The Hoosier Race Report: Bullrings and High Banks

Add some rain and that summed up this pre-holiday weekend. As usual, there were both happy and sad people on the Hoosier sprint scene. Among the happiest was Dave Darland, winner of the USAC/Larry Rice Classic at the Bloomington Speedway on Friday night. On Sunday afternoon at the Winchester Speedway, Dave McKnight smiled and breathed a sigh of relief after taming the high banks of the half mile paved oval after winning the Must See Racing Supermodified feature. A few minutes later Jojo Helberg smiled for the cameras as he held off repeated challenges by Brian Gerster to win the MSR Xtreme Sprint Series feature. Sunday evening it was Jerry Coons Junior’s turn to smile as he led flag to flag in a non-stop 25 lap feature at the Kokomo Speedway. Dave Rudisell was one who may have found it tough to smile after his Lawrenceburg/KISS show was rained out.  

There was a threat of rain on Friday as 32 of USAC’s finest assembled to tackle the red clay oval at Bloomington. Brady Bacon was among the later qualifiers but set fast time on a track that stayed racy all night.

The four heats were all green as Bloomington regular Danny Holtsclaw won the first heat. Robert Ballou won the second heat and Brady Short, who is a demon at this track, prevailed in the third heat. Jon Stanbrough, tonight in a Shane Wade Enterprises machine, won the fourth.

Hunter Schuerenberg bested a strong field in the semi. Casey Shuman came from tenth to finish second.

Bobby East and Kevin Thomas Jr. led 21 others to the green. Thomas took the early lead over USAC sprint point leader Chase Stockon with Dave Darland third. But Darland, driving for an admittedly low buck team owned by Steve and Carla Phillips, wasn’t happy with third. He passed Stockon after a lap nine re-start for second.

Bobby East was unhurt after flipping on lap 13. Darland had been threatening Thomas for the lead and on this re-start resumed the pressure, finally passing the Alabaman on lap 19. From there Dave romped to the win.

Thomas was second and Short came from 14th to third. Stockon held off Brady Bacon for fourth.

Beau Binder won the mini-sprint feature.

We headed east to Lawrenceburg on Saturday. But as we approached the town, our friend Marv Fish called with bad news. The track had taken one rain shower too many and racing was cancelled. With that, we headed west and began thinking about Sunday.

We planned a doubleheader, first Winchester then, Kokomo. Both grandsons and I headed northeast to the high banks.

Mike McVetta started things off by setting a new track record for supermods with a 13.801 lap. Kyle Edwards, Jimmy McCune and McVetta won the heats.

Brian Gingrass, McCune, and McVetta all took turns at the front before Dave McKnight grabbed the lead on lap 14 and checked out. It was redemption for McKnight, who crashed here last year.

Brian Gerster was the fastest qualifier in the house with a 13.461 lap. Troy DeCaire, Aaron Pierce and Helberg won their heats.

Helberg started on the pole of the sprint feature, but Gerster came calling quickly. For much of the race Gerster stalked the California native but couldn’t make the pass. McCune, Pierce and DeCaire trailed. It was Helberg’s second straight win in Must See action.

We made to Kokomo in time for the Anthem, with 28 sprinters ready to rumble. Josh Spencer, Jerry Coons Jr. and Chase Stockon won the heats. Parker Price-Miller was the man of the B Main.

Fans were treated to a 45 minute autograph session. A good time was had by all, not just the kids, but the adults.

Coons and Wes McIntyre started on the front row of a lightning fast track. After 25 laps of slicing and dicing through lapped traffic, they finished that way in a race that took less than six minutes to run. Robert Ballou, Chris Windom and Stockon followed.

Craig Walker cruised to victory in the Street Stock feature. Korey Glassburn was one excited young man as he won the Thunder Car finale.

Two tired, but happy, puppies headed south.

Looking for someone to bump, I’m…

Danny Burton

The Hoosier Race Report: Daily Double, Anyone?

