Sonoma Raceway Hosts Annual Holiday Party

More than 500 people enjoyed a day of holiday cheer at Sonoma Raceway Saturday at the 8^th Annual Race to the Holidays Christmas Party.

The raceway hosted more than 230 Sonoma Valley children and their families at the event, which featured caroling, refreshments, a car display, balloon animals and a visit from Santa Claus, who arrived via special transportation on a Schell-Vista Fire Department fire truck.

The event, which has attracted more than 1,800 children since its inception in 2005, culminated with Santa Claus presenting each child with a bag full of toys. Children ranged in age from newborn to 12-years-old.

“I had so much fun today,” said Sonoma’s Angeles Qunitero, six years old. “My favorite part was getting a gift, getting a stuffed animal and seeing Santa.”

The festive event was held under cloudy skies, but all of the children left the raceway with new toys and wide smiles. Following the toy distribution, everyone was treated to a free lunch at the Raceway Café.

“This is a great opportunity for these families, some of whom cannot afford gifts this year,” said Maria Calvillo, receptionist and client resource assistant at La Luz Center in Sonoma. “It’s been a really tough year for some of them, so this means a lot.”

All children who attended the party were pre-registered through six Sonoma Valley youth groups, including: Friends in Sonoma Helping; La Luz Center; Sonoma Valley High School Teen Parent Program; Valley of the Moon Boys and Girls Club; Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance; and theWillMar Family Grief and Healing Center.

The raceway received a generous outpouring of support from the community as more than 700 toys were donated for the party. Some of the drop-off locations included: Sonoma Valley Index Tribune; Sonoma Valley Sun; Gundlach-Bundschu Winery; Schell-Vista Fire Department; Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce; the Sonoma Valley Fire Department; and Redwood Credit Union. The raceway also received toy donations from United Site Services and the Sonoma Valley Mother’s Club, as well as toothbrushes and toothpaste for each child from the American Red Cross.

ARCA Completes Weekend Test at Daytona

ARCA tested at Daytona this weekend

Approximately 50 drivers conducted a three-day ARCA Racing Series test session this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, in advance of the 50th annual Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on Saturday, Feb. 16, part of Budweiser Speedweeks 2013. 

The season-opening ARCA race will celebrate its golden anniversary in 2013. The inaugural Daytona event in 1964 was the series’ first-ever superspeedway race, and headlining the list of drivers in attendance for the test was the defending race winner Bobby Gerhart, a native of Lebanon, Penn., who has dominated the season-opening race with a record eight victories, including six of the last eight. 

Gerhart also holds an event-record four poles, but even with that past success, he is hungry to win a ninth Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200. 

“I’m pumped up to race here, just like I was the first day I came,” Gerhart said. “We treat this race like we have not won any of them. That’s really what you have to do. You got to put yourself in position where you throw everything at it you can and work as hard as you can.” 

Light rain slowed Friday’s morning session, but teams got plenty of track time in the afternoon. At the lunch break, Gerhart was anxious to see where the field stood in terms of speed. 

“I’m not going to be quiet about it, we’ve done a lot of work given the new rules package,” Gerhart said. “I’m anxious for some great weather and a great opportunity to see if what I believe is going to happen happens.” 

Clay Campbell, president of Martinsville Speedway made his first laps around Daytona International Speedway during the weekend test, driving a Spraker Racing Ford with a Roush Yates engine. 

Martinsville's Clay Campbell

“I’ve been doing various types of racing for 20 years and if you had the opportunity to do something bigger, I think anybody would jump at the chance,” said Campbell, who plans to enter the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200. “Anybody that would have the opportunity to run Daytona, you would be crazy not to. The history, the tradition, this is the ultimate as far as motorsports goes. 

“This is obviously hallowed ground. This is the ‘World Center of Racing.’ Who wouldn’t want to drive on the World Center of Racing?’” 

Campbell is working with racing veteran Jeff Spraker, who has been fielding cars for Campbell the past two seasons in the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series. Campbell competed in the fall ARCA event at Talladega Superspeedway and is ready to tackle Daytona in February. 

“That was a good place to start,” Campbell of Talladega where he started 34^th and finished 26th. “Even though (Daytona and Talladega) look the same and they are almost the same, there’s quite a bit of difference. This is much narrower than Talladega.” 

Newcomers Johnny VanDoorn, Travis Braden, Jonathan Eilen and Dakota Carlson also participated in the weekend test session, after earning spots in the second-year "Road to Daytona" program. 

