K&N Pro Series Photos from Gresham Motorsports Park
Photos courtesy of Ken Springs
Tag: Michael Cherry
Darrell Wallace Jr Aims to Add to Historic Season
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (August 24, 2010) – While most drivers competing in Saturday’s American Fence Association 150 NASCAR K&N Series East race will be focused only on the fast half-mile Gresham Motorsports Park, championship-contender Darrell Wallace Jr. will be sitting in a classroom at Northwest Cabarrus High School in Concord, N.C. starting his senior year.
The 16-year-old Revolution Racing driver is only 33 points behind defending NASCAR K&N Series East champion Ryan Truex, but he won’t be able to fully focus on the task until Friday afternoon when school lets out.
“We start school Wednesday and maybe it will keep my mind off of the pressure of trying to run down Truex for the points lead,” Wallace said. “This has been a great season so far but to be honest it hasn’t been easy. We have had a few minor things go wrong that have caused us to start at the rear of the field three different times, but we’ve managed to get through traffic and end up with good results. I hope we can have a clean race at Gresham and then in the last two races at New Hampshire and Dover so that we can give Truex a good challenge. Even if he has trouble there are two Joe Gibbs Racing cars and the Red Bull car right behind us. Whoever wins the championship will be the team that makes the fewest mistakes.”
Wallace made history in the first race of the season when he became the NASCAR K&N Series youngest and first African American to win a race. That win at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in March has propelled him to two wins, five top-fives and six top-10s in only seven starts. He leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year competition over Cole Whitt, Kevin Swindell and teammate Ryan Gifford.
Wallace will be joined at the Jefferson, Ga. speedway by teammates and fellow Drive for Diversity program members Gifford, Sergio Pena and Michael Cherry, who will be making his series debut.
Gifford, who has fallen to eighth in series standings, 221 points behind Truex, is looking at wins as the salvation of his season.
“We have been beaten around quite a bit in the last two races and have lost a lot of points,” Gifford said. “We’re all going to Gresham for the first time and I’ve had success at both New Hampshire and Dover, so we’ll be looking to score wins rather than race for points. We’ve been fast enough to win every week and haven’t been able to make it work yet. We’ll get one before the season is over.”
Gifford, 21, from Winchester, Tenn. became the first African American to win a pole in series history Martinsville Speedway June 6.
Sergio Pena, who like Wallace is also splitting time between his senior year in high school and the race track, will look to turn his season around and improve upon his 12th-place point’s position. Pena’s best finish of the season is 10th at Lime Rock Park, but his consistency has allowed him to maintain a shot at the top 10 in season-ending points. He is currently 86 points out of the top 10.
“We have to run better in our last three races and I’m confident we can get to the top 10,” said the 17-year-old Pena. “I have learned a lot this season and know that we’ll use that experience in the final three races. Our goal has gone from a championship to finishing the season strong and earning a spot on stage at the banquet.”
Michael Cherry, from Valrico, Fla. and a season-long member of Revolution Racing’s Whelen All-American Series program, has earned an opportunity in one of the team’s NASCAR K&N Series cars. He will be making his series debut many strong runs in the Whelen All-American Series, including becoming the first African American driver to win a race at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C.
The American Fence Association 150 NASCAR K&N Series East race at Gresham Motorsports Park starts at 8:30 p.m. Practice starts Saturday morning at 11 a.m. and qualifying is scheduled for 4 p.m. The race will be broadcast on Speed Channel September 2 at 6 p.m. EDT. Cherry Seventh in Dwight Huffman Memorial
Michael Cherry drove the No. 2 Late Model to a seventh-place finish Saturday night in the Third Annual Dwight Huffman Memorial Race for Charity at Hickory Motor Speedway.
Revolution Racing teammates Jason Romero and Becca Kasten finished 20th and 23rd, respectively, after being involved in separate on-track incidents.
Attrition was the name of the game on Saturday night, with less than 15 cars surviving to the end of the 177-lap feature. Cherry started 12th in the No. 2 Late Model and was able to stay up front throughout the race, avoiding the wrecks happening deep in the field.
“I had a blast out here tonight,” said Cherry. “I can’t thank my crew chief, [Brandon] Chuck (Butler), Blair Addis, Andy Santerre and the whole team at Revolution Racing enough for giving me the opportunity to drive these race cars. These guys work their tails off and I get to have a blast driving these cars.”
Cherry moved as high as second at lap 62, and ran in the top five for most of the night. A competition caution at lap 150 set the field up for a 27-lap shoot out to the checkered flag. Cherry was holding onto fifth-place when the final caution came out at lap 163. The No. 10 car of Andy Mercer was able to get by Cherry on the restart bringing the seventh and eighth-place cars with him. Cherry slid to eighth and in the closing laps was able to pick up a spot and finish seventh.
“That last caution cost us a few spots,” said Cherry. “The high line was working good for us and there was no way Mercer was going to get by me on the bottom. The restart gave him the line he wanted and he was able to take the spot. We’ll take a solid top 10 finish, though, this was a tough, competitive field of cars out here tonight.”
Cherry now has one win, six top fives and 12 top 10s in 13 late model races this season.