Indiana has its share of race fans that have been able to take in two races in one day. Add two more to the list as grandson #2 and I did the Winchester/Kokomo shuffle on Sunday. What a time it was. Must See Racing featured both its sprint and supermodified series on the treacherous Winchester high banks with first Dave McKnight winning the supermod feature, followed by Jojo Helberg winning the sprint feature with Brian Gerster shadowing his every move. On to Kokomo where Jerry Coons Jr. led from flag to flag, winning an all-green 25 lap feature; this had to be a new track record for an official sprint feature at the jewel of north central Indiana.

Both grandsons and I set off for a two hour journey to Winchester on Sunday morning. Allow me to talk about these guys for a bit. The idea of taking two boys, aged ten and four, anywhere is a daunting proposition to many grandfathers (not to mention any parents or grandparents). But the old adage is true about having grandkids first. Being retired and more relaxed helps a lot. But these guys are both growing into fine young gentlemen and are a pleasure to take anywhere.

Another first for this road trip would be seeing supermodifieds at Winchester. I was mightily curious to see which car would be faster, the supermods or the sprints. Mike McVetta was the quickest of the supers with a 13.801 lap. A few minutes later, Brian Gerster ripped off a 13.461, settling that question for now.

Kyle Edwards, Jimmy McCune (doing double duty today) and Mr. McVetta won their respective heats. If I had a complaint, it would have been that just two heats instead of three be run. Five car heats on a half mile don’t quite get it, though I understand the reasoning. I think.
The sprints rolled out and Florida’s Troy DeCaire, who spends a lot of time up here, won the first heat over a fast closing Gerster. Aaron Pierce used a great re-start after a caution to pass Tim Cox and win the second heat. Then Mr. Helberg simply checked out to take the third heat, having time enough to run into town and order pizzas for his crew. I think. Jimmy Kite, driving Mike Blake’s ageless 81, turned in a good qualifying lap but couldn’t get it to fire for his heat and was done for the day…darn it.

This was the daily double in more ways than one. Both Winchester and Kokomo had autograph sessions on Sunday. The novelty of getting a young man’s signature has long since worn off this aging race fan, but seeing the look on kids’ (and many adult’s) faces are worth it all. Both of my boys made out like bandits (and later Karston would increase his racing collection at Kokomo), adding to a great day.

The supermodified feature got off to a lousy start as Zach Gibson got into the turn four wall. He was okay and the re-start saw Brian Gingrass take the early lead over Jimmy McCune, Kyle Vanderpool, Kyle Edwards and Mike McVetta.

Right after a lap seven yellow, McCune took the lead on the re-start and tried mightily to check out. But McVetta and Dave McKnight were coming on fast. McVetta caught McCune and took over on lap 13, but led only one lap before McKnight made the pass to become the race’s fourth leader and motored on to victory--this after starting 12th. McVetta was second with McCune holding off Edwards to grab third. Gingrass was fifth.

(Monday night, McKnight and company made the short trip to the Anderson Speedway, where he won the 60 lap feature.)

Next up to the plate would be the ground pounding sprinters. Helberg and McCune were the front row and Jimmy led the first lap. But Jojo was on a mission, taking the lead on lap two. But a lap later Jojo had company, not the kind you want if you’re leading in a winged sprint at Winchester on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

The company was Brian Gerster, part time racing announcer (Gas City) and full time gasser. These two guys fighting for the lead would be the race, in effect. And it was a treat, maybe even better than ice cream on a hot day. Lap after lap, interrupted by two short cautions, these guys fought. Jojo did a Mikey Schumacher imitation a time or two but Brian was plenty smart enough not to force the issue. And watching the two of them fly around lapped traffic was hair raising (for those who have hair).

Helberg and Gerster were trailed by McCune (the veteran had two third place finishes in one day—not bad), Aaron Pierce and Troy DeCaire.

-------------------

My diminutive traveler and I would have stuck around a bit, but we were both committed to Kokomo. So off we went, arriving just in time for the National Anthem. Great timing all way around.

We were in our seats in plenty of time to see a KLM favorite, Josh Spencer, win the first heat. Gary Taylor was second with pole sitter Ed Carpenter—oops—Chris Gurley taking third. Max McGhee was fourth and Michigander Joe Bares was fifth.

