Bounty Placed On Grand American Race Cars at Papa John's 100 Blizzard Series Event April 27th
With 13-Race GARC Chassis Win Streak On the Line, $513 Bonus Up for Grabs
Series PR
Customers of Alabama Late Model chassis manufacturer Grand American Race Cars, owned and operated by noted short trackers Frankie and Augie Grill, have won the last 13 Buddy’s Home Furnishings Blizzard Series Super Late Model events at Pensacola, Florida’s Five Flags Speedway.
Other chassis manufacturers have come close to de-throning the GARC nameplate in that span, but for the first time ever, there will be some extra incentive for a non-GARC car to take the win in the Papa John’s 100 Blizzard Series event on Friday, April 27th.
Five Flags Speedway has placed a $513 “bounty” on GARC cars in the 100-lap affair. If another chassis manufacturer’s car goes to victory lane, the winning driver will go home with the bonus.
"I guess that means business is good,” said Augie Grill, a two-time Snowball Derby winner, defending Blizzard Series Champion and GARC principle. “We’ve got to get our car a little bit better and Bubba (Pollard) was a little bit off in the last race, but maybe as long as Chase (Elliott, winner of the season-opening Blizzard Series race in March) keeps coming, we’ll be okay."
The streak of 13 wins has been made possible by the efforts of three drivers, lead Grill with six wins. Chase Elliott owns four Blizzard Series victories in that span and Bubba Pollard has three.
Even though he puts the work in on the cars, Grill knows that there is still more to gain with his racing machine if he is going to keep the GARC domination in tact.
"We were pretty close, we just needed a little bit more off the corner at the end of the race," said Grill. "Hopefully we can get that between now and then."
The chasers are in line for a $513 bonus from Five Flags Speedway in an effort to draw in support from other cars. The win by a non-GARC chassis must come within the lines of the Five Flags Speedway Blizzard Series rule book and cannot be captured by wrecking the leader for the trophy. The bounty will be up for three races for non-GARC cars.
"That’s perfect, they need to raise the money even more," joked an excited Mike Garvey, who competes with a Port City Race Cars chassis. "They’ve earned it. They’ve won, what, 13 in a row? We’ve got our cars running pretty good so hopefully we can get it."
Many would consider Garvey the top non-GARC threat as he was racing with the leaders in the first Blizzard race when mechanical problems ended his day early. Garvey won the most recent Pro Late Model race at Five Flags Speedway a few weeks back.
"The chassis are identical," said Garvey of his Pro and Super Late Models. "The engines are different, but what we run in one we run in the other. What we learned the other week will go right to our Super. We were really good in the last race in the Super until the A-frame bolt broke."
Other key drivers in the mix will be Hamke Race Cars chassis drivers such as Kyle Benjamin, DJ VanderLey, Casey Smith and Donnie Wilson. Mike Garvey Dwayne Buggay and Chris Davidson will be threats in Port City cars, while other drivers in a multitude of different types of chassis will all take on the challenge on April 27th.
The Papa John's 100 starts will commence on Friday, April 27th at Five Flags Speedway with practice from 4pm to 5:30pm Central Time. Blizzard qualifying will be at 7pm and racing starts at 8pm.
Fans unable to attend the Buddy's Home Furnishings Blizzard Series event at Five Flags can hear it live on Speed51.com thanks to Speed 51 Radio. The broadcast will start shortly before the feature events on Friday night.
The five Blizzard Series’ and five Miller Lite Series’ events at Mobile International Speedway (AL) will make up the Sunoco Gulf Coast Championship series, where drivers competing at both tracks are eligible for overall Championship.
For more information about Five Flags Speedway, the Papa John's 100 or the 45th Annual Snowball Derby, please visit www.5flagsspeedway.com or contact the track by calling (850) 944-8400.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Eric Jones Second at Plymouth
Daniel Hemric Makes The All Night Drive Count After Winning The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Season Opener
Hemric Takes the Lead With a Three-Wide Pass of Jones & Jurkovic
JEGS/CRA All-Stars PR
The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by GM Performance Parts began their sophomore campaign on Sunday, April 22nd at the 3/8s (0.375) mile semi-banked paved oval of Plymouth Speedway in Plymouth, Indiana with the running of the Eric Saunders I Can I Will 100 Presented by JEGS.com
Kannapolis, North Carolina stand out, Daniel Hemric made the overnight trip from Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, North Carolina where he was competing in a NASCAR Whelen Southern Modifieds Tour event and didn’t arrive in Northern Indiana until Sunday morning having never seen the vulnerable facility.
