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Kenny Wallace Proves A Man of Many Talents

By
SM Staff
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Kenny Wallace, known as the ‘Hermanator’ and for his unusual laugh that he sports so often on his SPEED TV gig, is indeed a man of many talents. His newest talent is as stand in for Roush Fenway Racing driver Matt Kenseth, who is expecting a new baby with wife Katie to be delivered right around the Daytona 500.

Wallace has announced that he is ready to step into Kenseth’s No. 17 Cup car for practice and qualifying during Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway if needed.  Wallace’s first chance at stepping into the car will be for practice on February 11th in preparation for the Bud Shootout.

“I got a call last night from (Roush Fenway Racing GM) Robbie Reiser, and he said Katie Kenseth is due to give birth to their second baby in a couple of weeks,” Wallace said on the radio show Sirius Speedway. “They want me to be on standby in case she goes into labor before the Bud Shootout or Gatorade Duel.”

“Matt will run the Daytona 500 no matter what, but they want me there in case they need me earlier in the week,” Wallace continued. “Even though it’s probably because I’m the same size as Matt and will fit into the seat easily, it took me about a quarter of a second to agree.”

In addition to being on baby watch, Wallace is also preparing for his talents to start his own upcoming race season.  He will be driving full-time for RAB Racing in the Nationwide Series, marking his 22nd year in that Series in 2011.

“I’ve been nervous since the final 2010 Nationwide Series race at Homestead trying to find the right fit for next year and now I can finally sleep at night,” Wallace said of his new ride. “My goal was to find a team with whom I could be competitive and I believe I have found that with RAB Racing.”

“I’m ready to go for 2011,” Wallace continued.  “I have known Robby (Benton) and watched him grow his team for the past few years. The relationship with Toyota Racing Development (TRD) is huge and will allow me to be able to work with at least three other Toyota teams, including my brother Rusty (Wallace) and gain valuable information that will help us with the Nationwide program at RAB Racing next year.”

Robby Benton, RAB Racing Co-Owner could not agree with Wallace more.  “Having our plans in place before the Christmas holiday was great for team morale and will provide us with ample time to prepare for what we need to do for the upcoming season.”

“We’ve made significant changes at RAB Racing over the last few months in an effort to elevate our program,” Benton continued.  “Our alliance with Toyota, the relationship we have with TRD and now adding Kenny to the mix, will bring some depth to our program.”

Benton also acknowledged that Wallace, with his many talents, will bring his own sense of style and personality to the team.

“It also helps tremendously having a driver with Kenny’s notoriety,” Benton said.  “People love him and hopefully we’ll be able to reinvigorate his fan base.”

Wallace will be piloting the No. 09 Toyota Camry for RAB Racing in the Nationwide Series.  To date, he and the team have secured several sponsors, including the University of Northwestern Ohio,  Federated Auto Parts, and Family Farmers, the latter being a coalition of soybean and corn farmers.

These sponsors are on board for at least 16 races as primary sponsors.  As with most race teams, however, Wallace and Benton are still looking to fill their sponsorship dance card for the remaining 18 races of the Nationwide season.

“We have a lot going on within our marketing department right now,” Benton said.  “I feel pretty confident about having all 34 races sold before the Daytona event in February.”

Lest anyone think that Wallace has just been waiting around for the NASCAR season to start, he has already been busy at the track in Daytona.  He participated in the Rolex 24, racing under the banner of TRG and the Children’s Tumor Foundation.

Wallace teamed up for the 24 hour race with fellow drivers Ron Yarab, Pierre Bourque, and Daniel Graeff.  While the team sought success on the track, they were also seeking to raise more than $1 million for the Foundation.

“I am really honored to help represent the Children’s Tumor Foundation, it’s very near and dear to my heart,” Wallace said prior to the event. “Along the way I’m a competitor, a winning race driver, and it’s fun to team up with a winning organization like TRG.”

Wallace and company finished 20th overall in the Rolex 24, after starting in the 24th position.

In addition to the Rolex 24, Wallace has been showing off his dirt track racing talent, kicking off his season for 2011.  He has seen action at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Florida and will next travel the circuit from Volusia to Eldora Speedways throughout the year.

Wallace’s final talent will emerge later in 2011 after the finale of his NASCAR Nationwide season, when he once again assumes the duties of cruise director.  Wallace will sponsor yet again his ‘Kenny Cruise 2011″ on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

Wallace will socialize on the Allure of the Seas ship, which will cruise the western Caribbean for a week.  Kenny’s 2011 cruise will leave Ft. Lauderdale on December 4th, 2011 traveling to Haiti, Jamaica and Mexico, before returning back to Florida on December 11th.

