Ford Racing and Roush Yates engines excelled in power, performance, and reliability over the weekend winning in the NASCAR Nationwide series and ARCA Racing series. Ford also received the NASCAR Driving Business Award earlier this week.

Sam Hornish Jr. delivered Roger Penske his first win of the season since switching to Roush Yates' Ford engines in 2013. Hornish put on a dominating performance during the Sam's Town 300 NASCAR Nationwide race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon. Leading 114 laps, he credited his car and unmatched speed for the win.

"This feels awesome. The car was great." said Hornish. "I didn't know until this morning that this was the Sam's Town 300. It is cool that I was able to win it. I have to thank all the people at Penke Racing and Roush Yates engines for giving us this opportunity."

Hornish battled hometown favorite Kyle Busch with seven laps to go during the final restart, pulling ahead and taking home his second career win in the Nationwide series. He now leads the championship standings by 19 points over Justin Allgaier.

Grant Enfinger believes good things come to those who wait. After finishing second or third 13 times in the ARCA racing series, Enfinger found Victory Lane at Mobile International Speedway this weekend with his Roush Yates powered Ford. He held off 15-year-old rookie Kyle Benjamin to lead 165 of the 200 laps and bring home the checkered flag at his hometown track.

"I knew we were going to get here, I just didn't think it would take this long," Enfinger said in Victory Lane. "I've wanted to win for so long. To do it in front of the home crowd is something special. A lot of these people, family and friends, can't come up north when we race."

Ford Racing was also honored this week by receiving the NASCAR Driving Business Award. The annual award is bestowed upon the Official NASCAR Partner that demonstrates extraordinary leadership and results through its participation in the NFFB Council. With its win, Ford becomes the first two-time recipient of the Driving Business Award.

RYE PR

The Virginia Tourism Corporation has chosen Richmond International Raceway as one of 16 sites across the state to build and promote a giant LOVEwork. The LOVEwork structures are the focal point of a social media campaign to share the message that love is at the heart of every Virginia vacation. RIR will join with 20 other existing LOVEwork sculptures found across the state featured on www.virginia.org/LOVE as part of the Virginia is for Lovers tourism marketing campaign.

The RIR staff teamed up to begin construction on the LOVEwork, which is completely race-themed:

• · “L” – made from Goodyear tires – the same ones seen weekly in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
• · “O” – wrapped in checkered flag vinyl, symbolizing the checkered flag that waves at the conclusion of a race
• · “V” – made of actual racing helmets
• · “E” – made of sheet metal that was once part of cars racing in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series races
• · The base for each letter is made from the metal used to construct the SAFER walls – interior retaining walls at Richmond International Raceway that absorb energy from the impact of cars hitting the wall

Visitors to Richmond International Raceway will be encouraged to take a picture with the LOVEwork and share on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Photos taken by people from throughout the world can be seen at www.Facebook.com/VirginiaisforLovers and on Twitter by searching #LOVEVA. The LOVEwork will be located at the corner of Laburnum Avenue and Meadowbridge Road, providing easy access for visitors to snap photographs. RIR’s LOVEwork will be a focal point during its April 25-27 & September 6-7 NASCAR race weekends, as well as the hundreds of events taking place at Richmond Raceway Complex throughout the year.

"Virginia is for Lovers is about love - pure and simple, and has been for more than 40 years," said Rita McClenny, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. “This program uses the power of social media to promote Virginia as an ideal destination for families looking to completely connect on a Virginia vacation."

“In my short time in Virginia, there are two things very obvious to me,” said RIR President Dennis Bickmeier. “Race fans love Virginia and Virginia loves racing. Virginia is the only state that annually hosts four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, and we are proud of that fact. I can’t wait until the LOVEwork project is up and ready for visitors from all over the world to see and enjoy.”

The RIR LOVEwork will receive up to $1,200 in reimbursement funding from the state tourism office.

Tourism is an instant revenue generator for Virginia. In 2011 tourism generated $20.4 billion in revenue, supported over 207,000 jobs and provided $1.32 billion in state and local taxes. Richmond International Raceway annually generates nearly $400 million in economic impact.

Love is at the heart of every Virginia vacation. Visit www.Virginia.org to learn more or call 1-800-VISITVA to request a free, Virginia is for Lovers travel guide.

RIR PR

Chicagoland Speedway, Route 66 Raceway and MillerCoors today announced a multi-year sponsorship renewal that will keep Miller Lite as the Official Beer of Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway.

