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NASCAR Home track link with Sloan

Sunday, October 11, 2009 8:56:34 AM

http://localracing.nascar.com/node/3950 for picture NASCAR Announces Top Rookies State & Province Rookie Of The Year Winners Collected 53 Feature Victories In 2009 By Paul Schaefer, NASCAR October 8, 2009 - 2:09pm DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The inaugural year for the NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award presented by Jostens saw rookies collect 53 feature wins. Leading the 2009 rookie class to the Nov. 13 ceremonies at the Concord (N.C.) Convention Center is Jacob Gomes, the series’ 2009 national rookie award winner. Gomes, 16, of Manteca, Calif., collected three wins, 20 top 5s and 28 top 10s. He competed in the Western Late Model division at three California paved tracks including The New Stockton 99 Speedway, All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., and Madera Speedway. The state rookie award winners will be honored Friday, Nov. 13 at the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet at the Concord (N.C.) Convention Center along with the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion, U.S. state and Canadian provincial champions, track champions and special award winners. Two females earned Rookie of the Year honors – Sloan Henderson of Franklin, Ohio, and Natalie Sather of Fargo, N.D. Henderson, 17, made 29 starts at Columbus (Ohio) Motor Speedway and Kil-Kare Speedway in Xenia, Ohio, where she posted six top 5s and 19 top 10s. Sather, 24, raced her first season on asphalt at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash., where she had eight top fives and 17 top 10s in 17 races. Paul Antley of Dacula, Ga., was the leading race winner in 2009, with 11 trips to the Late Model Victory Lane at Lanier National Speedway in Braselton, Ga. He was the only rookie driver to post double-digit Victory Lane appearances. North Carolina Rookie of the Year Award winner David Wilson of Cornelius, N.C., raced at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C., and Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway and posted three wins. Other 2009 rookies of the year are: Lloyd Spearchief, Alberta (Edmonton International Speedway); Richie Davis, Arizona (Thunder Raceway); Thor Gorseth, British Columbia (SunValley Speedway); Nick Burton, Colorado (Colorado National); Joseph Allegro Jr., Connecticut (Stafford Motor Speedway); Tim Noble, Illinois (Rockford Speedway); Scott Riechers, Iowa (Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway); Mark Underwood, Louisiana (Monroe Motor Speedway); Bradley Babb, Maine (Beech Ridge Motor Speedway); Brian Bergakker, Michigan (Kalamazoo Speedway); Robert White, Minnesota (Raceway Park and Elko Speedway); Randy Hall, Nebraska (Junction Motor Speedway and I-80 Speedway); Brandon Giannini, Nevada (The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedways); Jonathon Urlin, Ontario (Delaware Speedway); Addison Meitzler, Pennsylvania (Grandview Speedway); Maxime Paquine, Quebec (Autodrome St. Eustache); Justin Ashley, South Carolina (Greenville Pickens Speedway); Chris Abelson, South Dakota (Park Jefferson Speedway); David Polenz, Virginia (Old Dominion Speedway); and Darrell Nelson, Wisconsin (Superior Speedway and Cedar Lake Speedway). To be eligible for the award drivers must have been first-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Feature Division license holders. The state or province Rookie of the Year Award winners of each state are determined by that driver’s highest 18 finishes at NASCAR-sanctioned tracks within their state. Since its inception, NASCAR’s national short-track racing series has served as a springboard in the careers of many top drivers. NASCAR stars Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Kurt and Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Bobby Labonte, Jamie McMurray, Elliott Sadler and Brian Vickers all began their careers racing their local short tracks.