From Rolex and NASCAR Nationwide racing to filling in for an expectant Cup driver and father, as well as social directing on his own cruise, the ‘Hermanator’ is indeed a man of many talents.  And just in case that is not enough Wallace for the year, fans can also check out his famous laugh on Race Day by the Home Depot and Victory Lane on SPEED TV for yet another season.

NASCAR’s Digital Fan Clubs Who is best? Who is biggest? Who has the best value?

By
SM Staff
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In this digital age NASCAR and its drivers have begun to reach out to their fan bases via the internet. Fan based websites have gotten bigger and better every year with fan clubs going completely electronic in place of the old school paper newsletter that came through the mail.

This is the time of year that hosts the launch of most of the new fan clubs and their websites. Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Dale Jr, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart and others all either have or will soon launch their new fan clubs and in some case’s their websites. So the Fourth Turn ventured out to see what was out there. The results might surprise you.

The biggest site is not the best site. The best is not whose you might think. The most well known is light years behind and disappointing. And by the replies from the organizations combined with their sites the drivers who are most committed to their fans would perhaps surprise you. But the biggest surprise is who has the biggest and most loyal following behind them.

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”180″][/media-credit]Jimmie Johnson’s fan club takes a very fresh approach towards his fan club. Their club is free and powered by Lowes. They offer perspectives from Chad Knaus and Earl Barban, in car audio, as well updates from Jimmie. A quick registration process has you ready to be in the middle of the quest for the 6-Pack.

Their store is powered by Sports Today and offers a variety of merchandise and team 48 encrested items. Although they do offer a live race day chat and live in car audio, I was not able to find a message board or an actual chat room. The site is however, packed with information and fun things for fans of all ages. It is definitely the championship contender of the free sites. Lowes has left no corner unturned to bring the 48 fans in close to their team. Their approach is very reminiscent of Football’s extra man. By educating and illustrating they eliminate the unproductive fuss seen in many places.

Kyle Busch does not offer a fan club dedicated website. His communications director Ryan Kingsbury stated, “I really see no value in an exclusive website for fan club members, we have a very powerful online presence for all our fans via our websites and social media assets. (KyleBusch.com, Twitter.com/KyleBusch, Facebook.com/KyleBusch) We offer an exclusive e-newsletter to the Fan Club members that we give them special offers, giveaways, first details on appearances, etc…In fact we will be giving away tickets to Daytona to a couple lucky Fan Club members in the coming weeks. Aside for the items they receive in the kit, Fan Club members receive a 10% discount on all purchases at our online store (RowdyBusch.com). We will also have an autograph session at KBM in May, Fan Club members will be able to RSVP and be assured an autograph, as well as an invitation to an exclusive Fan Club meeting in October at KBM. (Which will be well worth the price of the membership) Our Fan Club numbers are up 80% over last year already, for a once a year price of $35 it’s a great value.”

Kevin Harvick’s club offers a great exclusive membership package that features lots of sponsorship involvement in the form of coupons that are included in the package sent to members. According to Fan Club President Tyler Patterson, the kit includes, a t-shirt, membership card, merchandise discount card, Kevin Harvick autograph card, decal, keychain, ink pen and mouse pad that is also a calendar complete with race dates.

Patterson added, ”Each fall, we host an open house where fan club members can come and have the opportunity to meet Kevin and get a photo/autograph and tour the race shop. This year we have decided to take our fan club event on the road and will host gatherings at Martinsville in April and Phoenix in November.”

Fan Central is an extension of KevinHarvick.com and is a basic social network site that allows fans to interact with one another. Kevin “really only uses his Twitter to interact with the fans now,” According to Patterson.

 You can also follow Kevin and Delana on Twitter. Their adventures with Mother Function and Lo are definitely not only entertaining but Delana offers Question and Answer on Race Day most weekends.

Ryan Newman will also be launching a new fan club based web site that will celebrate their 10th year of operation. They will be doing so with an entirely new concept for fan clubs. Their new site will be a micro social network. The social network style will be the first of its kind in regards to NASCAR based fan clubs.

By utilizing all of the best things about Facebook along with the NASCAR/Ryan Newman theme and connection, they hope to improve their fan experience several fold. It will work very similar to Facebook, with profiles, post interactions like Facebook and like buttons that will be race points. The race points will be used in a leader board style to allow recognition to the fan club members that post the most participated in conversations and the most well liked pictures and videos.

