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July News Archive
July 1st
Salem, Ind. - Derrick Kelley is eager for July to bring a new beginning to the Comeback Motorsports team after tough luck won out here on Saturday.
After qualifying a solid 15th, Kelley had to settle for an 18th-place finish after a crash ended his night just past the halfway mark of the Lucas Oil 200 presented by Touchstone Energy.
Kelley and another USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series competitor got together on Lap 105 at Salem Speedway, and the No. 21 NGA Hooters Pro Golf Tour Ford Fusion suffered too much damage to be repaired. The incident brought out one of eight cautions on a night when patience at the high-banked track seemed to be in short supply. Indeed, beating and banging was going on way after Kelley was forced to park his ride.
"I'm disappointed, of course," said Kelley, who now stands 14th in points in the Sears Auto Center Northern Division. "But wrecks are a part of racing, so we've just got to bear down and hit it hard again next time. Onward and upward."
Kelley's next race will be July 12 at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.
About Comeback Motorsports
The name of the Comeback Motorsports team carries a lot of meaning for driver Derrick Kelley and team owner Tim Gainey. For Kelley, "comeback" is about rejuvenating a USAR Hooters Pro Cup career that's seen him collect three wins, 26 Top Five finishes and 45 Top 10s in only 110 starts. For Gainey, though, the word is even more significant. He was seriously injured in an industrial accident, which has made him a tireless supporter of making racing accessible to everyone.
For more information about Derrick Kelley and Comeback Motorsports, please visit ww.comebackmotorsports.com.
Salem, Ind. - Derrick Kelley is eager for July to bring a new beginning to the Comeback Motorsports team after tough luck won out here on Saturday.
After qualifying a solid 15th, Kelley had to settle for an 18th-place finish after a crash ended his night just past the halfway mark of the Lucas Oil 200 presented by Touchstone Energy.
Kelley and another USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series competitor got together on Lap 105 at Salem Speedway, and the No. 21 NGA Hooters Pro Golf Tour Ford Fusion suffered too much damage to be repaired. The incident brought out one of eight cautions on a night when patience at the high-banked track seemed to be in short supply. Indeed, beating and banging was going on way after Kelley was forced to park his ride.
"I'm disappointed, of course," said Kelley, who now stands 14th in points in the Sears Auto Center Northern Division. "But wrecks are a part of racing, so we've just got to bear down and hit it hard again next time. Onward and upward."
Kelley's next race will be July 12 at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.
About Comeback Motorsports
The name of the Comeback Motorsports team carries a lot of meaning for driver Derrick Kelley and team owner Tim Gainey. For Kelley, "comeback" is about rejuvenating a USAR Hooters Pro Cup career that's seen him collect three wins, 26 Top Five finishes and 45 Top 10s in only 110 starts. For Gainey, though, the word is even more significant. He was seriously injured in an industrial accident, which has made him a tireless supporter of making racing accessible to everyone.
For more information about Derrick Kelley and Comeback Motorsports, please visit ww.comebackmotorsports.com.
Kelley Looks to Rebound from Hoosier Heartbreak
July 2nd
Tyler Young, the rookie pilot of the #11N Bullet Racing Chevrolet, brought the car across the checkers 8th at the Lucas Oil 200 presented by Touchstone Energy at Salem Speedway.. After qualifying 21st, the impressive finished earned the 17 year old driver the Aaron's Do the Math Hard Charger Award. The finish also moved him up to 16th in points.
Having never raced at Salem or even ever seen it, we asked him what his thoughts were the first time he saw the track on Thursday when he went to watch practice. "The first time I saw Salem it was everything and more than what I expected and been told, a little bit intimidating because it is steeply banked and it looked like you needed to run up top between turns three and four," Tyler responded." But is was good to be there to watch a couple of the other teams practice on Thursday before we practiced on Friday."
"My crew chief, Bob Bechstein, and the rest of the crew helped me with pointing out entry and exit points and so many other tips to help me run at Salem better." "Plus, they got the car set up so well for me," Young added.
"I really enjoyed the race, I know I am out there to do a job, stay on the lead lap and get a good finished, but I was also having fun," Tyler continued. "It was hot all day and the crew worked so hard and I was really glad the night turned out as well as it did for them, they earned and deserved this good finish too," he concluded.
You can check all the thrilling action that occurred at Salem Speedway when the race is broadcast on the Versus Network on Friday, July 11th at 11:00pm (ET).
Tyler Young, the rookie pilot of the #11N Bullet Racing Chevrolet, brought the car across the checkers 8th at the Lucas Oil 200 presented by Touchstone Energy at Salem Speedway.. After qualifying 21st, the impressive finished earned the 17 year old driver the Aaron's Do the Math Hard Charger Award. The finish also moved him up to 16th in points.
Having never raced at Salem or even ever seen it, we asked him what his thoughts were the first time he saw the track on Thursday when he went to watch practice. "The first time I saw Salem it was everything and more than what I expected and been told, a little bit intimidating because it is steeply banked and it looked like you needed to run up top between turns three and four," Tyler responded." But is was good to be there to watch a couple of the other teams practice on Thursday before we practiced on Friday."
"My crew chief, Bob Bechstein, and the rest of the crew helped me with pointing out entry and exit points and so many other tips to help me run at Salem better." "Plus, they got the car set up so well for me," Young added.
"I really enjoyed the race, I know I am out there to do a job, stay on the lead lap and get a good finished, but I was also having fun," Tyler continued. "It was hot all day and the crew worked so hard and I was really glad the night turned out as well as it did for them, they earned and deserved this good finish too," he concluded.
You can check all the thrilling action that occurred at Salem Speedway when the race is broadcast on the Versus Network on Friday, July 11th at 11:00pm (ET).
Rookie Driver Pleased with Finish at Salem
July 3rd
Vis Viva™ sponsored USAR PRO CUP Rookie driver Mikey Kile, set another milestone of his young racing career at the Lucas Oil 200. Kile, driver of the Vis Viva™ 'Living Force Energy' Chevrolet Impala SS, achieved his first win of the Pro Cup series on Saturday night in Salem, Indiana. He is now the only rookie to every win an event in this series.
Kile entered into the event having produced a sixth place qualifying time for just his 5th race ever of the Pro Cup series on Saturday night. Battling the first 129 laps, Kile staked his position within the top 5 spots throughout the first 129 laps. After a back and forth struggle, by lap 193 he had forged his way, inch by inch, to the lead.
"There was a lot of give and take, and a lot of good racing between us," Kile said of his battle with Purkhiser, driver of the number 68n Ford. Purkhiser commented, "that was just hard racing." Dan Pikarsky, Sr. VP of Sports and Event Marketing for Attitude Drinks Incorporated said, "We are all very proud of Mikey Kile and all of the guys on Team Vis Viva™. The USAR Pro Cup Series makes for a perfect grass roots marketing platform and, when you tie in a first class team like Mac Hill Motorsports, Mikey Kile and the fans who have been supportive of Vis Viva™ 'Living Force Energy', it's a win - win - win situation for all of us."
About Attitude Drinks, Incorporated
Attitude Drinks Incorporated is an innovative beverage brand development and marketing company focused on introducing nutritional, functional and experiential beverages nationwide. The company is developing a line of uniquely fortified and formulated functional beverages that offer consumers, retailers and distributors numerous advantages over traditional soft drinks and non-carbonated beverage brands. Attitude's first commercial brand Vis Viva™ 'Living Force Energy' is an experiential drink featuring IQZOL™, a proprietary complex that delivers a feeling of increased focus and enhanced clarity with no jitters and no crash. For more information on the company, visit http://www.attitudedrinks.com.
CONTACT
Dan Pikarsky
Senior VP, Sports and Event Marketing
877-799-5053
dan@attitudedrinks.com
www.attitudedrinks.com
Vis Viva™ sponsored USAR PRO CUP Rookie driver Mikey Kile, set another milestone of his young racing career at the Lucas Oil 200. Kile, driver of the Vis Viva™ 'Living Force Energy' Chevrolet Impala SS, achieved his first win of the Pro Cup series on Saturday night in Salem, Indiana. He is now the only rookie to every win an event in this series.
Kile entered into the event having produced a sixth place qualifying time for just his 5th race ever of the Pro Cup series on Saturday night. Battling the first 129 laps, Kile staked his position within the top 5 spots throughout the first 129 laps. After a back and forth struggle, by lap 193 he had forged his way, inch by inch, to the lead.
