LAS VEGAS – June 2, 2023 – Through a partnership with Legendary GT Continuation Cars, Shelby American, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International Inc. (CSBI:PK), will offer five “new” 1963 Shelby aluminum continuation “Dragonsnake” roadsters. Honoring the five 1960s factory racecars, the first Dragonsnake is a tribute to NHRA champion Bruce Larson, who was on stage and helped unveil the Shelby roadster at the Carlisle Ford Nationals presented by eBay Motors in Pennsylvania. (more…)
Small
The Car & Driver Showroom Stock Challenge: Small Cars, Epic Tales Pt. 1
Originally appearing in The Knock-Off, the official publication of the Mohawk-Hudson Region of the SCCA, long-time track announcer Greg Rickes recalls the iconic Showroom Stock Challenge run by Car & Driver. Click the button below to learn about how Car & Driver egged drivers on to participate, and the stories of the first three years. (more…)
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Waves The Green Flag For A Season Full Of Racing
New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) is gearing up for an exciting and action-packed racing season that includes Motorcycle Week at NHMS featuring the 98th Annual Loudon Classic, a two-day NASCAR race weekend highlighted by the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Foxwoods Resort Casino 301, plus the Granite State Legends Cars Road Course Series (RCS) and many other racing clubs, driving experiences and more throughout the season. (more…)
Shawn Solomito Takes Modified Win Saturday At Riverhead Raceway
A chance conversation started during the 2020 Islip 300 last November at Riverhead Raceway morphed into Shawn Solomito of Islip teaming up with Jimmy & Angela Rennick as the driver of their NASCAR Modified and in just their second start together Saturday night Shawn put the new combination into the winners circle at the conclusion of the 50-lap Buzz Chew Chevrolet NASCAR Modified event. (more…)
Gus Dean All About Winning In Florence Speedway Return
TIMMONSVILLE, S.C.: It seems like an eternity since Gus Dean (@gusdean) has visited Florence (S.C.) Motor Speedway.
That long-distance relationship though will come to an end this weekend when Dean returns to DLP Motorsports set for another appearance in the Carolina Pro Late Model Series. (more…)
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News & Notes – Darlington Raceway
The Triple Truck Challenge was introduced in 2019, as a three-race program that provides drivers in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series an opportunity to win up to $500,000 in bonus money. (more…)
Sunday in the Park Online Applications Now Open at Lime Rock Park
Online registration for this year’s Sunday in the Park, The Lime Rock Concours, as well as the Gathering of the Marques is now open. Registration services this year will be provided by Hagerty. (more…)
Bob Tasca III Braces For EV Onslaught, Both in NHRA and in the Showroom
For Bob Tasca III, his grandfather’s word was gospel. And being a faithful believer has shaped the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang Funny Car driver into a highly successful NHRA Camping World Drag Racing racer, automotive-industry businessman, and Ford Motor Company evangelist. (more…)
Permatex Kicks off 2021 NASCAR Season with StarCom Racing Sponsorship
Solon, OH…Permatex®, a leading innovator in chemical technology for automotive maintenance and repair, has announced that the company will continue its sponsorship of the StarCom Racing Team for two key races during the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series. This marks the third consecutive season that Permatex will be a primary sponsor for the Permatex StarCom 00 Camaro, helmed for the second straight year by driver Quin Houff. (more…)
Greg Van Alst Gearing Up For Busy April
ANDERSON, Ind.: ARCA Menards Series driver Greg Van Alst was supposed to return familiar territory this weekend.
Van Alst had been slated to return to ARCA CRA Super Series competition this weekend at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway and kickoff a busy month of racing that will include Super Late Models and his second ARCA Menards Series start of 2021.
Derek Griffith to Make Stafford Speedway Debut in the Casagrande Builders 75
When the Granite State Pro Stock Series shifts the 2021 season into gear at Stafford Speedway on April 24 as part of NAPA Opening Day, one of the favorites among the “outsiders” would be Derek Griffith. (more…)
Duane Howard Wins VP Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial At Grandview, Kyle Lilick Tops In Sportsman
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. April 4, 2021 . . . There was quite chill in the air for the 4th Annual VP Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial Money Maker 50-lap race on Saturday night at Grandview Speedway, but the action was hot and heavy as Big Block Modifieds went up against Small Block racing talents.45 Modifieds entered the pits to attempt to qualify for the Rogers Memorial while 33 Sportsman took to the track for their second part of the night’s racing action. (more…)
Grandview’s Saturday Rogers Memorial Being Live Streamed, Racing At 7 P.M.