Ryan Newman himself will also have a profile allowing him to participate as a part of the fan club. As a part of the group he can interact with the group as a member of the fan club family rather than as an outside object of conversation. The new site will allow Ryan  more transparency and proximity to his fan base.

The site boasts bright colors and ease of use as well as its revolutionary concept. The site offers a live chat capability for its members based on events such as the Daytona 500 or news events that are taking place within the network itself. The site will be very much picture driven and allows I-Phone and I-Pad access.

The site, scheduled to launch before the Daytona 500, will seamlessly integrate the old site and its members into the new one. New members will have instant access once the new site has launched.

Four time Champion Jeff Gordon’s fan site has multiple levels. He has a pay site that features chats with Jeff and his wife. Contests and features like message boards and 24 hour chat. But he also offers a basic package that does not require a financial investment but offers family photos messages from Jeff and video’s of “Network” meetings.

His general site gives a glimpse into the world of Jeff Gordon, with information about everything from his racing and foundation to his winery and their offerings. Gordon also has launched a Hologram program to protect all of his fans from fake autographs and he allows you to enter the number from your hologram to see if yours is real.

Jeff’s commitment to his fans appears to be all year long as there were holiday messages found in archives from the last several years. Though Gordon’s blog appears to be more video in nature he keeps touch with scheduled regularity and offers a very close up view of his thoughts, his life, and his career.

The shining star of the new stars that we checked out is just getting started. His name is familiar but his face will surprise you. Bobby Dale Earnhardt’s fan commitment is second to none. His website is just forming but his internet presence is growing on a daily basis. Between Twitter and Facebook, Team Earnhardt is turning heads. Bobby isn’t just the object of this effort. Bobby is a part of this effort.

Bobby is Dale Earnhardt’s oldest grand child. He is the oldest son of Kerry Earnhardt. He is choosing to make his own way in the racing world without relying on his family or his family name although obviously he can not change that.  He is determined to make his way the old fashioned way, the way his Grandfather did, on his own. It may seem a lonely way to get there but Bobby is gathering a great many fans to walk the road with him and maybe have a good time with it too.

Although nearly every driver’s fan club was contacted, only a handful responded. These are the most dynamic and the best of the offerings sampled. It is interesting to note, that in a time when NASCAR is suffering from a lack of people in the seats and on the couch, the common course in regards to its fan clubs is distant anonymity. The drivers who seem to be making the efforts to remain accountable to the fans and to stay close to their fan base are the drivers we see time after time rise to the top of the popularity charts and on the race track as well.

It is amazing that people have missed one of the greatest stories of the off season, that of the fans of Richard Petty. The king has been off the track for quite some time as a driver but his dedication and loyalty to his fans has never changed. That dedication and loyalty was returned when the King of stock car racing entered a different kind of race one to regain control of his name, it was his faithful following that provided the muscle to make that happen. Is there a lesson to be learned in that, most definitely. Will it be embraced? Only time will tell. But it is interesting to note that the largest fan base in all of NASCAR belongs to a man who hasn’t turned the wheel of a stock car since 1992.

NASCAR By the Numbers: Day 14 in the Countdown to the DAYTONA 500

By
SM Staff
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We are counting down the days until the DAYTONA 500 using some fun facts.

Number 14

Number of Sprint Cup wins held by each Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman.

Poles won during the 1980 Cup Series by Cale Yarborough. In 1984, he became the first driver to qualify for the Daytona 500 with a top speed of more than 200 miles per hour.

Total number of races where Dale Earnhardt completed all 500 laps of the Daytona 500, which is the track record.

Car No. driven by Tony Stewart. Stewart has 39 Sprint Cup wins and two Cup Series championships in 2002 and 2005. In 2009, Stewart became the first driver/owner to win a Sprint Cup race since Ricky Rudd in 1998. He went on to win four Sprint Cup races and the Sprint Cup All- Star Challenge that season. Most recently, Stewart has been in the news for a confrontation he had with the co-owner of the Sydney Speedway over track safety concerns.

Frankie Stoddard: Still Chasing the Dream

By
SM Staff
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You have to admire Frankie Stoddard. He was the boy genius that came on the scene with Roush Racing and led the No.99 Jeff Burton team to 14 Sprint Cup wins. That’s more victories than the entire Hendrick Motorsports crew chiefs, with the notable exception of Chad Knaus, have combined. Sponsorship problems led Burton to leave for Richard Childress Racing and Stoddard headed to Bill Davis Racing. Stoddard has not visited victory lane since.

