Plenty of Dirt on These Drivers’ Shoes

Experience Could Pay Dividends during Eldora Dirt Derby

 

ROSSBURG, Ohio – The Eldora Dirt Derby on Wednesday, July 19, at Eldora Speedway is the only major NASCAR race run on a dirt surface, but it’s interesting to note that several of the racers expected to compete in the fifth annual event have dirt-track experience on their résumés.

Here’s a look at five of the drivers and their dirt-racing backgrounds:

Christopher Bell, Norman, Oklahoma: Bell started racing micro sprints in 2011 and quickly worked his way up to midgets and sprint cars, claiming the 2013 USAC National Midget Series championship with car owners Keith Kunz and Pete Willoughby.

Bell began dabbling in asphalt late model racing in 2014 and made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut the following year. He won the Eldora Dirt Derby in 2015 and this is his second full-time season behind the wheel of the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports entry.

Bell returned to his dirt-racing roots in January when he fulfilled a childhood dream by winning the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Chase Briscoe – Mitchell, Indiana: Briscoe was born into a dirt-racing family.

His grandfather, Richard, became a sprint car owner during the mid-1970s and his father, Kevin, was a top sprint car driver on the dirt tracks of central and southern Indiana.

Chase Briscoe followed the family tradition and began racing sprint cars on dirt at age 13. But with dreams of one day competing in NASCAR’s premier series, Briscoe changed directions and won last year’s ARCA Racing Series championship during his first full season of asphalt racing.

Now driving for Brad Keselowski Racing, this is Briscoe’s rookie season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Jordan Anderson – Forest Acres, South Carolina: After a very successful career in Legend Cars, Anderson followed the advice of legendary promoter H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler and went dirt-track racing.

“Having never ever raced on dirt before, I jumped into it in 2009,” Anderson said. “My dad and I went out and found a dirt late model and started racing across the Carolinas for two years – places like Carolina Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway’s dirt track, Cherokee Speedway and all of the places around here.”

He eventually switched back to asphalt racing and made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in 2014.

Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, Illinois: A second-generation dirt late model racer, Pierce is one of the sport’s brightest stars at just 20 years of age.

He has won three consecutive UMP DIRTcar Late Model national championships and is working to make it four in a row. Last fall, he scored the biggest victory of his career when he topped the World 100, dirt late model racing’s most prestigious event, at Eldora Speedway.

Pierce has made seven NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts since 2015 and this will be his third attempt at winning the Eldora Dirt Derby. He finished second to Christopher Bell two years ago.

Chris Windom – Canton, Illinois: Windom has been a regular in USAC’s three national open-wheel series since 2007, and he is the reigning champion of the USAC Silver Crown Series, which races on both dirt and asphalt ovals.

He is a six-time winner in the Silver Crown cars, with two of those victories coming at Eldora Speedway, and Windom is closing in on 20 victories in the USAC National Sprint Car Series.

Windom has made seven ARCA Racing Series starts since 2011, but the Eldora Dirt Derby will be his first appearance in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

The Eldora Dirt Derby kicks off with the annual Tuesday Night Tailgate on Tuesday, July 18. The schedule includes a full slate of racing for the big-block modifieds of the Super DIRTcar Series along with a pair of practice sessions for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Good seats are still available for the fifth annual Eldora Dirt Derby on Wednesday night, July 19, and they can be purchased at www.eldoraspeedway.com or by calling (937) 338-3815.

About Eldora Speedway: Since carved from a cornfield in the natural amphitheater that existed between the Eldora Ballroom and the Wabash River by bandleader Earl Baltes in 1954, Eldora Speedway has grown to be a frontrunner in motorsports growth and stability. Baltes chose to sell the legendary high-banked clay oval to motorsports entrepreneur and NASCAR, IndyCar and USAC champion Tony Stewart in 2004.

Celebrating its 64th season in 2017, Eldora hosts the biggest events in short-track racing, including the 23rd annual Dirt Late Model Dream; the 34th annual Kings Royal Weekend; the Camping World Truck Series’ Eldora Dirt Derby – the only NASCAR National Series race on dirt; and the 47th annual World 100.

