Thursday, December 31, 2020

Kris Wright Joins Young's Motorsports

Kris Wright Joins Young's Motorsports

2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series


Kris Wright Joins Young's Motorsports #NASCAR

Today, Young's Motorsports announced the signing of Kris Wright to its 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) team.

Wright, who recorded several top 10 finishes in the 2020 ARCA Menards Series after winning the 2018 IMSA Prototype Challenge, will drive the team's flagship truck — the No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado.

Based in Mooresville, N.C., Young's Motorsports has competed in the NCWTS since 2012.

"I'm really looking forward to working with Kris this season. He's had success in everything he's raced and we are excited to get going in 2021," said Tyler Young, the team's principal.


Previously, Wright raced in Europe as a Formula 3 driver.

"I am really excited to be joining Young's Motorsports for the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series," Wright said. "Last year was my introduction to stock car racing and I will be applying what I have learned to this year's competitive class. I am looking forward to a successful season with Tyler and his crew."


Young's Motorsports, which is owned by Randy and Becky Young, and managed by Tyler Young, has three full-time Chevrolet Silverados in its lineup. In 2019, the company celebrated its 10-year anniversary as well as the organization's first NCWTS win.


Kris Wright Joins Young's Motorsports #NASCAR

The 27th season of NCWTS kicks off Feb. 12 at Daytona International Speedway.

For more information on Kris Wright, follow him on Facebook (@kriswrightracing) and Instagram (@kriscwright), or visit www.kriswrightmotorsports.com

 

For partnership opportunities, reach out to Ken Wright at (412) 977-8004 or kenwright@wrightcars.com.

Kris Wright Joins Young's Motorsports #NASCAR

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Two-Time Daytona 24 Hours Victor John Paul Jr Passes

Two-Time Daytona 24 Hours Victor John Paul Jr Passes John Lee Paul Jr. (February 19, 1960 – December 29, 2020), an American racing legend, competed in both CART and the Indy Racing League, but primarily in IMSA GT Championship. He won a title in the latter in 1982. 


#RIP John Lee Paul Jr. (February 19, 1960 – December 29, 2020)

During his career, Paul was a twice winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona, the first of these was while co-driving with his father, John Paul Sr. A few weeks later, the pair won the 1982 12 Hours of Sebring. Paul also triumphed in another major US race, the 1983 CART’s Michigan 500.

Paul started 58 major open-wheel races (USAC, CART, Indy Racing League) from 1982 through 2001. In addition to his success at the Rolex 24 (wins in 1982 and 1997), Paul finished second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1984. In 1991, he also competed in two NASCAR Races.

Paul Jr. retired from professional racing in 2001 after noticing that the telemetry of the Corvette GT-1 he was testing did not match what he thought his feet were doing in the car. A subsequent medical evaluation confirmed he had Huntington's disease (HD), a progressive neurological disorder.

However, John did not let that derail him; he battled HD hard for over twenty years! His “John Paul Jr. Huntington's Disease Foundation” is a 501c3 dedicated to raising much needed research dollars to put an end to this horrific, debilitating terminal disease.

His sister reported via facebook that they are planning a ‘Celebration of John’s Life’ in the fall. She also stated that it “would make John smile if you could donate to his UCLA HD Research fund in lieu of any flowers, etc.” The link is: https://giving.ucla.edu/JohnPaulJrHD


From John Paul’s Facebook Page:

“If you are reading this, it means my time has come. Don’t be sad. I know people say things like “he lost his battle”. I don’t feel like I lost anything. It’s all a natural part of the cycle of life. It’s what we do while we are here - that’s what counts. I loved my life! So many things to be grateful for. I’m so proud of my kids, Jonathan and Alex. They are the best things I ever did. Bobby Hogg, my best friend and brother – I can never repay what you have done for me. Darlene – you know what she means to me. Plus, to all my friends who were always here for me, – I could not have made it this far without all of you. Gave it one hell of a run.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been lucky enough to see and talk to so many of my friends. It brought countless memories. I’m grateful and humbled by all the kind things you have all said to me. I loved racing. I miss racing. I love all of you.

To my friends from the HD world I have to say – DON’T GIVE UP! I know they are so close to finding the cure for Huntington’s disease. I could not have made it this far without Dr. Susan Perlman at UCLA. Dyna – thanks for all you did too hooking me up with UCLA, Dr. Perlman and all your hard research to help find a cure. You did so much to help me. I wouldn’t have made it this long without Dr. Perlman. Don’t be scared. So many promising things within reach. I want to remind all of you to never take anyone you love for granted. Things can change in a day. I have no regrets – I’m so grateful for my friends, my family and my awesome life. Thank you again for being a part of it. See you on the other side. Love, John”

Click Here to Donated to John Paul Jr
Huntington's Disease Research for a Cure


The photo below was taken at Fontana in 2003 when my son introduced me John Paul Jr.  I found John to be a kind, open and funny man.


