Bluegreen Vacations Returns To Sponsor Duel Races At Daytona

"We are excited to continue our relationship with Bluegreen Vacations, and look forward to the Bluegreen Vacations Duel."

Bluegreen Vacations Corporation (“Bluegreen Vacations”), a leading vacation ownership company and the “Official Vacation Ownership Provider of NASCAR,” announced today it will return as the entitlement sponsor for the pair of 150-mile qualifying races for the DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway. 

The Bluegreen Vacations Duel At DAYTONA is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021 as part of DAYTONA Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth. The pair of qualifying races will finalize the starting lineup for the 63rd annual DAYTONA 500, the prestigious season-opening event for the NASCAR Cup Series. Denny Hamlin will look to capture his record third straight DAYTONA 500 triumph.

“Since the inaugural DAYTONA 500 in 1959, the qualifying races for the Great American Race have been a special part of Speedweeks, and that is extremely unique to our event,” said Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile. “We are excited to continue our relationship with Bluegreen Vacations, and look forward to the Bluegreen Vacations Duel, an iconic tradition of incredible competition that will set the starting field for the DAYTONA 500.” Based in Boca Raton, Florida, Bluegreen Vacations markets and sells vacation ownership interests and manages resorts in top leisure and urban destinations.

“We are pleased to sit in the pole position of another NASCAR race season as sponsors of the Bluegreen Vacations Duel at DAYTONA,” said Dusty Tonkin, EVP, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer of Bluegreen Vacations. “As the Official Vacation Ownership Provider of NASCAR, we look forward to introducing our unique resorts and iconic destinations to NASCAR fans and to offering Bluegreen’s valued owners exclusive experiences at NASCAR races.”

Tickets for the Bluegreen Vacations Duel At DAYTONA and other Daytona International Speedway events part of Speedweeks presented by AdventHealth can be purchased online at www.DAYTONA500.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Duel At DAYTONA will be conducted in accordance with enhanced safety protocols and procedures. All guests will be screened before entering the facility and will be required to wear face coverings while maintaining six feet social distancing throughout their visit.

For a schedule of on-track activities and protocols, logo onto www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest speedway news.

About Daytona International Speedway

Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports venue and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.

About Bluegreen Vacations

 

 Bluegreen Vacations parent company is Bluegreen Vacations Corporation (NYSE: BXG), a leading vacation ownership company that markets and sells vacation ownership interests and manages resorts in popular leisure and urban destinations. The Bluegreen Vacation Club is a flexible, points-based, deeded vacation ownership plan with 68 Club and Club Associate Resorts and access to nearly 11,300 other hotels and resorts through partnerships and exchange networks. Bluegreen Vacations also offers a portfolio of comprehensive, fee-based resort management, financial, and sales and marketing services to, or on behalf of, third parties. Bluegreen Vacations Corporation is approximately 93% owned by Bluegreen Vacations Holding Corporation (NYSE: BVH) (OTCQX: BVHBB) (formerly BBX Capital Corporation), a Florida-based holding company. For further information about Bluegreen Vacations Corporation, please visit www.BluegreenVacations.com. About Bluegreen Vacations Holding Corporation: Bluegreen Vacations Holding Corporation (NYSE: BVH) (OTCQX: BVHBB) (formerly BBX Capital Corporation), is a Florida-based holding company whose sole investment is its approximate 93% ownership interest of Bluegreen Vacations Corporation (NYSE: BXG). 

For further information, please visit www.BVHcorp.com. 

 

source

Truex Jr. Wins $25,000 for His Foundation

The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Memorial ‘High Speed Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament’ is traditionally held in Daytona Beach prior to the DAYTONA 500. However, this year the event was hosted via a virtual partnership with World Poker Tour® on January 13. 

Utilizing the World Poker Tour’s online sweepstakes-based poker platform, ClubWPT™, the tournament allowed for two playing styles to happen simultaneously – Sit and Go tables and Multi-Tables. Participating NASCAR Cup Series drivers had a chance to earn funds for their charities with the first place finishing driver receiving a $25,000 donation, the second place finishing driver a $15,000 donation and the third place finishing driver a $10,000 donation.