The complete schedule for Eldora’s 64th consecutive season, including ticket and campsite information, is available at www.EldoraSpeedway.com and can be requested by phone at (937) 338-3815. Fans can get behind-the-scenes access of Eldora Speedway by following @EldoraSpeedway on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, hitting “Like” at www.facebook.com/EldoraSpeedway and subscribing to www.youtube.com/EldoraSpeedway.

Source

Entry list for Wednesday night's @NASCAR_Trucks race @EldoraSpeedway. #NASCAR #MB36 pic.twitter.com/gKyotmY3KN

— Chris Windom Racing (@Chris_Windom) July 17, 2017

The NASCAR Foundation - Healthy, Speedy Fun

Ahead of the July 4th race weekend in Daytona, The NASCAR Foundation and Brown & Brown Insurance teamed up to host a Speediatrics Fun Day Festival to showcase the importance of physical fitness and overall healthy living to youth groups in the greater-Daytona Beach area.

The event brought more than 100 kids to the Halifax Health - Keech Pediatric Neighborhood Care Clinic for a day of fun activities, having an overall focus on being healthy, all while having fun!

As children and volunteers began to arrive, the day of fun began for everyone! In keeping with our festival theme, kids had an opportunity to sport Speediatrics temporary tattoos featuring The NASCAR Foundation characters, play with bubbles, and participate in a dance party with The NASCAR Foundation mascots, Chase, Victory Lane and Safety Sam.

NASCAR and Healthy Living Go Hand in Hand

A NASCAR-themed festival wouldn’t be complete without a few drivers on hand. Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Landon Cassill, along with NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers Matt Tifft and Joey Gase shared tips on what they like to do to stay healthy and how that helps them excel on the racetrack. “The food that you eat is fueling your body,” Landon Cassill said. “Just like we have to put good fuel in our race cars for our cars to go fast, you have to put good fuel in your body.”

The drivers also joined The NASCAR Foundation mascots to lead the kids in “warm-up” activities to get things started for the fun-filled day.

Healthy Living, Healthy Fun

A trio of events kept the kids active during the event, including sponge relay races, Goodyear Tire races and Pinewood Derby races! Kids had the chance to decorate their Pinewood Derby car, to race against each other as well some of the drivers. Eight-year-old Amina enjoyed the Pinewood Derby races in particular, saying, “My favorite part was the derby race. I beat all the boys.”

Another fun activity was the Goodyear tire race, which offered kids the opportunity to race with real NASCAR tires, in addition to going against a few racers that know a thing or two about competing in the real NASCAR series. All the drivers got involved in the activities as they squared off with the kids at each event, and the kids loved it!

That’s Our Checkered Flag

The Speediatrics Fun Day Festival was a coordinated effort through The NASCAR Foundation’s Speediatrics Children’s Fund, which aims to enhance the delivery of medical care and promote a healthy lifestyle to children in need, enabling them to lead happier, healthier lives. Stay tuned for more information about our next Speediatrics Fun Day Festival in September in Richmond, Virginia. 

Chelsea Morgensen Crowned 2017 Miss Hooters International

Hollywood, California Hooters Girl claims exclusive title and $30,000 cash prize at 21st Annual Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant in Las Vegas

Hollywood Hooters Girl, Chelsea Morgensen, claimed top honor Wednesday night at the 21st Annual Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant held at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, taking home the exclusive 2017 Miss Hooters International title. Chelsea was selected from a field of 80 of the most exceptional Hooters Girls from across the U.S. and around the world.

After a stunning display and camaraderie at the Palms’ Pearl Theater, Chelsea was honored with the coveted 2017 Miss Hooters International title and a new reign began. It’s no coincidence Chelsea hails from the city known for the stars who live there. Her passion for acting and modeling is remarkable, and her energy and positivity are contagious. No stranger to the stage, since 2010 the 22-year-old has owned multiple pageant spotlights. Her biggest accolades to date include winning Miss Texas Teen USA 2010 and the People’s Choice Award for Miss Teen USA Most Photogenic.