John Paul Jr. in 2003 (Fontana, California)




Sunday, December 27, 2020

Annett’s Oreo Throwback Best 2020 JRM Paint Scheme

Annett’s Oreo Throwback Best 2020 JRM Paint Scheme

Fans Weigh In with Their Vote

After a tense fan-vote battle for the Best Paint Scheme of 2020 among JR Motorsports Chevrolets, a winner has emerged. 




The No. 1 Oreos Throwback, courtesy of primary sponsor Pilot Flying J, driven by Michael Annett to an eighth-place finish in September’s event at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, was selected by fans as the best paint scheme of the year, topping the No. 8 Hellmann’s Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Homestead-Miami Speedway and the No. 9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber® Camo/Black Rifle Coffee Chevrolet of Noah Gragson.

The three were chosen as the finalists through several rounds of fan voting on JRM’s social media channels, with the championship bout taking place solely on Twitter.zzz




Thanks to all who participated and congratulations to Annett and the No. 1 team for the victory!

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Justin Lofton Still Racing, Hopes To Race More In ARCA

Justin Lofton Still Racing, Hopes To Race More In ARCA


When Justin Lofton strapped into a race car to compete in the ARCA Menards Series West finale at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 7, it was the first time he had competed in an ARCA event since 2009.

Lofton, who captured the 2009 ARCA Menards Series championship while driving for Eddie Sharp Racing, finished sixth in the Arizona Lottery 100. It was a homecoming that Lofton says had been trying to make happen for several years.

"As much as we live in an out-of-control world and out-of-control sport, we like to be in control of a few things and I know one of them is how we leave," Lofton said. "Stock car racing was a passion of mine and I didn’t feel like I got to leave on my terms."


Lofton won the 2009 ARCA crown after a back-and-forth battle with Parker Kligerman that saw the two win 15 of the 21 races that season. Lofton, with six wins, ended up beating Kligerman, who won nine times, by five points.

After his championship in ARCA, Lofton advanced to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He enjoyed some success, winning a Truck Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2012 after reuniting with Eddie Sharp Racing.

After running eight events with the Sharp team in 2013, Lofton was left without a ride when the team closed prior to the 2014 season. He picked up four races with NTS Motorsports that year, earning a second-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway after starting from the pole, but that proved to be the end of his burgeoning NASCAR career.

"I felt like we had really good success and we had a great run," Lofton said. "It was really during the economic slowdown or little depression that we went through, I think it was going into 2014 when Eddie Sharp Racing was closing down. It kind of left me without a ride.


"I was actually going into 2014 thinking that I had a home and a ride. When that happened, it was late. A lot of other teams during that time of the year had slowed down or shut down and I was left without a seat. I kind of hung around for a year, I picked up a couple of races with NTS Motorsports."


As a result, Lofton moved home to California to work for his father’s cattle feeding business. That also provided him with the opportunity to return to his roots by building a trophy truck to go desert off-road racing as he did prior to venturing into the stock car world.

"I can either hang around here with no foreseeable future or I have the opportunity to come back home and get back involved in the cattle feeding business with my dad and eventually become a partner in it with him and the rest of my family and build a trophy truck," Lofton said. "At the time, with nothing looking good in the near future, let alone long-term future racing stock cars, it was time to come home, be a part of the business and, obviously, get back into off-road racing."


After returning home, Lofton went straight to work building his off-road truck and since then has enjoyed a lot of success. Racing regularly since 2015, Lofton has scored three Mint 400 victories in the last five years. He also won the Silver State 300 in 2019 and the Blue Water Desert Challenge earlier this year.

Most recently Lofton has added races like the legendary Baja 1,000 to his schedule, but he’s still been pining for a chance to return to stock car racing.

"I stayed in touch with a few people and we’ve been trying to put something together for the last two years," Lofton explained. "Finally, Mark Rette, one of the owners of Rette-Jones Racing, we stayed in touch and he called me up and said, ‘Hey, I’m putting a car in the trailer to go to Phoenix. You need to fill out these forms and we’ll see you there.’ That kind of thing."


Lofton admitted there was some rust to shake off, but once he found his rhythm during the race it was almost like he’d never left.

"It took a little getting used to, but by the end of the race I felt back to my normal self and was hoping that we had another 50, 100 laps to get the car dialed in," Lofton said.