The final table streamed on January 22 at 5:30 p.m. on NASCAR’s YouTube channel with 2018 Women in Poker Hall of Fame Inductee Maria Ho and NASCAR on NBC analyst Rick Allen serving as hosts and commentators.

The high stakes event featured NASCAR Cup Series champions Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex, Jr., NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees Rusty Wallace and Bobby Labonte, professional poker stars Maria Ho, Phil Hellmuth and Erik Seidel, and actor Josh Malina, among other celebrities and participants.

Proceeds from the tournament benefit The NASCAR Foundation’s Speediatrics Children’s Fund, a program that aims to provide health care resources and wellness programs for children.

Congratulations @MartinTruex_Jr for WINNING $25,000 for the @MTJFoundation at the @NASCAR_FDN Betty Jane France Memorial High Speed Hold'Em Poker Tournament! Way to go! 🙌❤️ #NeverGiveUp pic.twitter.com/oZdK4LxlRa

— MTJFoundation (@MTJFoundation) January 23, 2021

The final table will feature six players, including Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr., professional poker player Phil Hellmuth, one celebrity Josh Malina and two participants from the multi-table, Larry Leech, and Craig Wood. The action came down to a showdown with recent NASCAR Cup Champions Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. the last two standing.

“I won, I won, I won the money.” Martin Truex Jr.

“Always finishing second to Martin! That was fun.” Kyle Busch

“We tried to do one – two . . . . and we got it” Martin Truex Jr.

“Yah the dumb racer drivers sweeped the deal!” Kyle Busch

Charles Lacarre – Sponsorship Needed

Cleared to Race the 2021 Season

Most red-blooded American boys and more than a few vigorous American girls mature with the dream of racing NASCAR in their hearts. Charles LaCarre is no different except for the fact that he was born and raised in France. 

While Charles is brimming with ambition and talent, he is lacking is what most NASCAR hopefuls lack – adequate sponsorship.

He arrived in the USA on January third with hopeful plans to race the 2021 season in ARCA. Charles joined the action during the ARCA Menards Series test at Daytona International Speedway earlier this month. His successful test won him NASCAR/ARCA approval to race on the ‘mile or less’ tracks and road courses. Additionally, he is cleared for Talladega and Daytona.

Charles Lacarre’s Wins and Awards.

• - 2011: First Win in The First Ever Go-Kart Race.
• - 2012: Three (3) Wins Across the Season In Go-Karts. Highlights Include a Top15 In First French National Championship (Out Of 60+ Drivers).
• - 2013: Recruited by The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Young Driver Development Program After A Horrific Crash That Ended Go-Kart Career.
• - 2015: Won the European Trans-AM TA2 “V8 Academy” Award. Took Part in The Development of An American TA2 Chevy Camaro. The Goal Was to Give Feedback to The Team, As Well As Work on The Car To Make It Fit European Regulations.
• - 2016: First Real Life Oval Driving Experience During a Richard Petty Driving Experience At Charlotte Motor Speedway… First Trip In The USA.
• - 2017: First Oval Race in The 3/8-Mile At Warneton (Belgium), In The European Late Model Series (ELMS). 1st Top 5 After 5 Races.
• - 2019: As a Rookie in The Late Model V8 Oval Series (LMV8OS), On The ½-Mile At Venray, I Won A Record 6 Consecutive Races For The Series. I Won 40% Of the Races I Entered That Year (6/15).
• - 2020: No Racing Due To COVID-19, But Received ARCA And NASCAR’s Approval To Race In The ARCA Menards Series.
• - 2021: First Tests at Daytona International Speedway… And Hopefully, First Races Soon!

Unfortunately, Charles, who is currently a student in the Netherlands via internet instruction, is still looking for sponsorship. Below is our discussion on this subject.

NASCAR Race Mom: How Is Your Sponsorship Hunt Going?

Charles:

I cannot say this is the easy part of racing. Sometimes the road to NASCAR seems impossible and sometimes it does seem possible. The most complicated aspect of the racing bug is the search for sponsors and budget to race when you are an underfunded underdog. The natural progression goes through this search that is the often untold and not sexy part of being a racecar driver.

As an outsider, coming from Europe, I have to prove my legitimacy to American race teams and organizations as well as partners and I wish to do just that. I am naturally excited and enthusiastic about trying to grow my project in the USA, where I have always wanted to be. I love brainstorming to find ideas about how to submit meaningful partnership requests and build a relationship with partners so that they can find value in sponsoring me.

