Category: News

CONCORD, NC (May 11, 2012) Rev Racing’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Team has returned from a successful day of testing at the famed ¼-mile in Winston-Salem, NC. This team will make its return to racing, at historic Bowman Gray Stadium, on June 2 after a successful start in 2011. Ryan Gifford, driver of the No. 2 Universal Technical Institute/NASCAR Technical Institute Toyota Camry, who will be returning this season after a top-10 finish in the inaugural race at Bowman Gray Stadium in 2011, said he and his team had a great day and are ready for the return to “The Madhouse”. “The No. 2 Universal Technical Institute/NASCAR Technical Institute Toyota was really fast and the handling, even at such a challenging small track, was perfect,” said Gifford. “I am really looking forward to the racing here again in June,” Bryan Ortiz, driver of the No. 4 Toyota/Toyota Racing Development Camry, will be making his first start at Bowman Gray Stadium and was excited about the challenges that this short track is sure to include. “My car was fast but the challenge for this track will be figuring out how hard to get on the gas,” said Ortiz. “This is the first short track of its kind that I have ever competed at, but I am looking forward to competing here and showing that both myself and this team can handle any challenge.” Jorge Arteaga, driver of the No. 8 Toyota Camry who will also be competing for the first time at the famed ¼-mile, was one of the first drivers out on the track yesterday and felt that this was a benefit to him and his team. “We got started early and had a good feeling for this track,” said Arteaga. “We continued to improve throughout the day and are looking forward to our first race at such a short but fun track.” Rev Racing’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East team will return to Bowman Gray Stadium to compete in the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 on June 2, 2012. For more information about Rev Racing visit www.revracing.net or follow us on Twitter @RevRacin.

Gifford taking over where Wallace, Pena left off By Travis Barrett, Special to NASCARHomeTracks.com May 4, 2012 – 8:24am These days you can hardly recognized Ryan Gifford, either on the track or out of his car. Not only did Gifford shed nearly 20 pounds over the offseason and commit himself to becoming a better all-around race car driver, but the third-year veteran of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East is off to an impressive start to 2012. He finished third in the season opener at Bristol Motor Speedway in March – the highest-finishing series regular in the race – and nearly won last week at Richmond International Raceway. “It’s really been good for me this year,” said Gifford, a native of Winchester, Tenn., and driver of the Rev Racing No. 2 Universal Technical Institute Toyota. “I have a really good group of guys behind me, they all believe in me. They know I’m capable of winning races in this series and they’re encouraging me to go out there and do it.” Gifford isn’t alone in having undergone a dramatic off-season transformation. Rev Racing changed its name from Revolution Racing, overhauled its lineup of K&N Pro Series drivers and took its organizational structure in an entirely new direction. The results? Three drivers, including rookies Kyle Larson and Bryan Ortiz, sitting in the Top-8 in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings and two more drivers — Trey Gibson and Mackena Bell — are running successfully in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model division at Hickory Motor Speedway. Rev Racing owner Max Siegel, who formed the team as part of NASCAR’s Drive For Diversity program four years ago, said the road has been a long one, though the organization has finally found its footing. “Being a new organization and a new model (was difficult),” Siegel said. “Getting both the startup costs as well as the startup effort, that was really a big challenge. We’ve had the pleasure of having some really good professionals in our organization, but getting the right chemistry and the right teamwork together was key. “I don’t want to harp on it, but it was about right-sizing the business model. It’s no secret it’s expensive to field a race team, so those are things that have been a challenge for us.” Rev Racing has fielded a multi-car team in the K&N Pro Series since the start of the 2010 season, and last year it found plenty of on-track success. Between them, Darrell Wallace Jr. and Sergio Pena won exactly half of the races on the schedule – six out of 12 – but both left for new teams in 2012. Siegel said that while the on-track performance was starting to get noticed, the behind-the-scenes workings at Rev Racing needed attention. To help treat some of the in-house ailments, the organization looked at where it was spending its money and focusing its overall effort. “Darrell was Rookie of the Year (in 2010), and we won several races last year as a team – we won 50 percent of the races, which was unprecedented,” Siegel said. “It validated both the (academy-style) training model that we had and the entire program. “We know the work that went into driver development at this level. The model works… That being said, we’re always looking to improve as an organization. We’re doing more data-driven analysis, we’ve created an exciting partnership with St. Vincent Sports Performance – which works on everything from sports psychology to medical treatment, and a lot of simulation work.” Gifford has noticed the difference and thinks it’s translated directly to the races. In his third year at Rev Racing, he said the team made more leaps over this past off-season than at