VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI CUP DRIVERS TAKE TO THE TRACK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2009 AT VIR

Atterbury and Megenbier to sit on the poles for Rounds 1 & 2 at VIR

Alton, VA (April 24, 2009) – Picture-perfect conditions at VIRginia International Raceway provided an ideal setting for the SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series to hit the track today for the first action of the 2009 season. Today’s schedule included an open practice and a qualifying session for each of the two races that will take place at the track this weekend on the 3.27-mile road course.

The first practice session started off as followers of the series might expect with the winner of the 2008 race at VIR, Mark Pombo, at the top of the speed charts in the #20 Volkswagen Parts & Accessories car sponsored by Fresh From Florida and Heal. However, the Duluth, Ga. native encountered problems in the first qualifying session when he carried too much speed into turn 11 and made contact with the tire barrier, which ended his session. However, a qualifying lap completed before the incident places him ninth on the grid for tomorrow’s race.

The qualifying session for the first race saw rookie Joey Atterbury of Renton, Wa. take the pole with his last lap of the qualifying session. Atterbury topped AJ Nealey of Pasadena, Md. by less than a tenth of a second.

“It was great to get out on the track today. It’s been a couple of months since driver selection at Infineon Raceway, so I definitely was looking forward to it. The car was a lot of fun to drive here at VIR, and I was really pleased with the performance of the Jetta TDI Cup car,” said Atterbury. “Obviously, I’m really happy with the fact that I’ll be starting from the pole position for tomorrow’s race, but I know that there are going to be a lot of guys behind me trying to take that position away from me. The key tomorrow is going to be staying out of trouble, so hopefully I’ll be able to do that and bring home a win in our first race.”

Timmy Megenbier of Melrose Park, Ill. used experience gained competing in the series in 2008 to capture the pole during the second qualifying session. His lap time of 2:13.574 set a new track record for the series at VIR. Megenbier will start from the front of the grid for Sunday’s race in the #17 ChicagolandVW.com car sponsored by Caputo.

“I qualified fifth for our first race, but it was really hot on the track, which made things a little difficult. However, it cooled off for the second qualifying session, and I put on a new set of Pirelli tires, which gave me incredible grip. I also have to thank Mark Pombo for a great draft coming down the straight, which allowed me to post a great time,” Megenbier said. “Obviously, I’m really happy with the result. In my opinion, it’s more important to start from the front in the second race since most people will be trying to preserve their cars in the first race. I expect things to be a little more hectic in the second race, so it will be quite an advantage to start at the front.”

Three guest drivers are competing this weekend at VIR, and all were able to post competitive times during the day’s action. Freestyle skier, Simon Dumont qualified 25th for Saturday’s race. Meanwhile, South Boston’s Jeb Burton qualified 22nd, and journalist, Dan Carney qualified 24th for Sunday’s race.

“I don’t think we could have asked for anything more with our first action of the season. The weather was spectacular, the changes to our suspension and tire package really seemed to improve the car’s grip, and the drivers did very well in their first day on the track. Our guest drivers also did really well given they had no prior experience in our racecars.” said Clark Campbell, motorsport manager, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “Tomorrow is going to be really exciting, and I think it’s fitting that we’ll be crowning our first winner of 2009 on our home track.”

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series returns to action tomorrow at 11:10 am at VIR for Round One of the season. Round Two will take place at VIR on Sunday, April 26 at 2 pm. Live timing and scoring is available at http://www.livetiming.net/SCCA/VW/livetiming.asp.

Practice Session:
Position/Car Number/Driver/Hometown/Sponsor/Time/Speed
1 20 Mark Pombo/Duluth/GA/VW Parts & Accessories/ 2:14.357 / 87.617
2 2 AJ Nealy(R)/Pasadena/MD/Oakley/ 2:14.486 / 87.533
3 17 Timmy Megenbier/Melrose Park/IL/ChicagolandVW.com/ 2:14.548 / 87.493
4 19 Jake Thompson(R)/Vancouver/BC/CN/VION/ 2:14.773 / 87.346
5 14 Joey Atterbury(R)/Renton/WA/Red Bull/ 2:15.190 / 87.077
6 23 Juan Pablo SierraLendle/Puebla/MX/Castrol/ 2:15.289 / 87.013
7 8 Derek Jones/Philadelphia/PA/Aggreko/ 2:15.337 / 86.982
8 29 Devin Cates(R)/Broad Run/VA/HYPERFUELS/ 2:15.421 / 86.929
9 5 Ryan Ellis(R)/Ashburn/VA/VION/ 2:15.528 / 86.860
10 3 Taylor Broekemeier/Fort Collins/CO/Pirelli/ 2:15.575 / 86.830
11 27 Andy Lee/Maricopa/AZ/Castrol/ 2:15.846 / 86.657
12 4 Nicky Boulle(R)/Dallas/TX/Pirelli/ 2:16.361 / 86.329
13 26 Andrew Cordeiro/Woodbridge/Ont/CN/Lamin-X/ 2:17.039 / 85.902
14 7 JD Mobley(R)/Castle Rock/CO/Bosch/ 2:17.116 / 85.854
15 30 Perry Richardson(R)/Los Gatos/CA/Defender/ 2:17.218 / 85.790
16 11 Kyle Wharff(R)/Miramar/FL/VW Parts & Accessories/ 2:17.304 / 85.736
17 28 Rhett Tucker(R)/Cumming/GA/DC United/ 2:17.311 / 85.732
18 6 David Richert/Niverville MB/CN/Bosch/ 2:17.430 / 85.658
19 9 Jeb Burton(G)/Halifax/VA/State Water Heaters/WBurton Wildlife Fndn/ 2:17.623 / 85.538
20 31 Dan Carney(G)/Herndon/ VA/US Virginia Tech/ 2:17.903 / 85.364
21 16 Eric Morse(R)/Pittsburgh/PA/VW Preloved/ 2:18.683 / 84.884
22 15 Theresa Condict(R)/Lexington/MA/HYPERFUELS/ 2:18.708 / 84.869
23 34 Juan Pablo Delgado(R)/Orizaba VZ/VC/SCCA/ 2:18.763 / 84.835
24 24 Donny Warren(R)/Winchester/VA/Aggreko/ 2:19.442 / 84.422
25 10 Simon Dumont(G)/Bethel ME/Red Bull/ 2:20.008 / 84.081
26 22 Andrew Novich(R)/Novato/CA/Meguiars/ 2:20.518 / 83.775
27 32 Andrew Gun Tucker(R)/McDonough/GA/Oakley/ 2:21.058 / 83.455
28 18 Kerstin Smutny(R)/Bothell/WA/iRacing.com/ 2:22.231 / 82.766
(R) – Jetta TDI Cup Rookie Driver
(G) – Guest Driver

