by Jay | Aug 21, 2009 | NASCAR, New England, Thunder Road
Waterbury, VT – NASCAR Sprint Cup rising star David Ragan, driver of the UPS car for Rousch-Fenway, will race at Barre, Vermont’s Thunder Road in the Vermont State Employees Credit Union (VSECU) 100-lap final Thursday summer event on August 27th.
Ragan, who represents the new generation of racers, joins NASCAR veterans Bobby Allison, Richard Petty and current point leader Tony Stewart who have made appearances during the 2009 season to help celebrate Thunder Road’s 50th Anniversary. Ragan will drive a Pete Duto-prepared, Phil Scott Ford ACT race car, and will compete in the VSECU 100-lap event. Ragan plans to arrive early to get some seat time on the tricky high banks of Thunder Road.
Unadilla, Georgia’s Ragan is an accomplished short track racer. “I have heard so much about Thunder Road that I really jumped at the opportunity to race there this summer. I love the short tracks, and from what I hear, the atmosphere at Thunder Road is fantastic. I hope I get it figured out by the end of the 100 laps,”said Ragan.
Ragan is a supporter of the Shriners organization. He donates all the proceeds from the sale of his die cast Shriner’s cars to the Shriner’s Hospital. They will be on sale at the Thunder Road event.
The ‘’King of the Road” title will also be settled at the VSECU 100 . Jean-Paul Cyr from Milton, VT, who is chasing his first Thunder Road title and sits in a comfortable first place going into the final event of 2009, has battled former track champions David Pembroke, Phil Scott, and Cris Michaud all season. Cyr, a seven-time American Canadian Tour Champion said, “ Our goal was to try and win the Thunder Road title. I sure didn’t get off to a great start, but Jeff (Laquerre) and the guys have really gotten the car to work well lately. It is some different trying to win races at Thunder Road in 50 laps from what I have been used to on the ACT Tour over the years, but it has been fun and unbelievably competitive.”
The final Thursday night of the season will also be celebrated with the largest fireworks in Thunder Road history. In addition, over 100 ‘old timers’ will help bring the curtain down on the 50th year of Thursday night racing.
Post time for the VESECU 100 is 6:00 and front gates open at 3:00 for the VESECU 100. Adult tickets are only $12.00 and a family ticket for two adults and two children between 6-12 is only $25.00. Kids under 6 are free.
The American Canadian Tour (ACT) $40,000 Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 will take place over the Labor Day weekend, on Sunday, September 6, 2009.
by Jay | Aug 20, 2009 | NASCAR
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Donny Lia overcame a late-race miscue to capture the inaugural UNOH Perfect Storm 150 at Bristol Motor Speedway Wednesday night.
Lia led 40 of the final 43 laps en route to his second NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win of the season. He jumped a restart on lap 138 and briefly lost the lead to Ted Christopher when race officials ordered him to give his advantage back. However, Lia drove back by Christopher three laps later to take the lead for good.
Lia, who won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June, beat Christopher to the line by 3.126 seconds in the first event for the NASCAR Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified Tours at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile.”
Ryan Preece finished third while George Brunnhoelzl III was the top finishing NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour driver in the combination race. Woody Pitkat rounded out the top five.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour proved once again to be strong in the combination race format, which sees both Tours compete for one purse, but receive points based on their finish against other drivers on their tour. Including Lia and Christopher, eight of the top 10 cars across the line were from the Whelen Modified Tour.
Brunnhoelzl will be credited with first-place points and a win for the Whelen Southern Modified Tour standings.
The rest of the top 10 consisted of Todd Szegedy, Rowan Pennink, Ed Flemke Jr., Burt Myers and Erick Rudolph.
It appeared to be Christopher’s race to win the majority of the race. Fastest in the first two practice sessions, the defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion led the first 107 circuits.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman finished 28th and 37th, respectively. Newman was caught in an accident on the second lap of the race and Kahne retired on Lap 100 with engine failure.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will next race Saturday, Aug, 29 at Chemung (N.Y.) Speedrome. The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified will also return to the track Saturday, Aug. 29 at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C.
by Jay | Aug 20, 2009 | NASCAR
BRISTOL, Tenn.—Kyle Busch ended Ron Hornaday Jr.’s five-race winning streak, capturing Wednesday night’s O’Reilly 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Busch took the lead on Lap 124 after a lengthy side-by-side battle with Jason White and was a comfortable 2.721 seconds ahead of runner-up Matt Crafton by the time the checkered flag appeared.
“It’s a fun place to race,” Busch said after collecting his third truck win of the season. “I knew we would come here with a fast truck; we’ve been fast every time we’ve come here. … It’s good to be back, finally.”
Hornaday, polesitter Ryan Newman and Brian Scott rounded out the top five.