"There was a lot of give and take, and a lot of good racing between us," Kile said of his battle with Purkhiser, driver of the number 68n Ford. Purkhiser commented, "that was just hard racing." Dan Pikarsky, Sr. VP of Sports and Event Marketing for Attitude Drinks Incorporated said, "We are all very proud of Mikey Kile and all of the guys on Team Vis Viva™. The USAR Pro Cup Series makes for a perfect grass roots marketing platform and, when you tie in a first class team like Mac Hill Motorsports, Mikey Kile and the fans who have been supportive of Vis Viva™ 'Living Force Energy', it's a win - win - win situation for all of us."
About Attitude Drinks, Incorporated
Attitude Drinks Incorporated is an innovative beverage brand development and marketing company focused on introducing nutritional, functional and experiential beverages nationwide. The company is developing a line of uniquely fortified and formulated functional beverages that offer consumers, retailers and distributors numerous advantages over traditional soft drinks and non-carbonated beverage brands. Attitude's first commercial brand Vis Viva™ 'Living Force Energy' is an experiential drink featuring IQZOL™, a proprietary complex that delivers a feeling of increased focus and enhanced clarity with no jitters and no crash. For more information on the company, visit http://www.attitudedrinks.com.
CONTACT
Dan Pikarsky
Senior VP, Sports and Event Marketing
877-799-5053
dan@attitudedrinks.com
www.attitudedrinks.com
Vis Viva™ Sponsored Driver Takes First USAR Pro Cup Career Win
July 7th
Sears Auto Center/Knight Companies Driver Looking For Third Win In Last Four USAR Races
Mooresville, NC (July 7, 2008) - Coming off a victory in his latest USAR Hooters Pro Cup event at Myrtle Beach, SC, you'd think Mark McFarland would be content to sit back and enjoy the spoils of victory. Then again, McFarland, the USAR Southern Division championship point's leader, is a racer and that means he's going to stay as busy as possible.
"We're going to run the Pro Cup Northern Division race at Motor Mile Speedway this weekend," said McFarland of his Pete Knight Racing team. "We want to keep the team busy and sharp. The more races we run, the better we get. There's not that many races on the Pro Cup Southern schedule this year, so running the Northern races helps our team. We'll go there and try some stuff, almost use it like a test and because we're not racing for points, we can really go for the win. We can gamble a little. We're just trying to get better and racing more is the best way to do it."
McFarland had finished no worse than second in his last three USAR events winning at Myrtle Beach on June 21. He also captured the North-South combination event at The Milwaukee Mile on May 31 and managed a runner-up finish in the USAR Northern Division race at Mansfield, OH on June 14.
This time around, the Winchester, VA driver will be looking to score yet another win at Motor Mile Speedway, a place where he came up just short of victory a year ago.
"We had everybody except the second and third place cars a lap down and we lost the rear end with five laps to go," said McFarland. "We were going to win that race, but we just had some bad luck. I've had some success there. I won a big late model stock car race that paid $20,000 to win back in 2004. I don't think the track owes me anything because of last year. We just had a string of bad luck last year and that race was part of it. Like I said, we should have won. When stuff like that happens, it just makes you better."
Another win or solid finish will be what McFarland and his Sears Auto Centers/Knight's Companies Chevy Monte Carlo will be looking for when Saturday's event rolls off. While either would keep McFarland's hot streak going, the veteran driver knows that the string of good luck could come to a screeching halt any second.
"It could end tomorrow," said McFarland. "We just have to keep doing what we're doing and keep getting better. I'm not sure we're having better luck this season. I just think our cars are better prepared and the team is better. Everybody is on the same page and that's why we've been doing so well lately."
McFarland and his No. 81s Sears Auto Center/Knight's Companies Chevy will take the green flag at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA this Saturday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:SHLD), is a leading broad line retailer providing merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,400 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes approximately 935 full-line and 1,100 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End - among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 13 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.
To find a Sears Auto Center location near you or to shop online, please log on to www.sears.com.
Sears Auto Center/Knight Companies Driver Looking For Third Win In Last Four USAR Races
Mooresville, NC (July 7, 2008) - Coming off a victory in his latest USAR Hooters Pro Cup event at Myrtle Beach, SC, you'd think Mark McFarland would be content to sit back and enjoy the spoils of victory. Then again, McFarland, the USAR Southern Division championship point's leader, is a racer and that means he's going to stay as busy as possible.
"We're going to run the Pro Cup Northern Division race at Motor Mile Speedway this weekend," said McFarland of his Pete Knight Racing team. "We want to keep the team busy and sharp. The more races we run, the better we get. There's not that many races on the Pro Cup Southern schedule this year, so running the Northern races helps our team. We'll go there and try some stuff, almost use it like a test and because we're not racing for points, we can really go for the win. We can gamble a little. We're just trying to get better and racing more is the best way to do it."
McFarland had finished no worse than second in his last three USAR events winning at Myrtle Beach on June 21. He also captured the North-South combination event at The Milwaukee Mile on May 31 and managed a runner-up finish in the USAR Northern Division race at Mansfield, OH on June 14.
This time around, the Winchester, VA driver will be looking to score yet another win at Motor Mile Speedway, a place where he came up just short of victory a year ago.
"We had everybody except the second and third place cars a lap down and we lost the rear end with five laps to go," said McFarland. "We were going to win that race, but we just had some bad luck. I've had some success there. I won a big late model stock car race that paid $20,000 to win back in 2004. I don't think the track owes me anything because of last year. We just had a string of bad luck last year and that race was part of it. Like I said, we should have won. When stuff like that happens, it just makes you better."
Another win or solid finish will be what McFarland and his Sears Auto Centers/Knight's Companies Chevy Monte Carlo will be looking for when Saturday's event rolls off. While either would keep McFarland's hot streak going, the veteran driver knows that the string of good luck could come to a screeching halt any second.
"It could end tomorrow," said McFarland. "We just have to keep doing what we're doing and keep getting better. I'm not sure we're having better luck this season. I just think our cars are better prepared and the team is better. Everybody is on the same page and that's why we've been doing so well lately."
McFarland and his No. 81s Sears Auto Center/Knight's Companies Chevy will take the green flag at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA this Saturday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:SHLD), is a leading broad line retailer providing merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,400 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes approximately 935 full-line and 1,100 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End - among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 13 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.
To find a Sears Auto Center location near you or to shop online, please log on to www.sears.com.
McFarland Will Try To Continue Hot Streak In USAR Hooters Pro Cup Northern Division Event Saturday
July 13th
Pete Knight Racing Driver Starts Last, Outlasts Brake Problems
Mooresville, NC (July 13, 2008) - Missing the driver's meeting, starting shotgun on the field, and losing your brakes halfway through the race isn't usually a good plan for a top finish in a USAR Hooters Pro Cup race.
But that's exactly what Mark McFarland and his No. 81s Sears Auto Centers/Knight's Companies Chevy Monte Carlo did Saturday rolling to a second-place finish in the K-Mart 250 at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA.
"Considering we started dead last and had the kind of problems we had, second was a great finish," said McFarland. "We've been coming home with a lot great finishes lately. We have a very strong team. Nothing seems to get them down. Everybody is doing everything 100 percent, no matter what it is from changing a engine in the shop to loading the trailer at the track. That's what it takes. Everyone is working together. It's all about the team working together and getting it done."
McFarland's Pete Knight Racing team entered Saturday's USAR Northern Division race on a hot streak finishing no worse than second in their last three Pro Cup events - including wins at Myrtle Beach (SC) and Milwaukee (WI). The Winchester, VA driver again established that he would be hard to beat at Motor Mile turning in the second-fastest practice effort before qualifying fourth with a time of 16.435 seconds.
"We worked on the car most of the practice to get it turning good and we finally got it there with about half an hour left in the final session," said McFarland. "We had to go out early in qualifying and that hurt us because they had a late model division there with us that put down a lot of rubber on the track in a practice after ours. Honestly, that hurt everybody and we all slowed down. It was pretty much whoever could get around without spinning the tires was going to have a decent qualifying lap because the track was so slick."
Despite the solid qualifying effort, McFarland had to start the 250-lap event at the rear of the field because he missed the driver's meeting earlier in the day.
"It was a big mistake on our part," said McFarland (left). "They changed the times around a little and we didn't notice it, so we messed up big time. We still wanted to get a good qualifying lap because we wanted a good pit stall. Where you pit at Motor Mile is really critical, so a good lap would still gave us a good pit selection."
McFarland wasted little time making his way to the front in the early going and used a two-tire pit stop during the first caution period on Lap 35 get a leg up on the other 31 competitors in the starting field.