Qualifying (Round 1 – Saturday Race):
Position/Car Number/Driver/Hometown/Sponsor/Time/Speed
1 14 Joey Atterbury(R)/Renton/WA/Red Bull/ 2:14.592 / 87.464
2 2 AJ Nealy(R)/Pasadena/MD/Oakley/ 2:14.616 / 87.448
3 19 Jake Thompson(R)/Vancouver/BC/CN/VION/ 2:14.723 / 87.379
4 3 Taylor Broekemeier/Fort Collins/CO/Pirelli/ 2:14.755 / 87.358
5 17 Timmy Megenbier/Melrose Park/IL/ChicagolandVW.com/ 2:14.765 / 87.352
6 5 Ryan Ellis(R)/Ashburn/VA/VION/ 2:14.773 / 87.346
7 8 Derek Jones/Philadelphia/PA/Aggreko/ 2:15.045 / 87.171
8 27 Andy Lee/Maricopa/AZ/Castrol/ 2:15.053 / 87.165
9 20 Mark Pombo/Duluth/GA/VW Parts & Accessories/ 2:15.097 / 87.137
10 4 Nicky Boulle(R)/Dallas/TX/Pirelli/ 2:15.215 / 87.06
11 29 Devin Cates(R)/Broad Run/VA/HYPERFUELS/ 2:15.317 / 86.995
12 6 David Richert/Niverville MB/CN/Bosch/ 2:15.955 / 86.587
13 26 Andrew Cordeiro/Woodbridge Ont/CN/Lamin-X/ 2:16.238 / 86.407
14 7 JD Mobley(R)/Castle Rock/CO /Bosch/ 2:16.535 / 86.219
15 30 Perry Richardson(R)/Los Gatos/CA/Defender/ 2:16.569 / 86.198
16 24 Donny Warren(R)/Winchester/VA/Aggreko/ 2:16.571 / 86.197
17 34 Juan Pablo Delgado(R)/Orizaba/VZ/VC /SCCA/ 2:16.674 / 86.132
18 16 Eric Morse(R)/Pittsburgh/PA/VW Preloved/ 2:16.689 / 86.122
19 23 Juan Pablo SierraLendle/Puebla/MX/Castrol/ 2:16.732 / 86.095
20 15 Theresa Condict(R)/Lexington/MA/HYPERFUELS/ 2:16.928 / 85.972
21 22 Andrew Novich(R)/Novato/CA/Meguiars/ 2:17.142 / 85.838
22 28 Rhett Tucker(R)/Cumming/GA/DC United/ 2:17.386 / 85.685
23 11 Kyle Wharff(R)/Miramar/FL/VW Parts & Accessories/ 2:17.402 / 85.675
24 18 Kerstin Smutny(R)/Bothell/WA/iRacing.com/ 2:17.789 / 85.435
25 10 Simon Dumont(G)/Bethel/ME/US Red Bull/ 2:18.032 / 85.284
26 32 Andrew Gun Tucker(R)/McDonough/GA/Oakley/ 2:21.595 / 83.138
(R) – Jetta TDI Cup Rookie Driver
(G) – Guest Driver

Qualifying (Round 2 – Sunday Race):
Position/Car Number/Driver/Hometown/Sponsor/Time/Speed
1 17 Timmy Megenbier/Melrose Park/IL/Chicagoland VW/ 2:13.574* / 88.131
2 19 Jake Thompson(R)/Vancouver BC/CN/VION/ 2:13.860 / 87.942
3 3 Taylor Broekemeier/Fort Collins/CO/Pirelli/ 2:13.982 / 87.862
4 20 Mark Pombo/Duluth/GA/VW Parts & Accessories/ 2:14.034 / 87.828
5 2 AJ Nealy(R)/Pasadena/MD/Oakley/ 2:14.072 / 87.803
6 27 Andy Lee/Maricopa/AZ/Castrol/ 2:14.162 / 87.744
7 14 Joey Atterbury(R)/Renton/WA/Red Bull/ 2:14.226 / 87.702
8 29 Devin Cates(R)/Broad Run/VA/HYPERFUELS/ 2:14.368 / 87.610
9 8 Derek Jones/Philadelphia/PA/Aggreko/ 2:14.526 / 87.507
10 5 Ryan Ellis(R)/Ashburn/VA/VION/ 2:14.643 / 87.431
11 4 Nicky Boulle(R)/Dallas/TX/Pirelli/ 2:15.018 / 87.188
12 23 Juan Pablo SierraLendle/Puebla/MX/Castrol/ 2:15.106 / 87.131
13 26 Andrew Cordeiro/Woodbridge Ont/CN/Lamin-X/ 2:15.227 / 87.053
14 6 David Richert/Niverville MB/CN/Bosch/ 2:15.444 / 86.914
15 16 Eric Morse(R)/Pittsburgh/PA/VW Preloved/ 2:15.684 / 86.760
16 11 Kyle Wharff(R)/Miramar/FL/VW Parts & Accessories/ 2:15.992 / 86.564
17 30 Perry Richardson(R)/Los Gatos/CA/Defender/ 2:16.115 / 86.485
18 28 Rhett Tucker(R)/Cumming/GA/DC United/ 2:16.269 / 86.388
19 7 JD Mobley(R)/Castle Rock/CO/Bosch/ 2:16.316 / 86.358
20 18 Kerstin Smutny(R)/Bothell/WA/iRacing.com/ 2:16.381 / 86.317
21 24 Donny Warren(R)/Winchester/VA/Aggreko/ 2:16.434 / 86.283
22 9 Jeb Burton(G)/Halifax/VA/State Water Heaters/WBurton Wildlife Fndn/ 2:16.647 / 86.149
23 15 Theresa Condict(R)/Lexington/MA/HYPERFUELS/ 2:16.750 / 86.084
24 31 Dan Carney(G)/Herndon/VA/Virginia Tech/ 2:16.802 / 86.051
25 34 Juan Pablo Delgado(R)/Orizaba/VZ/VC/SCCA/ 2:17.113 / 85.856
26 22 Andrew Novich(R)/Novato/CA/Meguiars/ 2:17.341 / 85.713
27 32 Andrew Gun Tucker(R)/McDonough/GA/Oakley/ 2:20.118 / 84.015
(R) – Jetta TDI Cup Rookie Driver
(G) – Guest Driver
* - Jetta TDI Cup Track Record at VIRginia International Raceway

About Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup

The 2009 season marks the second year of competition for the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, which is sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing. During the season, young, up and coming drivers (between ages 16-26) will compete in 10 events on eight road courses around North America in identical factory-prepared clean diesel Jetta TDI’s powered by Syndiesel® B5 blended biodiesel fuel. Each driver competing in the series will earn a Pro Racing license from SCCA at the conclusion of the season. In addition, the series champion will win $100,000.

The Jetta TDI Cup car is powered by a 2.0-liter, 170 hp, four-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine mated to a six-speed, double-clutch, automatic DSG transmission. The car is only slightly modified from stock with Pirelli racing tires, race suspension and brake components, drivers racing safety seat, FIA roll cage and an on-board fire extinguisher system. Series sponsors include: Pirelli, Bosch, ViON, Castrol, Oakley, Red Bull, HYPERFUELS, Aggreko, defNder, Lamin-X, Meguiar’s, Safety-Kleen, Ringer Gloves, Jim Russell Racing School and Trellis Earth.