I am currently trying to surround myself with companies that are local to the Spartanburg-Greenville area as this is my American hometown. Sharon (American Mentor) and I are also working on finding deals with French-American companies with national and international presence. It makes sense given my origins! Great stories are written behind the scenes, by those pre-destined to walk an unknown and uncertain path without being discouraged, and I want to succeed in spite of everything, so, I will never give up no matter how long it takes.

NASCAR Race Mom: What Do You Offer to A Sponsor?

Charles: 

 I offer “The Conqwest”! which is the name of my project. My offers are really simple and break down in 3 main ideas: affordability, creativity and coherence.

Affordability: I need to raise awareness and prove myself on the track, so, all I need to do is race. I am not looking to make any money with my racing. It helps selling affordable sponsorships to fight the ideas that racing costs a lot. Also, I try to create value for partnerships so that the return is consequent and justifies the investment of a company. I am an underdog and I have big odds. The payoff is big for the first company that will see the potential Sharon saw in my project when she agreed to launch MDR Sports Mgt and work with me. My project is unique in itself since I come from France in a sport that is essentially American.

Creativity: I have a taste for things done right. The first thing drivers propose in their proposals are visibility on the car and equipment. I am French and I have to honor French fashion, so I want to look best on track with slick helmet, fire suit and car wrap designs. Visual identity is important, but that is not enough. I wish to be an ambassador for the brands I will represent. I want to promote their product, raise awareness about what they sell so that people know how they can benefit from using my partners’ services. Engagement is important and if an American company partners with me, I want to be sure I adhere to their values so that I can be a coherent spokesperson for them… Which leads me to:

Coherence: I need to understand what the companies want so that I can adapt my project to their marketing needs. “The Conqwest” is versatile and it can be anything. In summary… Dare I say I can offer a sponsor just what they need?!

Unlike Frenchman Jean Girard, the antagonist in the 2006 comedy film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Charles Lacarre is ready to creatively embrace the ethos of NASCAR.

Please call Sharon Boswell at 704-723-1238 or email her at MDRsportsmgt@gmail.com for a unique sponsorship opportunity.

Top-10 List: January #NASCAR Races

10 factoids from the days when NASCAR actually raced during the month of January.

For the last 39 years, the NASCAR premier series season has begun each February with Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway. And it’s been 40 years since the first race of the season took place in the month of January.

 

Once upon a time, though, NASCAR did race in January. Not often, mind you, but occasionally.

 

So now that the holidays are over, the first Top 10 list of 2021 covers NASCAR trivia regarding the month of January.

 

Lee Petty raced at Palm Beach Speedway in the early days of NASCAR. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images

 

10. First January race

The 1952 premier series season opened up on January 20, 1952, at Palm Beach Speedway, a 0.500-mile dirt track in West Palm Beach, Florida. There, Hall of Famer Tim Flock (2014) lapped runner-up Lee Petty (2011) and the rest of the field. Driving a Ted Chester-owned Hudson Hornet, Flock led 194 of 200 laps to win $1,025.

 

9. Total January races

In the 72-year history of the premier series, there have only been 20 races contested in January, the last one coming in 1981.

 

8. Tracks that have hosted January races

Believe it or not, just three tracks have hosted premier series races during the month of January. Including the aforementioned Palm Beach Speedway in 1952. Arizona State Fairgrounds, a 1.00-mile dirt track in Phoenix, staged a 150-nile race won by Buck Baker (2013) on January 22, 1956. The other 18 January premier series races were all run on the old 2.7-mile Riverside International Raceway road course in Southern California. 

 

On January 22, 1967, Parnelli Jones won the Motor Trend 500. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images

 

7. Biggest January field

The 1967 Motor Trend 500 at Riverside International Raceway had a field of 46 cars, the largest of any premier series race ever run in January. Open-wheel ace Parnelli Jones drove a Bill Stroppe-owned Ford to victory over Paul Goldsmith and Norm Nelson.

