TALLADEGA, Alabama (April 12, 2011) – – After a 15th place finish in the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) Speedway nearly two months ago Sean Corr and his Empire Racing team left the 2.5-mile superspeedway frustrated with their performance. To some, a 15th place finish would be satisfying but for Empire Racing they know that their capable of more. They plan to attack the field in Friday afternoon’s 3 Amigos 250 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and show the competition just how serious they are about the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship.
The team participated in a two-day test at the 2.66-mile superspeedway last month and despite losing a day of activity due to inclement weather; the team gained valuable track time which they hope will pay dividends in Corr’s second tango with Talladega.
Since the test, the team also made a crew chief change. Longtime ARCA fixture Howard Bixman recently joined the Mooresville, North Carolina-based team giving the team some added confidence with his background in Motorsports including restrictor plate racing. In February, he guided Benny Gordon in his ARCA debut to a solid top-10 finish. The team’s hoping with Bixman’s leadership and call – he can deliver Corr to a victory.
“The Empire Racing team has busted their tails, there’s no hiding that,” said Corr, a native of Goshen, New York. “We’ve made some internal changes, but it’s all for the better and to make this a championship worthy team. The test went okay but we found a lot of things after the test that should help us considerably on Friday.”
Last April at Talladega, Corr gained notoriety for being a rookie and masterfully drafting from his 25th place starting position to inside the top-five before the “big one” unleashed itself leaving the No. 82 Empire Racing Ford Fusion no where to go, ultimately erasing him from competition.
“We proved to everyone that we are plenty capable of running up front in the ARCA Racing Series last year at Talladega,” the 27-year old recalled. “While the car was destroyed, I think the car we’re taking this weekend not to mention the Roush Yates horsepower will put this team back on the map with a strong finish.”
With several of his competitors who raced at Daytona opting not to participate in Friday’s event, Corr will be on the heels of being in the top-10 in the championship standings once the green flag flies – which is important in the team’s overall goal of tackling the championship.
“Escaping Daytona with a solid finish is what we needed to do,” said Corr. “It’s our intent to go to the end of the season with this Empire Racing team and good – consistent finishes like Daytona will help us – but we know based on last year’s championship runs – it will take top-10s, top-fives and wins to make our championship dream a reality. I know we have the tools to do it, we just need to show everyone.”
When asked what the fans can expect in Friday afternoon’s race. Corr added, “A chess match at 200 miles per hour. I know everyone refers it to that a lot; but that’s exactly what it is. These ARCA Racing Series packs on the superspeedways continue to get bigger and bigger every year. That just shows you how good and close the competition is.
We need to find the perfect drafting partner and keep our No. 82 Empire Racing LLC Ford Fusion as close to the front as possible. We did that last year, but unfortunately were eliminated with the “big one.” So, it doesn’t matter where you are on the track, it can happen at the front; it can happen in the middle, the back wherever. You just have to be on your toes and try to avoid if you can.”
The 3 Amigos 250 (94 laps / 250 miles) is the second of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 49th ever ARCA race at Talladega Superspeedway is a two-day show. Practice begins Thursday, April 14 with a three hour practice session planned from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 5:05 p.m. Coverage of time trials is available online through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at http://www.arcaracing.com/ arcaracing.com in collaboration with Alabama’s local WTDR Thunder 92.7 FM. A 45-minute final practice has been etched in on Friday, April 15 from 10:00 a.m. – 10:55 a.m. The event will take the green flag that afternoon shortly after 4:00 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional live broadcasting available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at http://www.arcaracing.com/ arcaracing.com in collaboration with Alabama’s local WTDR Thunder 92.7 FM. All times are local (Central).
For more on Sean Corr, Empire Racing and marketing partnership opportunities for the 2011 racing season, please visit empireracingllc.com http://www.empireracingllc.com/ .
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About Empire Racing:
Established in 2009, Empire Racing LLC. (empireracingllc.com http://www.empireracingllc.com/ ) is a two-tier professional Motorsports organization consisting of dirt and asphalt competition. Sean Corr, a 26-year old hailing from Goshen, New York pilots the team’s automobiles in the DIRTcar Series and Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). In 2011, the team will attempt to run for a championship in the ARCA Racing Series with aspirations of moving into the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The team is headquartered in Goshen, New York with an additional operation in Mooresville, North Carolina.
