CONCORD, N.C. --
In preparation for the 2011 season, Richard Petty Motorsports announced Tuesday that Marcos Ambrose has signed a multi-year agreement with the organization to drive the No. 9 Ford Fusion in the Sprint Cup Series. Long-time RPM sponsor Stanley Black & Decker will be the primary sponsor of the No. 9 team.
"I'm very excited to join Richard Petty Motorsports," Ambrose said. "It's an incredible honor to be able to race for a legend like the King and be a part of this organization. I'm also happy to be back with Ford Racing. The No. 9 team has been a very successful team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. With the support of Ford and everyone at RPM, I believe we can continue that tradition of success. I'm also excited to join forces with Stanley."
"We are very happy to have Marcos Ambrose join our team," Richard Petty said. "He's a very talented and passionate driver and will be a great addition to our team."
"We knew once Marcos became available that we wanted him to be a part of the RPM family," said Foster Gillett, managing partner and team owner. "He's a fan favorite and he's proven to be a tough competitor on track. We're thrilled to have Stanley continue their partnership with our team and believe that Marcos is a great fit for the Stanley Racing program."
Ambrose cut his racing teeth in V8 Supercar competition before making the shift to NASCAR in 2006. Through a partnership with Ford Racing, Ambrose made his American racing debut in the Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway. In 2007, the driver made the jump to the Nationwide Series where he competed for two seasons before his first full season in the Cup Series in 2009.
XS-Info:
This is a great move for Marcos Ambrose. Having watched him in Cup races, Nationwide races, and in V8 Supercars I cannot say enough about how good this guy is at driving a race car. JTG-Daugherty provided an okay car for him to drive and, when he wasn't stuck in the back of the pack and getting wrecked out of a race, he was always at the top of the pack. Hopefully RPM can give him the equipment he needs to stay near the front and finish strong week in and week out. The #43 car and the #9 car have shown this year that running strong is definitely possible at RPM - especially in recent races. Once they have the "new" FR9 engine figured out they should be able to contend for top 10 finishes every week. - XS_Admin
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
NASCAR: Statement From Richard Petty Motorsports Regarding Paul Menard
Concord, N.C. (August 11, 2010) - Richard Petty Motorsports issued today the following statement in regards to the announcement that Paul Menard, driver of the No. 98 Menards Ford Fusion, will depart the team in 2011.
"We have enjoyed having Paul Menard and the Menard family as a part of the Richard Petty Motorsports team this season," said NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner Richard Petty.
"Paul is in the middle of his best season of competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and we feel like our strong commitment to him and that team in addition to the great support from Ford Racing has been a major part of that," added Foster Gillett, managing partner and team owner. "With 14 races to go, we expect the No. 98 team to finish just as strong as it started this year."
"We have enjoyed having Paul Menard and the Menard family as a part of the Richard Petty Motorsports team this season," said NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner Richard Petty.
"Paul is in the middle of his best season of competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and we feel like our strong commitment to him and that team in addition to the great support from Ford Racing has been a major part of that," added Foster Gillett, managing partner and team owner. "With 14 races to go, we expect the No. 98 team to finish just as strong as it started this year."
NASCAR: Kahne to drive for Red Bull Racing Team in 2011
By Team Release - August 10, 2010
Kasey Kahne drove a Dodge in 2009. He's driving a Ford in 2010. He's under contract to drive a Chevrolet in 2012. So why wouldn't he drive a Toyota in 2011 to complete the rounds among manufacturers in NASCAR's top national series?
Kahne will drive a Red Bull Racing Team Toyota in 2011, the team announced Tuesday.
"We were fortunate to have the opportunity to hire a very talented driver for the 2011 season and we took it," said Jay Frye, Red Bull Racing Team vice president and general manager. "This is a unique situation that doesn't happen every day. Kasey is a perfect fit for our company, team and Red Bull."
Kahne, 30, owns an impressive Cup Series résumé. He has 11 wins, 17 poles, 47 top-five and 84 top-10 finishes and twice was a Chase participant in 2006 and 2009.