“It was pretty cool just to say some day that I got to go around Daytona,” said Carlson after his initial laps Friday. “As short track racers, we’re never going to make it to this level more than likely. It definitely sits you down in the seat when you go into the corner. 

“It was a really cool feeling.” 

The “Road to Daytona” program gives competitors from nearly all divisions of ARCA competition an opportunity for seat time at Daytona. Coopersville, Mich., native VanDoorn, 24, is a0 three-time ARCA CRA Super Series champion and won the 2012 title for Kaos Motorsports. Braden, an 18-year old West Virginia resident, was the circuit’s 2012 Super Series Rookie of the Year. Minnesota’s Eilen, 27, won the 2012 Midwest Tour championship, five years after becoming the series' first race winner. Carlson won the ARCA Gold Cup Series championship, contested at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways, as well as Spartan (Mich.) Speedway. 

Two-time Daytona winner and the 1995 ARCA champion Andy Hillenburg assisted the Road to Daytona drivers this weekend, and his Fast Track High Performance Driving School provided cars and support for the test. 

“The first time I came here to drive at Daytona, I didn’t even have a van ride around the track,” Hillenburg said. “I had not even been on the race track, and (they said) `Go out and run 195 mph.’ That was over 20 years ago and that’s the way it was. Now, these kids can be better drivers, prepared to capitalize on the opportunities they get.”

Rockingham Adds Rev Oil Pro Cup Series To 2013 Classic 3 Championship Weekend

With the inaugural Classic 3 Championship just over a month in the rear view mirror, Rockingham Speedway has already finalized the lineup for the November 2, 2013 rendition of the event. 

Returning in 2013 will be the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and the UARA-STARS Late Model Series. They will be joined at the venerable one-mile oval by the Rev Oil Pro Cup Series.  

Rockingham was not on the Pro Cup Series schedule in 2012, but ran five races at the track from 2008-2011. 

"It is great to add another signature event to our 2013 race schedule to complement the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) event on April 14," said Rockingham Speedway President Andy Hillenburg. "As all of our race fans who came out to the Classic 3 Championship back in November know, it was a phenomenal event with three outstanding races. The addition of the Rev Oil Pro Cup Series makes it an even stronger event in 2013."  

The 2012 K&N Pro Series East event at Rockingham saw a last-lap crash at the front of the field that allowed Tyler Reddick to claim the race victory and handed the series championship to Kyle Larson. Clay Rogers collected his fourth Rockingham Speedway victory in the UARA portion of the event. Rogers other three wins came in the Pro Cup Series. 

Tickets are currently available for April 14, 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Event by calling the speedway office at 910.205.8800 or by visiting Rockingham Speedway online at www.rockinghamspeedway.com.

 

"We learned a great deal from the first truck race, and while our fans had a great time at that event, the staff here is committed to making the second time around even better," said Hillenburg.

Front Row Motorsports Retains Driver Lineup For 2013

Renewals of long-time partnerships will have Front Row Motorsports poised to run its most competitive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season ever in 2013, with the team announcing new agreements with drivers David Ragan, David Gilliland and Josh Wise. The team will also continue its relationships with manufacturing partner Ford Racing and engine builder Roush Yates Racing Engines.  

Front Row Motorsports enters its fourth year teaming with Gilliland, Ford and Roush Yates - relationships that have brought stability and growth to the still-young team entering its fifth full-time season in the Sprint Cup Series. Race winner Ragan joined the line-up for the 2012 season, helping the team earn its best average finishes and the best year-end point rankings for the Nos. 34 and 38 entries in Front Row history.  

Ragan returns to FRM in 2013

The 2012 season saw Ragan and Gilliland combine for one top-five, two top-10, four top-15 and eight top-20 finishes, and an average finish of 27^th. Ragan finished the season 28^th in the driver point standings and Gilliland ended the season in 30^th. The team continued to show its strength on superspeedways, where Ford and Roush Yates power helped Ragan and Gilliland earn their best results of the season. The 26-year-old Ragan will return to the cockpit of the No. 34 entry and the 36-year-old Gilliland will once again pilot the No. 38. 

Wise will return to the No. 26 Ford for all 36 Sprint Cup races with sponsorship from MDS Transport after completing the 2012 season in a part-time capacity with Front Row. The team plans to increase the 29-year-old driver's time on track in 2013 with a more competitive schedule of race entries. 

 

Team owner Bob Jenkins sees how the stability of key partnerships helps the team improve each year.

