Month: June 2010

Move over Danica… (Mooresville Weekly)

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When Max Siegel and John Story started Revolution Racing, they had a vision of creating a developmental race team that would springboard drivers and crewmembers to NASCAR’s premier series. Not even a year later, their team is well on its way toward that goal, fielding six drivers in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and four competitors in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series for 2010.  “We’re very happy with where we are as an organization after only a few months of operation,” Story said. “We’ve exceeded our expectations at this point, and we have no reason to believe that we won’t continue to do that.” What sets this racing outfit apart from any other NASCAR team? Read the rest at MooresvilleWeekly.com…

Strong Showing for Late Models at Tri-County

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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.

Wallace Third in New Hampshire

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Darrell Wallace Jr. drove to his third consecutive third-place finish in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East this weekend after taking on the 1.058-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the first time in his career. Wallace’s Revolution Racing teammate Ryan Gifford followed him across the line in fourth. Sergio Pena and Mackena Bell finished 15th and 27th, respectively. “We blew a motor in practice and lost a lot of practice time yesterday,” said Wallace, who started at the rear of the field due to an engine change. “We just had to wing it a little bit the first 50 laps of the race, but once I got the line down and the car came in, we were fast. My pit crew did an awesome job picking up spots on pit road; I think we picked up six or eight spots just on the pit stop. I couldn’t get by (Ryan) Truex and (Kevin) Swindell, but after the weekend we had I’ll settle for third any day.” The engine change for the No. 6 Castle Chevrolet, which took place during Thursday’s practice session, negated Wallace’s 12th-place qualifying effort. He started at the tail-end of the field for the 125-lap race and, for the second race in a row, drove all the way through the field to a third-place finish. Wallace is currently second in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standing, just 33 points behind leader Ryan Truex. Gifford, driving the No. 2 Revolution Racing Chevrolet, finished fourth after qualifying fourth for the New England 125. Gifford jumped two spots, to third, in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings. He trails leader Ryan Truex by just 89 points. Pena held on for a 15th-place finish at New Hampshire after a blown tire and multiple on-track incidents threatened to end his day early. Pena, driving the No. 4 Revolution Racing Chevrolet finished the race just one lap down. He is currently 14th in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings. Bell’s string of bad luck continued in New Hampshire, when a wreck in front of her left her with nowhere to go. Damage to the No. 8 Revolution Racing Chevrolet sent her to the garage, ending her day early. She was credited with a 27th-place finish. Bell is currently 18th in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings. The New England 125 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be broadcast on SPEED Thursday, July 1 at 6 p.m. ET. Bell, Gifford, Pena and Wallace head to Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn., this Saturday, July 3 for their only road-course race of the season.

