Wallace and Revolution Racing Maintain Point Lead at Gresham

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 12, 2011) – Darrell Wallace Jr and his U.S. Army Toyota Camry entered the Slack Auto Parts 150 at Gresham Motorsports Park with the series point lead and one of the favorites to win the race. Despite the fourth-place effort on the half-mile track, Wallace was in position all night to win the race leading 56 of the 154 laps run. Race winner Max Gresham, son of the track owner, was the only other leader on the night. Wallace now leads Gresham by five points in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East points with six races remaining. Teammates Ryan Gifford, driving the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) Toyota, Michael Cherry in the Fueling Your Dreams Toyota and Sergio Pena in the Freightliner Toyota finished 12th, 13th and 20th respectively. On the race’s final restart Wallace started second. He and Gresham, who had battled all night for the top spot, went hard into turn one and washed up the track with Gresham on the inside. Wallace was forced up and out of the racing groove which allowed Matt DiBenedetto and Andrew Smith to pass Wallace for second and third place as Wallace did a good job hanging on for fourth. “We were better than a fourth-place car all night,” Wallace said. “Our U.S. Army Camry was just as strong as Gresham and we were in a good spot on the final restart until we got forced up the track. I hung on to it and as a result we maintained our lead in the points.” For Gifford and Cherry, it was a rather uneventful night. Both drivers ran strong races inside the top-15 all night, with Gifford and Pena running inside the top 10 for much of the race. Pena, who ran out of fuel at lap 148, finished 20th, four laps down. Gifford is now 11th in points, Pena 12th and Cherry 17th. The Revolution Racing NASCAR Whelen All-American Series teams also had uneventful nights, with races at Kingsport (Tenn.) Speedway and Hickory (N.C.) Motors Speedway. Trey Gibson and Jorge Arteaga raced two 50-lap races at Kingsport Friday night. Both qualified in the middle of the 16-car fields. Unfortunately for both drivers, and virtually the entire field, the pole sitter of both races missed a shift on the start of each race which caused the field to stack up and eventually spread out in a single-file line. As a result, very little passing occurred in either race and there were no caution periods which would have allowed the field to reset, likely resulting in more passing. Gibson finished the races ninth and eighth respectively, while Arteaga finished eighth and 10th. “If the field would not have gotten so spread out due to the problem on the start I feel he would have finished higher in both races,” said Revolution Racing Late Model Competition Director Jefferson Hodges. “But for Trey two top 10s is good considering he had never been to Kingsport before, and for Jorge he did a good job given how spread out the field got. Jorge will do a much better job when he gets a handle on this track and realizes how much he needs to hustle the car in qualifying.” The same story was true the following night for drivers Tayla Orleans and Gibson. It also marked the debut of Dallas Montes to the Revolution Racing NASCAR Whelen All-American program. For Gibson, it was also his first trip to Hickory, so the entire weekend was a learning experience for him. “Trey’s weekend was exactly what this program is all about, he learned a ton at both tracks, is smart enough to accept the fact that he is learning, willing to take advice and had no mechanical issues so he got all his laps in practice,” Hodges said. “He will be much better when he returns to the track. He did end up hitting the wall with about 15 laps to go and pulled the exhaust out of the car. When the tone of the motor changed he was unsure if it was a motor problem or just the exhaust so he parked the car. It was just exhaust but I applaud his respect for our equipment.” For Orleans her day and night was also uneventful, starting 14th and finishing 12th. “She didn’t have her best day at the track Saturday,” Hodges said. “Her car was good but for some reason she just wasn’t on her game. She’s a good race car driver and will bounce back and be able to focus on getting to the front.” For Montes, who is a past participant in the Drive for Diversity Combine, he arrived from Bakersfield, Calif. Wednesday and was in a car at Hickory on Friday for a short practice session. His first race-day experience with the team on Saturday was fast paced, as the team did a great job of keeping him on track during all sessions allowing the young driver to get in as many practice laps in the heat of the day as possible. Montes’ race went as planned with the driver starting 15th and finishing 13th. Given his lack of experience in late models and particularly at Hickory, he will need much more practice time before he moves up the ladder against the tough fields at Hickory or Kingsport. The Revolution Racing Whelen All-American Series late model program plans to compete in more than 140 races with six drivers as part of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Program. Four NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, six NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and multiple youth racing teams are supported by NASCAR, the U.S. Army, Toyota Motor Sales, Toyota Racing Development (TRD), Freightliner Trucks, Wix Filters, Castle Products, Logitech, Play Seat, iRacing and others. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series teams of Wallace, Pena, Gifford and Cherry will be back in action again Saturday night in the Visit Hampton Va. 175 at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va. The Slack Auto Parts 150 can be seen Thursday night at 6 p.m. (ET) on SPEED.

Battle Tested Revolution Racing Drivers Tackled the Army Strong 150 at Bowman Gray