any other point in his time there. “They’ve completely restructured and downsized their program,” Gifford said. “I think we’re focused on the competition part of it more than anything now. That’s done a lot for our on-track performance, and it’s helped us with our relationship with Toyota. “It’s really awesome.” What’s as impressive is how quickly the team has come up to speed. Larson, a California driver with an open-wheel background, had never competed in a stock car before this season. And Ortiz is making the transition from a Late Model to the heavier, more powerful K&N Pro Series car. And all four crew chiefs – Dennis Connor (Gifford), Mark Lindley (Ortiz) Randy Goss (Larson), and Mark Green (Jorge Arteaga) – are new to the series. Gifford has has plenty to do with Rev Racing not missing a beat, despite the off-season loss of Wallace and Pena, and filling the other three seats on the team with untested rookies. He’s learned how to race at the front of the field in this series, and he’s learned to hold onto the positives each week while not dwelling on the negatives. After a promising rookie season in 2010, when he won his first career pole and posted four Top-5 finishes in 10 races, he slipped in 2011. He managed just two Top-10s in 12 starts. “I’ve tried to take a different approach this year,” Gifford said. “I wanted to go into it and keep a good attitude, get in shape and take a look at myself as a driver and what I could do better. It can be a hard thing to do, but the thing that’s different about this year – look at what happened at Richmond. Instead of getting down, I look at it as we had a car capable of winning, and that’s awesome.” “This year, he’s just on a whole different level,” Siegel said of Gifford. “He’s focused. He’s totally engaged and has stepped up his leadership. He’s always been a quiet leader, but he’s stepped that up a lot. “I’m really proud of the space he’s in right now. I think he’s matured in that he isn’t satisfied. He has a hunger to win, and he really wants to grow.” And as Gifford steps up his own game, the rest of Rev Racing has, too. Gibson won his first Whelen All-American Series race at Hickory last Saturday night, and he’s posted three Top-3 finishes in six starts this season for Rev Racing. With every race win, every podium finish, every successful championship finish, Siegel knows his job gets just a little easier. “The better we have performed as an organization, we’ve been able to attract better talent not just on the track but in the shop,” Siegel said. “We’ve been able to get crew chiefs that have won a lot of races in other sports, or get the right people on the management side, like with (Rev Racing general manager) Derik Crotts. “It’s literally taken the last three years to get that kind of credibility.” Now Rev Racing has the credibility, and Gifford hopes to be the guy that delivers the organization its first K&N Pro Series East title. “I think we’ve got a great shot at it,” Gifford said. “It’s a series where you’ve really got to race smarter rather than harder. Sometimes you can beat yourself, getting involved in stuff you really don’t have to. The main thing is that, in a series like this, everybody’s so anxious and wanting to prove themselves at that level, it can cause more trouble than its worth. And without Rev Racing and NASCAR’s D4D program, Gifford said he’d never have had this shot at taking his career to the next level. In fact, he said he’d probably be back home working in his family’s construction business. “It’s so hard to fund the funding to go do this today,” Gifford said. “For somebody like Max and NASCAR to stick their necks out and give me and my teammates a chance is top-notch in my book. There wouldn’t be an opportunity for me without it. I’m blessed to be where I am.”

Concord, N.C. (May 1, 2012) – Rev Racing’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East team is quietly progressing through this early season with a persistent effort and is being rewarded for it. Through three races, the team has brought home two Top-5’s, and four Top-10’s. Individually, the three rookie drivers on the team are making their presence felt. Bryan Ortiz received the Coca-Cola Move of the Race award in the series’ inaugural event at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 17th. Ortiz was not able to record a qualifying lap time because a broken track bar bracket caused him to spin out in Turn 4 as he was taking the Green Flag during qualifying. He started in the rear of the field in the 33rd spot, but methodically moved his way through the crowd and earned a 14th Place finish. Last Thursday, at Richmond International Raceway, both Kyle Larson and Jorge Arteaga distinguished themselves in their efforts. Larson, in his first visit to the track, qualified on the outside pole, but he wasn’t done. He ran in the Top-5 throughout the race and even challenged the leaders in a 3-way battle up front on his way to earning a 4th Place finish and receiving the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award. Additionally, Arteaga, who qualified in the 33rd position, raced his way through the field and crossed the stripe with a Top-15 finish, making him the recipient of that race’s Coca-Cola Move of the Race award. In the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award standings, Rev Racing has two drivers at the top of the list, with Ortiz edging out Larson by 1 point for first position. Jefferson Hodges, Rev Racing’s Competition Director summed it up best, “The season is still young, but we are certainly proud of the effort put in by this entire team. If we keep this level of production up, I’m sure we’ll be happy with the way the rest of the season unfolds.”