Jerry Coons Jr. made his own statement, winning the second heat over Wes McIntyre. Chris Windom was third with Scotty Weir fourth. Curt Gross, all the way from Washington, Indiana, took the final transfer spot.

The third heat was more typical of Kokomo. Chase Stockon must have called the Gentry family (or the other way around), because he was in their 2x. From his outside row two starting spot, he edged Robert Ballou to win. Chad Boespflug was third. Kyle Cummins, who had an even longer drive than Mr. Gross (Princeton, IN), was fourth. Kyle Robbins barely beat Jarrett Andretti to punch his feature ticket.

The B Main was more of the same. Parker Price-Miller missed a good race as he ran off with the win. Kyle Dautrich came from ninth to finish second. Young Mr. Andretti was third. Pole sitter Jamie Fredrickson faded, but only to fourth. But the story was Logan Jarrett, who led a dogfight while grabbing the 20th spot for the feature after starting 11th. Among those loading up early was Matt Westfall, which shows how crazy and competitive Hoosier racing is. Matt had finished tenth in a stout USAC field on Friday at Bloomington. Another leaving too soon was track champ Dustin Smith.

The second autograph session of the day was as much fun as the first, if not more. The track had been watered but fans didn’t care (well, maybe a few moms cared that some shoes got dirty). My little sidekick was in his element and now his easily recognized white baseball cap is literally covered with signatures (in Chad Boespflug’s case, two signatures). Promoters that do this type of thing deserve good things to happen to them.

What followed wasn’t a typical Kokomo feature. There wasn’t a lot of changing positions, slide jobs, etc. But it was a treat all the same.

I had a negative thought or two before the green waved, hoping that the guys would be able to handle what looked to be a very fast track and not tear anything up. Was I ever glad that my concerns were unfounded.

There were the usual near misses, wheel banging and all. But this was one of the fastest 25 laps I’ve ever witnessed. I used pen and paper to calculate the length of this race. If the leader and winner, Jerry Coons Jr., averaged about 14 seconds per lap, this race was over in about five minutes and 50 seconds, give or take a click. The Kokomo concession stand is fast, efficient and accurate, but there are times it takes that long to go through the line. Wow.

Coons was trailed by Wes McIntyre, his front row starting mate. Robert Ballou was third with Chris Windom fourth after starting eighth. Windom edged Chase Stockon, who gave the Gentry machine a good ride to fifth. Washington State’s (the state, not the university) Gary Taylor was sixth. Scotty Weir moved from 11th to seventh. Kyle Cummins, who was extra generous to Karston, started 12th and finished eighth. Chad Boespflug started and finished ninth. And Josh Spencer, who is always good to one of his smallest (but most devoted) fans, hung in for tenth.

A full day of racing and we headed south to rest up. The total drive time was five hours and about 40 minutes. I don’t know about my buddy, but I was doubly tired. However, I was doubly fortunate as well.

Miffed because my fan club didn’t vote me into the All-Star race, I’m…

Danny Burton

 

MCKNIGHT; HELBERG CLAIM XTREME SPEED CHALLENGE VICTORIES

http://msrxtreme.com/index.php/xtreme-sprint-news.html

May 19, 2013 – Winchester, IN – Dave McKnight and Jo Jo Helberg each claimed victories in Sunday’s Must See Racing Xtreme Speed Challenge at Winchester Speedway. The 2nd annual event was greeted by warm weather and a good crowd.

McKnight’s victory in the 30-lap Engine Pro Must See Racing Super Modified Series (MSRSMS) presented by Oliver Racing Parts feature was redemption of sorts. McKnight crashed during practice for last year’s Xtreme Speed Challenge and was unable to participate. McKnight, who started in the twelfth position, explained how important patience played in the outcome. “I can’t say enough about car owner Gary Morton” explained McKnight.” Gary told me to be patient. He had run here before and I had never run here. So this was a whole new world for me. He just told me you got a great car and be patient. Stay high and just give it time. Even when I got to the leaders and they were jostling, I just had to be patient until I had the right time and spot. You’re going so fast here and you come up on traffic so quick you have to be careful. I just waited and the opportunity was there and the car was there for me and I was able to attack. It was great”.