It didn’t matter to the 21-year-old as he retook the lead from Defending JEGS/CRA Tour Champion, 15-year-old Erik Jones on lap 60 with a daring three-wide pass of Jones and Boyne Machine Fast Qualifier, Boris Jurkovic, the 2011 Winchester 400 Winner and then held off a furious charge from Jones to win his first career JEGS/CRA race and first win in the first ever start for Scott Neal Racing.
"Boris (Jurkovic) and Erik (Jones) got side-by-side and made contact," Hemric explained as he relived the bold three-wide pass. “We were just in the right place at the right time. This is so awesome. We drove all night to get here and I had never even seen this place before this morning, but (Car Owner) Scott Neal did an awesome job preparing this car. He's the heart and soul of this deal, him and Richard Clark. This was just an awesome team effort overall!” He added.
Neal climbed behind the wheel of Hemric #54 McGunegill Engine Performance Chevrolet the day before on Practice Day to shake the car down and was recorded within the top 10 throughout the afternoon. “ "Scott told me he was very fast in the car, and I thought, 'Maybe you need to get back in it.'” Hemric laughed. “Maybe he was a little better than I was. But he had faith in me, and I had faith in him and it all worked out.” Hemric added.
After Jurkovic won the Boyne Machine Fast Qualifier Award, he then drew a six (6) for an inversion placing Hemric and Jones on the front row for the 2012 Season Opener for the second year tour. Hemric would beat Jones to the first corner to pace the early laps before developing an ignition issue just a few laps into the race. Jones took advantage on lap eight and would take over the top spot. "I didn’t know if it would make it or not. We got those lucky cautions throughout the race to cool everything down and eventually it went away.” Hemric added.
The most serious of the nine cautions occurred on lap seven when 2011 TBRA Series Champion, 18-year-old Ali Kern slammed the turns 1-2 wall forcing officials to throw the red flag and bringing the field to a stop on the front stretch. She was ok, but very disappointed as her car was completely destroyed.
It would be the next restart and a lap later when Jones would pass Hemric for the lead on hold off Hemric and later Jurkovic throughout the middle stages of the race and through a series of cautions. Then after another restart on lap 59, Jurkovic got around Hemric and immediately went after Jones for the lead as the Joliet, Illinois veteran pulled up side-by-side with the reigning series champion. After contact between the two, Hemric made it three-wide on the inside and emerged as the new leader on lap 60 bringing Jones, who recovered from the collision with Jurkovic, with him.
For the rest of the event, Jones threw everything he had in his arsenal at Hemric in an effort to reclaim the lead he took from him in the early stages. But in the end, Jones in his #4 Paragon Corvette Reproductions Chevrolet couldn’t get around the eventual winner and settled for the runner-up spot.
“We tried everything we could to get back by Daniel, but we just didn’t have anything left,” Explained the Byron, Michigan teenager who will miss some JEGS/CRA races this season due to his 10-race commitment with Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards. “I just couldn't get going on the top on restarts like I needed to and we ended up coming in second. It was a good day for us though and we’ll head to Winchester in a couple of weeks.” He added.
Jones finished second ahead of new Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year Presented by Howe Racing Enterprises Points Leader, 14-year-old Anderson Bowen who surprised many on lookers by Qualifying an impressive fourth quick out of the 32 teams on the grounds. From there, the Suwanee, Georgia teenager ran with the leaders throughout the day and in the end brought his #29 One Harvest Food Ministries Chevrolet home on the podium in third in his JEGS/CRA debut.
“I can’t thank everyone enough for working so hard and giving me a great racecar. I didn’t want to push things and let them guys in front of me battle. I was just hoping to turn some laps, gain experience and not wreck the car,” The Peach State teenager remarked. “We’re very happy to come out of here with the Rookie points lead and I hope we can continue our good start at Winchester. I hear that’s a bad fast track and I can’t wait to get there.” He ended.
Josh Nelms finished fourth ahead of Brent Downey, who rebounded from a lap 59 incident and worked his way back into fifth place at the end. Jeremy Lepak finished sixth ahead of 15-year-old Rookie Cole Williams who started 23rd after winning the Last Chance Race and emerged seventh as Eddie Hoffman, who needed a provisional to get into the show, started 21st and would finish eighth while Chris Koslek and 16-year-old rookie, Taylor Ferns, who started 22nd, would complete the top 10.
