Exclusive NASCAR Driver Photos: Carl Edwards 2010
2010 was not a Ford year in the Sprint Cup Series. Roush Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports and others never put together�anything threatening to the Hendick Motorsports - RCR Chevies or the Joe Gibbs Toyotas. But three Roush Fords made the 2010 Chase to the Sprint Cup and Carl Edwards [...]
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Michael Schumacher vs Alain Prost | Champion of Champions
Two drivers who, between them, won one in six of all F1 championship races.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Honda Sales Up 19% Globally for 2010 ? Sells 80% in Asia
Honda Motor Co. just released its sales figures for motorcycles in 2010, and surprisingly the Japanese company has done very well during an otherwise dismal year for the motorcycle industry. The secret to Honda’s success? The Asian market. Eight out of ten motorcycles Honda produces, ends up in Asia…and this figure excludes motorcycles sold in Japan and China. Honda sold 14.3 million motorcycles in what it calls Asian countries last year (17.7 million globally), a ...
Queers4Gears Art Contest
Every week Q4G posts a “straight” recap and a Gaynalysis for every race in the Sprint Cup Series.� Each week the Gaynalysis featured the same picture (see right) – an oval rainbow race track.
This year Q4G is having a contest to find a new image to use for our Gaynalysis each week in 2011!
It is [...]
This year Q4G is having a contest to find a new image to use for our Gaynalysis each week in 2011!
It is [...]
The Queen Of Social Media
You might not know her name or even her face. FOX, ESPN and TNT don't know she exists. She has never won a major NASCAR race. She does not live in North Carolina. She does not sacrifice her dignity in TV commercials. She does not have a rich family.
Yet, Jennifer Jo Cobb has some of the most loyal fans in NASCAR. Cobb races full time in the Camping World Truck Series and runs a limited schedule on the Nationwide side. Although she has not yet won, to many fans that is not important.
In a racing world of egos and millionaires, Cobb is a refreshing change. Since her entry into the truck series, Cobb has chronicled her NASCAR experiences firsthand. Using her marketing and journalism background, Cobb has sidestepped the mainstream NASCAR media and created a direct link with her fans.
There is perhaps no better example in NASCAR of someone who has used social media, amateur NASCAR blogs and the Internet to develop effective sponsor exposure and a strong fan base. All of this is necessary due to one well-known fact.
"No one covers trucks, they just don't," said a popular NASCAR journalist to me in November. The drivers who get the most attention on TV in the truck races are the cross-overs from the Sprint Cup Series. Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick are big draws when they race a truck. For a single truck team owner/driver like Cobb, there is simply little help with exposure from the NASCAR media.
Cobb's answer was to make it personal. She has a thriving community on Facebook of pages for both her race team and for herself as a driver. On Twitter, Cobb speaks easily with fans and has created lasting bonds with many. The Internet is full of NASCAR blogs with stories and features on Cobb.
Here are just a few. Click on the title to read the story.
Jennifer Jo Cobb Is Quietly Making A Name For Herself from Female Racing News.com in October.
Jennifer Jo Cobb's Big Night Out from Corrina B's World in November.
Women In NASCAR Series: Jennifer Jo Cobb from Skirts and Scuffs in October.
Beyond The Cockpit: Jennifer Jo Cobb from Frontstretch in April.
The bottom line is that there has never been a better time for a female driver to make inroads in the sport. Even with 50% of the fan base being female, it's apparent that Danica Patrick did not click with the stock car set.
Cobb has a racing heritage from the Kansas City area where her father still battles on the dirt at Lakeside Speedway. Unlike Danica, fans have been able to watch Cobb make her way into the sport and interact with her from the start.
We all know the big sponsors in NASCAR, but there is just something about an owner/driver who started out with sponsorship from the Kansas City T-Bones Baseball Club, Wagner's Collision Repair and Take-N-Bake Pizza. Cobb is old school and makes no bones about where she came from and where she wants to go.
This year, some help did come from SPEED. The network televises the Camping World Truck Series and featured Cobb dressed as Ginger in the annual Halloween pre-race show. It got Cobb some TV exposure, but more than that it showed her as someone who gets it. A driver not too self-important to poke fun at themselves.
Tuesday, Cobb continues to leverage her position in the sport by appearing on CNN. In the 10PM ET Anderson Cooper 360 show, Cobb will be talking about the very different lifestyle that she has chosen both on and off the track. It's ironic that during the dark time for NASCAR on TV, the only person getting national TV exposure is a mid-pack single team truck series owner/driver.
In February, Cobb is set to make another splash when she shows up in NASCAR 2011: The Game. The new official NASCAR video game offering will have Cobb in the #13 red Ford Fusion with her own racing apparel company on the hood as the sponsor. This will put Cobb on the track with the big boys on gaming systems around the world.
There are plenty of young female drivers currently lurking just outside the three major NASCAR series. There is little doubt that they are watching Cobb navigate her way through the sport in control of her own team with financial and management responsibility. In this changing economy, Cobb may just be laying down a blueprint for female drivers to follow in the future.
