Gaulding To Compete In K&N Pro Series

Gaulding will have just turned 15 when he makes his K&N Pro Series
debut in the UNOH Battle At The Beach. (Gray Gaulding Racing)

MOORESVILLE, N.C. - After two successful seasons in the Pro All Star Series (PASS) South, Gray Gaulding Racing (GGR) is pleased to announce that 14-year old racing sensation Gray Gaulding and the #20 Krispy Kreme Toyota will now be chasing the checkered flag in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series.

At 11am, on Monday, January 7, Gaulding and representatives from Krispy Kreme Doughnuts unveiled the new #20 Krispy Kreme Toyota Camry at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“I am excited to be competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and I hope to follow in the footsteps of the many K&N series drivers who have gone on to achieve national prominence,“ says Gaulding.  "Krispy Kreme and I set out in 2012, to touch and enhance lives both on and off the race track, and I am blessed to have Krispy Kreme, my team, family, and fans by my side as I take this giant leap forward in my career.”

Gaulding, who signed a multi-year marketing partnership with Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation in February 2012, just shy of his 14th birthday, began his racing career on dirt bikes and motorcycles at the early age of three.

Since that time, Gaulding has hit the track in Bandolero, Legend and Super Late Model racing competitions throughout the Southeast; was signed as a developmental driver with Kevin Harvick Incorporated and earned a number of coveted racing titles, including:

• Youngest Legend National Race Champion at age 12
• 2012 Winter Heat Pro Series Champion
• Youngest to win a Super Late Model Race at age 13
• Youngest PASS (Pro All Stars Series) Rookie of the Year at age 13

With the support of Krispy Kreme and a host of major sponsors including Dean Foods, Toyota Racing, Impact by Mastercraft Safety, WileyX Sunglasses, and Anderson’s Maple Syrup, GGR will enter the K&N series with a newly acquired race shop, crew chiefs, cars and equipment- including the #20 car previously owned by Joe Gibbs Racing.

“Gray continues to prove himself both on and off the track and we are excited to have him represent the Krispy Kreme Brand”, explains Dwayne Chambers, Chief Marketing Officer for Krispy Kreme. “He is a joyful and dedicated young man with amazing skills and an unmatched passion for the sport of racing as well as his fans. We look forward to championing Gray as he wins races and wins hearts in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series.”

Gaulding will sport the Krispy Kreme fire suit and take the wheel of the #20 Krispy Kreme Toyota Camry for 16 races during the 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East tour, including Bristol Motor Speedway (3/16), Gray's hometown track of Richmond International Raceway (4/25), Langley Speedway (6/22), and the historic Bowman Gray Stadium (6/1). Along with three NASCAR K&N Pro Series West races at Phoenix International Raceway (3/2), (11/9), and Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield, CA (10/26). The 2013 season will kick off on February 19th during the inaugural UNOH Battle at the Beach at Daytona International Speedway.

Leading the program will be two veteran NASCAR crew chiefs Doug George and Doug Howe.

“This is an amazing opportunity for both Doug Howe and I to work with such a young talented driver.” explains Doug George. “Gray is so smooth behind the wheel and yet such a hard racer. That’s what makes him the total package in this business.”

source

See The Future

The Return of Irwindale!

Team 211 Entertainment Announces Return of Oval Track Racing Events to Irwindale Speedway for 2013

Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Image

Irwindale, Calif. (December 17, 2012): "We're very pleased to announce that oval track racing will return to Irwindale for the 2013 season."  With that direct statement, Team 211 Entertainment's President/CEO Jim Cohan ended a long 11-month period of uncertainty about regular racing competition at the well-known Southern California motorsports and family entertainment facility.

"Our master lease with the property owners, Nu-Way Industries, has been broadened and now includes all forms of racing activities on the 6,500-seat twin oval track. We are now working very hard to put all of the pieces together to be able to run a 2013 racing season," said Cohan.

"Our company name has the word 'TEAM' in it," he pointed out. "We need everyone to understand that name is not an affectation. It's a statement of our commitment to the process of re-building the legacy of Irwindale Speedway."

"We've re-named the entire property 'Irwindale Event Center' to better reflect the wide range of public and private events that can be accommodated here and invite everyone to join us in what we feel will be a great new era of operation for this venue.

Corporations, businesses small and large, competitors, individual fans, everyone: you are all welcome, if you want to be a part of this facility, we'll find a place for you." Cohan concluded.

Cohan's announcement also indicated that long-time employee Bob Klein has been named the event center's Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, and that veteran publicist Doug Stokes would be re-joining the facility on the first of the year as the Vice President of Communications. Both men will report directly to Jim Cohan.

At the same time, experienced competition manager Mike Atkinson was named the track's Race Director. Atkinson has been working behind the scenes with representatives of the new Kern County Raceway Park track to put together a common set of technical rules which will allow racers in a number of divisions to compete fairly at both tracks.

"We know that we're starting out a couple of laps behind," Cohan candidly admitted. "But we also know that we have the support of a great number of former racers, sponsors, and most importantly, our fans who have stood by waiting for this track to come back on line again. We'll really need everyone's good will and support, and we'll be trying very hard to return the favor by running a facility that always puts the customer first."

A 2013 oval track competition event schedule will be published shortly.

For more information:

Doug Stokes

(626) 391-3772

stokescommunications@earthlink.net