GSR Racing Announces Drivers For 2012

Rookies Gannis, Cristiani team up in K&N Pro Series West

ROSEVILLE, Calif. - Cassie Gannis will return with GSR Racing for a full season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West this year and make a run for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors, the team has announced.

Seventeen-year-old Trevor Cristiani, Cassie’s new teammate at GSR, will make his series debut and will also make a run for rookie honors.

Greg Rayl, last year’s full-time driver for GSR, will be stepping out of the driver’s seat to play a role of car chief/crew chief for both teams.

“We had a great 2011 season, improving from 12th in points in 2010 to 11th in 2011”. Rayl said. “Winning the NASCAR sportsmanship award in 2010 was the highlight of my K&N career, but finishing a couple races in the top 10 this year came real close.”

"GSR Racing is now providing opportunities for young drivers to experience the next level of racing, giving drivers a chance to learn while keeping racing fun and exciting is our goal," he said.

“Too many young drivers get so serious at this level that they forget to have any fun” said Rayl, “We always try to have a good time, even when things don’t go our way. If our drivers can advance further in their racing careers, we hope their time with us teaches them to enjoy what they are doing.”

About Cassie Gannis
Gannis, 20, has been a standout since she decided to hit the tracks at age 10, consistently placing in the top five in the Quarter Midget Racing. She owns the 2003 Arizona State Championship in the Bandolero Series and 2005 Rookie of the Year in the Legend Series. She is a Graduate of the Lyn St. James Driver Development Academy and a passionate speaker on teen driving safety issues on behalf of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Arizona, the CHP Designated Drivers Program, AAA of Southern California, Driving MBA, and Community Tires of Arizona. Gannis is currently working for Drivetech as a Professional Racecar Driver providing ride-alongs for corporate clients and team building exercises. In 2010, she became one of 30 drivers nation-wide chosen to compete in the Drive for Diversity Combine in Charlotte, N.C. As part of the 2010 Drive for Diversity Combine, she became part of the "Changing Lanes" television series on the BET Network. Her website is www.cassiegannisracing.com

About Trevor Cristiani
Cristiani won the biggest race of his career by winning the Airport Auto Brokers Late Model Series feature at Ukiah Speedway in August 2011 to clinch the series championship with still two races left to go. Cristiani has already accomplished much in his young career including 15 Outlaw Kart championships, scoring his first Modified win at age 14, and getting his first Late Model quick time at age 15. In 2011 Cristiani dominated the AABLM from the start, beginning with three straight runner-up finishes. His website is www.trevorcristianiracing.com.

About GSR Racing
GSR Racing is owned by Rayl out of El Dorado Hills, Calif. Rayl made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series West debut in 2008 at his hometown track, All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif. The team's website is www.gsrracing.com.

Team Release
January 12, 2012 - 9:58pm

Braeden Havens to drive forThompson Motorsports

SPOKANE, Wash. (January 6, 2012)- Braeden Havens, the reigning Inland Northwest Super Stock Association champion, has signed to drive in selected NASCAR K&N Pro Series West events during the upcoming 2012 season.

Havens debut behind the wheel of the Thompson-owned Western Rail sponsored Chevrolet will come April 14 at Havasu 95 Speedway in Lake Havasu, AZ. This year’s schedule for Havens includes all of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series short track races and a potential start at Phoenix International Raceway in November.

“It’s pretty exciting to know I’ll be competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series this year,” Havens said. “I never thought I would get to this point in my racing career where we’re out racing against the best of the best on the West Coast. What a feeling to say I am a NASCAR driver.”

Brett Thompson of Thompson Motorsports sees the addition of Havens as a positive step for his race team.

“I’ve seen what he’s capable of and I think he can do well on the series,” Thompson noted.

Having a teammate can be beneficial for both drivers, he added.

“You look what Gene Price Motorsports did last season on the short-tracks (including wins in Montana, Las Vegas, Irwindale, Colorado and top-5 finishes in Las Vegas) and you can see there are always benefits in numbers. It will be interesting to see what (Braeden) likes in a car and what I like.”

Havens is equally excited about the prospects of having a teammate in his first season on the NASCAR series, he noted.

“Brett is a great racer and has been in this division for some time so with that experience he will be able to help me learn the cars and the tracks. He’ll also be able to tell me what other drivers may do (on the race track) since he has raced with them for so long.”

Leading Havens team will be veteran NASCAR crew chief, Charlie Wilson. Last season Wilson led Thompson’s team to a top-5 finish in the 2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship standings.

“Charlie has won championships on the West series and has crew chiefed on the (NASCAR) Nationwide Series. We’re all still going to work as a team here but Charlie is going to lead Braeden’s team in his races this year,” Thompson said.

With a strong team around him, Havens looks to be competitive in every race he enters.

“My goal this year (in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series) is to go out and win races. Also, I want to show my abilities and hope to get my name out in front of the right people to move my way up the racing ladder,” Havens said.

To reach those goals Havens began working with his new team informally last fall, he added.

