This weekend will mark the first stand-alone NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, and will also mark the first start at the historic speedway for all four Revolution Racing drivers.
Coming off of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East/West Challenge at Iowa Speedway two weeks ago, the Revolution Racing team is ready to get back to short track racing.
Event Information:
UNOH Performance 200
Martinsville Speedway (Martinsville, Va.)
Sunday, June 6 at 3 p.m. ET (TV: SPEED, June 10, 6 p.m. ET)
Track Information:
Martinsville Speedway is a 0.526-mile, paperclip-shaped oval with flat straightaways and 12 degree banking in the turns.
Mackena Bell
Team: No. 8 Chevrolet
Crew Chief: Jerry Babb
Bell on turning her luck around at Martinsville Speedway:
“Hopefully we left the bad luck out in Iowa and we can turn things around with a successful run at Martinsville Speedway. We’ve had good cars every week, but we just haven’t been able to put together the finishes we need. A solid run this weekend would go a long way for this No. 8 team.”
Fast Facts:
- This is a season of new tracks for Bell, who raced primarily on the West coast before relocating to North Carolina earlier this year. This will mark her first career start at Martinsville Speedway.
- Bell qualified 15th of 49 cars at Iowa Speedway. She blew a right front tire with 20 laps to go, hitting the turn four wall before the car caught on fire and came to rest in the tri-oval grass.
- Bell is the only female driver on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series entry list for this weekend’s UNOH Performance 200 at Martinsville Speedway.
Ryan Gifford
Team: No 2 Chevrolet
Crew Chief: Lee McCall
Gifford on Martinsville Speedway:
“Martinsville has so much history, it’s just crazy. I’ve always wanted to race at places like Martinsville; it’s the Mecca of short track racing. I’m big on short-track racing and the go-kart track I learned on was shaped a lot like Martinsville, but just a smaller version. It had long straights and tight turns.”
Fast Facts:
- Gifford’s string of top five finishes in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East came to an end last weekend at Iowa Speedway after pitting under green for a flat tire took him out of contention.
- Gifford has five top-five finishes in seven NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts.
- After three races, Gifford is fifth in the 2010 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East points standings.
Sergio Pena
Team: No. 4 Chevrolet
Crew Chief: Mark McFarland
Pena on short track racing:
“I love short track racing. To me, short track racing is real racing for a driver. It’s hard to pass and you have to work for every position. I’ve never raced at Martinsville, but I’ve been told that I’m going to love it. I’m looking forward to racing on Sunday.”
Fast Facts:
- Pena is currently 15th in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings after three races.
- Pena made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series debut at the Toyota Showdown at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in January. He qualified on the pole and finished second to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano.
- On his off weekends from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, Pena has been racing late models at Shenandoah Speedway where he has won three consecutive races and leads the points standings.
Darrell Wallace Jr.
Team: No. 6 Chevrolet
Crew Chief: Robert Huffman
Wallace on Martinsville Speedway:
“We turned some laps at Martinsville Speedway last fall in the late model, but unfortunately we didn’t make the big show up there. I’m looking forward to getting up there in these East cars against the competition in this series and seeing what we can do. We’ve had a great start to the season and we’re ready to keep it rolling.”
Fast Facts:
- Wallace finished third at Iowa Speedway two weeks ago, earning his second top-three finish in three races.
- Wallace made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut one for the record books, becoming the youngest driver (16 years, 5 months and 19 days) and first African American to win in series history. He led three times for 22 laps.
- After three NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races, Wallace is third in the overall standings and second in rookie points.
Three of Revolution Racing’s late model drivers will also compete this weekend on the short tracks of North Carolina. The trio of Jessica Brunelli, Michael Cherry and Becca Kasten will have a double-header weekend, racing at Tri-County Motor Speedway (Hudson, N.C.) on Friday night and Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday night.
Event Information:
Late Model Stock 50 laps
Tri-County Motor Speedway
Friday, June 4 at 8 p.m.
Late Model Stock 100 laps
Hickory Motor Speedway
Saturday, June 5 at 7 p.m.
Jessica Brunelli
Team: No. 1 Late Model
Crew Chief: David Flynn
Brunelli on getting her first start at Tri-County:
“I think I’m the only Revolution Racing late model driver who hasn’t had the opportunity to race at Tri-County yet. We’ve had a series of circumstances that has kept us from getting in that first start, but I know we’ll be good when we get to racing. We’ve tested and qualified well out there, and my teammates have all had good runs there. Hopefully the weather will hold off this week and I’ll get to see what I can do in a 50 lap race.”
Fast Facts:
- Brunelli will be making her first start at Tri-County Motor Speedway this weekend after rain washed out her first attempt on May 14 after a fourth-place qualifying effort.
- After just four starts this season, Brunelli has one top five and is looking to add to that tally this weekend.
- At just 17 years old, Brunelli is the youngest of Revolution Racing’s late model drivers. She is her junior year of high school via online college prep independent study.
Michael Cherry
Team: No. 2 Late Model
Crew Chief: Brandon Butler
Cherry on rebounding after a wreck:
“Man we had a tough day at Hickory last weekend. We had a good car and we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time and got caught up in someone else’s mess. The guys worked hard this week to get the car put back together and we’ll go out there this week and race like nothing happened. Last week is history and we’ve got to go out there and race as hard as we can.”
Fast Facts:
- Cherry qualified fifth at Hickory Motor Speedway last weekend, but was involved in an on-track incident that sent him to the garage early.
- Cherry has finished second in both of his starts at Tri-County Motor Speedway this season.
- After eight races this season, Cherry has three top fives and seven top 10s. He’s competed at Caraway Speedway (Asheboro, N.C.), Hickory Motor Speedway and Tri-County Motor Speedway.
Becca Kasten
Team: No. 5 AirTight Late Model
Crew Chief: Danny Johnson
Kasten on last weekend’s top 10 at Hickory:
“We battled with a loose race car all day at Hickory, and it showed in the race. Fortunately we were able to avoid the big wrecks and come away with a solid sixth-place finish. We learned what worked, what didn’t work and what we need to do to make the car better for this weekend. I think we’ll be able to run strong at both tracks this weekend with the No. 5 AirTight machine.”
Fast Facts:
- Kasten scored her best finish of the season last weekend at Hickory Motor Speedway, finishing sixth.
- Kasten has four top 10s in seven starts this season. She has competed at Caraway Speedway (Asheboro, N.C.), Hickory Motor Speedway and Tri-County Motor Speedway.
- 2010 is Kasten’s first season competing in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Models. She previously competed in an ASA touring series.