Becca Kasten made contact with the inside frontstretch wall at lap 81 of the Dwight Huffman Memorial, when a car dove to the bottom putting Kasten in the middle of a three-wide situation. The cars bobbled and Kasten’s No. 5 AirTight Late Model got the worst of it, ending her night early.
Jason Romero was caught up in a three car spin coming out of turn four just past the lap 100 mark. Damage to the No. 3 Late Model ended Romero’s night early, despite the crews best efforts to repair the damaged race car. Weekend Preview
Revolution Racing’s Michael Cherry, Becca Kasten and Jason Romero will compete in the Third Annual Dwight Huffman Memorial Race for Charity at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night. The event, which honors the memory of former Hickory Motor Speedway track promoter Dwight Huffman, features a 177 lap Late Model feature.
Cherry, Kasten and teammate Katie Hagar will also compete at Tri-County Motor Speedway on Friday night.
Event Information:
Late Model Stock (50 laps)
Tri-County Motor Speedway
Friday, July 9 at 8 p.m.
Dwight Huffman Memorial (177 laps)
Hickory Motor Speedway
Saturday, July 10 at 7 p.m.
Michael Cherry
Team: No. 2 Late Model
Crew Chief: Brandon Butler
Cherry on a full weekend of racing:
“I’m looking forward to the weekend; it’s my first time back in the car since our win at Tri-County Motor Speedway last month. If we can mirror what we did a couple of weeks ago with the win at Tri-County and the second-place finish at Hickory, it’ll be a good weekend for Revolution Racing.”
Fast Facts:
- Cherry earned his first career late model win at Tri-County Motor Speedway on June 11. He followed it up with a second-place finish at Hickory Motor Speedway the following night.
- Cherry has won two poles at Tri-County Motor Speedway this season in the No. 2 Late Model.
- After 12 races this season, Cherry has one win, six top fives and 11 top 10s. He’s competed at Caraway Speedway (Asheboro, N.C.), Hickory Motor Speedway and Tri-County Motor Speedway.
Katie Hagar
Team: No. 3 Late Model
Crew Chief: David Flynn
Hagar on racing and luck:
“We had some bad luck last weekend with losing the engine early in the race. It was really unfortunate that we didn’t get to run all 150 laps, but we’ve regrouped and we’re looking forward to getting back out there again this weekend. Hopefully we’ve put the bad luck behind us and we can run a good, clean race.”
Fast Facts:
- Engine troubles ended Hagar’s night early in the Firecracker 150 at Tri-County Motor Speedway. She finished fifth in her last full race at Tri-County Motor Speedway on June 18.
- Hagar has three top fives and eight top 10s in 10 races so far this season.
- Hagar has raced late models in California for the last two seasons, competing at All American Speedway, Madera Speedway and Stockton 99 Speedway.
Becca Kasten
Team: No. 5 AirTight Late Model
Crew Chief: Danny Johnson
Kasten on getting back in the race car:
“I’m looking forward to the Dwight Huffman Memorial Race; it’s the biggest race of the season for us. From what I’ve heard, last year’s race was a three hour event with lots of attrition. Very different than most races we’ve been to this year. I think there’s going to be a lot more wrecks than we’re used to seeing, so being able to survive until the end will make all the difference.
Fast Facts:
- Kasten scored her best finishes of the season her last time out, finishing second and third at Tri-County Motor Speedway and finishing third at Hickory Motor Speedway.
- Kasten has three top fives and eight top 10s in 11 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.
Jason Romero
Team: No. 3 Late Model
Crew Chief: David Flynn
Romero on his return to action:
“I’m really excited about the Dwight Huffman Memorial race. I’ve got family coming in from California to watch me race this weekend, so of course I want to go out and put on a show for them. We’ve run a few hundred lap events at Hickory already this year, but nothing like 177 laps of green flag racing. It’s going to be an exciting night of racing.”
Fast Facts:
- Romero has won three poles at Tri-County Motor Speedway this season and tied for fast-time at a fourth event earlier this year.
- Romero scored his best finish of the season at Hickory Motor Speedway, a fifth-place finish, on May 15.
- In his first full season of racing late models at All American Speedway, Romero won four poles and 11 races on his way to the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track championship.
Weekend Preview: Late Models
Michael Cherry scored Revolution Racing’s first late model win of the season last Friday night at Tri-County Motor Speedway and followed it up with a runner-up finish at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday. Now Jason Romero will climb behind the wheel of the No. 2 MBC Group Late Model, looking for similar success. Romero already has two poles at Tri-County Motor Speedway this year and is looking to add a tally to the win column.
Katie Hagar will climb back into the No. 5 Late Model this weekend after several weekends off. Hagar’s last race was at Hickory Motor Speedway on May 15.
Jessica Brunelli scored a pair of top fives last weekend at Tri-County Motor Speedway. This weekend she’ll pull double duty, racing the No. 3 Late Model at Tri-County on Friday night and at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night.
Event Information:
Late Model Stock 50 laps
Tri-County Motor Speedway
Friday, June 18 at 8 p.m.
Late Model Stock 50 laps
Hickory Motor Speedway
Saturday, June 19 at 7 p.m.