“I went with the team to their last race in Phoenix and have been down to the shop to see how they work together. I will also be going to test before the season starts so I can show them my driving style and we all learn to work together on the race track.”

In addition to running selected events on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, Havens has an ambitious schedule behind the wheel of his No. 83 Western Rail Inc. late model. For a complete schedule log onto www.killerb83.com or look for the team’s page on Facebook.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About NASCAR Pit Crews

Pit crews are instrumental parts of the NASCAR team. Functioning in the pit and behind the scenes, each member plays an important part in ensuring the car reaches the finish line. A well-oiled machine can consistently push a driver to the front of the race, but poor teamwork can break him when he's running neck and neck with his opponents. The following interesting facts are both fun and surprising for those who've never really paid close attention to the stuff that happens off the track.

1. Pit crew routines are not regulated by NASCAR
   

   Although each crew essentially does the same routine, making a few minor changes of their own, they're not required by NASCAR to conduct the same sequence of actions. Because they don't have time to perform major work, strategy revolves around fueling and tire changes — the latter involves determining whether all four tires should be changed, or just the outside tires, which bear the most weight and pressure.



2. Crew members use liberal amounts of duct tape
   

   The pros are always looking for a quick fix. During a race, a pit crew will use the strong, versatile tape to adjust body panels, hold parts together, fix hoses and hanging wires, and merely to mark where the jack post, left-front tire, and sign board will be located after the car hits the pit. It's such an important tool for the crew that it has earned its own nickname — "200 mph tape."



3. Crew members pound their cars with baseball bats and hammers
   

   Another seemingly primitive way pit crews adjust their cars during races is to make use of baseball bats and hammers, pounding their uber-expensive machines when the situation calls for it. A misshapen body can affect how a car performs, causing it to fail to generate a sufficient amount of down force. With little time to spare, the strongest, quickest-swinging crew members take their best shots at the problem areas, impersonating their favorite baseball sluggers.



4. Crew members love piano bars
   

   A heavily damaged car that's difficult to lift needs more than just the jack man. Instead, piano bars — long, sturdy bars; not the bar you visited during your last hotel stay — provide leverage for the crew to get the car off the ground so the members can do their work. Like duct tape and baseball bats, it's a simple tool with plenty of might.



5. Crew members exhibit higher heart rates on asphalt tracks than concrete tracks
   

   Given the demands that come with being a member of a pit crew, it shouldn't come as a surprise that dealing with stress is a part of the job. But, as with any job, levels of stress can vary depending on the setting and the problems it presents. According to a study conducted by the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, members exhibit higher heart rates on asphalt tracks than concrete tracks. This may have to do with the heat of the tracks caused by the blacktop surface.



6. Crew members can earn close to six-figure salaries
   

   Of course, pay varies by position and responsibility. For example, Jason Myers, the car chief for Carl Edwards until his termination in 2009, earned $140,000 in 2008 not including bonuses and other compensation. He was second-in-command to the crew chief, who boasted a salary of $500,000. Guys in lower positions but with lots of responsibility — such as those who work in the shop, travel to the races, and work on Sundays — can earn in the neighborhood of $75,000.



7. Crew members may frequently change teams
   

   A pit crew change for the second consecutive season enabled Kevin Harvick to take the lead in this year's Chase. Out of the running, Clint Boyer, a Richard Childress Racing teammate, lent his crew to give Harvick a boost for the stretch run. An efficient crew can make all the difference in the world, which is why of the best crew members in the biz are highly recruited by opposing teams. Essentially, they can play the field, seeking the best possible offer.



8. It's a year-round job
   

   Like modern athletes, pit crew members train year-round, sparing just a couple of weeks for rest in December. Beginning in January, they practice pit stops before the start of the season, and then take it up a notch during the season, practicing two times per week and working out rigorously. It's a constant battle to improve their efficiency so they can reduce pit stop times.



9. Many pit crew members are former athletes
   

   In recent years, NASCAR pit crews have emphasized athleticism to meet the physical demands of pit stops. As every aspect of the sport has become more competitive, shorter pit times have become essential for crews, so meticulously crafted routines have become the norm. Tony Stewart, for example, employs Mike Casto, a former wide receiver from Glenville State College. Mark Martin employs Aaron Walker, who spent five seasons in the NFL. It's a great way for ex-athletes to stay in a competitive field and utilize their physical strengths.



10. Pit crews have their own all-star event
    

    Held annually in Charlotte's Time Warner Cable Arena, the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge is a competition featuring seven pit crew members from each team. When given a signal, each team lifts the car, changes the tires, unloads 18 gallons of water substituting as fuel into a fuel tank, and upon approval from NASCAR, pushes the car 40 yards to finish the sequence. If "fuel" is spilled, too much "fuel" is left in the dump can, a jack isn't raised high enough, or lug nuts are improperly tightened, then penalties are given. Through the years, the notable pit crews of Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Richard Petty, and Dale Earnhardt have won multiple times.

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