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 5, 2011) – Four Revolution Racing drivers tackled the tough Bowman Gray Stadium June 4 in the Army Strong 150 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race while four other Revolution Racing drivers were doing battle at short tracks in Tennessee and North Carolina in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Darrell Wallace Jr, Sergio Pena, Ryan Gifford and Michal Cherry took beautiful Toyota Camry race cars to the quarter-mile historic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., but like most of the field of 27, none brought their cars home without significant damage. The track is known as a rough place to race, and it did not disappoint the crowd of more than 15,000. Of the 156 laps raced, 87 were recorded as yellow-flag laps during 15 different caution periods. Darrell Wallace Jr, who qualified his U.S. Army Toyota Camry ninth, but was forced to start from rear after having to fix body damage suffered during his qualifying run, was the highest finishing Revolution Racing car. His sixth-place finish was strong enough to retake the points lead in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East by 17 points over race winner Matt DiBenedetto. Gifford brought his battered Toyota Racing Development Toyota Camry home 10th, Cherry’s Fueling Your Dreams Toyota Camry was 14th and Pena’s Freightliner Toyota Camry was forced to retire early with engine failure after front-end damage caused overheating.[callout_right]Every car in the field of 27 had some damage at the end of the race, and only the car of DiBenedetto, which led every lap, did not have what would be described as significant damage.e[/callout_right] Cherry, who started 23rd and was thrilled with his 14th-place finish, stopped on the race track after the checkered flag and gave the huge and raucous crowd a salute from the roof of his Toyota Camry, which brought cheers from the stands louder than those for the winner. “I started the race trying to conserve my equipment and bring the car home in one piece,” Cherry said. “But after about two laps it was clear that wasn’t going to happen given that someone got into you virtually every lap. I wanted to say thank you to the fans and let them know that even though it was only a 14th-place finish, it was the hardest fought top-15 finish in my life. That was work.” After starting at the rear, Wallace, 17, did all he could just to finish the demanding race. “I am so proud to have driven the U.S. Army car here in the Army Strong 150,” he said. “It is appropriate that the Army sponsored this race, given that you had to be ready for battle and also very smart to finish this race. Starting where we did, I just wanted to earn the best finish possible, and even though we punished our Camry in the process, it proved to be Army Strong and got us to another top-10 finish.” Like his teammates, Gifford got tossed throughout the night like a ping pong ball en route to a top-10 finish, which moved him up to eighth from 11th in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series point standings. [callout_left]I expected it to be rough here, but honestly not this rough. I’m happy we finished and gained some points. -Ryan Gifford[/callout_left]“We gave it all we had tonight and I can honestly say I have never been involved in anything like that before,” said the Winchester, Tenn. driver. “Normally I wouldn’t be all that happy with a 10th-place finish, but tonight we’ll take it. I expected it to be rough here, but honestly not this rough. I’m happy we finished and gained some points.” By contrast, Revolution Racing’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series teams had relatively mild nights at Kingsport (Tenn.) Speedway and Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway Friday and Saturday. At Kingsport, Puerto Rico’s Bryan Ortiz guided his Toyota Camry to a fifth –place finish in the field of 14. His race started with a fifth-place qualifying effort. He was shuffled back a few spots on the start but ran a clean race in line with the leaders until he was forced off track and cut a tire which required him to restart at the rear of the field after the tire change. Ortiz did a great job of coming through the field to regain the fifth position, and gained tremendous experience. “Bryan is a class act and did a great job Friday at Kingsport,” said Revolution Racing Late Model Competition Director Jefferson Hodges. “Other than a bobble on the start, he ran a very good race and showed a lot of poise after cutting a tire and being forced to come back through the field.” In the same race, Randleman N.C.’s Tayla Orleans showed the same kind of patience and ability. Starting sixth, Orleans ran in the fifth spot most of the race but did not have the car to improve her position. The team rolled the dice by bringing her Toyota Camry down pit road for adjustments under caution in hopes that she would be able to at least get her spot back and also pass the top four cars. After adjustments, she and her Camry were only able to climb back to the ninth spot, which was not indicative of how she drove her Toyota Camry but did provide her valuable experience. “Tayla did a great job all night and was especially fast in practice,” Hodges said. “With more experience at Kingsport she will be winning poles and running up front all night. She has good car control and is a quick learner. She was a fifth-place car all night and although we made changes that helped her she couldn’t dig back to the top five. Regardless, like Bryan she did a great job and was easily one of the fastest cars at the track.” The following night at North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway, Jessica Brunelli and Mackena Bell battled the veterans at one of NASCAR’s most historic venues. The night featured twin 50 races and Brunelli captured the pole for both of them. Her Toyota Camry was very fast throughout practice and qualifying and she led the field of 13 to the start of both events. In the first race, she ran the bottom line two wide for a long period and eventually got her right rear tire hot and fell back finishing fifth. During the race, she also took in fumes from the car and was forced to take oxygen following the race and receive an evaluation from the track’s medical staff. She recovered nicely and was ready to go again when the second race started. Bell, from Carson City, Nev., qualified her Toyota Camry 12th for both races and finished ninth in both races. Despite recording the same finishing position, Hodges’ assessment of Bell’s performance was that she ran a much better race in the second feature and that the only reason for her ninth-place finish was a multi-car spin in front of her that she and Brunelli became innocent victims of. Both Bell and Brunelli were headed for high finishes before the spin, and both did a good job recovering to finish where they did. “Mackena was ready to go in the second race and she seemed like a different driver from the first race,” Hodges said. “Jessica fell back on the start of the second race but other than that ran a smart race in a car that was much better during the day when the track was hot than it was later in the evening after the sun went down. I am very proud of both Jessica and Mackena and feel that both learned a lot this weekend. “All four of our drivers did a good job and they are all showing me how they earned the opportunity to race with Revolution Racing.” The Revolution Racing Whelen All-American Series late model program plans to compete in more than 140 races with six drivers as part of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Program. The program is supported by NASCAR, the U.S. Army, Toyota Motor Sales, Toyota Racing Development (TRD), Freightliner Trucks, Wix Filters, Castle Products, Logitech, Play Seat, iRacing and others. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series teams of Wallace, Pena, Gifford and Cherry will be back in action again Saturday night in the Slack Auto Parts 150 at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga. The Army Strong 150 can be seen Thursday night at 6 p.m. (ET) on SPEED.