"As soon as the green flag dropped, we started picking up positions," said McFarland. "We used pit strategy to gain a bunch of positions early in the race. Our pit crew is really good and thanks to them, we were able to get all the way up to 10th or so."
McFarland's Sears Auto Center Chevy then stayed in the top 10 through the middle stages of the race only to have brake problems nearly derail the solid effort.
"We made it all the way up to fifth and then I started to have some brake problems," McFarland stated. "They'd really start to fade after 30 laps. We decided to pit again, get four new tires, and check the brakes to see what was going on with them. There were only 13 cars on the lead lap at the time, so it wasn't really a gamble and getting the new tires proved to be the ticket."
Back on track, the fresh rubber rocketed McFarland back into contention rolling into the runner-up spot behind eventual winner Benny Gordon.
"The brakes were still fading a lot, but the new tires were the difference," said McFarland. "I could still drive by guys and we got all the way up to second despite sometimes I'd go into the corner and the brake pedal would go right to the floorboard. We were just riding, but we were still picking up positions.
"I could never get to Benny with the brakes being the way they were," McFarland continued. "I just couldn't get into the corner the way I wanted to. It wasn't bad when you were running by yourself, but when you get behind somebody, you could lose the brakes and easily wipe the guy out in front of you. I didn't want to do that. I didn't want to tear up my car or anybody else's"
At the finish, it was Gordon by .305 seconds over McFarland, Jay Fogleman, Brandon Ward and Jeff Agnew.
"It's hard to be disappointed with second place," said McFarland. "We've had an incredible string of good finishes lately and this was another one. We're racing good and everything at the shop is running smoothly. We go to every race to win and we have three Southern Division races and two Northern Division events coming up that we expect to run well at. Things are going pretty good right now."
McFarland and his No. 81s Sears Auto Center/Knight's Companies Chevy will next take the green flag in a USAR Hooters Pro Cup Southern Division event at Southern National Speedway this Saturday, July 19. The Crane Cams 250 at the Kenly, NC half-mile oval will push off at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:SHLD), is a leading broad line retailer providing merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,400 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes approximately 935 full-line and 1,100 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End - among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 13 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.
To find a Sears Auto Center location near you or to shop online, please log on to www.sears.com.
Pete Knight Racing Driver Starts Last, Outlasts Brake Problems
Mooresville, NC (July 13, 2008) - Missing the driver's meeting, starting shotgun on the field, and losing your brakes halfway through the race isn't usually a good plan for a top finish in a USAR Hooters Pro Cup race.
But that's exactly what Mark McFarland and his No. 81s Sears Auto Centers/Knight's Companies Chevy Monte Carlo did Saturday rolling to a second-place finish in the K-Mart 250 at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA.
"Considering we started dead last and had the kind of problems we had, second was a great finish," said McFarland. "We've been coming home with a lot great finishes lately. We have a very strong team. Nothing seems to get them down. Everybody is doing everything 100 percent, no matter what it is from changing a engine in the shop to loading the trailer at the track. That's what it takes. Everyone is working together. It's all about the team working together and getting it done."
McFarland's Pete Knight Racing team entered Saturday's USAR Northern Division race on a hot streak finishing no worse than second in their last three Pro Cup events - including wins at Myrtle Beach (SC) and Milwaukee (WI). The Winchester, VA driver again established that he would be hard to beat at Motor Mile turning in the second-fastest practice effort before qualifying fourth with a time of 16.435 seconds.
"We worked on the car most of the practice to get it turning good and we finally got it there with about half an hour left in the final session," said McFarland. "We had to go out early in qualifying and that hurt us because they had a late model division there with us that put down a lot of rubber on the track in a practice after ours. Honestly, that hurt everybody and we all slowed down. It was pretty much whoever could get around without spinning the tires was going to have a decent qualifying lap because the track was so slick."
Despite the solid qualifying effort, McFarland had to start the 250-lap event at the rear of the field because he missed the driver's meeting earlier in the day.
"It was a big mistake on our part," said McFarland (left). "They changed the times around a little and we didn't notice it, so we messed up big time. We still wanted to get a good qualifying lap because we wanted a good pit stall. Where you pit at Motor Mile is really critical, so a good lap would still gave us a good pit selection."
McFarland wasted little time making his way to the front in the early going and used a two-tire pit stop during the first caution period on Lap 35 get a leg up on the other 31 competitors in the starting field.
"As soon as the green flag dropped, we started picking up positions," said McFarland. "We used pit strategy to gain a bunch of positions early in the race. Our pit crew is really good and thanks to them, we were able to get all the way up to 10th or so."
McFarland's Sears Auto Center Chevy then stayed in the top 10 through the middle stages of the race only to have brake problems nearly derail the solid effort.
"We made it all the way up to fifth and then I started to have some brake problems," McFarland stated. "They'd really start to fade after 30 laps. We decided to pit again, get four new tires, and check the brakes to see what was going on with them. There were only 13 cars on the lead lap at the time, so it wasn't really a gamble and getting the new tires proved to be the ticket."
Back on track, the fresh rubber rocketed McFarland back into contention rolling into the runner-up spot behind eventual winner Benny Gordon.
"The brakes were still fading a lot, but the new tires were the difference," said McFarland. "I could still drive by guys and we got all the way up to second despite sometimes I'd go into the corner and the brake pedal would go right to the floorboard. We were just riding, but we were still picking up positions.
"I could never get to Benny with the brakes being the way they were," McFarland continued. "I just couldn't get into the corner the way I wanted to. It wasn't bad when you were running by yourself, but when you get behind somebody, you could lose the brakes and easily wipe the guy out in front of you. I didn't want to do that. I didn't want to tear up my car or anybody else's"
At the finish, it was Gordon by .305 seconds over McFarland, Jay Fogleman, Brandon Ward and Jeff Agnew.
"It's hard to be disappointed with second place," said McFarland. "We've had an incredible string of good finishes lately and this was another one. We're racing good and everything at the shop is running smoothly. We go to every race to win and we have three Southern Division races and two Northern Division events coming up that we expect to run well at. Things are going pretty good right now."
McFarland and his No. 81s Sears Auto Center/Knight's Companies Chevy will next take the green flag in a USAR Hooters Pro Cup Southern Division event at Southern National Speedway this Saturday, July 19. The Crane Cams 250 at the Kenly, NC half-mile oval will push off at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:SHLD), is a leading broad line retailer providing merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,400 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes approximately 935 full-line and 1,100 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End - among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 13 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.
To find a Sears Auto Center location near you or to shop online, please log on to www.sears.com.
McFarland, Sears Auto Center Chevy Earn Second-Place Finish The Hard Way At Motor Mile
July 13th
PETE KNIGHT RACING DRIVER FINISHES 16TH AFTER RUNNING AS HIGH AS THIRD
Mooresville, NC (July 13, 2008) - Bad luck proved to be the big winner for Travis Miller and his No. 81n Pete Knight Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo in Saturday's USAR Hooters Pro Cup K-Mart 250 at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA.
"We really didn't have much good luck at all," said Miller after finishing 16th in the USAR Northern Division event. "That's pretty much the way it has been going for us lately. We had a good run going at Salem a couple of weeks ago and got crashed. This week, we had some mechanical problems. We've run good everywhere we've been. We're a top notch team. Everyone in the garage area knows how good we are. Once we get some better luck, I think we're going to finally get some finishes to show for it."
Miller and his Pete Knight Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo were on the lucky side of things in practice as they dialed in their red, white and blue racer for the 250-lap event on the Motor Mile half-mile oval.
"We practiced really well," said Miller. "We made a lot of changes and we did our qualifying run early in the day, so we weren't high on the board after practice. What we were excited about is we were a top-five car in long runs. We were definitely one of the better cars there."
Miller qualified 13th with a time of 16.612 seconds and wasted little time pointing his Monte Carlo toward the front at the drop of the green flag.
"Everybody was about four-tenths slower in qualifying than what they practiced at," said Miller. "I was way too free off the corner to get a good time. We sacrificed a little in qualifying to have a good race set up. We knew we would be good in the race."
The 20-year-old Chesapeake, VA driver proved to be spot on in the early going racing through the field and into contention for the win. That's when mechanical gremlins hit sending him to pit road for repairs.
"We got up to the top five and we ran third for quite a while in the race," Miller stated. "We were still in the top five when I drove into Turn 3 and the car just completely shut off. It had probably cut off about 10 times only to come back on during the race. We had to pit for the electrical problem and we lost a couple of laps in the pits. Even after we returned to the race, we were still one of the fastest cars out there even though we were a couple of laps down."