Follow the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series action on:
www.vwmotorsportusa.com
Volkswagen Online Newsroom: media.vw.com
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/JettaTDICup
Twitter: http://twitter.com/VWJettaTDICup

Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon, CC, Tiguan, Touareg 2 and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2009 Volkswagens come standard-equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program. This is important because the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com or www.media.vw.com to learn more.

SCCA Pro Racing
A wholly owned subsidiary of Sports Car Club of America, Inc., SCCA Pro Racing Ltd. is a leading sanctioning body for motorsports events in the United States. A member of the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS), SCCA Pro Racing operates and sanctions the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, as well as provides sanctioning and various operational services for other racing series. For more information, please visit www.sccapro.com.

REPORT: Dirt bikes for kids legal once again... for the moment

Full Story
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/24/report-dirt-bikes-for-kids-mostly-legal-once-again-for-the-m/

Earlier this year, a law was passed that made it illegal to sell small motorcycles and ATVs in America that were intended primarily for children under the age of 12. The issue was lead content, as the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) issued a law banning the sale of any product that contains more than 600 ppm of lead in "substrate material."

Desert Champion “Ballistic” BJ Baldwin Ready For Short Course Action with the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series

Corona, California (April 24, 2009) - Two-Time SCORE Trophy-Truck Points Champion "Ballistic" BJ Baldwin will be making his 2009 short course off road racing debut with the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series in Surprise, Arizona on May 2nd. As the inaugural season off the Lucas Oil Off Road Series moves full speed ahead ,off road racing star "Ballistic" BJ Baldwin returns to the desert, only now it's in his 850HP Unlimited 2 on the new short course off road track at Speedworld in Surprise, Arizona. "I'm a racer. This is what I do," Said Baldwin, the 2006 and 2008 Season Champion in SCORE Trophy-Truck, desert racing's marquis class. "Desert racing, with such an emphasis on fitness, concentration, and driving skills all while battling the open desert and the elements is a lot of fun for me. I'll always love it. In a short course truck, you're racing door to door, head to head and your driving skills and your equipment are your weapons. For me this is a 20 lap cage fight. Anyone who takes the green flag can win a race at any time. I'm ready to go racing with these guys! "

Baldwin will be lining up against some of short course off road racing's biggest stars including Bully Dog/SpeedTechnologies' Jeff Ward, Hart&Huntington's Carey Hart, LucasOil/GeneralTires' Carl Renezeder and Papas and Beer's Rodrigo Ampudia, who has shown he had the mettle to run with the best. LOORRS' Tony Vanillo, deep in final preparations for the huge race weekend, paused for a moment to consider the Unlimited 2 field that will be racing in Arizona. "There's a ton of great guys coming out. We are going to see a huge line up and some big time racing. BJ has his work cut out for him if he's going to get to the front of this pack. Not one of these racers is going to give up a line, a corner or the podium without a fight. This is going to be good!"

The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) is the evolution of the long standing support of short course racing by Forrest Lucas and Lucas Oil. Steeped in the Midwest tradition of short course off road racing infused with a West Coast influence, LOORRS brings intense four wheel door to door action to challenging, fan friendly tracks. Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series: This is Short Course. For more information please visit Lucasoiloffroad.com

SCORE San Felipe 250 on NBC Sunday

Motorcycle & ATV classes at 2009 Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250
To be featured Sunday on NBC's Jeep World of Adventure Sports

This Sunday's NBC telecast of the JWOAS journeys to scenic San Felipe, Mexico to capture the Motorcycle and ATV classes of the second race of the 2009 SCORE Desert Championship Series. A total of 226 adventurers hit the silt to compete on the rugged 232.4-mile course which covering three of the legendary, picturesque and treacherous washes of Baja before heading back to the finish line in the shadow of the landmark San Felipe Arches.
The show, with the SCORE segment, is scheduled to air Sunday (April 26) at 5 p.m. EDT/2p.m. PDT, but check your local listings for the time in your area.

Bernie Ecclestone linked to Donington Park takeover

Full Story
http://www.sports-city.org/news_details.php?news_id=7879&idCategory=154


Bernie Ecclestone could yet step in to help to guarantee the future of the British Grand Prix after it emerged yesterday that the track operator at Donington Park is facing legal action for alleged unpaid rent and forfeiture of the circuit lease.

The Formula One commercial rights-holder, who is in Bahrain for the fourth grand prix of the Formula One season on Sunday, pointedly did not rule out taking up the lease himself on the circuit where the British Grand Prix is supposed to be staged from 2010 for ten years, in place of Silverstone.

“Let's see what happens, shall we,” he said, when it was put to him that he could take control of developing the track on the Derbyshire and Leicestershire border near East Midlands airport. “At the moment, it's all speculation. I haven't thought about it.”

Driver salaries to be outside F1 budget cap

Full Story
http://www.sports-city.org/news_details.php?news_id=7884&idCategory=154

Formula One's governing body has agreed to exclude drivers' salaries and marketing costs from an optional budget cap to be introduced for teams next season.

International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley has also written to teams, in a letter seen by Reuters at the Bahrain Grand Prix, asking them to advise him by close of business on Thursday whether the 30 million pound ($43.69 million) cap should be revised.

He warned that the sport, which saw Honda depart in December, risked losing at least two more teams for 2010 were the cap not to be an option.

TROPHYLITE jumps into the future with Foutz Motorsports

Chandler, Az (April 24,2009) Today marks the beginning of the next generation for TROPHYLITE. Foutz Motorsports Incorporated, led by respected off-road team owner Greg Foutz, has acquired an ownership interest in TROPHYLITE. After two months of discussions, an agreement has been reached that will allow TROPHYLITE to expand and grow to new levels under Foutz’s leadership. Over the next month, TROPHYLITE operations will transition to Foutz Motorsports headquarters in Chandler, Arizona.
“I have known the Scaroni family for a long time and have worked with them on race efforts over the years. When Matt and I started talking about us taking over the TROPHYLITE program it seemed like a great deal for everyone. We are preparing our shop now to have production up and running in the next week from our Chandler facility. Look for some exiting things to happen for TROPHYLITE in the next several months. We are glad that the sponsors of the series are on board for this change and happy that everyone sees this as a positive move toward the future. I especially want to thank the sponsors and truck owners for their continued support” Foutz commented.
The current 2009 General Tire TROPHYLITE Series will remain unchanged.
Matt Scaroni commented “I would like to thank all of the owners, drivers, sponsors, and promoters that have made TROPHYLITE a resounding success these past two years. We are not walking away from TROPHYLITE by any means, but with Greg’s new ideas coupled with what we have learned over the last few years, TROPHYLITE stands to achieve enormous success. I feel for TROPHYLITE to grow to the next level, there is no better person than Greg Foutz to take it there. I have full confidence that Greg Foutz will take the TROPHYLITE brand to previously unheard of levels.”