Top 10 Weekend for Brunelli

Jessica Brunelli piloted the No. 2 Late Model to two top-10 finishes this weekend, including a fifth-place finish at Tri-County Motor Speedway on Friday night and a seventh-place finish at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night. “It’s hard to complain about two top-10 finishes,” said Brunelli. “We did struggle with the car a little bit on Friday night, despite the fifth-place finish, but the guys worked hard to make some changes before practice at Hickory on Saturday to get it where it needed to be. We had an awesome qualifying lap, our best of the year at Hickory, and really had a good car for the race. It just took it a little bit to come in, which hurt us at the start of the race.” Brunelli qualified third at both Tri-County Motor Speedway and Hickory Motor Speedway. The third-place starting position at Hickory was the best of the year for Brunelli. Brunelli battled a loose race car to start the 50 lap feature at Hickory and dropped to ninth at the drop of the green flag as she waited for her car to come in. With the race going caution free, Brunelli had to earn her spots back on the track. She got stuck behind a pair of cars racing each other side-by-side for several laps. Brunelli remained patient and waited for an opening, and was able to pass both cars before the checkered flag. “It’s tough when you’re stuck behind two cars running side by side like that,” said Brunelli. “You try to be patient, but as the laps wind down, you’ve got to make a move. I waited for my opportunity and took it, and was able to pick up two spots on the track.” Brunelli now has six top fives and ten top 10s in 14 races this season. She has competed in six races at Tri-County Motor Speedway and eight races at Hickory Motor Speedway.

Weekend Preview: Late Models

Jessica Brunelli and Katie Hagar are ready for another exciting weekend of racing at Hickory Motor Speedway. The two NASCAR Whelen All-American Series drivers will compete in Saturday night’s 100 lap feature for Revolution Racing. The two drivers got a little seat time this week away from the short tracks of North Carolina, participating in a Media Race Experience at Pocono Raceway along with teammates Michael Cherry and Ryan Gifford. Brunelli and Hagar were able to take a few laps around the 2.5-mile track, the longest track that either has driven in their career. Now the two will return their focus to short-track racing, heading to the 0.363-mile Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night.   Event Information: Late Model 100 Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday, July 17 at 7 p.m.   Jessica Brunelli Team: No. 2 Late Model  Crew Chief: Brandon Butler  Brunelli on her season with Revolution Racing: “It’s hard to believe we’re 11 races into the season already. I’m looking forward to these last seven races of the season. We’ve made a lot of progress as a team, and, individually I think I’ve made a lot of progress as a driver. I’ve learned so much about these cars from working in the shop and working side by side with my teammates and our crew chiefs at Revolution Racing.”  Fast Facts:
  • Six of Brunelli’s 11 races this season have been at Hickory Motor Speedway. Her best finish at the 0.363-mile track is third.
  • Brunelli has five top fives and seven top 10s in 11 races this season. She has been competing at Tri-County Motor Speedway and Hickory Motor Speedway.
  • At just 17 years old, Brunelli is the youngest of Revolution Racing’s late model drivers. She is completing her junior year of high school via online college prep independent study.

 
Katie Hagar Team: No. 3 Late Model Crew Chief: David Flynn Hagar on the Pocono Race Experience: “I had a blast going out to Pocono Raceway this week and having the opportunity to make a few laps around the track as part of the Media Race Experience. Everyone with the Pocono Race Experience is top-notch. I’ve never been on a track anywhere close to that big before, so it was like getting a sneak peak at what it will be like as we move up through the ranks for NASCAR and get approved to race on bigger tracks.” Fast Facts:
  • Hagar finished eighth in her last race at Hickory Motor Speedway on June 19.
  • Hagar has three top fives and eight top 10s in 10 races so far this season.
  • Hagar has raced late models in California for the last two seasons, competing at All American Speedway, Madera Speedway and Stockton 99 Speedway.
For more about Jessica Brunelli or Katie Hagar, check out their bios at www.revolutionracing.net

Cherry Seventh in Dwight Huffman Memorial

Michael Cherry drove the No. 2 Late Model to a seventh-place finish Saturday night in the Third Annual Dwight Huffman Memorial Race for Charity at Hickory Motor Speedway. Revolution Racing teammates Jason Romero and Becca Kasten finished 20th and 23rd, respectively, after being involved in separate on-track incidents. Attrition was the name of the game on Saturday night, with less than 15 cars surviving to the end of the 177-lap feature. Cherry started 12th in the No. 2 Late Model and was able to stay up front throughout the race, avoiding the wrecks happening deep in the field. “I had a blast out here tonight,” said Cherry. “I can’t thank my crew chief, [Brandon] Chuck (Butler), Blair Addis, Andy Santerre and the whole team at Revolution Racing enough for giving me the opportunity to drive these race cars. These guys work their tails off and I get to have a blast driving these cars.” Cherry moved as high as second at lap 62, and ran in the top five for most of the night. A competition caution at lap 150 set the field up for a 27-lap shoot out to the checkered flag. Cherry was holding onto fifth-place when the final caution came out at lap 163. The No. 10 car of Andy Mercer was able to get by Cherry on the restart bringing the seventh and eighth-place cars with him. Cherry slid to eighth and in the closing laps was able to pick up a spot and finish seventh. “That last caution cost us a few spots,” said Cherry. “The high line was working good for us and there was no way Mercer was going to get by me on the bottom. The restart gave him the line he wanted and he was able to take the spot. We’ll take a solid top 10 finish, though, this was a tough, competitive field of cars out here tonight.” Cherry now has one win, six top fives and 12 top 10s in 13 late model races this season. Becca Kasten made contact with the inside frontstretch wall at lap 81 of the Dwight Huffman Memorial, when a car dove to the bottom putting Kasten in the middle of a three-wide situation. The cars bobbled and Kasten’s No. 5 AirTight Late Model got the worst of it, ending her night early. Jason Romero was caught up in a three car spin coming out of turn four just past the lap 100 mark. Damage to the No. 3 Late Model ended Romero’s night early, despite the crews best efforts to repair the damaged race car.