 

6. Slowest January race

In the early days, premier series races at Riverside International Raceway were a full 500 miles, which made for long afternoons in the Southern California sun. In 1963, Dan Gurney won the Riverside 500 behind the wheel of the iconic No. 28 Holman-Moody Racing Ford frequently piloted by Fred Lorenzen (2015). It took Gurney 5 hours, 53 minutes and 20 seconds to go the distance, averaging 84.965 mph.

 

5. Fastest January race

In terms of average speed, the fastest January premier series race was the 1979 Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway. Driving for DiGard Racing, Darrell Waltrip (2012) averaged 107.82 mph in a race that ran caution free. With the race distance shortened from the old 500 miles to 500 kilometers – about 312 miles – Waltrip needed just 2 hours, 53 minutes and 30 seconds to defeat fellow Hall of Famers David Pearson (2011) and Cale Yarborough (2012). 

 

4. Most January victories

Of the 18 races run in January at Riverside International Raceway, Dan Gurney won five of them, making him the biggest January winner in NASCAR history. Not coincidentally, all of Gurney’s career premier series wins were at Riverside. 

 

3. Hall of Famers who won January races

Seven NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees won premier series races in the month of January: Tim Flock (2014) in 1952; Buck Baker (2013) in 1956; Richard Petty (2010) in 1972; Cale Yarborough (2012) in 1974 and ‘78; Bobby Allison (2011) in 1975 and 1981; David Pearson (2011) in 1976 and ’77; and Darrell Waltrip (2012) in 1979 and ’80.

 

2. Most team wins in January

Wood Brothers Racing, the team founded by Hall of Famer Glen Wood (2012) in 1950, won five January races at Riverside International Raceway, with Dan Gurney in in 1964-66 and ’68 and David Pearson in 1976 and ’77.

 

Bobby Allison leads David Pearson, Richard Petty and the rest of the field at Riverside International Raceway in the 1975 Winston Western 500. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images

 

1. Last January Race

On January 11, 1981, Bobby Allison (2011) won the Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway, leading an all-Hall of Fame top five ahead of Terry Labonte (2016), Dale Earnhardt (2010), Richard Childress (2017) and Richard Petty (2010). NASCAR has not hosted a premier series race in January since that day 40 years ago.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame is open Wednesday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To purchase tickets, go to nascarhall.com/tickets.

 

Source

Teammates Elliott and Larson Competing in the Chili Bowl

Chase Elliott is joining Hendrick teammate and defending race winner Kyle Larson for the 35th annual Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma next week.

After attending the biggest Midget race last year as a spectator, Chase will get behind the wheel for the first time at the Chili Bowl in a DiaEdge-sponsored #9E Midget car. Chase's Qualifying Night runs are Wednesday and the Championship Features are Saturday.

I really enjoyed this race. I've been a fan of the event for probably like five, six years or so. I've paid pretty close attention to it over the past five, six years. I just think it's a really cool event for one, but not just the Chili Bowl, I think midget racing, dirt racing, sprint car racing, I've really always had a respect for that. I grew up a big Tony Stewart fan, so obviously he kind of wanted me to do that stuff I feel like as a kid. He always kind of was joking with dad about getting me in midget and Quarter Midgets and stuff when I was little. He actually gave me a Quarter Midget when I was little that never got used. So I kind of grew up with a lot of interest in it. Chase Elliott

I think he (Elliott’s maiden voyage behind the wheel of the midget) exceeded everybody's expectations probably. I thought he did really well, extremely smooth. Then you could tell each lap, he was getting more and more comfortable and it was just cool to see. Cool to see somebody you take on a challenge that's way different than I'm sure anything he's ever driven before and to go to the biggest event too, with 300 entries. He'll try his hand at it and get into the main and hopefully he'll battle for Golden Drillers. I've always had a lot of respect for Chase. I've always believed that he's extremely good and for him to, like I said, do something that's challenging and different, it's just awesome. I hope all the fans, I know all of us competitors appreciate it, but I hope all the fans can really appreciate it no matter how his week goes at Tulsa. Kyle Larson

Less than 24-hours until cars are on track. Here is Monday's Practice Order. Sessions are by Qualifying Night (Monday-Friday) with some overlapping. Practice on Monday begins at 9:00AM (CT). pic.twitter.com/fOoC7b1zq1

— Chili Bowl Nationals (@cbnationals) January 10, 2021