DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 8, 2011) – – In 2002, Kelly Clarkson became the very first American Idol by stretching her vocal cords with her smashing debut hit, “A Moment Like This.” While Owensboro, Kentucky native Brett Hudson may not fit into her particular music genre; Hudson though admits that his “Moment Like This” will come this Saturday afternoon when the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards takes the green flag in the 2011 season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

Hudson, 23 will attempt to make his 22^nd career ARCA start at “The World Center of Racing” but his first ever at a superspeedway. In fact, the famed street-stock driver hasn’t participated in an ARCA race over a mile-long since 2008. So, when the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona revs up this Saturday on SPEED, Hudson will be looking to make up for lost time.

With the help of veteran ARCA crew chief John Hayden, car chief Jared Bartlett, Joey Arrington and Tony Cola from Arrington Engines, Gene Patient of Gene Patient Fabrication and a host of volunteers, Hudson’s dream of competing on a restrictor plate track will come to life. The Brett Hudson Motorsports (BHM) team returns to the 2.5-mile monster on a waive of momentum after solid testing results last month proved that the team’s No. 94 Hudson Performance Drivelines Dodge Charger will be competitive.

While Hudson would like to think he has a shot at winning the biggest race of the season, the Bluegrass native is staying realistic and is just hoping to leave the track with a strong finish and security that he still can pedal to the front.

“This is a dream come true,” said Hudson, who carries a career-best finish of fourth at Salem (Ind.) Speedway in 2007. “We’ve been trying hard for so many years to make this dream a reality and with the help of so many people; we’re finally going to be able to make it happen.”

With the recent re-pavement of the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Hudson won’t know what to expect compared to the old bumpy and decisive DIS, but he admits he has more than just the anticipation of new asphalt to worry about.

“I really don’t have a whole lot of drafting experience, so I’m optimistic to see how much everyone is going to work with me during the race,” Hudson explained. “The good thing is that our team has a lot of experience and I’ll have a great set of eyes from above in the spotter’s stand, so hopefully when it’s time to go, I’ll be ready and have a buddy or two.”

He continued, “Our biggest goal right now is to qualify strong, keep our No. 94 Hudson Performance Drivelines Dodge Charger on the yellow line and have a shot when that white flag is drawn.”

When asked what his 2011 racing season will consist of, Hudson replied with, “hopefully more than the past couple of years. It’s hard not to be able to race on a more consistent basis, but this is a family-owned team, so with sponsorship still being tough these days, we’re watching and saving our pennies. Hopefully if we leave Daytona clean, we’ll go to Talladega in April. If not, we’ll just see where we land.”

In addition to Hudson Performance Drivelines, Arrington Engines, G&A Trucking, Gene Patient Fabrication (GPF) and Warricktubing.com join the team as associate marketing partners in Saturday’s season-opener. 

Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available for this weekend’s activities. Interested parties are encouraged to contact Lisa Hudson of Brett Hudson Motorsports at 270.929.2160 or hudson00@adelphia.net.

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona (80 laps / 200 miles) is the first of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 48^th ARCA race held at Daytona is a three-day show. Practice begins Thursday, February 10 with a four hour practice session planned from 1:00-5:00 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for Friday, February 11 slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. A forty-five minute final practice session is etched in on Saturday, February 12^th from 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. The event will take the green flag later that day shortly after 4:30 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage including live timing and scoring and radio broadcast through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com.  All times are local.

LAKE BALBOA, CALIF. (February 7, 2011) – The 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will be joined by talented 19 year-old rookie Joey Licata, Jr. driving for Cunningham Motorsports.

Licata, a member of the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle driver development program, won back-to-back championship in the ASA TRUCK SERIES and also won his first career NASCAR Modified race in 2010.  Licata also made several starts for Tim Huddleston’s High Point Racing at TOYOTA Speedway in a NASCAR Late Model.

With crew chief Jonathan Davis at the helm, the Kerry Sherer-owned Cunningham Motorsports should be a threat right out of the box at Daytona.  Cunningham Motorsports is most notably known for its success in 2009 with Penske Development Driver Parker Kligerman, who finished second in the standings with nine victories as a rookie.

A litany of talented drivers has competed for the team over the years, including Josh Wise, Kevin Swindell, Scott Lagasse, Jr., and more.

Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle is a NASCAR-oriented driver development program that works with an international roster of talented drivers who have the commitment and potential to succeed in NASCAR racing.

The success Licata enjoyed throughout 2010 on the West Coast earned him the opportunity to test with Cunningham Motorsports last fall.  Licata impressed team representatives in the testing session and was offered the chance to drive for Cunningham in 2011.

