CONCORD, NC (August 14, 2012) Rev Racing’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series drivers, Trey Gibson and Mackena Bell, continued a successful run in the twin 50-lap feature races at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday.
Dodging rain drops throughout the day, Gibson and Bell were able to battle a slick race track for two top-10 starting positions in the first of the two 50-lap races. After the wave of the green flag, Gibson, driver of the No. 2 Lithium Pros Toyota Camry, was able to push his way to third. While teammate, Bell continued to battle an ill handling car without losing her eighth place starting position.
Competing against a tight field, Gibson and Bell continued to hold their positions throughout this race, resulting in a third place finish for Gibson with Bell following in eighth.
The second race of the night was plagued with issues for both Gibson and Bell. After fourth and seventh place starting positions, Bell was the first to experience a problem after blowing a left rear tire on lap two. After a quick trip to the pits for repairs to her No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Camry, Bell returned to the track without losing a lap.
After several adjustments were made prior to the second race, Gibson also began to have trouble holding onto his No. 2 Camry when exiting off the corners, causing him to fall back to the fifth position after only 10 laps of this 50 lap race. Finding some grip in the final laps, Gibson battled back to fourth where he would remain until the final 10 laps. Unable to keep the throttle down on his No. 2 Lithium Pros Toyota Camry, Gibson fell back to sixth where he would cross the finish, with Bell following in seventh.
“Despite dealing with some handling issues, it was a decent night with two top-10’s” said Gibson. “I am thankful to this team for their hard work tonight as well as my supportive sponsors. We will be back this weekend looking for a much stronger run.”
“We made a lot of changes to the No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Camry on Saturday, which had me struggling a bit in the first race” said Bell. “Fortunately, I was back up to speed in the second race, but was forced to fight back due to a flat tire. So proud of my guys for working so hard and can’t wait to gain some ground this weekend.”
Both drivers will have an opportunity to battle for the win in this Saturday night’s feature Advance Auto NASCAR Whelen All-American Series race, at Hickory Motor Speedway.
CONCORD, NC (Aug 6, 2012) Taking the term road warriors to heart, Rev Racing ran in both the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West Pork Be Inspired 150, in Newton, IA, on Friday night and then traveled to Hickory, NC for a Saturday race in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. All this hard work leading to a top five finish in both races.
Friday night’s Pork 150, at Iowa Speedway, started with Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 6 L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting Toyota Camry, rolling off in fifth with his teammate, Bryan Ortiz, close behind in his No. 4 Toyota/Toyota Racing Development Camry, in eighth. Rounding out the 36 car field were Rev Racing drivers Ryan Gifford in 16th and Jorge Arteaga in 24th.
On lap 15, smoke began to appear from the rear of Gifford’s No. 2 Universal Technical Institute/NASCAR Technical Institute Toyota Camry. By lap 17, Gifford would have to take his car to the garage for engine repairs and would not return until lap 70.
At the halfway break, on lap 75, Larson would lead the Rev Racing team of drivers in the fourth position overall, followed by Ortiz in 12th, Arteaga in 20th and Gifford in 35th.
“The first half of the race I kind of just rode around searching for different lines that might help me in the second half,” said Larson.
Larson found that his car ran best on the high groove and moved his L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting Camry into the lead on lap 132. On lap 135, a multi-car wreck in turn two would bring out a red flag situation and set the stage for an exciting finish. Before the restart, knowing there were only 15 cars on the lead lap and that he was running 14th, Ortiz brought his Camry in for a quick adjustment.
“We had a great car in practice but I just couldn’t get it to handle during the race,” said Ortiz. “We tried everything but nothing seemed to work. It was a tough night but we’ll be ready for Greenville.”
Teammate, Arteaga would be the only Rev Racing driver to benefit from the red flag by being the recipient of the “lucky dog” and finding himself on the lead lap, in 15th position, during the restart.
“It was a very complicated first half of this race,” said Arteaga. “The team did a great job of making adjustments at the break and we were really good in the second half. I am happy with the results.”
When the race restarted, Larson was hoping everyone fighting for position might bring out another caution.
“My car would start to fall off after five or six laps, so I knew it was going to be tough to remain in front for so many laps,” added Larson. “ I was hoping there might be another caution but it didn’t go that way.”
Corey LaJoie would pull ahead of Larson on lap 141 and take the win. Larson would come home in second and moved up to second in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East point’s race, just 20 points out of first, with four races remaining.
“While I would have liked to claim the win in the Pork Be Inspired 150, second isn’t bad at all when you consider all the bad luck we had at Columbus,” said Larson.
Arteaga would claim the second best finish of the Rev Racing drivers in 11th position. Ortiz would finish the night in 14th position but only finds himself one point out of the top five in series standings. After a tough night, Gifford would bring home a 33rd place finish.
It was well after midnight before the team finished the NASCAR post-race technical inspection at Iowa. After which the Rev Racing team would quickly load up their equipment and head to the airport for early morning flights back to North Carolina. There they would link up with their NASCAR Whelen All-American Series equipment, which was ready and waiting at Hickory Motor Speedway.
Running on caffeine and adrenaline, the team arrived just in time for the first practice session. Drivers, Trey Gibson and Mackena Bell quickly showed that they were more than ready to race with both posting fast times and looking forward to qualifying. However, rain showers canceled the late model qualifying efforts and track points standings would determine the starting positions.
After missing several races at this track, while supporting their teammates at previous K&N events, Gibson would line up fifth with Bell in ninth.
On lap 6, Gibson and his No. 2 Lithium Pros Toyota Camry, would be involved in an incident going into turn two. While he was able to avoid any damage, NASCAR Officials would rule that Gibson intentionally turned the car in front of him sending Gibson to the rear of the 12 car field.
“We haven’t been able to race for several weeks, so we were a little rusty at first,” said Gibson. “Fortunately, I had a great car, and it didn’t take us long to get back into the groove. I didn’t try to turn the 11, he just slowed in front of me and it was all I could do to keep from running over him and ruining both of our cars. Luckily, neither one of us had any damage. It was simply a racing incident.”
