Rev Racing Still in Championship Hunt at Greenville Pickens Speedway

CONCORD, NC (October 28, 2012) Good finishes in Saturday night’s Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140, at Greenville Pickens Speedway, weren’t enough to keep Rev Racing’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East team at the top of the championship point standings. However, Kyle Larson remains in good position heading into the series final race at Rockingham Speedway, six points out of the championship. Starting the night in the second position, Larson continued to hold off the remaining field before being shuffled back to sixth on lap 105. After falling back as far as ninth, Larson was able to weave his No. 6 Rev Racing and L&M Ethanol Maintenance & Contracting, Inc. Toyota back into the top five as the laps began to wind down. Avoiding a collision on lap 136, Larson was shuffled back in the field. Not letting this stop him from the best finish possible, Larson quickly wove his way into the top five narrowly avoiding the pile up in Turn 4 on the final lap and crossed the finish line in fourth. “I’ll take a fourth place finish after getting slammed around a few times,” said Larson. “I am pretty happy with the way the points are going into the Rock.” Bringing home this team’s second top-10 of the night, Larson’s teammate Bryan Ortiz was also forced to overcome several challenges for his sixth place finish. Starting the night off in sixth, Ortiz moved his No. 4 Toyota Racing Development / Breast Cancer Awareness Camry, into the top three during the opening laps of the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140. Holding this position as this race approached the half way point, a broken shifter forced Ortiz to fall back in the field. After clawing his way back to 12th, Ortiz was forced to the rear of the field after a pit road speeding penalty. Refusing to quit, Ortiz was able to race his way back into the top-10 with 16 laps remaining. Also avoiding the wild finish under the checkered flag, Ortiz’s No. 4 crossed the finish in sixth. “This was not our night,” said Ortiz. “Not sure how I made it back into the sixth position. Fortunately, we have a good car for next weekend’s final season race.” Larson and Ortiz, along with their teammates Ryan Gifford and Jorge Arteaga, will wrap up their 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season in next Saturday’s Classic 3 Championship, presented by RCR Racing Museum, at Rockingham Speedway.

Rev Racing Continues Championship Battle While Honoring Breast Cancer Survivors at Greenville Pickens Speedway

CONCORD, NC (October 25, 2012) Rev Racing Racing Rookie, Kyle Larson, will continue to battle for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship in this Saturday’s Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140 at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway. Originally scheduled to be the 11th event on the 14-race schedule, the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140 will now be a major factor in shaping the championship picture. Originally to be contested, Sept. 3, Brett Moffitt had a 20-point lead on Larson with four races to go before rain washed out everything but practice and this race was rescheduled. Now, following a win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and a top-five finish at Dover International Speedway, Larson holds a slim points lead heading into one of the final two races of the season and is eyeing this program’s first NASCAR touring series championship. “We’ve been pretty consistent all year and you’ve got to be consistent to win,” said Larson. “My No. 6 Rev Racing and L&M Ethanol Maintenance & Contracting, Inc. Toyota has been pretty strong this season and while we really haven’t had the best car all year, or on any (single) night, we’ve always been there at the end and I am hoping that this continues in the last two races of the season.” While keeping their eyes on the prize, Rev Racing will also be honoring those who battle a much more difficult challenge, defeating breast cancer. The No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Camry, driven by Rookie of the Year contender, Bryan Ortiz, will be adorned in hot pink and pink ribbons to remember and commemorate two very special breast cancer survivors. “My mom is a two time breast cancer survivor and I try to do everything I can to promote breast cancer awareness,” said Ortiz. “I am so thankful to have the opportunity to celebrate my mom in this way and can’t wait to race and have a great run, hopefully a win, for her.” This hot pink No. 4 Toyota Camry is also a special salute to the mother of Jefferson Hodges, Rev Racing’s director of competition. “I am proud to be associated with a team and sponsors who are willing to change their identity to honor such a great cause as Breast Cancer Awareness,” said Hodges. “Nothing makes me happier than knowing that because of all the research and advancements in the cure for this horrible disease that my mom is still around to see our hot pink No. 4 Toyota Camry.” Additionally, the hood features a design by Rev Racing’s own Mackena Bell, one she submitted into a T-shirt design contest sponsored by Toyota to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Drive For Diversity Combine Day 2 – Drivers Hit Track At Langley For Full Day Of Testing