Jurkovic won the Boyne Machine Fast Qualifier Award with 13.157 that measured out to 102.607mph which established the JEGS/CRA Track Record in Plymouth, Indiana. Also earlier in the afternoon Williams won the 15-Lap Last Chance Race to transfer into the 100-Lap main. Wes Griffith Jr., finished second to also transfer in.
Race #2 for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by GM Performance Parts will occur on Sunday Afternoon, May 6th as the legendary ½ (0.500) mile high-banked paved oval of Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Indiana will host the Winchester 100 Presented by JEGS.com. The Top Speed Fabrication CRA Late Model Sportsman Series and the Vore’s Welding Front Wheel Drive Compacts will also be on the card. For more information, go to: www.craracing.net and www.winchesterspeedway.com
Hemric Takes the Lead With a Three-Wide Pass of Jones & Jurkovic
JEGS/CRA All-Stars PR
The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by GM Performance Parts began their sophomore campaign on Sunday, April 22nd at the 3/8s (0.375) mile semi-banked paved oval of Plymouth Speedway in Plymouth, Indiana with the running of the Eric Saunders I Can I Will 100 Presented by JEGS.com
Kannapolis, North Carolina stand out, Daniel Hemric made the overnight trip from Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, North Carolina where he was competing in a NASCAR Whelen Southern Modifieds Tour event and didn’t arrive in Northern Indiana until Sunday morning having never seen the vulnerable facility.
It didn’t matter to the 21-year-old as he retook the lead from Defending JEGS/CRA Tour Champion, 15-year-old Erik Jones on lap 60 with a daring three-wide pass of Jones and Boyne Machine Fast Qualifier, Boris Jurkovic, the 2011 Winchester 400 Winner and then held off a furious charge from Jones to win his first career JEGS/CRA race and first win in the first ever start for Scott Neal Racing.
"Boris (Jurkovic) and Erik (Jones) got side-by-side and made contact," Hemric explained as he relived the bold three-wide pass. “We were just in the right place at the right time. This is so awesome. We drove all night to get here and I had never even seen this place before this morning, but (Car Owner) Scott Neal did an awesome job preparing this car. He's the heart and soul of this deal, him and Richard Clark. This was just an awesome team effort overall!” He added.
Neal climbed behind the wheel of Hemric #54 McGunegill Engine Performance Chevrolet the day before on Practice Day to shake the car down and was recorded within the top 10 throughout the afternoon. “ "Scott told me he was very fast in the car, and I thought, 'Maybe you need to get back in it.'” Hemric laughed. “Maybe he was a little better than I was. But he had faith in me, and I had faith in him and it all worked out.” Hemric added.
After Jurkovic won the Boyne Machine Fast Qualifier Award, he then drew a six (6) for an inversion placing Hemric and Jones on the front row for the 2012 Season Opener for the second year tour. Hemric would beat Jones to the first corner to pace the early laps before developing an ignition issue just a few laps into the race. Jones took advantage on lap eight and would take over the top spot. "I didn’t know if it would make it or not. We got those lucky cautions throughout the race to cool everything down and eventually it went away.” Hemric added.
The most serious of the nine cautions occurred on lap seven when 2011 TBRA Series Champion, 18-year-old Ali Kern slammed the turns 1-2 wall forcing officials to throw the red flag and bringing the field to a stop on the front stretch. She was ok, but very disappointed as her car was completely destroyed.
It would be the next restart and a lap later when Jones would pass Hemric for the lead on hold off Hemric and later Jurkovic throughout the middle stages of the race and through a series of cautions. Then after another restart on lap 59, Jurkovic got around Hemric and immediately went after Jones for the lead as the Joliet, Illinois veteran pulled up side-by-side with the reigning series champion. After contact between the two, Hemric made it three-wide on the inside and emerged as the new leader on lap 60 bringing Jones, who recovered from the collision with Jurkovic, with him.
For the rest of the event, Jones threw everything he had in his arsenal at Hemric in an effort to reclaim the lead he took from him in the early stages. But in the end, Jones in his #4 Paragon Corvette Reproductions Chevrolet couldn’t get around the eventual winner and settled for the runner-up spot.
“We tried everything we could to get back by Daniel, but we just didn’t have anything left,” Explained the Byron, Michigan teenager who will miss some JEGS/CRA races this season due to his 10-race commitment with Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards. “I just couldn't get going on the top on restarts like I needed to and we ended up coming in second. It was a good day for us though and we’ll head to Winchester in a couple of weeks.” He added.