All current loyal TROPHYLITE sponsors General Tire, KMC Wheels, Mastercraft Race Seats, and FOX Racing Shox will remain on board throughout the transition.
The next event on the 2009 General Tire TROPHYLITE Series schedule is the Glen Helen Baja Cup Challenge on June 27-28.
For more information contact Greg Foutz at Foutz Motorsports 480-633-9800 or www.FoutzMotorsports.com and www.TROPHYLITE.com

BITD Terrible's 250 Photos

All photos now up at
Durka Durka Photo

10% off for the next 5 days.

A few personal favorites.

Lola mulling possible Formula One return

Full story
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/5202490/Lola-mulling-possible-Formula-One-return.html

British company Lola are considering a return to next year's newly streamlined Formula One World Championship.

The Huntingdon-based motorsport specialists have not been involved since the failure of their works team in 1997, but the cost-cutting measures set to be implemented for 2010 have tempted them to reconsider.

Dave Richards & Aston Martin Contemplate F1 debut

Full story
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8014273.stm


Aston Martin chairman Dave Richards is contemplating a return to Formula 1, but only if he can be competitive.

Richards, who has run the Benetton and BAR-Honda F1 teams, almost returned with his Prodrive team last year but is now "ready to press the go button".

"We are very serious about entering Formula 1 in 2010," Richards confirmed.

"But we would want the rules to provide the potential for us to be competitive. We would not want to be in Formula 1 just to make up the numbers."

Kimi Räikkönen Races Rally

Kimi encouraged, and was preparing to rally
8.1.2009 0:15
Iltalehti.fi

Kimi Räikkönen jumps in a rally car puikkoihin [stick to] at the end of January.

[Image caption] From January 22nd to 24th, Kimi Räikkönen will participate in the Arctic Lapland-Rally. The Formula One driver, who supports the Blues diligently, was seen in the box of LänsiAuto Arena in November in Espoo.

At the box of the Barona arena a familiar man was seen when Kimi Räikkönen took soft drinks and encouraged the host team. Eventually though Räikkönen had to end the night with a disappointed Espoo loss like others in the stands. He was still able to take solace from the idea that, unlike the ordinary viewers, he will soon be at the wheel of a Rally car.

Räikkönen’s name can be found on Finnish Rally Championship list of the SM-season opening round for the Arctic Lapland Rally Champion, in Rovaniemi at the end of January. This make’s Kimi the second F1 world champion to take part, Mika Häkkinen has also registered for the Snow Rally.

Räikkönen will participate in the competition with a Fiat Grande Punto S2000. Kaj Lindström that has circled the world championships series of the rally serves as theco-driver for Tommi Mäkinen. Häkkinen’s Mitsubishi co-driver is the experienced Ilkka Kivimäki.

Before the competition known as, Tunturiralli, the race is not unprecedented interest in F1-scale. The interruptions of Keke Rosberg in the snow spout are already a part of the nation's history and the target entrance was difficult also to Jyrki Järvilehdollekin. Häkkinen is already a familiar sight in Lapland and the McLaren boss, Norbert Haug, has also visited there to flash his wheel [driving] skills. Heikki Kovalainen, subordinate to the German, has also paid a visit in point place of the rally. Although he has read the driving notes for Janne Tuohinolle.

2009 Redline Time Attack Season Off to Great Start!

The 2009 Redline Time Attack Season got off to a great start with the first round event (Buttonwillow Raceway, CA) seeing 110 cars enter for Sunday's time attack competition. That was a significant increase over the 2008 car count of 83.

www.RedlineTimeAttack.com

For those unfamiliar with time attack racing:

Time Attack is a relatively new twist on one of the oldest and purest forms of motorsport: Time Trials.

Made popular in Japan, Time Attack events eventually made their way to the United States in 2004, as a way for media publications to bring together aftermarket parts companies, tuners and racers to prove who could put together the fastest car around a road course in one of three different vehicle categories.

Now with the Redline Time Attack Series in it's 4th full season, we are beginning to see more purpose-built "Time Attack" cars being brought out to the events. In the upper level of the series, Unlimited Class cars will often surpass 600hp and weigh less than 2500lbs, with a wide variety of cars competing: Mitsubishi EVO, Subaru WRX STI, Mazda RX-8, Corvette, Porsche GT2/GT3 and many others.

Where the Unlimited Class cars put on the show for the fans in attendance and on the web, the grassroots racers play a HUGE roll in the growth of the sport. The Stock, Street and Modified Classes attract over 80% of the turnout at any given event. These are the enthusiasts buying the cars, buying the parts, wrenching on their own cars, thus driving the sales of parts even in this down economy. There truly is no other racing series like this, where the Average Joe can share the track with the likes of professional drivers such as Tyler McQuarrie, Billy Johnson, Tarzan Yamada, Rhys Millen, Tommy Milner, Gary Sheehan, Tanner Foust and others.

We're gearing up for Round Two of the season at Willow Springs International Raceway May 30th-31st and then it's on to Chicago (AutoBahn Country Club) for Round 3 the weekend of June 20th-21st.

We hope to see a few of you out at our events. Don't be shy, come on out and say Hi to us. If you're interested in finding out more regarding our series and the sport in general, please don't hesitate to contact me!

Nikolas@RedlineTrackEvents.com

www.RedlineTimeAttack.com
www.TimeAttackBlog.com
www.Twitter.com/RedlineTA
www.TimeAttackForums.com

TRAVIS PASTRANA CLAIMS VICTORY AT OLYMPUS RALLY!

(April 20, 2009) Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana came out on top of a hard fought battle at the Olympus Rally, round three of the 2009 Rally America National Championship, to earn his second win of the season. Pastrana, with co-driver Christian Edstrom, drove a faultless rally in their 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car but needed to go flat-out on the final stages of competition to pull away from a strong field of challengers, winning by a convincing forty seconds.

Pastrana's Subaru teammate Ken Block led the rally after Day One but an engine problem sidelined him midway through the final day. Bad luck also befell Subaru Rally Team USA's newest team member, BMX legend Dave Mirra, who damaged his STI in a spin late in the rally while sitting in 2nd place in the Super Production class.

The 2009 Olympus Rally featured over 100 miles of sinuous, tree-lined logging roads near Aberdeen, Washington. The typically unpredictable Pacific Northwest weather was absent throughout the event allowing calm dry conditions to persist. Although the Olympus Rally is relatively new to the Rally America calendar, having returned to the national series in 2007, the event has a memorable past. It was first run as a national event in 1973 and served as a stop on World Rally Championship calendar from 1986 to 1988.




Photo credit: Lars Gange

Pastrana found himself in 3rd position in the Olympus Rally at the conclusion of the first day, trailing rally leader and teammate Ken Block by over twenty seconds. On Day Two, Block dropped out of the hunt for victory early with engine trouble, leaving Pastrana locked in a tight battle for overall victory with Canadian driver Andrew Comrie Picard. "It was a great battle, our stage times were really close with ACP (Andrew Comrie Picard), we even tied on a stage to the tenth of a second," explained Pastrana. "But I managed to pull out a small lead and keep it for most of the day, then charged hard on the last few stages for the win. It's a great feeling to win with such strong competition." Having secured two wins from three events, Pastrana now sits tied for 2nd Overall in the Rally America National Championship points standings.

Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino had their sights set on their third victory of 2009 after winning the previous Rally America round, The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, as well as the non-championship Rally New York USA event. Block leapt into the lead at the start of the Olympus Rally, winning half of Day One's eight stages to amass a lead of over twenty seconds. However, Block's impressive run was halted early the next day when his Subaru experienced engine trouble, forcing him out of the event. "Although we hit some bad luck my confidence is boosted from our stage times on the first day where the competition was so good and everyone was going flat-out. The next round in Oregon has roads similar to Olympus so I'm sure we will have the speed again there," said Block.




Photo credit: Lars Gange

BMX legend Dave Mirra debuted his new Super Production (SP) class 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STI at the Olympus Rally. The SP class is a new Rally America competition category introduced this year and features minimally modified, production-based cars with the backing of prize money from Subaru of America. Mirra, along with former WRC Champion co-driver Derek Ringer, took a conservative approach to the rally while getting accustomed to the new car and spent most of the rally residing in 2nd overall in the SP class standings.

Towards the end of the rally, Mirra ran wide hitting a bank and incurring three flat tires plus some light damage to his Subaru. After changing out two of the three flats with the on-board spare tire units and limping to the stage finish, Mirra retired from the rally. "I was driving conservative with the new STI and getting faster as the rally progressed," explained Mirra. "The new STI has a lot of potential and I just need some more miles with it to get fully confident."




Photo credit: Lars Gange

Subaru Rally Team USA will visit the Pacific Northwest again next month for the Oregon Trail Rally, based in Portland, Oregon and Hood River to the east on May 15-17.

Follow Subaru Rally Team USA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/srtusa

Subaru Rally Team USA is proudly supported by Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STI), Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT), DC Shoes, BFGoodrich Tires, RECARO, Alpinestars, Motul, Exedy, GReddy, and Vermont SportsCar. Visit www.subaru.com/rally for Subaru Rally Team USA photo galleries, news and team information.

"2653 miles to Primm"

Starting at 8pm from Sausalito CA on Friday March 10th I set of to meet Tim from TCR in Tucson AZ. I drove through the night so I could meet Tim at his shop to Dyno tune the Toyota and finish the race prep. Other than 14 hours straight driving and no sleep things went well. Arriving at 10am I handed the truck off to Tim and grabbed some shut eye in the truck and walk the dog.
Tim and I finished up around 6 pm, I loaded the truck on the trailer, grabbed some food from Boston Market and proceeded to head to San Diego. I stopped to check the strapps around 8 after another nap, all seamed good. I got about 12 miles from TCR when a strap broke on the trailer. I imedietly merged into the center divide on highway 15 and jumped out to see what the f happened. I didn't notice right away but my dog Rocket (a 12 year old Ridgeback mix) had jumped out of the truck and was somewhere on the freeway. I was so panicked and hysterical. From home wife Wendy called every hospital, humane society etc. checking if anyone had found Rock while I walked back and forth on the freeway for 20 hours with only 2 hours of sleep. Sadly I found him. He had been hit and killed less than 100 feet from where the incident happened.
Balling my eyes out, shaking and throwing up I took Rocket to the humane society for cremation and headed to a hotel to wait for Wendy and my friend Kevin who were flying in to Tucson. They were amazing.
On Monday I stopped at TCR again with a fueling issue. I had used the Toyota with its Soletek HID's to look for Rock both nights. The Highway patrol, after a lot of arguing on my part, let me drive the perimeter at night to look for him. That was when I discovered my fueling issue. Turns out it was just an old fuel line deteriorating and clogging the fuel pump. So in a way Rock helped me test the truck for the race.
Having that solved the three of us headed out. Kevin Hopper took the wheel just outside of Tucson while Wendy and I morned the loss of Rock.
Arriving in San Diego around 9:30 pm Monday the 13th two days late to meet Micah Newton with ORW we all hooked up and grabbed some food and went to bed.
On Tuesday the 14th Kev, Simon from Suspension Pro's and myself drove back out to Plaster City to set the suspension up. Simon is a suspension wizard. Completing that we drove back to ORW in El Cajon and did our final shopping for the day and finish some work on the truck. Can't thank ORW and there awesome staff for making this all happen.
Wednesday the 15th we headed to Racer X for the race radios and to Soletek for some last minute supplies and t-shirts for tech. Having everything we needed Kev and I drove to Primm.
Every one showed up on Thursday and friday including my parents that drove from Canada to help in the main pit and pit 2. That was awesome. Still sad not having my buddy with me it sure helped being surrounded by friends and family. They totally took over and made sure everything was handled especially the guys from ORW that supplied a kick ass e-z up for us to work under. Thanks for setting that up Micah!!!
5:30 am. Micah and I got suited up, Reviewed with everyone what the game plan was, reviewed the "danger notes" and preceded to line up. It was cold as hell!!! good for the motor bad for us....
It was a drag start, of course we got pitted against some monster V8 so we just eased off the line and let him be macho. We caught him and passed him in the first mile. The TC gen 2 kit was locked in to 4wd and made us fly over the sandy rough stuff and the cornering was amazing with the new Goodyear Kevlar MTRs. We passed 6 trucks and 4 buggies in the first 20 miles. We had to stop at mile 29 due to some weird engine noise but quickly decided "screw it, if it goes it goes". So we had to do some passing again. We came upon a flipped 7 truck that we stopped to help right as we were one of 2 trucks on the course that had 4wd and we were not racing for points so I figured what the hell, stop, help, get free beer's later for the crew. It worked. Off we went again.
Passing pit 1 and 2 at full speed of 89mph we got some good video by Ben Snead with his Canon HD camera we casually waved at them and wend by....
On the second lap we definitely hit some stuff really hard. Our lap time was almost 15 min faster due to no stopping and our f' it attitude. We bent some stuff up front including smashing the high miss spacers so we had to take the lake bed a little slower as the front drivers wheel wanted to shoot off into the desert. We decide to not fuel up at pit 1 which was almost disastrous as when we entered the short course section we started to sputter. Too funny. We still got some great air off the table tops, nursed it back to the finish which was only a mile away but damn it was close.
We finished 4th in class, helped a truck out, got great air and laughed our asses off.
Special thanks to ORW, Soletek lighting, Johnny Franklin mufflers, Total Chaos and LC Engineering. Not to mention Kevin Hopper who flew to Tucson AZ on his own dime to help a friend out and get me to the race. I love this sport
Jay St Claire

Season Opener for Jetta TDI Cup at VIR

Jetta TDI Cup Kicks Off at Virginia International Raceways

Hello Friends & Fans,

Mark, Ryan and the rest of the Jetta TDI Cup team is off to VIR for the first and second rounds of the Jetta TDI Cup series. This double-header weekend is sure to be full of twists and turns as the 2009 season kicks off. Make sure you check back with the Arciero-Miller site as we bring you up to date picutres and blogs of the event.


Arciero Miller Racing
#81

Team 71 Racing Overalls BITD Terrible's 250 at Primm!