Miller saw any hopes of a top-10 finish go out the window later in the race when he again unexpectedly pitted under green - this time for a flat right front tire.
"We definitely had a good car," Miller stated. "We should have finished no worse than sixth or seventh if we don't have any problems. It was disappointing, but I know how good this team is. Shane (crew chief Shane Huffman) and the guys are really working hard to get us good finishes. It's just a matter of time before we break out of this bad luck. We'll be looking to finish a lot better the next time out at Jennerstown."
Miller and his No. 81n Pete Knight Racing Chevy will return to USAR Hooters Pro Cup Northern Division action at Jennerstown (PA) Speedway on Saturday, July 26. The green flag will wave at the .522-mile Laurel Mountain speedway at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
About PKR -
Pete Knight Racing is located in an immaculately kept 10,000 square foot office/race shop complex in Mooresville, NC. The longtime championship contending USAR Hooters Pro Cup operation will field two teams in 2008 under the direction of crew chief Wes Ward. Mark McFarland will wheel the No. 81s Sears Auto Center Chevrolet Monte Carlo in USAR Southern Division action while Travis Miller will drive the No. 81n Knight's Companies Chevy led by crew chief Shane Huffman in all USAR Northern Division events this season.
The team also plans to compete in a select event schedule of NASCAR Camping World races this season.
To inquire about motorsports marketing opportunities with Pete Knight Racing, please contact Ward at 704-664-9641.
PETE KNIGHT RACING DRIVER FINISHES 16TH AFTER RUNNING AS HIGH AS THIRD
Mooresville, NC (July 13, 2008) - Bad luck proved to be the big winner for Travis Miller and his No. 81n Pete Knight Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo in Saturday's USAR Hooters Pro Cup K-Mart 250 at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA.
"We really didn't have much good luck at all," said Miller after finishing 16th in the USAR Northern Division event. "That's pretty much the way it has been going for us lately. We had a good run going at Salem a couple of weeks ago and got crashed. This week, we had some mechanical problems. We've run good everywhere we've been. We're a top notch team. Everyone in the garage area knows how good we are. Once we get some better luck, I think we're going to finally get some finishes to show for it."
Miller and his Pete Knight Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo were on the lucky side of things in practice as they dialed in their red, white and blue racer for the 250-lap event on the Motor Mile half-mile oval.
"We practiced really well," said Miller. "We made a lot of changes and we did our qualifying run early in the day, so we weren't high on the board after practice. What we were excited about is we were a top-five car in long runs. We were definitely one of the better cars there."
Miller qualified 13th with a time of 16.612 seconds and wasted little time pointing his Monte Carlo toward the front at the drop of the green flag.
"Everybody was about four-tenths slower in qualifying than what they practiced at," said Miller. "I was way too free off the corner to get a good time. We sacrificed a little in qualifying to have a good race set up. We knew we would be good in the race."
The 20-year-old Chesapeake, VA driver proved to be spot on in the early going racing through the field and into contention for the win. That's when mechanical gremlins hit sending him to pit road for repairs.
"We got up to the top five and we ran third for quite a while in the race," Miller stated. "We were still in the top five when I drove into Turn 3 and the car just completely shut off. It had probably cut off about 10 times only to come back on during the race. We had to pit for the electrical problem and we lost a couple of laps in the pits. Even after we returned to the race, we were still one of the fastest cars out there even though we were a couple of laps down."
Miller saw any hopes of a top-10 finish go out the window later in the race when he again unexpectedly pitted under green - this time for a flat right front tire.
"We definitely had a good car," Miller stated. "We should have finished no worse than sixth or seventh if we don't have any problems. It was disappointing, but I know how good this team is. Shane (crew chief Shane Huffman) and the guys are really working hard to get us good finishes. It's just a matter of time before we break out of this bad luck. We'll be looking to finish a lot better the next time out at Jennerstown."
Miller and his No. 81n Pete Knight Racing Chevy will return to USAR Hooters Pro Cup Northern Division action at Jennerstown (PA) Speedway on Saturday, July 26. The green flag will wave at the .522-mile Laurel Mountain speedway at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
About PKR -
Pete Knight Racing is located in an immaculately kept 10,000 square foot office/race shop complex in Mooresville, NC. The longtime championship contending USAR Hooters Pro Cup operation will field two teams in 2008 under the direction of crew chief Wes Ward. Mark McFarland will wheel the No. 81s Sears Auto Center Chevrolet Monte Carlo in USAR Southern Division action while Travis Miller will drive the No. 81n Knight's Companies Chevy led by crew chief Shane Huffman in all USAR Northern Division events this season.
The team also plans to compete in a select event schedule of NASCAR Camping World races this season.
To inquire about motorsports marketing opportunities with Pete Knight Racing, please contact Ward at 704-664-9641.
Bad Luck Derails Solid Run for Travis Miller at Motor Mile
July 15th
Radford, Va. - Derrick Kelley managed a Top 15 here on Saturday after late-lap issues dropped him from what could have been a podium finish in the Kmart 250 presented by Toyota.
Kelley qualified 18th at Motor Mile Speedway and ran as high as second in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series race. He was in third place on Lap 208 when another competitor pressed him hard after a restart, making contact with the No. 21 NGA Hooters Pro Golf Tour Ford Fusion. The collision knocked Kelley out of the racing groove, and he dropped several spots.
He brought the No. 21 car to pit road on a subsequent caution, and the Comeback Motorsports crew changed tires. But without the aid of another caution, the team never really got to see how much the new rubber helped, and Kelley ended up 12th.
Kelley said the NGA Hooters Pro Golf Tour Ford probably could have logged a Top Five finish had circumstances not turned against the team. But he said he was glad to come out of the Kmart 250 with a Top 15 and a race car in one piece. Crashes marred Comeback Motorsports' two previous races.
"So, all in all, I guess we should be pleased," said Kelley, who stands 14th in points in the Sears Auto Center Northern Division.
The next race for Kelley and the Comeback Motorsports team will be on July 26 at Jennerstown Speedway in Jennerstown, Pa.
About Comeback Motorsports
The name of the Comeback Motorsports team carries a lot of meaning for driver Derrick Kelley and team owner Tim Gainey. For Kelley, "comeback" is about rejuvenating a USAR Hooters Pro Cup career that's seen him collect three wins, 26 Top Five finishes and 45 Top 10s in only 109 starts. For Gainey, though, the word is even more significant. He was seriously injured in an industrial accident, which has made him a tireless supporter of making racing accessible to everyone.
For more information about Derrick Kelley and Comeback Motorsports, please visit comebackmotorsports.com.
Radford, Va. - Derrick Kelley managed a Top 15 here on Saturday after late-lap issues dropped him from what could have been a podium finish in the Kmart 250 presented by Toyota.
Kelley qualified 18th at Motor Mile Speedway and ran as high as second in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series race. He was in third place on Lap 208 when another competitor pressed him hard after a restart, making contact with the No. 21 NGA Hooters Pro Golf Tour Ford Fusion. The collision knocked Kelley out of the racing groove, and he dropped several spots.
He brought the No. 21 car to pit road on a subsequent caution, and the Comeback Motorsports crew changed tires. But without the aid of another caution, the team never really got to see how much the new rubber helped, and Kelley ended up 12th.
Kelley said the NGA Hooters Pro Golf Tour Ford probably could have logged a Top Five finish had circumstances not turned against the team. But he said he was glad to come out of the Kmart 250 with a Top 15 and a race car in one piece. Crashes marred Comeback Motorsports' two previous races.
"So, all in all, I guess we should be pleased," said Kelley, who stands 14th in points in the Sears Auto Center Northern Division.
The next race for Kelley and the Comeback Motorsports team will be on July 26 at Jennerstown Speedway in Jennerstown, Pa.
About Comeback Motorsports
The name of the Comeback Motorsports team carries a lot of meaning for driver Derrick Kelley and team owner Tim Gainey. For Kelley, "comeback" is about rejuvenating a USAR Hooters Pro Cup career that's seen him collect three wins, 26 Top Five finishes and 45 Top 10s in only 109 starts. For Gainey, though, the word is even more significant. He was seriously injured in an industrial accident, which has made him a tireless supporter of making racing accessible to everyone.
For more information about Derrick Kelley and Comeback Motorsports, please visit comebackmotorsports.com.