The best of the Big Block Modified talents go up against the best of the Small Block Modified racers on Saturday when the 4th Annual VP Race Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial Money Maker is presented at Grandview Speedway. (more…)
Marvin Minkler Happy to Live The Dream in Stafford’s Street Stocks
(Stafford Springs, CT)—Like many racers at all levels of racing, Stafford Speedway Street Stock competitor Marvin Minkler always had a dream to one day become a racecar driver. Where Minkler differs from many racers of today was the path he took.
As a child, Minkler attended races at Danbury Arena and had plans on racing there but the track’s closure put his dream on a back burner. The racing dream was further put on hold as Minkler’s life took some turns serving in the Army as part of the 3rd Infantry, “The Old Guard” stationed in Washington D.C. and beating cancer in 2013. What led him back to racing was a surprise gift from the youth hockey team he coached, a night behind the wheel of one of Gary Spinnato, Jr. and Paul Varricchio, Jr.’s Rent A Racecar machines in Stafford’s Street Stock division in 2017.
“I used to go to Danbury with my grandfather every Saturday and my cousin Bob Furano raced there,” said Minkler. “The thought process was when I was old enough I was going to get in the car and go driving, so that was always my childhood dream. Once Danbury closed down, that dream kind of died but my love for racing never stopped. I went to races all the time and when I was in the military, I was always dragging guys to Manassas Speedway in Virginia. In 2013 I was going to go racing but I was diagnosed with cancer. Every day when I would go for radiation and chemotherapy it was in the back of my mind that I was going to try to race once I got better. One year the hockey team that I coached got me a ride with Rent A Racecar as an end of season gift. I ran that one race and I wanted to race again.”
Minkler finished his first race 14th out of 16 cars, but despite that the racing bug had set in and Minkler was determined to continue on. He followed up his first outing in 2017 with three more starts in Rent A Racecar machines in 2018, including his very first top-10 finish. Then the 2019 season found Minkler bringing his dream to fruition.
“After racing with Rent A Racecar a couple of times, I was talking with Paul and Gary about getting a car and Greg DeMone was selling his car,” said Minkler. “I purchased his car and we put the car together in about 8 weeks and after that I was off to the races in 2019. I knew how to change the oil or change the tires on the car, but I knew nothing about building a racecar. Paul, Gary, and Butch from Rent A Racecar were all great helping me out putting the car together and I’ve learned a lot from them.”
Now that Minkler has achieved his dream of getting behind the wheel of a racecar, he has no plans to stop racing any time soon.
“I think Red Farmer is about 90 now and he’s still racing so I’m going to keep on racing until I can’t anymore,” said Minkler. “I enjoy going to the shop and learning things about the car and that has been just as equally rewarding for me as the driving part. I teach skating and I can help kids become better skaters but I can’t teach them balance. I understand where to hit the brakes and where to get back on the gas but I’m still learning the balance between that. I’m envious of the young kids who come in having already started racing go karts at 5 years old because that’s the equivalent of me teaching a 5 year old how to skate.”
After a 2020 season that was plagued by mechanical issues for Minkler and his #71 car, he is aiming to be a consistent presence in the top-10 during the 2021 season.
“Hopefully we’ve fixed all the problems we had last year,” said MInkler. “Last year was all mechanical issues for us. In 2019 we didn’t have one DNF so I came into 2020 with some confidence. The very first practice I broke something on the car and we ended up chasing that gremlin for the next 8 weeks. I think we went through 3 driveshafts and a transmission so I didn’t get the laps I was looking for and that was frustrating. Hopefully we’ve got everything fixed and I’d like to be a top-10 car on a consistent basis this season, which I think we can get done. Once we can achieve some top-10 finishes, we’ll start to look at getting into the top-5. I don’t want to jump too far ahead and be unrealistic and have delusions of grandeur.”
In addition to getting his car fixed up for the 2021 season, Minkler will also welcome a new sponsor, Riko’s Pizza of Stamford, CT. The new sponsor-driver combination will allow any fans who can’t get to the track in person to watch Minkler and Stafford’s other 4 weekly divisions race every Friday at any Riko’s Pizza location.