RICHMOND, VA. (APRIL 27, 2012) – With eight laps remaining, Rev Racing driver Ryan Gifford was in second position and the only driver, other than the eventual winner Brett Moffitt, to have lead any laps in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Blue Ox 100, here. “We had a really fast car tonight and was in an exciting race,” said Gifford. “If that last caution had not occurred there would have still been an exciting finish but there would have been two Rev Racing drivers in the middle of it.” Gifford, driver of the #2 Universal Technical Institute/NASCAR Technical Institute Toyota Camry and teammate Kyle Larson, driver of the #6 Langley Speedway Toyota Camry had run in the top three positions for the majority of the race. Both where in position to contend for the win when a red flag caution came out on lap 90. During the restart on lap 92, Gifford, who had lead 11 of the 100 laps, spun his tires and was hit from the rear and sent spinning toward the infield. He was able to save the car and did not bring out a caution. He was able to regroup and catch the field, but with only eight laps remaining, could not advance any further than twenty-first position before the race ended. “After being so dominant all night, it’s a shame to have it end that way,” said Gifford. “But, we’ve shown we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with this year. There’s still eleven races remaining and a lot is going to happen.” In addition to Gifford and Larson, the remaining Rev Racing drivers also showed the power being displayed by the team this year. Bryan Ortiz, driver of the #4 Toyota Racing Development Toyota Camry, had another strong outing finishing the night in seventh position. Fellow driver Jorge Arteaga, driver of the #8 PRECON Marine Toyota Camry, came from a thirty-second starting position to finish the night in fifteenth. “While I’m happy with the good finish, I’m not satisfied,” said Arteaga. “The team and I have come a long way in the first three races. I’m improving each time and expect to be running in the top, with my teammates, very soon” Three Rev Racing drivers remain the top 10 in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East points standing with Larson in fifth, Ortiz in seventh and Gifford at eight. Rev Racing NASCAR K&N Pro Series East drivers will be in action again at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa on May 19.

Concord, NC (April 24, 2012) – Rev Racing announced today that they will be joined by two new sponsors for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Richmond International Raceway this Thursday evening. Precon Marine, Inc. and Langley Speedway will support Rev Racing’s efforts in the “Blue Ox 100.” “We are excited to have two great partners on board for the Blue Ox 100,” says Jefferson Hodges, Director of Competition for Rev Racing. “With the only scheduled live televised event of the series, and good cars and drivers, we plan to make this a memorable night for both Precon Marine and Langley Speedway.” Precon Marine, Inc. is a diversified marine contractor specializing in heavy marine construction, waterfront construction and related services throughout the East Coast area and abroad. With an extensive inventory of equipment and a stable, skilled offshore workforce, Precon Marine is able to take on major bridge, pier, and bulkhead rehabilitation work, subaqueous utility installation as well as provide call-out services for underwater inspections and commercial diving needs. They will be riding along with Jorge Arteaga and the #8 Toyota Camry. Langley Speedway is now in it’s 62nd anniversary season with a well-established and well-earned reputation as one of NASCAR’s best weekly tracks. From it’s modest opening in 1950 as a dirt track with few amenities to today’s paved showplace, Langley has consistently stayed ahead of the competitive and administrative curve. On June 23rd, Langley Speedway will host the “Visit Hampton 175” for the second consecutive year. Additional races this summer include the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series “Hampton Heat 200” on July 28th, and a Whelen Southern Modified Tour race on September 1st. Langley will be on board at Richmond International Raceway with Kyle Larson and the #6 Toyota Camry.

