Jan 11-13 ARCA Open Test at Daytona Kicks of 2011 Season

WELCOME, N.C. (January 10, 2011) – Tim George Jr. returns to Richard Childress Racing’s driver lineup for 2011 as fulltime driver of the No. 31 RCR Chevrolet in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. George is also expected to compete in a limited NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule in 2011.

In addition to George, Ty Dillon will compete in the full 2011 ARCA Racing Series schedule this season, driving the No. 41 RCR Chevrolet. They join Paul Menard (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series), Kevin Harvick (NSCS), Jeff Burton (NSCS), Clint Bowyer (NSCS), Austin Dillon (NCWTS) and Joey Coulter (NCWTS) as drivers competing under the RCR banner this year.

George, who will once again pair with veteran crew chief Gere Kennon, will make his first ARCA laps of 2011 in an RCR entry this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as part of an ARCA Open Test at Daytona. The 30-year-old New York, N.Y., native also spent last weekend at the “World Center of Racing” behind the wheel of a Grand-Am Rolex GT Series car as part of that series’ test session for the 24 hours of Daytona, in which George is scheduled to compete.

In 2010, George’s first full season of competition as an RCR driver, he continued a progression into stock car auto racing that began in 2008 with his most successful season in ARCA to date. In addition to earning two top-five and five top-10 finishes over the course of the 20-race ARCA Racing Series season, highlights of the year included leading laps and battling for the win during the late stages of the series’ race at New Jersey Motorsports Park and leading laps at Talladega Superspeedway en route to a third-place finish.

George has spent the last four years focusing on stock car racing but has an extensive road course racing background. In fact, the New York, N. Y., native has one win and three podium finishes at Road America in the Skip Barber Racing Series, and was the 2008 Grand-Am Rolex GT Series Rookie of the Year.

The Daytona Slick Mist 200 is live on SPEED on Saturday, February 12, 2011, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

About Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing has earned more than 190 victories and 12 NASCAR championships, including six in the Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its 2011 Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Paul Menard (No. 27 Menard’s Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet) and Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet). Its Camping World Truck Series program includes 2010 Rookie of the Year Austin Dillon (No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Joey Coulter, Jr. (No. 22 RCR Development Chevrolet). Tim George Jr. (No 31 RCR Development Chevrolet) and Ty Dillon (No. 41 Chevrolet) will compete in the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

(LIMA, Ohio) – Going to school at 8 a.m. on a cold, dreary Saturday should not seem the most appealing of activities, unless you’re an ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards official who wakes up far earlier on multiple weekends throughout the summer and race season anyway.  

Over 40 series race officials attended a preseason training session Saturday at the Dr. Jeffrey A. Jarvis High Performance Motorsports Complex at the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH), the official High Performance Education University of ARCA. There, the officials spent their day rotating through four hands-on stations, detailing everything from fuel cells to shock measurements, as well as two classroom sessions explaining in-race and pit road procedures.  

Chris Ford, an ARCA Racing Series official from Colmar, Pa., near Philadelphia, helped fellow officials to understand inspections under a car, covering topics like brakes, exhaust, springs, drive shafts, and trailing arms. Even as a veteran of three seasons with the series, Ford found the annual primer helpful.  

“It’s important, especially coming up to Daytona. A lot of things we’re going over today are mainly for the Daytona race, and also Talladega, because the rules are different on springs and things like that. Teams will do certain things to get by, so we need to be aware,” said Ford. He was just one of several officials who traveled from out-of-state to attend the session, joining men and women from Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, and even St. Louis, Mo. – in addition to a number from the Toledo area.  

Series official Tony Ortega stressed exact numbers, not estimates, to the officials attending his breakout session on templates.  

“No guesswork,” said Ortega, explaining the importance of using a template to measure spoiler width. “It’s three-sixteenths of an inch all the way across.”  

Touching the top side of the spoiler, he was certain to ensure uniformity in the spoiler’s shape.   “It can’t be tapered. It’s square throughout.”  