Licata made his official ARCA Racing Series debut at Rockingham Speedway, where he practiced in the top-three all day for Marks Racing before a practice crash ended his weekend early.

Poised to make a big impact this season, Licata came out of the gate with a huge performance in the Daytona testing in January.  Although it was his first experience on the freshly repaved Daytona International Speedway, Licata ran sixth overall for the week out of nearly 60 competitors that participated.  His best speed was 185.670 miles per hour.

Licata is looking forward to competing in the “Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200” at Daytona, which will be live on SPEED on February 12.

“Winning the race isn’t that far fetched on this one with all the updates we have made since the test,” Licata said.  “It’s a privilege to be racing for Cunningham Motorsports and a big step in my career.”

Licata will be the first driver from Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle to compete in the ARCA Racing Series

“I truly feel that Joey has earned this opportunity and has the skills to make the most of it,” Driver Coach Ron Sutton said.  “Joey has the talent to race with the best of them and is very prepared to succeed in ARCA and beyond!”

Joey Licata, Jr. Racing and Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle thank partners: K&N Filters, Scribner Plastics, Allstar Performance, Sunoco Race Fuels, and Star Racing Supply.  Licata would also like to thank supporters Jordan Kidushim and Luke Forstmann.

Joey Licata, Jr. Racing is online at www.joeylicata.com

For more information on Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle, log on to www.winners-circle-racing.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 8, 2011) – – Set to make his second-career ARCA Racing Series (ARS) presented by Menards start at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway this Saturday afternoon for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, ARCA newcomer Chad Hackenbracht is undoubtedly looking for some redemption.

The 19-year old rising star qualified for his first ever ARCA race last February after a previous year of grueling testing in preparation for his limited outings in 2010. Hackenbracht qualified his No. 58 Tastee Apple Chevrolet Impala SS on-time in the 31^st position. In the first two laps of the event, Hackenbracht had drafted into the top-25 but when an accident occurred on lap six, the fast speeds and close competition engulfed the CGH Motorsports team into the incident and relegated them to a disappointing 40^th place finish.

A year later, armed with a new Chevrolet Impala SS and rejuvenated confidence, the former Legends Car Series (LCS) driver returns to the “World Center of Racing” looking to prove that he can master the high banks of Daytona.

“I’m looking forward to Daytona this week,” said Hackenbracht, who aims to make his 10^th career ARCA start this weekend. “We came to the test and even though we produced a top-10 time in the overall session, it wasn’t enough. We’ve made some significant changes to our CGH Motorsports race car and I’m anticipating a solid start to the season for us.”

While it can be somewhat painful to rehash on the past, Hackenbracht admits he learned something last February and doesn’t plan to find himself in the same situation again. “That was my first ever restrictor plate race,” the New Philadelphia Ohio native recalled. “We had a good car and were steadily making our way through the field and all heck broke loose ahead of us. I tried to avoid it but we were swept into it along with some other cars. It stunk. It was hard to swallow. You cannot predict what is going to happen at a place like Daytona or Talladega, but being involved in the wreck did make me more aware of what is going on ahead of me.”

Hackenbracht continued, “With our team set to make a run at this championship, we know that we really can’t afford any errors. Our goals are much like the other teams. We want to qualify as near to the front as possible; then find our comfort zone in the race and be able to find ourselves at the right spot at the right time when the checkered flag is near. Hopefully, we used our mulligan at Daytona last year.”

In addition to Tastee Apple, Performance Vehicle Works (PVW) will join the Concord-North Carolina based team as an associate marketing partner for the ARCA season-opener at Daytona. PVW, also located in Concord, North Carolina is a full-service body and repair company owned by former Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates repair master head Timmy McKichan.

“I’m extremely appreciative of Timmy and his team for stepping up and helping out not only with the car but as an associate marketing partner this weekend at Daytona. I didn’t know Timmy before December, but once we were introduced, we really clicked and he really has been helpful in making sure that our team is heading in the right direction. We’re glad to have him on our side.”

Veteran spotter Tobi Whealdon will guide Hackenbracht as the frontstretch spotter for Hackenbracht’s third ever restrictor plate race Saturday afternoon. Current NASCAR driver and mentor J.C. Stout will serve as the team’s backstretch spotter on race day. 

In addition to Tastee Apple, Axel Fuel, the Official Energy Drink of CGH Motorsports, Metal Parts Manufacturing, Portable Shades, R2C Performance and Xflex Racers Tape join the family-owned team as associate marketing partners in Saturday’s season-opener. 