 

"You often see a lot of young teams going through a lot of changes trying to make it in the Sprint Cup Series," Jenkins said. "We've been fortunate that we've had a lot of stable partners, people who believe in our approach and are seeing year-to-year improvements as a result of that approach. 

 

"David Gilliland has been a rock for us for three years and David Ragan brought race-winning experience to us last year and returns for 2013. That stability is huge for a young, developing team, and I know we'll continue to improve and have even better results this upcoming season."

Jay Guy will return as crew chief for Ragan's No. 34 team and Derrick Finley will continue to lead Gilliland's No. 38 crew. The drivers recognize and appreciate the importance of continuity from year to year within the organization.

 

"There's always a learning curve whenever something new is thrown into the mix, whether it's a new driver, new crew chief, new car or new team members," Ragan said. "We have a new Ford Fusion for 2013, which I'm really excited about, so it will be really important and really helpful that all the other variables aren't changing. My crew chief, Jay Guy, and I built a great working relationship last year and that will help us be better this coming year."

"I'm excited to start my fourth year with Front Row Motorsports," Gilliland said. "We've gotten better each and every season and I'm eager to get the season going with Derrick (Finley) again. Bob Jenkins has put a lot into this team since he started with a part-time team back in '05. He's growing it the way he should and the results are showing."

Front Row Motorsports will be on track for the first time in the new Sprint Cup Series Ford Fusions Jan. 10 to 12 when the team participates in Pre-Season Thunder, the annual three-day test session at Daytona International Speedway to prepare for the season-opening Daytona 500 in February.

The team is finalizing sponsorship agreements for the 2013 season with announcements expected soon.

 

Photo: Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Ryan Newman Foundation Raises Over $340,000

The 8^th Annual Ryan Newman Foundation Charity Dinner/Auction and 7^th Annual Charity Fishing Tournament raised over $340,000 for its animal welfare, education and conservation efforts. The dinner, presented by the Gene Haas Foundation, was held at the Statesville Civic Center in Statesville, North Carolina on Friday, December 7. Local ABC affiliate WSOC News Anchor Blair Miller emceed the evening’s festivities. Two of country music’s MOST talented singer/song writers provided the evening’s entertainment, with Tim Dugger and Grammy nominee Eric Paslay taking to the stage in front of a sold-out crowd of 520 sponsors, NASCAR drivers, professional anglers and fans.

Guests had the opportunity to bid on silent auction items and participate in the “Fishing for Fun” Raffle. The big items included a John Deere Gator and a Polaris Sportsman 500 ATV along with many once in a lifetime race weekend and country music industry experiences.

Returning this year were hand-painted dog/cat bowls and treat jars painted by the employees of the Ryan Newman Foundation and Ryan Newman Motorsports. Money raised from the pottery auction will be used to help vaccinate and sterilize dogs and cats in the surrounding area.

The event had a country winter theme and was managed by JHE Productions of Harrisburg, NC. New additions included an outside Presenting Sponsor VIP tent fit for a Kim Kardashian herself. The area provided plush white couches and glass tables with all the right touches for guests to relax and mingle with Ryan and Krissie before the doors opened to the public.

A mammoth ice sculpture was the feature attraction hosting a dog, cat, fish and deer circling the Foundation logo and was surrounded by a large candy bar that was transformed into a dessert bar after dinner. Guests also walked the red carpet and took photos with Ryan and Krissie and the photo booths were a crowd favorite for the second year in a row.

Bass Pro Shops and Bassmaster presented the charity fishing tournament hosting 148 teams, all competing for a Nitro Z9 Bass Boat equipped with a motor, trolling motor, electronics and matching trailer. Lake levels were extremely low, but the anglers unloaded and took to the water from Blythe Landing on Lake Norman in Huntersville, NC.

Four-time Bassmaster Champion and seven-time Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam and Bassmaster Elite Series emcee and Outdoor Channel host Mark Zona were the tournament emcees for the second year in a row. The two kept the participants and the crowd on their feet while the anglers weighed-in. Kevin even signed autographs for fans prior to weigh-in at the Bass Pro Shops display.

This year’s tournament winners were Travis Rulle from Huntersville, NC and his father Don Rulle from Longmont, CO. They weighed in five fish for a total weight of 16 pounds and 4 ounces.

“Krissie and I appreciate everyone who participates in the fishing tournament,” said Ryan Newman. “The weather was perfect or as Kevin said, we had Chamber of Commerce Weather. The 70 degree day didn’t make the fishing any better though. December is tough and normally our tournament takes anywhere from 11 – 16 pounds to win and that’s what we got with Travis and his dad. It declined rapidly after that.