It's a Top 15 for Kelley at Motor Mile
July 15th
Pete Knight Racing Driver Hopes To Pad USAR Hooters Pro Cup Southern Division Point's Lead
Mooresville, NC - After finishing no worse than second in his last four USAR Hooters Pro Cup events - including wins at Myrtle Beach (SC) and Milwaukee (WI) - you'd think Mark McFarland would be basking in the glow of the incredible hot streak. According to the driver of the No. 81s Sears Auto Centers/Knight's Companies Chevy Monte Carlo, he's not looking back at all. Instead, he's got his eyes firmly set on the future and even bigger accomplishments.
"Winning the regular season Pro Cup Southern Division championship would be awesome," said McFarland. "To go into the Championship Series with a little lead would be crucial, especially because there are only four races in the championship this year. Doing well in the final three Southern Division races is big for us. We have a pretty busy schedule coming up because we are also going to run a couple more Northern Division races. We have a team that's prepared. We just have to keep our equipment together and keep doing what we've been doing.
McFarland will try to do just that when he takes the green flag this Saturday in the Crane Cams 250 USAR Southern Division event at Southern National Speedway in Kenly, NC. According to the Winchester, VA driver, the half-mile Southern National oval is one of the most challenging on the Pro Cup circuit.
"We ran there last year on the new pavement and the track is really fast," said McFarland. "Southern National is banked a lot more than most of the tracks we race at. It's a pretty exciting track to race at now because it is so fast. You turn 15-second laps on a half-mile track. That's pretty fast."
McFarland has been up to the challenge at Southern National in the past scoring his first-ever Pro Cup victory at the track in 2005 while driving for Jr. Motorsports. Last year, the Pete Knight Racing driver finished second in the USAR Southern Division clash.
"We led the race for a long time last year," said McFarland. "Unfortunately, Michael Ritch got by us at the end of the race for the win. It was still a good finish, but we were disappointed we didn't win."
McFarland, who is coming off a second-place finish in last week's USAR Hooters Pro Cup Northern Division race at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA, leaves no doubt what the goals and expectations are this time around at Southern National.
"We go to the track to win every race," said McFarland. "It's fun going to the track each week because we have such a good group of people. It's always fun to run good. We're just so proud of the team we've built with Pete. We have a great sponsor in Sears Auto Center. They help us out a lot. We just want to give them and Pete Knight Racing the best finishes possible."
McFarland and his No. 81s Sears Auto Center/Knight's Companies Chevy will continue their quest for the 2008 USAR Hooters Pro Cup Southern Division championship at Southern National Speedway this Saturday, July 19. The Crane Cams 250 will take the green flag at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:SHLD), is a leading broad line retailer providing merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,400 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes approximately 935 full-line and 1,100 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End - among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 13 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.
To find a Sears Auto Center location near you or to shop online, please log on to www.sears.com.
Pete Knight Racing Driver Hopes To Pad USAR Hooters Pro Cup Southern Division Point's Lead
Mooresville, NC - After finishing no worse than second in his last four USAR Hooters Pro Cup events - including wins at Myrtle Beach (SC) and Milwaukee (WI) - you'd think Mark McFarland would be basking in the glow of the incredible hot streak. According to the driver of the No. 81s Sears Auto Centers/Knight's Companies Chevy Monte Carlo, he's not looking back at all. Instead, he's got his eyes firmly set on the future and even bigger accomplishments.
"Winning the regular season Pro Cup Southern Division championship would be awesome," said McFarland. "To go into the Championship Series with a little lead would be crucial, especially because there are only four races in the championship this year. Doing well in the final three Southern Division races is big for us. We have a pretty busy schedule coming up because we are also going to run a couple more Northern Division races. We have a team that's prepared. We just have to keep our equipment together and keep doing what we've been doing.
McFarland will try to do just that when he takes the green flag this Saturday in the Crane Cams 250 USAR Southern Division event at Southern National Speedway in Kenly, NC. According to the Winchester, VA driver, the half-mile Southern National oval is one of the most challenging on the Pro Cup circuit.
"We ran there last year on the new pavement and the track is really fast," said McFarland. "Southern National is banked a lot more than most of the tracks we race at. It's a pretty exciting track to race at now because it is so fast. You turn 15-second laps on a half-mile track. That's pretty fast."
McFarland has been up to the challenge at Southern National in the past scoring his first-ever Pro Cup victory at the track in 2005 while driving for Jr. Motorsports. Last year, the Pete Knight Racing driver finished second in the USAR Southern Division clash.
"We led the race for a long time last year," said McFarland. "Unfortunately, Michael Ritch got by us at the end of the race for the win. It was still a good finish, but we were disappointed we didn't win."
McFarland, who is coming off a second-place finish in last week's USAR Hooters Pro Cup Northern Division race at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA, leaves no doubt what the goals and expectations are this time around at Southern National.
"We go to the track to win every race," said McFarland. "It's fun going to the track each week because we have such a good group of people. It's always fun to run good. We're just so proud of the team we've built with Pete. We have a great sponsor in Sears Auto Center. They help us out a lot. We just want to give them and Pete Knight Racing the best finishes possible."
McFarland and his No. 81s Sears Auto Center/Knight's Companies Chevy will continue their quest for the 2008 USAR Hooters Pro Cup Southern Division championship at Southern National Speedway this Saturday, July 19. The Crane Cams 250 will take the green flag at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:SHLD), is a leading broad line retailer providing merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,400 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes approximately 935 full-line and 1,100 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End - among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 13 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.
To find a Sears Auto Center location near you or to shop online, please log on to www.sears.com.
McFarland, Sears Auto Center Chevy Focused On Winning At Southern National
July 16th
It has been along time since the Bullet Racing Team had a rookie behind the wheel, so earning this title was special to everyone; especially with Tyler's eighteenth birthday just around the corner.
The day at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA was certainly taxing on the equipment and the crews. Temperatures approached the mid-90's and the humidity levels were high; hydration was the order of the day. There were thirty-two cars via for their starting positions at the half-mile oval.
Young took the green flag in the 28th position. An incident with the leaders before the first lap had been completed necessitated a complete restart with the drivers once again taking that extra tug on their belts and readying for 250 laps of 'up on the wheel' driving.
The race saw a total of 10 cautions, but most of those were not major and conducted as 'quickie yellows', so the total laps run under yellow was only 53. The Bullet crew was called to duty during one of those yellows to make a toe adjustment to the #11 Young's Building Systems Chevrolet. Crew members Jay McGhee and Robert Darr were able to get the adjustment made and not loose a lap in the pits.
Car Chief, Bill Harkins, praised his crew after the race, "Those guys did an awesome job. It was something they had never done before, or anything we certainly ever practiced. The listened to our crew chief and got the job done."
When the race was over, an overheated and drenched Tyler Young emerged from the vehicle thrilled to not only have survived the race virtually unscathed, but knowing he was the highest finishing rookie. "A had a blast out there; the racing with this series and these guys is great. Bullet has already taught me so much, and I know I can get better every race with their help and patience," an exhausted Young stated.
The K-Mart 250 from Motor Mile Speedway will be broadcast on the Versus network this Friday, July 18th at 11:00pm.
It has been along time since the Bullet Racing Team had a rookie behind the wheel, so earning this title was special to everyone; especially with Tyler's eighteenth birthday just around the corner.
The day at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA was certainly taxing on the equipment and the crews. Temperatures approached the mid-90's and the humidity levels were high; hydration was the order of the day. There were thirty-two cars via for their starting positions at the half-mile oval.
Young took the green flag in the 28th position. An incident with the leaders before the first lap had been completed necessitated a complete restart with the drivers once again taking that extra tug on their belts and readying for 250 laps of 'up on the wheel' driving.
The race saw a total of 10 cautions, but most of those were not major and conducted as 'quickie yellows', so the total laps run under yellow was only 53. The Bullet crew was called to duty during one of those yellows to make a toe adjustment to the #11 Young's Building Systems Chevrolet. Crew members Jay McGhee and Robert Darr were able to get the adjustment made and not loose a lap in the pits.
Car Chief, Bill Harkins, praised his crew after the race, "Those guys did an awesome job. It was something they had never done before, or anything we certainly ever practiced. The listened to our crew chief and got the job done."
When the race was over, an overheated and drenched Tyler Young emerged from the vehicle thrilled to not only have survived the race virtually unscathed, but knowing he was the highest finishing rookie. "A had a blast out there; the racing with this series and these guys is great. Bullet has already taught me so much, and I know I can get better every race with their help and patience," an exhausted Young stated.
The K-Mart 250 from Motor Mile Speedway will be broadcast on the Versus network this Friday, July 18th at 11:00pm.
