Racing Communications Press Release

TJ Bell Has High Hopes For Phoenix

Press Release — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:38:59 +0000

No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra

TJ BELL QUICK FACTS

Phoenix International Raceway

Lucas Oil 150

November 13, 2009

· Bell at Phoenix… The Lucas Oil 150 will mark TJ Bell’s third start at Phoenix International Raceway. In two previous starts at the 1-mile Arizona oval, Bell has earned one top-15 finish. In 2007, he started 25th and finished 15th. Last season, in 2008, Bell started 26th and was involved in an accident; finishing 27th.

· Looking For A Strong End To 2009… The #11 Red Horse Racing team suffered three difficult weeks in a row at Martinsville, Talladega and Texas. A mid-race wreck resulted in a 30th place finish at Martinsville, an exploded brake rotor on lap six at Talladega resulted in a 29th place finish, and a cut tire while he was running in the top-10 took Bell out of contention and resulted in a 23rd place finish at Texas. Bell and the #11 team are not letting this bad luck get them down. They plan to use “Friday the 13th” to turn bad luck into good luck at Phoenix International Raceway.

· Making A Stop In Tombstone… TJ Bell and his fiancé Alexis Gamboa drove their motor home from Texas Motor Speedway to Phoenix International Raceway but not without making one stop along the way. They made a visit to the home of old west cowboys and six shooters- Tombstone, Arizona. Tombstone is the site of the “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” and the famous graveyard, Boot Hill.

T.J. Bell

TJ Bell on racing at Phoenix International Raceway “Phoenix is a fun track to drive. We’ve had success on flat tracks this year so I am looking forward to this race. We really want to end the year on a high note and we have only two races left to make it happen. I like both tracks so it should be a good two weeks for us.”

Crew Chief Rick Gay on Phoenix International Raceway “Our flat track program has been going really well this year. We qualified second at Iowa and fifth at Gateway earlier this year so we expect more of the same this weekend. TJ’s confidence is up right now and we need to capitalize on that. This team is resilient so we won’t let the past few weeks bother us, we just keep working hard each and every week.”

Equipment Information The #11 Red Horse Racing team will compete with chassis # 93 in the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway. This is the same chassis that Bell raced at California, Kansas and Nashville where he finished 5th, 22nd and 10th.

TJ Bell Seeks Sponsorship Partner TJ Bell is still seeking sponsorship for his #.11 Toyota Tundra. Red Horse Racing is currently running the #11 without primary sponsorship. For more information on sponsorship opportunities please contact Tom DeLoach at 704-662-0039.

- Red Horse Racing Press Release

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Hosting Free Autograph Session Friday

Press Release — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:03:55 +0000

Talladega Superspeedway - 40 Years Of Racing

TALLADEGA, Ala. Race fans attending the Mountain Dew 250 fueled by Fred’s have the opportunity to go home with more than just memories of a great race. At least eleven drivers from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series are scheduled to participate in a free autograph session on Friday, Oct. 30 in the concourse area behind the OV Hill South Grandstands, sections D & E. The autograph session is scheduled to last from 2 – 3 pm.

Drivers scheduled to attend are:

· Colin Braun

· James Buescher

· Ricky Carmichael

· Todd Bodine

· Rick Crawford

· Tayler Malsam

· TJ Bell

· Timothy Peters

· Johnny Sauter

· Terry Cook

· David Starr

“I would like to encourage all of our fans to stop by and visit the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series autograph session,” said Talladega Superspeedway President Rick Humphrey. “The truck series always goes the extra mile to put on a great show for the fans and this autograph session is a perfect example of that. We are looking forward to the Mountain Dew 250 fueled by Fred’s.”

In 2009, Talladega Superspeedway proudly celebrates forty years of the most competitive racing in NASCAR. While the track has seen changes made to the cars that circle its high-banks, the surface that they race on and the grandstands that thousands of fans fill twice a year, one constant remains; Talladega Superspeedway is authentic NASCAR racing at its finest.

AMP Energy presents the Zac Brown Band and Southern Ground Records artists Levi Lowrey, Nic Cowan and Sonia Leigh. The weekend features the AMP Energy 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race and the Mountain Dew 250 fueled by Fred’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.

Tickets prices start as low as $40 for the AMP Energy 500. To order, call 1-877-Go2-DEGA or visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com. For our hearing impaired guests, please call TDD 1-866-ISC-TRAK (1-866-472-8725). Tickets also are available in person by visiting the Talladega Superspeedway Ticket Office from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. CDT, Monday- Friday.

- Talladega Superspeedway Press Release