GREENVILLE, SC. (March 31, 2012) – While the Rev Racing drivers didn’t leave with the on-track results they had expected here last night, three of the four now find themselves in the Top-10 in Standings for NASCAR’s K&N Pro Series East.   Ryan Gifford, driver of the #2 Universal Technical Institute/NASCAR Technical Institute Toyota Camry is now fourth in points and two behind the leader, while his teammates, Bryan Ortiz, driver of the #4 Toyota Racing Development Camry and Kyle Larson, who pilots the #6 Rev Racing Toyota Camry find themselves in ninth and tenth respectfully.  Both Ortiz and Larson are Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders.   The night started with rain halting qualifying and leading to the starting grid being set based on 2011 Owners Points.  This placed a number of rookie drivers in the front of the field, some of which were in their first NASCAR K&N Pro Series event.  While this would put Larson on the front row, it meant the start of the race was going to be an adventure for the entire field.   “On the very first lap, the #99 ran into my left side and on lap four, the #16 gave me a hard hit from behind,” said Larson.  “I knew we were going to have a long night but the damage didn’t help the handling of my #6 Rev Racing Toyota.”   The first of six cautions flew on lap 4 of 150 when the #1 car came to rest on the Turn 4 wall with an engine failure.  The second caution came out on lap 10 and found Larson in sixth position, Bryan Ortiz in ninth, Gifford in tenth and Jorge Arteaga in nineteenth.   The third caution of the night was brought out on lap 18 of 150 when Gifford was clipped by the #07 going into Turn 2. Ortiz also suffers car damage in a separate incident on the same lap and both he and Gifford would restart near the rear of the 29-car field.   “ It really is a shame we didn’t get to qualify,” said Gifford “ We really had a fast car and I think we would have started much further up if it hadn’t rained.  You never want to have to try and come from the back to front and especially not here.”   Ortiz was able to come from the rear of the field and move up to as high as ninth position before finishing the night in eleventh.   Gifford would find himself at the rear of the field for a second time when he and Larson were caught up in a spin by the #15 in Turn 3.   The wreck resulted in the tire rubbing the left front of Gifford’s car and required him to pit for repairs. He would get back on the lead lap when he received the “Lucky Dog” during a caution brought out on lap 121.  However, the damage and tire wear were too much to over come and he would finish the night in thirteenth position, one lap down.  Larson would finish the night two laps down in seventeenth position.   Arteaga, who was having a solid run and moving up inside the Top-20, had a right rear go down on lap 60 and would end up going five laps down before finishing the night in twenty-fifth.   The next event for Rev Racing and NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity drivers is April 26, at Richmond International Raceway in the Blue Ox 100.

By Ron Lemasters Jr. Jorge Arteaga hails from a little farther south than is usual for a NASCAR driver, but he grew up wanting to be in the field of 43 at Daytona just like a kid from Alabama or Georgia. “When I was very young, I remember watching the Daytona 500 and I knew then I wanted to be in that race someday, like those racers,” the 24-year-old Arteaga said recently before competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season opener at Bristol Motor Speedway. “I started doing some racing in Mexico and, fortunately the next year, NASCAR came to Mexico and began sanctioning races there creating an opportunity for me.” That opportunity right now is with Drive for Diversity and the Rev Racing team, which fields four cars in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Division. Rev Racing is coming off the most successful season in the history of NASCAR Drive for Diversity, which is in its ninth season as one of NASCAR’s leading on-track initiatives. In 2011, Rev Racing collected six wins in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and had three drivers finish in the top 10 in series points. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West is the highest level of NASCAR’s developmental race series, and many drivers have used it as the stepping stone to the three national NASCAR series. So, how does a racer go from Aguascalientes, Mexico, to Bristol, Tenn.? A lot of hard work, a good bit of talent and a whole lot of drive is the way it worked for Arteaga. “I came from the NASCAR Mexico Series, and it’s just a matter of learning all I can from my crew chief and my teammates,” said Arteaga, who earned a spot on the Rev Racing roster via the D4D combine. “I’m the first Hispanic driver to be accepted into the program and now have the chance to be trained, coached and developed by an American NASCAR team. It’s a different experience for me, because in Mexico we don’t get the opportunity to race NASCAR as frequently as we can here in the U.S. “This program gives me the opportunity to race more and develop my skills under NASCAR trainers. Hopefully that will be there when I take the next step up, too.” Arteaga’s already made impressive strides as a driver. He has 12 top-10s in 49 career NASCAR Toyota Series starts in Mexico. And there’s a little bit of rock star to him, as well. During the 2010 racing season, Arteaga was filmed for a reality TV series entitled NASCAR Mexico 24/7, which followed the behind-the-scenes happenings of NASCAR from the perspective of the FCV Racing team. It was broadcast on Speed TV in Latin America during race weeks. In 2008, Arteaga founded a charitable program called Equipo Nutricion (the Nutrition Team) in partnership with La Huerta and Red Baron to provide support to Mexico’s poor and malnourished. He and his sponsors have donated 12 tons of food to local food banks in each NASCAR Mexico race city and raised awareness for malnutrition and obesity by conducting chats in schools. While Arteaga is used to the constant travel that goes hand-in-hand with racing as a profession, there are a few things he’s working hard to improve. “English all the time is something I had to get used to,” he said with a grin. “One of the smaller changes, I guess, was just getting used to the change in weather between here and my home in Mexico. In Mexico, it’s always warm. But here I have to get used to driving in colder conditions, too. The training here is a bit tougher via the coaching and workshops that teach us drivers to endure a four-hour race without being nervous or tired. But, I love the training here and it’s really working for me.” Mexico has always had a proud racing tradition. Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez were huge stars and are still spoken of with reverence. But they were open-wheel and sports-car racers. Arteaga chose NASCAR. “I like the culture and I like the cars themselves,” he said. “I enjoy some Formula One racing, which is popular in Mexico, too, but I enjoy NASCAR more. I enjoy the feeling of teamwork and how the racers likeJimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. work with the fans. In fact, one of the best things about NASCAR for me is enjoying the fans. The fans follow you all the way — no matter where you start or no matter where you finish, the fans will always be there. “It’s kind of a relationship between the fans and the racer. In Formula One racing, the fans may support a team overall, but in NASCAR, the fans support the driver. They cheer for the driver. They support us and we are really grateful for that.” Speaking of Earnhardt, Arteaga has won three consecutive most popular driver awards in the NASCAR Mexico Series and is known as the “Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Mexico,” a fact he chuckles upon hearing. “That’s what I appreciate so much from the fans,” he said. “NASCAR is fairly new in Mexico. It only started in 2008, and the first driver to win it was my teammate Carlos Contreras. The following years, I was really surprised to win that [most popular driver] award because there have been drivers who have been racing 30 years, and I’ve only been racing for four. So, this is real appreciation from the fans, for me and for NASCAR. The fans are truly important.” Bristol Motor Speedway has a reputation the world over as a tough track to get around, and while Arteaga was confident going in, the world’s fastest half-mile had the advantage. Arteaga was involved in a crash on the front stretch on Lap 30 of the Pro Series East race and finished 30th. Undeterred, Arteaga is ready to move on and compete. “I want to be racing cars in the biggest leagues of NASCAR eventually,” he said. “I really want to race in Daytona one day. Right now, I’m racing in the local series, but I’m looking forward to moving up the ranks. When I was a child, I said I would race at Daytona and it’s my dream. “I also hope to be able to encourage more Hispanics to support our people’s representation in this sport. I want to be a Mexican driver — a Hispanic driver who’s not only representing my country, but also my dreams.” Indeed, NASCAR knows no boundaries.