Young Earns His First 'Rookie of the Race' Award
July 17th
Young Racer Heading to Southern National Raceway Park for the First Time
Hooters Pro Cup Series rookie Hunter Robbins, who is currently 11th in the Southern Division standings, is preparing to tackle Southern National Raceway Park in Kenly, North Carolina on Saturday, July 19th. Not only is he a rookie in the Pro Cup Series, but he will also be a rookie at the track.
"I haven't run at Kenly before. I have heard a lot about it," said Robbins. "Everybody says it's a real fast track and it's real fun. I'm looking forward to it. We've made some changes with our team and all and we're all really excited to go. I have raced a few tracks that are a lot like it so hopefully I will fit right in."
Along with Robbins's excitement come the hopes of a good finish, which would not only boost his standings in the over-all southern title chase, but also raise his chances at reaching his goal of "Rookie of the Year."
"We are just hoping to come away with a good top five. We could settle for a top ten, but we are really looking for a top five to boost our team back up and to boost me up. We are still in the chase for the "Rookie of the Year." That's our main goal right now for the southern series so that's what we are going after."
Team Release
Young Racer Heading to Southern National Raceway Park for the First Time
Hooters Pro Cup Series rookie Hunter Robbins, who is currently 11th in the Southern Division standings, is preparing to tackle Southern National Raceway Park in Kenly, North Carolina on Saturday, July 19th. Not only is he a rookie in the Pro Cup Series, but he will also be a rookie at the track.
"I haven't run at Kenly before. I have heard a lot about it," said Robbins. "Everybody says it's a real fast track and it's real fun. I'm looking forward to it. We've made some changes with our team and all and we're all really excited to go. I have raced a few tracks that are a lot like it so hopefully I will fit right in."
Along with Robbins's excitement come the hopes of a good finish, which would not only boost his standings in the over-all southern title chase, but also raise his chances at reaching his goal of "Rookie of the Year."
"We are just hoping to come away with a good top five. We could settle for a top ten, but we are really looking for a top five to boost our team back up and to boost me up. We are still in the chase for the "Rookie of the Year." That's our main goal right now for the southern series so that's what we are going after."
Team Release
Robbins Hunting for Kenly Win
July 18th
Will LMSC Experience Translate to Pro Cup Success for Young Driver This Weekend?
CONCORD, N.C. - There's not much more incentive to perform well than being in front of your hometown crowd. That's exactly what Drew Herring, a native of Benson, N.C., plans to do this Saturday night when the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series takes to the Southern National Raceway Park, located in Kenly, N.C. Herring, the 2007 Late Model Stock Champion at SNRP, has high hopes for his No. 22 BTS Tire&Wheel Distributors Ford and would love nothing more than to bring home the victory in front of his numerous friends and family in attendance.
"I'm ready to get going," Herring said. "It's been nearly a month since we've been racing and I'm anxious to get to the track, especially when it's Southern National. I have a lot of experience at Southern National. I won the Late Model championship there last year. It's about 30 minutes from my house so I'll have a big fan base there. I want to put on a good show with the No. 22 BTS Tire&Wheel Distributors Ford."
Herring's stats at SNRP are quite impressive from 2007. Of the 29 races he competed in at the 4/10-mile oval, Herring won seven of them and he finished in the top-five 21 times. Even though the prior experience at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway and South Boston (Va.) Speedway didn't play out for him, Herring seems to think he does have a bit of an advantage heading to SNRP in these heavier stock cars.
"The lines that you run at South Boston and Myrtle Beach are different between the Late Models and Pro Cup cars," explains Herring. "However, here at Southern National, the line I plan to use with the No. 22 BTS Tire&Wheel Distributors Ford on Saturday will be the same one I used for the Late Models. It's a fast rolling track with some high banking so you get some good corner speed. It's going to be a good race with lots of action. I'm looking forward to running up front and hopefully picking up my first win at my home track."
The USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, Southern Division has been off since competing at Myrtle Beach Speedway on June 21. Herring had some misfortune at that event, with his window net becoming unhitched. Herring had to pit the No. 22 BTS Tire&Wheel Distributors Ford to hook the net and lost a lap in the process. Herring fought back and rebounded to finish 11th at the race presented by his own sponsor, Black's Tire and Auto Service.
Practice for the Crane Cams 250 begins at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and runs until 1:00 p.m. Starting positions will be determined through time trials that take place at 4:00 p.m. An autograph session on-track will be held at 5:45, followed by pre-race ceremonies at 6:30. The green flag will wave at 7:00 p.m.
Team Release
Will LMSC Experience Translate to Pro Cup Success for Young Driver This Weekend?
CONCORD, N.C. - There's not much more incentive to perform well than being in front of your hometown crowd. That's exactly what Drew Herring, a native of Benson, N.C., plans to do this Saturday night when the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series takes to the Southern National Raceway Park, located in Kenly, N.C. Herring, the 2007 Late Model Stock Champion at SNRP, has high hopes for his No. 22 BTS Tire&Wheel Distributors Ford and would love nothing more than to bring home the victory in front of his numerous friends and family in attendance.
"I'm ready to get going," Herring said. "It's been nearly a month since we've been racing and I'm anxious to get to the track, especially when it's Southern National. I have a lot of experience at Southern National. I won the Late Model championship there last year. It's about 30 minutes from my house so I'll have a big fan base there. I want to put on a good show with the No. 22 BTS Tire&Wheel Distributors Ford."
Herring's stats at SNRP are quite impressive from 2007. Of the 29 races he competed in at the 4/10-mile oval, Herring won seven of them and he finished in the top-five 21 times. Even though the prior experience at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway and South Boston (Va.) Speedway didn't play out for him, Herring seems to think he does have a bit of an advantage heading to SNRP in these heavier stock cars.
"The lines that you run at South Boston and Myrtle Beach are different between the Late Models and Pro Cup cars," explains Herring. "However, here at Southern National, the line I plan to use with the No. 22 BTS Tire&Wheel Distributors Ford on Saturday will be the same one I used for the Late Models. It's a fast rolling track with some high banking so you get some good corner speed. It's going to be a good race with lots of action. I'm looking forward to running up front and hopefully picking up my first win at my home track."
The USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, Southern Division has been off since competing at Myrtle Beach Speedway on June 21. Herring had some misfortune at that event, with his window net becoming unhitched. Herring had to pit the No. 22 BTS Tire&Wheel Distributors Ford to hook the net and lost a lap in the process. Herring fought back and rebounded to finish 11th at the race presented by his own sponsor, Black's Tire and Auto Service.
Practice for the Crane Cams 250 begins at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and runs until 1:00 p.m. Starting positions will be determined through time trials that take place at 4:00 p.m. An autograph session on-track will be held at 5:45, followed by pre-race ceremonies at 6:30. The green flag will wave at 7:00 p.m.
Team Release
Drew Herring Will Race Close to Home at Southern National
July 19th
RADFORD, VA, Mikey Kile and the Vis Viva team peaked through the top ten most of the day in practice, before suffering a burn up gear. This put the team behind during the remainder of practice but they were focused on getting the car prepared for qualifying. The team led by Tony Lambert decided to make some heavy changes for the two lap qualifying run. All did not turn out as well as planned. Kile started 16th on the grid for the K Mart 250.
The first caution fell on lap 34 where most of the field came to pit road for two left side tires. Kile took fuel only and restarted on lap 41 in the 17th position. Caution fell again on lap 56, the team took advantage of this caution and came in for four new tires and an adjustment. After the field was restarted on lap 62, Kile radioed in that he had burned another gear up. The Vis Via Impala went behind the wall for an extensive amount of time before returning to the race to collect as many points as possible finishing 25th. Kile and team dropped in the points from 2nd to 3rd, 120 points behind leader, Benny Gordon. The Vis Viva Energy Drink will collect their thoughts and regroup for the upcoming race at Jennerstown Speedway July 26th.
About Attitude Drinks:
Attitude Drinks Incorporated is an innovative beverage brand development and marketing company focused on introducing nutritional, functional and experiential beverages nationwide. The company is developing a line of uniquely fortified and formulated functional beverages that offer consumers, retailers and distributors numerous advantages over traditional soft drinks and non-carbonated beverage brands. Attitude's first commercial brand Vis Viva™ 'Living Force Energy' is an experiential drink featuring IQZOL™, a proprietary complex that delivers a feeling of increased focus and enhanced clarity with no jitters and no crash. For more information on the company, visit http://www.attitudedrinks.com.