Gibson would drive his car back through the field and would quickly be back in the fifth position. While gaining on the third and fourth place cars, Gibson remained in the fifth position when the checkered flag flew on lap 50.
“It’s not the finish we wanted or expected but it was good to be back racing,” said Gibson. “I’m so proud of everything this entire organization did to get me and Mackena back here to race. This took a lot of effort on the part of everyone and shows how committed they are to seeing us succeed.”
Bell, who started the night in ninth in her No.4 Toyota Racing Development Camry, would move up as high as seventh but would end the race in the same position she started.
“We practiced and had everything set up to run the high groove,” said Bell. “ The rain cooled the track and meant that line just wasn’t there. So, even though the No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Camry car was fast, the handling just wasn’t what I needed to move up. It was fun to be back in the seat after so many weeks off though.”
Rev Racing’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series drivers will be back in action at Hickory Motor Speedway for the Twin-50’s on Saturday, August 11, with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East drivers making their return to the track at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, in Greenville, SC, on Monday, September 3.
CONCORD, NC (August 2, 2012) After a rough night at Columbus Motor Speedway, Rev Racing is ready to show that they have what it takes to be competitive in their return visit to Iowa Speedway Friday night for the Pork Be Inspired 150 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West combination race.
Following up on his top-10 finish earlier this season, title contender, Kyle Larson said that he is looking forward to returning to this .875-mile, banked asphalt oval.
“We were quick at this track in the last combination race,” said Larson. “Although we lost some ground in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East points battle in Columbus, I believe that this team has worked hard to bounce back and get the No. 6 L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting Camry ready for competition.”
Continuing on his strong run at Columbus Motor Speedway, current Rookie of the Year points leader and teammate, Bryan Ortiz is geared up for another strong run at Iowa Speedway.
“My No. 4 Toyota/ Toyota Racing Development Camry was strong here earlier this season until a late race incident caused me to fall out of the top five,” said Ortiz. “Fortunately, we have continued to gain ground this season and I feel very positive about Friday night’s race.”
Larson and Ortiz will join their NASCAR K&N Pro Series East teammates, Ryan Gifford and Jorge Arteaga in the lineup for the Pork Be Inspired 150 on Friday night, August 3.
CONCORD, NC (August 1, 2012) Enduring every challenge in his way, Rev Racing’s Dylan Smith brought home a sixth place finish in the Jack in the Box Summer Shootout Series, NOS Energy Legend Car Semi-Pro feature, on Tuesday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
After losing control of his legendary No. 34 in the heat race, Smith lined up for the feature race in the 19th position. Enduring the next challenge of the night, Smith was involved in a five car pile up on lap six of this 13 lap race. Returning to the track in the 20th position, Smith continued to weave his way through the 24 car field before being spun again on lap 11.
Proving that he had one of the best cars in the field, Smith continued to persevere and broke into the top-10 with just one lap remaining in this caution filled race. With the wave of the final green flag, Smith was able to drive his Max Siegel, Inc.,Toyota and Langley Speedway legendary No. 34 into the 6th position where he would cross the finishing stripe.
“This team worked hard on this No.34 and I knew that it would be good. In fact, it was great!” exclaimed Smith. “I think my team proved it after this challenging race.”
Smith will return to the track next Tuesday night for Round 8 of the Jack in the Box Summer Shootout Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Still manage a top-10 finish in Jegs 150
CONCORD, NC (July 24, 2012) Rev Racing experienced a rough return to Columbus Motor Speedway on Saturday night, in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Jegs 150, only able to achieve a single top-10 finish.
Making his rookie appearance at Columbus Motor Speedway, Bryan Ortiz proved that he would be a top race contender by posting some of the fastest practice times and a solid qualifying run.
Despite running on the outside for most of the race, Ortiz held a top-10 position throughout a race that had fans on their feet. After slipping into the top five within the first 100 laps, Ortiz was forced to save the No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Camry after receiving a tap in the final stages of this race, which caused the him to slip back to the sixth position where he would cross the finish.
With his top ten finish, Ortiz was able to continue his climb in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East points standings and sits in seventh position only 45 points out of the lead. Additionally, he has taken over the points lead in Rookie of the Year standings.
“This was a great points night for my team,” said Ortiz. “Although I was hoping for another top five finish this week, it was a tough race and running on the outside was probably not the best decision at this track. I am happy that we were able to come home with a solid top-10 finish and are continuing to work hard and improve.”
Ortiz’s teammates weren’t as lucky. Only four points outside of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East points lead prior to the start of the Jegs 150, Kyle Larson continued to hold a top-10 position before a flat front tire sent the No. 6 L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting, Inc. Toyota Camry to the pits with 20 laps remaining. Larson’s night continued on a downward spiral when he received damage to the right rear after pulling into the pits. Attempting to limp around the track, Larson was forced to return for a second pit stop causing him to fall two laps down, resulting in his worst finish of the season in 21st position.
“This was a disappointing night,” said Larson. “Fortunately, I have a hard working team that will do everything that they can to get us back on top in Iowa.”
Making his return to Columbus Motor Speedway this season, teammate, Ryan Gifford, was able to battle back from a tough start to the day for a top-10 position before being spun in turn two with 35 laps to go, resulting in a 13th place finish.
“We had a lot of challenges thrown at us today,” said Gifford. “The No. 2 Universal Technical Institute/NASCAR Technical Institute Toyota Camry was strong come race time and I believe we could have had a top-10 finish, but everyone is out here to do everything that they can to win and sometimes they do things you just wouldn’t expect an experienced driver to do. We’ll keep our heads up and come back from this in Iowa.”
Jorge Arteaga’s inaugural run at Columbus also looked promising, as he battled for a Top 15 spot with a stout car under him. His night was prematurely ended when a cut right front tire sent him into the outside wall in Turn 2 on Lap 108, resulting in a 22nd place finish.