“Riko’s Pizza came on board with us this season and they’re a small town pizzeria that has grown and branched out with some franchises in Florida,” said Minkler. “They’ve been great to work with so far and they’re working with FloRacing to be able show the Stafford live stream at all their locations every Friday night. They’re pretty aggressive with their marketing so we might have some tee-shirts and hats to give away during the season. We also have Platoon22.org on the car, which is a charity that works with veterans. I encourage everyone to support their veterans and being a veteran myself, that’s something that is near and dear to my heart.”
Despite his late start into racing at age 49 and still going strong this season at age 53, Minkler says that if you have a dream to go racing, it’s all about taking that first step to go ahead and make that dream become a reality.
“You can’t get any better in life by sitting on the couch,” said Minkler. “It can be the biggest thing or the smallest thing but the greatest journeys in life always start with the first step. I would say the first step would be to see Gary and Paul at Rent A Racecar and see what you think about going racing. If you have an itch to do something then you have to scratch that itch.”
Minkler will kick off his 2021 season on Saturday, April 24 as part of NAPA Opening Day. General Admission tickets for the April 24 NAPA Auto Parts Opening Day are now available online at StaffordSpeedway.com/
For more information, visit www.staffordspeedway.com
Source: Scott Running/Stafford PR
Martin Truex Jr. – No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry Preview – Toyota 500 at Darlington Raceway
No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry News and Notes
- TRUEX AT DARLINGTON: In 15 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, Martin Truex Jr. has earned one victory, two top-five finishes and seven top-10s. The Mayetta, New Jersey native led 28 laps on his way to winning the 2016 Southern 500 at the historical track and has led laps in three of the past five Darlington races. The track was also the site of Truex clinching the 2004 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship driving the No. 8 car for Chance2 Motorsports.
- SUNDAY AT DARLINGTON: In NASCAR’s return to racing Sunday afternoon at Darlington Raceway, Truex started 15th and finished sixth. His day was not quite that easy though. Early in the race, the No. 19 Camry was very loose as Truex faded as far back as 30th. After a series of adjustments, he rallied back to finish third in stage two and ultimately ended the day with his first top-10 finish of the season.
- STARTING POSITION: By virtue of his sixth-place finish on Sunday, Truex will start 15th when the NASCAR Cup Series race goes green on Wednesday evening.
- STRONG IN THE STAGES: As a sign that Truex and the No. 19 team continue to be contenders at the front of the pack, he ranks third in stage points earned so far this season despite having to start from the rear of the field at Auto Club Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. Counting stage points earned in the five races, Truex has claimed 50 stage points. Only Alex Bowman (55) and Chase Elliott (51) have earned more.
- THE REAL HEROES PROJECT: As part of The Real Heroes Project campaign, the No. 19 Camry will carry the name of Dr. Wheeler Jervis above the driver’s window for Wednesday’s race at Darlington Raceway. Dr. Jervis is a critical care physician and medical director of the Intensive Care Unit at Novant Health hospitals in Charlotte, North Carolina. During the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Jervis and his team of doctors, nurses and other healthcare experts are managing the care of numerous critically ill people in the intensive care unit. The Novant Health connection is a personal one for Truex as his foundation works closely with the hospital on a number of projects, including the Novant Health Martin Truex Jr. Foundation Children’s Emergency Department at Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center and Novant Health SherryStrong Integrative Medicine Oncology Clinic that are both currently under construction.
- BASS PRO SHOPS: A longtime supporter of Truex and NASCAR, Bass Pro Shops will be featured as primary sponsor of the No. 19 Camry for Wednesday’s race at Darlington Raceway. Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. Today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more.
- JGR AT DARLINGTON: Joe Gibbs Racing owns seven NASCAR Cup Series victories at Darlington Raceway, including Erik Jones’ win last September. Overall, the organization has amassed 25 top-five finishes, 55 top-10s, two pole awards and 1,595 laps led in 92 combined starts at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.
- TUNE IN: Coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway begins Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry
Talk about what you expect going back to Darlington again on Wednesday…
“I feel like we learned a lot on Sunday that will help us when we go back on Wednesday. Obviously we learned what not to do from how we started, but James (Small, crew chief) and the guys made some great changes throughout the race and we had a car good enough to finish in the top three or four. We were faster than the leader when we could get clean air at the end of the race, so that gives me confidence that we’ll unload a lot closer which will be very important since the race is shorter.”