Jones finished second ahead of new Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year Presented by Howe Racing Enterprises Points Leader, 14-year-old Anderson Bowen who surprised many on lookers by Qualifying an impressive fourth quick out of the 32 teams on the grounds. From there, the Suwanee, Georgia teenager ran with the leaders throughout the day and in the end brought his #29 One Harvest Food Ministries Chevrolet home on the podium in third in his JEGS/CRA debut.
“I can’t thank everyone enough for working so hard and giving me a great racecar. I didn’t want to push things and let them guys in front of me battle. I was just hoping to turn some laps, gain experience and not wreck the car,” The Peach State teenager remarked. “We’re very happy to come out of here with the Rookie points lead and I hope we can continue our good start at Winchester. I hear that’s a bad fast track and I can’t wait to get there.” He ended.
Josh Nelms finished fourth ahead of Brent Downey, who rebounded from a lap 59 incident and worked his way back into fifth place at the end. Jeremy Lepak finished sixth ahead of 15-year-old Rookie Cole Williams who started 23rd after winning the Last Chance Race and emerged seventh as Eddie Hoffman, who needed a provisional to get into the show, started 21st and would finish eighth while Chris Koslek and 16-year-old rookie, Taylor Ferns, who started 22nd, would complete the top 10.
Jurkovic won the Boyne Machine Fast Qualifier Award with 13.157 that measured out to 102.607mph which established the JEGS/CRA Track Record in Plymouth, Indiana. Also earlier in the afternoon Williams won the 15-Lap Last Chance Race to transfer into the 100-Lap main. Wes Griffith Jr., finished second to also transfer in.
Race #2 for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by GM Performance Parts will occur on Sunday Afternoon, May 6th as the legendary ½ (0.500) mile high-banked paved oval of Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Indiana will host the Winchester 100 Presented by JEGS.com. The Top Speed Fabrication CRA Late Model Sportsman Series and the Vore’s Welding Front Wheel Drive Compacts will also be on the card. For more information, go to: www.craracing.net and www.winchesterspeedway.com
7th annual Ice Breaker/Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club Night Highlight Opening Night 2012 THIS Saturday, April 28th at I-96 Speedway
Lake Odessa, Michigan (Monday, April 23rd, 2012): The Two Pre-Season Test & Tunes have been completed and now it’s time to go racing at the newly revamped and fast 3/8s (0.375) mile high-banked dirt oval of I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan THIS Saturday, April as the 7th annual Ice Breaker / Opening Night 2012 / Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club Night will highlight a festive season opener.
Co-Owners / Promoters, Mike & Sarah have a very aggressive schedule planned throughout the year and it all starts this Saturday featuring a full four in one show highlighted by the high-powered UMP Super Late Models who’ll be joined by the UMP Modifieds, Rudd’s Septic Service UMP Street Stocks, and Smyrna Bar UMP Sport Compacts as all four divisions begin their quests for the 2012 Track Championship within the UMP DIRTcar Racing Series.
Coming into the 2012 racing season, Tom Sprague Jr., will lead a stellar field of UMP Super Late Models as the premier divisions' Defending Track Champion while rising superstar, Jacob Poel will head up one of the strongest weekly fields of UMP Modifieds in the state of Michigan as he'll come into the season as the open-wheeled divisions' Defending Track Champion. Hometown favorite, Bill Brandt Jr., will try and fend off and expected stout cast of Rudd's Septic Service UMP Street Stocks as the Defending Track Champion and Rick Peck will lead the army of Smyrna Bar UMP Sport Compacts as the Defending Track Champion.
Every Regular Racing Night in 2012, The UMP Super Late Models will race for a minimum of $1,200 to Win and $200 to start while the UMP Modifieds will go for minimum of $500 to Win ad $125 to Start. The Rudd’s Septic Service UMP Street Stocks will be gunning for the highest payout in the state for their division at $500 to Win and $100 to start and the Smyrna Bar UMP Sport Compacts will be racing for a hefty $200 to Win and $25 to Start.
Get tickets exclusively with ShowClix! Just click on the link below for more information: http://getik.it/222645?f Those Ticket Prices for the 2012 season opener are: Adults (13-61): $12.00 – Seniors (62 and Over): $8.00 – Children (6-12) $6.00 – Kids (5 and Under): FREE – Family Pass $32.00 (*A family pass will get 2 adults and 2 children into the races. Once inside, the Kid’s Club is Free for the Kids!) – Pit Passes: $25.00 (for any age that can walk, infants are free).