Lofton, 34, hopes to continue his stock car racing career, and is working with Rette-Jones Racing to put together a limited schedule of races around his off-road schedule.

Lofton said they’ve already got one race, the ARCA Menards Series event on March 12 at Phoenix Raceway, confirmed with more, hopefully, to come.

"My off-road schedule is filling up. I think we’ve got seven races on the schedule for next year and, obviously, I’ve got to leave my schedule pretty open because of what potentially could happen with scheduling changes," Lofton said. "My goal would be to do five to six ARCA races next year and not necessarily ARCA West races.


"Tracks that I like to go to and enjoy going to or tracks that I feel like still owe me a win, Gateway being one of them," Lofton continued. "I have a young family now. I got married when I moved home. So that was five years ago, six years ago. We have a three-year-old boy, who is I think taking after his dad when it comes to racing and driving. It would be cool to be able to take them back to the tracks and places that I really enjoyed racing at and enjoyed visiting.

"We’re going to sporadically choose races that fit that profile."

Source

Friday, December 4, 2020

Motortrend’s NASCAR 2020: Under Pressure Finale Gives Viewers An Exclusive, Behind-The-Scenes Look At 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Championship

Motortrend’s NASCAR 2020: Under Pressure Finale Gives Viewers An Exclusive, Behind-The-Scenes Look At 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Championship

Watch the Finale to The Docuseries for Free (Sweepstakes Below)

After six weeks of thrilling behind-the-scenes moments on and off the track that defined this year’s NASCAR Cup Series™ season, MotorTrend is airing the finale to its newest docuseries NASCAR 2020: UNDER PRESSURE on Saturday, December 12, 2020. Ending with a bang, Episode 7, will allow viewers to witness four championship drivers face off in one race in the Phoenix desert to become the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. 


Motortrend’s #NASCAR 2020: Under Pressure Finale


The series began with a dramatic start at the DAYTONA 500 in February, where drivers, teams, and owners made history by being the first major American sport to safely return from the COVID-19 global pandemic shutdown.





The series also allowed viewers to witness NASCAR reinforce its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, standing at the forefront of professional sports’ equality and social change movement. As competitors continued to push the limits of man, machine, and speed in a thrilling chase, the series built up to this final episode where viewers will get the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at racing’s biggest prize – the NASCAR Cup Series Championship.

You can be one of two lucky NASCAR Fans to win a free three-month MotorTrend App subscription, so you can watch the series finale and all the episodes leading up to it as well!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MotorTrend On-Demand, MotorTrend’s Subscription Streaming Service:
  • Link to MotorTrend On-Demand: HERE
  • Link to NASCAR 2020: Under Pressure: HERE

Motortrend’s #NASCAR 2020: Under Pressure Finale



For just $4.99/month or $49.99/year: No advertisements. Early exclusive access to all Motor Trend shows such as Roadkill, Hot Rod Garage, Dirt Every Day, and Ignition.

About MOTORTREND

MOTORTREND®, a media brand of MotorTrend Group, was founded in 1949 and is internationally recognized as one of the leading brands in the automotive category. The MOTORTREND brand is composed of Discovery’s MotorTrend Network, formerly Velocity; MotorTrend magazine; the award-winning website MotorTrend.com; MotorTrend App subscription video on-demand service; MotorTrend Auto Shows; MotorTrend Audio; MotorTrend en EspaƱol; MotorTrend India; and the renowned MotorTrend Car of the Year, SUV of the Year, Truck of the Year, Person of the Year, and Best Driver’s Car awards programs.

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Hooters to Present Snowball Derby Broadcast on Speed51.TV

Hooters to Present Snowball Derby Broadcast on Speed51.TV

Watch Chase Elliott Battle Short Track Stars

Hooters to Present Snowball Derby Broadcast on Speed51.TV

Hooters, the official home of race fans, will continue the company’s long-time support of auto racing during one of the nation’s most prestigious short track racing events.

On Wednesday, it was announced that the company has become the presenting sponsor of the 53rd Annual Snowball Derby broadcast, December 3-6 on Speed51.TV.

“Hooters has such a deep history in the sport, and we are always looking for more ways to expand,” said Monica Fleury, Director of Brand Marketing for Hooters. “As the official home of race fans, we are excited to partner with Speed51 and support the Snowball Derby, one of the crown jewels of short track racing.”


Hooters driver and 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott will be competing in the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway for the first time since 2015. Elliott is a two-time winner of the race, with his last victory coming in 2015.

The 53rd Annual Snowball Derby live broadcast presented by Hooters will feature four days of racing action from the historic Pensacola, Florida race track.