Rev Racing’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East drivers will make their return to the track in the Pork Be Inspired 150, at Iowa Speedway, in Newton, IA, on Saturday, August 3.
CONCORD, NC (July 18, 2012) Following a win at Columbus Motor Speedway last year, Rev Racing’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East team is looking forward to continued success in this Saturday’s Jegs 150 at the demanding one-third mile oval track.
After a win at Gresham Motorsports Park and a second place finish last weekend at CNB Bank Raceway Park in Clearfield, PA, Rev Racing rookie, Kyle Larson, is just four points out of the series lead. Hoping to continue on this hot streak, Larson said that he is excited about this weekend’s race.
“The team has been pretty consistent this year,” said Larson. “I know we’ll bring a good car to the track. I’ll just have to make sure I can take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves during the race.”
Following up on his top five finish at Clearfield, Bryan Ortiz, said that he hopes to race his No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Camry into the winner’s circle this weekend at Columbus Motor Speedway.
“After a strong run last weekend I feel more than confident of what this team can do,” said Ortiz. “Each race we improve and even though we had some bad luck at the beginning of the race last weekend, we worked really hard and came back to finish fifth. This weekend, I hope to improve that position for both a win and a good points night.”
Returning to Columbus Motor Speedway this season, Rev Racing veteran, Ryan Gifford, is poised and ready for a top finish in this weekend’s Jegs 150.
“Although I finished outside of the top-10 at this track last year, I know I can have a much better result this year, especially with the car and team I have working for me,” said Gifford.
Enduring several challenges in last Saturday’s race, driver of the No. 8 Toyota Camry, Jorge Arteaga, said that he is confident that he and his team will be ready for a good finish this weekend.
“I think we have a good car and I feel good about going into this weekend’s race,” said Arteaga. “My crew chief, Mark Green, and the rest of the crew have been working very hard on the No. 8 Sign Innovations Toyota Camry and we’re looking for a strong finish in Ohio.”
CONCORD, NC (July 16, 2012) After a hard fought night in Clearfield, PA, Rev Racing continued its impressive team performance in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East with three top five finishes in Saturday night’s Samuel 150, at CNB Bank Raceway Park. Rookie, Kyle Larson remains a championship contender with a second place finish, followed by veteran driver, Ryan Gifford, in fourth and fellow rookie of the year contender, Bryan Ortiz, in fifth.
With good qualifying runs, resulting in three top-10 starting positions for Larson, Ortiz and Gifford, and a 15th for teammate Jorge Arteaga, the team was poised for a good night of racing at the inaugural NASCAR K&N Pro Series East event at this challenging and fast track.
As Larson battled a loose race car during the first half of the race, teammates Ortiz and Gifford made their march to the front before Ortiz scraped the outside wall while attempting to move into the third position on lap 66. Although losing a few positions, Ortiz was able to remain inside the top-10, along with teammates Gifford and Larson as the race reached its midpoint break.
As the second half of this race began, Gifford was able to hang onto a top five position, with teammates Larson and Ortiz following close behind, while teammate Arteaga remained in a solid position just outside the top-10. With the adjustments and repairs made to his No. 6 L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting, Inc. Toyota Camry, Larson began a strong move through the field and would find himself in third with just 30 laps remaining in the race.
With just four laps remaining, an unexpected blackout on the backstretch placed the race in a red flag situation setting up a green-white-checker finish. With the wave of the green flag, Larson, Gifford and Ortiz all advanced their positions and crossed the finish line in second, fourth and fifth, respectively.
With his second place finish, Larson was able to move back into second place in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East point’s battle, just four points behind race winner and new points leader, Brett Moffitt.
“Although the start of this night was difficult, this was a good race,” said Larson. “After receiving some damage at the start, my team was able to make the right adjustments during the midpoint break and put my Camry back into contention for a win.”
Following a disappointing night at Langley Speedway, Gifford said that he was happy with the progress that his team made this week.
“The No. 2 Universal Technical Institute/NASCAR Technical Institute Toyota Camry was very competitive tonight and this team continues to put me in a car capable of winning,” said Gifford. “We just need to remain consistent and avoid other peoples mistakes to see the type of results we all know we can achieve.”
Like Larson, teammate, Ortiz continued to show his driving skill by overcoming early damage and steadily moving through the field for another top five finish.
“We had a strong night and I am very happy for both my team and sponsors,” stated Ortiz. “Although I feel we had a car to compete for the win before my incident, I am happy to bring home a top five and close the gap a little in the points chase.”
Sporting a new sponsor for the race, Arteaga had another good outing for the second straight race and brought his No. 8 Sign Innovations Camry home in 13th position, moving him into 14th in the Series points race.
“We chased the car most of the night and then got loose going for position late,” said Arteaga. “I hate it for the team and new sponsor, Sign Innovations. We had a solid top-10 car but I just drove it in a little too hard there at the end and lost it in turn two. Fortunately we gained some ground in the points race and I can’t wait to get back on the track.”
Rev Racing’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East drivers will make their return to the track in the Jegs 150, at Columbus Motor Speedway, in Columbus, OH, on Saturday, July 21.
CONCORD, NC (July 11, 2012) Sign Innovations will appear in the primary sponsor position on the No. 8, Toyota Camry, of Jorge Arteaga, for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race on July 14, 2012, in Clearfield, PA.
“We are excited to have Sign Innovations come on board for this race,” said Derik Crotts, General Manager, Rev Racing. “This small-business, which also happens to be woman, minority and veteran owned and operated, compliments the goals and objectives of our program really well. Plus, they produce a variety of products that have multiple uses in the industry. It’s a great fit.”
Sign Innovations is a full service commercial sign and visual brand communications company specializing in custom requirements for large format high-resolution digital graphics, displays and events, commercial building signage and vehicle advertising.
“While we’ve done some racing related work before, we’ve never been directly involved with a NASCAR race team,” said Deanna Duke, Owner/President of Sign Innovations. “We really like what Rev Racing is doing from a developmental standpoint for youth, women and minorities and felt like they offered a good opportunity and match for our company.”