DogHouse Systems, Playseat Bring Technology Deck to Life

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Revolution Racing continues to evolve its driver development curriculum by combining technology with hands-on training in its academy-style development program. A partnership with iRacing formed earlier this year, along with contributions from Logitech, allowed Revolution drivers to get behind the virtual wheel to prepare for the 2010 season. Recently, new partnerships with DogHouse Systems and Playseat America have brought the Revolution Racing Technology Deck to life. The Revolution Racing Technology Deck provides a unique training environment for the team’s development drivers, with 10 individual racing simulators complete with force-feedback steering wheels and surround sound. Through iRacing simulation software, drivers can test Legends Cars, open-wheel cars and full-bodied stock cars on a variety of race tracks from across the United States, Canada and Europe. “This is one more tool we are able to use for driver development,” said John Story, President of Revolution Racing. “Through our partnerships with iRacing, DogHouse Systems and Playseat America, along with our collaboration with Logitech, our drivers are able to climb into a simulator at their leisure and test at a different track without leaving the race shop.” In addition to driver development and training, the Revolution Racing Technology Deck offers opportunities for educational and youth groups to get an inside look at the world of motorsports. Through the Revolution Racing simulators, students can apply principles of science, technology, engineering and math to their own virtual race cars. “Science, technology, engineering and math are vital components of any young person’s school curriculum,” said Max Siegel, CEO of Revolution Racing. “Through the Revolution Racing Technology Deck, we can make these topics more relevant and accessible to students and drivers of any age.” The Revolution Racing simulators are built using components from DogHouse Systems, iRacing, Logitech and Playseat America. iRacing provides the simulation software, which allows drivers to race, practice or qualify in a wide variety of cars and tracks,  and is used by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Marcos Ambrose, Brad Keselowski and a number of other drivers from all forms of motorsports. The simulation software from iRacing is run on a DogHouse Systems Elite Gaming Machine, a customized version of the DogHouse Armor VS. “To say we are excited to be teaming up with Revolution Racing would be an understatement,” said John Pryor of DogHouse Systems. “Many of us at DogHouse Systems are NASCAR fans and when we learned about the Drive for Diversity program and the Revolution Racing Technology Deck, we knew it was a program we would be proud to be affiliated with.” The simulator chassis are provided by Playseat America. Revolution Racing exclusively uses the Playseat Evolution racing chassis. The simulators come to life with Logitech G27 Racing Wheels, along with Logitech Z-2300 speakers and G-35 headsets which add authentic sound to complete the racing experience. Additional networking components needed to complete the Revolution Racing Technology Deck were provided by Best Buy Store #1133 in Mooresville, N.C. For more information about Revolution Racing’s simulation technology partners, please visit www.revracing.net About Revolution Racing Headquartered in Mooresville, N.C., Revolution Racing, owned by Max Siegel and John Story, brings together championship caliber executives, competition staff and equipment in a unique academy-style environment. Revolution currently operates four NASCAR K&N Pro Series East teams, under the direction of four-time K&N Pro Series champion Andy Santerre, and six NASCAR Whelen All‐American Series teams, led by former Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway track champion Blair Addis. In addition, Revolution Racing manages a youth racing initiative that allows kids ages 8-14 to compete in the INEX Bandolero and INEX Legend cars. The team also trains aspiring female and minority pit crew athletes through the Drive for Diversity Crew Member Development program presented by Sprint. About DogHouse Systems Established in 2008, DogHouse Systems™ produces elite desktop computers for the most discriminating PC gamer. The DogHouse Systems™ machines offer the best performance value available on the market today. The company was founded by computer hardware professionals who love gaming and want to offer a product that is specifically built and tested to get the most performance out of a single machine without loading it with costly extras that provide little or no benefit. The engineers at DogHouse Systems™ tested scores of hardware configurations to find the perfect combination of quality components that, together, would create synergistic performance unmatched by competitors and backed by statistical benchmarks. These machines are not tweaked, juiced or over-clocked. They are the result of matching pure raw power with iron-clad stability. If these machines were athletes, they would have 100% muscle and 0% body fat. DogHouse Systems     proudly introduces – the Armor Series. DogHouse Systems™ offers four distinct levels of gaming desktop machines called the Armor Line. The entry-level VS, the ES series, the TL series and the flagship SS. DogHouse also offers an elite gaming laptop called Mobius. Each machine is built with the most balanced configuration so you don’t have to worry about a confusing deluge of options that have no real-world performance gain and do nothing but eat into your wallet. Each Doghouse Systems™ machine demonstrates astounding capability that will give you years of dominant gaming. About iRacing.com iRacing was founded in 2004 by Dave Kaemmer and John Henry. Kaemmer was co-founder of Papyrus Design Group, developers of award-winning racing simulations including NASCAR Racing: 2003 Season and Grand Prix Legends. Henry is principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Sports Group – the co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing – as well as an avid simracer. iRacing has developed numerous corporate relationships in the motorsport industry, including agreements to develop track simulations with International Speedway Corporation, Speedway Motorsports and Panoz Motor Sports Group.  iRacing is the official simulation partner of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Sports Car Club of America, Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, Star Mazda Championship, Skip Barber Racing School and Australia’s V8 Super School. The iRacing service is open to racers and fans of all skill levels from top-level pros to complete beginners. To join in the fun, go to www.iRacing.com. About Playseat Playseat is the premier manufacturer of gaming furniture worldwide, a well-known brand in gaming, and an international registered trademark®. What started out as a simple garage concept created out of a leftover car seat and rusty scrap metal single handedly re-defined in-home gaming and revolutionized an industry. Corporately based in Holland/Netherlands, Playseat was officially founded  in 2000 by current president and ’97 Dutch Enduro 125cc Champion Dr. Fernando Smit. Inspired by his racing career, Dr. Smit wanted to find a w ay to bring the experience home, and felt the quickly advancing technology of the video game industry bridged that gap of realism, all that was missing was a realistic interface to round out the experience. Thus, the first Playseat was born, which has since evolved into a multitude of products that encompass all facets of gaming, truly making Playseat the Ultimate Gaming Experience. Founded in 2002, Playseat America handles all North and South America sales, marketing and distribution of Playeat products.

Romero Scores Season Best Finish

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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

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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.