We welcome your comments on this topic. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Talks About His Dad, Daytona and New Hendrick Digs
Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Daytona Int'l Speedway, NASCAR Testing, Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. spent a portion of his lunch break Thursday visiting with reporters at Daytona International Speedway, where his No. 88 AMP Energy Chevrolet was a respectable 11th fastest in the first morning session of a three-day test for the Feb. 20 Daytona 500.
This year's 53rd running of the Daytona 500 marks 10 years since his father, NASCAR's seven-time champ Dale Earnhardt, was killed on the last lap of NASCAR's biggest race. And while fans and the racing media are paying special attention to the sad milestone, Earnhardt said he thinks about his dad every day anyway.
"You think about your parents all the time,'' Earnhardt said, alternately bowing his head and then looking off in the distance, as he endured the inevitable questions. "I think about him and my mother all the time, especially getting back to racing.''
Earnhardt said his father would approve of the new $20 million pavement job gracing Daytona's 2.5-mile high banks. This week's test is the first time the majority of teams have tried the new surface. But Earnhardt didn't appear as concerned about the challenges of a new race surface as much as his desire to get out of a competition rut.
Earnhardt hasn't won a race in two and a half years and his 21st place finish in the 2010 standings was the second-worst of his career. The worst was a 25th-place ranking in 2009. Earnhardt will break in his third crew chief in as many years with NASCAR powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports. Steve Letarte -- formerly Jeff Gordon's crew chief -- will now lead Earnhardt's No. 88 team, which will share a shop with teammate and five-time reigning Sprint Cup Series champ Jimmie Johnson.
"I feel good about the position I'm in now and I feel pretty confident about it and I'm looking forward to going into the season and working hard for it,'' Earnhardt said. "We'll just see how it goes.
"When you're running good you can put up with about anything. It's not fun being on the radar when you're running like crap. But last year we sort of fell off the radar altogether.
Tony Stewart Reportedly Detained in Australia
Filed under: Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, NASCAR Police Blotter, Stewart-Haas Racing, NASCAR
NASCAR driver and team owner Tony Stewart has been detained for questioning in Australia, according to a report.Speedcafe reports Stewart was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with Sydney Speedway co-owner Brett Morris.
The report says Stewart was upset about track conditions after hot laps, and he started exchanging words with Morris. While Stewart was held for questioning, there is no confirmation on whether he will face any charges.
Saturday evening, Stewart public relations representative Mike Arning told FanHouse in an email, "We're attempting to gather whatever information we can get our hands on in an effort to separate fact from fiction.
"However, we can say that Tony Stewart is not being held anywhere and is resting in his hotel in Australia. While we have spoken with him, he's still half-a-world a way, so figuring out what did or didn't happen is going to take some time."
After racing in Australia during the month of January, Stewart was scheduled to return to the U.S. on Saturday. No word on how his detainment will affect his plans.
Stewart is about to enter his 13th season of NASCAR competition.
F1 Test Drivers Archive moves to WGP
My GF1 colleague Scott Russell has kept an archive of all known F1 test drivers at his site Chequered Flag Motorsport for the past few years. It is a comprehensive list which has taken many man hours to reach the level it is at, and I am sure there are more names to add. I [...]
Friday, January 28, 2011
Pre-Race Report Mallory Park July 2010
Mallory 2010.
We are just a week away from our next race where we are the guests of the Morgan Sports Car Club at Mallory.
An interesting if somewhat smaller entry list for this meeting as there are many regulars missing. What has happened to all the one-race wonders that appeared at Silverstone?
Not only that, where are [...]
We are just a week away from our next race where we are the guests of the Morgan Sports Car Club at Mallory.
An interesting if somewhat smaller entry list for this meeting as there are many regulars missing. What has happened to all the one-race wonders that appeared at Silverstone?
Not only that, where are [...]
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Schedule To Feature Event In Canada In 2011
Drivers, start your engines, ehh.
How about "have your passports handy" kind of north.
Officials from Delaware Speedway in Delaware Ontario announced Wednesday that they will welcome the Whelen Modified Tour to the track for the first time next season for a Sept. 3-4 show at the half-mile paved oval.
NASCAR Pictures: 5 Time Jimmie Johnson
Photos of NASCAR Driver�& Sprint Cup Champ Jimmie Johnson
Say what you will about Jimmie Johnson, the man has talent and he long ago earned the right to be respected.� Now he has achieved an unprecidented five consecutive cup championships. In those five years, he has raced clean, has never been the in-your-face-asshole type, has always [...]
Say what you will about Jimmie Johnson, the man has talent and he long ago earned the right to be respected.� Now he has achieved an unprecidented five consecutive cup championships. In those five years, he has raced clean, has never been the in-your-face-asshole type, has always [...]
Team CPR reach victory at T.O.T.B VIII
Car Planet Racing entered a team of 10 highly modified street legal cars into the 2009 Ten of the Best TOTB VIII Competition at Elvington, Yorks 26/07/2009, consisting of some of our staff's and customers' cars, reaching victory in the 0-400m Shootout Final and a new personal best from the Orange CPR Race Car.