Weekend Preview

Revolution Racing’s Michael Cherry, Becca Kasten and Jason Romero will compete in the Third Annual Dwight Huffman Memorial Race for Charity at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night. The event, which honors the memory of former Hickory Motor Speedway track promoter Dwight Huffman, features a 177 lap Late Model feature. Cherry, Kasten and teammate Katie Hagar will also compete at Tri-County Motor Speedway on Friday night. Event Information: Late Model Stock (50 laps) Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday, July 9 at 8 p.m. Dwight Huffman Memorial (177 laps) Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday, July 10 at 7 p.m.   Michael Cherry Team: No. 2 Late Model Crew Chief: Brandon Butler Cherry on a full weekend of racing: “I’m looking forward to the weekend; it’s my first time back in the car since our win at Tri-County Motor Speedway last month. If we can mirror what we did a couple of weeks ago with the win at Tri-County and the second-place finish at Hickory, it’ll be a good weekend for Revolution Racing.” Fast Facts:
  • Cherry earned his first career late model win at Tri-County Motor Speedway on June 11. He followed it up with a second-place finish at Hickory Motor Speedway the following night.
  • Cherry has won two poles at Tri-County Motor Speedway this season in the No. 2 Late Model.
  • After 12 races this season, Cherry has one win, six top fives and 11 top 10s. He’s competed at Caraway Speedway (Asheboro, N.C.), Hickory Motor Speedway and Tri-County Motor Speedway.
  Katie Hagar Team: No. 3 Late Model Crew Chief: David Flynn Hagar on racing and luck: “We had some bad luck last weekend with losing the engine early in the race. It was really unfortunate that we didn’t get to run all 150 laps, but we’ve regrouped and we’re looking forward to getting back out there again this weekend. Hopefully we’ve put the bad luck behind us and we can run a good, clean race.” Fast Facts:
  • Engine troubles ended Hagar’s night early in the Firecracker 150 at Tri-County Motor Speedway. She finished fifth in her last full race at Tri-County Motor Speedway on June 18.
  • Hagar has three top fives and eight top 10s in 10 races so far this season.
  • Hagar has raced late models in California for the last two seasons, competing at All American Speedway, Madera Speedway and Stockton 99 Speedway.
  Becca Kasten Team: No. 5 AirTight Late Model Crew Chief: Danny Johnson Kasten on getting back in the race car: “I’m looking forward to the Dwight Huffman Memorial Race; it’s the biggest race of the season for us. From what I’ve heard, last year’s race was a three hour event with lots of attrition. Very different than most races we’ve been to this year. I think there’s going to be a lot more wrecks than we’re used to seeing, so being able to survive until the end will make all the difference. Fast Facts:
  • Kasten scored her best finishes of the season her last time out, finishing second and third at Tri-County Motor Speedway and finishing third at Hickory Motor Speedway.
  • Kasten has three top fives and eight top 10s in 11 starts this season. She has competed at Caraway Speedway (Asheboro, N.C.), Hickory Motor Speedway and Tri-County Motor Speedway.
  • 2010 is Kasten’s first season competing in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Models. She previously competed in an ASA touring series.
  Jason Romero Team: No. 3 Late Model Crew Chief: David Flynn Romero on his return to action: “I’m really excited about the Dwight Huffman Memorial race. I’ve got family coming in from California to watch me race this weekend, so of course I want to go out and put on a show for them. We’ve run a few hundred lap events at Hickory already this year, but nothing like 177 laps of green flag racing. It’s going to be an exciting night of racing.” Fast Facts:
  • Romero has won three poles at Tri-County Motor Speedway this season and tied for fast-time at a fourth event earlier this year.
  • Romero scored his best finish of the season at Hickory Motor Speedway, a fifth-place finish, on May 15.
  • In his first full season of racing late models at All American Speedway, Romero won four poles and 11 races on his way to the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track championship.

Reitenour Wins Firecracker 150

Megan Reitenour started her Fourth of July holiday weekend with a bang, winning the Firecracker 150 at Tri-County Motor Speedway on Friday night. Reitenour led 78 laps en route to her first career late model win. “I just want to thank my team, our sponsor, AirTight Mechanical, and everyone involved with Revolution Racing and the Drive for Diversity program for making this possible,” said Reitenour. “It’s been a long time coming and I’m glad I finally got that win.” Reitenour qualified second for the Firecracker 150 in the No. 5 AirTight Late Model, but dropped to third early in the race. She settled into third, exercising patience early in the 150 lap race. At lap 72, her patience paid off when the race leaders made contact and spun out, leaving Reitenour to inherit the lead. Reitenour took advantage of the situation, holding onto the lead at the restart and driving away from the field. The final caution of the race came out at lap 116, and Reitenour was again able to pull ahead on the restart. She continued to increase her lead and took the checkered flag with a straightaway lead over second-place finisher R.A. Brown. “Megan did a great job tonight saving her stuff for the end,” said Danny Johnson, crew chief of the No. 5 car. “She knew she needed to be patient early on to be there at the end and she did an awesome job of that tonight. This was a great night for Revolution Racing and the No. 5 team.” Reitenour, who earned rookie of the year honors at Tri-County Motor Speedway in 2009, has one win, two top fives and four top 10s in 11 races this season. She has been splitting her time this season between Tri-County Motor Speedway and Hickory Motor Speedway. Reitenour’s next scheduled race is a 100-lap event at Hickory Motor Speedway on July 17.