McKnight sported a smaller wing mounted on the rear of the car all day that may have played into the performance of the car. “I don’t really know if that was the key but it definitely helped. It didn’t kill out straightaway speed so less drag more speed. This place is all about finding a good balance between drag and speed. But it was very turbulent when I was in line with five guys. I had a lot of turbulence because I didn’t have a lot of air on it. Once I got out front and I got good air, the car was good” concluded McKnight. Mike McVetta finished second followed by Jimmy McCune, Kyle Edwards, and Brian Gingrass rounding out the top five.


Mike McVetta got things off to a fast start earlier when he set a new track record for the Supermodifieds with a lap of 13.801. Heat wins went to Kyle Edwards, Jimmy McCune, and Mike McVetta.


Jo Jo Helberg captured a thrilling 30-lap TRUFUEL Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Series (MSRXSS) feature that saw him chased relentlessly the entire distance by runner-up Brian Gerster. Jimmy McCune got the jump on pole sitter Helberg to lead the first lap. Helberg quickly regained the lead and was out front by lap two. The duo put on a driving clinic in lapped traffic that saw the two split lapped cars multiple times to the delight of the crowd. Helberg explained that he wasn’t too concerned about losing the lead at the start. “I figured I could get him back because he was leaving the door open. I think the motor was a little lazy because this motor has a lot of top end and not a lot of bottom end with the big gear I have to run” explained Helberg.


Helberg realized early on he was being challenged for the lead. ”One time I was going into one and I saw 4 or 5 lapped cars and saw a yellow nose stick on the inside and thought it was McCune. Then I realized it was Gerster when I glanced at the board. When he did that the first time I really tried to pick up the pace and change my line going through lapped traffic. When he did it to me the second time I had a little bit of clear track and kept my foot on the throttle.


Helberg was initially disappointed to see the caution come out on lap 21 after the race had went green up to that point. ”At first I was disappointed but then realized it gave the lapped cars a chance to start behind me rather than right in front of me. I knew I had a lot more lapped cars that I had to go through. And it gave the tires a chance to cool down the tires. I raced as if Gerster was on my tail the whole race regardless of whether I had clean air or lapped traffic” concluded Helberg.


The win gives Helberg two consecutive wins and put s him in position to claim a $50,000 bonus Must See Racing is offering if he can win the Must See Racing 60 at Anderson Speedway Wed. night as well as the Little 500 this coming Saturday night.


Brian Gerster was the day’s fast qualifier with a lap of 13.461 seconds. Heat wins went to Troy DeCaire, Aaron Pierce, and Helberg. Sunday’s Xtreme Speed Challenge kicked off a busy week for the Holly, MI based series. The MSRSMS will be in action again tomorrow night at Anderson Speedway along with the International Outlaw Figure 8 Series (IOFS). The MSRXSS will be racing Wednesday evening at Anderson Speedway before concluding the week with sanctioning duties of the 65th Pay Less Little 500 Saturday night May 25. All events will be available as live streamed Pay Per View by visiting WWW.XSAN.TV for complete details. For more details on Must See Racing visit www.mustseeracing.com


MUST SEE RACING SUPERMODIFIED SERIES 30-LAP FEATURE RESULTS
1. Dave McKnight
2. Mike McVetta
3. Jimmy McCune
4. Kyle Edwards
5. Brian Gingrass
6. Kyle Vanderpool
7. Rod Sauder
8. Sondi Eden
9. Rich Reid
10. Shane Johnson
11. Brad Wyatt
12. Larry Lenhert
13. Cody Gallogly
14. Zach Gibson
15. Jim Paller


MUST SEE RACING XTREME SPRINT SEREIS 30-LAP FEATURE RESULTS
1. Jo Jo Helberg
2. Brian Gerster
3. Jimmy McCune
4. Aaron Pierce
5. Troy DeCaire
6. Mike Larrison
7. Jason Cox
8. Joe Swanson
9. Jacob Wilson
10. Brian Olson
11. Cody Gallogly
12. Ryan Meyers
13. Jerry Caryer
14. Jim Sheets
15. Kevin Blue
16. Jimmy Kite
17. Tim Cox
18. Cody Gerhardt
19. Cody Swanson

 

Mayor's breakfast kicks off
Winchester Speedway's racing season

By BILL RICHMOND
City editor
 
Winchester Mayor Steve Croyle Saturday hosted a breakfast at the Cornerstone Community Centre to celebrate the 99th anniversary of the famed Winchester Speedway and to promote its upcoming racing season. About 60 people attended including local businessmen, racing sponsors and team owners and racing drivers.