Team CPR
Clive Seddon - Orange Evo 5 - 950hp
James Nicholls - Yellow Evo 6 - 850hp
Max Waung - Mercedes CLS55 AMG - 600hp
Albert Yeung - Twin Turbo Evo 9 - 650hp
Andy James - Evo 5 - 460hp
Jim Moore - Evo 5 - 450hp
Rob Cowling - Evo 7 - 700hp
Mark Croft - Nissan GT-R - 580hp
Ged Jefferson - Evo 8 - 700hp
Yin Ng - S15 Silvia - 270hp
Throughout very poor wet conditions, the CPR Team performed well, with an all-round excellent effort across the 3 disciplines of Handling, Top Speed and 0-400m.
We were very proud to achieve our new Personal Best 0-400m time of 9.5s, by Clive in the Orange CPR Evo, even with a wet track.
Even more of an achievement is the success of the Yellow Evo 5, driven faultlessly all day by James Nicholls, which qualified him for the 0-400m Shoot-Out Finals.
James managed to find the extra grip on a very slippery drag track, to defeat Andy Forester in the AFP Subaru Impreza in the first heat, and then went on to win the Shootout by beating Paul Martin of the MLR in the Momentum Motorsport Evo, after a very close battle, won only in the last 60 feet.
Congratulations to James for his victory, and to all who competed well throughout difficult conditions.
Official Results T.B.A
New Rules for Cup Drivers in Nationwide
According to this story on ESPN.com – NASCAR is setting new rules that will impact the Cup Drivers who also drive in Nationwide races.� Many fans have complained about having these Cup stars stealing the opportunity and spot-light from up and coming drivers. These new rules will change things – expect to see less Cup [...]
?The Daily Show? talks NASCAR
Someone at Comedy Central really has NASCAR on the mind. �In 2009 Stephen Colbert featured the cover of the magazine �”Gay NASCAR Drivers’ Monthly.” �Then in 2010 there was that Southpark Episode where poor Danica was killed by Cartman. �Now in 2011 “The Daily Show’s” John Hodgman gives NASCAR his advise on how to fix [...]
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tony Marks Racing Shows Strength At Daytona Test
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 18, 2011) – - Tony Marks Racing (TMR), the newest multi-car operation in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards wasn?t shy about holding back in the recent three-day test session at the newly re-paved Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. In fact, the Ohio-based ARCA team quickly raised the eyebrows of their fellow competitors after TMR immediately showed strength and stabilization in their first tango with the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
Armed with the legendary Larry Moore as crew chief, TMR brought three drivers to the ?World Center of Racing? as an opportunity to prepare the newest female sensation Maryeve Dufault to become acquainted with the breathtaking racetrack while also utilizing the experience of NASCAR driver Chase Austin to critique the team?s performance.
For 16-year old rising star Jared Marks, the dream of competing at Daytona inched one step closer as the Champion Racing Association (CRA) competitor also climbed into the cockpit for several laps around DIS to give him a taste of what is yet to come.
Even though three drivers were on-hand with for the first official open-test of the new season, much concentration was surrounded on the team?s full-time pilot of Maryeve Dufault, who will make her first ARCA Racing Series start next month.
After spending 2010 competing in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1, Dufault, a native of Los Angeles will leap into the most diverse racing series in the United States hoping to gain experience, respect and support as she vows to become the first female driver to win an ARCA Racing Series event in the history of the 58-year old sanctioning body.
To say that the Tony Marks Racing team wasn?t busy during the three days is a huge understatement. From single-car runs to drafting and everything else in between, Dufault, Marks and Austin all delivered solid results which sensors off good vibes for the freshman team heading into the season-opener in less than a month.
Overall, Dufault led the TMR charge by placing her No. 12b Tony Marks Racing Dodge Charger into 28th out of 58 competitors after posting her fastest lap at 49.203 seconds at 182.916 miles per hour. Dufault edged out several familiar ARCA competitors including nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel and the 2010 ARCA Racing Series champion Patrick Sheltra. She was also the second fastest of the six other females on-track during the open-test only trailing Milka Duno.
Marks and Austin, both in single-car rounds posted times that were 41st and 42nd respectively overall. The team leaned on comfort not speed for Jared Marks, son of car owner Tony Marks hopped in the seat of the No. 12a Charger and wheeled his automobile around the track in 49.830 seconds or a tick over 180.550 miles per hour. It was a solid lap time for the teenage racer, who under ARCA Racing Series sanctioning age restrictions is allowed to test but not race at the historic facility.
?Overall, we?re completely satisfied with the way the test came out,? said Tony Marks, owner of Tony Marks Racing. ?Chase, Jared and Maryeve all did an exceptional job shaking the car down and producing great feedback. I appreciate Chase being here with the team as a driver coach to the future of our great program. Maryeve did exactly what she needed to do and we believe she gained a lot of respect from her competitors.?
He went onto say, ?Jared will run some ARCA races later this year and we wanted to make sure he was comfortable in the car not to mention gather priceless seat time. We?ll be back next month and hope we can continue to gain the trust and respect of our competitors while also deliver solid results for our team partners.?