Jessica Brunelli
Team: No. 1 Late Model
Crew Chief: David Flynn
Brunelli on the No. 3 car:
“I’m excited to be back in the No. 3 car this weekend. We’re trying something different with the car this weekend and I think it’ll get us to where we need to be. We were pretty good last weekend at Tri-County and I know [crew chief] David [Flynn] and Matt [Montgomery] are working hard to give me a car capable of running up front. Now it’s up to me as a driver to get in there and show everyone that I have what it takes.”
Fast Facts:
- Brunelli made her first start of the season at Tri-County Motor Speedway last weekend. She finished fourth and fifth in the Twin 35 races.
- After just seven starts this season, Brunelli has three top fives and four top 10s.
- At just 17 years old, Brunelli is the youngest of Revolution Racing’s late model drivers. She is completing her junior year of high school via online college prep independent study.
Katie Hagar
Team: No. 5 AirTight Late Model
Crew Chief: Danny Johnson
Hagar on getting back behind the wheel:
“Any driver wants to be in the car racing and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to be out there competing every week. With the way the program is set up this year, though, I’m not only getting the opportunity to race but I’m also getting the opportunity to work on the cars and learn from watching my teammates. I’ve seen Revolution Racing improve as a whole each week, and now I get to climb back in and take what we’ve learned and put it to good use.”
Fast Facts:
- Hagar’s last start in the AirTight Late Model was May 15. Hagar shares seat time with teammate Becca Kasten.
- Hagar’s best finish of the season at Tri-County Motor Speedway is fourth. She finished a season-best fifth at Hickory Motor Speedway after starting at the rear of the 16 car field.
- Hagar has raced late models in California for the last two seasons, competing at All American Speedway, Madera Speedway and Stockton 99 Speedway.
Jason Romero
Team: No. 2 MBC Group Late Model
Crew Chief: Brandon Butler
Romero on his return to action:
“I’m really excited about the next couple of weeks. I’ve seen the success that Michael Cherry has had in the No. 2 car over the past few weeks and I can see the cars and team getting better. I can’t wait to go out there and run some good, consistent laps.
Fast Facts:
- Romero has won two poles at Tri-County Motor Speedway this season and tied for fast-time at a third event earlier this year.
- Both Jason Romero and Michael Cherry are very hands-on with their race car, and support each other as mechanics on the weekends they are not racing.
Cherry Follows up Win with Runner-Up Finish at Hickory, Kasten Finishes Fourth
Michael Cherry followed up his historic first late model win at Tri-County Motor Speedway with a second-place finish at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night. This was Cherry’s best finish at Hickory Motor Speedway in the No. 2 MBC Group Late Model.
His Revolution Racing teammate Becca Kasten also scored her best finish of the season at Hickory, a fourth-place, on Saturday night. Megan Reitenour finished 11th.
“I can’t thank everyone at Revolution Racing enough for giving me this opportunity,” said Cherry. “We had to earn this one tonight and I think it shows how far this program has come. It’s no secret we’ve struggled a little bit at Hickory this season, but we had two cars finish in the top five tonight and that really says something about this team.”
Cherry qualified sixth for the 50 lap feature and started the race in front of his teammates Kasten and Reitenour, who qualified eighth and 10th, respectively.
By lap 10, Cherry had moved comfortably into third and was distancing himself from the rest of the pack. Nine laps later, Kasten was able to work her way to fourth in the No. 5 AirTight Mechanical Late Model.
Cherry continued to distance himself from Kasten and the rest of the field, catching the second-place car of Josh Wimbish on lap 35. After a three lap, side-by-side battle, Cherry was able to nose ahead into the second spot.
With five to go, Cherry had no pressure from behind and was on his way to a second-place finish. Kasten, who was still running for fourth, was feeling pressure from the fifth-place car of Dexter Canipe, Jr. The two ran side-by-side for the final five laps, with Kasten maintaining her advantage at the line for her best finish of the season at Hickory.
“I can’t complain about a fourth-place finish,” said Kasten. “This is the best this No. 5 AirTight Late Model has been at Hickory all season. We didn’t qualify as well as we’d hoped, but the car was hooked up for the race. Overall it was a really great weekend for us, with a second and third at Tri-County last night, and a fourth here tonight.”
Revolution Racing Late Model drivers Jessica Brunelli, Katie Hagar and Jason Romero will take over driving duties next weekend, racing at Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday night and Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday night. Cherry Adds His Name to the Record Books
Michael Cherry won his first career late model race at Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday night, becoming the first African American to win a late model race at the 0.4-mile speedway. Cherry won the pole and led all 35 laps of the race en route to his first career NASCAR Whelen All-American Series victory.
“Man this has been a long time coming,” said Cherry, who is in his third season with Drive for Diversity. “I can’t thank everyone at Revolution Racing enough for believing in me and making this happen. A big shout out to my crew chief, Brandon Butler, John Story, Max Siegel and everyone else at Revolution Racing who had something to do with this win tonight.”
Cherry started on the pole in the No. 2 MBC Group Late Model for both segments of the Twin 35 event after posting qualifying laps of 16.284 and 16.287 seconds. Cherry lost the lead on the first lap of the first 35 lap race, and was unable to retake the position from the No. 27 of Grant Wimbish. Cherry finished the race second, his third runner-up finish of the year at Tri-County Motor Speedway, but knew he had a car that was capable of winning.