NASCAR invitation to awards banquet

Sunday, October 18, 2009 12:08:35 AM

Week-Long Celebration Of NASCAR Champions To Precede Historic Awards Weekend Champions Banquets To Be Streamed Live Online Official Release October 16, 2009 - 11:10am DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Before they take their seats in the Concord (N.C.) Convention Center for a historic two-night celebration of the top drivers in NASCAR’s developmental series, track operators and champion drivers will get an up close and personal look at the hub of stock-car racing. For the first time, the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet will be held in the Charlotte, N.C., area. The event, which honors champions from across North America in the series that is NASCAR’s grassroots foundation, will be Friday, Nov. 13. The inaugural Night of Champions Touring Awards Gala will be held the following night on Nov. 14. The event will bring the top drivers and car owners from NASCAR’s top developmental series on stage for one memorable evening. The two nights of celebration will be held at the Concord Convention Center in Concord, N.C. In another first, both awards banquets will be streamed live online at www.nascarhometracks.com – the official online home of NASCAR’s developmental series. Leading up to the weekend will be a week of activities designed to entertain and reward, as well as give the participants a behind-the-scenes look into the hotbed of NASCAR racing. Among the events on the itinerary: • Tuesday, Nov. 10: NASCAR Champions Media Day. Highlights include the 2nd Annual NASCAR Toyota ‘Champions/Media Karting’ Showdown presented by SIRIUS XM Radio at Victory Lane Karting, the annual Champions group photo shoot at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and the Champions Dinner at the Sam Bass Gallery. • Wednesday, Nov. 11: The Jim Hunter Golf Tournament at Highland Creek Golf Club – one of the top-rated public golf courses in the Charlotte area. In addition, the Ladies Day Activity will be a tour of the Childress Vineyard, and the day will finish off with a VIP Reception at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord. • Thursday, Nov. 12: Track operators and series champions will take a tour of the Penske Racing Shop in the afternoon. The evening will include a Dinner Cruise for track operators and series champions on Lake Norman, while the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series U.S. state and Canadian provincial champions will be honored in a championship dinner at the Hendrick Motorsports Race Shop & Museum in Charlotte. • Friday, Nov. 13: The touring series and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series special awards winners will be honored at the Concord Convention Center Friday morning during the inaugural Driver Briefings. The two events are patterned after the historic NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards event during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champions Week. In the afternoon, touring series competitors will be treated to a tour of Michael Waltrip Racing in Cornelius, N.C. The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, followed by the first NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Series Gala at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Invited attendees to the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards banquets include the 2009 national champion, U.S. state and Canadian provincial champions, all 58 track champions, the national/state/provincial Rookies of the Year, and the 2009 Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award winner among others. The NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Gala will feature the champions and top drivers from all of NASCAR’s North American regional touring series including invitees from the NASCAR Camping World Series East, the NASCAR Camping World Series West, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