“I am glad Kevin and Mark were able to make it back this year because I think the angers and fans watching enjoy their banter back and forth on stage with the fishermen.”

Second place trophies were taken home by Cliff Kirby from Catawba, NC and Rick Dunstan from Pinehurst, NC weighing in five fish at 12 pounds, 12 ounces. Third place went to Shane LeHew from Charlotte, NC and Adam Yates from Denver, NC. They had five weighing in at 12 pounds, 7 ounces.

Outback Steakhouse, who is a primary sponsor on Ryan’s No. 39 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet, hosted a rib and chicken dinner to over 400 anglers and fans. Sponsors of the event and local businesses were given the opportunity to meet with the public, sample products and give out information and items from their companies.

John Deere had their newest products on display, Oral B gave away bags of toothpaste and Kraft Foods sampled Oreo and Ritz products. Other venders included: Visit Lake Norman, Humane Society of Iredell County, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Silpada Jewelry, Parks Chevrolet, PhDs Woodworking and the Ryan Newman Foundation. Kids had their own area to play in with lots of free giveaways, games and inflatable’s to enjoy while listening to live music provided by WAME Radio in Statesville. Over 1,000 people visited the boat ramp to show their support of the annual tournament.

While the anglers were on the water, Ryan hosted a luncheon cruise on a luxury yacht. This was a nice way for sponsors to see the beautiful scenery Lake Norman has to offer and view some of the teams attempting to reel that big one in.

“I didn’t know what to think of the yacht event, but it turned out to be a good thing for our sponsors,” said Newman. “Fishing isn’t like a golf tournament. It can be frustrating and you have to have patience, and most of all, be up at the crack of dawn which most people don’t want to do after our event. It was a good way for them to have someone on one time with me and check out Lake Norman. It’s something I think we’ll do again next year.”

Homestead Miami Employees Spread Holiday Cheer

Homestead-Miami Speedway employees hit the road today, spreading holiday cheer to children in Homestead and Florida City, with speedway staff delivering gifts to South Florida children in what has become an annual holiday season tradition for track representatives.

The first stop was PATCHES medical center in Florida City, a state-licensed, non-profit facility staffed by pediatric nurses, certified teachers and respiratory and rehab therapists that provide daily treatment to children with extreme medical needs, as well as education for care-giving parents. Treating children from birth through age 21, PATCHES is an alternative to in-patient hospital care and more-isolated home care.

In advance of the visit, PATCHES provided Homestead-Miami Speedway staffers a list of the children’s names and ages so Speedway employees could personalize the holiday gifts purchased for the event. The Speedway “elves” helped Santa Claus distribute the gifts to each youngster, each who was anxiously waiting to receive a present.

Pit stop No. 2 on the Homestead-Miami holiday shuttle was Homestead Hospital, where Speedway staffers made the rounds of each occupied room in the “Speediatrics” children’s ER unit to present patients with gifts tailored to age and gender.

 “It is easy to forget many of our kids at this time of year,” said PATCHES CEO Kyle Smith. “Homestead-Miami Speedway providing gifts to these children is truly a blessing. It really means a lot to us that the Speedway and the community support us.”

“It is an honor to be welcomed back each year by both Homestead Hospital and PATCHES because being sick around the holidays is hard for anyone—especially for young children and their families,” said Matt Becherer, president of Homestead-Miami Speedway. “The fiercely dedicated staffs at these care facilities should be commended for their year-round commitment to improving the health and livelihood of children experiencing challenging times. Our Speedway staff is truly humbled to be invited for yet another year to spread a little joy to these children during the holiday season.”

“Homestead-Miami Speedway exemplifies the spirit of giving not only during the holiday season, but throughout the year,” said Bill Duquette, CEO of Homestead Hospital. “Over the years, they have brought many smiles to the faces of our young patients and their families. For that we are grateful.”

Charlotte Tests Ends Early, But All Hands Happy With Results

Letarte (with Regan Smith) likes the new car

On Day 1 of the final 2012 test for the new sixth-generation race car, the drivers had their say as they turned laps around the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway. Today, it was the crew chiefs' turn. Based on their comments, enthusiasm for the design and performance of the new car extends beyond just the drivers.



“This car is the perfect example of technology helping our sport,” said Steve Letarte, crew chief of the No. 88 National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet. “I think we now have three makes out here that my little boy at nine-years old can tell the difference between. I think that is the goal – that anybody can walk through the parking lot and see a Chevy, a Ford and a Toyota and know that they are different. That’s really what it comes down to – if you’re into racing you want to watch cool cars go around the track. I think the simple fact is in 2013 we have cooler cars.”