Strong Showing for Late Models at Tri-County

Jessica Brunelli, Jason Romero and Megan Reitenour were at Tri-County Motor Speedway (Hudson, N.C.) Friday night with the Revolution Racing Late Model program. Romero finished second in the No. 3 Revolution Racing Late Model after earning his third pole of the year at the 0.4-mile speedway. “Revolution Racing continues to give us cars capable of running up front,” said Romero, who piloted the No. 3 car this weekend instead of his usual No. 2 Late Model. “Unfortunately we came up a little short tonight, but as a team we continue to show that we can run up front, win poles and win races. I’m looking forward to coming back next week for the Firecracker 150.” Brunelli started the race third in the No. 2 Late Model, and battled with the No. 57 and No. 28 car several times throughout the race. On lap 39, Brunelli moved ahead of Romero for second-place. The two battled side-by-side before Romero re-took the position at lap 42. Brunelli finished third. Reitenour finished sixth in the No. 5 Revolution Racing Late Model after qualifying fifth. Reitenour was sent to the rear of the field early in the race and had to battle her way back to the front. Reitenour, who had a strong race car all night, ended up stuck behind two cars battling side-by-side and was unable to get around them before running out of laps in the 50 lap feature. She finished sixth. Brunelli, Reitenour and Romero will return to Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday, July 2 for the Firecracker 150.

Romero Scores Season Best Finish

Jason Romero scored his best finish of the season Friday night with a second-place run at Tri-County Motor Speedway in the No. 2 MBC Group Late Model. Romero’s teammates Jessica Brunelli and Katie Hagar finished third and fifth, respectively. “It was a good night for the entire Revolution Racing team,” said Romero. “My crew chief, Brandon Butler, put a great set up in the MBC Group Late Model tonight. Unfortunately we made a little contact with the wall early on, and that kept us from really contending for the win. We’ll take second-place tonight and come back next week fighting even harder for the win.” Romero qualified second for the 50 lap feature and took the lead on lap 2 after a three-way battle up front. Grant Wimbish was able to slide back under Romero to retake the lead at lap 3. The race went green for all 50 laps, and Romero was unable to overtake Wimbish’s No. 57 car. He settled for second, his best finish of the season. Brunelli qualified fourth in the No. 3 Late Model, and moved into third at lap 15. She pulled away from the rest of the field, running single-file behind Wimbish and Romero. Hagar qualified sixth and finished fifth after a hard fought battle with the No. 35 car. The two battled for the final 15 laps of the race, with the No. 35 unable to make a move to get around Hagar. With five to go, Hagar was able to pull away and finish fifth in the No. 5 AirTight Late Model. The three Revolution Racing drivers were also in action at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night. Hagar finished eighth in the No. 5 AirTight Late Model after qualifying 10th for the 50 lap race. Romero, who qualified seventh, had worked his way up to fourth before he was spun out in turn 4 with six laps to go. He dropped to the rear of the field but was able to salvage a ninth-place finish in the No. 2 MBC Group Late Model. Romero remained positive about his weekend, despite missing out on a top-five finish: “This may have been the most fun I’ve ever had in a race car,” said Romero. “The car was hooked up tonight. I could run the high line in (turns) 1 and 2 and just pull away. It was awesome to have a car that could run like that. It’s a shame we got knocked to the back of the pack, but we learned so much out there tonight with our line and our set up. We’ll be good when we come back in a few weeks.” Brunelli qualified eighth in the No. 3 Late Model and was running in the top 10 before contact with the No. 15 car in turn 1 sent her spinning with 2 laps remaining in the race. She finished 11th. Romero will return to Tri-County Motor Speedway this Friday night, along with Revolution Racing teammates Becca Kasten and Megan Reitenour.

Weekend Preview: Late Models

Michael Cherry scored Revolution Racing’s first late model win of the season last Friday night at Tri-County Motor Speedway and followed it up with a runner-up finish at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday. Now Jason Romero will climb behind the wheel of the No. 2 MBC Group Late Model, looking for similar success. Romero already has two poles at Tri-County Motor Speedway this year and is looking to add a tally to the win column. Katie Hagar will climb back into the No. 5 Late Model this weekend after several weekends off. Hagar’s last race was at Hickory Motor Speedway on May 15. Jessica Brunelli scored a pair of top fives last weekend at Tri-County Motor Speedway. This weekend she’ll pull double duty, racing the No. 3 Late Model at Tri-County on Friday night and at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night.   Event Information: Late Model Stock 50 laps Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday, June 18 at 8 p.m.   Late Model Stock 50 laps Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday, June 19 at 7 p.m.   Jessica Brunelli Team: No. 1 Late Model Crew Chief: David Flynn Brunelli on the No. 3 car: “I’m excited to be back in the No. 3 car this weekend. We’re trying something different with the car this weekend and I think it’ll get us to where we need to be. We were pretty good last weekend at Tri-County and I know [crew chief] David [Flynn] and Matt [Montgomery] are working hard to give me a car capable of running up front. Now it’s up to me as a driver to get in there and show everyone that I have what it takes.” Fast Facts:
  • Brunelli made her first start of the season at Tri-County Motor Speedway last weekend. She finished fourth and fifth in the Twin 35 races.
  • After just seven starts this season, Brunelli has three top fives and four top 10s.
  • At just 17 years old, Brunelli is the youngest of Revolution Racing’s late model drivers. She is completing her junior year of high school via online college prep independent study.
  Katie Hagar Team: No. 5 AirTight Late Model Crew Chief: Danny Johnson Hagar on getting back behind the wheel: “Any driver wants to be in the car racing and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to be out there competing every week. With the way the program is set up this year, though, I’m not only getting the opportunity to race but I’m also getting the opportunity to work on the cars and learn from watching my teammates. I’ve seen Revolution Racing improve as a whole each week, and now I get to climb back in and take what we’ve learned and put it to good use.” Fast Facts:
  • Hagar’s last start in the AirTight Late Model was May 15. Hagar shares seat time with teammate Becca Kasten.
  • Hagar’s best finish of the season at Tri-County Motor Speedway is fourth. She finished a season-best fifth at Hickory Motor Speedway after starting at the rear of the 16 car field.
  • Hagar has raced late models in California for the last two seasons, competing at All American Speedway, Madera Speedway and Stockton 99 Speedway.
  Jason Romero Team: No. 2 MBC Group Late Model Crew Chief: Brandon Butler Romero on his return to action: “I’m really excited about the next couple of weeks. I’ve seen the success that Michael Cherry has had in the No. 2 car over the past few weeks and I can see the cars and team getting better. I can’t wait to go out there and run some good, consistent laps. Fast Facts:
  • Romero has won two poles at Tri-County Motor Speedway this season and tied for fast-time at a third event earlier this year.
  • Both Jason Romero and Michael Cherry are very hands-on with their race car, and support each other as mechanics on the weekends they are not racing.
In his first full season of racing late models at All American Speedway, Romero won four poles and 11 races on his way to the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track championship.