RADFORD, VA, Mikey Kile and the Vis Viva team peaked through the top ten most of the day in practice, before suffering a burn up gear. This put the team behind during the remainder of practice but they were focused on getting the car prepared for qualifying. The team led by Tony Lambert decided to make some heavy changes for the two lap qualifying run. All did not turn out as well as planned. Kile started 16th on the grid for the K Mart 250.
The first caution fell on lap 34 where most of the field came to pit road for two left side tires. Kile took fuel only and restarted on lap 41 in the 17th position. Caution fell again on lap 56, the team took advantage of this caution and came in for four new tires and an adjustment. After the field was restarted on lap 62, Kile radioed in that he had burned another gear up. The Vis Via Impala went behind the wall for an extensive amount of time before returning to the race to collect as many points as possible finishing 25th. Kile and team dropped in the points from 2nd to 3rd, 120 points behind leader, Benny Gordon. The Vis Viva Energy Drink will collect their thoughts and regroup for the upcoming race at Jennerstown Speedway July 26th.
About Attitude Drinks:
Attitude Drinks Incorporated is an innovative beverage brand development and marketing company focused on introducing nutritional, functional and experiential beverages nationwide. The company is developing a line of uniquely fortified and formulated functional beverages that offer consumers, retailers and distributors numerous advantages over traditional soft drinks and non-carbonated beverage brands. Attitude's first commercial brand Vis Viva™ 'Living Force Energy' is an experiential drink featuring IQZOL™, a proprietary complex that delivers a feeling of increased focus and enhanced clarity with no jitters and no crash. For more information on the company, visit http://www.attitudedrinks.com.
GEAR TROUBLE FOR THE ROOKIE DRIVER, MIKEY KILE
July 28th
Pete Knight Racing Driver Finishes 26th After Five-Race Hot Streak
Mooresville, NC (July 28, 2008) -Sooner or later, Mark McFarland knew his torrid USAR Hooters Pro Cup streak would have to come to an end.
"We hated it that we finally had a problem," said McFarland after an engine issue saddled his No. 81s Sears Auto Center Chevy with a 26th-place finish in Saturday's Hooters 200 at Jennerstown (PA) Speedway. "We're pretty sure we broke a valve spring. We had that happen earlier this year at Lakeland and this one had the same kind of feeling that one did. The engine missed quite a while, almost from the beginning of the race. Eventually it broke and we had to pull in. There wasn't much we could do about it."
The less than expected finish came after McFarland had won three of his last five Pro Cup races he had entered. Toss in a pair of runner-up efforts, and the Winchester, VA driver had a 1.4 finishing average over the last five Pro Cup events heading into the USAR Northern Division event at Jennerstown Saturday.
McFarland and his Pete Knight Racing Chevy Monte Carlo appeared to be on track for another solid effort in practice Saturday turning in the top time of 18.984 seconds on the .522-mile Jennerstown oval. In qualifying, McFarland just missed the pole timing in third with an even better 18.846-second effort.
"We had a good car in practice and qualifying," said McFarland. "Even at the beginning of the race, it was pretty decent. We were just waiting for the pit stops to make the car better. We were able to do that and the car did get a lot better later in the race. Then the motor started to go south and we hung on as long as we could. Ultimately, we just decided to pull in before we completely blew it up."
McFarland was running among the leaders when he decided to park his mount on Lap 166 of the 250-circuit test. While the finish was less than expected, McFarland was pleased the mechanical issue happened in the Northern Division test and not in a Southern Division race where he is the current championship point's leader.
"We have to look at it that it was lucky it came in a Northern Division race," McFarland stated. "We're lucky it didn't happen this coming weekend because we were planning on running the same car and the same motor at Hickory in the Southern Division event. If we hadn't have raced at Jennerstown, it might have happened at Hickory. You're never happy when you have a DNF (did not finish), but we're happy it happened where it did. We've been on a good roll here and now we just have to finish out the year without any problems in the rest of the races."
McFarland and his No. 81s Sears Auto Center Chevy will next take to the track this Saturday, August 2, in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Southern Division 4 Brothers 250 at Hickory (NC) Speedway. The event is set to take the green flag at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:SHLD), is a leading broad line retailer providing merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,400 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes approximately 935 full-line and 1,100 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End - among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 13 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.
To find a Sears Auto Center location near you or to shop online, please log on to www.sears.com.
Pete Knight Racing Driver Finishes 26th After Five-Race Hot Streak
Mooresville, NC (July 28, 2008) -Sooner or later, Mark McFarland knew his torrid USAR Hooters Pro Cup streak would have to come to an end.
"We hated it that we finally had a problem," said McFarland after an engine issue saddled his No. 81s Sears Auto Center Chevy with a 26th-place finish in Saturday's Hooters 200 at Jennerstown (PA) Speedway. "We're pretty sure we broke a valve spring. We had that happen earlier this year at Lakeland and this one had the same kind of feeling that one did. The engine missed quite a while, almost from the beginning of the race. Eventually it broke and we had to pull in. There wasn't much we could do about it."
The less than expected finish came after McFarland had won three of his last five Pro Cup races he had entered. Toss in a pair of runner-up efforts, and the Winchester, VA driver had a 1.4 finishing average over the last five Pro Cup events heading into the USAR Northern Division event at Jennerstown Saturday.
McFarland and his Pete Knight Racing Chevy Monte Carlo appeared to be on track for another solid effort in practice Saturday turning in the top time of 18.984 seconds on the .522-mile Jennerstown oval. In qualifying, McFarland just missed the pole timing in third with an even better 18.846-second effort.
"We had a good car in practice and qualifying," said McFarland. "Even at the beginning of the race, it was pretty decent. We were just waiting for the pit stops to make the car better. We were able to do that and the car did get a lot better later in the race. Then the motor started to go south and we hung on as long as we could. Ultimately, we just decided to pull in before we completely blew it up."
McFarland was running among the leaders when he decided to park his mount on Lap 166 of the 250-circuit test. While the finish was less than expected, McFarland was pleased the mechanical issue happened in the Northern Division test and not in a Southern Division race where he is the current championship point's leader.
"We have to look at it that it was lucky it came in a Northern Division race," McFarland stated. "We're lucky it didn't happen this coming weekend because we were planning on running the same car and the same motor at Hickory in the Southern Division event. If we hadn't have raced at Jennerstown, it might have happened at Hickory. You're never happy when you have a DNF (did not finish), but we're happy it happened where it did. We've been on a good roll here and now we just have to finish out the year without any problems in the rest of the races."
McFarland and his No. 81s Sears Auto Center Chevy will next take to the track this Saturday, August 2, in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Southern Division 4 Brothers 250 at Hickory (NC) Speedway. The event is set to take the green flag at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:SHLD), is a leading broad line retailer providing merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,400 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes approximately 935 full-line and 1,100 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End - among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 13 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.
To find a Sears Auto Center location near you or to shop online, please log on to www.sears.com.
Luck Finally Runs Out For McFarland, Sears Auto Center Chevy At Jennerstown
July 29th
Jennerstown, Pa. - It all came together here on Saturday for Derrick Kelley and the Comeback Motorsports team.
The team had prepared the No. 21 NGA Hooters Pro Golf Tour Ford Fusion well before. And they have had good runs in USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series competition this season.
But after qualifying 18th in the Hooters 250 presented by Eaton Electrical, Kelley brought the No. 21 home fourth. It was his best finish of the year.
"Now we're finishing like we've been running," Kelley said after the race at Jennerstown Speedway. It wasn't easy, though. If not for a key call on pit road and some good fortune with water temperature, Kelley's night could have turned out much worse.
Shortly after making his required stop for tires, Kelley came back to the pits and topped off with gas on Lap 37. From then on, he tried to save every drop of fuel he could, electing even not to clean off his tires on restarts. That, in turn, forced him to give up some room to the cars behind him.
But Kelley always managed to stay in the Top Five and was able to make it to the end of the race without gassing up again. He also had to keep an eye on his car's water temperature, which hovered around 250 degrees because of a large amount of tire rubber that stuck to the grill over the course of the race.
"All in all, we're really pleased," said Kelley, who now stands 11th in points in the Sears Auto Center Northern Division.
Team owner Tim Gainey was especially delighted with how the NGA Hooters Pro Golf Tour Ford ran toward the end of the race. It was as fast as any hot rod on the track, he said.
"The car just came on," Gainey said.
So did the driver. Gainey noted that Kelley, one of the more experienced drivers in the Pro Cup Series, showed he can "hang with all these young guns."
"The season's changing around for us right now," he said.
