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USF2000 Champion Michael d’Orlando Signs with Turn 3 Motorsport for USF Pro 2000

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Official Release
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Michael d'Orlando accepts 2022 USF2000 Champion trophy

2022 scholarship winner will progress to next step on USF Pro Championships ladder in 2023

Mundelein, Ill. (February 21, 2023) – 2022 USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires champion and scholarship winner Michael d’Orlando has signed with Turn 3 Motorsport for the 2023 USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires season. The 20-year-old New York native is coming out of a standout year in USF2000, winning four races, five pole positions, and eight podiums, and ultimately claiming the title of overall champion in a season that came down to a thrilling last race shootout at Portland International Raceway.

A veteran of the USF Pro Championships Presented by Cooper Tires (formerly the Road to Indy), d’Orlando has three successful seasons of USF2000 under his belt, finishing fourth overall in his debut season and taking the vice champion title in 2021. In addition to his multiple poles, race wins, and podiums last season, d’Orlando scored a series-high 14 top-five finishes, three fastest race laps, a tie for the most races led, and the most laps led all season – including a weekend sweep of the Cooper Tires Freedom 75 oval race for the second year in a row – marking a truly incredible year for the young American.

A successful pre-season training program with Turn 3 Motorsport has shown d’Orlando quickly adapt to the Tatuus IP-22 car, proving the rookie will be a top competitor in 2023.

“I’m so excited to be back,” said d’Orlando. “Since the final USF2000 race in Portland last year, I’ve had very limited testing or any sort of driving time in general. I’m very appreciative of Turn 3 Motorsport’s support of me in the off-season, and I’ve absolutely loved working with them during pre-season testing. I’m confident that we can perform well together in my rookie year in the USF Pro 2000 series, especially in those beautiful USF Pro Championships scholarship colors. Bring on the season!”

“It’s a great honor for our team that the USF2000 scholarship winner has chosen us for his 2023 USF Pro 2000 program,” said Team Owner Peter Dempsey. “It shows how far we’ve come since joining the series in 2020. Michael has been a pleasure to have so far in our program throughout pre-season testing and has proved to us why he is a champion. He adapted to the IP-22 car very quickly and is certainly going to be a force to be reckoned with throughout the year. I’m confident we can give him the tools for a successful rookie season and look forward to carrying both Turn 3’s and Michael’s momentum into 2023.”

“The scholarship provided by Andersen Promotions and Cooper Tires gives these young drivers one of the best opportunities in the world to move up the ladder to the top level of motorsport,” continued Dempsey. “I know I wouldn’t be in the position I am in today without the support of Dan Andersen and Andersen Promotions during my racing career, so for us to come full circle and have our team as part of the scholarship program is a huge honor. I feel we have a strong driver lineup to push for the title this season, and we are proud to be representing the series champion in 2023.”

Turn 3 Motorsport will go into the season opener on the Streets of St. Petersburg as the reigning pole and race winners, having taken the premier victory of the 2022 season with current INDY NXT driver Josh Green. The team went on to achieve a pole and/or podium at seven of nine race weekends with three different rookie drivers, establishing a strong foundation and winning program for d’Orlando’s 2023 USF Pro 2000 Championship campaign.

d’Orlando will drive the #1 USF Pro Championships/Priority Payments Systems/Focused Project Management/Turn 3 Motorsport car for the 2023 season. Other partners include UFC Gym Mamaroneck and Rising Star Racing.

This year’s competitors will gather February 27-28 for the official pre-season Spring Training at Sebring International Raceway followed by the first event of the USF Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires season on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida from March 3-5.

To stay up to date on Turn 3 Motorsport, follow the team on social media using the handle @turn3motorsport.

For more information or images, please contact Mandy Dempsey at turn3motorsport@gmail.com.
About Turn 3 Motorsport: Turn 3 Motorsport is a full-service operation specializing in racecar preparation, engineering, and driver development. Founded and managed by racecar driver and coach Peter Dempsey, T3M is focused on professional service, team member growth, and high-level performance across multiple racing series.

In 2019, the team secured the Blue Marble Cocktails Radical Cup North America championship titles in the 1340cc, 1500cc, and overall classes. Later that year, Peter and Turn 3 Motorsport achieved a record-breaking win at the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race, piloting the #10 Eastern Racing / Turn 3 Motorsport Radical SR3 RSX 1340 to a dominating win, leading 638 out of 672 laps, and becoming the first car under two liters to achieve the overall win.

In the team’s rookie season, Turn 3 Motorsport attracted attention out of the gate by winning the season opener of the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires in a sweeping performance with Singaporean driver Danial Frost. Frost and the team went on to achieve a pole position, six podium finishes, and third overall in the championship in 2020.