So far in 2012, Rev Racing has continued to show growth and progress both on and off the track.
“We’ve been making tremendous strides this year as we revamp our program and its operations,” added Crotts. “This makes more than 10 new partners, in the past six months, that have shown a commitment to helping Rev Racing and NASCAR provide opportunities to female and minority drivers and pit crew members. With partners like Sign Innovations and others, we can and will make a difference in the sport.”
CONCORD, NC (July 2, 2012) The temperatures weren’t the only things hot at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night, as both Rev Racing NASCAR Whelen All-American Series drivers remained hot and finished second and ninth in a rare caution free race.
With the air temperatures at 105 degrees, and the track temperatures in excess of 150 degrees, it was going to be a challenge for drivers, crews and fans to find a comfortable spot on or off the track.
“This was one of the hottest race weekends I have experienced,” said Mackena Bell, driver of the No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Camry. “ Practice was really not helpful since the track was so greasy and slick.”
The impact of the heat showed as Bell could only manage a 13th best qualifying position, while teammate, Trey Gibson, would make it to the outside of the second row, in fourth.
“I simply misjudged the track because of the heat and I didn’t have the qualifying effort I wanted,” added Bell.
Once the green flag waved, all the drivers in the 15-car field were blistering around the track as if they wanted to get out of the heat as quickly as possible. By the halfway point Gibson was up to third and Bell had advanced two spots to 11th. With only 18 laps remaining, Gibson was in second and Bell in ninth , which is where they would finish this 50-lap feature.
“The track temperatures were still at 105 when the race started,” said Bell. “We had gotten the car fairly close and figured out the high line was working. If it wasn’t for a caution free race, we easily could have had a much better finish but a top-10 isn’t bad.”
Gibson credits his conditioning to helping him overcome the heat and bringing his No. 2 Lithium Pros Toyota Camry home in second for the fourth time this year.
“All of the training and conditioning we get at the shop with Coach (Phil) Horton helps us when it gets hot like this,” said Gibson. “It’s really a lot worse outside of the car than it is while we’re racing.”
“I think the heat did cause us to simply miss it on the setup tonight,” added Gibson. “We were a little tighter than what we wanted and that caused us to be loose exiting the corner. We still managed to bring home another second place finish thanks to the help of the good Lord, my great crew and sponsors.”
CONCORD, NC (June 29, 2012) Rev Racing announced today that it has selected Langley Speedway to serve as host for the 2012 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine to be held October 16-18, 2012.
“We’re excited about returning to Langley Speedway,” said Derik Crotts, General Manager of Rev Racing. “They have excellent facilities and have tremendous support from the community. We’re looking forward to another great Combine and the opportunity to evaluate and develop NASCAR’s next group of stars.”
The Combine is NASCAR’s premier event used to review, evaluate and select its Drive for Diversity Program race car drivers for the 2013 race season. The Combine evaluation process consists of a complete assessment of drivers based on their physical fitness, driver resume, media aptitude, driver communications/knowledge anddriving skill (on and off track). Diverse aspiring drivers are encouraged to find more information and apply at revracing.net.
Tracks from across the nation had the opportunity to submit their application to host the 2012 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine. In addition to Langley Speedway, four other tracks, which submitted compelling and unique proposals, were reviewed as contenders. Sites were selected based on their ability to adequately fulfill NASCAR and Rev Racing’s requirements to effectively assess and evaluate each participant. The selection panel, which included members from Rev Racing and NASCAR, evaluated each proposal based on elements such as direct cost, resources required and community involvement and support, stated Crotts.
“It was a tough process, with several good opportunities provided for our consideration,” added Crotts. “ In the end, Langley presented the most cost effective option for the Combine, while at the same time meeting or exceeding all of our other requirements.”
Submissions for the 2012 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine will be accepted through August 1st, 2012. For more information and to apply visit RevRacing.net or contact Ade Herbert at 704.455.7556.
CONCORD, NC (June 28, 2012) Coming back from a difficult start to the Jack in the Box Summer Shootout Series, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Rev Racing’s Dylan Smith experienced his first top-10 finish of the season in Tuesday night’s NOS Energy Legend Car Semi-Pro feature.
Starting 20th in what was supposed to be a 25-lap feature race, Smith quickly jumped into the 14th position after avoiding a multi car crash on lap two. After the restart, Smith continued to push the legendary No. 34, into the top-10 within three laps.
After the second caution flag of the night flew on lap seven, Smith, who felt like he had one of the strongest cars in the 30 car field, was holding steady in eighth. After falling back two positions on the restart, Smith avoided a second multi car crash in turn four.
Due to excessive and extended caution periods, track officials ended this race after the final restart on lap 10, where Smith was able to push his way back to ninth when the checkered flag was waved.
Although happy with this top-10 finish, Smith said that he was hoping that this race would go its full distance.
“It seems like there was a caution every other lap and I was dodging a lot of wrecks, but we had a top-5 car and I would have liked to have had the opportunity to prove it,” said Smith. “Fortunately, my Rev Racing team has given me a strong car that not only did well tonight, but will be ready for next week’s 3rd Annual Legends Big Money 100.”
Smith will feature his legendary Max Siegel, Inc.,Toyota and Langley Speedway No. 34 in next Tuesday’s Big Money Legend Car Semi-Pro feature, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
CONCORD, NC (June 25, 2012) Rev Racing brings home three top-10 finishes in Saturday night’s action packed Visit Hampton, VA 175, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Langley Speedway. Rev Racing rookies, Bryan Ortiz and Kyle Larson, bring home sixth and seventh place finishes, while teammate Jorge Arteaga cracked the top-10 for the first time this season.
The night started off well with three of four Rev Racing drivers, Larson, Ortiz and Ryan Gifford all qualifying inside the top-10. They maintained their positions for most of the night and by lap 66, Arteaga joined his teammates inside the top-10.
What was shaping up as one of Rev Racing’s best nights of the season was spoiled by a couple of late race accidents.
