The NASCAR short-track community is connected to the gold medal winning four-man United States Olympic bobsled team.
The team of driver Steve Holcomb, Steve Mesler, Justin Olsen and Curtis Tomasevicz won the four-man bobsled Olympic gold medal during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia Sunday, Feb. 28. It was the first USA four-man bobsled Olympic gold medal in 62 years. In addition, Erin Pac and Elana Meyers had a bronze medal performance in the women’s two-man bobsled competition.
Geoff Bodine, the 1986 Daytona 500 winner, began his quest to develop an American made and built bobsled for the USA Olympic bobsled team in 1992. Joined by Bob Cuneo, owner of Chassis Dynamics, the effort became known as the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project.
Continue reading ‘Whelen, Bodine Connect NASCAR Short Trackers To Olympic Gold’
Grassroots Racing In The Spotlight At Daytona
Daytona Beach, FL — NASCAR Whelen All-American Series race tracks from throughout North America were represented at the 2010 Track Operators Meeting in the Daytona 500 Club at Daytona International Speedway on Friday morning.
The event was part of the annual gathering of NASCAR track operators at Speedweeks in Daytona.
The featured speaker was Darrell Waltrip, a three-time champion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, who talked about his passion for short track racing.
“You’re the backbone of this business,” said Waltrip, who early in his career was a regular at the fairgrounds speedway in Nashville. “This is where it all starts. This where I learned everything I needed to know – at short tracks.”
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Burton, who got his start at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, also addressed the track operators in attendance. He talked about the pioneers of the sport who carved tracks out of farm lands and fairgrounds, and helped lay the foundation of NASCAR today.
Continue reading ‘Track Promoters Meeting Gets Speedweeks Started’
Daytona Beach, FL — The Fifth Annual Lucas Oil Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge presented by Whelen Engineering is set for this weekend, Jan. 8-10, at the Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Three-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Champion Philip Morris and 2009 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Champion George Brunnhoelzl III are slated to compete in the Bodine Bobsled Challenge, which traditionally features a mix of NASCAR and NHRA participants.
This weekend will mark the first time that Brunnhoelzl has ever slid into the seat of a bobsled, something he’s anticipated since he clinched his first Whelen Southern Modified Tour title last fall.
Continue reading ‘NASCAR Drivers Set To Participate In Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge’
Daytona Beach, Fla. – NASCAR announced today three new track sanctions for the 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season: Outlaw Motor Speedway in Muskogee, Okla., Kopellah Speedway in St. Croix Falls, Wisc., and a second night of racing at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C.
The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series has been the national championship short-track program for NASCAR since 1982 and encompasses tracks throughout the United States and Canada.
“Short track racing throughout North America is the heart and soul of NASCAR,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR managing director of racing operations. “The addition of these three racing programs – from making history by racing in Oklahoma, to more dirt track racing in Wisconsin, to another night of racing at one of North Carolina’s historic venues – will continue to bring the excitement and passion of NASCAR racing home to the fans that make up the foundation of this sport.”
Continue reading ‘NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Expands By Three’
Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell recently welcomed Keith Rocco, the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Connecticut state champion, to her office for the second consecutive year.
Rocco, 24, of Wallingford, Conn., won his first NASCAR Whelen All-American Series state championship and finished fourth in the nation in 2008. This year, he again won the state title and finished second in the national ranking to champion Philip Morris of Virginia.
Rocco was honored by Gov. Rell last year for his NASCAR state championship, and on his return visit this year, she told him, ‘Well, we meet again.”
“It was pretty cool seeing Gov. Rell again,” Rocco said. “She recognized me right away. She absolutely knows racing.”
Continue reading ‘Gov. Rell Welcomes Rocco’s Return Visit To Conn. Capitol’
New Hampshire State Champion Visits Capitol
Philip “J.R.” Baril recently visited the Concord, N.H., office of Gov. John Lynch to receive congratulations for winning the 2009 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series New Hampshire state championship.