Speed51.TV’s live broadcast of the event begins Thursday, December 3 for a full day of practice for Super Late Models. That will lead into the always-intense qualifying session on Friday, December 4. The Snowflake 100 for Pro Late Models on Saturday, December 5 will serve as the precursor to the 53rd Annual Snowball Derby on Sunday, December 6.

More information about the 53rd Annual Snowball Derby broadcast presented by Hooters can be found by visiting s51.tv/hooters

About Hooters

Hooters of America, LLC, is the franchisor and operator of more than 410 Hooters restaurants in 38 states and 24 countries. Known for its world-famous Hooters Style chicken wings, the first Hooters opened its doors in 1983 in Clearwater, Florida. Expectations were so modest at the time that the simple fact the doors opened was deemed worthy of a toast. Since then millions have been liberated from the ordinary at Hooters while enjoying great food, fun and one-of-a-kind hospitality that can only be served up by the Hooters Girls. For more information about Hooters visit www.hooters.com or follow us at twitter.com/hooters, facebook.com/hooters, instagram.com/hooters or on Snapchat at “hooters.”

About Speed51.TV

Since 2001, Speed51 has been the home for behind-the-scenes stories and short track news throughout North America. With nearly 20 years of experience, Speed51 continues to raise the bar in race coverage with live broadcasts, on-demand racing videos and news reporting from short tracks across the nation.

Speed51.TV, the live and on-demand broadcasting arm of Speed51, has also offered live multi-camera broadcasts of major events such as the Snowball Derby, Winchester 400, All American 400 and Oxford 250. Visit www.speed51.tv today for the latest live event, on-demand videos and more.

###

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Chip Ganassi Racing and The American Legion

Chip Ganassi Racing and The American Legion

Multi-Year NTT INDYCAR SERIES Relationship / The American Legion to sponsor the No. 48 driven by racing legends, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Kanaan


Jimmie Johnson - #48

Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) announced today a multi-year agreement with the nation’s largest veterans service organization, The American Legion, as a sponsor of the No. 48 Honda in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES represented by a combination of Seven-Time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson (street and road courses) and former Indianapolis 500 Winner and Series Champion Tony Kanaan (ovals).

“We’re excited about this new relationship with The American Legion as it allows us to further the sponsorship program on the No. 48 team with Jimmie and Tony, while also representing a very important relationship with an organization dedicated to supporting veterans,” said Chip Ganassi, team owner of Chip Ganassi Racing. “Jimmie in particular has a long-standing appreciation for the service of veterans, so it was just another reason why partnering with The American Legion on his debut in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES made sense.”


The American Legion will be featured prominently on Johnson’s No. 48 Honda during every race in the 2021 and 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The organization will also be the primary paint scheme for two races in 2021, including, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day weekend. Kanaan, winner of the 2013 Indianapolis 500, will be behind the wheel for those races.

“This is truly a win-win for all involved,” said James W. “Bill” Oxford, national commander of The American Legion. “Teaming up with Chip Ganassi Racing allows The American Legion to showcase how it strengthens America every day through its programs, advocacy and support of veterans and their families. We’re looking forward to bringing that message and our mission to race fans across the country.”


The announcement comes on #GivingTuesday, a day of global giving designed to help change communities and the world. As a result, Johnson, who has family members that have served in the military, will be making a $10,000 donation to The American Legion. Johnson hopes his donation will motivate fans and the public to support our veterans by donating $48 to The American Legion. The $48 pays homage to the number 48 car that he and Kanaan will drive. Donors can visit legion.org/48 to make a gift and help celebrate this new relationship and veterans across the country.



“Our family knows firsthand how important it is to recognize our veterans,” said Johnson, who’s grandfathers and brother-in-law served in the military. “It’s exciting to be partnering with The American Legion to be able to show our appreciation to veterans and to continue to raise public awareness and support for this special organization. Giving Tuesday is a great day to announce this partnership and a way for fans to show their appreciation for our veterans.”

About The American Legion

 
The American Legion is the largest veterans service organization

The American Legion is the largest veterans service organization with nearly 2 million members in more than 12,000 posts across the nation. Chartered by Congress in 1919, The American Legion is committed to mentoring youth and sponsoring wholesome community programs, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting a strong national security and continued devotion to servicemembers and veterans.




About Chip Ganassi Racing 

Chip Ganassi Racing

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 30 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include four cars in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, two cars in the NASCAR Cup Series, and one car in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Extreme E. Overall, his teams have 20 championships and over 225 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400, eight Rolex 24 At Daytonas, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh. 
 
For more information log onto www.chipganassiracing.com

Source: Team PR