After the sixth of eight cautions on the night, and with only 20 laps remaining in the race, Larson, in the No. 6 Rev Racing and L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting, Inc. Toyota Camry, was spun coming into turn one and would end up near the back of the pack, in 17th position. Larson continued to work his way back through the field when teammate, Gifford, running in 10th, also experienced the wrath of short track racing when he tried to avoid a wreck involving the No. 99 of Travis Pastrana. The incident resulted in a flat left rear tire on the No. 2 Universal Technical Institute/NASCAR Technical Institute Toyota Camry and the resulting pit stop caused Gifford to lose a lap. With less than eight laps remaining in the race, this ended the teams’ hopes of all four drivers finishing in the top-10.
With just three laps remaining, Larson had made a spectacular drive through the field, coming from 17th to seventh in just 14 laps, and battled his teammate, Ortiz, to the finish. At the line, Ortiz would maintain his sixth place position and Larson would follow in seventh. Holding off the remainder of the competition, teammate, Arteaga, came home with his first top-10 since his 2010 season with the K&N Pro Series East.
After losing his car early at Gresham Motorsports Park, Bryan Ortiz, winner of the Sunoco Rookie of the Race and Featherlight Most Improved Driver awards, was excited to have another top-10 finish.
“This was a tough race and I am really happy with this finish,” said Ortiz. “My No. 4 Toyota/ Toyota Racing Development Camry team worked hard this week and will continue to work hard for a win this season.”
Larson, who was hoping to follow up his recent win at Gresham Motorsports Park with another, said that he was grateful for a top-10 after being spun out with just 20 laps to go.
“Competition was tough tonight and I am just happy that I was able to work my way back up to the top-10 in such a short time,” added Larson, who finds himself 3rd in series points and leads the Rookie of the Year standings at the halfway point of the season.
Rev Racing’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East drivers will make their return to the track in the Samuel 150, at CNB Bank Raceway Park, in Clearfield, PA, on Saturday, July 14.
CONCORD, NC (June 21, 2012) After coming off its first win of the season, Rev Racing is looking forward to this weekend at Langley Speedway, in Hampton, VA. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East heads to the oldest consecutively running short track in the country this Saturday, June 23, for the Visit Hampton, VA 175.
Last season Rev Racing saw former Drive for Diversity team member, Sergio Peña, pick up a win at Langley. With that in mind, and carrying momentum from the win at Gresham Motorsports Park, with 2012 rookie, Kyle Larson, the team is more than ready to get back to the track this weekend.
As the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East reaches its halfway point in the 2012 season this Saturday, Rev Racing’s Larson finds himself only three points out of the Series lead and seven points ahead of teammate, Bryan Ortiz, in the Rookie of the Year standings.
“I am looking forward to jumping back into the No. 6 Rev Racing and L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting, Inc. Toyota Camry this Saturday,” said Larson. “While the points battle is exciting, I am more interested in putting the No. 6 back in victory lane this weekend.”
Following his best finish at Bowman Gray Stadium recently, Ortiz said that he is looking forward to racing at this .395-mile flat track.
“I am ready to get back in the driver’s seat this weekend and have a great run for myself, my family, my crew, including my spotter who is originally from this area, and partners, including Toyota and Rev Racing.”
Ortiz also hopes that this finish will put him back in contention for the Rookie of the Year points battle against teammate, Larson.
“My crew works so hard and deserves to be in the front contending for a great battle with my teammate, Larson.”
After finishing outside of the top 20 last year at Langley Speedway, Rev Racing driver, Ryan Gifford, said that he is looking forward to ending this Saturday night’s race on a much higher note.
“We had a tough time here last year, but this team has continued to work hard and improve this season and I feel good about a stronger finish this weekend.”
CONCORD, NC (June 18, 2012) Despite obstacles standing in their way, Rev Racing’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series drivers, Trey Gibson and Mackena Bell continued their streak of top-10 finishes at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday.
After a 12th place starting position in Saturday night’s feature race, Gibson, driver of the No. 2 Lithium Pros Toyota Camry, was able to push his way into the top-10 before the halfway point of the race. While his teammate, Bell, was spun on lap 21, where she received extensive damage, causing her to fall to the rear of the 19 car field.
Gibson continued to weave his way through this field and was up to the sixth position, with just 20 laps remaining in this exciting race, before he was spun out going into turn four.
Both Gibson and Bell battled back from these set backs and with just five laps remaining they were back in the top-10. With two laps remaining Gibson moved his No. 2 Lithium Pros Toyota Camry into the seventh position in front of teammate, Bell, who finished in eighth.
“The No. 2 Lithium Pros Camry was definitely worthy of a win,” said Gibson. “Unfortunately, being caught up in a wreck didn’t allow for this win, but pushing my way back into the top-10 before the end of this race proves that this car was powerful. I would just like to thank my team and sponsors, Lithium Pros and Toyota, for giving me such an incredible car.”
Teammate, Bell, said that she was hoping to put her No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Camry in the top five, but was happy to know that her team is continuing to improve each week.
“We have continued to get better every weekend,” said Bell. “I have learned a lot from this team and know that the time is coming to put the No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Camry in the winner’s circle.”
Gibson ranks 10th in NASCAR Whelen All-American’s North Carolina state late model points standings, despite having run fewer races than many of his competitors. Gibson and Bell also rank 35th and 186th, respectfully, out of 500 competitors, in national late model points standings. Both drivers will have an opportunity to battle for the win in the feature NASCAR Whelen All-American Series race, at Hickory Motor Speedway, on June 30th.
Last year, NASCARHomeTracks.com introduced fans to the #Next9 — nine drivers that are 21-and-under running in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series who represent the next wave of young talent set to make an impact on the national series scene.
It’s time to take a look at the 2012 Class of the #Next9.
CONCORD, NC (June 10, 2012) Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 6 Rev Racing and L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting, Inc. Toyota Camry, takes home his first win in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Saturday night in the Slack Auto Parts 150 at Gresham Motorsports Park.
In what started off as a difficult night for Rev Racing, this 19-year-old driver proved that nothing could stop him from picking up the checkered flag.