Gov. Lynch welcomed Baril, Dave Reynolds Motorsports’ crewman Al Castro and Lee (N.H.) USA Speedway publicist Robert Watson to his office. The governor congratulated Baril on his first NASCAR state championship and talked racing with the group.
“Governor Lynch is a friendly guy. We talked about racing, the kinds of cars we race and the tracks we run,” Baril said. “It was a different experience. I’d never been to the Governor’s Office before.”
Continue reading ‘Baril Honored By Gov. Lynch’
2010 Schedules For Touring Series Outlined;Television Package Highlighted
Concord, NC — The final day of Champions Week got underway in North Carolina with a marketing seminar for NASCAR drivers and teams, highlighted by a special guest speaker, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Junior Johnson, and the announcement of the touring series schedules and television coverage plans.
Johnson is a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s inaugural class that will be inducted in May 2010, and has a special connection with NASCAR’s short tracks. Johnson’s son, Robert, 16, won five times in the Sportsman Division this season at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C.
Also at the session, George Silbermann, managing director for racing operations for NASCAR, outlined the 2010 schedules for each of four touring series – Camping World Series East, Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1, Whelen Modified Tour and Whelen Southern Modified Tour. The complete schedules were released by NASCAR following the seminar.
Continue reading ‘Champions Week Draws To A Close With Big Announcements’
Concord, NC — A week of activities and celebration in the hub of NASCAR racing concluded Friday evening as Philip Morris was crowned national champion at the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet in the Embassy Suites and Concord Convention Center.
Morris, from Ruckersville, Va., joined Larry Phillips as the only drivers in the history of the Whelen All-American Series program to earn three or more championships with yet another stellar performance in 2009. Morris finished first in the nation in 2006 and 2008, and a third national title this season was accented by his seventh track championship at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., and a third straight Virginia State Championship.
“What a great privilege it has been to drive the No. 26 Clarence’s Steakhouse car,” Morris said. “Since combining forces with Clarence and Allen Pickurel, it seems like a blur of one celebration after another.”
Morris recorded nine wins, 20 top fives and 23 top 10s in 28 starts this season and accumulated 841 points to clinch the title by 25 over Keith Rocco of Wallingford, Conn.
Continue reading ‘Morris Crowned Champ At Whelen All-American Series Banquet’
Daytona Beach, FL — NASCAR announced Thursday the implementation of a points system designed to recognize the accomplishments of the drivers in the support divisions at its NASCAR Whelen All-American Series tracks.
The program will begin in 2010 and will focus on the divisions at each track below their respective Feature Division. The top 100 drivers in each of eight groups will be designated as a “NASCAR Finalist” at the conclusion of the season.
The groups will be Divisions 2 through 5, for both asphalt and dirt tracks.
The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program for the national, U.S. state and Canadian provincial, and Feature Division track champions will continue under its current format.
Continue reading ‘NASCAR Announces Recognition Program For Whelen All-American Series Divisions 2-5′
Truex rules karting event
Concord, NC — Champions Week is in full swing. All five of NASCAR’s touring series title winners, along with the champion of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, have made their way to the center of the NASCAR world for a full week of activities leading up to the NASCAR Touring Series Awards Gala and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet.
NASCAR champions Jason Bowles (Camping World Series West), George Brunnhoelzl III (Whelen Southern Modified Tour), Donny Lia (Whelen Modified Tour), Philip Morris (Whelen All-American Series), Andrew Ranger (Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1) and Ryan Truex (Camping World Series East) are on hand to celebrate their achievements over the course of the 2009 season.
After taking part in several media interviews in the morning hours including an appearance by Morris and Truex on the FOX News Rising program from the studios of WCCB in Charlotte, the six champions geared up for the highlight of the day – the Second Annual NASCAR Toyota Champions/Media Go-Kart Showdown presented by Sirius XM Radio.
Held at Victory Lane Karting, an indoor karting facility located in Charlotte housing a challenging .333-mile track, Truex made the Camping World Series East proud by taking the checkered flag.