In 2021, T3M expanded its presence in the Road to Indy by introducing a two-car program into the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship alongside its Indy Pro 2000 Championship campaign. In its debut USF2000 season, the team found victory at the season finale with American driver Josh Green as well as earning an additional podium and fifth overall in the championship. The team earned further accolades in the Indy Pro 2000 series with a race win at the season finale by Irish driver James Roe as well as a pole position at World Wide Technology Raceway and seventh overall in the championship.

In 2022, T3M showed its strength and teamwork by achieving a podium, win, and/or pole at 7 of the 9 events on the Road to Indy calendar with drivers Josh Green, Jonathan Browne, and Christian Weir each earning the aforementioned results across two different series (USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000).

COSTA OIL™ GROWS PARTNERSHIP WITH ELLIS & ALPHA PRIME RACING IN 2023

By
Official Release
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NASCAR Driver Ryan Ellis and Alpha Prime Racing are proud to announce today that COSTA OIL™ will be the primary sponsor for Ellis in an increased number of races in the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. The COSTA OIL™ No.43 Chevy will first hit the track this weekend at Auto Club Speedway, the 2-mile oval D-shaped superspeedway in Fontana, CA, for the Production Alliance Group 300.

Costa Kapothanasis, founder and owner of COSTA OIL™, first sponsored Ellis in 2022 at Dover Motor Speedway, a “home race” for both Costa and Ellis. The Costa-sponsored No.45 Chevy team fought to a 20th-place result that day.

COSTA OIL™’s sponsorship of Ellis and the No.43 Alpha Prime Chevy will promote the brand’s wide range of automotive motor oils, oil filters, and additives. The COSTA OIL™ performance auto products are premium products designed for European luxury and sports vehicles. Through its distribution website https://oilq.com, COSTA OIL™ products can be purchased for commercial pricing for the retail consumer.

The COSTA OIL™ No.43 Chevy Camaro is currently scheduled for at least four races in the 2023 season:
● February 18th – Production Alliance Group 300 at Auto Club Speedway
● April 15th – Call 811 Before You Dig 250 at Martinsville Speedway
● April 29th – A-Game 200 at Dover Motor Speedway
● July 15th – Crayon 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

COSTA OIL™ is widely known for its 10 Minute Oil Change service centers. They are your family-owned option. CEO Costa Kapothanasis founded COSTA OIL™ in 2014 with the vision of creating a model that would allow for sophisticated investors as well as owner-operators to participate in the benefits of the quick lube market. Costa is “the alternative to the traditional cold shoulder quick lube” that is more concerned with upselling you into products you don’t need. The brand prides itself on doing the right thing because it’s the right thing, not for PR purposes. Every quick lube makes the claims Costa makes; however, Costa’s reviews indicate they follow through. Find the nearest location to you at https://costaoils.com/stores/.

IN THEIR WORDS:
QUOTES FROM RYAN ELLIS, BRANDON CORNELIUS, AND DAVID SCHILDHOUSE

“I’m so thankful that Costa returned to our team in 2023. I met him at the beginning of the 2022 season, and he was a motorsports fan but hadn’t been involved in racing with his brand. Working with Costa, his franchisees, and other partners has been an absolute pleasure. He’s become a friend above all else, and his support of my career means a lot to my family and me. To have him come back and increase his amount of races shows his commitment to supporting motorsports, and I hope that fans support COSTA OIL™ so we can continue to work together for years to come,” said Ellis, driver of the No.43 COSTA OIL™ Chevy.

“Being a part of Ryan Ellis’s career and the No.43 car from Alpha Prime Racing has been such an honor for us. The automotive industry and NASCAR go hand in hand, and we believe Ryan is not only a great driver but also a great steward of our brand. His passion for racing and the partnerships with sponsors make every race feel like we are family. It’s a great feeling watching him drive with the Costa Oil logo around the track,” said Brandon Cornelius, Head of Franchise Development at COSTA OIL™.

“We are really pleased to have Costa Oil back with us this season,” said David Schildhouse, Vice President of Alpha Prime Racing. “Seeing a company return for more races as a primary sponsor on our racecars speaks volumes about the progress we’ve made as a team but, more importantly, the value a business can find in supporting motorsports. Costa has stepped up to support Ryan Ellis’ journey towards competing full-time in 2023, and we’re proud to be a part of it.”

About COSTA OIL™:
COSTA OIL™s vision is an oil change with no hard selling or feeling like you must prepare for battle before coming in for an oil change. We pride ourselves in our friendly customer service approach to the normally feared task of bringing your vehicle in for an oil change. Our long line of private-label Oils, Filters, and Additives are also available for the DIY vehicle owner. For more information, visit https://costaoils.com.