Cherry Follows up Win with Runner-Up Finish at Hickory, Kasten Finishes Fourth

Michael Cherry followed up his historic first late model win at Tri-County Motor Speedway with a second-place finish at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night. This was Cherry’s best finish at Hickory Motor Speedway in the No. 2 MBC Group Late Model. His Revolution Racing teammate Becca Kasten also scored her best finish of the season at Hickory, a fourth-place, on Saturday night. Megan Reitenour finished 11th. “I can’t thank everyone at Revolution Racing enough for giving me this opportunity,” said Cherry. “We had to earn this one tonight and I think it shows how far this program has come. It’s no secret we’ve struggled a little bit at Hickory this season, but we had two cars finish in the top five tonight and that really says something about this team.” Cherry qualified sixth for the 50 lap feature and started the race in front of his teammates Kasten and Reitenour, who qualified eighth and 10th, respectively. By lap 10, Cherry had moved comfortably into third and was distancing himself from the rest of the pack. Nine laps later, Kasten was able to work her way to fourth in the No. 5 AirTight Mechanical Late Model. Cherry continued to distance himself from Kasten and the rest of the field, catching the second-place car of Josh Wimbish on lap 35. After a three lap, side-by-side battle, Cherry was able to nose ahead into the second spot. With five to go, Cherry had no pressure from behind and was on his way to a second-place finish. Kasten, who was still running for fourth, was feeling pressure from the fifth-place car of Dexter Canipe, Jr. The two ran side-by-side for the final five laps, with Kasten maintaining her advantage at the line for her best finish of the season at Hickory. “I can’t complain about a fourth-place finish,” said Kasten. “This is the best this No. 5 AirTight Late Model has been at Hickory all season. We didn’t qualify as well as we’d hoped, but the car was hooked up for the race. Overall it was a really great weekend for us, with a second and third at Tri-County last night, and a fourth here tonight.” Revolution Racing Late Model drivers Jessica Brunelli, Katie Hagar and Jason Romero will take over driving duties next weekend, racing at Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday night and Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday night.

Cherry Adds His Name to the Record Books

Michael Cherry won his first career late model race at Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday night, becoming the first African American to win a late model race at the 0.4-mile speedway. Cherry won the pole and led all 35 laps of the race en route to his first career NASCAR Whelen All-American Series victory. “Man this has been a long time coming,” said Cherry, who is in his third season with Drive for Diversity. “I can’t thank everyone at Revolution Racing enough for believing in me and making this happen. A big shout out to my crew chief, Brandon Butler, John Story, Max Siegel and everyone else at Revolution Racing who had something to do with this win tonight.” Cherry started on the pole in the No. 2 MBC Group Late Model for both segments of the Twin 35 event after posting qualifying laps of 16.284 and 16.287 seconds. Cherry lost the lead on the first lap of the first 35 lap race, and was unable to retake the position from the No. 27 of Grant Wimbish. Cherry finished the race second, his third runner-up finish of the year at Tri-County Motor Speedway, but knew he had a car that was capable of winning. “I just wasn’t able to get back around the No. 27,” said Cherry. “He had a heck of a motor in that thing, but I think if we could have gotten by him we would have pulled away. Unfortunately we just couldn’t get back out front.” In the second 35 lap race, Cherry got that opportunity. He led the field to the green, and this time he didn’t relinquish the lead. He led all 35 laps on the way to his first career late model win, taking the checkered flag with a half of a straightaway lead over his Revolution Racing teammate Becca Kasten, who crossed the line second in the No. 5 AirTight Mechanical Late Model. The win also marks the first NASCAR Whelen All-American Series win for Revolution Racing, a team that has been making history all season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Darrell Wallace Jr., became the youngest driver and first African American winner in series history with his win at Greenville Pickens Speedway earlier this year. Last weekend, Ryan Gifford became the first African American pole winner in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East history. It is also the first win for crew chief Brandon “Chuck” Butler. “I’m just tickled to death to be a part of this team,” said Butler. “I think I wore out the bottoms of my shoes pacing back and forth in the pits during those 35 laps. I was confident we had the car to beat, but I also know how bad Michael wanted, and needed, this win. I was a nervous wreck for him. I’m just so glad we were able to get this first win for everyone at Revolution Racing.” Revolution Racing looks to continue its winning ways tonight at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Cherry, Kasten and teammate Megan Reitenour will compete in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model division. Photos Courtesy of L&D Photography