Continue reading ‘Champions Week In Full Swing’
Karting Challenge Highlights Tuesday’s Schedule
Concord, NC — Champions Week is underway in the center of NASCAR racing as six 2009 series champions converge on the Charlotte area for a week of activities leading up to the NASCAR Touring Series Awards Gala and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet.
NASCAR champions Jason Bowles (Camping World Series West), George Brunnhoelzl III (Whelen Southern Modified Tour), Donny Lia (Whelen Modified Tour, Philip Morris (Whelen All-American Series), Andrew Ranger (Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1) and Ryan Truex (Camping World Series East) will be honored at the end of the week during awards ceremonies at the Concord Convention Center.
Tuesday will see the six champions participate in an extensive media tour in the Charlotte area. The day will start with local television and radio appearances followed by the Second Annual NASCAR Toyota Champions/Media Go-Kart Showdown presented by Sirius XM Radio at Victory Lane Karting. The Sirius NASCAR Radio show “Tradin’ Paint” will broadcast live from the event.
Continue reading ‘NASCAR Touring And Weekly Series Champions Week Underway’
Philip Morris is used to battling for the championship on the final race of the season. Each of his first two national championships — in 2006 and 2008 — featured must-win scenarios when he took the track for that last race.
This time, however, it was Morris’ reign at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., that was on the line as he held a slim two-point lead over rival Frank Deiny Jr. Morris took care of business with a second-place finish to claim his seventh track championship at the .416-mile oval.
Morris had previously used a strong August run (two wins, a second and a third from Aug. 8-29) to wrap up his third NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship.
Continue reading ‘News & Notes: Morris Cements Place In History With Third Title’
Daytona Beach, FL — NASCAR’s historic two night celebration of its champions from across North America will feature another first – both the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and NASCAR Touring Series Awards Gala will be streamed live online at www.nascarhometracks.com.
The awards nights will be held Nov. 13-14 at the Concord (N.C.) Convention Center in an historic two-night celebration of the top drivers in NASCAR’s developmental series.
For the first time, the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet will be held in the Charlotte, N.C., area. The event, which honors champions from across North America in the series that is NASCAR’s grassroots foundation, will be Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. ET.
Continue reading ‘NASCARHomeTracks.com to Provide Live Streaming of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and NASCAR Touring Series Awards Gala’
One of New England’s all-time greatest drivers switched gears in 2009, and ended up very satisfied with his change of scenery.
Mike Rowe, 59, of Turner, Maine, won The Pine Tree State’s 2009 NASCAR championship. He launched to state champion status from his 2009 NASCAR Pro Series (Late Model) division track championship at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine. The .333-mile paved oval is acclaimed as one of the top motorsports and family entertainment facilities in the nation.
A seasoned veteran, Rowe sounds like he had an enjoyable experience in 2009. Not only did he compete full time at Beech Ridge for the first time in his life, he also joined a team for which he had never driven before. He ended up adding some polish to a fabulous career.
Continue reading ‘Rowe Adds Beech Ridge, Maine Titles To Legendary Career’
Radford, VA — The new look Drive for Diversity Combine presented by Sunoco entered the on-track portion Monday, as all 30 drivers climbed into Late Models for individual practice sessions at the Motor Mile Speedway.
Earlier this year, The 909 Group – which manages the Drive for Diversity initiative on behalf of NASCAR – announced the formation of Revolution Racing and the introduction of an ‘academy style’ training program that will feature six NASCAR Whelen All-American Series drivers and four NASCAR Camping World Series drivers under the same roof.
Continue reading ‘Drive For Diversity Combine: Drivers Hit Track At Motor Mile’
Champions Banquets To Be Streamed Live Online
Daytona Beach, FL – Before they take their seats in the Concord (N.C.) Convention Center for a historic two-night celebration of the top drivers in NASCAR’s developmental series, track operators and champion drivers will get an up close and personal look at the hub of stock-car racing.