The look of the new sixth-generation car has been a hit and so has the performance of the new car. Drivers experienced speeds on Tuesday that have the potential to break the current qualifying record at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as the speed chart topped the 193-mile-per-hour range.

“It felt fast and I knew where my throttle was, so I knew it was as fast as I have ever been around this track” said Kasey Kahne. “I just think this car goes around the corner quicker.”

After potential record-breaking speeds throughout both test sessions, rain cut the afternoon short. Teams will have two more open tests before the beginning of the 2013 season starting with Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway Jan. 10-12.

The sixth-generation car will return to Charlotte Motor Speedway Jan. 17-18, when the teams will have their final opportunity to test the car before Speedweeks in Daytona.

Photo: Bob Jordan/AP

Logano Excited About New Car And Team

Logano and Keselowski: off to a good start

Joey Logano has a lot to adapt to these days; a new ride in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion, a new group of Penske Racing teammates and a switch in manufacturers with Ford. Logano talked about all those issues and more during the midday break on the second day of testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway today.

“There are a lot of new things,” admitted Logano. “Obviously, I’m with a new team, (and) I had never driven the 2013 car yet, so I have some things to learn.  I’m driving a Ford again, so I’m excited about that, but it’s been interesting for sure.  I think (crew chief) Todd Gordon and I are working good together and learning each other.  I think he’s trying to figure out when I say it’s tight, how tight is it?  He’s trying to get a reference on the magnitude of adjustments we need to make, so I think we’re getting there. 

“We’re making some changes on the car,” he said. “We still need a little bit more speed in it -- you’ll never have enough speed because you’re always working on that more and more -- but I think so far, so good.  We’ve had some good direction to go back to the shop and work to try to find some more.”
 
Logano also talked about his recently completed USO trip to visit troops overseas, saying. “It was
really cool because we got to go to Kuwait and Germany.  Kuwait was definitely an eye-opening experience.  It was actually a lot different than I thought.  I was kind of expecting to go there and see a bunch of mud hut-yype houses and things like that, but it was really nice. There is a huge city there, but then you go out in the desert and meet the troops that are out on the bases and it’s a
different world out there. 

“All of the Kuwaitis were really nice people and welcomed us, so I thought that was really cool. And
obviously to meet the troops and hear some of their stories about what’s going on.  We got to go for a ride in a Humvee and a couple other vehicles out there and check out their toys out there, so I thought it was interesting. It was definitely an eye-opening experience (and) it’s the least I could do for what they do for us. It’s pretty easy for me to just fly over there and say hello, so I should at least do that.”

He also commented on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car for 2013, and on this week’s test that has experimented with different levels of horsepower under the hoods.

“You’ve got a lot more downforce, but these cars have more drag, so you don’t really feel like you’re accelerating that much down the straightaway. When you take the horsepower away, you don’t feel
like you’re accelerating much at all.  But you’re going through the corners a lot faster than what we
did before, because you’re in the gas a lot more. 

Logano says he has learned a lot this week.

“It’s cold out, so there’s a lot of speed in the race track right now.  With it being cooler out today, we’re going even faster, so you take all of that with a grain of a salt.  I think speeds will be up.  I think there is definitely some possibility for track records being broken, but we have to kind of wait and see what the package is going to be when it’s all said and done.”

Logano also gave high marks to his new relationship with teammate Brad Keselowski, saying, “Yesterday was the first time we worked together at the race track driving a race car, then sitting down with him and talking about, ‘What do you think about this?  What’s your car doing?’  It’s been really good.  The lines of communication have been very open between both teams and I’m really excited about that.  I think that’s definitely one of the biggest things I like over there right now.  It’s definitely cool having Brad working with me and vice-versa.  I think it’s going to be good (and) I’m excited about it.  They include me a lot, even with the decisions on personnel, so I like how they include the driver a lot.”

He said Keselowski has already shown him a new approach to the sport. He called the defending series champion, “a student of the sport,” saying Keselowski “really studies it and will push me to do things
differently.  Brad is able to think outside of the box. WAY outside the box!  It’s interesting to see the way his mind works.  I’ve learned a lot the last couple days. The way he thinks through a race car is a little bit different than normal, and I think that’s cool.