The Winchester Speedway is world-renowned as the world's fastest 1/2 mile track. The speedway will kick off its 2013 season Friday, May 17 with a festival and parade in downtown Winchester. A complete schedule is available online at winchesterspeedway.com.

Croyle said the local speedway, which is likely the second oldest speedway in the world that remains in use, remains a true icon of small track racing. The Winchester Speedway opened in 1914; the Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909 and hosted its first Indy 500 in 1911.

He expressed hope that the mayor's breakfast will become an annual event to kick off the local racing season. "The Winchester Speedway has an impact on the world, when it comes to racing," Croyle said. "Many of the top drivers in NASCAR and Indy Car racing cut their teeth and got their starts professionally right across town."

He thanked speedway owner Charlie Shaw for stepping up to purchase the speedway 16 years ago when it was between owners and needed to be rescued before it fell into disuse. "Charlie Shaw kept the tradition and the dream alive," Croyle said. Shaw said while the track is ready to kick off the season soon, they don't have a lot of races on the current schedule - they are hoping to make each race weekend a real event rather than just a race day. He said this year's schedule includes two open wheel racing events and three stock car events. "The track has been an icon in the community for some time," said Shaw who helped establish Astral Casket Company in Lynn and has owned the speedway since 1997. "(Several years ago) I knew about the track being in trouble. It was in bankruptcy proceedings and nobody was bidding on it. It has a history of being around for a lot of years.  "I feel it's my turn to be the gatekeeper, but pretty soon I'm going to have to turn it over to someone who's younger than I am."

Winchester Speedway historian Bob Lemons said Frank Funk operated an amusement park west of town in the early 1900s. Lemons said Funk was a friend of Howdy Wilcox who finished 14th in the first ever Indy 500. He recommended that Funk establish a speedway as part of his amusement park. Funk followed up on Wilcox's recommendation but never dreamed that the speedway would outlast the amusement park which is essentially forgotten today.  The Winchester Speedway was also, according to legend, the home of the first-ever stock car race when Henry Ford brought several of his Model A's to the track for a race in 1928.  The track is banked 37 degrees in the corners with the straightaways banked at nine degree angles. "Many other tracks have copied that look," Lemons said. "But few have accomplished the thrill this track brings when driven at high speed. "Bad things sometimes happened to drivers in the old days with the lack of safety equipment. The roll cages were a big advancement for drivers, but you're never completely safe no matter what when you're traveling at such high speeds in such tight confines." The track's record attendance was 28,000 people in 1924. Sarah Fisher in 1999 became the first woman driver to win an event at the Winchester track. Lemons is co-author of a book about the history of the Winchester Speedway. Proceeds from sales of the book go to the injured drivers' fund to help racers who can no longer compete.

Renowned local driver Tom Bigelow said the racing life has been fabulous for him. A Winchester resident, Bigelow is a member of the National Midget Car Racing Hall of Fame and the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. He competed in the Indy 500 11 times, with a best ever finish of sixth in 1977 (he also finished eighth in 1980). "I was born on a farm and decided early on that milking cows was not the life for me," Bigelow said. "I'm proud to be a part of the Winchester community and the Winchester Speedway. It is a fabulous place and it's a great honor to be a part of it."

Must See Racing team owner Jim Hanks said the Winchester track is a true icon that's known everywhere. "I've been coming here from Michigan for almost 20 years," Hanks said. "It's a fabulous racetrack. "Our intention as the Trufuel Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Series is to put great entertainment on television. And to have great entertainment, you have to have great race tracks. This is what short track racing is all about. I hope everyone comes to the track this summer and you can see some extraordinary speed." He said events at the speedway this summer will include teams from 10 states and Canada.  "Our events are televised into over 1/2 million homes across the nation," Hanks said. "We're showing race fans from across the nation your track and your city."