[media-credit name=”FAS Lane Racing, LLC” align=”alignright” width=”153″][/media-credit]The New Hampshire native has had to lead teams with limited financial support since. His last gig was with the Latitude 43 team of Bob Jenkins. Jenkins, also a New England native, started that team when Roush-Fenway Racing had to downsize to four teams after the 2009 season. The team that formerly had Jamie McMurray as driver was bought by Jenkins. The No. 26 team had its good moments, staying in the top 35 for most of the season and having one top 10 finish, but the resources were just not there to compete for wins and the championship, something that Stoddard has had to deal with since leaving Roush.

Today, Stoddard made the first step of what he hopes will be a competitive NASCAR Sprint Cup team, but the odds are long. Few victories come from teams other than the super teams of Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Richard Childress Racing. Stoddard’s former team, Roush Fenway Racing has struggled these last few years, and yet Stoddard is assembling Fords bought from Roush and Richard Petty Motorsports. They will be good cars, but they will be the make that hasn’t won half dozen races in the last three years. Stoddard’s cars will carry the number 32. With no hope from Jenkins that his team would move forward, Stoddard made a move.

“We’re not going to be out there knocking off Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush,” Stoddard said. “Our goal will be to run between 15th and 30th, and by doing that, to give a smaller sponsor a ton of exposure.”

That’s a heck of goal for a man who has been to victory lane as much as Stoddard. While major Sprint Cup teams command $20-25 million in sponsorship for a full season, Stoddard said his new operation can do the job – on a smaller scale – for as little as $3-4 million. “There’s an untapped market out there,” he said. “There are sponsors that want to be in this sport, but don’t have that $20 million to spend. We’re going to reach out to those companies and give them a chance to be involved.”

He is joining with Bob Reath, owner and CEO of US Chrome Corporation in this venture. Stoddard and Reath have a history. Reath and US Chrome hired Stoddard to guide driver Dana Patten in five Sprint Cup races back in 1988. With the sponsorship of Reath’s company as well as others, Stoddard hopes for the best.

As of today, no driver has been announced and no other sponsors have been announced. With the Daytona 500 only two weeks away, it appears that making the field might be a long shot, but that’s been the story of “boy genius” Frankie Stoddard since the Roush days. He has quite a resume, but this may be his biggest challenge.

HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: It was a rather vague interview that offered nothing new

By
SM Staff
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During the course of the past few days we waited in anticipation for a supposed titillating tell all interview with former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield only to discover that he had nothing to say. We were puzzled by a bizarre, million dollar, offer from an Indy Car official that doesn’t seem to have any takers. We learned what the Ganassi slam is and then we marveled at the prospect of a former unemployed home developer who is now the newest NASCAR team owner. With those thoughts in mind let’s begin with:

WAZZUP with last Tuesday’s live television interview with Jeremy Mayfield on the SPEED Channel’s “Race Hub” program? The promos for this interview suggested that the embattled driver was “finally going to get to tell his side of the story.” What we saw instead was a vague interview that offered nothing new. I truly felt sorry for “Race Hub” host Steve Byrnes who had to carefully navigate his way through an interview that was clearly going to be a waste of perfectly good television time.

The lengthy saga of Mayfield versus NASCAR began with the driver failing a mandatory drug test, back in May of 2009 that led to his indefinite suspension from the sport. It was later revealed that this test was positive for methamphetamine. However Mayfield claimed he had taken a doctor prescribed drug for an allergy condition with the over the counter medicine known as Claritin D and that combination produced a false positive. He filed suit against NASCAR and demanded his reinstatement. That action led to a lengthy series of court hearings that are still ongoing. Mayfield himself said on Tuesday that the latest round of court arguments could last as long as a year and a half.

One had the feeling that Mayfield had been carefully coached by attorneys to be extremely careful regarding comments on his legal issues with NASCAR. “I’ve got a lot things to say that I can’t obviously because of the litigation,” he said during the interview adding “I don’t want to get into anymore trouble whatsoever by what I’m saying. It’s just hard because, when you’re in this situation, there’s a lot of anger now and things could come out that wouldn’t be good for either one of us. It’s tough when you walk around everyday and you get the chance to finally tell your side of the story, there’s so much more to it that would really enlighten a lot of things that you just can’t tell.”

WAZZUP with that moment of murky confusion? That alone should have had Mayfield escorted to the men’s room with a plastic cup.