"This opportunity places me with an established, competitive team that has proven they can win races and make the Chase," Kahne said. "I have great respect for Red Bull, so to have the opportunity to drive for Red Bull Racing Team in 2011 is a great fit for me, both personally and professionally. It feels good to be able to finally put this to rest and focus my energy on finishing the season strong for the No. 9 team and our sponsors."
"This obviously all happened very quickly," Frye added. "Over the next month, we will finalize the specific team details."
Red Bull Racing Team's final driver lineup for 2011 will be confirmed later this year.
Kahne, who will join Hendrick Motorsports in 2012, was without a team for 2011 becuase Hendrick has four drivers under contract for next season -- Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin.
NASCAR rules limit an owner to no more than four cars.
Kahne, who is in the final year of his contract with Richard Petty Motorsports, signed with Hendrick in April. Kahne will take over the No. 5 car once Martin fulfills his contract.
Red Bull Racing currently has two drivers, Scott Speed and Brian Vickers -- neither of whom are guaranteed to drive for the team next season.
Speed, in his second full year with the team, is 27th in the Cup Series standings.
Vickers has been sidelined since May for treatment of blood clots. He will not know until November if he will be able to return behind the wheel of the No. 83 for next season.
Kasey Kahne drove a Dodge in 2009. He's driving a Ford in 2010. He's under contract to drive a Chevrolet in 2012. So why wouldn't he drive a Toyota in 2011 to complete the rounds among manufacturers in NASCAR's top national series?
Kahne will drive a Red Bull Racing Team Toyota in 2011, the team announced Tuesday.
"We were fortunate to have the opportunity to hire a very talented driver for the 2011 season and we took it," said Jay Frye, Red Bull Racing Team vice president and general manager. "This is a unique situation that doesn't happen every day. Kasey is a perfect fit for our company, team and Red Bull."
Kahne, 30, owns an impressive Cup Series résumé. He has 11 wins, 17 poles, 47 top-five and 84 top-10 finishes and twice was a Chase participant in 2006 and 2009.
"This opportunity places me with an established, competitive team that has proven they can win races and make the Chase," Kahne said. "I have great respect for Red Bull, so to have the opportunity to drive for Red Bull Racing Team in 2011 is a great fit for me, both personally and professionally. It feels good to be able to finally put this to rest and focus my energy on finishing the season strong for the No. 9 team and our sponsors."
"This obviously all happened very quickly," Frye added. "Over the next month, we will finalize the specific team details."
Red Bull Racing Team's final driver lineup for 2011 will be confirmed later this year.
Kahne, who will join Hendrick Motorsports in 2012, was without a team for 2011 becuase Hendrick has four drivers under contract for next season -- Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin.
NASCAR rules limit an owner to no more than four cars.
Kahne, who is in the final year of his contract with Richard Petty Motorsports, signed with Hendrick in April. Kahne will take over the No. 5 car once Martin fulfills his contract.
Red Bull Racing currently has two drivers, Scott Speed and Brian Vickers -- neither of whom are guaranteed to drive for the team next season.
Speed, in his second full year with the team, is 27th in the Cup Series standings.
Vickers has been sidelined since May for treatment of blood clots. He will not know until November if he will be able to return behind the wheel of the No. 83 for next season.
NASCAR: RCR signs Menard, returns to four-car stable
By Team Release - August 11, 2010
Richard Childress Racing and Menards have signed a multi-year partnership agreement for the Eau Claire, Wis.-based company to become the primary sponsor of RCR's fourth Sprint Cup Series team beginning in 2011 with driver Paul Menard.
"Paul has developed into a very good race car driver, and we see his move to RCR next year as an opportunity for him to continue that progress," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of RCR. "At the same time, we feel Paul will contribute to the continued progress and success of RCR.
Paul will fit in perfectly with our team of drivers at RCR, and they are all looking forward to working with him. We're also very proud to be aligned with Menards, one of the great family business success stories in American history."
Menard is in his fourth full season of Cup Series competition and is 23rd in the point standings. He made his series debut in 2003, running just one race while also competing in six Nationwide Series races.
Menard raced fulltime in the Nationwide Series from 2004 through 2006 while picking up Cup Series experience in eight other races during that time. In 2007, Menard became a full-time driver in the Cup Series and part-time Nationwide Series driver, though he is scheduled to compete in every event of both series this season. He is sixth in the Nationwide Series point standings.