 

Helberg Wins at Mobile International Speedway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Must See Racing Media Contact: David Sink
Email: mrlittle500@aol.com
Phone: 765.278.8231

Photo Att. : JoJo Helberg celebrates atop his wing after capturing the TruFuel Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Series Royal Oak Southern Shootout Night 2 at Mobile International Speedway 3.23.13. (Photo by Robert Gill)

Rain and Engine Woes Not Enough to Keep Helberg from Must See Racing Win

Reigning Series Champ Dominates Southern Shootout at Mobile International Speedway


Irvington, AL - March 24, 2013 - They say that champions are made by never giving up and always finding a way to overcome adversity. Reigning TruFuel Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Series (MSRXSS)

Champion JoJo Helberg of Rohnert Park, CA overcame a rainout and early morning adversity to lead all 30 laps and take the $3,000 pay day in the Royal Oak Southern Shootout at Mobile International Speedway Sunday afternoon.
Helberg, who had to switch to a backup car after blowing an engine just prior to time trials, endured multiple restarts in what turned out to be an uncharacteristically length race, but won in commanding fashion over Brian Gerster and Brian Olson.

"I'm going to have to use the money for the win tonight to pay for the repairs to the primary engine," Helberg said. "I just want to thank Royal Oak Charcoal, TruFuel, Mobile International Speedway and all these great fans for the support because we couldn't do it without any of them."

Bringing the ADTS 7H home for the win wasn't as easy as it may have seemed to his competitors. Helberg stated, "The wind picked up and it made it a little bit iffy getting into turn three as it picked up a big push and then it was pretty shaky down the front stretch."

Brian Gerster, whom had set fast time earlier in the day, was the only real threat to Helberg's victory. "When Gerster challenged me that one time on the restart I realized I had to do my starts a little bit different," he began. "He was able to get a big run on me and that's usually what I get to do with my big Mopar engine, but we had the small engine in and I really had to keep my momentum going so I could get up off the corners, especially on the restarts."

Gerster, pilot of the RAM Engineering 50m machine, knew that he had to go after Helberg on the restarts, one in particular on lap 23 that was his best shot to get by the likable champion. "I was just trying to get down underneath him on that one restart there when he left the bottom open, try to get in some clean air and let him know I was there," he explained. Gerster went on to say, "But you're not going to mess with him too much because he's such a good driver, sometimes though, if you get somebody out of the groove they wanna be in, who knows maybe they make a mistake and you take advantage. I had plenty of restarts to take advantage, but that was really the only shot I had at him."

Defending race winner Brian Olson came home third in the IndyRacing Experience, Edwards Transmission machine, while Jacob Wilson took the WBR 'Sprint Cars & Tiki Bars' car to fourth and Aaron Pierce overcame an early race spin to charge from the back in the Sam Pierce Cheverolet ride to finish fifth. Heats were won by Troy DeCaire, Aaron Pierce and Jimmy Kite, while Jacob Wilson claimed the 10 lap B-Main. Jerry Caryer and Shane Butler were added to the feature field as promoters options.

The heroes of the TruFuel Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Series will now head back to the shop to prepare for their next event, the Xtreme Speed Challenge, on the famed high banks of Winchester Speedway. The Must See Racing Supermodified Series will join the sprints in this double bill on May 19 and will kick off a week long extravaganza of open wheel racing.

For more news and information on the “Fastest Short Track Circuit in the World” visit MustSeeRacing.com and for race day updates follow @MustSeeRacing on Twitter and Like MustSeeRacing on Facebook.

 

For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Herr's Extends Sponsorship in ARCA Racing Series

(TEMPERANCE, Mich.) - Officials from the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) and Herr Foods Inc. announced today that the Pennsylvania-based snack food producer will continue their marketing presence within the 2013 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

Herr's has agreed to extend their "Official Snack Food of ARCA," sponsorship program, and will once again sponsor the "Herr's Live Life With Flavor 200" ARCA Racing Series event at Madison International Speedway in Madison, Wisc. for a third consecutive year. In addition, Herr's will also continue to be the title sponsor of the June 30 ARCA Racing Series visit to Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Ind.