While many attending the training program were ARCA veterans hoping to add a refresher to their seasons of experience, some officials this season are making their first foray into the series after coming from other mechanical backgrounds.  

“We’re refreshing our procedures for our existing officials, but we have some new people here and this is all new to them. They’re getting their first taste at going through the cars in the inspection process,” said Joe Wells, vice president of competition for ARCA. “A lot of these officials may have been involved with teams, but this is a side of racing they’re not used to. They look at things one way as a competitor, and as officials, we see it a different way.”  

Though Wells is one of several with a hand in annually composing the Official Rule Book, he maintained that the true garage environment at UNOH is a far more effective training tool than a piece of paper.  

“The hands-on element is really helpful. You can write all of this stuff on paper and have diagrams, but when you can put a template in your hand and then on the car, or take a tape measure, and look at, feel, and touch the actual car, it’s easier to stick on the brain,” Wells said.  

Steve Farmer, the vice president of development for UNOH, is at the heart of the university’s effort with ARCA, and in turn, the applied education for the series’ officials.  

“The key thing is having a facility where the officials can come and spread out and have the space for various stations. Having the ARCA officials on site today gives more credibility to the program (UNOH) has with ARCA as the official education partner.”  

To say UNOH’s motorsports complex is merely a fitting space for ARCA’s training session is to severely undersell it. At 75,000 square feet, the High Performance Motorsports Complex stands out as a location where ARCA officials can truly learn.  

“You’re looking at a building with eight different compartments: custom engine-building, engine-building, fabrication, high-performance welding, high-performance chassis, steering and suspension, accessories trends, and a dyno building with four dyno machines,” Farmer said, before additionally noting that the dyno building houses the college’s motorsports team, which races four modifieds and three stock cars every week at another university property, Limaland Motorsports Park.  

“This session is more of a real-life experience, like the officials would have at a race track, with the different stations they’re running. Our kids are pretty proud that we have this relationship with ARCA, and that they get to be affiliated with that.”  

The 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season will mark the sanctioning body’s 59th year of competition and commences with the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 12. The event will air live on SPEED.

The complete 2011 event schedule is available at ARCARacing.com.   The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. The series tests the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, annually visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 10, 2011) – – As the 2011 racing season draws near, the thought of the first green flag of the season can make a heartbeat jump. And while most race car drivers are nestling in with their teams and focusing on their objectives for the new year, rising sensation Chad Hackenbracht has been nose-deep in the books of his Freshman year as a student at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.

  This week though, 19-year old Chad Hackenbracht will exchange those books for a steering wheel and grasp a permission slip from his professors and head to Daytona Beach, Florida to participate in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards open-test session at the breathtaking 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

  Hackenbracht, driver of the No. 58 Tastee Apple Chevrolet Impala SS will spend three days this week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) trying to nail down a successful setup that will allow Hackenbracht’s family-owned CGH Motorsports the opportunity to win at the “World Center of Speed” next month.

  Partaking in his second-ever test session at the newly-paved restrictor plate track, Hackenbracht and his Rodney Jockisch-led team will focus on balance and speed in their bowtie Impala SS. The Concord, North Carolina-based team also hasn’t ruled out participating in a “light” drafting session before loading up and heading back to North Carolina to put the final touches of their multi-color hot rod for the season opening Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona, set for Saturday, February 12, 2011 live on SPEED.

  “I’m looking forward to getting back into a race car,” sounded Hackenbracht, who intends to juggle a full-time college schedule while also hoping to become the next ARCA Racing Series champion. “I’m ready to put the books away for a little bit and get back behind the wheel at Daytona!”

  The former Legend Car Series (LCS) pilot added, “Rodney (Jockisch) and the entire CGH Motorsports team have been working hard to put this car in tip-top shape. Our first go-around with Daytona wasn’t pretty, but we won’t dwell on the past, but instead move forward towards the present and show everyone this year that CGH Motorsports means business.”