Truex NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Darlington Raceway
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 15 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 232 | 16.3 | 11.2 |
Truex 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 16.4 | 20.8 |
Truex NASCAR Cup Series Career Stats
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 518 | 26 | 102 | 206 | 19 | 8,921 | 14.4 | 15.8 |
About Bass Pro Shops®
Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.”
Martin Truex Jr. – No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry Preview – The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway
No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry News and Notes
- TRUEX AT DARLINGTON: In 14 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, Martin Truex Jr. has earned one victory, two top-five finishes and six top-10s. The Mayetta, New Jersey native led 28 laps on his way to winning the 2016 Southern 500 at the historical track and has led laps in three of the past four Darlington races. The track was also the site of Truex clinching the 2004 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship driving the No. 8 car for Chance2 Motorsports.
- LAST TIME AT DARLINGTON: Truex finished 15th in last fall’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. After starting 22nd, he methodically climbed his way into the 10 before a loose wheel during stage two forced him to make an unscheduled pit stop that dropped him off the lead lap and he was never able to recover the lost time.
- FIRST FOUR RACES: The No. 19 driver ranks 15th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings through the opening four races of the season. According to NASCAR Loop Data, Truex ranks in the top 10 in average running position, fastest drivers early in a run, fastest laps run, green flag speed, laps in the top 15, laps led and percentage of laps run on the lead lap.
- STRONG IN THE STAGES: As a sign that Truex and the No. 19 team continue to be contenders at the front of the pack, he ranks third in stage points earned so far this season despite having to start from the rear of the field at Auto Club Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. Counting stage points earned in the four races (including the Duels at Daytona), Truex has claimed 46 stage points. Only Chase Elliott (50) and Joey Logano (47) have earned more.
- iRACING EXPERIENCE: Truex competed in the final eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race last Saturday at the virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway. After starting 14th, he was collected in an early accident and suffered front-end damage to his No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry. Despite the misfortune, he rallied to as high as seventh before being involved in another incident late that dropped him to a 20th-place finish.
- THE REAL HEROES PROJECT: As part of The Real Heroes Project campaign, the No. 19 Camry will carry the name of Dr. Wheeler Jervis above the driver’s window for Sunday’s race at Darlington Raceway. Dr. Jervis is a critical care physician and medical director of the Intensive Care Unit at Novant Health hospitals in Charlotte, North Carolina. During the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Jervis and his team of doctors, nurses and other healthcare experts are managing the care of numerous critically ill people in the intensive care unit. The Novant Health connection is a personal one for Truex as his foundation works closely with the hospital on a number of projects, including the Novant Health Martin Truex Jr. Foundation Children’s Emergency Department at Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center and Novant Health SherryStrong Integrative Medicine Oncology Clinic that are both currently under construction.
- BASS PRO SHOPS: A longtime supporter of Truex and NASCAR, Bass Pro Shops will be featured as primary sponsor of the No. 19 Camry for Sunday’s race at Darlington Raceway. Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. Today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more.
- JGR AT DARLINGTON: Joe Gibbs Racing owns seven NASCAR Cup Series victories at Darlington Raceway, including Erik Jones’ win last season. Overall, the organization has amassed 24 top-five finishes, 52 top-10s, two pole awards and 1,595 laps led in 88 combined starts at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.
- TUNE IN: Coverage of this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway begins Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry
Talk about getting back to racing this weekend in Darlington…
“Everyone is excited to get back going and to put on a good show for everyone tuning in. This is a huge opportunity for our sport and one we all are taking very seriously to take the proper precautions during this time. From a racing standpoint, it is going to be different. To not have any practice or qualifying will be different from our typical weekends, but it is the same for everyone. I have confidence James (Small, crew chief) and our guys are prepared. We feel good about our chances at Darlington with how we have run there the past few years.”
Truex NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Darlington Raceway
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 14 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 232 | 16.4 | 11.6 |
Truex 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 16.8 | 24.5 |
Truex NASCAR Cup Series Career Stats
| Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
| 517 | 26 | 102 | 205 | 19 | 8,921 | 14.4 | 15.8 |
About Bass Pro Shops®
Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.”