“I just wasn’t able to get back around the No. 27,” said Cherry. “He had a heck of a motor in that thing, but I think if we could have gotten by him we would have pulled away. Unfortunately we just couldn’t get back out front.”
In the second 35 lap race, Cherry got that opportunity. He led the field to the green, and this time he didn’t relinquish the lead. He led all 35 laps on the way to his first career late model win, taking the checkered flag with a half of a straightaway lead over his Revolution Racing teammate Becca Kasten, who crossed the line second in the No. 5 AirTight Mechanical Late Model.
The win also marks the first NASCAR Whelen All-American Series win for Revolution Racing, a team that has been making history all season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Darrell Wallace Jr., became the youngest driver and first African American winner in series history with his win at Greenville Pickens Speedway earlier this year. Last weekend, Ryan Gifford became the first African American pole winner in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East history.
It is also the first win for crew chief Brandon “Chuck” Butler.
“I’m just tickled to death to be a part of this team,” said Butler. “I think I wore out the bottoms of my shoes pacing back and forth in the pits during those 35 laps. I was confident we had the car to beat, but I also know how bad Michael wanted, and needed, this win. I was a nervous wreck for him. I’m just so glad we were able to get this first win for everyone at Revolution Racing.”
Revolution Racing looks to continue its winning ways tonight at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Cherry, Kasten and teammate Megan Reitenour will compete in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model division.
Photos Courtesy of L&D Photography Weekend Preview: Late Models
The Revolution Racing Late Models head back to Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday night, looking for the first win of the season for the driver development program. Revolution will also compete at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday.
Becca Kasten, who has qualified on the front row for each of her three starts at Tri-County Motor Speedway this season, will pilot the No. 5 AirTight Late Model this weekend.
Michael Cherry, who qualified third last weekend at Hickory Motor Speedway and was running second before a mechanical issue took him out of contention for the win, will drive the No. 2 Late Model this weekend.
Jessica Brunelli and Megan Reitenour will split duties in the No. 1 Late Model this weekend for Revolution Racing. Brunelli will compete in the Twin 35s at Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday night before Reitenour takes over driving duties for the 50 lap race at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday.
Event Information:
Late Model Twin 35s (2 races, 35 laps each)
Tri-County Motor Speedway
Friday, June 11 at 8 p.m.
Late Model Stock 50 laps
Hickory Motor Speedway
Saturday, June 12 at 7 p.m.
Jessica Brunelli
Team: No. 1 Late Model
Crew Chief: David Flynn
Brunelli on the weather and racing:
“I hope it doesn’t rain this weekend! I’m the only Revolution Racing late model driver who hasn’t had the opportunity to race at Tri-County yet, and I’d really like to get in that first start. It’s disappointing when we come out to the track and work all day only to end up getting rained out. I’ve raced in Formula cars before, and we have rain tires, so I’m not used to rain delays… I’m used to going out there and racing in the rain.”
Fast Facts:
- Brunelli will be making her first start at Tri-County Motor Speedway this weekend after rain washed out her first two attempts earlier this year.
- After just five starts this season, Brunelli has one top five and two top 10s, and is looking to add to that tally this weekend.
- At just 17 years old, Brunelli is the youngest of Revolution Racing’s late model drivers. She is completing her junior year of high school via online college prep independent study.
Michael Cherry
Team: No. 2 Late Model
Crew Chief: Brandon Butler
Cherry on Tri-County Motor Speedway:
“All three of the Revolution Racing late models have been fast at Tri-County Motor Speedway this year. I think any one of us has the ability to go out there and win races. As long as we can keep the weather on our side this weekend, I think we’ll have a shot at brining home two trophies.”
Fast Facts:
- Cherry qualified third for last weekend’s race at Tri-County Motor Speedway. He has two second-place finishes at the track this season.
- Cherry qualified third at Hickory Motor Speedway last weekend and was running second at the half-way point before a mechanical issue ended his night early.
- After nine races this season, Cherry has three top fives and eight top 10s. He’s competed at Caraway Speedway (Asheboro, N.C.), Hickory Motor Speedway and Tri-County Motor Speedway.
Becca Kasten
Team: No. 5 AirTight Late Model
Crew Chief: Danny Johnson
Kasten on racing at Tri-County and Hickory:
“It seems like every time we’ve gone out to Tri-County we’ve been the fastest or second fastest car in the field. I think we have the right stuff to go out there and contend; we just need to get Mother Nature on our side so we can actually race. When we go over to Hickory, we’re still struggling a bit with the AirTight Late Model, but as a whole Revolution Racing is getting better. We can the fastest qualifying laps we’ve ever run out there last week, and we’re only going to continue to improve.”
Fast Facts:
- Kasten won the pole at Tri-County Motor Speedway earlier this year in the No. 5 AirTight Late Model. She qualified on the outside pole her other two trips to the track this season.
- Kasten has four top 10s in seven starts this season. She has competed at Caraway Speedway (Asheboro, N.C.), Hickory Motor Speedway and Tri-County Motor Speedway.
- 2010 is Kasten’s first season competing in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Models. She previously competed in an ASA touring series.