About Comeback Motorsports
The name of the Comeback Motorsports team carries a lot of meaning for driver Derrick Kelley and team owner Tim Gainey. For Kelley, "comeback" is about rejuvenating a USAR Hooters Pro Cup career that's seen him collect three wins, 26 Top Five finishes and 45 Top 10s in only 111 starts. For Gainey, though, the word is even more significant. He was seriously injured in an industrial accident, which has made him a tireless supporter of making racing accessible to everyone.
For more information about Derrick Kelley and Comeback Motorsports, please visitwww.comebackmotorsports.com.
Jennerstown, Pa. - It all came together here on Saturday for Derrick Kelley and the Comeback Motorsports team.
The team had prepared the No. 21 NGA Hooters Pro Golf Tour Ford Fusion well before. And they have had good runs in USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series competition this season.
But after qualifying 18th in the Hooters 250 presented by Eaton Electrical, Kelley brought the No. 21 home fourth. It was his best finish of the year.
"Now we're finishing like we've been running," Kelley said after the race at Jennerstown Speedway. It wasn't easy, though. If not for a key call on pit road and some good fortune with water temperature, Kelley's night could have turned out much worse.
Shortly after making his required stop for tires, Kelley came back to the pits and topped off with gas on Lap 37. From then on, he tried to save every drop of fuel he could, electing even not to clean off his tires on restarts. That, in turn, forced him to give up some room to the cars behind him.
But Kelley always managed to stay in the Top Five and was able to make it to the end of the race without gassing up again. He also had to keep an eye on his car's water temperature, which hovered around 250 degrees because of a large amount of tire rubber that stuck to the grill over the course of the race.
"All in all, we're really pleased," said Kelley, who now stands 11th in points in the Sears Auto Center Northern Division.
Team owner Tim Gainey was especially delighted with how the NGA Hooters Pro Golf Tour Ford ran toward the end of the race. It was as fast as any hot rod on the track, he said.
"The car just came on," Gainey said.
So did the driver. Gainey noted that Kelley, one of the more experienced drivers in the Pro Cup Series, showed he can "hang with all these young guns."
"The season's changing around for us right now," he said.
About Comeback Motorsports
The name of the Comeback Motorsports team carries a lot of meaning for driver Derrick Kelley and team owner Tim Gainey. For Kelley, "comeback" is about rejuvenating a USAR Hooters Pro Cup career that's seen him collect three wins, 26 Top Five finishes and 45 Top 10s in only 111 starts. For Gainey, though, the word is even more significant. He was seriously injured in an industrial accident, which has made him a tireless supporter of making racing accessible to everyone.
For more information about Derrick Kelley and Comeback Motorsports, please visitwww.comebackmotorsports.com.
Kelley scores season-best finish at Jennerstown
July 30th
Pete Knight Racing Driver Ready To Start New Hot Streak After Disappointing Finish At Jennerstown
Mooresville, NC - Mark McFarland and his No. 81s Sears Auto Center/Knight's Racing Chevy will try to recapture that winning feeling when they take the green flag in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup 4 Brothers 250 at Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway this Saturday.
"I'd really like to win at Hickory, it's a special place to race," said McFarland, who is coming off a 26th-place finish in his most recent USAR event at Jennerstown, PA last weekend . "It's pretty much our home track. I live about 30 minutes from there and Wes Ward, my crew chief, doesn't live much more than 10 minutes from there. There have been a lot of legends that have raced at Hickory. There's a board out front with their names on it and Wes' name is one of them. I'd really like to win that race for him and the rest of this Pete Knight Racing team. We're going there to have some fun and get a win or a good finish."
McFarland has been having all kinds of fun this season winning USAR Hooters Pro Cup Southern Division events at Milwaukee (WI), Myrtle Beach (SC) and Kenly (NC). The Winchester, VA driver has competed in nine USAR Southern and Northern events this year qualifying in the top-10 in all races (two poles and a 3.88 qualifying average) and has posted a 1.83 finishing average in the six races he's been running at the finish (three DNF's).
Prior to the Jennerstown race - where he retired on Lap 166 with engine problems - McFarland had finished no worse than second in his last five USAR Hooters Pro Cup events.
"We were just waiting for the pit stops to make the car better," said of last weekend's Jennerstown event where he was again running in the top-five when he experienced the engine issues. "Then the motor started to go south and we hung on as long as we could. Ultimately, we just decided to pull in before we completely blew it up."
McFarland will be looking to do much better this weekend when he takes the green flag at Hickory. Last year, McFarland's No. 81s PKR entry qualified sixth and had marched right to the front at Hickory before mechanical gremlins put him on the trailer with a 31st-place finish after just 127 laps.
"We had just taken the lead when we had an engine problem," said McFarland. "It was a good race for us and we're taking the same car back there that we ran last season. We expect to run up front again, but this time we plan to be there at the finish."
To do that, McFarland - the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Southern Division championship point's leader - will have to master the tight .363-mile Hickory Motor Speedway oval. Opened in 1951, the track has seen several revisions but none in recent years making it a hard place to get traction at according to McFarland.
"Hickory is really worn out," McFarland stated. 'It's very hard on tires and they will fall off as usual. It's not quite as bad as Myrtle Beach, but you have to race it like that. You really have to take care of your tires and be there at the end. That's especially true for us. We have to finish the race and get as many points as we can. We're going there to win, but if we can't do that, we want a good finish."
McFarland and his No. 81s Sears Auto Center/Knight's Racing Chevy will try to accomplish those goals when they take the green flag in the 4 Brothers 250 at Hickory Motor Speedway this Saturday, August 2. The green flag is set to fly at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
Pete Knight Racing Driver Ready To Start New Hot Streak After Disappointing Finish At Jennerstown
Mooresville, NC - Mark McFarland and his No. 81s Sears Auto Center/Knight's Racing Chevy will try to recapture that winning feeling when they take the green flag in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup 4 Brothers 250 at Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway this Saturday.
"I'd really like to win at Hickory, it's a special place to race," said McFarland, who is coming off a 26th-place finish in his most recent USAR event at Jennerstown, PA last weekend . "It's pretty much our home track. I live about 30 minutes from there and Wes Ward, my crew chief, doesn't live much more than 10 minutes from there. There have been a lot of legends that have raced at Hickory. There's a board out front with their names on it and Wes' name is one of them. I'd really like to win that race for him and the rest of this Pete Knight Racing team. We're going there to have some fun and get a win or a good finish."
McFarland has been having all kinds of fun this season winning USAR Hooters Pro Cup Southern Division events at Milwaukee (WI), Myrtle Beach (SC) and Kenly (NC). The Winchester, VA driver has competed in nine USAR Southern and Northern events this year qualifying in the top-10 in all races (two poles and a 3.88 qualifying average) and has posted a 1.83 finishing average in the six races he's been running at the finish (three DNF's).
Prior to the Jennerstown race - where he retired on Lap 166 with engine problems - McFarland had finished no worse than second in his last five USAR Hooters Pro Cup events.
"We were just waiting for the pit stops to make the car better," said of last weekend's Jennerstown event where he was again running in the top-five when he experienced the engine issues. "Then the motor started to go south and we hung on as long as we could. Ultimately, we just decided to pull in before we completely blew it up."
McFarland will be looking to do much better this weekend when he takes the green flag at Hickory. Last year, McFarland's No. 81s PKR entry qualified sixth and had marched right to the front at Hickory before mechanical gremlins put him on the trailer with a 31st-place finish after just 127 laps.
"We had just taken the lead when we had an engine problem," said McFarland. "It was a good race for us and we're taking the same car back there that we ran last season. We expect to run up front again, but this time we plan to be there at the finish."
To do that, McFarland - the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Southern Division championship point's leader - will have to master the tight .363-mile Hickory Motor Speedway oval. Opened in 1951, the track has seen several revisions but none in recent years making it a hard place to get traction at according to McFarland.
"Hickory is really worn out," McFarland stated. 'It's very hard on tires and they will fall off as usual. It's not quite as bad as Myrtle Beach, but you have to race it like that. You really have to take care of your tires and be there at the end. That's especially true for us. We have to finish the race and get as many points as we can. We're going there to win, but if we can't do that, we want a good finish."
McFarland and his No. 81s Sears Auto Center/Knight's Racing Chevy will try to accomplish those goals when they take the green flag in the 4 Brothers 250 at Hickory Motor Speedway this Saturday, August 2. The green flag is set to fly at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
McFarland, Sears Auto Center Chevy Looking To Regain Winning Touch At Hickory
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