CGH Motorsports is actively seeking additional marketing partners for the full 2011 ARCA Racing Series schedule. Single, multi and full-season placements are available on the team’s No. 58 entries. Interested parties are urged to contact Jordan Dahl at 570.234.5449 or jordandahl@cghmotorsports.com.   

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona (80 laps / 200 miles) is the first of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 48^th ARCA race held at Daytona is a three-day show. Practice begins Thursday, February 10 with a four hour practice session planned from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for Friday, February 11 slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. A forty-five minute final practice session is etched in on Saturday, February 12^th from 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. The event will take the green flag later that day shortly after 4:30 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage including live timing and scoring and radio broadcast through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com.  All times are local.

For more information on Chad Hackenbracht and CGH Motorsports, please visit ChadHackenbracht.com and CGHMotorsports.com.

About CGH Motorsports:

CGH Motorsports (CGHMotorsports.com), established in 2007 by Ohio entrepreneur Greg Hackenbracht is located in a 10,000 sq. foot facility located in Concord, North Carolina. CGH Motorsports is home of rising sensation Chad Hackenbracht, who competed in nine ARCA Racing Series races in 2010 after an aggressive ARCA testing schedule in 2009. Chad Hackenbracht is the 2008 National Asphalt Legends champion, winning 33 percent of his races and finishing in the top-10, 85 percent of the events he competed in. The team will step up their commitment from a partial schedule and prepare for a hopeful full-season ARCA championship assault beginning in February 2011.

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 8, 2011) – – A lot is riding on the performance of Goshen New York’s Sean Corr and his Empire Racing team as the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards kicks off their 2011 schedule this Saturday afternoon at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona.

However, the pressure of figuring out the core; or the foundation of the newly re-paved 2.5-mile speedway is far from the mind of expected ARCA full-time driver Corr when he climbs behind the wheel of his No. 82 Empire Racing Ford Fusion this week.

Displeased with their performance at the open ARCA Racing Series test last month at the famed Daytona Beach, Florida racetrack, the Empire Racing team led by team manager John Bellesfield and crew chief Richard Johns literally went back to the drawing board; to square one with a new game plan.

Following a private test at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, which yielded better results, the team is optimistic about returning to the “World Center of Racing” for the first of 19 events this season.

“This plate racing is nerve racking,” offered Corr, who will attempt to run for the ARCA championship title in 2011. “The adrenaline starts running before you even leave the shop and continues until you cross underneath that tunnel for the ride home. Despite the tension though, I’m ready to go!”

To help ease his thoughts about the “what if’s”; Corr will strap himself into the driver’s seat of the 18-wheeler Empire Racing hauler and make the eight or so hour trip to the Sunshine State.

“Several of the “bosses” of the team are trying to get me away from driving the truck and concentrate on other things, but it’s my sanctuary,” joked Corr. “I dial in some good tunes, listen to what others are talking about on the C.B. radio and just head South. It relaxes me to drive the hauler and I know personally that the race cars and equipment are getting to the track. I’m sure I’ll get demoted to just the race car driver at some point this year, but I’m going to enjoy it (driving the hauler) as long as I can.”

When Corr’s real job begins on Thursday, with a four-hour practice session, the avid dirt pro stock competitor admits the fun goes away for a little at least, while the seriousness of what has to be done intensifies. Though, Corr confesses, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’m a race car driver; that is what I do,” Corr sounded. “Obviously, we’ve done a lot of work since the Daytona test, but I think we’ll be just fine. We have to use the time allotted to us to our advantage. After qualifying is over on Friday afternoon, I’ll relax a little before buckling in on Saturday afternoon and hope to give the Empire Racing team a finish to shout about.”

The thoughts of capturing a top-five finish or even winning his first ARCA Racing Series race at Daytona is humbling, especially since the Empire Racing team elected to bring a different Ford Fusion back for the kickoff of Speedweeks 2011.

“We took two cars to Talladega and after lengthy discussions, we decided to go with the back-up car as our primary,” stated former Empire Racing crew chief now manager Bellesfield. “We know we have to go to Daytona with our ducks-in-a-row and most importantly get in the show. Once the green flag flies on Saturday, we have the up most faith that Sean and our spotter Keith Barnwell will put us in contention.”

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona (80 laps / 200 miles) is the first of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 48^th ARCA race held at Daytona is a three-day show. Practice begins Thursday, February 10 with a four hour practice session planned from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for Friday, February 11 slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. A forty-five minute final practice session is etched in on Saturday, February 12^th from 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. The event will take the green flag later that day shortly after 4:30 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage including live timing and scoring and radio broadcast through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com.  All times are local.

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