Dufault expressed her overview of the test by stating, ?I?m really happy with the progression we had at the test. I felt really comfortable in the car and I achieved what I wanted to do,? she said. ?I cannot say enough about the Tony Marks Racing team. They did an amazing job. They?ve worked really hard despite having very little time to put the car together. We showed we had a very competitive piece. I really have a positive feeling for us for the race.?
Tony Marks Racing plans to sport two cars in the 2011 season-opener with Dufault and possibly Austin as a teammate. The schedule will turn later in the year and allow Marks behind the second-car for up to 11 races, including much of the series? short track contests.
Before tackling the breathtaking Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway this week, the freshman organization spent Monday testing at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway allowing the team to shake down their short-track program with all three TMR prot�g�s being allowed priceless seat time behind the wheel. Dufault will make her ARCA Racing Series short track debut at Salem (Ind.) Speedway on May 1, 2011.
Nestled back at their shop in Napoleon, Ohio, the TMR team is preparing for the first of 19 ARCA Racing Series events on the 2011 schedule which launches with the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona on Saturday, February 12, 2011 live on SPEED.
About Tony Marks Racing (TMR):
Tony Marks Racing was founded in 2009 through the passion for racing of team owner and former driver Tony Marks. Marks is the successful owner of TMT, Inc., a logistics, warehousing and packaging company with over 400 employees whose
customers are mainly comprised of Fortune 100 companies.
Marks began his racing career in 1985 getting behind the wheel of everything from
drag racers, Dirt Late Models, SCCA Formula Fords, USAC F2000 Open Wheel and ARCA cars. Tony personally raced until 2005 amassing numerous wins, championships and track records along the way until he then changed his focus from driver to owner and began building racing programs for his children Jared (16 years old) and Rachel (13 years old). Under the auspices of TMR, Jared began his racing career in 2002 in quarter midgets and now competes in late model, CRA, ASA and ARCA Series events while Rachel continues her development program racing quarter midgets and Bandoleros.
TMR has been at the forefront of charitable giving through its? ?Driving Against Hunger? and ?Million Meal Challenge? race programs which have raised over $200,000 for Forgotten Harvest in 2010 at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events at Michigan International Speedway.
For the NASCAR events TMR along with TMT, Inc. partnered with Forgotten Harvest for the ?Million Meal Challenge For Our Kids? which helps to bridge the hunger gap while schools are out of session and feeds 20,000 children per day in the Detroit metro area. Forgotten Harvest was significantly displayed on the entry of Chase Austin during both the Truck and Nationwide events at Michigan International Speedway along with logos of ?Million Meal Challenge? sponsors Walgreen?s, United Race Group, Holyfield?s Choice Alka-Power Water and Vitamin Spice. Evander Holyfield was also instrumental in the challenge, acting as Grand Marshall for the August race and announcing his ?Fight Against Hunger? on behalf of Forgotten Harvest.
As the first race team to ?Drive Against Hunger? through their partnership with Forgotten Harvest, TMR plans to continue their alliance with Forgotten Harvest and once again ?Drive Against Hunger? during the 2011 season.
For additional information on TMT, Inc. please visit; tmtcompanies.net.
NASCAR Continues To Play Carnival Con Game With New Rule Changes
Step right up folks, step right up and keep your eyes on the moving cards.
Like a long-trained con, France continued the game of Three-card Monte that NASCAR has been playing with its rules for nearly a decade.
Wednesday it was the introduction of a new points system and a tweak to the Chase for the Championship qualifying format that was the big news.
Charlotte Motor Speedway Erecting World's Largest HD Screen
Filed under: NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup, NASCAR, Charlotte Motor Speedway
CONCORD, N.C. -- Three tour buses slowly circled Charlotte Motor Speedway Tuesday and stopped on the backstretch, disgorging dozens of media members into the cold winter air next to the construction site of billionaire O. Bruton Smith's latest promotional extravaganza -- the world's HD largest video board.
This television screen will be 200 feet wide by 80 feet high and will tower some 30 feet higher than the backstretch lights. It will be visible -- with an impressively large image -- from every seat of the grandstands stretching from turn four all the way down the frontstretch and well into turn two.
In typical speedway fashion, the announcement included fanfare -- in this case the arrival of Marcus Smith, speedway president, and FOX NASCAR announcers Jeff Hammond and Mike Joy, all driving front end loaders.
But many in the media were more interested in hearing from Marcus Smith's father, Bruton, who parked his jet-black, brand-new Mercedes right there in the middle of the backstretch just a few yards away.
As a promoter, Smith goes back to the earliest days of NASCAR. He's always been the most innovative of the major racing promoters, and he's always been one to speak his mind. So despite the fanfare engineered by his son, when Bruton stepped out of his car, he was the one who was quickly surrounded by eager reporters.
Pace car goes for $225,000
Addison Brown, Scottsdale, Ariz., was the winning bidder ($225,000) at the Barrett-Jackson auction Saturday for the special-edition Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible that will serve as the official pace car for the 2011 Indianapolis 500.maybe this will change things
Another 600hp+ R35 GTR - Stage 4 Tune from CPR
CPR finish another Stage 4 Tune on UKDM R35 GTR - Black Edition, resulting with 612hp (flywheel estimate) and over 600lbft.