  When asked about the recent re-pavement at one of the most historical race tracks in the United States, Hackenbracht commented, “From what I heard, Daytona is going to be a really fast, intense race. Handling should no longer come into play. It’s going to be about driving smart and using your head. I’m expecting the track to drive a lot like Talladega, where the track is nearly as smooth as glass. It sure is going to be an exciting way to kick off speedweeks!” 

  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.      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 (January 10, 2011) – – Just how bad or how early did Sean Corr want to arrive in Daytona Beach, Florida in preparation for this week’s ARCA Racing Series (ARS) presented by Menards test session? Bad.

Corr, the aspiring driver for Empire Racing plowed his way down the interstate Saturday night as the driver of the team’s 18-wheeler transporter arriving in the Sunshine State in the wee hours of early Sunday morning, officially become the first team to enter the track grounds for the first official test of the new year.

Corr will admit he’s not your average race car driver. Don’t let this humdrum New Yorker fool you though; he’s all about business when it comes to his duties behind the wheel of the No. 82 Empire Racing LLC Ford Fusion.

But, when the opportunity arises to sink in and get dirty or pull an all-nighter and drive to a test in hopes of potentially winning the biggest race of his racing career, look for Corr to strike his way through the crowd and flock to the front of the line.

“It doesn’t bother me at all,” said Corr, in reference to driving the team’s hauler to the 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. “We’re a team and I’m willing and able to do whatever it takes to put us in contention. I’d rather drive the hauler and allow the guys who bust their tails to get our Ford Fusion ready the ability to recharge themselves.”

The Goshen, New York native whose been hopscotching from The Empire State to Race City USA, otherwise known as Mooresville, North Carolina during much of the winter is fired up for this week’s three-day test for more reasons than he can count. A new year, some fresh faces, a desirable attitude and an ever-growing outlook has this avid dirt driver ready to make his presence well known on the asphalt.

“I’m ready for Daytona, even though it’s just a test,” noted Corr, who intends to run the full ARCA Racing Series schedule this year. “The desire and “want” from this Empire Racing team is like a disease. A favorable one. We want it and we’re going for it. I have a good feeling about the car we’re bringing to the track and hope we can unload in a zone that we’re comfortable with and just improve as the week progresses.”

The Empire Racing team-led by new crew chief and former ARCA racer Richard Johns will bring a new Ford Fusion with Roush Yates horsepower to the “World Center of Speed” after losing last year’s Daytona automobile in a multi-car incident at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

“I hate to lose a car the way we did,” recalled Corr. “We were running comfortably in the top-seven and the big one unleashed with nowhere for us to go. It happens. It stinks, but it’s just part of the game. We’ve been working hard though on making sure that this car is as strong or even stronger than the one we had last February.

It was though on February 6, 2010, Corr gave an intuition of his ability to draft with the best of the best in the ARCA Racing Series. After being knocked sideways and cutting down a tire in the late stages of the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, Corr was able to wrestle his wounded but still strong blue oval from the back to a respectable 14th place finish after starting 26th.

“We worked that day as a team. We came from the back to the front and vice-versa all race long. I learned a lot and no doubt the experience will help me next month. Though, we’re talking about a whole new game with the track being re-paved. The track will be so smooth; your 3400-pound stock car will feel like a Cadillac. Nonetheless, our intentions are to go have a strong test and come back and have an even worthier performance in the race.”

Former Empire Racing crew chief John Bellesfield who will take the reins as team manager for the Mooresville, North Carolina-based operation this year is extremely optimistic about the approaching test.

“We’ve put a lot of endless man hours into putting this car together,” explained Bellesfield. “I think we’re going to have a real slick piece for the test and the race. The team is excited to see Sean so enthusiastic about getting behind the wheel. That energy from the driver only gives us, the team the motivation to give him nothing but the best.”