Weekend Preview: Late Models

The Revolution Racing Late Models head back to Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday night, looking for the first win of the season for the driver development program. Revolution will also compete at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday. Becca Kasten, who has qualified on the front row for each of her three starts at Tri-County Motor Speedway this season, will pilot the No. 5 AirTight Late Model this weekend. Michael Cherry, who qualified third last weekend at Hickory Motor Speedway and was running second before a mechanical issue took him out of contention for the win, will drive the No. 2 Late Model this weekend. Jessica Brunelli and Megan Reitenour will split duties in the No. 1 Late Model this weekend for Revolution Racing. Brunelli will compete in the Twin 35s at Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday night before Reitenour takes over driving duties for the 50 lap race at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday.   Event Information: Late Model Twin 35s (2 races, 35 laps each) Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday, June 11 at 8 p.m.   Late Model Stock 50 laps Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday, June 12 at 7 p.m.   Jessica Brunelli Team: No. 1 Late Model Crew Chief: David Flynn Brunelli on the weather and racing: “I hope it doesn’t rain this weekend! I’m the only Revolution Racing late model driver who hasn’t had the opportunity to race at Tri-County yet, and I’d really like to get in that first start. It’s disappointing when we come out to the track and work all day only to end up getting rained out. I’ve raced in Formula cars before, and we have rain tires, so I’m not used to rain delays… I’m used to going out there and racing in the rain.”  Fast Facts:
  • Brunelli will be making her first start at Tri-County Motor Speedway this weekend after rain washed out her first two attempts earlier this year.
  • After just five starts this season, Brunelli has one top five and two top 10s, and is looking to add to that tally this weekend.
  • At just 17 years old, Brunelli is the youngest of Revolution Racing’s late model drivers. She is completing her junior year of high school via online college prep independent study.
  Michael Cherry Team: No. 2 Late Model Crew Chief: Brandon Butler Cherry on Tri-County Motor Speedway: “All three of the Revolution Racing late models have been fast at Tri-County Motor Speedway this year. I think any one of us has the ability to go out there and win races. As long as we can keep the weather on our side this weekend, I think we’ll have a shot at brining home two trophies.” Fast Facts:
  • Cherry qualified third for last weekend’s race at Tri-County Motor Speedway. He has two second-place finishes at the track this season.
  • Cherry qualified third at Hickory Motor Speedway last weekend and was running second at the half-way point before a mechanical issue ended his night early.
  • After nine races this season, Cherry has three top fives and eight top 10s. He’s competed at Caraway Speedway (Asheboro, N.C.), Hickory Motor Speedway and Tri-County Motor Speedway.
  Becca Kasten Team: No. 5 AirTight Late Model Crew Chief: Danny Johnson Kasten on racing at Tri-County and Hickory: “It seems like every time we’ve gone out to Tri-County we’ve been the fastest or second fastest car in the field. I think we have the right stuff to go out there and contend; we just need to get Mother Nature on our side so we can actually race. When we go over to Hickory, we’re still struggling a bit with the AirTight Late Model, but as a whole Revolution Racing is getting better. We can the fastest qualifying laps we’ve ever run out there last week, and we’re only going to continue to improve.” Fast Facts:
  • Kasten won the pole at Tri-County Motor Speedway earlier this year in the No. 5 AirTight Late Model. She qualified on the outside pole her other two trips to the track this season.
  • Kasten has four top 10s in seven starts this season. She has competed at Caraway Speedway (Asheboro, N.C.), Hickory Motor Speedway and Tri-County Motor Speedway.
  • 2010 is Kasten’s first season competing in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Models. She previously competed in an ASA touring series.
  Megan Reitenour Team: No. 1 Late Model Crew Chief: David Flynn Reitenour on Hickory Motor Speedway: “The No. 1 Late Model has struggled a little bit at Hickory this season, but I think my crew chief, David Flynn, and teammate, Jessica Brunelli, hit on something with the set-up last week in the race that should help us a lot this weekend. Hickory is a tough race track, but I’m confident we’ll get it figured out and get back to running up front where we need to be.” Fast Facts:
  • Reitenour has had success at Hickory in the past, winning the Extreme Trophies 100 (Super Cup Stock Car Series) in 2008.
  • Reitenour has one top five and two top 10s this season in eight races.
  • When she’s not racing, Reitenour enjoys supporting charitable causes. She recently participated in the Jeff Gordon Foundation Ultimate Speed Event and the CARA Charities Fashion Show.

Romero on Pole for Rained out Race at Tri-County

Jason Romero had another strong showing in the No. 2 MBC Group Late Model this weekend, setting the pole at Tri-County Motor Speedway (Hudson, N.C.) and finishing fifth at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Romero set fast-time at Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday night for the second consecutive week and was set to start the race fourth after the invert. Unfortunately for Romero and teammates Jessica Brunelli and Katie Hagar, who qualified fourth and fifth, inclement weather moved in cancelling the evening’s 50 lap late model race. Weather didn’t slow Romero at Hickory, however. With storms threatening, track officials moved up the start time for the 50 lap late model feature Saturday night. Romero, who qualified ninth, drove his way to a fifth-place finish in the event, crossing the line side-by-side with fourth-place finisher Ty Dillon. “We had a great run tonight,” said Romero. “The MBC Group late model was hooked up tonight and we were going to the front. Unfortunately we ran out of laps there at the end, but we’ve had two solid runs in a row here now. We’re getting better and I’m looking forward to coming back in a few weeks.” Romero’s Revolution Racing teammates Hagar and Brunelli finished 10th and 12th, respectively. The Revolution Racing Late Model program will take a weekend off before returning to Hickory Motor Speedway on May 29 with drivers Michael Cherry, Becca Kasten and Megan Reitenour.