Starting the caution filled race in the 4th position, Larson fell back to sixth during the first of eight caution flags and held this position until fighting back to the top three by lap 40. While fighting his way to the top, Larson slipped back in the field after his Rev Racing teammate, Bryan Ortiz, blew a right front tire on the No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Camry, on lap 76, collecting the No. 2 Universal Technical Institute/NASCAR Technical Institute Toyota Camry of fellow teammate, Ryan Gifford, which lead to the first red flag of the race.
Returning to green flag racing after this first of three red flag situations, Larson continued to climb and was contending for the win when the last of his Rev Racing teammates, Jorge Arteaga, was involved in an accident on the backstretch, on lap 125, ending his night.
More determined than ever to claim a victory for Rev Racing, Larson, continued to battle race leader and pole winner, Cale Conley, for the win when the red flag flew for the final time on lap 142.
Facing another restart with only eight laps remaining in the race, Larson thought he would see his dream diminish before making the ‘move of the race’, on lap 145, resulting in both the lead as well as the race win.
“I am glad that I can bring a win home for Rev Racing as well as my sponsors, Toyota and L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting, Inc.,” said Larson. “I wasn’t sure that my team and I would have enough time to pull off this win, but we got a good restart on lap 145, I beat Conley into turn one and was able to hold him off.”
After this win, 2012 Rookie of the Year contender, Larson, has moved within three points of NASCAR K&N Pro Series East points leader Chase Elliott.
Larson and his fellow Rev Racing drivers will make their return to the track in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Visit Hampton, VA 175, at Langley Speedway, in Hampton, VA, on Saturday, June 23.
CONCORD, NC (June 3, 2012) Avoiding every obstacle standing in his way, Rev Racing’s Bryan Ortiz achieved his career best finish, of third place, in Saturday’s NASCAR Hall of Fame 150, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race, at historic Bowman Gray Stadium.
After a qualifying lap of 14.895 seconds, Ortiz started this race in his No. 4 Toyota/ Toyota Racing Development Camry, just seven positions behind teammate, Kyle Larson, who took the pole after posting a record qualifying lap of 14.696 seconds.
As many in the almost sold out crowd expected, this race didn’t lack in the excitement department with the first of ten caution flags thrown in the first 20-laps of this extended 153-lap race. Avoiding the first of many destructive wrecks, Ortiz fell back to ninth and held this position until a two car spin allowed him to slip into the top seven, behind teammate Ryan Gifford, on lap 41.
Ortiz continued to keep his No. 4 Toyota/Toyota Racing Development Camry out of trouble and within the top seven throughout this race. With five laps to go, Ortiz weaved his way into the top four and thought he would hold this position until the finish. After points leader Chase Elliott spun on lap 148, narrowly missing Ortiz, the race would go into overtime with a green-white-checker finish. This opened an opportunity and, on the last lap, Ortiz took his chance to jump into the top three by making his way around the No. 15 of Carlos Iaconelli.
“In the end it was time to go around. It was the last lap and I could not let him stop me from finishing as close to the front as possible,” said Ortiz. “It was a crazy race, especially in the end. Fortunately, my spotter did a great job, which led to this finish.”
Teammate Kyle Larson also finished this race in the top five with teammate, Jorge Arteaga, in eleventh. Unfortunately, teammate, Ryan Gifford, experienced the “curse of the madhouse”, which led to an eighteenth place finish.
Gifford kept his No. 2 Universal Technical Institute/NASCAR Technical Institute Toyota Camry within the top 10 until lap 105, when he was tagged from behind going into turn two and ended up stuck in the infield needing repairs to his No. 2 Toyota. After returning to the race 10 laps down, Gifford crossed the finish line in eighteenth.
“I was really disappointed,” said Gifford. “My Rev Racing team worked hard all day to give me a great car. I tried hard to stay out of trouble all night and someone just got a little too aggressive and took me out. I’m from this area and come to this track often to watch the modified’s race. I see that same thing happen to good drivers and cars every week here. I guess that’s one reason they call it the ‘mad house’. It’s frustrating to say the least”.
These Rev Racing drivers will make their return to the track in next Saturday’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Slack Auto Parts 150, at Gresham Motorsports Park, in Jefferson, Georgia.
Another Week Of Top Ten Finishes For Rev Racing At Hickory Motor Speedway
CONCORD, NC (May 29, 2012) Rev Racing’s NASCAR Whelen All-American drivers, Trey Gibson and Mackena Bell continued their forward moving momentum, on Saturday night at Hickory Motor Speedway, with a pair of top ten finishes.
After a 10th place starting position in the 100-lap feature, Trey Gibson, driver of the No. 2 Lithium Pros Toyota Camry, was able to push his way into the top five before the halfway point of the race. While his teammate, Mackena Bell, was able to move from 14th starting position to seventh.
Continuing on his forward push, Gibson weaved his way into third on lap 60, with Bell following in her No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Camry in seventh.
With just 10 laps remaining in this race, Gibson’s No. 2 Lithium Pros Toyota Camry was running down the race leader, Keith Bumgarner. Pulling to the inside of Bumgarner with just six laps to go, Gibson looked like he would pull off a win, but came up a car length short and crossed the finish in second with teammate, Mackena Bell, holding steady with a seventh place finish.
Although hoping for the win, Gibson continues to be blown away by the performance of his Lithium Pros Toyota Camry and hard working Rev Racing crew.
“I used my tires up early in this race,” said Gibson. “I just didn’t have enough left at the end to get the win, but, it was a great team effort tonight. My Lithium Pros Toyota Camry ran great all night and we’ve been very consistent the past few weeks. I know it’s only a matter of time before we have the next win here.”
Rev Racing teammates, Trey Gibson and Mackena Bell, will return to Hickory Motor Speedway on June 16 for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series event.
CONCORD, NC (May 21, 2012) Rev Racing’s Kyle Larson battled his way to a sixth place finish in Saturday’s Graham Tire 150, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West Combination race, at Iowa Speedway, and is tied with his teammate, Bryan Ortiz, for first in the Rookie of the Year, K&N Pro Series East, standings.