About Alpha Prime Racing
Alpha Prime Racing is a NASCAR Xfinity Series team co-owned by NASCAR driver Tommy Joe Martins and Alpha Prime Sports Founder and CEO Caesar Bacarella. The team was initially founded in 2009 under the name Martins Racing and has since grown into a three-car Chevrolet team, adding the No. 43 Chevrolet in 2023, primarily piloted by Ryan Ellis.

SEBASTIAN ARIAS AND BRADYIFS PARTNER WITH REV RACING

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Official Release
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Sebastian Arias to Return to Sonoma and Phoenix Raceway

February 21, 2023 (Winston-Salem, NC) Back behind the wheel for his third season in the ARCA Menards Series West (AMSW), is Sebastian Arias who has committed to two races this season, BradyIFS as his sponsor. BradyIFS, one of the nation’s premier distributors of food service and janitorial products, has committed to supporting Sebastian in Sonoma this June and the final race in Phoenix this November.

Sebastian is excited to partner with Rev Racing and BradyIFS for these two races and hopes there are many more to come. Work is currently being done to secure two more race opportunities with the team in the ARCA Menards Series, as another sponsor is looking to support Sebastian as he rises in the sport. The 2022 ARCA Menards Championship winning team has proven they have what it takes to run up front consistently and that is where Sebastian wants to be. Sebastian said, “This is the start of a great relationship with Rev Racing, and I want to thank Max Siegel for giving me this opportunity. We are looking for more races in the main ARCA Menards Series this year and possibly in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. I am blessed to be in this position, and I appreciate the work being done by Max, Rev Racing and my manager Ryan Johnston.”

Over the last 20 years, Siegel and Rev Racing have made tremendous strides to increase diversity in racing by offering opportunities to women and minorities, including over 125 drivers, over 100 pit crew members, and more than 20 interns and young professionals.

“We are excited to offer Sebastian the opportunity and infrastructure to support his racing efforts in these ARCA Menards Series events,“ said Rev Racing owner Max Siegel. “We have proven success in the Series and welcome opportunities that align with our mission and goals as a championship-winning race team. As we have kicked off the start of the 2023 AMS season, we continue to be positioned for competitive excellence and look forward to successful outcomes with Sebastian. ”

This will be Sebastian’s second time at Sonoma Raceway where last year he started 13th and quickly made his way through the field up to 5th when he had nowhere to go as two cars intentionally got into each other, with one spinning in front of Sebastian, which ended his day. Sebastian will be heading to Phoenix Raceway for the fourth time in his career and is excited to have a solid car and crew to compete up front. Sebastian is thankful for BradyIFS in providing this opportunity for him and would also like to thank Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Betco, Wiley X, BeyondEnergy, SPARCO, Next Level Racing and Thrustmaster for their continued support.

Sebastian is a first-generation race car driver from Bogota, Colombia. At twenty-four years old, he is the next Colombian driver coming up the ranks of NASCAR since Juan Pablo Montoya. Owned by NASCAR, the ARCA Menards Series is a proving ground and rung in the ladder to reach the pinnacle of their sport, the NASCAR Cup Series. Sebastian is working his way to the NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series and knows his sponsors are more than a blessing in his journey.

Follow Sebastian at @sebastianariasracing and watch his progression as he climbs the ladder of NASCAR.

About BradyIFS

With headquarters in Bell, CA and Las Vegas NV, BradyIFS is one of the largest foodservice and JanSan platforms in North America. The company sources, manages and distributes a broad range of products, including paper, equipment, cleaning chemicals, foodservice disposables, and packaging and dry goods to over 30,000 customers. These customers operate in the restaurant, healthcare, building service, hospitality, education, wholesale, government and food processor end markets. Founded in 1947, Brady Industries is universally regarded as one of the JanSan industry’s premier enterprises. Operating since 1926, Individual Foodservice is one of the leading broad line distributors of foodservice, JanSan, packaging, dry goods and smallwares in the United States. For more information, please visit www.bradyindustries.com, and www.individualfoodservice.com.

About Rev Racing: Rev Racing seeks to obtain the highest quality applicants representing diverse backgrounds and develop them into successful NASCAR drivers. Started by Max Siegel in 2009, Rev Racing manages the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program. Rev Racing currently operates and manages drivers in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, and a youth racing initiative.

Rosberg X Racing retains Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky and Johan Kristoffersson for Extreme E Season 3

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Official Release
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21 February 2023, London: Inaugural Extreme E winners and Season 2 runners-up Rosberg X Racing (RXR) have retained their driver line-up for the forthcoming campaign. Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Johan Kristoffersson will be back behind the wheel for the team founded by 2016 Formula 1™ World Champion Nico Rosberg.