CPR Stage 4 Conversion includes;
- CPR Full 3.5" Exhaust System
- CPR Front Y-Pipe De-Cat Section
- CPR Larger Air Flow Meter Housings & Induction Kit
- Cobb Tuning Access Port
- CPR Custom Cobb Tuning Map performed on our Dyno
Review our Tuning Programme for R35 GTR
Tony Marks Racing Shows Strength At Daytona Test
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 18, 2011) – - Tony Marks Racing (TMR), the newest multi-car operation in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards wasn?t shy about holding back in the recent three-day test session at the newly re-paved Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. In fact, the Ohio-based ARCA team quickly raised the eyebrows of their fellow competitors after TMR immediately showed strength and stabilization in their first tango with the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
Armed with the legendary Larry Moore as crew chief, TMR brought three drivers to the ?World Center of Racing? as an opportunity to prepare the newest female sensation Maryeve Dufault to become acquainted with the breathtaking racetrack while also utilizing the experience of NASCAR driver Chase Austin to critique the team?s performance.
For 16-year old rising star Jared Marks, the dream of competing at Daytona inched one step closer as the Champion Racing Association (CRA) competitor also climbed into the cockpit for several laps around DIS to give him a taste of what is yet to come.
Even though three drivers were on-hand with for the first official open-test of the new season, much concentration was surrounded on the team?s full-time pilot of Maryeve Dufault, who will make her first ARCA Racing Series start next month.
After spending 2010 competing in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1, Dufault, a native of Los Angeles will leap into the most diverse racing series in the United States hoping to gain experience, respect and support as she vows to become the first female driver to win an ARCA Racing Series event in the history of the 58-year old sanctioning body.
To say that the Tony Marks Racing team wasn?t busy during the three days is a huge understatement. From single-car runs to drafting and everything else in between, Dufault, Marks and Austin all delivered solid results which sensors off good vibes for the freshman team heading into the season-opener in less than a month.
Overall, Dufault led the TMR charge by placing her No. 12b Tony Marks Racing Dodge Charger into 28th out of 58 competitors after posting her fastest lap at 49.203 seconds at 182.916 miles per hour. Dufault edged out several familiar ARCA competitors including nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel and the 2010 ARCA Racing Series champion Patrick Sheltra. She was also the second fastest of the six other females on-track during the open-test only trailing Milka Duno.
Marks and Austin, both in single-car rounds posted times that were 41st and 42nd respectively overall. The team leaned on comfort not speed for Jared Marks, son of car owner Tony Marks hopped in the seat of the No. 12a Charger and wheeled his automobile around the track in 49.830 seconds or a tick over 180.550 miles per hour. It was a solid lap time for the teenage racer, who under ARCA Racing Series sanctioning age restrictions is allowed to test but not race at the historic facility.
?Overall, we?re completely satisfied with the way the test came out,? said Tony Marks, owner of Tony Marks Racing. ?Chase, Jared and Maryeve all did an exceptional job shaking the car down and producing great feedback. I appreciate Chase being here with the team as a driver coach to the future of our great program. Maryeve did exactly what she needed to do and we believe she gained a lot of respect from her competitors.?
He went onto say, ?Jared will run some ARCA races later this year and we wanted to make sure he was comfortable in the car not to mention gather priceless seat time. We?ll be back next month and hope we can continue to gain the trust and respect of our competitors while also deliver solid results for our team partners.?
Dufault expressed her overview of the test by stating, ?I?m really happy with the progression we had at the test. I felt really comfortable in the car and I achieved what I wanted to do,? she said. ?I cannot say enough about the Tony Marks Racing team. They did an amazing job. They?ve worked really hard despite having very little time to put the car together. We showed we had a very competitive piece. I really have a positive feeling for us for the race.?
Tony Marks Racing plans to sport two cars in the 2011 season-opener with Dufault and possibly Austin as a teammate. The schedule will turn later in the year and allow Marks behind the second-car for up to 11 races, including much of the series? short track contests.
Before tackling the breathtaking Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway this week, the freshman organization spent Monday testing at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway allowing the team to shake down their short-track program with all three TMR prot�g�s being allowed priceless seat time behind the wheel. Dufault will make her ARCA Racing Series short track debut at Salem (Ind.) Speedway on May 1, 2011.
Nestled back at their shop in Napoleon, Ohio, the TMR team is preparing for the first of 19 ARCA Racing Series events on the 2011 schedule which launches with the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona on Saturday, February 12, 2011 live on SPEED.
About Tony Marks Racing (TMR):
Tony Marks Racing was founded in 2009 through the passion for racing of team owner and former driver Tony Marks. Marks is the successful owner of TMT, Inc., a logistics, warehousing and packaging company with over 400 employees whose
customers are mainly comprised of Fortune 100 companies.