By Jason Cunningham, NASCAR DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The second event of the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season is set for this Saturday, March 31, at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway with the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150. Below is a statistical look at the performance of selected drivers in the series: Select Driver Highlights: Jorge Arteaga (No. 8 Rev Racing Toyota) • Has four career NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts with a best finish of 10th at Lee USA Speedway in 2010. • This will be his first career NKNPS East appearance at Greenville Pickens Speedway. • Has 12 top 10s in 49 career NASCAR Toyota Series starts in his native Mexico. Chase Elliott (No. 9 Aaron’s/HendrickCars.com Chevrolet) • Has seven top 10s in 13 career NKNPS East starts. • Recorded finishes of fourth and third in his two previous starts at Greenville – the two best results of his career. • Led 40 laps and finished 10th in the 2012 season opener at Bristol Motor Speedway. • Has three Late Model wins so far in 2012. Duarte Ferreira (No. 16 LS Sports/Sonagol Toyota) • Will attempt to make his NKNPS East debut at Greenville. It would also be his first career stock car race. • Would become the first driver from Angola to compete in a NKNPS East race. • Finished eighth in the 2011 Indy Lights season standings with 10 top 10s in 14 races and a best finish of third at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Ryan Gifford (No. 2 UTI/NTI Toyota) • Has a pole and 12 top 10s in 27 career NKNPS East starts. • Will be the highest-raking championship contender heading to Greenville with the two drivers ahead of him in the standings not entered. • Has an average finish of ninth and a best finish of fourth in three previous starts at Greenville. Carlos Iaconelli (No. 15 Bienvenidos a NASCAR Toyota) • Finished 25th in his NKNPS East debut on March 17 at Bristol. • This will be his first career appearance at Greenville. • Competed in the NKNPS West 2011 finale and 2012 opener at Phoenix International Raceway and registered finishes of 12th and sixth, respectively. Ben Kennedy (No. 96 Ben Kennedy Racing Chevrolet) • Has a pair of top 10s in 14 career NKNPS East starts, including a best finish of third at Bowman Gray Stadium in 2011. • Has finishes of 11th and 22nd in two Greenville appearances. • Finished sixth in the 2012 opener at Bristol. Dylan Kwasniewski (No. 20 Toyota) • The 2011 NKNPS West Sunoco Rookie of the Year has two wins, two poles and nine top-five finishes in 14 starts in that series. • Will attempt to make his NKNPS East debut at Greenville in the first of a planned limited schedule in the series this year. Corey LaJoie (No. 07 Sims Metal Management Ford) • Has a pole and 10 top 10s in 20 career NKNPS East starts. The pole came at Greenville in September 2011. • Has finishes of 20th and 13th in his first two Greenville races. Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet) • Has six wins, two poles and 63 top 10s in 145 career starts. • Has an average finish of 11th and a best finish of third – in 2009 – in six career starts at Greenville. • His six starts at Greenville are the most among active drivers. Brett Moffitt (No. 11 Kobe Toyopet Toyota) • Has seven wins, four poles and 24 top 10s in 34 career starts. • Is the defending winner of the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150, which he captured from the pole. • Has an average finish of eighth in four previous appearances at Greenville and is the only driver in NKNPS East history to earn two poles at the track. Travis Pastrana (No. 99 Boost Mobile Toyota) • Has an average finish of 22nd in four career NKNPS East appearances. • His best finish in those four starts was 12th, recorded in the 2012 opener at Bristol. • This will be his first career appearance at Greenville. • NASCAR schedule for 2012 includes 11 of 14 NKNPS East events and seven NASCAR Nationwide Series races. Sergio Peña (No. 1 JMS Toyota) • Has three wins and 10 top 10s in 23 career NKNPS East starts. • Won the last NKNPS East race in Greenville in September 2011, and has an average finish of 12th in three previous appearances at the track. Dylan Presnell (No. 26 American Mountain Rentals Toyota) • Has four top 10s in seven career starts. • Best career finish of seventh came in the September 2011 Greenville race. Dale Quarterley (No. 32 Van Dyk Baler Chevrolet) • Is the active career leader in starts (150), top fives (31) and top 10s (66). • Despite having more starts than any other active driver, this will be his first appearance at Greenville. Daniel Suárez (No. 14 Telcel/Finsa/Roca Acero Toyota) • Has three top 10s in eight career starts with a best finish of fifth at Columbus Motor Speedway in 2011. • This will be his first career appearance at Greenville. • Also competes in the NASCAR Toyota Series in his native Mexico. Darrell Wallace Jr. (No. 18 Coca-Cola Toyota) • Has five wins, three poles and 18 top 10s in 23 career starts. • Recorded a win and top 10s in all three of his previous appearances at Greenville and has the best average race finish – fourth – among active drivers with three or more starts at the track. • His win in the 2010 opener at Greenville marked the first series win by an African-American and also made him the youngest race winner in NKNPS East history. Up to Speed: • The 2012 season is the 26th for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. • The 2012 schedule features 14 races at 12 different tracks across 10 states. • The NKNPS East season opened with the inaugural series event Bristol Motor Speedway on March 17. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Nelson Piquet Jr. made a spot-start in the event and won from the pole. • Following the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville Pickens Speedway, the NKNPS East will be idle until the Blue Ox 100 on April 26 at Richmond International Raceway. At Greenville Pickens Speedway: History • Opened on July 4, 1946 as a dirt track. The race surface was converted to asphalt in April, 1970. • Held 29 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races from 1951-71, including the first flag-to-flag televised event. • David Pearson (1959) and Ralph Earnhardt (1965, 66) are among the famed drivers that have won championships at the track. Notebook • The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East held its inaugural Greenville Pickens Speedway race on June 6, 2006 and has returned every year since. • There has yet to be a multi-time winner in the first seven NKNPS East events at Greenville, and Brett Moffitt is the only driver to capture two poles. • In the first seven events there have been two drivers that have won from the pole: Joey Logano (2007) and Moffitt (2011). Moffitt also set the track qualifying record in the first 2011 event. • Logano, Austin Dillon (2008) and Darrell Wallace Jr. (2010) earned their first career NKNPS East wins in events at Greenville. Greenville Pickens Speedway Data Race: #2 of 14 overall, #1 of 2 at GPS Track Layout: .5-mile asphalt oval • Race Length: 150 laps (75 miles) • Banking/Corners: 5 degrees EVENT SCHEDULE  |  ENTRY LIST Qualifying/Race Data 2011 pole winner: Brett Moffitt 2011 race winner: Brett Moffitt Track qualifying record: Brett Moffitt (87.659 mph, 20.534 seconds, 4/2/11) NKNPS East Race Winners at GPS June 6, 2006 … Sean Caisse April 28, 2007 … Joey Logano April 19, 2008 … Austin Dillon April 11, 2009 … Brian Ickler March 27, 2010 … Darrell Wallace Jr. April 2, 2011 … Brett Moffitt Sept. 10, 2011 … Sergio Peña NKNPS East Pole Winners at GPS June 6, 2006 … Mike Olsen April 28, 2007 … Joey Logano April 19, 2008 … Peyton Sellers April 11, 2009 … Brett Moffitt March 27, 2010 … Cole Whitt April 2, 2011 … Brett Moffitt Sept. 10, 2011 … Corey LaJoie Laps Led at GPS – Active Drivers Brett Moffitt … 150 Sergio Peña … 83 Corey LaJoie … 57 Darrell Wallace Jr. … 22 Eddie MacDonald … 4

By Jason Cunningham, NASCAR DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The second event on the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule will be at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway on Saturday, March 31 with the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150. After opening the current campaign with the inaugural visit to the high concrete banks of Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, the K&N Pro Series East will return to familiar territory at the historic half mile in Pickens County. The series has raced at GPS each year since 2006, which marks the third-longest association among the tracks on the 2012 slate and NASCAR’s top developmental series. While the veterans of the K&N Pro Series East have plenty of familiarity with the half mile at GPS, which is nearly flat, it will still be quite a change in driving style from the first race of the season on the 33-degree banks at Bristol. One of those veterans, Ryan Gifford, sees a definite challenge in transition from Race 1 to Race 2. “A place like Bristol you get in the corner with quite a bit of speed then you have to slow yourself down, where at Greenville you really have to back the corner way up and roll for a long ways,” Gifford said. “It’s going to be a challenge mentally to say ‘you’ve got to slow down to go faster’.” For all intents and purposes, Gifford is the season points leader heading to Greenville. Gifford finished third at Bristol behind Nelson Piquet Jr. and Ryan Blaney. Bristol was a one-off deal for Piquet while Blaney is running just five races this season and will not be in attendance at GPS. Now in his fourth season of competition in the series, Gifford has a pair of runner-up efforts in his career and carries an average finish of ninth in three previous starts at GPS, with a best finish of fourth in the 2010 opener. After a few near misses in his K&N Pro Series East career, Gifford hopes to break through for his first win in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150. “After talking with my crew chief, Dennis [Connor], I think we’ve got a really good shot at it,” Gifford said. “They spent a couple days at TRD at the pulldown getting everything right – and [me] knowing how to save tires there plays