RXR were narrowly denied back-to-back championship honours in the Extreme E Season 2 finale, when victory at the Uruguay Natural Energy X Prix last November went the way of Sir Lewis Hamilton’s X44 Vida Carbon Racing.

Mechanical issues at the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix meant the team failed to start in an Extreme E Final for the first time. This misfortune in the penultimate round, combined with falling short of a spot in the Final in Uruguay, saw Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Kristoffersson finish just two points behind Season 2 champions Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez.

Their pace in the RXR ODYSSEY 21 was never in doubt. Out of the five X Prix in the calendar, the Swedish duo finished as fastest qualifiers three times, and took the top step of the podium twice – at the season-opener in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, and the second round of the Sardinian double-header. What’s more, the pair scored the quickest combined time in the Continental Traction Challenge in three out of the five race weekends.

Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, RXR, said: “Joining RXR last year was a dream come true. I learnt so much from Johan and the team, so to come back for another season is fantastic. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel and give it everything I’ve got. It’s going to be an epic season!”

Nico Rosberg, Rosberg X Racing Founder and CEO, said: “I’m super happy that Mikaela and Johan have signed for another season. With the experience and track record of both drivers, we will be prepared for the battle and hopefully make for some exciting action on track. Last year, we sadly didn’t take home the championship trophy, but this year we plan on giving it our all!”

Johan Kristoffersson, RXR, said: “I am very happy to continue with RXR. I am confident that we can build on our experience and come back stronger than ever. Having Mikaela on my side for another season is an extra motivation. She’s a great person on and off the track and and she has really impressed me with her development and her will to work.”

Kristoffersson, who has now secured five wins for RXR across two seasons, is the most-decorated FIA World Rallycross Championship driver in history and secured his fifth World Rallycross crown in 2022. Since joining World Rallycross in 2014, Kristoffersson has amassed 35 wins and 50 podiums.

Alongside his Extreme E and World Rallycross championship wins, Kristoffersson has won titles in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship (STCC), Superstars International Series, and Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia. The Swede brings extensive experience and skill in multiple disciplines to his Extreme E efforts, as RXR bid for their second title this year.

Prior to joining RXR, Åhlin-Kottulinsky competed for JBXE, claiming third place in the first-ever Extreme E season. The Swede started her career with Rallycross, before moving to the circuit to become the first woman to win a race in the German Scirocco R-Cup in 2014.

Only four years later, she made history with a race win in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship as the first female driver to ever compete in the series. In 2021, she finished second in the STCC, having secured four wins during her time competing in the championship.

2022 marked a strong season for Åhlin-Kottulinsky in multiple disciplines, with first place finishes in the Rally Jameel and Sprint Challenge Scandinavia alongside third in Nitro Rallycross.

Åhlin-Kottulinsky also continues in her role as test driver for Extreme E’s Founding Partner Continental, helping to develop the CrossContact tyre for the series’ ODYSSEY 21 e-SUVs.

Kristoffersson and Åhlin-Kottulinsky’s success in the sport was acknowledged last year when both were awarded the Motor Prince Medal, alongside fellow Extreme E driver Timmy Hansen. Åhlin-Kottulinsky is the first ever female driver to receive this honour.

Kristoffersson and Åhlin-Kottulinsky will kick of their Extreme E Season 3 campaign in the NEOM season-opener on 11-12 March.

To learn more about Extreme E, visit – www.Extreme-E.com

5 Tips to Pick the Right Moving Van for Your Move

By
SM
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Photo by Kadarius Seegars on Unsplash

When you want to move, you’ve got a few options laid out in front of you. You can either hire professionals to handle the move for you or do it by yourself. If you chose the latter, then you will definitely need a moving van or truck. In this article, we will provide you with 5 tips to pick the right moving van for your move, from certified NYC movers. 

  1. Ensure You’re Renting from a Certified Mover or Renting Business

One of the more important aspects of renting a van or truck is to ensure the vehicle is road-ready and won’t break down. In order to make sure of this, you should look to rent only from reputable companies. Check for reviews online, ask for opinions from friends, and try to understand that renting cheap isn’t always the better option. 

Always do an inspection of the vehicle before driving it. If the van you’re renting isn’t in good condition, it might break down on the way to your new apartment. That’s an added stressor you might not want to deal with when moving, since moving itself is stressful enough as it is. 

  1. General Checks

As mentioned in the previous tip, it’s always good to inspect the vehicle before driving it. Check the paint to see if it’s consistent and pay close attention in case there’s any rust on the body. If the radio doesn’t work, that might not be a dealbreaker, but without lights, you might as well be driving blind. Another important thing to remember is to check the tires and see if they’re in tip-top shape. You could always ask to test-drive the vehicle, to see if there are any problems with the pedals. 