RIF Partners with NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity to Bring Racing Excitement to Charlotte Schools

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On June 1 and 3, Reading Is Fundamental partnered with Revolution Racing’s Drive for Diversity to bring NASCAR excitement to book distributions at Amay James Pre-K and Plaza Road Pre-K in Charlotte, N.C. RIF could find no better partner in Charlotte, N.C. to support our Multicultural Literacy Campaign than the Drive for Diversity initiative, which shares RIF’s goal of reaching out to young people in minority communities. Drive for Diversity is NASCAR’s top corporate initiative bringing minority and female drivers to the racing circuit. The goal of the initiative is to diversify NASCAR’s competitor and audience base, introducing a new generation of race fans to the sport. Read more…

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

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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

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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

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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.

Another Historic Weekend for Revolution Racing

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It was another historic weekend for Revolution Racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, with Ryan Gifford earning his first career Coors Light Pole Award for the UNOH Performance 200 at Martinsville Speedway. Gifford went on to lead 99 laps of the race before a battery failure dropped him to the tail-end of the field on a restart. He rebounded to a 12th-place finish in the rain shortened event. It is the first East series pole for Revolution Racing and the fifth pole for the team in its five months of operation. It is also the most laps lead by a Revolution Racing driver this season. Gifford is the first African American pole winner in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East history. “I really wasn’t expecting the pole, I was expecting a top five, but to come out here and get it done on the second lap when everyone else was running their fast-time on their first lap is awesome,” said Gifford, driver of the No. 2 Revolution Racing Chevrolet. “It says what kind of cars we have over there at Revolution. I wish I could say somebody’s name and thank them for coming on board, but we really don’t have a big name on the side of the car this week so hopefully that will come about for the next few races.” Darrell Wallace, Jr., who became the youngest driver and first African American to win a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race earlier this season, scored his second consecutive third-place finish in the No. 6 Revolution Racing Chevrolet, leading 15 laps along the way. Wallace is currently second in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings, just 8 points behind leader Ryan Truex. “It was a great points day for us, it moved us up to second which is awesome but I hate we had to start at the back,” said Wallace, who qualified fifth but started at the rear of the 32 car field due to an unapproved adjustment. “It was a fun race, I had to use a lot of patience and work my way through the field to the third-place finish.” Sergio Pena, driver of the No. 4 Revolution Racing Chevrolet, qualified third for the UNOH Performance 200 and ran in the top 10 for most of the day. Pena was forced to pit for damage to the left front fender after an accident late in the race and slipped to 14th before rain moved into the area, shortening the race to 175 laps. Pena is 14th in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings. Mackena Bell’s string of bad luck continued this weekend, with motor problems plaguing the No. 8 Revolution Racing Chevrolet all weekend. Bell also suffered a flat tire and had to pit under green, putting her three laps down to the leaders spoiling what could have been a top-10 run for the No. 8 car. She finished 18th in the race after qualifying 23rd, but continues to show improvement every week. “I was really impressed with Mackena this weekend,” said Jerry Babb, crew chief for the No. 8. “She fought two issues that were out of her control between the engine trouble and the flat tire, but used it as motivation to keep digging instead of letting it get her rattled. We see improvement with her every week. Race four was better than race three and race three was better than race two. Her stamina and physical fitness level is right where they need to be, and now she has some experience in these East cars. We’re confident that race five will be even better than race four.” The UNOH Performance 200 from Martinsville Speedway will air Thursday, June 10 at 6 p.m. ET on SPEED. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East returns to action Friday, June 25 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. For more information about Revolution Racing, or for sponsorship opportunities with the team, please visit www.revolutionracing.net.

Disappointing End to Strong Run for Cherry

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Revolution Racing’s Michael Cherry put up his best qualifying effort of the year at Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday night, qualifying third for the 100 lap feature. Unfortunately for Cherry, a brush with the wall midway through the race knocked the exhaust loose on the No. 2 MBC Group Late Model and ended his night early. “It’s a shame. We had such a good run going and we knocked ourselves out of contention battling for the lead,” said Cherry. “It was a disappointing end, but we’ve definitely hit on something here that we can bring back next week and hopefully make another run at it.” Cherry was credited with a 10th-place finish. Cherry’s Revolution Racing teammates Jessica Brunelli and Becca Kasten also competed Saturday night. Kasten qualified eighth and finished seventh in the No. 5 AirTight Late Model. Brunelli qualified 11th and finished ninth, despite an ignition box issue on the No. 1 Late Model early in the race. The Revolution Racing Late Models were also at Tri-County Motor Speedway on Friday night, but the race was cancelled due to inclement weather. Brunelli, Cherry and Kasten will race Twin 35’s at Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday, June 11 before returning to Hickory Motor Speedway for a 50 lap event on Saturday, June 12.