Marks began his racing career in 1985 getting behind the wheel of everything from
drag racers, Dirt Late Models, SCCA Formula Fords, USAC F2000 Open Wheel and ARCA cars. Tony personally raced until 2005 amassing numerous wins, championships and track records along the way until he then changed his focus from driver to owner and began building racing programs for his children Jared (16 years old) and Rachel (13 years old). Under the auspices of TMR, Jared began his racing career in 2002 in quarter midgets and now competes in late model, CRA, ASA and ARCA Series events while Rachel continues her development program racing quarter midgets and Bandoleros.
TMR has been at the forefront of charitable giving through its? ?Driving Against Hunger? and ?Million Meal Challenge? race programs which have raised over $200,000 for Forgotten Harvest in 2010 at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events at Michigan International Speedway.
For the NASCAR events TMR along with TMT, Inc. partnered with Forgotten Harvest for the ?Million Meal Challenge For Our Kids? which helps to bridge the hunger gap while schools are out of session and feeds 20,000 children per day in the Detroit metro area. Forgotten Harvest was significantly displayed on the entry of Chase Austin during both the Truck and Nationwide events at Michigan International Speedway along with logos of ?Million Meal Challenge? sponsors Walgreen?s, United Race Group, Holyfield?s Choice Alka-Power Water and Vitamin Spice. Evander Holyfield was also instrumental in the challenge, acting as Grand Marshall for the August race and announcing his ?Fight Against Hunger? on behalf of Forgotten Harvest.
As the first race team to ?Drive Against Hunger? through their partnership with Forgotten Harvest, TMR plans to continue their alliance with Forgotten Harvest and once again ?Drive Against Hunger? during the 2011 season.
For additional information on TMT, Inc. please visit; tmtcompanies.net.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
New Check-Box On NASCAR Driver Application
NASCAR may have over thought its new driver?s championship rule.
How much affect will NASCAR?s new rule that allows drivers to compete for a championship in only one major touring series have on the sport?
2010 saw only two drivers make a run at the Nationwide Series title while also competing in The Sprint Cup series.� NNS [...]
How much affect will NASCAR?s new rule that allows drivers to compete for a championship in only one major touring series have on the sport?
2010 saw only two drivers make a run at the Nationwide Series title while also competing in The Sprint Cup series.� NNS [...]
Monday TV/Media Notes
It's a big week with lots of news and changes on NASCAR TV scene. Here are some topics of interest as teams get ready to head to Daytona for testing.
Click here for the link to the story on Ricky Craven in the Bangor Daily News. Craven has been slowly working his way up the ladder at ESPN and in 2011 he will be adding seven Nationwide Series races to his existing duties in the ESPN studios.
Craven has been the standout studio analyst for the network, patiently working in a wide variety of circumstances and with a wide variety of on-air talent. ESPN cements a valuable piece of the puzzle with this move. Craven gets a presence in the TV booth in addition to holding down the studio on weekends and appearing on the one-hour NASCAR Now show on Mondays.
ESPN spokesperson Andy Hall told me late last week that the network had no production announcements to make, so we are still awaiting official confirmation that Jamie Shiftan will be producing the network's race coverage. The only on-air personnel shift was Ray Evernham leaving ESPN after agreeing to work for Rick Hendrick.
Over at SPEED, things are popping. Two shows will not be returning for this season. NASCAR in a Hurry was a review show that appeared in an early morning timeslot with video updates of the weekend. Adam Alexander and Randy Pemberton were the hosts.
The second series cancelled was NASCAR Smarts. This show featured host John Roberts asking trivia questions to Kyle Petty, Rutledge Wood and a group of fans or special guests. It began as a part of the Ask.com sponsorship package, but quickly got off-track and became half-hearted attempt at comedy late last season. Now, it's over.
Instead, SPEED will focus efforts on the NASCAR RaceDay pre-race show that absolutely needed a makeover. While the same on-air talent will be returning, look for substantive changes inside the program. The length will remain at two hours, although specials may extend the show.
Three veteran series will be returning. NASCAR Victory Lane, NASCAR Live and NASCAR Performance are popular shows that have clicked from the start. Originally produced in the field, NASCAR Performance was shifted to the studio in 2010.
This week, SPEED.com will be offering fully-produced long-form live video streaming of three days of Daytona testing. It will be a first for the network and should be interesting to watch online. Friday at noon ET, SPEED will also stream the widely anticipated "competition update" from Daytona. Mike Helton and Robin Pemberton will be explaining the new rules and changes for this season.
Monday should also bring official word from SPEED about a special series of TV programs related to the life and times of Dale Earnhardt Sr. on the tenth anniversary of his untimely passing. As usual, SPEED will be originating over one hundred hours of programming from Daytona. Check back for updates throughout the day.
We welcome your comments on these topics. To add your opinion, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thank you for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.