Megan Reitenour
Team: No. 1 Late Model
Crew Chief: David Flynn
Reitenour on Hickory Motor Speedway:
“The No. 1 Late Model has struggled a little bit at Hickory this season, but I think my crew chief, David Flynn, and teammate, Jessica Brunelli, hit on something with the set-up last week in the race that should help us a lot this weekend. Hickory is a tough race track, but I’m confident we’ll get it figured out and get back to running up front where we need to be.”
Fast Facts:
- Reitenour has had success at Hickory in the past, winning the Extreme Trophies 100 (Super Cup Stock Car Series) in 2008.
- Reitenour has one top five and two top 10s this season in eight races.
- When she’s not racing, Reitenour enjoys supporting charitable causes. She recently participated in the Jeff Gordon Foundation Ultimate Speed Event and the CARA Charities Fashion Show.
Disappointing End to Strong Run for Cherry
Revolution Racing’s Michael Cherry put up his best qualifying effort of the year at Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday night, qualifying third for the 100 lap feature. Unfortunately for Cherry, a brush with the wall midway through the race knocked the exhaust loose on the No. 2 MBC Group Late Model and ended his night early.
“It’s a shame. We had such a good run going and we knocked ourselves out of contention battling for the lead,” said Cherry. “It was a disappointing end, but we’ve definitely hit on something here that we can bring back next week and hopefully make another run at it.”
Cherry was credited with a 10th-place finish.
Cherry’s Revolution Racing teammates Jessica Brunelli and Becca Kasten also competed Saturday night. Kasten qualified eighth and finished seventh in the No. 5 AirTight Late Model. Brunelli qualified 11th and finished ninth, despite an ignition box issue on the No. 1 Late Model early in the race.
The Revolution Racing Late Models were also at Tri-County Motor Speedway on Friday night, but the race was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Brunelli, Cherry and Kasten will race Twin 35’s at Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday, June 11 before returning to Hickory Motor Speedway for a 50 lap event on Saturday, June 12. Weekend Preview
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Wild Night at Hickory for Late Models
It was a wild night at Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday, with two of the three Revolution Racing late models getting caught up in the on-track wreck fest. Becca Kasten was the only Revolution driver able to finish the 50 lap race, wheeling her wounded No. 5 AirTight Mechanical Late Model to a sixth-place finish.
“We were able to avoid the big wrecks and finish the race,” said Kasten. “Now we have a good baseline and we know what we need to do to make the car better. The No. 5 AirTight Mechanical car should be pretty good next week.”
The Revolution Racing team showed improvements in qualifying this week, with Michael Cherry starting fifth, Kasten starting eighth and Megan Reitenour lining up 10th for the 50 lap feature.
After a wreck-filled night in the support divisions, the late model feature went green until lap 27, when Kasten, who was battling a loose racecar, got tangled with the No. 36 car and both went spinning down the backstretch. Kasten avoided major damage and kept the No. 5 car in the race.
The race went green for 10 more laps, until a three car wreck involving the No. 19, No. 88 and No. 2 of Cherry brought the yellow out again. Kasten was able to avoid the wreck, but Reitenour wasn’t so lucky. The breaks on the No. 1 car locked up while she was trying to avoid the incident, sending her car sliding into the outside wall. The night ended early for both Cherry and Reitenour.
“It’s a shame we got caught up in the mess between the No. 19 and the No. 88,” said Cherry. “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.”
After a red-flag for another wreck at lap 39, Kasten’s goal was to bring the car home in one piece. Another spin nearly ended her night, but she hung on after the fourth and final caution, and picked up two spots to finish sixth.
The Revolution Racing late model team will make repairs to the three cars and prepare for a double-header weekend, with Cherry, Kasten and teammate Jessica Brunelli racing at Tri-County Motor Speedway on Friday and again at Hickory Speedway on Saturday night.
The Revolution Racing NASCAR K&N Pro Series East drivers will also be in action this weekend, racing at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday afternoon. Rain Leads to Sunday Race for Cherry, Reitenour
Michael Cherry and Megan Reitenour found themselves in a Sunday afternoon feature after rain postponed Saturday night’s 100 lap late model race at Hickory (N.C.) Speedway. The race was run Sunday afternoon, with Cherry finishing ninth in the No. 6 MBC Group Late Model and Reitenour finishing 11th in the No. 1 Late Model.
“We’re getting better every time out,” said Blair Addis, Revolution Racing’s Late Model Director of Competition. “This is Michael and Megan’s second race of the year here at Hickory and they are showing a lot of improvement and giving us good feedback. We’re happy with what they’re showing us so far.”
Cherry qualified eighth in the No. 6 MBC Group Late Model, but dropped to the rear of the 14 car field early in the race. At the halfway point Cherry had moved back into the top 10, passing five cars during a long green-flag run.
The only caution of the race came on lap 83, 10 laps too late for Cherry who had gone a lap down to the leaders at lap 74 while running ninth. Cherry was unable to regain his lap and finished the race ninth.
Reitenour qualified 10th in the No. 1 Late Model and started the race in the ninth position. She fell back to 14th mid-way through the race, but was able to work her way back to an 11th-place finish.
“We had a good car in practice this afternoon, but we could have used one more session today to get it dialed in,” said Reitenour. “We had a green race track today after all that rain last night and we really weren’t sure what to expect. We learn a little bit more every time we come out here, and we’ll take our notes back to the shop and see what we can do to make it better for next time.”