  1. Read the fine print

Rental companies are infamous for having fine print written all over the renting contract. You should always pay close attention to what you sign, and this is no exception. Another thing you should be on the lookout for is how the car is insured, and whether or not that cost is passed onto you, the client. 

If the contract stipulates that you are to be responsible for any damage the car sustains during the renting agreement, make sure to check the vehicle for any previous damage it might have incurred so the rental company doesn’t pin it on you. Also, remember that if you’re doing a one-way move, in which the vehicle leaves from one station and must be dropped off at another, you might incur additional costs. 

  1. Familiarize Yourself with Driving a Large Vehicle

When you drive a van or a truck, you must always keep in mind that you are no longer driving a car. Cars are small and can fit on narrow roads, whereas, with trucks or vans, you must always be mindful of your surroundings. Try to drive on main roads as much as possible, take care of height restrictions (you don’t want to get stuck), and keep your distance from other cars. Respecting the speed limit and the local traffic laws is also a must. 

  1. The Size of the Truck/Van

Finally, before you decide to rent, you should take a bit of time and decide on the size of the vehicle. Ask yourself, what sort of stuff are you moving? Do you have a lot of big boxes? Are you moving furniture or delicate objects? These sorts of questions will help you find out the type of truck you need to rent. There are numerous options to choose from, but based on your need, you might only need a small van. On the other hand, if you’re moving large objects, a truck might be the way to go. 

If moving, renting, and driving a moving van is too much for you. Then you should consider a moving service such as All My Sons Moving. Professional moving services will understand the ins and outs of moving in the area and will handle your move to accommodate your busy schedule.

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

By
Jeffrey Boswell
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Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedwaymedia.com

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Stenhouse overtook Joey Logano for the lead on an overtime restart, but a huge pileup behind necessitated another restart. Stenhouse again nailed the restart and won when Kyle Larson’s spin brought out the caution.

“This is a great day for JTG Daugherty Racing,” Stenhouse said. “Not only does it mean I’ve won the Daytona 500 and I’ve qualified for the playoffs, it also means everyone will again be treated to Brad Daugherty’s mountain hillbilly accent. Brad’s never met a syllable he didn’t like.”

2. Joey Logano: Defending Cup series champion Logano finished second in the Daytona 500.

“I feel like NASCAR’s overtime rules robbed me of a chance to go for the win,” Logano said. “It’s like NASCAR’s rule book ‘handcuffed’ me, much like Mexico’s rule book did the same to Kyle Busch.”

3. Christopher Bell: Bell came home third at Daytona, finishing the race as Joe Gibbs Racing’s top finisher.

“Let’s give it up for Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.,” Bell said. “He’s a real stand-up guy, and he’s been racing in the Cup series for 15 years, so he’s paid his dues. One thing he hasn’t paid is bail, to get out of a Mexican prison.”

4. Chris Buescher: Buescher survived a wild Daytona 500 and navigated a big final lap wreck to come home fourth.

“Driving for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing has taught me a lot about how to be a successful driver,” Buescher said. “And Brad was especially kind enough to give me pointers on how to win at Daytona. Pointers I kindly ignored, because he’s 0-14 here.”

5. Alex Bowman: Bowman started on the pole at Daytona and won Stage 1 on his way to a fifth-place finish.

“This was the longest Daytona 500 in history,” Bowman said. “It went 211 laps, which is equivalent to 528 miles. That’s 28 extra miles than the advertised distance. And I think NASCAR needs to go the extra mile to fix or modify their jacked-up overtime rules.”

6. AJ Allmendinger: Allmendinger posted his best Daytona 500 finish ever with a sixth.

“I’m known as more of a road course expert,” Allmendinger said. “This result gives me confidence that I can post top 10 results on super speedways on a consistent basis, provided there’s a massive pileup which allows me to pass 15+ cars on the last lap.”

7. Kyle Busch: Busch took the lead on Lap 197 and was in position to make a move for the win late, but was caught in a wreck after the last restart and finished 19th.

“Sure I’m disappointed,” Busch said, “but I can’t dwell on missed opportunities. For me, it’s on to the next race in California. That’s the life of a NASCAR driver—always traveling from one destination to the next. You know what they say about Kyle Busch—‘always packing.'”

8. Ross Chastain: Chastain finished ninth at Daytona.

“Erik Jones was driving the No. 43 car sponsored by legendary rock band Guns ‘N Roses,” Chastain said. “If you placed roses inside Kyle Busch’s suitcase, you would also get ‘Guns N’ Roses.'”