"This motorsports sponsorship program is a direct result of the business-to-business relationship between Herr's Foods and Menards," said Mark Gundrum, Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Partnerships for ARCA. "The end result is increased business and product sales for Herr's."

The Herr Foods Chase the Taste 200 will once again highlight an "All-ARCA" weekend at Winchester Speedway in June. ARCA Racing Series Practice and Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell will take place on Saturday, June 23, along with racing by the ARCA Truck Series and ARCA/CRA Super Series Late Models. The Herr Foods Chase the Taste 200 will go green at 2:00 p.m.

The Herr's Live Life With Flavor 200 at Madison International Speedway begins with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Saturday, Aug. 24 and the race on Sunday, Aug. 25.

Race fans will have the opportunity to "Save Big Money" on tickets to both Herr's sponsored events, as Menards Stores will sell advance tickets for each at substantial discounts.

"Herr's and Menards have become very important strategic marketing partners, not only for Madison International Speedway, but for the entire ARCA Racing Series," Gundrum said. "Herr's involvement with the tour and our presenting sponsor positions them as a very important marketing partner for ARCA."

ABOUT HERR FOODSHerr Foods was founded in 1946 in Lancaster, Pa. Today, Herr Foods is a leader in the snack food industry. While continually introducing the innovative products and packaging needed to satisfy ever-changing appetites and tastes, Herr's full line of quality snacks now consists of more than 340 items, including potato chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, cheese curls, popcorn, crackers, nuts, pork rinds, onion rings, and meat sticks. All are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and flavors.

ABOUT ARCAThe Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.

CONTACT:
Doug Donnelly, ARCA
(419) 574-2685 (mobile)
ddonnelly@arcaracing.com

Don Radebaugh, ARCA
(419) 450-0611 (mobile)
dradebaugh@arcaracing.com

ARCAracing.com
Facebook.com/arcaracing
Follow on Twitter @ARCA_Racing

 

From the February 2013 issue of Speedway Illustrated – To the Top: Kyle Larson:

Sprint cars at age 13 scared the pants off of Jeff Gordon when his stepfather put him in them. Not Kyle Larson, who only says he was “nervous” about performance, particularly after the first few wreck-filled weeks, but not scared. Oh yes, some things scare him, like racing at Winchester Speedway in Indiana.

 

Listen to Winchester Speedway Race Director Keith Beeching on the 1/5/13 Speed Talk Radio Show

Kenseth Wins Winchester 400 - 10/14/12

Kyle Benjamin took the lead less than 100 feet from the start finish line from Ross Kenseth as the two battled coming out of the fourth turn with the checkered flag in the air. Benjamin finished less than half a door ahead of Kenseth for the win. However his car failed post race inspection when a RPM Limiter infraction was discovered. The race started with a bang as an accident on the eighth lap took our pre race favorites Kyle Busch, Anderson Bowen and EDCO Welding Fast Qualifier Rick Turner. Chase Elliott finished second, Johnny VanDoorn third and Bubba Pollard fourth and Jay Niewiek fifth. Johnny VanDoorn earned his third ARCA/CRA Super Series Championship with his third place finish.

41st Annual Winchester 400 Weekend Results

 

Friday, October 12, 2012
Vore's Compacts Heat Race 1

Friday, October 12, 2012
Vore's Compacts Heat Race 2

Friday, October 12, 2012
Vore's Compacts Heat Race 3

Friday, October 12, 2012
L.M Sportsman New Star 25

Friday, October 12, 2012
Winchester 100

Friday, October 12, 2012
Vore's Compacts 20 Lap Feature

Saturday, October 13, 2012
Vore's Compacts Welding & Steel 20 Lap Feature

Saturday, October 13, 2012
Top Speed Modifieds Last Chance Race 15 Lap

Saturday, October 13, 2012
L.M. Sportsman 30 Lap Feature

Saturday, October 13, 2012
Top Speed Modifieds "Run for the Gun"