When asked by Byrnes about the prospect of his future, Mayfield said he was excited about starting a new metal recycling business but offered no details. Regarding the prospect of returning to racing. Mayfield did mention the possibility of driving for the owner of a dirt car team but again offered no details. He also expressed an interest in driving for an Indy Car, as well as drag racing, if the conditions were right saying “I don’t want to struggle anymore.”

Perhaps Mayfield is saving all of the enlightening details for some future tell all book. Again, his appearance on the “Race Hub” last Tuesday was a vague interview that offered nothing new.

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HOORAH to five time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson for placing his family first and declining a high dollar offer that would have had him driving in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca Cola 600 on the same day. That offer came from Indy Car CEO Randy Bernard who offered some high profile NASCAR drivers $1 million for taking on both prestigious events plus a $20 million bonus to any driver who could win both of the races on the same day. This high dollar offer was reported to be part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500.

Although he said there’s a part of him that always wanted to drive the Indy 500, Johnson’s decision to decline the offer was based on the time he would have to spend away from his wife and daughter during the month of May. Preparations for the Indy 500 alone take approximately three weeks. That schedule would have been in addition to his NASCAR Sprint Cup commitments which includes stops at Darlington and Dover during the month of May as well as the All Star Race and the Coca Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

By the way, another HOORAH goes to Rick Hendrick, Johnson’s team owner, for a great comment after learning his champion driver had turned down the Indy offer. Hendrick described Johnson’s potential time away from family as a “deal breaker” and said “his wife’s against it, and she’s got a lot of stroke in that deal.”

WAZZUP with this Indy Car offer being made to begin with? Recent reports indicates that drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Kasey Kahne have not responded to Bernard’s double duty race day offer and driver Sam Hornish Jr. has made it clear that he doesn’t want to return to the Indy Car ranks.

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Talk about a way to start off a new year: HOORAH to team owner Chip Ganassi who had the pleasure of watching his Grand American Rolex Series teams, with drivers Scott Pruett and Scott Dixon, finish one-two at the conclusion of 24 Hours of Daytona last weekend. Ganassi teams has now won four of the most prestigious motorsports events in the nation within a period of 12 months. That list includes the Daytona 500, the Indy 500, the Brickyard 500 and now the 24 Hours of Daytona. That accomplishment has been appropriately titled “The Ganassi Slam.”

HOORAH to NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner Kevin Buckler primary owner of TRG, The Racer’s Group, who watched his team, led by driver Andy Lally, win the GT Class portion of the 24 hour race. Lally, an occasional visitor to the Sprint Cup Series, won the pole during qualifying but a technical glitch during post race inspection put the car at the back of the field. Making this win even more difficult was the fact that the TRG driver team ran the last 17 hours of the race without a working clutch.

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The final HOORAH of the week goes to Joe Denette a long time native of Spotsylvania County-Virginia. Who’s that you ask? Denette is the newest team owner in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series under some very special circumstances.

In 2009 economics found Denette laid off from his long time job in the home development industry. But that all changed in May of that year when Denette won the Virginia Lottery Mega Millions worth $75.6 million. He opted for the lump sum payment of $47.8 million.

A long time NASCAR fan, Denette decided to create his own race team and enlisted the aid of Hermie Sadler, NASCAR driver-SPEED Channel reporter, to help him with the massive details. Denette Racing will begin its maiden voyage this year working out of a newly acquired shop in Huntersville-North Carolina. They have already made a very smart move by aligning themselves with Kevin Harvick Inc who will provide the new team with chassis and technical support. Another smart move was the recent signing of up and coming truck series driver Jason White who will be bringing his long time sponsor, Gun Brokers Dot Com, with him.

Kentucky Speedway Corporate Offices to Open in Sparta Feb. 7

By
Official Release
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KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY CORPORATE OFFICES TO OPEN IN SPARTA FEB. 7

SPARTA, Ky. – Kentucky Speedway will open its new corporate offices at 1 Speedway Drive, Sparta, Ky., 41086 on Monday, Feb. 7.

The expanded two-story building previously known as the track’s Fan Center will feature new ticket areas, conference rooms and offices that will house and support all communications, sales, marketing and administrative functions. Ticket and employee phone extensions will not change. The new location is accessible from I-71 Exit 57 and Ky Hwy. 35 N.

“Our move to Sparta just a few weeks in advance of the Daytona 500 only heightens the excitement surrounding our first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. We are eager to welcome our fans and business partners to our new home,” Kentucky Speedway General Manager Mark Simendinger said.

Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon, five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, and their fellow Sprint Cup Series stars make their Kentucky Speedway debut in a 400-mile race July 9. The event will conclude Kentucky Speedway’s season-opening weekend which also features a 225-mile NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race July 7 and 300-mile NASCAR Nationwide Series event July 8.

The season continues Oct. 1 with a return NASCAR Camping World Truck Series engagement and an Oct. 2 open-wheel doubleheader featuring a 300-mile IZOD IndyCar Series battle and 100-mile Firestone Indy Lights sprint.

Tickets and reserved campsites for all events and weekends can be reserved now at http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com or by phone at 888-652-7223.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KySpeedway http://www.twitter.com/KySpeedway / Facebook: http://bit.ly/KYSFB http://bit.ly/KYSFB

BOULDER CANYON NATURAL FOODS KETTLE CHIPS TO MAKE NASCAR DEBUT AT SUBWAY FRESH FIT 500(tm)

By
Official Release
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Fastest growing “natural kettle” potato chip brand partners with NASCAR facility

(PHOENIX, Ariz.) – Boulder CanyonT Natural Foods has joined the Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) family of corporate partners, PIR President Bryan R. Sperber announced today. Boulder Canyon will make its debut February 24-27 during PIR’s SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500T NASCAR event weekend.

Boulder Canyon Natural Foods is a subsidiary of Inventure Foods (Nasdaq: SNAK). In addition to the fast growing all-natural snack food company, Inventure’s brands include JambaR All-Natural Smoothies, Burger King snacks, T.G.I. Friday’sR snacks, Poore BrothersR Kettle Cooked Potato Chips, Tato SkinsR, Braids Pretzels, Bob’s Texas StyleR potato chips and Rader Farms premium frozen fruits.

“The Phoenix International Raceway partnership is a great fit for Boulder Canyon,” said Terry McDaniel, President and CEO for Inventure Foods. “The Raceway is a Phoenix fixture that offers a truly unique entertainment experience. We’re looking forward to being part of the memories created this season.”

Tickets for the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500T on Feb. 27 are available now and start at just $25. For Phoenix International Raceway tickets and information, call 866-408-RACE (7223) or visit PhoenixRaceway.com. Let the GO begin.

Phoenix International Raceway’s corporate partners include: Anheuser Busch, Bashas’ Supermarkets, Bennett Lane Winery/Turn 4 Wine, Casino Arizona, Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, Gatorade, Lucas Oil, Sprint, SUBWAY, The Home Depot, Amkus, Banner Health, Crown Royal, Ford Motor Company, GEICO Insurance, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inventure Foods/ Boulder CanyonT Natural Foods, Kimberly-Clark Professional, Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse, Mars Snackfood, Meguiar’s Inc., New Holland North America, Safety-Kleen, Perky Jerky, O’Reilly Auto Parts, ServiceMaster Clean, Southwest Ambulance, Sunoco, 3 Amigo’s Tequila, Toyota, and UPS.

This partnership between Boulder Canyon Natural Foods and International Speedway Corporation’s Phoenix International Raceway and Daytona International Speedway was arranged in part by Valley-based strategy firm AP & Associates, LLC.

“The opportunity to work with PIR to facilitate this project for Boulder Canyon Natural Foods was very exciting,” said Alan M. Powell, Chairman and CEO of AP & Associates, LLC. “The brand’s synergy with NASCAR’s demographic made a launch at Phoenix International Raceway this February a reality and we’re also excited to bring Boulder Canyon chips to Daytona International Speedway this summer.”

For more on AP & Associates, visit: http://apscottsdale.com.

About Boulder Canyon Natural Foods

Boulder CanyonT Natural Foods is a member of the Inventure Foods (Nasdaq:SNAK) family of Intensely DifferentT specialty brands. The Company’s better-for-you and indulgent food brands include licensed brands T.G.I. Friday’sR, BURGER KINGR and JambaR, as well as Inventure Foods owned brands Boulder CanyonT Natural Foods, Rader FarmsR, Poore BrothersR, Tato SkinsR and Bob’s Texas StyleR.

About Phoenix International Raceway

Since 1964, Phoenix International Raceway has served race fans as the premier motorsports venue in the Southwest. Watch the brightest stars in NASCAR take on PIR’s famed one-mile oval – including five-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart and many more – on February 27, 2011 in the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500T. Tickets for the entire SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500T weekend at Phoenix International Raceway can be purchased online at PhoenixRaceway.com/Tickets http://www.PhoenixRaceway.com/Tickets or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223). For more, visit PhoenixRaceway.com http://PhoenixRaceway.com/ , Facebook.com/PhoenixRaceway http://Facebook.com/PhoenixRaceway/ and Twitter.com/PhoenixRaceway http://Twitter.com/PhoenixRaceway/ .