END OF SEASON - CAR PLANET RACING ACHIEVEMENTS
* T.O.T.B. 2009 DRAG SHOOT-OUT CHAMPIONS
* T.O.T.B. 2009 OVERALL RUNNERS UP
* TIME ATTACK 2009 CHAMPION CLUB-PRO CLASS
* TIME ATTACK 2009 PRO-CLASS HIGHEST FINISHING MITSUBISHI EVO
* ULTIMATE STREET CAR U.S.C. 2009 DRAG CHAMPION
* WORLD TIME ATTACK 2009, ASSEN, 1ST + 2ND + 3RD PLACE PRO-CLASS
CPR - Car Planet Racing would like to thank our following sponsors and partners for their continued support throughout CPR's motorsport season;
Also special thanks to Bob Moore, James Nicholls & Gareth Lloyd for their commitment and drive in achieving victory.
LVMS Launches Youth Initiative
Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be an extremely
youth-friendly place during the March 4-6 NASCAR Weekend.
Thanks to a partnership with Smith’s Food & Drug Stores, the Smith’s
Youth Initiative will allow fans 15 years of age and younger to receive a
50-percent discount on all tickets for the March 6 Kobalt Tools 400 NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series race, Sam’s [...]
youth-friendly place during the March 4-6 NASCAR Weekend.
Thanks to a partnership with Smith’s Food & Drug Stores, the Smith’s
Youth Initiative will allow fans 15 years of age and younger to receive a
50-percent discount on all tickets for the March 6 Kobalt Tools 400 NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series race, Sam’s [...]
Keith Rocco To Be Named State Athlete Of The Year By Connecticut Sports Writer's Alliance
A source close to the Connecticut Sports Writer's Alliance has confirmed that the organization will name Keith Rocco as its 2011 male athlete of the year in Connecticut.
The Connecticut Sports Writer's Alliance will announce Rocco as its male athlete of the year on Sunday.
Rocco is the first driver to win athlete of the year honors from the organization since they began the award in 1973.
He will be recognized by the organization at their annual Gold Key Dinner on April 17 at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington.
Tony Marks Racing Leaving Impression At Daytona International Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 13, 2011) – - The Buckeye State of Ohio is being well represented in the Sunshine State of Florida this week at Daytona (Fla.) Speedway. Tony Marks Racing (TMR) headquartered in Napoleon, Ohio has successfully left an impression on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards circuit as their multi-car effort led by veteran racer and now crew chief Larry Moore has put their No. 12 Dodge Charger into the limelight.
Piloted by NASCAR driver Chase Austin, rising female sensation Maryeve Dufault and Champion Racing Association (CRA) competitor Jared Marks, the rookie team spent the first two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) of ARCA Racing Series testing at the newly re-paved 2.5-mile speedway getting their car up to speed and their drivers comfortable with the new and extremely fast asphalt.
On Tuesday, Dufault, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series pilot edged out Austin for the fastest TMR time after placing her machine 17th out of 40th on the speed charts. Austin followed in 18th. Dufault was one of three female drivers testing on the first day behind Milka Duno (Dodge) and ahead of Hannah Baker (Chevrolet).
Leaving the track with some satisfaction, the team returned for round two Wednesday looking for additional seat time and solid results. In their eyes, mission accomplished.
Dufault was again the prime target for the newly founded-race team and was the only driver behind the wheel of their Chrysler emblem Wednesday morning during the three-hour session which resulted in a 23rd place single-car run.
Yesterday afternoon, ARCA Racing Series officials opened up the legendary track to drafting. The Tony Marks Racing team opted to play it safe though and continued with single-car runs for much of the afternoon before dabbling just a little bit on the defying skill of drafting, which zones heavily on superspeedway racing, much like Daytona or its sister track, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
For the first time of the week, 16-year old Jared Marks, son of car owner Tony Marks hopped in the seat of the No. 12a Charger and wheeled his automobile around the track in 49.830 seconds or a tick over 180.550 miles per hour. It was a solid lap time for the teenage racer, who under ARCA Racing Series sanctioning age restrictions is allowed to test but not race at the historic facility. The team admitted though that comfort, not speed was the primary agenda for the second-generation racer.
Dufault clocked in her inaugural drafting lap Wednesday afternoon with a time of 49.781 seconds amounting to a speed of 180.792 miles per hour landing her a respectable 31st on the rundown.
?We?re happy with the results thus far in Daytona,? said Tony Marks, owner of Tony Marks Racing. ?In a short time, I feel like we?ve been able to build a strong team with a talented group of people. So far, we?ve achieved all of our goals here in Daytona and look to use the last day (Thursday) as a prime opportunity to further push our team into the spotlight. All three of our drivers are doing a tremendous job. What they are learning is valuable not only in ARCA but stock-car racing in general. They still have a lot to learn here in Daytona and ahead in 2011, but I?m very pleased with the overall effort of TMR this week.?
Testing will conclude at 5:00 p.m. Thursday evening for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. The three-day test is preparation for the first of 19 events on the 2011 calendar which begins on Saturday, February 12th, 2011 live on SPEED. Dufault, the Los Angeles resident is expected to lead the two-car team for TMR next month from the ?World Center of Racing.?
Tony Marks Racing hopes to sport two cars in the 2011 season-opener with Dufault and possibly Austin as a teammate. The schedule will turn later in the year and allow Marks behind the second-car team for up to 11 races, including much of the series? short track contests.