Rick D. Johnson and Brian Sallee Earn Class and Overall Win in

Team 71 Racing General Tire Trick Truck at

Best in the Desert's Terrible's 250 at Primm





Just a few weeks after earning a hard fought third place finish at the General Tire SNORE Mint 400, the Team 71 Racing Trick Truck was back in the Nevada desert for the second round of Best in the Desert's 2009 desert racing series. After running a nearly flawless race, a dramatic twist of fate earned driver, Rick D. Johnson and co-driver, Brian Sallee the Trick Truck and overall win at Best in the Desert's Terrible's 250 in Primm Valley, NV this past weekend.



Running steady and strong throughout the day, Johnson quickly moved up from the 11th place starting position to battle it out with "Pistol" Pete Sohren for a third place podium in the final lap. "It was a drag race from start to finish and we found ourselves in the middle of a battle for third and a spot on the podium. As we all know in off-road racing, it's not over until it's over and things happen. In a dramatic change of events we went from fighting for third to suddenly fighting for first place overall," commented Team 71 driver, Rick D. Johnson.



While competing for the checkered flag the two lead Trick Trucks, driven by Jerry Whelchel and Andy McMillin, were involved in a pile-up taking each one out of contention for the lead. This late-in-the-race series of events opened the window for Sohren and Johnson to battle it out for the highest position on the podium. Racing towards the finish, Sohren was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop to change a flat tire thus clinching the class and overall win for the driving team of Johnson and Sallee.



Shortly after crossing the finish line, Rick D. Johnson was quick to give credit and acknowledge a few of the key elements of his race success. "Casey Folks and the entire Best in the Desert staff put on a great race. The course was fast and we knew it was going to be a sprint race with a lot of great talent. We needed every ounce of horsepower from our Ford F-150. Leon Patton himself took a last-minute private plane to give the truck one last shakedown and make sure every base was covered prior to the race start. Because of the dedicated support of Leon Patton Engines we were able to run at the highest competitive level."



Completing all three 72-mile laps, the Team 71 Racing Trick Truck finished the 216 mile course with an average speed of just over 58mph and a finishing time of 3 hours, 43 minutes and 18 seconds. "I know Brian and I could not be as successful out on the course if it wasn't for the consistent commitment, loyalty and hard work of the entire team before, during and after the race. Our remarkable finishing time is a great indication of how smoothly our pitting strategy was and the organization of each pit crew. I probably don't tell the guys how much I appreciate their efforts from race to race, but it definitely does not go unnoticed," remarked Johnson



Team 71 Racing owner and General Manager, Myrl Akerman, is extremely happy with the successes the team has experienced in the 2009 season stating, "General Tire continues to support Team 71 and off-road racing with an excellent Grabber tire and this overall finish would not be possible without that support. The win this past weekend and last year's overall win at Vegas to Reno had a lot to due with the competition changing flats at critical moments in the race. Rick and Brian's consistent pace and smart driving, coupled with the durability of General Tire's product truly is our winning combination."



"Best in the Desert puts on many great events and the Terrible's 250 is an extraordinary and memorable race. We all know it is a privilege to run our trucks through the desert and be a part of such a great tradition where everything has to fall perfectly into place come race day. None of this would be possible without the efforts of the various desert and short course sponsors that contribute and believe in this unrivaled form of racing. Off-road racing has to stay alive and it is up to everyone involved to work together and make that happen. Team 71 Racing is proud to carry the Lucas Oil logo as well as the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series logo on our General Tire Ford F-150 desert racing Trick Truck. We want to see all areas of the off-road racing sport continue and grow, whether it is desert or short course racing," commented Myrl Akerman on Team 71's commitment of running the Vegas to Reno race and supporting all forms of off-road racing.


The Team 71 Racing Trick Truck will be back to defend last year's Vegas to Reno overall win at Best in the Desert's 2009 TSCO Vegas to Reno "The Long Way" race. The three-day staged event begins with contingency day festivities on August 19th at the Sunset Station in Henderson, NV and commences with the awards presentation in Reno, NV on August 23, 2009.


Special Thanks to the Team 71 Racing Sponsors:

General Tire
Sol Tek, AEM, King Shocks, Hostyle, Motion Tire, Ford Racing, Leon Patton Engines, North American Off-Road, Compdoor, Zoom Factor, Light Racing, Slime and Proudly Supporting
Lucas Oil and The Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series

32 SCORE racers in hunt for Toyota Milestone Awards

April 21, 2009





In 13 Pro Classes

32 SCORE racers in hunt for Toyota Milestone Awards

Heading into 41st Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500



Computerized Start draw Saturday for race to be held in Ensenada, Mexico, June 5-7





LOS ANGELES—Following the first two of five races in the 2009 SCORE Desert Series, 32 of SCORE’s toughest drivers are in the hunt to earn 2009 SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards.

Leading the way are five racers in the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division along with five in the unlimited Class 1 for open-wheel desert race cars and seven in Class 1-2/1600 for 1600cc VW-powered open-wheelers.

Female driver Heidi Steele, San Clemente, Calif., is the only racer still eligible in two classes, driving two different Ford Rangers in Class 6 and Class 7.

The computerized drawing for starting positions, by class, for the 41st Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500, will be held Saturday at the SCORE headquarters in Los Angeles.

Nearly 250 total entries are expected to compete in 28 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs at the race, which will be held June 4-7 in Ensenada, Mexico.

Toyota is presenting these prestigious awards to the world’s toughest desert racers for the 24th consecutive year. The Toyota Milestone awards will go to those pro car and truck drivers who finish every required mile in the five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series, the World’s Foremost Desert Racing Series.

“Toyota is proud to honor the world’s best desert racing drivers,” said Les Unger, national motorsports manager at Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. “For over two decades, we have had the privilege of presenting the SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards to the toughest racers on the planet.”

Racers from at least 20 U.S. States and 10 countries are expected to compete in this year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 500, a popular summer classic.

2009 SCORE Toyota Milestone Awards

(Through Round 2, 32 Racers have completed every required mile in the five-race 2009 SCORE Desert Series)

SCORE Trophy-Truck

Robby Gordon

Mark Post

Ed Stout

Adam Householder

Greg Nunley

Class 1

Ronny Wilson

Randy Wilson

Julio Herrera

Richard Boyle

Dale Lenk

Class 1-2/1600

Brian Wilson

Justin Smith

Cody Robinson

Dave Caspino

Mario Gastelum

Eric Duran

Samuel Araiza

Class 3

Donald Moss

Class 5

Kevin Carr

Carlos Albanez

Class 5/1600

Alonso Angulo

Class 6

Heidi Steele

Class 7

Dan Chamlee

Jose Canchola Jr.

Heidi Steele

Class 7SX

John Holmes

Class 8

Clyde Stacy

Class 10

Mike Lawrence

Scott Gailey

SCORE Lite

Rick St. John

Brent Parkhouse

Stock Mini

Gavin Skilton

Crash in Blinding Silt Dashes Bebo's Effort Late at Terrible's Race Ending Win Streak at Three

San Diego, California (April 21, 2009) The age-old saying, "they come in threes," spelled out the end of McMillin Racing's three-race win streak. It was a disappointing outcome for McMillin Racing at the Best in the Desert's Terrible's Town 250 desert race after an unfortunate crash in the blinding silt ended the hopes for the team's fourth consecutive victory.

bebott250Poised for the opportunity to make history in one of the most competitive classes in off road racing, the unlimited truck class, McMillin Racing strategically had planned for Andy "Bebo" McMillin to race the 207-mile sprint race alone, without changing drivers.