Gifford Claims Martinsville Pole (MartinsvilleSpeedway.com)

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When Mike Stefanik first raced at Martinsville Speedway, Ryan Gifford hadn’t been born. But Saturday the oldster and the youngster were the fastest in qualifying for Sunday’s Made In America Whelen 200 and the UNOH Performance 200. Stefanik is the defending champion in the Made In America 200 NASCAR Modified Tour race and has five Martinsville wins to his credit. So it was no surprise when the Coventry, RI, driver turned in a fast lap of 19.053 seconds (99.386 mph) to capture the pole. Todd Szegedy qualified second at 19.128 (98.996) and Ron Silk was third at 19.135 (98.960). George Brunnhoelzl III and Bobby Santos rounded out the top five. The Made In America Whelen 200 takes the green flag at 1 p.m. Sunday followed by the UNOH Performance 200 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race. “I’ve been coming to Martinsville since 1986 and right from the get-go we were pretty good. I think we finished second that first year,” said Stefanik. “Martinsville has been very good to me over the years.” The top 10 qualifiers for the Made In America Whelen 200 redrew for starting position following time trials. Frank Fleming and Ted Christopher will start on the front row, while the second row will be made up of Eric Beers and Bobby Santos. Stefanik redrew ninth and Szegedy 10th. Gifford is just 21 years old, born three years after Stefanik’s first Martinsville race. This was his first trip to Martinsville, but he handled it like a old pro. The Winchester, TN, driver turned a lap of 20.561 seconds (92.097) to edge Brett Moffitt for the pole. It was Gifford’s first career East Series pole. Sergio Pena of Winchester will start third Sunday, followed by Ryan Truex and Darrell Wallace. Read the rest on Maritinsvillespeedway.com

Gifford Gets First Pole (NASCARHomeTracks.com)

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Ryan Gifford continued Revolution Racing’s historic first-year in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. The 21-year-old from Winchester, Tenn., earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award Saturday with a lap of 20.561 seconds (92.097 mph) in qualifying for Sunday’s UNOH Performance 200 at Martinsville Speedway. It was the first series pole for Revolution Racing and the NASCAR-supported Drive for Diversity initiative, and Gifford became the first African-American pole winner in series history. Read more at NASCARHomeTracks.com