“I think it’s good to have a little bit of both on a team,” he said. “I can learn a lot on the way he leads a team, drives a race car and sets up his car.  I seem to be a little bit different (from) the things he looks for.  The way he drives his car is a little bit different than me, too.  Taking some of his techniques, I’ve tried them out there and there are pros and cons to everything, but it gives me a few more tools to work with when I’m out there.”

Logano said the new 2013 car handles much differently than its predecessor, adding, “I think we’ve got to fine tune it still, into being able to race better.  You want to keep the racing as good as possible and the whole reason to get this ’13 car out there is to hopefully improve the racing.  I feel like it was good for us to go out there, run in a pack, and see what it’s like.  I know some of the things I used to use to pass cars, some of the tools I would use, don’t really work anymore. I had to learn and try something else. 

“I think drivers are going to have to do that; find new ways to pass guys and change things up, because these cars are different.  There will be some more fine-tuning to try and help us race around
each other easier throughout the year.

“The cars handle better,” he said. “The big thing that changed the cars a lot is that (NASCAR) took a lot of yaw away, so the cars aren’t sideways anymore.  It doesn’t seem like there’s as much air going down the left side, so sticking your left-front out and trying to get air on your left-front fender (doesn’t seem to produce) the reward you used to get. 

“That’s one of the biggest things that has made these cars drive different in the pack.”

Photos: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Stenhouse Honored By Nationwide

Lately, a Ricky Stenhouse Jr. visit has become as much of a Columbus December tradition as Christmas trees and snowmen.

For the second consecutive season, Stenhouse, the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series driver champion, and his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing team will take part in a full day – and evening – of activities today, hosted by series sponsor Nationwide Insurance in its headquarters’ hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

This is the fifth consecutive year that Nationwide Insurance has welcomed the series driver champion to its home turf, and the second consecutive year that Stenhouse and his entire team – led by crew chief Mike Kelley – has made the trip.

Since the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Awards in Miami last month, Stenhouse has been busy celebrating his back-to-back series championships. He participated in NASCAR Champion’s Week by doing burnouts down Las Vegas Blvd., in the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford Fusion, followed by last week’s USO tour to the Middle East and Germany.

"Nationwide Insurance does so much for our series that it is a true honor and privilege to represent them as their champion for two years now,” Stenhouse said. “We had a great time in Columbus last year so I am looking forward to bringing my guys back. It is great to see all the Nationwide associates that support us each and every weekend."

Stenhouse kicks off the day with an exclusive Q&A session with Nationwide associates followed by a tour of the corporate headquarters with the No. 6 championship-winning team. After the Q&A session and tour, Stenhouse and his team will sign autographs for associates on site.

At 2 p.m., the driver and champion team will visit the new facilities at Nationwide Children’s Hospital where the team will exchange gifts and play games with patients. Nationwide Children’s Hospital, an international leader in pediatric research and care, serves nearly one million patient visits annually, caring for children from every state and 28 nations round the world. The visit is fresh off last month’s announcement of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 at Mid-Ohio as part of the NASCAR Nationwide Series 2013 schedule.

The day concludes with a trip to the Jerome Schottenstein Center where Stenhouse and the champion team will be honored during the pregame festivities of the Ohio State University men’s basketball game against Savannah State. Stenhouse Jr. will present the game ball to the Buckeye basketball team.

 

Logano, Stenhouse Visit Troops Overseas



Stenhouse and Logano meet with the troops in Kuwait

 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano and two-time and reigning NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. recently teamed up with the USO to deliver holiday cheer to troops stationed overseas in the Middle East and Germany.

After meeting and extending their thanks to the men and women in uniform in the Middle East and Germany, they wrapped up their USO tour by visiting recovering warriors at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, also located in Germany.

In all, Logano and Stenhouse visited six installations and touched the lives of hundreds of service men and women. The tour was part of an ongoing partnership with the USO that continues to strengthen the connection between the military and motorsports. During this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week in Las Vegas, NASCAR teamed up with the USO to host healing heroes and their families at NASCAR Victory Lap and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards^.

This was the second USO tour for Logano, who last year, along with 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, visited hundreds of troops and military families stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This was the first USO tour experience for Stenhouse.

“We had the chance to meet some amazing men and women on our USO tour,” said Logano. “I have so much respect for our troops; they do their jobs day in and day out without complaint and are always giving it their all. We are lucky to have these men and women serving and protecting our country, and I can’t thank them enough for all that they do.”

“My first USO tour was an amazing experience. It was an honor to meet our troops and see them in action,” Stenhouse said. “The service and sacrifice of these men and women and their families are inspiring, and I have nothing but admiration and gratitude for what they do for our country.”