9. Daniel Suarez: Suarez recovered from a late spin and finished seventh in the Daytona 500.

“First of all,” Suarez said, “as a Mexican citizen, I’d like to speak on the Kyle Busch gun incident. Kyle’s always been known as a ‘loose cannon.” His recent ordeal in Mexico pretty much confirms that.

“I just wonder what would happen to me if I was caught with a handgun and ammo here in America. I mean, besides being declared a national hero.”

10. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 11th in the Daytona 500.

“This is my final season as a full-time driver,” Harvick said. “I’ve been doing this so long, I remember when the Daytona 500 started at noon. I believe it’s just a matter of time before it has an 8 p.m. start time.”

PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship Expands to Assist Five Female Racers In 2023

By
Official Release
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Scholarship Recipients to Compete in Formula 4 U.S. Championship, Trans Am and SVRA

CHARLOTTE (February 20, 2023) — Parella Motorsports Holdings (PMH) is excited to announce five female racers as recipients of this year’s PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship. Launched in 2021 as a way to create a more diverse field of drivers at the grassroots level, the program provides recipients with race entries for SpeedTour events. Previously focused on assisting drivers in Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered by Honda (FR Americas) and Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.), the program expands in 2023 to also assist drivers competing in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli and the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA). This year’s PMH Powering Diversity class includes two women racing in F4 U.S. with Hannah Greenemeier and Ava Dobson, two in Trans Am with Michele Abbate and Amy Ruman, as well as Kaylee Bryson, who will race in SVRA while she works her way toward Trans Am competition.

“We’re excited to welcome another class of the PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship—and to not only just continue the program, but to grow it and expand into other race series,” said Tony Parella, CEO of PMH. “We’ve seen drivers from previous classes like Ernie Francis Jr., Chloe Chambers and Raoul Hyman successfully use this opportunity as a springboard to help grow their careers and move to the next level. We hope that we’ll see the same level of success from this year’s class.”

Hannah Greenemeier made history when she became the first female driver in SKUSA history to win the X-30 ProTour Championship class in 2021, as well as the first female in SKUSA history to win an X30 ProTour race. At age 20, she already has more than 15 years of experience racing karts, competing in Rotax in Mini, Junior and Senior classes. She got her first taste of single-seater cars at the Lucas Oil Racing School, before being invited to the W Series test in 2022. When the lights go out at NOLA in March, Greenemeier will complete her transition from karts to cars as she kicks off a full-time season with Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport.

Fourteen-year-old Ava Dobson will need to wait a few more months until she can take to the track in F4 U.S., as she doesn’t turn the FIA-required 15 years old until June. After spending half her life behind the wheel of a go kart, Dobson will team with Jay Howard Driver Development to transition from karts to cars. With her F4 U.S. series debut scheduled for Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the Brookfield, Wis., native will continue her development program, gaining valuable track time in the Ligier JS F4 car until joining the championship this summer.

Another driver diligently working toward the next step in her career is Kaylee Bryson. The Muskogee, Oka., native is scheduled to drive a TA2 car for Sam Pierce Racing in SVRA’s Group 10 as she works toward her Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series debut. Starting her racing career at age nine, the now 21-year-old has well over 500 races under her belt, taking the victory the 2015 Tulsa Shootout and winning the 2022 Chili Bowl Nationals’ B-Main to become the first woman to transfer to the prestigious A-Main. Spending most of her time competing in USAC and POWRi, she started the move from dirt to asphalt with some late model races, and will continue that transition in a TA2 car this season.

Michele Abbate started her racing career with regional SCCA Autocross when she was just 16 years old. The Las Vegas native quickly expanded her experience, earning her wheel-to-wheel license, and becoming a factory-backed road racing driver for Toyota/Scion. Earning five club racing championships in her career, Abbate transitioned into stock cars in 2018 and finished third in her debut in the GT-1 category at the SCCA National Runoffs. She is the only woman to have competed full-time in the Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series, and set the record for the highest-finishing female in TA2 history at Circuit of The Americas in 2021. Abbate will compete for Showtime Motorsports in the Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series in 2023.

Amy Ruman, a two-time Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli champion, will serve as a scholarship ambassador with this year’s class of female drivers. Ruman made history in 2015 when she became the first female to win a Trans Am title since the series’ inception in 1966. The following season, she set the bar even higher, becoming the first female to earn back-to-back Trans Am championships. Competing in the TA class since 2009, Ruman has tallied 16 victories in the series. In 2014, she became the first female solo driver to win a professional automobile race at Daytona International Speedway with her TA victory. In 2023, Ruman will once again pilot the No. 23 McNichols Co. Corvette for family-owned Ruman Racing, where she also serves as co-manager of the team.