Reitenour and Cherry will take next weekend off, but they will return to the track, along with teammate Becca Kasten, May 7 at Tri-County Motor Speedway (Hudson, N.C.). They will race again at Hickory on Saturday, May 8. Cherry Second Again at Tri-County
Michael Cherry scored another top five at Tri-County Motor Speedway (Hudson, N.C.) Friday night with his second second-place finish of the season in the No. 6 MBC Group Late Model.
“I hope this doesn’t turn into one of those things where we’re always the bridesmaid and never the bride,” joked Cherry after the race. “Seriously, though, we had a great car tonight and I can’t thank Revolution Racing enough for this opportunity. We had some great people working on the car, with Robert Huffman as my crew chief and (NASCAR K&N Pro Series) East driver Ryan Gifford spotting for me.”
Cherry qualified fourth for the 50 lap feature, but found himself second after a first lap caution. Cherry held on to second-place for the remainder of the race, battling for the lead on several restarts while holding off a charge from behind. Cherry’s runner-up finish is his second in two races at Tri-County Motor Speedway this season. He has three top fives and six top 10s in six races overall.
Reitenour qualified seventh in the No. 1 Late Model, and ran in the top 10 all night. A multi-car wreck just past the half-way point gave her the opportunity to move into the top five. Reitenour hung on to fourth for the final 20 laps of the race, earning her first top five of the season.
Kasten’s day started out on a high note, setting fast time in the No. 5 AirTight Late Model. She started the feature third after the invert, and found herself involved in two early cautions. Sent to the rear on both restarts, Kasten was working her way back through the field at a rapid pace. She was passing for ninth on lap 21 when she was hit from behind and sent spinning down the backstretch. Damage to the car ended the night early for the No. 5 AirTight machine. Kasten was scored 13th.
Cherry, Kasten and Reitenour are all scheduled to race tomorrow night at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Weekend Preview: Tri-County & Hickory
AirTight Mechanical joins Revolution Racing this weekend for a double-header weekend of racing. Becca Kasten will pilot the No. 5 AirTight Late Model at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C., Friday night before heading to Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway on Saturday night. She will be joined by her Revolution Racing teammates Michael Cherry (No. 6 MBC Group Late Model) and Megan Reitenour (No. 1 Late Model).
Event Information: Late Model Stock 50 laps Tri-County Motor Speedway Friday, April 23 at 8 p.m.
Late Model Stock 100 laps Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday, April 24 at 7 p.m.
Michael Cherry
Team: No. 6 MBC Group Late Model
Crew Chief: Robert Huffman
Cherry on returning to Tri-County Motor Speedway:
“As a team, we’re doing pretty good at Tri-County Motor Speedway so far this season. We finished second with the MBC Group Late Model in our first race out there this season, and our teammate Jason Romero tied for fast-time and finished third in that same car his first time out there. I think we’re on the right track and I’m looking forward to going out there and running up front again this weekend.”
Fast Facts:
- Cherry has two career starts at Tri-County Motor Speedway. His best finish, a second-place, came in the No. 6 MBC Group Late Model on April 2.
- Cherry made his first start at Hickory Motor Speedway last weekend. He finished seventh.
- Robert Huffman, crew chief for the No. 6 MBC Group Late Model this weekend, has two late model track championships (1988 and 1989) at Hickory Motor Speedway.
Rebecca Kasten
Team: No. 5 AirTight Late Model
Crew Chief: Danny Johnson
Kasten on double duty weekends: “It puts a little bit of pressure on a driver to keep the fenders clean when you know you have to go out and race the same car the next night, but as a development driver I also like getting as much seat time as I can. I’d race every night if I had the opportunity, so these double-header weekends don’t really bother me. Honestly, I’m really looking forward to getting back to Tri-County. We qualified second our first time out and were running really well before going a lap down in the pits fixing some damage. I’m looking forward to going out there this weekend and putting together a good, clean run.” Fast Facts:
- Kasten has three top 10s this season, including an eighth-place finish at Tri-County Motor Speedway.
- Kasten finished 12th last weekend in her first career start at Hickory Motor Speedway.
- Kasten has a new sponsor on board the No. 5 Late Model this weekend. AirTight Mechanical, a critical site HVAC service contractor in Charlotte, N.C., has joined Revolution Racing as primary sponsor of the No. 5 machine.
Megan Reitenour
Team: No. 1 Late Model
Crew Chief: David Flynn
Reitenour on racing at multiple tracks throughout the season: “I’ve run a touring series in the past and I’ve run at a single track all season before as well. I like the challenge that comes with running at a different track every week, but it’s also nice to be able to learn and improve at a single track. This season, I’m getting the best of both worlds, running at three different tracks throughout the season. I’ve raced three weekends at three different tracks so far. This weekend I get to make return trips to Hickory and Tri-County, so I’m pretty excited to go out there and see what we can do.” Fast Facts:
- Reitenour has had success at Hickory in the past, winning the Extreme Trophies 100 (Super Cup Stock Car Series) in 2008.
- A string of bad luck has kept Reitenour outside of the top 10 so far this season. She’s looking to turn things around with solid runs at Hickory and Tri-County this weekend.