“Our partnership with Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway is highly valued within the Chicago sports landscape, and we’re excited to continue the relationship for seasons to come,” said Jim McNellis, MillerCoors general manager of sales for Illinois. “Motorsports fans are among the most loyal in all of sports and they love joining their friends for Miller Time at the track.”

MillerCoors, with its corporate headquarters located in downtown Chicago, will continue to support all events across both facilities including the first race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the start of NASCAR’s playoffs at Chicagoland Speedway. Miller Lite driver Brad Keselowski won the first race of the 2012 Chase at Chicagoland Speedway en route to a series championship.

“We are thrilled to renew our partnership with MillerCoors, an industry leader located right in our backyard,” said Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway president Scott Paddock. “Miller Lite has demonstrated its commitment to motorsports and Chicago-area race fans for several years, offering them access to highly coveted assets like the Miller Lite Turn 1 Party Deck, and we look forward to working together to bring fresh, innovative ideas to life for our fans to enjoy.”

As the official beer of Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway, Miller Lite will receive exclusive marketing rights, including what have become fan-favorites such as the Miller Lite Pit Stop, a widely popular beer garden in Chicagoland Speedway’s midway area known as Champions Park, and the Miller Lite Turn 1 Party Deck along with signage and other on-site benefits.

Returning for the third consecutive year, the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will once again kick-off at Chicagoland Speedway – Sept. 13-15, 2013. The three-day weekend will begin with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series under the lights on Friday night. On Saturday, Sept. 14, the Dollar General 300 Powered by Coca-Cola NASCAR Nationwide Series race will hit the track as the precursor to Sunday’s GEICO 400, the first race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Chicagoland Speedway PR

Pocono Raceway and Walmart announced today, voting for the new name of the June 9 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at “The Tricky Triangle,” based off three fan-submitted race name entries, is now open. The three fan-submitted race name finalists include: Race More. Live Better. 400, Pocono for the People 400, and Party in the Poconos 400.

Race fans will have the chance to vote on their favorite race name choice until April 8. To vote, please visit: walmarturl.com/fandriven400

Additionally, Pocono Raceway and Walmart are making the 400-mile June 9 race more affordable for fans through the “Fan Driven 400” program by offering 16,000 Concourse Grandstand Tickets for $25 each. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.poconoraceway.com or by calling 1-800-RACEWAY (1-800-722-3929).

Further fan involvement will include voting on the main concession item, from three Pocono Raceway Fan Council-submitted pierogie recipes, and voting on the Chevrolet Camaro SS Pace Car design, to be used throughout the June 7 – 9 race weekend at “The Tricky Triangle.” Voting on the concession item will run April 9 – May 6 and for the Pace Car design from May 7 – May 27.

Pocono Raceway PR

Trevor Bayne and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team left Las Vegas Motor Speedway pleased with their effort in Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 400, despite a somewhat disappointing 23rd-place finish.

Bayne and his No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion started the race in 36th place after rain washed out practice and qualifying on Friday and the field was set using last year’s car owner points standings.

While Bayne and the Motorcraft team were fortunate to even be in the starting field given their limited schedule, Sunday’s race turned out to be a bad one to be starting deep in the field.

Although Bayne was able to drive his way to 20th place by Lap 45, two long green-flag runs early in the race saw him and a host of other drivers fall a lap down. The first caution flag flew for debris on the track on Lap 61, and the second wasn’t displayed until Marcos Ambrose spun on Lap 161.

“From the start of the race our car was pretty good,” team co-owner Len Wood said. “We were running good lap times, but not good enough to stay on the lead lap on those long green-flag runs.”

With just five caution periods in the entire race, there were few opportunities to make up lost laps, but Bayne and crew chief Donnie Wingo were able to use pit strategy to put them in position for a lead-lap finish before a lug nut became wedged in the right-rear brake rotor during a pit stop. That led to a vibration and then a pit stop, which Wood figures cost Bayne some spots in the final run-down.

For Bayne and the Woods, continuing to run at speed with a vibration from a then-unknown source wasn’t worth the risk.

“It’s like Trevor said, we didn’t want to lose a race car,” Wood said, adding that he and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew were glad to get their 2013 season back on track after a disappointing Daytona 500.

“All in all, it was a positive run after not having much luck at Daytona,” he said. “Next up is Texas.”