After a solid qualifying effort, Larson started the night in the fifth position, in his No.69 L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting Toyota Camry, and appeared ready to make an impression for his new race sponsor, and the large crowd in attendance, as he moved up to second by lap 46.
“We had a really good L&M Ethanol Toyota Camry,” said Larson. “We started a little tight and made some adjustments at the halfway break. I was in a pretty good spot most of the night but started to get a little loose about lap 125 and slid back some. We just needed a little longer run there at the end and we’d at least had a top five, if not a win.”
Two of Larson’s teammates, Ortiz and Ryan Gifford, promising night seem to blow away like the howling winds that swirled through the Iowa Speedway
Ortiz rolled off the grid in seventh position and was solidly in fifth by the halfway break, at lap 75. He would find himself in fourth position with less than 20 laps remaining, running lap times equal to the leader. However, during a restart, with just 15 laps to go, he was caught in the middle of a three-wide battle going into turn one where he was shoved out of position, lost momentum, and slid back to the twelfth position.
“I’m really disappointed with the outcome tonight,” said Ortiz. “I had a car that could have won this race. My Toyota Camry was super fast but an experienced driver just got out of position, got into my side and I had to lift to keep from wrecking him and the guy on my outside. I can promise that I won’t let myself be placed in that position again.”
Gifford was just as disappointed as Ortiz but for a different reason, as he didn’t know exactly what happened to his No. 2 Universal Technical Institute Toyota Camry after he had started the race in eighth position and battled to fifth by lap 46.
“Man, I don’t know what happened to my race car,” said Gifford. “We were just a little loose at the halfway mark and made some small adjustments. When I went back out it was like I couldn’t turn the wheel. I’m not sure if it was the set of tires or what, but nothing we did adjustment wise corrected the problem.”
Gifford’s troubles started to really show after lap 100, where in less than 20 laps he fell nine spots, from eleventh to twentieth, and a lap down. He would eventually finish the night in the twenty-first position.
Next up for the Rev Racing drivers is the Madhouse at Bowman Gray Stadium on June 2, 2012. For more information about Rev Racing visit www.revracing.net or follow us on Twitter @RevRacin.
CONCORD, NC (May 16, 2012) Rev Racing’s, Kyle Larson, will sport a new number along with a new Primary Partner for this Saturday’s Graham Tire 150, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West Combination race
at Iowa Speedway. L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting, Inc. will make its first on track appearance on the No. 69 Rev Racing Toyota Camry, driven by Kyle Larson.
Larry Earnest, President of L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting Inc., said that he is excited about the opportunity to partner with the next generation of NASCAR.
“L&M is excited about partnering with Rev Racing and Kyle Larson, in his pursuit of being the next generation of NASCAR drivers,” said Earnest. “At the young age of 19, Kyle has proven he is capable of running with the best and is a winner.”
Organized in 2005, L&M specializes in many aspects of providing millwright services, hydro blasting and vacuum services, specialized welding, metal fabrication, insulation, R-stamp welding services, scaffolding services and confined space rescue services to the industrial world. Offering service to many Fortune 100 and 500 companies, L&M prides itself in safety and customer satisfaction.
“It’s great to welcome a partner that can assist this team in our efforts to grow and develop the next generation of NASCAR talent,” said Derik Crotts, General Manager of Rev Racing. “With all that NASCAR and Toyota are doing to help develop drivers and “green” the sport, L&M is a great fit for our program.”
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Rookie, Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 69 L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting, Inc. Toyota Camry, said that he is looking forward to sporting a new number and new partner at Iowa Speedway.
“The No. 69 has been a part of my racing career in the past. Every time I’ve run this number in open wheel I’ve won, and I am hoping for the same in stock car racing,” said Larson. “I am also looking forward to working with a new partner who has a passion to see drivers like me excel in this sport.”
L&M will continue to partner with Rev Racing throughout the remainder of the 2012 K&N Pro Series East season. They will once again be the primary partner for driver Kyle Larson during the August race in Iowa and will serve as associate partner on his car for the entire season.
For more information about Rev Racing visit www.revracing.net or follow us on Twitter @RevRacin.
Competing against a tight field, Gibson and Bell continued to hold their positions throughout this race, resulting in a third place finish for Gibson with Bell following in eighth.
The second race of the night was plagued with issues for both Gibson and Bell. After fourth and seventh place starting positions, Bell was the first to experience a problem after blowing a left rear tire on lap two. After a quick trip to the pits for repairs to her No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Camry, Bell returned to the track without losing a lap.
After several adjustments were made prior to the second race, Gibson also began to have trouble holding onto his No. 2 Camry when exiting off the corners, causing him to fall back to the fifth position after only 10 laps of this 50 lap race. Finding some grip in the final laps, Gibson battled back to fourth where he would remain until the final 10 laps. Unable to keep the throttle down on his No. 2 Lithium Pros Toyota Camry, Gibson fell back to sixth where he would cross the finish, with Bell following in seventh.
“Despite dealing with some handling issues, it was a decent night with two top-10’s” said Gibson. “I am thankful to this team for their hard work tonight as well as my supportive sponsors. We will be back this weekend looking for a much stronger run.”
“We made a lot of changes to the No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Camry on Saturday, which had me struggling a bit in the first race” said Bell. “Fortunately, I was back up to speed in the second race, but was forced to fight back due to a flat tire. So proud of my guys for working so hard and can’t wait to gain some ground this weekend.”
Both drivers will have an opportunity to battle for the win in this Saturday night’s feature Advance Auto NASCAR Whelen All-American Series race, at Hickory Motor Speedway.
CONCORD, NC (June 10, 2012) Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 6 Rev Racing and L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting, Inc. Toyota Camry, takes home his first win in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Saturday night in the Slack Auto Parts 150 at Gresham Motorsports Park.