Scott McMillin explained, "We felt Andy could easily run the entire race on his own and we could save seconds from completing a driver's change. The southern Nevada desert offers very challenging terrain, however we knew that we needed to run a fast pace to stay up front."

Spring boarding off of three consecutive wins, the young McMillin racer was poised to make history by claiming his fourth consecutive victory in the unlimited truck class. The #31 McMillin Homes truck was second on the starting grid after a stellar qualifying effort. The strategy was to run fast and wait for the leader to make a mistake.

After two 69-mile laps, the unofficial timing in the McMillin Racing pit showed the #31 truck ahead on time by a mere 30 plus or minus seconds. The main pit was abuzz with anticipation as "Bebo" began his final lap.

Only minutes later, as the crew began to gather up the fueling equipment, the race frequency came alive as Andy reported they were involved in a crash with the physical race leader, Jerry Whelchel. In fact, Whelchel, who was only seconds in front of the McMillin race truck, had crashed into a limited class truck that was stopped and buried in the deep Nevada silt. While Whelchel attempted to get his truck out of the cloud of silt, the #31 unknowingly drove at speed directly into the path of the trapped race vehicles.

bebott250"We're relieved that no one was injured. Unfortunately, racing incidents of this nature do occur from time to time. Andy and his co-driver, Brady Thompson, did a great job at getting out of the accident and back in the race as fast as they could. Once they were out of the jam and back in clean air, they raced hard for the final 62.5 miles of the race," explained team manager Greg Williams.

Bebo drove across the finish line in third place among the Trick Truck class and finished fifth overall with a time of 3 hours, 48 minutes and 3 seconds. The #31 McMillin Homes truck was less than 5 minutes off the winning time of 3:43:18. This important podium finish earned Andy McMillin the point lead for the 2009 Best in the Desert Series championship in the elite Trick Truck class.

Seated in his truck Andy said, "Wow! That was crazy! We never saw the stopped trucks in the blinding silt. All of a sudden, they just appeared and by that time it was too late. I'm really glad that no one was hurt. I'm surprised that the front of our truck was not more damaged. After finishing the second lap, we felt we were in the right spot for this 3-lap race. The truck was running perfect and we had no flats all day long. Then out of nowhere appeared the #40 truck and well the rest is history. That mishap cost both of our teams the chance to race to the finish."

Off road racing is the ultimate modern adventure that pits man and machine against the rigors of the barren deserts. When you sign up for a desert race, you can't imagine what obstacles and challenges you may have to overcome. Champions are sculpted from the experiences they endure while racing towards the checkered flag. Andy McMillin, from the legendary bloodlines of American desert racing icons, will return to the desert for America's longest off road desert race, the Best in the Desert's Vegas to Reno 3-day rally style race on August 19-23, 2009.

About McMillin Racing
With over three decades of racing experience, the McMillin family represents three generations of accomplished championship racers. Founded by the late off-road racing legend Corky McMillin, McMillin Racing continues to be respected as a one of the most successful desert racing teams of all time. They are supported by a long list of dedicated family, friends and employees of McMillin Companies, all who make up an incredibly talented group of steadfast supporters. Since 1976, they have raced at the highest level of competition in the deserts of North America. Together as a family, they have multiple series championships, along with significant race victories in both the United States and Baja California.



McMillin Racing symbolizes the ultimate passion in off road racing.



Media & Web Management
ROMM, Inc.
Tim Sanchez
tim@rockonmotorsports.com
714-514-7450

New Ojos Negros Resort

Looks nice

www.ojosnegroshacienda.com

DRIVE Racing - $4000 + Class 1600 Bonus

We wanted to let you know about a very big bonus opportunity for class 1600 coming up on May 16th.

$4000 Plus Class 1600 Bonus
We are doing something a little different at the May 16th FiberwerX 200 with class 1600. We will be holding the first ever buggy hare and hound race. We are also adding an additional $100 per entry with no minimum number of entries. At 10 entries the total bonus and driver payback will hit $4000 and continue to go up from there. Even at only 5 entries the total payback and bonus is $1250.
DRIVE logo white







Class 1600 Hare and Hound Information
We've added an additional bonus for the 1 / 2 1600 class at the FiberwerX 200 May 16th. No minimum entries. $100 per car and an additional $1500 at 10 entries.

We will be doing an additional draw for 1 / 2 1600 on May 2nd at FiberwerX after the start order draw. The additional draw will be for the "1 / 2 1600 Hare". All other 1 / 2 1600 racers will become the hounds. An additional $100 per entry will go into a bonus pot. No minimum entries for this bonus! 1st, 2nd and 3rd place that beat the hare will split the first ever DRIVE Hare and Hound bonus. If the hare wins they will keep the entire Hare bonus. The hare will start in whatever position they draw. We will also have special decals made up for the hare so that everyone knows who they have to beat.

If the entries hit 10 you can add an additional $1500 to the bonus on top of the $150 per entry driver payback and the $100 per entry Hare Bonus.

What it boils down to is you can win big $$ without the 10 car minimum.
10 cars = $4000 total bonus but 9 cars is still a $2250 bonus.

Hare Eligibility Rules:
Must be pre-registered before 3 PM May 2nd. We will draw at the FiberwerX Open House.
*See entry form instructions at Entry Form Information

All 1 /2 1600 racers must race with GPS on during the entire race, must have a trail recording and must keep all data until DRIVE officials download it onto a chip after you finish the race.

Must meet all other competition rules and regulations.

News from Banning Motorsports

Terrible's 250 at Primm
Banning Motorsports was bringing the heat to the Terrible's 250 at Primm for the Best In The Desert points series this past weekend. There was 3 class 11 cars fielded by the Banning race team with hopes to fill the podium. Buggy 1156 was driven by "The Wild Cowboy" Tom Shaw with Co-Pilot Danny Foddrill. Buggy 1178 had "The Super Shoe" Rick Graf and Bryan Folks scheduled to drive with Alan Dillemuth and Chris Godfrey to share the Co-Driving duties. The 3rd buggy 1123 had Lee Banning and the "Ace" Lee Jr. piloting the hot rod with Clayton "The Ironman" Buttle taking care of the Co-Pilot duties all race.

1st Ever Qualifying For Class 11
April 16th 2009 the class 11 cars were set to qualify for the event for the first time. There always has to be competition and not just against other teams, but within Banning Motorsports. There was a HUNDRED dollar bet between the 3 buggy's to see who will out qualify one another. With that being said The Wild Cowboy Tom Shaw qualified 1156, The Super Shoe Rick Graf qualified 1178, and The Ace Lee Jr. qualified 1123. When the qualifying was over the Banning motorsports cars all qualified in respected spots starting 4th, 5th and 6th for the start of Saturdays Terrible's 250 race. The man with the bragging rights on the team for the next 2 days with cash in hand would go to Tom Shaw who was the quickest of the group followed by Lee Jr. and Rick Graf.