To find out how the USO is supporting our troops, military families and our wounded, ill and injured this holiday season, please visit www.usowishbook.org.

Kenseth To Be Backed By Husky Tools At JGR

The Home Depot will utilize the home improvement store’s proprietary tool brand, Husky, as the primary sponsor for the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota in each of its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races during the 2013 season.

Through this partnership The Home Depot looks to reward its customers through Husky Days of Giving, a Facebook contest offering the chance to win great Husky products daily as well as a grand prize to be awarded at the end of the promotion.

Husky will be the primary sponsor on JGR’s No. 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry in 20 races during the 2013 season and The Home Depot will remain the associate sponsor when Dollar General serves as the car’s primary sponsor.

Fans can get a special unique first look the new Husky paint scheme by clicking on this link and then clicking the “like” button for Husky Tools: http://www.joegibbsracing.com/husky2013.

To go directly to the Husky contest page, click on the following link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Husky-Tools/172998836050220?sk=app_100132936820333.

Once there, you can click “like” to become a fan of Husky and then click on the big “enter” button at the center of the page to fill out the entry form before hitting the submit button for a chance to win. Fans can enter once daily between now and December 24 for their chance to win.

Photo: Joe Gibbs Racing

Earnhardt Praises New NASCAR Race Car

"I'm real encouraged so far."

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., gave high preliminary marks to NASCAR’s new Sprint Cup Series racer on Day One of a two-day test at Charlotte Motor Speedway today.

“Our test is going pretty well so far,” said Earnhardt. “The cars drive really well. I know everybody is probably real curious about how we think the racing is going to go. It’s real early in the game, this is the first time I’ve driven the cars at all, (but) I’m really impressed. I really like the balance of the car, the downforce seems to be relatively good. The car has driven well for us today. We will just move through the next couple of days here and keep tuning; trying things and see what the car likes and doesn’t like. Hopefully, we’ll get some more testing in before the season starts so we can continue to understand. A lot of the rules and decisions that NASCAR is going to make on this car… some are finalized, some are not. It’s still a little bit of a moving target for the teams, (but) I’m real encouraged so far.”

Tuesday’s morning session included little or no pack racing, and while admitting that, “nobody was really in a competitive kind of atmosphere out there,” Earnhardt said he was encouraged with the handling characteristics of the new car. “I think that the car has really awesome potential,” he said. “I already like it leaps and bounds beyond the old car we ran. This car really gives me a lot of sensations that are similar to the old car that we ran four years ago, or however long ago it was.

“I’m trying not to get too excited or form too solid an opinion of the car. We have got a lot of things to learn about it. There are still some rules and things to be finalized and still a lot to learn. (But) I think it’s important for us as the drivers and the teams to try and help NASCAR as much as we can. We are all sort of working toward the same goal this week, trying to put a good show on.”

Earnhardt said changes mandated by NASCAR in the interest of increasing mechanical grip appear to be paying off.

“The rear camber is a big deal,” he said. “It’s going to provide a ton of grip being able to camber the right-rear tire more than we had in the past. I know that is a big advantage to adding grip to the car. The body on the car behaves better aerodynamically. We have a gigantic rear spoiler on the car. You can’t see out of the car very well, but that spoiler is doing a lot. NASCAR seems to think that spoiler is the one that is going to provide better racing. It definitely gives the car a lot more comfort and it does resemble what we ran many years ago. Those were some pretty good race cars back then.

“The car really drives down in the corner, turns in the corner and turns off in the corner good,” he said. “I really don’t miss all the stuff we were moving around in the back of these cars last year, I don’t miss any of that stuff. It did make the cars go faster, but they were a little bit more of a challenge to drive. The sensations that you got going off the corner crooked weren’t a lot of fun. This is awesome for me personally (because) I kind of like going in the corner with the car going straight, like it’s supposed to. I’m enjoying this.

“The COT was just frustrating for me,” admitted Earnhardt. “I had races where the car drove well and was comfortable, but I never really connected with that car from the very beginning. Personally, I didn’t like the car. I didn’t really appreciate it for what it was. The cars that you see in the garage, you will stand there and see Fords and Toyotas and Chevrolets driving by. It’s great because everything looks different. Everything is recognizable, instantly recognizable. You don’t have to think about the driver and the team itself to associate with a manufacturer. You look at the car and you can see it instantly.