Bayne and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion will skip the next three Sprint Cup races and return on April 13 for the NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Wood Brothers Racing PR

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS for Stewart Haas Racing (SHR), hoped to continue his four-year trend of bettering his finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but an ill-handling racecar and an expired engine relegated him to a 38th-place finish Sunday in the Kobalt Tools 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Newman fought a loose-handling racecar throughout the first half of the 400-mile event. Despite his struggles, Newman managed to stay inside the top-20. Extended green-flag runs resulted in Newman losing track position and placed him one lap down to the race leaders.

Crew chief Matt Borland called for many chassis adjustments during the race, including track bar, wedge and air pressure adjustments and removing spring rubbers. As the laps clicked off, the handling characteristics went to the tight side. When the caution flag waved on lap 225, Borland and Newman agreed to come to pit road for one final adjustment. On the subsequent restart, the field stacked up, and Newman missed a shift as he attempted to get up to speed. Unfortunately, the damage from the missed shift resulted in engine failure, and Newman was eliminated from competition.

“I missed a shift,” Newman said. “I missed the shift because of the restart, but that’s my responsibility, not those guys in front of me. It was a disappointing day for the Quicken Loans team. It’s entirely on me. I could point fingers at the final restart, but it was still my fault.”

Newman’s teammate, Tony Stewart, led the way for SHR by wheeling his No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS to an 11th-place finish. Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 33rd.

Matt Kenseth won the Kobalt Tools 400 to score his 25th career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his third at Las Vegas. Kenseth celebrated his 41st birthday Sunday and became the third driver in Sprint Cup history to win on his birthday. Cale Yarborough accomplished it twice, while Kyle Busch did it once.

Kasey Kahne, who led six times for a race-high 114 laps, finished .594 of a second behind Kenseth in the runner-up spot, while Brad Keselowski, Busch and Carl Edwards rounded out the top-five. Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick and Paul Menard comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were five caution periods for 25 laps, with five drivers failing to finish the 267-lap race.

With round three of 36 complete, Stewart leads the SHR contingent in the championship point standings. He is 18th, 57 points behind series leader Johnson. Patrick is 30th, 76 points out of first, while Newman is 31st, 79 points behind Johnson.

Patrick, who is competing for Rookie of the Year honors against Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished 15 spots behind Stenhouse, who placed 18th.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Food City 500 Sunday, March 17 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 1 p.m. EDT, with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 12:30 p.m.

TSC PR

Tony Stewart used the last 100 laps of the Kobalt Tools 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to rally to an 11^th-place finish.

It was Stewart’s 11^th top-12 result in 15 career Sprint Cup starts at Las Vegas, and it gained Stewart valuable spots in the championship point standings. He stands 18^th after a crash in the season-opening Daytona 500 three races ago left him 37^th in points.

The Kobalt Tools 400 was a hard-earned finish for Stewart in the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). He struggled early, dropping from his ninth-place starting spot to as low as 25^th and off the lead lap.

Stewart fought a loose-handling racecar for much of the 267-lap race around the 1.5-mile oval. But crew chief Steve Addington kept making chassis adjustments, and after a lap-162 pit stop while under caution, the cumulative effect of those changes started to take shape.

Beginning with a restart on lap 166, Stewart wheeled his Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevy into the “lucky dog” position – where the first car one lap down gets its lap back during a caution. That caution came on lap 196, and after beating Jeff Gordon and SHR teammate Ryan Newman for the 16^th spot, Stewart was back on the lead lap.

In the green-flag laps before that caution, Stewart turned laps as fast as the leaders. With four fresh Goodyears and a full tank of fuel, Stewart set his sights on tracking down those leaders.

With 50 laps to go, Stewart was 15^th. He was 14^th when the race’s final caution came out on lap 237, when Stewart stayed on the racetrack to gain important track position.

When the race restarted on lap 242, Stewart was 12^th. After a full lap of green-flag racing, he cracked the top-10 for the first time.

With 20 laps to go, Stewart was still 10^th. Kevin Harvick nipped Stewart for the position five laps later, but Stewart held onto 11^th for the final 15 laps.

“We just worked on our Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevy all day,” Stewart said. “It’s pretty impressive to end up where we did knowing how we started the race. Steve Addington and the crew did a really good job all race long because there wasn’t one routine pit stop the whole day. Everybody had to do their part today to salvage what we got out of it.”

Stewart’s SHR teammates – Newman and Danica Patrick – endured their struggles at Las Vegas, too.