Following the test scheduled for this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Empire Racing will trek back to North Carolina and begin their final check-in list for the running of the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 set for Saturday, February 12, 2011 live on SPEED.

The team still enters the 58th year of ARCA competition without the foundation of a primary marketing partner. However, the team feels they are close to making some announcements in-time for the first of 19 ARCA races this season.

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

About Empire Racing:

Established in 2009, Empire Racing LLC. (empireracingllc.com http://www.empireracingllc.com/ ) is a two-tier professional Motorsports organization consisting of dirt and asphalt competition. Sean Corr, a 26-year old hailing from Goshen, New York pilots the team’s automobiles in the DIRTcar Series and Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). In 2011, the team will attempt to run for a championship in the ARCA Racing Series with aspirations of moving into the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The team is headquartered in Goshen, New York with an additional operation in Mooresville, North Carolina.

 

Set to hit the track in ARCA test session at Daytona January 11-13

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (January 10, 2011) – Sheltra Motorsports, the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menard’s Champion, has signed Milka Duno to run the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS). Duno, a driver in the IndyCar Series, will begin her foray with Sheltra Motorsports piloting the No. 63 Dodge Charger at the newly-repaved Daytona International Speedway for three days of ARCA Racing Series testing January 11-13.

Champion crew chief, Jon Wolfe, will work with Duno throughout the test session to get her comfortable, fast and ready for the ARCA Racing Series season opener at DIS on February 12th.

“This is truly an exciting opportunity for all of us at Sheltra Motorsports.” said Wolfe. “We are aiming to carry our momentum of the 2010 championship season into 2011”.

“We are really excited to have the opportunity to work with Milka in Daytona and to give her a shot at being the first female to win a major event in stock car racing.” Sheltra said. “Our goal is to get her comfortable at the test, and I have no doubt she will have a great performance in the race.”

Brandon Hinson, owner of Hinson Sports Management and Director of Marketing for Sheltra Motorsports, has been working with Duno’s team for several months to bring the Venezuelan driver to Sheltra Motorsports. “We made the commitment to give her the best equipment and opportunity possible to be successful.” Hinson said. “I believe that when she gets behind the wheel of the No. 63 this week, it will be the beginning of a great year for Milka.”

“I’m very excited and grateful for this opportunity to test with the 2010 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menard’s Championship winning team,” said Duno. “Patrick, Jon and Brandon head a very skilled and dedicated organization and having met with them and visited their facility it is easy to see why they are the 2010 champions!”

Sheltra Motorsports has worked all off-season to have a multi-car program in 2011, and things are beginning to shape up to make that a reality. More announcements are set to be made in the coming weeks.

Additional information about Milka Duno’s 2011 season will also become available in the next several weeks.

Multiple cost effective partnerships are available with Sheltra Motorsports for the 2011 season. Please contact Brandon Hinson, Director of Marketing, at bhinson99@aol.com, for more information.

###

About Sheltra Motorsports:

Sheltra Motorsports, established in 2007, is in the midst of its fifth season of ARCA Racing Series competition. Owned by Florida-native, Patrick Sheltra, the owner-driver team captured the 2010 ARCA Racing Series driver and owner’s championship titles on the strength of two wins, 12 top-fives and 17 top-10 finishes in 20 events. Sheltra Motorsports is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C., with additional operations in Indiana and Florida. For more information, visit www.sheltramotorsports.com.

About Milka Duno:

Duno has eight major race wins in the highest classes (Prototype) in the American Le Mans Series and Rolex Series and the highest finish ever by a female driver (2nd Place) in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the 48-year history of the race. Duno has been competing in the IndyCar Series since 2007. Off the track, Duno is a certified Naval Engineer who holds four master’s degrees, earning the last three simultaneously. Duno is also working through her “Milka Way” program to inspire youth to “Aim for the Stars” and achieve academic excellence. For more information, visit http://www.milkaduno.com/ www.milkaduno.com.

SheltraMotorsports_MilkaDuno_DaytonaPress1_10_11.docx