- Reitenour ran a full-season in the late model division at Tri-County Motor Speedway last year. She won rookie of the year honors and finished fourth overall in the standings.
Cherry Seventh in Hickory Debut
Michael Cherry made his debut at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway Saturday night, scoring a seventh-place finish for the No. 6 MBC Group Late Model.
Cherry’s Revolution Racing teammates Becca Kasten and Megan Reitenour were also on hand, finishing 12th and 13th respectively.
“We had a timing and scoring issue during our qualifying run that really hurt us tonight,” said Cherry. “We had a better car than where we finished and it’s a shame we couldn’t use that second qualifying lap to give us a better starting spot.”
Cherry’s second qualifying lap was not timed due to a technical mishap with the scoring system. He was able to make-up the lap after all other competitors had qualified, but wasn’t able to better his time on cold tires. He qualified ninth.
Cherry moved into eighth after the green-flag, and found himself running in seventh by lap 20 of the 50 lap feature. With 15 to go, Cherry was pressuring the sixth-place car for position. The two cars ran door-to-door for the final 10 laps, with Cherry pulling ahead by a nose several times. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to complete the pass and crossed the line seventh.
“Many thanks to (Crew Chief) Robert Huffman for coming over from the East car this weekend to help us out,” said Cherry. “He’s a champion at this track, and I can’t think of anyone better to have calling the shots for me here. I think we were able to put on a pretty good show for the fans tonight, and we’ll come back and get ‘em next week.”
Kasten, driving the No. 5 Late Model, started 11th and finished 12th after pitting under yellow on lap 29 to fix handling issues on her car.
Reitenour also battled handling troubles all night with the No. 1 Late Model, qualifying and finishing 13th.
“Everyone at Revolution Racing continues to work hard on our late model program,” said Blair Addis, Revolution Racing’s Director of Competition, Late Models. “We’ve learned a lot over the past few weeks that is only going to make us stronger moving forward. We had some bad luck to start the season, which we seem to have gotten out of the way, and we’re encouraged with the progress that all of our development drivers have made so far.”
Cherry, Kasten and Reitenour will race again Friday, April 23 at Tri-County Motor Speedway (Hudson, N.C.) before returning to Hickory on Saturday, April 24. Weekend Preview: Hickory Motor Speedway
Revolution Racing late model drivers Michael Cherry, Becca Kasten and Megan Reitenour have raced three different tracks so far this season – Caraway Speedway, Greenville Pickens Speedway and Tri-County Motor Speedway – and will add a fourth to their resume this weekend when they head to Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday night.
Event Information: Late Model Stock (50 laps) Hickory Motor Speedway Saturday, April 17 at 7 p.m. Michael Cherry Team: No. 6 MBC Group Late Model Crew Chief: Brent Cusick Cherry on his first start at Hickory Motor Speedway: “Hickory is a great, old race track. There’s a reason they call it the birthplace of the NASCAR stars. A lot of great drivers have gotten there start at that place. We’ve run at some pretty historic tracks this year and I’m looking forward to adding Hickory to the list. Hopefully we can follow-up on what Jason (Romero) did last week and come away with a solid top five.” Fast Facts:
- Cherry finished second at Tri-County Motor Speedway two weeks ago; the car he will be driving Saturday night finished fifth (with driver Jason Romero) at Hickory last week.
- Cherry has two top fives and four top 10s in four races so far this season.
- This is Cherry’s first career start at Hickory Motor Speedway. He’ll return to the track eight more times throughout the season.
- Kasten is looking for her first top five of the season this weekend at Hickory. She has three top 10s in four starts.
- Kasten enjoys helping her teammates at the track on her off weekends, but is ready to get back behind the wheel.
- This is Kasten’s first career start at Hickory Motor Speedway. She’ll return to the track eight more times throughout the season.
- Reitenour has had success at Hickory in the past, winning the Extreme Trophies 100 (Super Cup Stock Car Series) in 2008.
- A string of bad luck has kept Reitenour outside of the top 10 so far this season. She’s looking to turn things around with a solid run at Hickory this weekend.
- Reitenour will have nine opportunities to make her return to victory lane at Hickory Motor Speedway this season.
Cherry Finishes Second in Tri-County Opener
Michael Cherry made the most of a wreck-filled season opener at Tri-County Motor Speedway (Hudson, N.C.) Friday night to come away with a second-place finish in the No. 6 MBC Group Late Model.
Cherry’s Revolution Racing teammates Becca Kasten and Megan Reitenour finished eighth and 11th after getting caught up in separate on-track incidents.
“It was a pretty crazy night, but in the end we were in the right place at the right time,” said Cherry. “You can’t ever complain about a second-place finish, and I’m glad we were able to do it with our new sponsor, MBC Group, on board. They’re only going to be with us for a few races this season, so I’m glad we were able to go out there and run well for them and everyone at Revolution Racing.”
Cherry qualified eighth in the No. 6 MBC Group Late Model. He was able to avoid the wrecks in the main event and keep his car in one piece throughout the night. With two laps to go, Cherry found himself running in the fourth spot when two cars in front of him made contact. Cherry avoided the wreck and moved into second-place, his best finish of the season.