Newman, driver of the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet, finished 38^th after suffering an engine failure. Patrick, in just her first Sprint Cup start at Las Vegas, finished 33^rd in her GoDaddy.com Chevrolet.

With round three of 36 complete, Stewart leads the SHR contingent in the championship point standings. He is 18^th, 57 points behind series leader Jimmie Johnson. Patrick is 30^th, 76 points out of first. Newman is 31^st, 79 points behind Johnson.

Patrick, who is competing for Rookie of the Year honors against Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished 15 spots behind Stenhouse, who placed 18^th.

Matt Kenseth won the Kobalt Tools 400 to score his 25^th career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his third at Las Vegas. Kenseth celebrated his 41^st birthday Sunday and became the third driver in Sprint Cup history to win on his birthday. Cale Yarborough accomplished it twice, while Kyle Busch did it once.

Kasey Kahne, who led six times for a race-high 114 laps, finished .594 of a second behind Kenseth in the runner-up spot, while Brad Keselowski, Busch and Carl Edwards rounded out the top-five. Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick and Paul Menard comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were five caution periods for 25 laps, with five drivers failing to finish.

TSC PR

Race Highlights:

• Richard Childress Racing teammates finished ninth (Kevin Harvick), 10^th (Paul Menard) and 26^th (Jeff Burton).
• RCR drivers made a total of 181 Green Flag Passes during Sunday's event. Harvick led the team with 63, Menard made 60 and Burton completed 58.
• Harvick and Menard posted 12 of the Fastest Laps Run in the 267-lap race, with eight and four laps respectively.
• Harvick was one of five drivers who ran 100 percent of the contested Laps in the Top 15.
• After improving four positions during the final 10 percent of the race (27 laps), Harvick ranked fourth in the Closers category.
• With a speed of 177.095 mph, Menard earned a position in the top 10 of Fastest Drivers Early in a Run.
• Matt Kenseth earned his first victory of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and was followed to the finish line by Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards.
• The next Sprint Cup Series race is the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 17. The fourth race of the 2013 season is scheduled to be televised live on FOX beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Satellite Radio.

Menard Brings Home a Top-10 Finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

 

Paul Menard started the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway from the 17^th position on Sunday after Friday afternoon's qualifying was rained out and the field was set by 2012 owner points. Running lap times as fast as the leader, the No. 27 Schrock/Menards Chevrolet quickly made its way toward the front of the field moving into 11^th-place at lap 50. Continuing to run in the top15, Menard faced handling issues which led the Menards team to make a variety of chassis adjustments during the ensuing pit stops in an attempt to remedy the cars loose-handling condition on entry and exit of the corners. The adjustments paid off as Menard relayed to crew chief "Slugger" Labbe that his car was handling better. Lightning fast pit stops by the pit crew throughout the race also provided Menard the opportunity to gain multiple spots on pit road. With just 25 laps remaining in the 267-lap event, Menard made his way into the top 10, settling into the ninth position. As the laps wore on, Menard's No. 27 machine became tight in the corners, and he slipped back to 10^th on lap 261. The Wisconsin native was able to maintain his position for the remainder of the event, bringing home his first top-10 finish of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The 10^th-place finish allowed Menard to gain five spots in the driver championship point standings, he sits 12th heading into Bristol Motor Speedway next weekend.

Start - 17Finish - 10Laps Led - 0 Points - 12

 

PAUL MENARD QUOTE:

"We had a great car today at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Slugger (Labbe, crew chief) and the team did a phenomenal job giving me a fast Schrock/Menards Chevrolet. It was a lot of fun to drive out there today. We were able to run the top line in turns one and two at the end, but we were tight at the bottom in turns three and four, which cost us a little bit of time. The No. 27 pit crew did an awesome job in the pits and got me several spots on pit road. All-in-all it was a good day, and we've got some momentum heading into Bristol (Motor Speedway) next weekend."

 

 

 

Harvick and the No. 29 Rheem Team Earn Hard Fought Ninth-Place Result

at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

 

Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Rheem Chevrolet SS team earned a hard fought top-10 result in the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon. Inclement weather canceled qualifying forcing NASCAR to set the field by the rulebook, lining cars up by 2012 owner championship points and positioning Harvick eighth for the start of the 267-lap event. Early in the race, the Bakersfield, Calif., native reported he was battling a loose-handling condition, but remained a fixture in the top 10 until lap 152. The Gil Martin-led pit crew made multiple two and four-tires pit stops, along with several chassis adjustments throughout the course of the event to help correct the handling issues on the red and black machine. The improved, but persistent condition plagued the veteran driver for the remainder of the event. Harvick fell as far back as 14^th in the running order, prior to crossing the finish line ninth. This marks Harvick's first top-10 finish of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, and moves him up 11 positions in the driver championship point standings, to 19^th.