In what started off as a difficult night for Rev Racing, this 19-year-old driver proved that nothing could stop him from picking up the checkered flag.
Starting the caution filled race in the 4th position, Larson fell back to sixth during the first of eight caution flags and held this position until fighting back to the top three by lap 40. While fighting his way to the top, Larson slipped back in the field after his Rev Racing teammate, Bryan Ortiz, blew a right front tire on the No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Camry, on lap 76, collecting the No. 2 Universal Technical Institute/NASCAR Technical Institute Toyota Camry of fellow teammate, Ryan Gifford, which lead to the first red flag of the race.
Returning to green flag racing after this first of three red flag situations, Larson continued to climb and was contending for the win when the last of his Rev Racing teammates, Jorge Arteaga, was involved in an accident on the backstretch, on lap 125, ending his night.
More determined than ever to claim a victory for Rev Racing, Larson, continued to battle race leader and pole winner, Cale Conley, for the win when the red flag flew for the final time on lap 142.
Facing another restart with only eight laps remaining in the race, Larson thought he would see his dream diminish before making the ‘move of the race’, on lap 145, resulting in both the lead as well as the race win.
“I am glad that I can bring a win home for Rev Racing as well as my sponsors, Toyota and L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting, Inc.,” said Larson. “I wasn’t sure that my team and I would have enough time to pull off this win, but we got a good restart on lap 145, I beat Conley into turn one and was able to hold him off.”
After this win, 2012 Rookie of the Year contender, Larson, has moved within three points of NASCAR K&N Pro Series East points leader Chase Elliott.
Larson and his fellow Rev Racing drivers will make their return to the track in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Visit Hampton, VA 175, at Langley Speedway, in Hampton, VA, on Saturday, June 23. 
CONCORD, NC (May 21, 2012) Rev Racing’s Kyle Larson battled his way to a sixth place finish in Saturday’s Graham Tire 150, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West Combination race, at Iowa Speedway, and is tied with his teammate, Bryan Ortiz, for first in the Rookie of the Year, K&N Pro Series East, standings.
After a solid qualifying effort, Larson started the night in the fifth position, in his No.69 L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting Toyota Camry, and appeared ready to make an impression for his new race sponsor, and the large crowd in attendance, as he moved up to second by lap 46.
“We had a really good L&M Ethanol Toyota Camry,” said Larson. “We started a little tight and made some adjustments at the halfway break. I was in a pretty good spot most of the night but started to get a little loose about lap 125 and slid back some. We just needed a little longer run there at the end and we’d at least had a top five, if not a win.”
Two of Larson’s teammates, Ortiz and Ryan Gifford, promising night seem to blow away like the howling winds that swirled through the Iowa Speedway
Ortiz rolled off the grid in seventh position and was solidly in fifth by the halfway break, at lap 75. He would find himself in fourth position with less than 20 laps remaining, running lap times equal to the leader. However, during a restart, with just 15 laps to go, he was caught in the middle of a three-wide battle going into turn one where he was shoved out of position, lost momentum, and slid back to the twelfth position.
“I’m really disappointed with the outcome tonight,” said Ortiz. “I had a car that could have won this race. My Toyota Camry was super fast but an experienced driver just got out of position, got into my side and I had to lift to keep from wrecking him and the guy on my outside. I can promise that I won’t let myself be placed in that position again.”
Gifford was just as disappointed as Ortiz but for a different reason, as he didn’t know exactly what happened to his No. 2 Universal Technical Institute Toyota Camry after he had started the race in eighth position and battled to fifth by lap 46.
“Man, I don’t know what happened to my race car,” said Gifford. “We were just a little loose at the halfway mark and made some small adjustments. When I went back out it was like I couldn’t turn the wheel. I’m not sure if it was the set of tires or what, but nothing we did adjustment wise corrected the problem.”
Gifford’s troubles started to really show after lap 100, where in less than 20 laps he fell nine spots, from eleventh to twentieth, and a lap down. He would eventually finish the night in the twenty-first position.
Next up for the Rev Racing drivers is the Madhouse at Bowman Gray Stadium on June 2, 2012. For more information about Rev Racing visit 
CONCORD, NC (May 16, 2012) Rev Racing’s, Kyle Larson, will sport a new number along with a new Primary Partner for this Saturday’s Graham Tire 150, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West Combination race
at Iowa Speedway. L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting, Inc. will make its first on track appearance on the No. 69 Rev Racing Toyota Camry, driven by Kyle Larson.
Larry Earnest, President of L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting Inc., said that he is excited about the opportunity to partner with the next generation of NASCAR.
“L&M is excited about partnering with Rev Racing and Kyle Larson, in his pursuit of being the next generation of NASCAR drivers,” said Earnest. “At the young age of 19, Kyle has proven he is capable of running with the best and is a winner.”
Organized in 2005, L&M specializes in many aspects of providing millwright services, hydro blasting and vacuum services, specialized welding, metal fabrication, insulation, R-stamp welding services, scaffolding services and confined space rescue services to the industrial world. Offering service to many Fortune 100 and 500 companies, L&M prides itself in safety and customer satisfaction.
“It’s great to welcome a partner that can assist this team in our efforts to grow and develop the next generation of NASCAR talent,” said Derik Crotts, General Manager of Rev Racing. “With all that NASCAR and Toyota are doing to help develop drivers and “green” the sport, L&M is a great fit for our program.”
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Rookie, Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 69 L&M Ethanol Maintenance Contracting, Inc. Toyota Camry, said that he is looking forward to sporting a new number and new partner at Iowa Speedway.
“The No. 69 has been a part of my racing career in the past. Every time I’ve run this number in open wheel I’ve won, and I am hoping for the same in stock car racing,” said Larson. “I am also looking forward to working with a new partner who has a passion to see drivers like me excel in this sport.”
L&M will continue to partner with Rev Racing throughout the remainder of the 2012 K&N Pro Series East season. They will once again be the primary partner for driver Kyle Larson during the August race in Iowa and will serve as associate partner on his car for the entire season.
For more information about Rev Racing visit