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Dylan Smith peeled off the track following his practice laps at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va., Wednesday morning and keyed the radio: “Hey guys, I just want to say ‘thank you’ for this opportunity.” It’s a sentiment that was shared among the 17 candidates that took part in the on-track portion of the 2012 NASCAR Drive for Diversity (D4D) Combine put on by Rev Racing. After the combine kicked off with fitness evaluations and iRacing simulations Tuesday, the drivers got to show what they could do Wednesday in three identically prepared Late Models on the .4-mile NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track. For some, like Annabeth Barnes, from Hiddenite, N.C., it was redemption. “This is a really great experience for all of us here,” said Barnes. “Everybody is really, really talented, so it’s great to be put in this group of drivers. We’re all given this great opportunity to show what we have that you wouldn’t get anywhere else. “I came here last year – my first time here – and I was disappointed in myself. Coming to a different track that you’ve never raced before is hard. I traveled around a lot racing this year, trying to get prepared for this. So coming in, I was a lot more confident and I was a lot more prepared.” The day was divided into a morning and afternoon session, with each of the drivers getting an opportunity to make 10-lap runs. Headquartered in Concord, N.C., Rev Racing, owned by Max Siegel, operates the NASCAR Drive For Diversity program, which is the industry’s leading developmental program for multicultural and women drivers and pit crew members. Rev Racing fields cars in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. The 2013 Rev Racing team will be selected from among the 2012 Rev Racing drivers and the Combine participants. This year’s Combine class included drivers from 12 U.S. states as well as Canada and Mexico, and a variety of racing experience from sprint cars to Late Models. Their common goal of making their way up the NASCAR ladder brought them to Virginia. “I love this place,” said Smith. “This is a great opportunity. You get to hang around people that can relate to you, and know some of the struggles and some of the things you’ve gone through. That’s really cool.” The Combine will conclude Wednesday with additional on-track testing sessions. The NASCAR D4D program created in 2004 is now executed by Rev Racing. Currently the top two rookies in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Kyle Larson and Bryan Ortiz are in the 2012 D4D class, while Larson and Rev Racing graduate Darrell Wallace Jr. made their national series debuts this year. Earlier this season, Wallace became the first African-American to win a pole award in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, while Larson has been impressive in several NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts. Drivers at the Combine include: Devon Amos, Rio Ranch, N.M.; Dustin Ash, Las Vegas; Annabeth Barnes, Hiddenite, N.C.; Collin Cabre, Thonotosassa, Fla.; Kayla Cazares, Goffstown, N.H.; Amber Colvin, Mooresville, N.C.; Jessica Dana, Olympia, Wash.; Paige Decker, Eagle River, Wis.; Cassie Gannis, Phoenix, Ariz.; Lindsay Katz, Kalmazoo, Mich.; Jack Madrid, San Clemente, Calif.; Kate McCall, Port Orange, Fla.; Dallas Montes, Bakersfield, Calif.; Hannah Newhouse, Twin Falls, Idaho; Dylan Smith, Randolph, Vt.; Daniel Suarez, Monterrey, Mexico; Erica Thiering, Sherwood Park, Alberta.

NASCAR And The Black Expo – Jacksonville Edition

Fueling Your Dreams and NASCAR Diversity teamed up with the Black Expo for the second time this year at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center in Jacksonville, FL. This event allowed us to continue building a partnership with the Black Expo brand as well as expose the sport of NASCAR to a new and engaged audience. The Toyota show car and the iRacing simulator again proved to be eye catching along with the pop-up banners of race car specs, the 2012 Toyota Camry and the African American history in NASCAR display. The history banner was especially relevant and introduced many of those who visited our footprint to a piece of racing history special to the Jacksonville area. NASCAR driver and African American, Wendell Scott, won the first and only top division event in NASCAR at Speedway Park, which was located in Jacksonville in 1963. In addition to the assets, Rev Racing drivers Ryan Gifford and Dylan Smith were on hand as representatives of the diversity efforts in NASCAR and imparted knowledge and information to some curious, eager visitors. They also signed autographs and took pictures with some of their new fans!