Before tackling the breathtaking Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway this week, the freshman organization spent Monday testing at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway allowing the team to shake down their short-track program with all three TMR prot�g�s being allowed priceless seat time behind the wheel. Dufault will make her ARCA Racing Series short track debut at Salem (Ind.) Speedway on May 1, 2011.
About Tony Marks Racing (TMR):
Tony Marks Racing was founded in 2009 through the passion for racing of team owner and former driver Tony Marks. Marks is the successful owner of TMT, Inc., a logistics, warehousing and packaging company with over 400 employees whose
customers are mainly comprised of Fortune 100 companies.
Marks began his racing career in 1985 getting behind the wheel of everything from
drag racers, Dirt Late Models, SCCA Formula Fords, USAC F2000 Open Wheel and ARCA cars. Tony personally raced until 2005 amassing numerous wins, championships and track records along the way until he then changed his focus from driver to owner and began building racing programs for his children Jared (16 years old) and Rachel (13 years old). Under the auspices of TMR, Jared began his racing career in 2002 in quarter midgets and now competes in late model, CRA, ASA and ARCA Series events while Rachel continues her development program racing quarter midgets and Bandoleros.
TMR has been at the forefront of charitable giving through its? ?Driving Against Hunger? and ?Million Meal Challenge? race programs which have raised over $200,000 for Forgotten Harvest in 2010 at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events at Michigan International Speedway.
For the NASCAR events TMR along with TMT, Inc. partnered with Forgotten Harvest for the ?Million Meal Challenge For Our Kids? which helps to bridge the hunger gap while schools are out of session and feeds 20,000 children per day in the Detroit metro area. Forgotten Harvest was significantly displayed on the entry of Chase Austin during both the Truck and Nationwide events at Michigan International Speedway along with logos of ?Million Meal Challenge? sponsors Walgreen?s, United Race Group, Holyfield?s Choice Alka-Power Water and Vitamin Spice. Evander Holyfield was also instrumental in the challenge, acting as Grand Marshall for the August race and announcing his ?Fight Against Hunger? on behalf of Forgotten Harvest.
As the first race team to ?Drive Against Hunger? through their partnership with Forgotten Harvest, TMR plans to continue their alliance with Forgotten Harvest and once again ?Drive Against Hunger? during the 2011 season.
For additional information on TMT, Inc. please visit; tmtcompanies.net.
Team Lotus to launch 2011 car in a magazine?
Want to try a new approach to car launches? Like to build your online magazine brand and awareness? Need to launch your 2011 challenger to the public? Like to get users signed up at your online magazine site? If you answer yes to these questions, then you have just chosen to have your car launch [...]
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Let Us Turn Our Thoughts Today to Martin Luther King?
in honor of Martin Luther King JR…. take a moment to listen to this tribute to MLK by James Taylor……
SPEED Announces Internet Streaming For Daytona Test (Updated)
The week started off with a bang in TV land! Our friends at SPEED are changing things up this season for the January Daytona testing.
Here is the schedule from SPEED. It includes a mix of Internet streaming and TV:
Thursday, Jan. 20
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
1 p.m. - 5 p.m. (SPEED.com)
5 p.m. - 7 p.m. (same-day delay) (SPEED TV)
Friday, Jan. 21
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
1 p.m. - 2 p.m. (SPEED TV)
2 p.m. - 5 p.m. (SPEED.com)
Saturday, Jan. 22
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (SPEED.com)
1 p.m. - 2 p.m. ? (SPEED TV)
2 p.m. - 5 p.m. ? (SPEED.com)
Here is the official info that came out Monday afternoon:
SPEED and SPEED.com are presenting 23 hours of live testing coverage from Daytona Jan. 20-22 as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series engines roar back to life in the month of January for the first time in three years.
?The most important thing we do at SPEED is cover the NASCAR season from the minute the cars first hit the track until the champion makes his acceptance speech at the banquet each year and everything in between,? said SPEED President Hunter Nickell. ?We?re psyched that we get to start a little earlier now that Daytona testing is back, and based on what we heard from drivers at the Goodyear tire test in December, this is one test session you won?t want to miss.?
John Roberts and Jeff Hammond host SPEED?s on-air coverage from the studio above Victory Lane at Daytona. Steve Byrnes, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip will offer analysis throughout the practice sessions with reporting by Bob Dillner and Krista Voda. SPEED.com is presenting live streaming of all on-track activity with the exception of 3-5 p.m. ET Thursday, and will feature a rotation of on-air personalities.
Daytona testing coverage gives fans their first extended look at the new race surface at Daytona International Speedway -- a surface the racers expect will add to the level of excitement in February.
?It?s basically like going to a new track,? said four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, following the recent tire test. ?What our engineers can do now with the cars is a lot more aggressive and totally different from what we have had in the past ... Now, it is all about speed, and I think it will make for more exciting race, more aggressive racing. I think you will be able to see us race three-wide lap after lap after lap.?
It looks like SPEED is trying to balance a Barrett-Jackson auction and Daytona testing with just one TV channel. This streaming is a great experiment and it should be interesting to see how mainstream NASCAR fans react to this approach.
We welcome your opinion on this topic. To add your comments, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.
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