Kasten wasn’t as lucky as her teammate, despite a second-place qualifying effort earlier in the night. Kasten got caught up in an early race incident on lap 20 while running in the third position. Kasten brought her No. 5 Late Model in for repairs and was unable to beat the pace car off pit road, putting her one lap down for the remainder of the race. She still managed to hang on and avoid further damage, coming away with an eighth-place finish.
Reitenour was also involved in a late race on-track incident that caused heavy front-end damage to her No. 1 Revolution Racing machine. She started the race sixth and was battling for a spot in the top five when the wreck occurred. She was credited with an 11th-place finish.
Cherry and Kasten also raced at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C., on Saturday night. The race went green for nearly the entire 150 laps, with only two competition cautions thrown on lap 50 and lap 104. Cherry finished eighth after starting fifth, while Kasten finished 11th after starting the race 10th.
Revolution Racing late model drivers Jessica Brunelli, Katie Hagar and Jason Romero will be in action Friday, April 9 at Tri-County Motor Speedway and Saturday, April 10 at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
Cherry, Kasten and Reitenour will return to action April 17 at Hickory Motor Speedway. MBC Group Joins Revolution Racing
MBC Group, Digital Printing Division has joined Revolution Racing as an official partner for the 2010 season.
MBC Group, Digital Printing Division, an Indianapolis-based, minority/veteran-owned firm that specializes in large scale, digital, point of purchase, retail, corporate and tradeshow graphics and signage solutions, has partnered with Revolution Racing in support of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity initiative. Revolution Racing is the premier team operator for the Drive for Diversity initiative, fielding six cars in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and four cars in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
“MBC Group strives to provide the best value for our clients while satisfying their diversity needs,” said Eric Holloway, President of MBC Group. “We’re confident that Revolution Racing’s diversity initiatives reflect our mission and we are proud to support their effort to develop female and minority drivers and crew members.”
“MBC Group has made a great commitment to Revolution Racing and the Drive for Diversity initiative,” said Max Siegel, CEO of Revolution Racing. “It is extremely promising to have a minority-owned business partnering with Revolution Racing, and we hope this will open the door for more of the minority business community to get involved with NASCAR.”
The No. 6 MBC Group Late Model, driven by Michael Cherry, will debut this weekend at Tri-County Motor Speedway (Hudson, N.C.) and Caraway Speedway (Asheboro, N.C.). MBC Group will serve as primary sponsor for five NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model division events with Revolution Racing this season.
About MBC Group, Digital Printing Division
MBC Group, Digital Printing Division is a minority/veteran-owned small business that focuses on large-scale, digital, point of purchase, retail, corporate, and tradeshow graphics and signage solutions for industry and government. Our President is a 20-year Veteran whose background includes missile systems maintenance, warehouse and logistics systems, and defense contracting. MBC Group strives to provide the best value for our customers while satisfying their needs for diversity involvement. We have strategically partnered with, and are backed by other diversity companies who share our goals and ethics, thus forming an unbeatable team with flexibility and depth. MBC Group possesses unique abilities in the printing world by employing one of the largest single-pass digital printers in the world (one of four in the United States).
Weekend Preview: Late Models
After two weekends off, Michael Cherry, Becca Kasten and Megan Reitenour are ready to get back to racing with this weekend’s late model double-header. Friday night the trio will head north to Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C., before moving over to Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C. for a Saturday night feature.
Event Information:
Late Model Stock 100 laps
Tri-County Motor Speedway
Friday, April 2 at 8 p.m.
Late Model Stock 150 laps
Caraway Speedway
Saturday, April 3 at 8 p.m.
Michael Cherry
Team: No. 6 MBC Group Late Model
Crew Chief: Brent Cusick
Cherry on racing two different tracks in one weekend:
“We’re going to be busy this weekend, that’s for sure, but I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel. We’ve got a new sponsor on board this week with MBC Group, so I’d like to go out there and get a couple of good finishes for them. I had a good run at Tri-County last year when we went up there and I’m looking forward to going back.”
Fast Facts:
- Cherry scored two top 10s (seventh and fourth) on opening night at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway on March 13. He looks to continue his top-10 streak this weekend.
- Cherry made one start at Tri-County Motor Speedway in 2009 with Addis Motorsports. He finished sixth in the race.
- This will be Cherry’s first trip to Caraway Speedway.
- Kasten scored a pair of eighth-place finishes in her debut at Greenville Pickens Speedway on March 13.
- Kasten has never raced at Tri-County Motor Speedway or Caraway Speedway. She has logged test laps in a late model at Tri-County in the past.
- Kasten started her racing career just three years ago, but has made up for lost time by running more than 20 late model and super late model events a year.
- Reitenour finished 11th and 13th in her season debut at Greenville Pickens Speedway on March 13 after an engine change caused her to miss most of the day’s practice session.
- Reitenour ran a full late model season at Tri-County Motor Speedway in 2009, earning rookie of the year honors and finishing fourth overall in the standings.
- Reitenour has one pole at Tri-County Motor Speedway. Her best finish at the track is a third-place.
Revolution Racing Visits New Birth Church in Charlotte
Max Siegel and Revolution Racing attended services at New Birth Charlotte to reveal the opportunities within the NASCAR industry.