 

Start - 8 Finish - 9 Laps Led - 0 Points - 19

 

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:

"The Rheem guys battled hard today, and we were able to pick up our first top-10 finish of the season. Our car was fast, but we had a few issues with the handling during the race. The No. 29 team kept at it all day making changes that allowed us to leave here (Las Vegas Motor Speedway) with a good finish."

 

 

Jeff Burton Finishes 26^th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

 

Jeff Burton and the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS team finished 26th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. Starting the 267-lap event from the 20^th position after persistent rain forced NASCAR officials to cancel Sprint Cup Series qualifying, the South Boston, Va., native maintained a top-25 running position while fighting a tight-handling No. 31 Chevrolet for the first part of the race. Shortly after Burton pitted for fresh Goodyear tires, Sunoco Green E15 fuel and adjustments under green-flag conditions on lap 148, the caution flag was displayed trapping the Richard Childress Racing driver two laps down to the leader. The Caterpillar team caught a break on lap 195 when the caution flag was displayed once again. Crew chief Luke Lambert advised Burton stay out and take the "wave around" pass to gain one lap back. Burton restarted 26^th on lap 200 and battled a loose-handling condition on his Chevrolet SS through the remainder of the 400-mile event eventually crossing the finish line in the 26^th position.

 

Start-20 Finish-26 Laps Led-0 Points-20

 

JEFF BURTON QUOTE:

"This wasn't the result the Caterpillar Chevrolet team was expecting this weekend. We had a successful test session on Thursday and made strong gains in practice on Saturday. I felt good about our chances this morning, but the handling got away from us. We'll take the car back to North Carolina this weekend, see what went wrong and get ready for a strong run in at Bristol Motor Speedway."

 

RCR PR

Danica Patrick could tell from the drop of the green flag that her car was going to be a handful in the Kobalt Tools 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Despite a valiant effort by crew chief Tony Gibson, the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) never came to life, and Patrick finished a disappointing 33^rd, six laps behind the leaders.

“It was a real tough day, no doubt,” Patrick said. “We knew we were going to have tough days, but this is not the kind of tough day we thought about. We need to figure out how and why it (the car) changes so much from practice to the race and really learn this new car. I was extremely loose the whole time. We made it a little bit better in the middle of the race, to the point where it would go for half the run, but by the end of every run I would find myself very, very loose again. Being behind traffic, the aerodynamics change a lot, and it’s a handful. I felt like I was about to spin on the frontstraight. We just have to figure out how to make it better and work our butts off to make sure that we never have this day again.”

Nothing seemed to cure the GoDaddy.com Chevrolet SS despite Gibson’s efforts during pit stops, from the normal track bar, wedge and tire pressure adjustments, to the extreme spring rubber inserts and the packer adjustments in the shocks.

“These are the days, and I said this on the radio, these are the days you earn your money, not the days like Daytona where you run up in the top-five all day,” said Patrick, who finished eighth in the Daytona 500. “Those days are great, but you’re just marching forward. These are the days that you have to be strong and you have to work through it and not let it drag you down.”

Patrick’s SHR teammate, Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS, finished 11^th. The third member of SHR, Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet for SHR, finished 38^th after an engine failure ended his day after just 234 laps.

Matt Kenseth won the Kobalt Tools 400 to score his 25^th career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his third at Las Vegas. Kenseth celebrated his 41^st birthday Sunday and became the third driver in Sprint Cup history to win on his birthday. Cale Yarborough accomplished it twice, while Kyle Busch did it once.

Kasey Kahne, who led six times for a race-high 114 laps, finished .594 of a second behind Kenseth in the runner-up spot, while Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards rounded out the top-five. Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick and Paul Menard comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were five caution periods for 25 laps, with five drivers failing to finish the 267-lap race.

With round three of 36 complete, Stewart leads the SHR contingent in the championship point standings. He is 18^th, 57 points behind series leader Johnson. Patrick is 30^th, 76 points out of first, while Newman is 31^st, 79 points behind Johnson.

Patrick, who is competing for Rookie of the Year honors against Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished 15 spots behind Stenhouse, who placed 18^th.

TSC PR