Previous PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship recipients include Indy NXT driver Ernie Francis Jr., W Series driver and Formula Regional Oceania feature winner Chloe Chambers, Super Formula driver Raoul Hyman, as well as FR Americas and F4 U.S. alumni David Burketh, Maddie Aust and Emily Linscott.

Trans Am and SVRA will kick off their 2023 season this weekend, February 24-26, at Sebring International Raceway. Just two weeks later, the F4 U.S. season will open at NOLA Motorsports Park, March 10-12. Both events will be live streamed on SpeedTour TV’s YouTube channel.

About Parella Motorsports Holdings: Parella Motorsports Holdings (PMH) owns five major road racing series and hosts racing festivals across the United States under the SpeedTour brand name. With Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA), The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli, Formula Regional Americas Powered by Honda (FR Americas), Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda (F4 U.S.) and Prototype Sprint Series Association, PMH will exceed 5,500 entries during the 2023 season. Additionally, PMH also holds the long-term commercial rights to SCCA Pro Racing, which sanctions Trans Am, FR Americas, F4 U.S., Radical Cup, Formula Race Promotions and Formula 2000. Together, with all of its racing properties, PMH hosts motorsports festivals under the name SpeedTour. Including elements like racing, car shows and concerts, SpeedTour events often attract more than 25,000 spectators, and many of their events are live streamed on SpeedTour TV’s YouTube page. For more information about PMH’s SpeedTour events, visit SpeedTour.net.

Sheehan En Route to Sebring as 57th Trans Am Season Gets Underway

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Bow, New Hampshire – February 20, 2023 – New Hampshire’s Tom Sheehan is set for TA2 action to begin and heads to Florida for the traditional season opener at Sebring International Raceway. The experienced pilot and his LTK Damon Racing team ended the prior year of racing on a promising note and completed a successful test session a few weeks ago.

Tom has been a regular in the Top 10 in TA2, finishing in P9 in the Driver’s Championship in both 2020 and 2021 but he endured a challenging season in 2022 where he also elected not to make the venture out west and over the Rockies for the two races in California. However, after making some key changes to the car in consultation with the Mike Cope organization at the end of 2022, Tom is revved up for the new season.

Just last month Tom Sheehan spent a few days at Sebring with multi-time champion and mentor Chris Dyson. Taking a few laps in the CD Racing TA1 car around the famous course was an experience that stimulated both driver and team.

“It was awesome to get some laps in the CD Racing TA car,” said Sheehan. “The power is really the challenge, management of the loud pedal makes the platform incredibly exciting to drive. The team is stacked with great professionals – what an incredible experience.”

Tom Sheehan has been honored twice by the Trans Am Series, first with the Ironman Award in 2019 for his grit and endurance and then again in September 2020 at Virginia International Raceway when he became the first driver in the history of Trans Am TA2 class racing to make his 100th race start. Since then Tom has notched another 25 starts to make a total of 125 races and the tall, likable New Englander is all set for another season behind the wheel of the distinctive canary yellow No. 97 LTK Insulation Technologies Damon Racing Ford Mustang.

The Sunshine State race is also the first to be sponsored by the new TA2 class sponsor, which will be known as the Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series for this season’s 12 events.

2023 is the 57th Trans Am Series season and it’s being launched at the same track that hosted the first-ever Trans Am race with no fewer than 47 cars scheduled to compete in the TA2 race on Sebring’s famously bumpy 3.74-mile circuit. The action on the track known as “The Birthplace of American Endurance Racing” gets underway for the TA2 competitors on Thursday, February 23 with optional testing sessions both in the morning and in the afternoon. There are practice sessions on Friday with the crucial qualifying session in two groups from 2:00pm on Friday. The TA2 race is over 27 laps at 12:45pm on Saturday, February 25.

There is no terrestrial TV coverage of Trans Am Racing this year but the race will be shown live on YouTube and on the fantastic Trans Am App. Keep up with Trans Am driver Tom Sheehan on social media – Facebook page is Damon Racing; Instagram is TomSheehanTA97 and Twitter follow @TomTA2_97.

For more information on LTK Insulation Technologies please visit the website online at https://ltkinsulationtechnologies.com/

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Jr III Racing Kicks off SVRA Season at Sebring

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Chris Green | ChrisGreenPhoto.com

Sebring, Fla. (20 February 2023) – For ages, families have looked to escape the late winter cold with a trip to Florida in February. The SportsCar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) season-opener at Sebring International Raceway this weekend will give the drivers and crew of Jr III (“Junior-Three”) Racing the perfect chance to enjoy some summer temperatures, kick off the 2023 season of vintage racing, and hopefully head home with some new trophies.

The visit to the fabled Florida former airfield will see Jr III Racing fielding four cars for the season kick-off as the team looks to build on a productive 2022 season with a fast start to the 2023 campaign this weekend.