JTG DAUGHERTY RACING ANNOUNCES 2011 SPONSOR LINE-UP FOR CHAMPION DRIVER BOBBY LABONTE AND THE NO. 47 TOYOTA CAMRY TEAM

By
Official Release
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CORNELIUS, N.C. (February 4, 2010) – JTG Daugherty Racing is proud to announce their sponsor line-up for the No. 47 Toyota Camry as 2000 Series champion Bobby Labonte competes for a spot in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase.

“Thanks to our sponsors we are primed to meet our ultimate goal and that’s to be in the Chase for the championship,” Labonte said. “JTG Daugherty Racing has the good fortune of being associated with some of the best brands in the business and that will allow us to be in position to be a contender.”

“We are indeed fortunate to have substantial corporate partners lined up again for 2011 and to have a driver of Bobby’s caliber piloting the No 47 Toyota,” said JTG Daugherty Racing co-owner Tad Geschickter. “Bobby is a proven winner and he will help us achieve our goals of winning races and selling cases for our sponsors.”

To kick off the season, Labonte leads JTG Daugherty into their first-ever Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. For the 33rd annual event, the team is proud to announce a new partnership with Cequent, a TriMas company, and the Reese Towpower® brand.  Reese Towpower® hitches will sponsor the No. 47 Toyota for the first time during the Shootout on Saturday February 12. In addition, Reese will sponsor the car in the All-Star event at Charlotte Motor Speedway and return as primary at Pocono Raceway in August. Reese Towpower®Towpower has pioneered the technology that has set the standard for today’s most advanced towing.

For the Daytona 500, The Kroger Co. returns as primary sponsor of the No. 47 Toyota. The Kroger Co., the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer, employs more than 334,000 associates who serve customers in 2,461 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states. The Kroger family of stores includes:  Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith’s.  

In 2011, Kroger is partnering with the USO to celebrate the 70th anniversary as the leading organization that provides morale-boosting programs and services to enhance the quality of life for troops and their families around the world.  In honor of our retired and active duty members of the military and their families, Kroger is donating $400,000 to the USO during the pre-race ceremonies at the 2011 DAYTONA 500.
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As a special tribute, Kroger and JTG Daugherty Racing have placed a very special logo on the hood of the No. 47 car for the DAYTONA 500. The logo includes the names of more than 350 Kroger associates from across the country who are active duty and reservist members of our nation’s military. These men and women have served in our armed forces while employed by the Kroger family of stores. 

“It is such a privilege to be able to have a small part in thanking the men and women in uniform for the service they provide to our country and communities to keep us safe,” Labonte said. “I’m proud to carry the USO logo on our Toyota Camry. It’s pretty special for all of us at JTG Daugherty Racing to be able to do that thanks to Kroger and all of our partners behind this program.”

Every sponsor is significant to the racing program’s success, but one has been with JTG Daugherty Racing every step of the way. Kingsford® Charcoal returns to the team for its 14th year to remind fans that ‘Racing Season is Grilling Season’. Kingsford® Charcoal will be primary at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway (April), Dover International Speedway (May), Charlotte Motor Speedway (May), Daytona International Speedway (July) and Michigan International Speedway (August).

Just after Vegas, the familiar face of Little Debbie® can be seen on Labonte’s car at Auto Club Speedway. Since 1960, Little Debbie® snacks have remained a value leader. More than 75 varieties are available.

Following the 400-mile event in California, Lance® Sandwich Crackers takes over the reins for the April event at Martinsville Speedway. Labonte’s machine will also fly the Lance® colors at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway (October). Since its inception in 1913, Lance® has been dedicated to providing fresh, great tasting snack options for a busy lifestyle.

Shifting from snacks to famous baked beans, Bush Brothers & Company returns for their ninth year with the team and Bush’s® Baked Beans will be a primary of the No. 47 Toyota Camry for seven races including Texas Motor Speedway (April), Talladega Superspeedway (April), Bristol Motor Speedway (August), Atlanta Motor Speedway (September), New Hampshire Motor Speedway (September), Dover International Speedway (October) and Kansas Speedway (October).

Another longstanding team partner, Clorox® launches their first of six primary races at Phoenix International Raceway in February. They are also slated to prominently be displayed at Kansas Speedway (June), Pocono Raceway (June), Infineon Raceway, Texas Motor Speedway (October), and Phoenix International Raceway (November). Clorox® branded products promote healthy habits both at home and in the classroom and helps prevent the spread of cold and flu germs along with many other uses. Clorox® will be leveraging their sponsorship to remind race fans that their brand is the world’s most effective disinfectant.