Saturday, October 13, 2012
CRA Street Stocks 30 Lap Feature

Sunday, October 14, 2012
41st Annual Winchster 400

BUSCH FIRED UP FOR SHOT AT ANOTHER WINCHESTER RIFFLE
2009 Winner Returns to “World’s Fastest Half Mile” for 41st Annual Event

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 24, 2012) – Kyle Busch will return to the famous High Banks of Winchester Speedway, located in Winchester, Indiana, on Sunday, October 14th to compete in the Winchester 400, for the first time since winning the event in 2009. Busch will take aim at his second victory at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile,” driving his Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) No. 51 Camry in the 41st annual running of the prestigious Super Late Model event sanctioned by the ARCA/CRA Super Series.

“I’ve raced at a lot of tracks in many different series throughout my career and racing Super Late Models with CRA at Winchester is one of the coolest experiences in all of racing,” said Busch, who in addition to 105 NASCAR National Series victories has claimed numerous Late Model victories at tracks all across the country. “The Super Late Models have always been my favorite type of car to drive and when you put 30-something of them on the high banks of Winchester running 15-second laps -- it makes for some exciting racing. To win that race, not only do you have to have a fast car, you have to be patient and take care of your equipment because 400 laps around that place will take its toll on your car.”

“It took me a few attempts to get to Victory Lane in the 400, but to finally have my name mentioned with former winners like Bob Senneker, Butch Miller, Gary St. Amant and Mark Martin was truly an honor,” continued Busch, whose first three attempts at the 400-mile event resulted in two DNF’s and a runner-up finish. “It’s been a few years since I’ve been back, but hopefully I can pick up right where I left off and add another one of those coveted Winchester riffles to my collection.”

The Las Vegas native, who made a name for himself racing as a teenager at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, has two victories in three Super Late Model starts in 2012. Busch opened the season with a win in SpeedFest 2012 at Watermelon Capitol Speedway in Cordele, Ga. in January and followed it up with his third straight triumph in the Rowdy 251 at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich. in June, both of those events were CRA sanctioned. He appeared to be in position to make if three-for-three on the season, opening up a sizeable lead in the closing stages of the Slinger Nationals at Slinger (Wisc.) Speedway before a caution bunched the field and allowed fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitor Matt Kenseth to work his way around the No. 51 KBM Camry and take home the victory at his home-state track.

Notable wins for the KBM Super Late Model team since its inception in 2007 include: Wisconsin All-Star 100 at the Milwaukee Mile (Kyle Busch 2008), RedBud 300 at Anderson Speedway (Kyle Busch 2009), Winchester 400 at Winchester Speedway (Kyle Busch 2009), Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway (Kyle Busch 2009), SpeedFest at Lanier National Speedway (2009 & 2010) and Watermelon Capital Speedway (2012), Rowdy 251 at Berlin Raceway (Kyle Busch 2010, 2011 and 2012), All-American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway (TJ Reaid 2010), Slinger Nationals at Slinger Super Speedway (Kyle Busch 2011) and the Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway (Kyle Busch 2011). Busch has a total of eight wins with the ARCA/CRA Super Series.

About Kyle Busch Motorsports

Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) has quickly established itself as one of the most successful teams in all of NASCAR, capturing the 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Owner’s Championship in its inaugural season and 16 Truck Series victories over its first two seasons. 2012 marks the team’s debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with team owner and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Kyle Busch sharing the driving duties behind the wheel of the No. 54 Monster Energy Camry with his brother Kurt, the 2004 Sprint Cup Series champion. A mix of talented drivers will pilot the No. 18 Tundra in the Camping World Truck Series, while three-time NASCAR Mexico Series champion Germán Quiroga returns for a four-race schedule in the No. 51 Tundra.

KBM prepares a fleet of race-winning Toyotas out of its 77,000-square-foot facility in Mooresville, N.C. Pending LEED certification, the facility’s state-of-the art equipment and innovative green initiatives make it unmatched among its peers. Fans can stay up-to-date with all the latest KBM news online at www.KyleBuschMotorsports.com, by liking the team on Facebook (KyleBuschMS) and following the team on Twitter (@KBMteam)

 

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