Marc Sharinn will return to Sebring with Jr III Racing for the fourth consecutive year, piloting a 2015 Dodge Challenger Trans Am. After competing for several years in a NASCAR Dodge Charger, Sharinn debuted the Challenger in the 2020 SVRA season opener, which saw him take home a class win as well as a second-place finish. The 2021 and 2022 seasons saw Sharinn score an additional three podium finishes in the Challenger.

Bill Glavin Jr. will pilot the No. 99 Jr III Racing BMW M2 CSR for a second year at the SVRA Sebring event. Last year, the New Hampshire native scored two fourth-place finishes in the Jr III Racing M2. Glavin has competed in the event since 2020, taking a victory as well as a runner-up result on board a 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL in his Sebring SpeedTour debut. Glavin returned for the 2021 season in a 1989 BMW M3, scoring two second-place finishes.

Jr III Racing’s stable of vintage machinery also includes the No. 76 1976 Ferrari 308 GT4 which will race in Group 12a competition in the MP1 class. The Vito Bigioni-owned and driven car will make its second appearance at Sebring, with last year’s debut cut short due to a failed head gasket. The Ferrari 308 GT4 most recently ran at Roebling Road during a Vintage Drivers Club of America (VDCA) event weekend, where Marc Sharinn posted a fast lap of 1:31.690 seconds during the feature race having been lent the car for the weekend by Vito.

“We started the year with our IMSA program at Daytona back in January, but the SVRA opener at Sebring is kind of the real kick-off to the racing season for a lot of folks,” said Billy Glavin III, owner of Jr III Racing. “It is a great tradition and even though the racing is very competitive, it is a bit more of a laid back event and you get to catch up with a lot of friends in the paddock. We’ll have a lot of time at Sebring this year between SVRA, the VP Fuels IMSA event, and then the 12 Hour, so we are looking forward to getting all of that started with a good event this weekend.”

The SVRA Sebring SpeedTour feature races will kick off on Saturday, February 25th, at 2:00 pm ET, followed by a second round of feature races on Sunday at 9:10 am ET. Feature races can be watched on the SpeedTour TV YouTube page (YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV) or live streaming on SVRA’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/svralife/).

Buescher Leads Second-Most Laps, Finishes Fourth in Wild Daytona 500 Ending

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No. 17 Fastenal Ford Earns Stage Points in Both Stages En Route to Top-5

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 19, 2023) – Chris Buescher put together a solid start to his 2023 season Sunday afternoon, finishing fourth in the Daytona 500 after earning stage points in each of the first two stages at Daytona International Speedway.

“We were up front a lot of the day between both of our cars and there is a ton to be proud of,” said Buescher after his third top-5 in the Daytona 500. “I can’t thank everyone back at RFK enough. The Fastenal Mustang was quick, and I love that. Just got a little behind there in the first overtime and survived the next one. Somehow we made it through all of that and picked up all kinds of spots. Ultimately even getting back to fourth, it should feel good, but I feel like we had more in us today and just weren’t able to hoist that trophy up.”

Buescher, who finished fourth in his Duel Thursday night, put the Fastenal machine ninth on the grid to start ‘The Great American Race.’ He and teammate Brad Keselowski showed poise early, maintaining the top-10 position through the opening laps before eventually driving up to third to end the opening stage of 65 laps.

After a pit stop for service in the stage break, he restarted 10th for stage two. When the field of Ford Mustangs hit pit road at lap 108, Buescher was unable to get position to maneuver his way to pit road, so the team stayed out and the strategy paid off, putting him P1 for the first time at lap 116. He pitted for service under a caution at lap 118 and would restart 14th with six to go in the second stage, ultimately driving back inside the top-10 for more stage points in ninth.

Following a stop for fuel only, Buescher restarted third for the final stage that saw a combined five cautions. He ran second for the opening laps of the segment before taking over at the point with 45 to go, with Keselowski in tow.

The duo hit pit road for what would’ve been the final pit stop at the time with 25 to go under green. Then, he cycled to 11th when a caution flew with 17 to go. He and Keselowski were back inside the top-6 with three to go when another caution came out, but got shuffled back for the ensuing restart. It was the first of two NASCAR overtime restarts with Buescher ninth on the inside line, before another yellow for a crash halted the field.

The amount of caution laps brought Buescher down pit road for fuel under the final caution break of the day, setting him up 17th on what was the final restart. A nine-car incident ultimately ended the race with Buescher slashing his way through to finish fourth.

The No. 17 team returns to action next week as the West Coast swing kicks off with a Sunday afternoon race at Auto Club Speedway. Race coverage is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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