Brad Keselowski Wins 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship
Team No. 22 Makes History by Capturing First NASCAR Title for Automotive Icons Penske Racing and Discount Tire
Discount Tire and Penske Racing share a historic milestone with the win of their first NASCAR championship, and congratulate Brad Keselowski for driving the No. 22 car to victory in the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series this year. Keselowski clinched the Nationwide points title with his third place finish at Texas on Nov. 6.
Discount Tire’s involvement with NASCAR began in 2003. Since the onset, NASCAR has helped elevate the Discount Tire brand across the country as well as the excitement level among the company’s approximately 13,000 employees working at more than 780 stores in 22 states. NASCAR has helped extend Discount Tire’s brand awareness throughout the NASCAR community and is a rallying point for all who work at the company, which celebrated its 50th year in business in 2010. Read more
Ford Racing Offers Rally Package for Fiesta, Announces Fiesta Class for Rally America Series
For rally fans looking to imitate what successful Ford rally drivers Mikko Hirvonen, Jari-Matti Latlava and Ken Block have accomplished, a new Fiesta R2 rally package is the place to start.
Currently available throughout Europe, Ford Racing Performance Group is bringing the competition-ready package stateside to let enthusiasts turn their five-door Fiesta into a Fiesta R2 that’s ready to compete on the roads of RallyCar’s Rally America National Championship. The package is now available for order through Team O’Neil Motorsports, a division of Team O’Neil Rally School in New Hampshire (info@teamoneil.com).
“The spirit of One Ford is making it possible for us to bring the best of European rally racing to competitors in the U.S.,” said Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsport. “The Fiesta R2 has already proven itself in Europe as a great platform for aspiring rally drivers.”
The winner of the 2011 U.S. Fiesta Sport Trophy Championship will also have the opportunity to compete in the R2 class during next year’s Wales Rally GB.
Developed by M-Sport, Ford’s WRC partner since 1997, the kit will convert a production Fiesta to rally specification. Included in the package are engine parts that will increase the performance of the 1.6-liter Ti-VCT four-cylinder engine: pistons, conrods, camshafts, valve springs, injectors, airbox, air filter and a sump baffle kit. The performance enhancements deliver 168 horsepower and 134 lb.-ft. of torque, a 40 percent increase in horsepower over the production Fiesta. Read more
Jarvis Gennari Earns First Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Victory
Win Marks Fifth Race Winner of 2010 Season
Series rookie, Jarvis Gennari, earned his first Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup victory yesterday at Road America after an exciting battle with Chris Wehrheim, the event’s polesitter and eventual second-place finisher. Gennari and Wehrheim swapped the lead all afternoon, but the Boca Raton, FL native was able to regain the lead on the white flag lap to take the win.
“It was a nerve wracking, but exciting day,” said Gennari. “Chris (Wehrheim) and I were racing really hard the entire afternoon. I’ve been competing against him for the past few years on the karting circuit and we’ve always raced closely and cleanly. We have a lot of mutual respect for one another; so not only was the race exciting, but the fact that I was racing with him made it that much better. Throughout the year, I’ve been working harder and harder to be competitive and now I’ve finished in the top-four at the past three events. At the beginning the season, I never would’ve thought I could run up front, let alone earn a victory. So it is a fantastic feeling to have won.”
Rookie, Kevin Gleason, finished the race in third, marking his second consecutive third-place finish. Wyatt Gooden, the Series points leader, brought his car home in fourth and Jake Thompson finished fifth. Read more
Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup: Thompson Leads Wire-To-Wire For Victory In Utah
Jake Thompson dominated this weekend’s Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup event as he led every lap in the race at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. His victory marked Thompson’s third career Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup win, as he won twice in his rookie season last year.
“I had a great car today and I was able to run the exact pace that I wanted to all afternoon,” said Thompson after the race. “I’m really excited about the win today, I just went out and drove my race. I was relaxed and patient and my Jetta TDI Cup car handled perfectly all day. I wasn’t happy with my position in the point standings coming into this weekend, but I have a new outlook; we have a lot of races left and I’m going to take this momentum into our next event in two weeks at Mid-Ohio.”
Series veteran, JD Mobley, finished second, which marked his first Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup podium appearance in two years of competition. Three rookies rounded out the top-five as Wyatt Gooden finished third, Arie Ouimet finished fourth and Nate Norenberg finished fifth. JJ Tomlinson, of Park City, finished the day in 22nd after being able to move up three spots from his starting position. The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup will head to Ohio for Round Five at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on June 20th.
Brian Austin Green wins the Celebrity Category of the 2010 Toyota Pro Celebrity Race
Jimmy Vasser Takes Checkered Flag As Overall and Professional Winner
It was auto racing at its most exhilarating as actor Brian Austin Green prevailed over a highly competitive group of America’s favorite celebrities from film, television, music and sports to win the Celebrity category of the 2010 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. Former CART Champion Jimmy Vasser finished first overall and in doing so also won the Pro category, followed closely by Formula Drift Champion Tanner Foust.
Green, the actor who achieved fame as a teen idol for his role as David Silver in the original “Beverly Hills, 90210,” first fought off comedian Adam Carolla, then battled much of the race with actor Adrien Brody, taking the lead in the eighth lap and holding it to cross the finish line in his race-ready Scion tC just fractions of a second before Brody and actor Zachary Levi.
Green was ecstatic after the race. “We all pushed each other and really battled,” said the new celebrity champ. “This is such a great group of people. We’ve all become really close friends under very cool circumstances. I’d be just as happy had Zach or Adrien won.”
“This was an exciting and entertaining race,” said Les Unger, national motorsports manager with Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. “These drivers battled the entire race, and the crowd responded. Every participant was hungry to take home the trophy and brought their A game to the competition. The drivers remained intensely focused throughout their training, and yesterday’s practice and qualifying sessions. Their commitment and enthusiasm exemplify the spirit of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race.” Read more