Season Comes To An End For Bell And Gibson, On A Good Note

By: Mike Petteway for Triadsportscoverage.com The 2012 Late Model campaign closed out for the two Rev Racing drivers, Mackena Bell and Trey Gibson, with the running of the Pepsi Fall Brawl presented by Gold King at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night. After the grueling 200+ laps behind the wheel, Gibson picked up a fourth place finish while Bell crossed the stripe in eighth. Bell had been battling a case of bronchitis the past few days but that didn’t deter her performance. Rain showers delayed the evening’s schedule but the track crew quickly dried the racing surface and qualifying took place for the 22 Late Model cars entered in the 200 Lap Feature. Mackena Bell wins her first ever Late Model Pole at Hickory It was Bell capturing her first ever Late Model pole and Gibson sliding into the eighth starting spot. “We were in Dover all day on Friday and we drove all night to be here (Hickory) and I was in the infield care center at Dover with bronchitis, it’s been crazy,” said Bell. Her Rev Racing crew had prepared a great car for this final race of the year. “We ran twenty laps in practice and the car didn’t need any changes, we were just really good right off the trailer,” Bell said. Mackena held the lead for the first 28 laps, “I didn’t really want to over do it so I just let them go and thought that it would all come back to me.” Bell said her car got tight in the middle of the first 100 lap segment and then it became loose in the final 100 laps. “I was racing really hard and on the green white checker I had moved up to fourth place on the white flag lap but coming out of turn two it was four wide and I was in the middle, some place that you never want to be,” explained Bell. “It was a really good year and I’m thankful for the opportunity, thanks to Rev Racing, Max Siegel, TRD, Toyota, Good Year, Jefferson and all the guys on my team,” Bell said. She added that she is “super bummed” that the year is over but is looking forward to many more years in her racing career. Bell’s team mate, Trey Gibson brought his #2 Toyota home in fourth in the season finale. Gibson said that he drove conservatively in the first 100 laps trying to save his tires. “I was careful not to use up my left side tires since we had to keep those on the car for the last 100 laps of the race.” Gibson said his car was a little too tight in the first segment but his crew chief, Mardy, made the correct adjustments at the break to free him up to make him more competitive. “We had a fast car and I was running laps times faster than the leaders at the end, but we just started too far back to catch them,” Gibson said. “The last 30 laps I gave it all I had, and overall it was a good night.” Trey Gibson awaits the start of the final race of 2012 Trey said it was a good solid run and a good way to end the season with a strong fourth place finish. “I couldn’t do this without Rev Racing, my crew chief Marty and all the guys that work on my Toyota,” said Gibson, “I want to thank all my sponsors, Lithium Pro Batteries, Toyota, and NASCAR Diversity for this amazing opportunity.”

Rev Racing Battles Monster – Resulting In Two Top-Five Positions In Championship Chase

CONCORD, NC (October 1, 2012) Following a toughly contested battle at the “Monster Mile,” Rev Racing Rookies, Kyle Larson and Bryan Ortiz, are now first and fifth in the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East points chase. With his fifth place finish in Friday’s American Real TV 150, at Dover International Speedway, Larson moves into the series points lead with teammate, Ortiz, following in fifth after his sixth place finish in the race. Despite being sent to the rear of the 28-car field after a transmission change prior to this race, Larson was able to put his No. 6 Rev Racing and L&M Ethanol Maintenance & Contracting, Inc. Toyota Camry, into the top-10 by the midway break, on lap 75. As the second half of this race began, Larson made a hard charge into the top-five with 60 laps remaining. Continuing to battle and avoid many of the issues that plagued his competitors, Larson was able to hold on to a top-five with the wave of the checkered flag. “Although I was hoping for another win after last week, I am thankful for this top-five after some difficult restarts,” said Larson. “I am also glad to take over the points lead and hope to continue this through the last two races of the season.” Following a sixth place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, teammate and Rookie of the Year contender, Ortiz, continued to maintain his top-five position in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series points standings with another excellent finish in the American Real TV 150. Rolling off the grid in ninth, Ortiz was able to maintain this position, before moving his No. 4 Puerto Rico Does It Better Toyota into the top-six, on lap 60. Avoiding a stalled car on the frontstretch on lap 73, Ortiz fell back to seventh going into the halfway break. After encountering continued handling issues throughout the second half, Ortiz continued to fall back in the field before finding his stride in the closing laps of this race where he would cross the finish line in sixth. “This isn’t exactly the finish that we wanted,” said Ortiz. “We had to deal with several issues out of our control during this race and because of my great team we came back and finished strong and I am looking forward to the last two races.” Ready for an exciting end to the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Season, Derik Crotts, General Manager, Rev Racing said that these teams and drivers continue to work hard for a successful season. “The Rev Racing team faced several challenges at the Monster Mile, but did some great work to finish where we did,” said Crotts. “It is nice to have first and fifth place standings in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Championship Chase with only two races remaining. This is going to be an exciting finish to the season, no doubt.” Larson and Ortiz, along with their teammates Ryan Gifford and Jorge Arteaga, will make their return to the track in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140, at Greenville Pickens Speedway, in Greenville, SC, on Saturday, October 27.