“Anytime Kyle and I get together, we know we can win races,” crew chief Richie Wauters said. “We thought about (pitting a second time), but the tires are so hard here, they’re not falling off. … We decided to stay out, and it was the right call.”
Wauters replaced Doug George atop the pit box heading into this week’s race.
Busch led twice for 82 laps en route to his 12th career win in the series. White led one time for 86.
Hornaday, running in the top 10, restarted in 17th after pitting during the night’s first caution. He worked his way back into the top 10 and was safely inside the top five at the finish. After winning five consecutive races, Hornaday said he was “just glad (the streak) is over so you guys will stop asking me about it.”
“Bristol is the toughest one. (I) just left a lot out there,” Hornaday said. “Top five is what we needed for points. It’s been pretty cool.”
Hornaday remains atop the standings and leads Crafton by 211 points. Mike Skinner, who had to pit late under green, finished 20th and remained third in the standings.
by Jay | Aug 16, 2009 | NASCAR, NASCAR K&N Pro Series
Lakeville, CT (August 16, 2009): Sometimes, no matter how hard you prepare, things just don’t go right.
Matt Kobyluck and the Mohegan Sun race team were keyed up about the Mohegan Sun 200 at Lime Rock Park this weekend. Not only was Mohegan Sun sponsoring the race, but Kobyluck’s record to date at the 1.53-mile course has been stellar. They were expecting nothing less than a podium finish. After setting fast time in both practice sessions, all indications were pointing to just that. But then the car stalled in the esses on his first qualifying lap.
Things just went downhill from there.
Kobyluck’s crew cleaned out the fuel cell, including drying out the foam, flushed out the lines, and changed out the carburetor. They replaced spark plugs and got the car running again. Because the NASCAR Camping World Series East event was an impound race, Kobyluck had no chance to take the No. 40 Mohegan Sun Casino Chevrolet out for a test drive.
The team was still optimistic despite a 21st starting position, but on the first lap of the 200-mile race, Kobyluck’s No. 40 came to a stop in the esses once again. The tow trucks were summoned and Kobyluck went to the pits.
There, he went 32 laps down while the crew addressed the problem once again. He did return to the track and Kobyluck was fast. He posted the second fastest lap of the day and gained a lap back by passing the leaders.
“We changed the fuel pump twice and changed the carburetor on pit road. When we pulled behind the wall we discovered there was a problem with the fuel pick up line. It had collapsed,” said Kobyluck. “When we did get back out there, we were running a second or so faster than everybody. If everything had gone right we had a shot at winning the race, but it is what it is.”
Kobyluck’s bad luck didn’t end there, however. At lap 70, Kobyluck was thrown into a dangerous situation that ultimately ended his day.
“The back end started coming around a little bit on me after I wheel-hopped it going into the corner on the uphill,” explained Kobyluck. “I got into the tire barrier, and I couldn’t back up so I was sitting there waiting for the local caution. It never came. After the 10 tagged me, it spun me around into the middle of the track. No one slowed down. It was one of the most unsafe positions I could be in. I was very fortunate because I was in the racing groove with my driver side door at traffic.”
Fortunately, Kobyluck was not hurt in the incident, but the No. 40 Mohegan Sun Casino Chevrolet was done. There was damage to both the front and rear of the car.
“It’s extremely frustrating,” said Kobyluck. “We’re out of the championship hunt now. Mathematically we still have a shot, and we will give it everything we’ve got, but with the way the 00 is running it’s going to be hard.”
For more information on Matt Kobyluck, Mohegan Sun Casino, or Mohegan Sun Racing, visit www.mattkobyluck.com.
by Jay | Aug 15, 2009 | NASCAR, NASCAR K&N Pro Series, New England
Rookie extends points lead with win No. 3
Official Release
August 15, 2009 – 8:27pm
LAKEVILLE, Conn. – NASCAR Camping World Series East rookie Ryan Truex completed the road-course sweep in the Mohegan Sun 200 Saturday at Lime Rock Park to move into the driver’s seat for the series title.
Matt DiBenedetto, who sat on the pole and led a race-high 56 laps, was caught up in an accident on Lap 70 and Truex – second place at the time – assumed the lead for the second time in the race. The 17-year-old from Mayetta, N.J., then held off series veteran Eddie MacDonald on the final two restarts to earn his third victory of the season.
Truex, a Michael Waltrip Racing development driver, earned his first career victory on a road course at Watkins (N.Y.) Glen International in June and took the points lead for the first time after his first oval track win at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway in July. On Saturday at Lime Rock, his win extended his lead in the championship standings to a season-high 50 points over MacDonald.
While MacDonald record his best career effort at the 1.53-mile road course, several other contenders struggled.