into it a lot. “I want to go get my first win there, and if not, hopefully we can keep the car clean and come out of there with a top five,” Gifford said. Race Notes No multiple winners:  In seven previous K&N Pro Series East races at Greenville Pickens, there has yet to be a driver reach Victory Lane twice. This year three drivers will have a shot: Brett Moffitt and teammate Sergio Peña along with Darrell Wallace Jr. Two drivers have come as close as you can to a second win at GPS without ending up in the Winner’s Circle – Sean Caisse was the runner up in 2007 following his win the previous year while Moffitt finished second to Peña last September after his win in the 2011 opener. First-time winners: Greenville Pickens has a habit of producing first-time winners in its brief association with the K&N Pro Series East. Previous Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 race winners Joey Logano, Austin Dillon and Wallace all nabbed their first series win at the track. Kwasniewski to make East debut: NASCAR K&N Pro Series West sophomore Dylan Kwasniewski will attempt to make the first of a handful of K&N Pro Series East starts this weekend at GPS. Kwasniewski registered two wins, two poles and nine top 10s in 13 West races last year to capture Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. He will pilot the No. 20 Toyota for owner Steve deSouza, a vice president at Joe Gibbs Racing. The first of two:  Greenville Pickens is one of two tracks that will entertain the K&N Pro Series East for a pair of races in 2012 along with Iowa Speedway, which has added a second combination race with the K&N Pro Series West. GPS added a second date – which is on the Monday of Labor Day weekend – for the first time in 2011.

“Puerto Rican rookie overcomes challenges to finish 14th”   Bristol, TN. (March 17, 2012) … Bryan Ortiz made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Widow Wax 125. The event marked the first race of the 2012 season for the NASCAR K&M Pro Series East.   The Bayamon, Puerto Rico native begins his second season in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program and Rev Racing. Last year, Ortiz competed in NASCAR Whelan All American Series Late Model Stocks before moving to the K&N Pro Series East for 2012. The 23-year old was making his first career start at the .533-mile high banked concrete oval and learned quickly just how fast this track can be. After two very good practice sessions on Friday, March 16, Ortiz and his Rev Racing Toyota team were set to qualify Saturday afternoon. However, Ortiz broke a sway bar mount exiting turn four as he came to take the green flag on his qualifying run. Fortunately, Ortiz did not make contact with the retaining wall and drove his Toyota to the pits. The Rev Racing crew quickly diagnosed the problem and began the repairing process. With very little time between qualifying and the 125-lap race, the crew had to race against the clock in order for Ortiz to race. Repairs were made and Ortiz would start 33rd. It didn’t take long for Ortiz to show that he had a very fast car as he raced his way to 26th in only ten laps. When caution waved on lap 14 for a spin on the front stretch, Ortiz commented that his car “was a little loose, but pretty good”. Restarting in 23rd on lap 19, Ortiz would work race traffic and move into 19th position at the halfway point of the race. During the 10-minute break, Ortiz told his crew that his Toyota was “still loose coming off the turns”. With fresh tires, Ortiz restarted 19th on lap 70 and began his march toward the top 15. With a very competitive field of cars in front of him, Ortiz moved to 18th by lap 100. “My car is starting to run hot,” Ortiz radioed to his crew on lap 107. Trying to “nurse” his car through the final 18 laps, Ortiz got a break on lap 119 when a multi-car crash in turn three brought a seven minute red flag. The accident happened between several cars racing directly in front of Ortiz, and the rookie displayed the ability of a veteran to avoid the spinning cars. His ability to avoid the collision earned Ortiz the Coca-Cola Move of the Race honors. After the track was cleared, the red flag was replaced by the yellow caution flag and the competitors would have a two lap dash to the finish. Ortiz did an outstanding job of working through traffic in the final laps and finished in 14th position. “My Toyota was pretty drivable considering the problem I had qualifying,” Ortiz said after the race. “The team did a good job making repairs. I had plenty of opportunities today to not finish this race. Several times, another driver would ‘chop me off’ entering the turns. Then, the car started running hot late in the race. The last adjustment the crew made to the car really helped. All-in-all, a pretty good start to our season when you consider everything that happened.” The next race for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will be Saturday, March 31st at Greenville Pickens Speedway in Greenville, South Carolina. The Kevin Whitaker 150 will be the second of fourteen races on the 2012 schedule for the series. – Performance Sports Partners Press Release