Weekend Preview

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This weekend will mark the first stand-alone NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, and will also mark the first start at the historic speedway for all four Revolution Racing drivers. Coming off of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East/West Challenge at Iowa Speedway two weeks ago, the Revolution Racing team is ready to get back to short track racing. Event Information: UNOH Performance 200  Martinsville Speedway (Martinsville, Va.) Sunday, June 6 at 3 p.m. ET (TV: SPEED, June 10, 6 p.m. ET)   Track Information: Martinsville Speedway is a 0.526-mile, paperclip-shaped oval with flat straightaways and 12 degree banking in the turns.   Mackena Bell Team: No. 8 Chevrolet  Crew Chief: Jerry Babb Bell on turning her luck around at Martinsville Speedway: “Hopefully we left the bad luck out in Iowa and we can turn things around with a successful run at Martinsville Speedway. We’ve had good cars every week, but we just haven’t been able to put together the finishes we need. A solid run this weekend would go a long way for this No. 8 team.” Fast Facts:
  • This is a season of new tracks for Bell, who raced primarily on the West coast before relocating to North Carolina earlier this year. This will mark her first career start at Martinsville Speedway. 
  • Bell qualified 15th of 49 cars at Iowa Speedway. She blew a right front tire with 20 laps to go, hitting the turn four wall before the car caught on fire and came to rest in the tri-oval grass. 
  • Bell is the only female driver on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series entry list for this weekend’s UNOH Performance 200 at Martinsville Speedway. 
  Ryan Gifford Team: No 2 Chevrolet Crew Chief: Lee McCall Gifford on Martinsville Speedway: “Martinsville has so much history, it’s just crazy. I’ve always wanted to race at places like Martinsville; it’s the Mecca of short track racing. I’m big on short-track racing and the go-kart track I learned on was shaped a lot like Martinsville, but just a smaller version. It had long straights and tight turns.” Fast Facts:
  • Gifford’s string of top five finishes in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East came to an end last weekend at Iowa Speedway after pitting under green for a flat tire took him out of contention. 
  • Gifford has five top-five finishes in seven NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts. 
  • After three races, Gifford is fifth in the 2010 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East points standings. 
  Sergio Pena Team: No. 4 Chevrolet Crew Chief: Mark McFarland Pena on short track racing: “I love short track racing. To me, short track racing is real racing for a driver. It’s hard to pass and you have to work for every position. I’ve never raced at Martinsville, but I’ve been told that I’m going to love it. I’m looking forward to racing on Sunday.” Fast Facts:
  • Pena is currently 15th in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings after three races. 
  • Pena made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series debut at the Toyota Showdown at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in January. He qualified on the pole and finished second to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano. 
  • On his off weekends from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, Pena has been racing late models at Shenandoah Speedway where he has won three consecutive races and leads the points standings. 
  Darrell Wallace Jr. Team: No. 6 Chevrolet Crew Chief: Robert Huffman Wallace on Martinsville Speedway: “We turned some laps at Martinsville Speedway last fall in the late model, but unfortunately we didn’t make the big show up there. I’m looking forward to getting up there in these East cars against the competition in this series and seeing what we can do. We’ve had a great start to the season and we’re ready to keep it rolling.” Fast Facts:
  • Wallace finished third at Iowa Speedway two weeks ago, earning his second top-three finish in three races.
  • Wallace made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut one for the record books, becoming the youngest driver (16 years, 5 months and 19 days) and first African American to win in series history. He led three times for 22 laps.
  • After three NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races, Wallace is third in the overall standings and second in rookie points.
  Three of Revolution Racing’s  late model drivers will also compete this weekend on the short tracks of North Carolina. The trio of Jessica Brunelli, Michael Cherry and Becca Kasten will have a double-header weekend, racing at Tri-County Motor Speedway (Hudson, N.C.) on Friday night and Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday night. Event Information: Late Model Stock 50 laps Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday, June 4 at 8 p.m.   Late Model Stock 100 laps Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday, June 5 at 7 p.m.   Jessica Brunelli Team: No. 1 Late Model Crew Chief: David Flynn Brunelli on getting her first start at Tri-County: “I think I’m the only Revolution Racing late model driver who hasn’t had the opportunity to race at Tri-County yet. We’ve had a series of circumstances that has kept us from getting in that first start, but I know we’ll be good when we get to racing. We’ve tested and qualified well out there, and my teammates have all had good runs there. Hopefully the weather will hold off this week and I’ll get to see what I can do in a 50 lap race.”   Fast Facts:
  • Brunelli will be making her first start at Tri-County Motor Speedway this weekend after rain washed out her first attempt on May 14 after a fourth-place qualifying effort.
  • After just four starts this season, Brunelli has one top five 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 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 rebounding after a wreck: “Man we had a tough day at Hickory last weekend. We had a good car and we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time and got caught up in someone else’s mess. The guys worked hard this week to get the car put back together and we’ll go out there this week and race like nothing happened. Last week is history and we’ve got to go out there and race as hard as we can.” Fast Facts:
  • Cherry qualified fifth at Hickory Motor Speedway last weekend, but was involved in an on-track incident that sent him to the garage early.
  • Cherry has finished second in both of his starts at Tri-County Motor Speedway this season.
  • After eight races this season, Cherry has three top fives and seven 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 last weekend’s top 10 at Hickory: “We battled with a loose race car all day at Hickory, and it showed in the race. Fortunately we were able to avoid the big wrecks and come away with a solid sixth-place finish. We learned what worked, what didn’t work and what we need to do to make the car better for this weekend. I think we’ll be able to run strong at both tracks this weekend with the No. 5 AirTight machine.” Fast Facts:
  • Kasten scored her best finish of the season last weekend at Hickory Motor Speedway, finishing sixth.
  • 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.

Gifford Gunning for East Win (Martinsville Speedway.com)

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Ryan Gifford’s grandfather was a drag racer. But when it came time for Gifford to choose a path, he opted for straightaways that had a turn at the end. It seems like it was a pretty good decision. The 21-year-old Gifford has finished in the top five in two of the first three races of the season on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and headed into the Made In America Whelen 200/UNOH Performance 200 at Martinsville Speedway on June 6, he is fifth in the series points standings. “My grandfather used to be a drag racer. I had a big interest in either racing junior dragsters or go karts. There was a go-kart track about 15 minutes down the road from us,” said the Winchester, TN driver, who was eight years old at the time. “He took me down there and I fell in love with it. “ He conquered the World Karting Association and moved to dirt late models in 2005 and immediately started winning races. He caught the eye of Sprint Cup team owner Richard Childress and signed on as a developmental driver for RCR in 2009. He remains an RCR driver, but is also a member of the 2010 Drive For Diversity Class, racing for Revolution Racing. Read the rest…