In addition, it's also Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club (MARFC) Night, as all 2012 MARFC members who show their membership cards will get into OPENING NIGHT for absolutely FREE! This is the first MARFC Night of the 2012 season anywhere! To learn more about MARFC and to become a member, go to their website at: www.marfc.org
For the 2012 racing season, there will be some new starting times implemented. Pit Gates will Open at 3:00p.m., and the Grandstand Gates will open at 5:00p.m., just like in previous seasons. However Practice will now start earlier than in the past as the cars hit the track on race day starting at 5:30p.m. and will take turns on the track on a rotating basis until 6:25p.m. Then after the Drivers Meeting at 6:30p.m., followed by Pre-Race Ceremonies / Invocation / National Anthem(s), Racing will begin at 7:00p.m.
I-96 Speedway is located at 3823 Portland Road in Lake Odessa, Michigan. For more information, please call: 1 (616) 642-0555 or visit the website at: www.i96speedway.com You can also follow all of the off-season happenings in Lake Odessa, Michigan by becoming a fan on the tracks Facebook Fan Page. Just go to: www.facebook.com/i96speedway and click on “Like” button. You can even follow us on Twitter as well, just go to: www.twitter.com/i96speedway and “Follow” us today.
Co-Owners / Promoters, Mike & Sarah have a very aggressive schedule planned throughout the year and it all starts this Saturday featuring a full four in one show highlighted by the high-powered UMP Super Late Models who’ll be joined by the UMP Modifieds, Rudd’s Septic Service UMP Street Stocks, and Smyrna Bar UMP Sport Compacts as all four divisions begin their quests for the 2012 Track Championship within the UMP DIRTcar Racing Series.
Coming into the 2012 racing season, Tom Sprague Jr., will lead a stellar field of UMP Super Late Models as the premier divisions' Defending Track Champion while rising superstar, Jacob Poel will head up one of the strongest weekly fields of UMP Modifieds in the state of Michigan as he'll come into the season as the open-wheeled divisions' Defending Track Champion. Hometown favorite, Bill Brandt Jr., will try and fend off and expected stout cast of Rudd's Septic Service UMP Street Stocks as the Defending Track Champion and Rick Peck will lead the army of Smyrna Bar UMP Sport Compacts as the Defending Track Champion.
Every Regular Racing Night in 2012, The UMP Super Late Models will race for a minimum of $1,200 to Win and $200 to start while the UMP Modifieds will go for minimum of $500 to Win ad $125 to Start. The Rudd’s Septic Service UMP Street Stocks will be gunning for the highest payout in the state for their division at $500 to Win and $100 to start and the Smyrna Bar UMP Sport Compacts will be racing for a hefty $200 to Win and $25 to Start.
Get tickets exclusively with ShowClix! Just click on the link below for more information: http://getik.it/222645?f Those Ticket Prices for the 2012 season opener are: Adults (13-61): $12.00 – Seniors (62 and Over): $8.00 – Children (6-12) $6.00 – Kids (5 and Under): FREE – Family Pass $32.00 (*A family pass will get 2 adults and 2 children into the races. Once inside, the Kid’s Club is Free for the Kids!) – Pit Passes: $25.00 (for any age that can walk, infants are free).
In addition, it's also Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club (MARFC) Night, as all 2012 MARFC members who show their membership cards will get into OPENING NIGHT for absolutely FREE! This is the first MARFC Night of the 2012 season anywhere! To learn more about MARFC and to become a member, go to their website at: www.marfc.org
For the 2012 racing season, there will be some new starting times implemented. Pit Gates will Open at 3:00p.m., and the Grandstand Gates will open at 5:00p.m., just like in previous seasons. However Practice will now start earlier than in the past as the cars hit the track on race day starting at 5:30p.m. and will take turns on the track on a rotating basis until 6:25p.m. Then after the Drivers Meeting at 6:30p.m., followed by Pre-Race Ceremonies / Invocation / National Anthem(s), Racing will begin at 7:00p.m.
I-96 Speedway is located at 3823 Portland Road in Lake Odessa, Michigan. For more information, please call: 1 (616) 642-0555 or visit the website at: www.i96speedway.com You can also follow all of the off-season happenings in Lake Odessa, Michigan by becoming a fan on the tracks Facebook Fan Page. Just go to: www.facebook.com/i96speedway and click on “Like” button. You can even follow us on Twitter as well, just go to: www.twitter.com/i96speedway and “Follow” us today.
Monday, April 23, 2012
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