JTG Daugherty Racing is proud to announce partnership renewal with Kimberly-Clark Corporation. Kimberly-Clark Corporation will highlight several key brand introductions by taking primary space for the races at Kentucky Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, and the October event at Talladega Superspeedway.  Every day, 1.3 billion people trust Kimberly-Clark products and the solutions they provide to make their lives better with well-known family care and personal care brands such as Cottenelle® Kleenex®, Scott® Products, Viva, Huggies®, Kotex®, Poise® and Depend.

JTG Daugherty Racing has signed the RainEater wiper blade brand to have primary billing at Michigan International Speedway in June. RainEater is the industries newest aftermarket wiper blade brand offering consumers superior all-weather performance with their aerodynamic frameless and full feature traditional wiper blades.

“JTG Daugherty Racing is thriving and signing new sponsors in addition to activating existing partnerships,” crew chief Frank Kerr said. “It’s exciting to be part of the company’s growth. We have a fresh start with strong backing from our sponsors and the addition of a champion driver. We’re very confident about this year and ready for Daytona.”

Associate sponsorships for 2011 include Glad® Bags & Wraps, KC Masterpiece®, Hidden Valley®, Tom’s®, Coca-Cola®, and Sullivan-Palatek®.   

“We have all the right ingredients and personnel in place to be successful,” Labonte said. “We are extremely focused and serious about being one of 12 teams competing for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship and we have the ability to do it thanks to all of our great partners.”

Brian Thiel Set to Shake Up Nitro Funny Car; 22 Events Planned for Rookie

By
Official Release
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February 3, 2011 – Brownsburg, Indiana – Brian Thiel, owner and driver of the BTR N&S Tractor Case IH Dodge Charger Nitro Funny car announced today his plans to attend all 22 NHRA Full Throttle events this season along with being a contender for the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award.

With the Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals season opener just weeks away, BTR is eager to compete at all 22 events with veteran tuner Johnny West, who will continue to work with the Road to the Future contender Brian Thiel throughout the Full Throttle season.

Entering just three events last season BTR was able to qualify at the team’s first event in Seattle and accomplishing the team’s goal of further establishing BTR as a competitive nitro funny car team.

Building the BTR Funny Car team from the ground up into a prospective Top Ten finisher is a lifelong dream of BTR owner Brian Thiel, who is also the first rookie to hold the position as owner/driver in several years. Furthering their dedication and anticipation for the Full Throttle series to begin, BTR was the first team to register for not only the Winternationals, but all 22 events this season.

“BTR is committed to the Full Throttle series” said Thiel,” We have invested heavily to align our team with the respected talent, equipment and operations to remain competitive for years to come. This is still a very new business to myself and BTR. As we clear the hurdles ahead of us it will continue to show the sponsors and fans that a hardworking team and all-American farmer can compete with the mega dollar teams in the class” stated Brian Thiel.

“We are very excited to have a new affiliation with the Future Farmers of America, Lucas Oil, 3M products, GoPro cameras, Fram, Prestone and Autolite, as well as the Double Tree Hotel of Claremont and Blanco Basura for the Pomona event. We also want to welcome back our partners at N&S Tractor Supply, the official BTR Case IH dealer” continued Thiel. Follow www.BrianThielRacing.com all year long and see the exciting videos and images created weekly.

About Brian Thiel Racing (BTR): BTR is a newly established premier Nitro Funny Car team that competes on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Brian Thiel is the team owner and Funny Car driver. The BTR team is based in Brownsburg, IN, but originated in Pleasant Grove, Calif., where Thiel farms 4000 acres of rice.

MAKE Motorsports Bringing ‘Green’ to Daytona with Liberty Tire Recycling

By
Official Release
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Primary Sponsor of No. 50 Silverado Spreading Message to Reclaim, Reuse and Recycle

Shelby, NC (February 1, 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.

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: 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, whole tire to end product. The company’s commitment to finding new and better ways to RECLAIM, RECYCLE and REUSE fuses the sustainability goals of scrap tire generators nationwide with those of local scrap rubber consumers. For more information, visit http://www.libertytire.com/ www.LibertyTire.com.

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 http://www.makemotorsports.com/ www.MAKEMotorsports.com, Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/MAKEMotorsports www.Twitter.com/MAKEMotorsports.

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