Weekend Preview: Late Models

As the weather heats up, so does Revolution Racing’s late model program. This weekend drivers Jessica Brunelli, Katie Hagar and Jason Romero head to Tri-County Motor Speedway and Hickory Motor Speedway with their sights set on a race win. Last weekend Romero set fast-time at Tri-County Motor Speedway, leading a one-two-three qualifying effort. His teammates, Megan Reitenour and Hagar qualified second and third respectively. With two late model poles at Tri-County, Revolution Racing is now ready for its first late model win of the season. Event Information: Late Model Stock 50 laps Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday, May 14 at 8 p.m. Late Model Stock 50 laps Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday, May 15 at 7 p.m.   Jessica Brunelli Team: No. 3 Late Model Crew Chief: David Flynn Brunelli on getting back in the car for Revolution Racing: “It’s been a while since I’ve raced the No. 3 Late Model. We got a new crew chief, David Flynn, since the last time I raced, so I’m excited to get to work with him this weekend. The Revolution Racing Late Model program has been getting better every week, and, even though I’ve had limited seat time this season, I’m excited to go out there and contend for wins.” Fast Facts:
  • Brunelli finished third in her first late model race at Hickory Motor Speedway on March 20; she has just three starts in the No. 3 Late Model this season, all coming at Hickory.
  • Brunelli is finishing her junior year of high school via online college prep independent study. She also works 20 hours/week at the race shop.
  • At just 17 years old, Brunelli is the youngest of Revolution Racing’s late model drivers.
  Katie Hagar Team: No. 5 AirTight Late Model Crew Chief: Danny Johnson Hagar on her first top fives of the season: “As a team we’ve made huge progress over the last few weeks, and it’s showing in our results across the board. I was out of the car for almost a month, so it was great to jump back in and come away with two top fives, especially coming from the pack of the field at Hickory.” Fast Facts:
  • Hagar finished fourth at Tri-County Motor Speedway last Friday night. She went on to finish fifth at Hickory Motor Speedway after starting 15th.
  • Hagar has two top fives and five top 10s in six starts this season. She’s competed at both Tri-County and Hickory Motor Speedway this season.
  • Hagar has raced late models in California for the last two seasons, competing at All American Speedway, Madera Speedway and Stockton 99 Speedway.
  Jason Romero Team: No. 2 MBC Group Late Model Crew Chief: Brandon Butler Romero on being ranked 35th in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national standings: “We’ve had some good runs this season and we’re only getting better and that shows in our national ranking. There’s still a lot of season left to go, and we have goals that we’ve yet to accomplish. We won the pole at Tri-County last week, and now it’s time to go out there and win races.” Fast Facts:
  • Romero finished fifth at Tri-County Motor Speedway last week after setting fast-time and starting third in the main event. He finished eighth at Hickory after being spun out on lap 6 and restarting from the tail end of the field.
  • Romero tied for fast-time at Tri-County Motor Speedway earlier this season.
  • In his first full season of racing late models at All American Speedway, Romero won four poles and 11 races on his way to the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track championship.

Weekend Preview: Hickory Motor Speedway

The Revolution Racing late model program returns to Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway this weekend where three Revolution Racing drivers – Jessica Brunelli, Katie Hagar and Jason Romero – look to improve on last weekend’s season opener.   Event Information: Late Model Stock 50 laps Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday, March 27 at 7 p.m.   Jessica Brunelli Team: No. 3 Late Model  Crew Chief: Brandon Butler Brunelli on her third-place finish at Hickory last weekend: “My team did an awesome job putting the car together last week and we had a great run, despite having to come from the back of the field. I’m looking forward to getting in good qualifying run this week and, hopefully, starting up front. It’s a much shorter race this week so starting up front will be important.” Fast Facts:
  • Brunelli finished third in her first late model race at Hickory Motor Speedway last weekend after starting 14th. 
  • Brunelli is finishing her junior year of high school via online college prep independent study. She also works 20 hours/week at the race shop.
  • At 17 years old, Brunelli is the youngest of Revolution Racing’s late model drivers.
  Katie Hagar Team: No. 4 Late Model Crew Chief: Lynn Martin Hagar on returning to Hickory Motor Speedway: “I’m really looking forward to going back to Hickory this weekend. We made some improvements to the car throughout the week and I know what to expect this time around. I think we can go out there and put on a great, competitive show.” Fast Facts:
  • Hagar finished sixth in the season opening 100-lap feature at Hickory last weekend.
  • Hagar made her first start at Hickory Motor Speedway in an Allison Legacy Car in 2000; she has also tested modifieds and late models at Hickory.
  • Hagar has raced late models in California for the last two seasons, competing at All American Speedway, Madera Speedway and Stockton 99 Speedway.
  Jason Romero Team: No. 2 Distribution One Late Model Crew Chief: Brent Cusick Romero on returning to Hickory Motor Speedway: “I’m excited to go back to Hickory this weekend with the knowledge we gained last weekend. I figured out late in the race what worked for me so it’s nice to be able to go back this week and apply what we learned. I think the No. 2 Distribution One Late Model will be good this week.” Fast Facts:
  • Romero finished eighth in last weekend’s season opener at Hickory Motor Speedway after starting the race 10th.
  • Romero finished the 2009 season 11th overall in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national points standings.
  • In his first full season of racing late models at All American Speedway, Romero won four poles and 11 races on his way to the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track championship.