April 17th was contingency for the event and the cars were shinning and represented all the partners that make each event possible and went very well.
Terrible's 250 at the Primm Race Day
5 a.m came early but the Boys and Girls that make Banning Motorsports possible had the cars stagged and were ready for go time. With the cars starting side by side that set up for a Tom Shaw/ Danny Foddrill and Lee Jr./Clayton Buttle row 3 start, with Rick Graf/Alan Dillemuth starting in the 4th row. At 6 o' clock am the flag drops and Lee Jr. got ahead of "The Wild Cowboy" and took off in the dust and sunrise.

The first lap was looking strong with all 3 buggys running strong and battling for position amongst themselfves, and with the other cars running in the front. Rick was leading Lee Jr. and Tom Shaw by the end of the first lap. Rick and Bryan Folks had a driver change at the start of the 2nd lap as well as a Co-Pilot swap between Alan and Chris Godfrey. Heading into the 2nd lap of the race at mile marker 48 the black cloud was over buggy number 1123 when motor problems struck down and ended the race for Lee Jr., Lee Sr. and Co-Pilot Clayton. With 2 buggys remaining that black cloud came back around and found another Banning Motorsport 11 buggy. This one driven by Tom Shaw and Co-Pilot Danny Foddrill in the 1156 buggy. Another issue with the power plant ended the day for them as well. It does not seem to be the same issue with the 2 motors, just an unfortunate turn of events that happend only 10 miles apart on the race course. With Buggy 1178 the only hope for a strong finish Brian and Chris did a great job running hard the entire time. When the 3rd lap concluded it had Bryan Finishing in the 3rd position.

Great Job to the entire crew for Banning Motorsports which includes Team Captain Andy Megaw, Tim West, Cooper Ericson, Chris Miller, Tim Williams, "Scoop" Godfrey, Danny Foddrill, Big Denny, Amy, Kathy, and Gail. You guys again work your tails off and make this organization profesional and a first class operation.

Honorable Mention goes to Ali Banning who drove with everything she had in the Trophy Kart class till a drive belt came off. Great Job! and keep it up.

After the races concluded the traditional Carne Asada cook out started and the bench racing continued. We celebrated a few April Birthdays with home made ice cream. YUM! Happy Birthday to Tom Shaw, Lee Jr., Cooper Ericson, Clayton Buttle, and Tommy Brown.

The guys and girls that make up Banning Motorsports allow for great finishes and great friendships thanks again for everything that every person/company has done for us.

Banning Motorsports

MacCachren / Olliges Podium Ford F-150 Raptor at BITD Terrible's Town 250

Las Vegas, Nevada - Combining decades of off road racing experience together under one truck roof was exactly what the Ford executives had in mind when they unleashed the 2009 version of the Ford F-150 Raptor Race Program. Two warriors and a host of celebrity racers have finished both of the 2009 Best in the Desert races in second place, tallying together important podium points in the chase for the 2009 BITD Series Championship.

Rockstar's Rob MacCachren and his Ford F-150 Raptor Racing teammate, Steve Olliges, raced the near stock Ford F-150 to the podium in Class 8000 for the second race in a row. Olliges began the day in the #8011 race truck before handing it over to celebrity racer, Linsey Weenk.

The race week, however, started with the hosting of NASCAR driver, Greg Biffle and Linsey Weenk, the driver of the Built Ford Tough Monster truck.

Biffle joined the Las Vegas based off road racing duo on Thursday for some seat time behind the Ford F-150 race Raptor, before heading to Phoenix International Raceway, where he was victorious in Friday's NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

Linsey Weenk, who campaigns the Built Ford Tough Blue Thunder truck in Monster Jam, had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the race truck. Weenk took over driving duties from Steve Olliges for the entire 69-mile second lap.

BFGoodrich Tires Ambassador, Rob MacCachren, rode as the co-driver for the first time desert racer. Linsey Weenk was all business as they began their calculated charge into the Nevada desert.

MacCachren commented, "Linsey drove great. This was his first ever off road race and he drove very strategic. I will admit that it's been quite some time since I've ridden in the right seat as a co-driver and Linsey got it done."

After the completion of the second lap, MacCachren climbed behind the wheel while his co-regular co-driver, Brian Lopez, joined him in the truck. MacCachren rallied the Raptor race truck through the last lap establishing a wicked fast lap time before crossing the finishing line and taking the checkered flag.

"It's exciting to be part of the Ford F-150 Raptor race program. All the partners involved in this project are so passionate about the sport. Ford has led the way for research and development in their truck programs through the sport of desert racing for decades, as has BFGoodrich and FOX RACING SHOX. They have all joined together developing a stock Ford Raptor that is truly amazing. We have punished this race Raptor in two of the biggest races so far this season and it continues to survive the demanding conditions of the Nevada desert," said a smiling MacCachren.

The molten orange race Raptor, shod with 35-inch BFGoodrich Tires, suffered no flats over the course of the entire 207-mile racecourse. The Ford F-150 Raptor will next race the longest off road race in the United States, the BITD Vegas to Reno race on August 19-23, 2009.

Rob MacCachren's next race is May 11, 2009 in Caliente, Nevada where he will race the Rockstar 1-2 1600 single-seat car at the SNORE Caliente 250. He will be defending his back-to-back victories thus far in the 2009 SNORE Desert Racing Series after wins at Battle at Primm and the Mint 400.

2009 Results:

SCORE Laughlin DC - 7th Trophy Truck
BITD Parker 425 - 2nd Class 8000
SNORE Battle at Primm - 1st Class 1600
SCORE San Felipe 250 - 3rd Trophy Truck
SNORE Mint 400 - 1st Class 1600 | 7th Overall
BITD Terrible's 250 - 2nd Class 8000

Rob MacCachren is sponsored by FORD, BFGoodrich Tires, FORD SVT, FOX RACING SHOX, Mastercraft Race Seats, KC HiLites, PRO AM, Rancho Drivetrain, Nevada Buggy Supply and ROCKSTAR Energy Drink.

About Rockstar: Bigger. Better. Faster. Stronger
ROCKSTAR is the world's most powerful energy drink. Enhanced with the potent herbal blends of Guarana, Ginkgo, Ginseng and Milk Thistle, ROCKSTAR is scientifically formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles-from athletes to rock stars.
PARTY LIKE A ROCKSTAR!

Rob MacCachren Racing:
For over 30 years, Rob MacCachren has been racing in the open desert. As a third generation desert racer, Rob began his career following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather while growing up in the Nevada desert. His career accomplishments inlcude winning three Borg-Warner Champions in a row at the Crandon International Raceway, as well as winning the longest SCORE Baja 1000 ever held. The multi-discipline racer has accumulated over 150 victories and numerous championships between closed short course and desert racing.

Rob MacCachren Media and Management:
ROMM, Inc.
Tim Sanchez
714-514-7450
tim@rockonmotorsports.com