“I can appreciate the cars for that fact. I’m not sure a lot of people realize how important it is having instant recognition (for the manufacturers in) our sport; how much healthier our sport can be with that happening. I like when you see a car and you can recognize it instantly.

“The car looks great,” he said. “It looks like a race car to me. I can get excited about that. I can get behind that.”

Keselowski: "Potential To Be Just As Good" In 2013

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion, met with the media during a break in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series preseason testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway this afternoon, commenting on the new Sprint Cup Series cars for 2013, Penske Racing’s move to Ford Motor Company and having Joey Logano as his new teammate.
 
“It’s hard to get a great read on the whole manufacturer change because, obviously, it’s a different car,” he said. “But I think all the signs are there that we have the potential to be just as strong, if not stronger than we were last year, which is very encouraging.  We still have to work for it and make it happen, but the signs are there.   

“It’s been a lot of fun working with Joey,” said Keselowski of his new teammate. “I think (that) has been more of an adjusting process than the actual car itself. A good adjusting process.  I’m curious to see over time how we can work together and push each other to be the best we can be, so I’ve had a lot of fun with that so far.  We’ve got a lot of work to do.  We’re only a half-a-day into two really important days, not only
for Penske Racing but for the sport itself and, hopefully, we can continue to show progress.”
 
Asked why he is so confident that Penske Racing will be stronger in Fords than they were a year ago in Dodges, he said, “Those are hard questions because you get into things that are somewhat proprietary. Bbut I think the level of engagement from the Ford camp is very, very high, which is extremely encouraging. That’s from the top on down.   

“That makes me feel more confident than anything else, because at the end of the day this is a people sport.  You look at the cars and you look at the aero or whatever it might take to be the best… and those things tend to work themselves out when you have the best people… people that are engaged and all are
sharing a common goal and work ethic.   

“I look at that as it stands right now and I’m very happy with that desire and passion we share as
a team, and from the manufacturer perspective, as well.  That commitment is across the board and it feels really good. It makes me feel like the potential is there to be just as good, if not better than ever.”
 
In typical Keselowski style, the newly crowned series champion said he has a plan to officially welcome Logano into the Penske camp.    

“The best way I can break in Joey is to get him one of those championship glasses and take him out for a night,” he laughed. “I think he’d really enjoy that and I’d really enjoy it.  I think it’s really important to keep (improving)… and I think there are things Joey does right out of the gate that are better than
what I do.”
 
“He has the ability to unload at a place like this and instantly be fast,” he explained. “That’s not my style.  It’s something that I would like to add to my arsenal, because there are times where that’s really, really helpful, so those are some of the things I look at.  I think Joey is an elite talent in this sport and if we can work together, we will both be better.  I would rather finish second to him next year in every race -- and even the championship -- than rest on my laurels, not get any better and run fifth, 10th, 15th, 17th – whatever it might be – and beat him.   

“I think it’s that spirit that is going to drive us to be the best we can.”
 
Keselowski said one of his main goals for the season is to maintain the same level of motivation and enthusiasm in his team as was displayed a year ago. 

“It’s really tough  for any championship team to keep all of the people motivated, because you’ve achieved a goal,” he said. “I think everybody starts their career wanting to be a champion and wanting to be the best, and that keeps you motivated. But once you get that, it’s easy to lose motivation and we have to find ways to motivate ourselves.  The best employees are always going to be self-motivated, but we have to find ways to make sure that there is no temptation to lose that. I think that’s probably one of the biggest challenges we have.   

“The switch to Ford is good,” he said, “because it lends itself to having something to prove. One of the best advantages of switching to Ford is it gives us something to prove all over again, that we can continue to be successful no matter what the manufacturer or no matter what the circumstance. I think that’s very healthy.  I also feel like, as a team, we have that motivation right now.”
 
Keselowski said this week’s test at CMS is important, since the team that figures these new cars out first will have an advantage at the start of the 2013 season.

“It takes a lot more than speed to win,” he said. “You still have to have some of the other things; (like) execution and good fortune, but speed is the backbone of this sport and any team’s success.  Anyone who comes out of the gate with the most speed has the potential, so it tends to be an area where we all go first. 

“There are a few guys that are a little bit ahead of everyone else,” he said. “I think the Toyotas have shown that they’re going to be really tough to beat with this new car. I really like the way they finished last year, and I think they have the capability of starting out next year stronger than (the rest of) the field.

 

“That will be interesting to watch, but there’s still a lot of testing and a lot of development left to be done.  (But) if I was to venture a guess, I would definitely say they’re at the top of the list.”

 

Photos: Getty Images,