For the first time, the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet will be held in the Charlotte, N.C., area. The event, which honors champions from across North America in the series that is NASCAR’s grassroots foundation, will be Friday, Nov. 13. The inaugural Night of Champions Touring Awards Gala will be held the following night on Nov. 14. The event will bring the top drivers and car owners from NASCAR’s top developmental series on stage for one memorable evening.
The two nights of celebration will be held at the Concord Convention Center in Concord, N.C. In another first, both awards banquets will be streamed live online at www.nascarhometracks.com – the official online home of NASCAR’s developmental series.
Continue reading ‘Week-Long Celebration Of NASCAR Champions To Precede Historic Awards Weekend’
New Englanders Heather DesRochers, Katie Hagar, Dylan Smith & Jonathan Smith Among Participants
Huntersville, NC — Thirty drivers from different forms of racing across the United States will showcase their skills in front of NASCAR executives and officials at the annual Drive for Diversity Testing & Evaluation Combine presented by Sunoco, as they vie for one of 10 spots with Revolution Racing for the 2010 season.
The Combine kicks off the new academy-style development for Drive for Diversity, with 10 drivers competing for the program under a single team ownership structure. The scouting event will take place October 16-20 in Charlotte, N.C., and Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.
“The drivers invited to the Combine will compete for an opportunity to be a part of the inaugural class in the D4D programs new academy-style driver development program,” said Marcus Jadotte, Managing Director of Public Affairs for NASCAR, who oversees the sanctioning body’s diversity initiatives, “As the Drive for Diversity initiative enters its seventh year, the program’s focus on driver testing and training will better position drivers to succeed and advance in our sport.”
Continue reading ‘D4D Kicks-Off With Annual Testing & Evaluation Combine’
State & Province Rookie Of The Year Winners Collected 53 Feature Victories In 2009
Daytona Beach, FL — The inaugural year for the NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award presented by Jostens saw rookies collect 53 feature wins. Leading the 2009 rookie class to the Nov. 13 ceremonies at the Concord (N.C.) Convention Center is Jacob Gomes, the series’ 2009 national rookie award winner.
Gomes, 16, of Manteca, Calif., collected three wins, 20 top 5s and 28 top 10s. He competed in the Western Late Model division at three California paved tracks including The New Stockton 99 Speedway, All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., and Madera Speedway.
The state rookie award winners will be honored Friday, Nov. 13 at the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet at the Concord (N.C.) Convention Center along with the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion, U.S. state and Canadian provincial champions, track champions and special award winners.
Continue reading ‘NASCAR Announces Top Rookies’
Virginia’s Morris, Colorado’s Yackey Three-peat
Daytona Beach, FL — Two NASCAR Whelen All-American Series drivers won their state NASCAR championships for a third consecutive year – Virginia’s Philip Morris and Colorado’s Bruce Yackey. They are among the 28 U.S. state and Canadian province champions for 2009.
Morris, 44, of Ruckersville, Va., also won his second consecutive and third overall NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship in 2009. Morris competed at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., and South Boston (Va.) Speedway in 2009. Yackey, 43, of Greeley, Colo., scored his sixth career track championship at Colorado National Speedway near Denver. Both compete at their respective tracks in the Late Model division.
Eight other drivers were able to repeat their 2008 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series state or province championships in 2009.
FINAL STATE & PROVINCE TOP 20
Continue reading ‘NASCAR Announces 28 State & Province Champions For 2009′
Defending national champ battles Deiny for Motor Mile track title
Daytona Beach, FL — Short-track racing is built upon good, old fashion neighborhood rivalries, and championships are measured by the contenders that are overcome.
Even as Philip Morris eyes a third NASCAR Whelen All-American Series title in the last four years, the 44-year-old Ruckersville, Va., driver has a more immediate focus: a seventh Motor Mile Speedway Late Model division championship.
“It’s a feeling of completing what you’ve started, like finishing a building,” Morris said. “If we don’t win the track title, it’s going to be like the steeple is missing or you didn’t get the chimney all the way to the roof. For the crew, especially, that’s going to make or break us right there.
Continue reading ‘Morris Chasing One More Goal’