D4D combine

Sunday, October 18, 2009 12:12:31 AM

.D4D Kicks-Off With Annual Testing & Evaluation Combine Official Release October 15, 2009 - 10:35am HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Thirty drivers from different forms of racing across the United States will showcase their skills in front of NASCAR executives and officials at the annual Drive for Diversity Testing & Evaluation Combine presented by Sunoco, as they vie for one of 10 spots with Revolution Racing for the 2010 season. The Combine kicks off the new academy-style development for Drive for Diversity, with 10 drivers competing for the program under a single team ownership structure. The scouting event will take place October 16-20 in Charlotte, N.C., and Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va. “The drivers invited to the Combine will compete for an opportunity to be a part of the inaugural class in the D4D programs new academy-style driver development program,” said Marcus Jadotte, Managing Director of Public Affairs for NASCAR, who oversees the sanctioning body’s diversity initiatives, “As the Drive for Diversity initiative enters its seventh year, the program’s focus on driver testing and training will better position drivers to succeed and advance in our sport.” “The Drive for Diversity Testing & Evaluation Combine presented by Sunoco is an integral part of the D4D initiative,” said Max Siegel, Chief Executive Officer of The 909 Group. “We are looking forward to this year’s event and are confident the drivers invited to participate in the Combine will raise the bar in terms of talent and competition.” Since the creation of Drive for Diversity in 2004, 31 competitors have driven for the initiative in NASCAR’s developmental series, winning 35 races. The 2009 driver class combined for six wins, 51 top fives and 125 top 10s. Driver Paul Harraka captured two wins and Rookie of the Year in NASCAR’s premiere development series, the NASCAR Camping World Series West. The 30 drivers participating in this year’s Combine, including 12 members of the 2009 Drive for Diversity class, will participate in both on- and off-track evaluation over a four-day period. The on-track session will be conducted in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series late models and NASCAR Camping World Series cars at Motor Mile Speedway. Off the track, the drivers will be evaluated during media and sponsor relations activities. The drivers attending the Combine will also be featured in a television series, “Changing Lanes,” developed in collaboration with the NASCAR Media Group and set to air in early 2010 on BET. The eight-part series will showcase the development of young Drive for Diversity competitors trying to make it in the big-time world of NASCAR racing. Ten drivers will be selected to compete for Revolution Racing under the Drive for Diversity umbrella in 2010. Six drivers will compete in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and four will compete in the NASCAR Camping World Series East. The following drivers will participate in this year’s Drive for Diversity Testing & Evaluation Combine presented by Sunoco: • Jorge Arteaga (Houston, Tex.) is currently 11th in the NASCAR Mexico Series standings with three top fives and four top 10s. • Mackena Bell (Carson City, Nev.), a member of the 2009 Drive for Diversity class, finished eighth in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Super Late Model standings at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, (Calif.), with one top five and 10 top 10s. • Jessica Brunelli (Hayward, Calif.) competed in the Modified division at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., scoring 10 top fives and 13 top 10s. • Michael Cherry (Valrico, Fla.) scored seven top fives and 19 top 10s in the Late Model division at Greenville Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C., as a member of the 2009 Drive for Diversity class. • Tiffany Daniels (Smithfield, Va.) joined the Drive for Diversity program in 2009, competing in the NASCAR Camping World Series East for Hamilton Racing. • Heather DesRochers (Granby, Mass.) competed in the SK Light Modified division at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway. She earned one win, six top fives and seven top 10s in 15 races. • Phil Dugan (Meridian, Idaho) competed in the NASCAR Camping World Series West for the Drive for Diversity program in 2009, finishing the season 11th in the points standings. • Cassie Gannis (Phoenix, Ariz.) enjoyed three top-10 finishes in the Late Model division at Toyota Speedway this season. • Alissa Geving (Penngrove, Calif.) raced in the 360 All Pro Series at Petaluma Speedway, earning two wins and 15 top fives in 15 starts. She also set a track qualifying record. • Ryan Gifford (Winchester, Tenn.) competed in the NASCAR Camping World Series East in 2009, as well as running dirt and asphalt late model events across the Southeast. • Katie Hagar (Nobleboro, Maine) set a track qualifying record at Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway, driving in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series as a member of the 2009 Drive for Diversity class. • Paul Harraka (Fair Lawn, N.J.) became the first Drive for Diversity driver to win a race in a NASCAR regional touring division. He finished the season with two wins and seven top fives, and was named the NASCAR Camping World Series West Sunoco Rookie of the Year. • Laura Hayes (Wilton, Calif.) joined the 2009 Drive for Diversity class, competing in the Late Model division at South Boston (Va.) Speedway. She scored four top-10 finishes this season. • Sloan Henderson (Franklin, Ohio) earned NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Ohio state ookie of the year honors at Kil-Kare Speedway in Xenia, Ohio with six top fives and 18 top 10s. • Brandie Jass (Bryan, Tex.) competed at 105 Speedway in Cleveland, Tex., racing in the Lonestar Outlaw Sprinters. She scored eight top fives and 14 top 10s in 18 events. • John Jones (Mooresville, N.C.) has been competing in the INEX Bandolero Car Series, as well as testing late models throughout North Carolina. • Rebecca Kasten (Mequon, Wis.) has spent the year racing touring series Late Models throughout the United States. She tallied six top-10 finishes this season. • Ali Kern (Fremont, Ohio) raced in the Modified division at Sandusky (Ohio) Speedway, finishing third in points with two wins and nine top fives. • Brea Lopez (Vader, Wash.) finished third in the Limited Late Model division at South Sound Speedway in Tenino, Wash., with one pole, one win, four top fives and eight top 10s. • Jessica Murphy (Groveland, Fla.) competed in the Super Late Model and Limited Late Model divisions at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway this season, earning two wins and nine top fives. • Sergio Pena (Catharpin, Va.) kicked off his rookie season in the Late Model division at Shenandoah (Va.) Speedway with five wins, before moving over to Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va. • Juan Pitta (Galt, Calif.) earned one pole, one win and 12 top fives in the Late Model division at All American Speedway as a member of the 2009 Drive for Diversity class. • Megan Reitenour (Miamisburg, Ohio) earned rookie of the year honors for the Late Model division at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C., as a member of the 2009 Drive for Diversity class. She earned one pole, seven top fives and 16 top 10s. • Jason Romero (Cameron Park, Calif.) won the track championship in the Late Model division at All American Speedway after winning 11 races this season. • Natalie Sather (Fargo, N.D.) competed with the Drive for Diversity program in 2009, running in the Super Late Model division at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash. Sather earned one win and 10 top fives in her rookie season on asphalt, and was the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Washington state rookie of the year. • Dylan Smith (Randolph, Vt.) was the only rookie to compete full-time in the Late Model division at Thunder Road Speedbowl in Waterbury, Vt. • Jonathan Smith (Beacon Falls, Conn.) competed in the NASCAR Camping World Series East as a member of the 2009 Drive for Diversity class. He earned two top-10 finishes this season. • Emily Sue Steck (Holman, Wis.) raced in the Late Model division at LaCrosse (Wisc.) Fairgrounds Speedway. She won three races and had 10 top fives and 14 top 10s this season. • Trista Stevenson (Pocahontas, Ill.) raced in the United States Super Truck Challenge Series, winning three poles and two feature events. • Darrell Wallace, Jr. (Mobile, Ala.) competed in 23 late model events, including nine UARA Late Model division events, scoring three wins and 11 top fives.

Cox Qand A link

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 8:58:59 AM

Q & A with Franklin race driver Sloan Henderson

NASCAR Whelen driver and Library levy

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 9:08:14 AM

Sloan helps with Library tax levy. Article here