An ambitious rising star, Chelsea scoops a $30,000 cash prize and becomes the newest face of the iconic Hooters brand. Her brand ambassador responsibilities include contributing to Hooters marketing initiatives and special events throughout the year, as well as leading the Hooters Number 24 Crew in cheering on NASCAR’s No. 24 Chevrolet SS driver Chase Elliott.

“The past few years working at Hooters have been life-changing for me,” said Chelsea. “I’ve been able to build upon my self-confidence and become a more articulate and approachable individual. I plan on carrying this focus over to my new role as Hooters ambassador, and look forward to helping the next generation of women believe in themselves, their beauty and their self-confidence. I can’t wait to represent Hooters and give back to the brand that’s already afforded me so many amazing opportunities!”

Chelsea and her fellow contestants were evaluated based on responses to interview questions, personality and overall contribution to the iconic Hooters brand, as well as swimsuit attire. They were selected from a pool of more than 18,000 Hooters Girls who presently work in one of the more than 425 Hooters locations worldwide. The Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant is the culmination of local and regional swimsuit contests along “The Road to Vegas.”

A six-person panel of judges included Lynn Austin, the original Hooters Girl; Miesha Tate, former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion; Brittany Oldehoff, Miss USA 2014 fourth runner-up and top fashion and swimsuit model; Steve Covino, host of Covino & Rich on Sirius XM; Bonnie-Jill Laflin, first and only female NBA scout and former NFL cheerleader; and Chase Elliott, NASCAR’s No. 24 Chevrolet SS driver and special surprise celebrity guest for the event.

The top five Hooters Girl finalists are first runner up, Amberly Hall, Hooters of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; second runner up, Amanda Olson, Hooters of Riverside, California; third runner up, Rachel Swartz, Hooters of Chantilly, Virginia; and fourth runner up, Jorra Stewart, Hooters of Daytona Beach, Florida.

Rounding out the top 10 in alphabetical order are, Laiken Baumgartner, Hooters of Douglasville, Georgia; Hailey Slobodzian, Hooters of South Fort Myers, Florida; Amanda Steinbecker, Hooters of St. Louis, Missouri, and Jennifer Koenig, Hooters of Tuscon, Arizona.

Additional awards went to Hika Nakazawa, Hooters of Tokyo, Japan, who was voted Miss World; Dominique Sum, Hooters of Long Beach, California, who was voted Miss Photogenic; Aki Li, Hooters of Shanghai, China, who was voted Miss Congeniality; and Hailey Slobodzian, Hooters of South Fort Myers, Florida, who was voted Miss Fan Favorite.

Earlier in the week on Monday, July 10 the Palms vibrant poolside was the scene of the sixth annual Hooters World Wing Eating Championship, an officially sanctioned Major League Eating event.

The number five professional eater in the world, Geoffrey Esper, claimed the coveted 2017 Hooters World Wing Eating Champion title by devouring a record-breaking 250 world-famous Hooters chicken wings in 10 minutes.

The championship events also celebrated Hooters latest craveable wing innovation: Smoked Wings, now available in participating locations across America. Hooters Smoked Wings are marinated overnight with a dry rub before being hickory smoked in-house, with Hooters oven smokers. Guests can then opt to enhance their wings with several dry rub flavors or sauce them with any of Hooters signature sauces, including teriyaki-style samurai, lemon pepper and chipotle honey.

They’re so good Hooters is issuing a warning – Smoking Can Be Addictive. Hooters invites fans to try its new Smoked Wings on National Smoked Chicken Wing Day, celebrated Saturday, July 29. Buy any ten wings and get ten new Hooters Smoked Wings free at participating Hooters locations nationwide. Just try to stop after ten, we dare you.

For more information about the Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant, visit hooters.com/pageant. Hooters fans can also enjoy ongoing content by visiting Hooters on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

To learn more about the Hooters World Wing Eating Championship visit www.majorleagueeating.com. To learn more about Hooters Smoked Wings and National Smoked Chicken Wing Day, visit hooters.com/nscwd.

To find your nearest Hooters location, visit Hooters.com.

Source