Defending race and series champion Matt Kobyluck, who entered the day 60 points behind Truex, had engine trouble from the start. The team worked to get his car back out onto the track and he was able to turn in 38 laps before being involved in the Lap 70 accident that eventually caught up race leader DiBenedetto. Kobyluck had to settle for a 17th place finish and is 133 points behind Truex with just two races remaining in his bid to repeat as NASCAR Camping World Series East champion.
Brett Moffitt (ninth), Steve Park (11th) and Jody Lavender (13th) all entered the event within 100 points of Truex but lost considerable ground.
Jason Holehouse earned his best career NASCAR Camping World Series East finish with a third-place effort on Saturday. He was followed in the top five by Alex Kennedy, with a new career-best finish as well, and Mike Olsen.
Jesus Hernandez, Ryan Duff, Dustin Delaney, Brett Moffitt and Jeff Anton rounded out the top 10.
The next-to-last race of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series season will take place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The Heluva Good! Fall 125 is slated for Friday, Sept. 18.
by Jay | Aug 15, 2009 | NASCAR
BROOKLYN, Mich. (Aug. 15, 2009) — Hometown boy Brad Keselowski took advantage of a pitched battle between Kyle Busch and polesitter Brian Vickers — one that continued after Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series’ Carfax 250 race — to win for the third time in 2009.
With Busch and Vickers battling on the bottom of the track, Keselowski took advantage of the outside line to pass both drivers on the final lap at Michigan International Speedway, with Vickers finishing second and Busch third in a race that stretched Busch’s lead in the series standings to 339 points over Carl Edwards.
“I saw ’em bobble in (Turns) 3 and 4 there at the one-to-go, and I had ’em,” said Keselowski, who grew up in Rochester Hills, Mich. “I knew it. I knew I could get to the outside and kill the 32 (Vickers). I wasn’t sure about the 18 (Busch) — I don’t know what happened to him.
“Oh, my God, I won at home! I’m speechless. I can’t believe it. I’m terrible here, and to win here is a major accomplishment. … It’s so cool to win in front of your home fans, and I thank all of them that came out tonight.”
Vickers led Busch into Turn 3 on the next-to-last lap and slipped in the corner. Busch drove to the inside, and Vickers side-drafted the No. 18 Toyota and forced him down onto the apron as the cars roared out of Turn 4. With momentum to the outside, Keselowski made it three-wide as the cars took the white flag for the final lap.
Keselowski crossed the finish line .199 seconds ahead of Vickers, with Busch a close third. David Ragan and Kevin Harvick finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Busch took issue with the way Vickers had raced him on the final two laps and confronted him on pit road after the race.
“Oh, man, I am so sorry — I forgot it was the Kyle Busch show,” Vickers said sarcastically, after climbing from his car. “Hell, I thought we were racing for a win. … I thought it was my job to hold him off. Apparently not. He came over to the car after we came in and knocked the fender in, which was unnecessary, and then started crying like a little baby.
“I asked him if he’d give me a minute to get out, and we could talk about it like men. If he wanted to fight, that was fine with me. When I got out, he ran off. It’s a shame that it went down like that. We were racing hard. I thought it was a good race. Congratulations to the 88 (Keselowski). He snuck around both of us. I didn’t see him coming.”
Busch thought Vickers should have given him room and let the two strongest cars battle for the win.
“It’s so frustrating that you can’t have a guy race you clean,” Busch said. “He was on our right rear quarter panel all the way down the front straightaway and gave the win to the 88 car. He slowed us down so much — he had no idea the 88 car was coming, and the 88 just drove right by both of us on the outside, because Brian Vickers was trying to slow both of us down. Just stupid.
“If he would have ran his own line up at the top of the track, and I had run my own line down at the bottom of the track, it could have been us two. But, unfortunately, you race with idiots, and I guess you’ll have that sometimes.”
An accident on Lap 3 put a damper on Edwards’ 30th birthday celebration. Edwards was three-wide on the outside in Turn 2 with Trevor Bayne in the middle and Brad Coleman on the bottom when contact between Edwards’ Ford and Bayne’s Toyota sent Edwards into the marbles at the top of the track.
Edwards fought to regain control, but the cars touched again and Edwards slammed nose-first into the outside wall. The impact eliminated the No. 60 Ford from the race — the first time Edwards has failed to finish a NASCAR Nationwide Series event since May 2008 at Darlington.
“I saw the replay, and it definitely looks like I didn’t give Trevor enough room,” said Edwards, who held second place in the standings but lost touch with Busch, the leader. “I drove in and kind of pinched him down.”
Notes: When Busch passed Vickers for the lead off Turn 4 on Lap 14, Busch extended his streak of NASCAR Nationwide Series races led to 20, advancing the record 19 he had shared with Sam Ard. … Busch’s record streak of finishing either first or second in Nationwide Series races ended at 10.