"Richard Childress Racing has shown this year that they're headed on the right track," Menard said. "Having three cars competing for the Chase and, ultimately, the championship is no small feat and they're on top of their game.
"With that in mind and having known Richard for the past 10 years or so, when this opportunity to join RCR came about it was a no-brainer. I have always had the utmost respect for Richard and what his organization has accomplished in the past and what they're capable of achieving in the future."
Menard has two top-five finishes and five top-10s in 133 starts in the Cup Series.
Richard Childress Racing and Menards have signed a multi-year partnership agreement for the Eau Claire, Wis.-based company to become the primary sponsor of RCR's fourth Sprint Cup Series team beginning in 2011 with driver Paul Menard.
"Paul has developed into a very good race car driver, and we see his move to RCR next year as an opportunity for him to continue that progress," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of RCR. "At the same time, we feel Paul will contribute to the continued progress and success of RCR.
Paul will fit in perfectly with our team of drivers at RCR, and they are all looking forward to working with him. We're also very proud to be aligned with Menards, one of the great family business success stories in American history."
Menard is in his fourth full season of Cup Series competition and is 23rd in the point standings. He made his series debut in 2003, running just one race while also competing in six Nationwide Series races.
Menard raced fulltime in the Nationwide Series from 2004 through 2006 while picking up Cup Series experience in eight other races during that time. In 2007, Menard became a full-time driver in the Cup Series and part-time Nationwide Series driver, though he is scheduled to compete in every event of both series this season. He is sixth in the Nationwide Series point standings.
"Richard Childress Racing has shown this year that they're headed on the right track," Menard said. "Having three cars competing for the Chase and, ultimately, the championship is no small feat and they're on top of their game.
"With that in mind and having known Richard for the past 10 years or so, when this opportunity to join RCR came about it was a no-brainer. I have always had the utmost respect for Richard and what his organization has accomplished in the past and what they're capable of achieving in the future."
Menard has two top-five finishes and five top-10s in 133 starts in the Cup Series.
GRAND-AM: Ganassi Earns Record Tying 7th Win
Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas scored a dominating victory in Saturday's Crown Royal 200 at Watkins Glen International, tying the single-season GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series victory record with their seventh triumph of 2010.
Pruett beat Max Angelelli to the checkered flag by 2.722 seconds, averaging a Daytona Prototype record 120.679 mph in the two-hour race slowed only by a pair of late-race cautions. Pruett managed to hold the lead on both restarts, leading the final 60 of the 99 circuits on the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen short course.
The victory extended Pruett and Rojas' lead to 26 points over Ryan Dalziel with only two races remaining in the Daytona Prototype championship (302-276). Dalziel finished fourth in the No. 8 Corsa Car Care BMW/Riley started by Mike Forest.
"Overall, the car was solid," said Pruett after scoring his sixth Glen victory. "We just seem to have a good setup for the Glen. The traffic was tough, and you could lose two seconds a lap, easily. We just tried to cut our way through traffic the best we could, run smart and run clean."
Rojas led twice for nine laps after starting on the pole. Ricky Taylor took over in the No. 10 SunTrust Ford/Dallara and led 29 laps before turning the car over to Angelelli. Pruett took over the lead on an exchange of pit stops. Two GT cars split the leaders after Angelelli exited the pits, and he was unable to make up the distance.
Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty finished third in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Chevrolet/Riley. The pair won seven races en route to capturing the 2007 DP title.
The first caution came on lap 85 when Robin Liddell's No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro came to a stop after experiencing mechanical problems. On the restart with 15 minutes remaining, Burt Frisselle's third-place No. 61 AIM Autosport Ford/Riley and the No. 59 Brumos Porsche/Riley David Donohue had contact entering Turn 1. Tracy Krohn was caught up in the incident in the No. 75 Krohn Racing Ford/Lola and came to a halt, bringing out a second caution.
Leh Keen passed Jonathan Bomarito for the GT lead following the final restart, and went on to score the first Rolex Series victory for Dempsey Racing in the No. 41 Dempsey Racing/Team Seattle Mazda RX-8 started by James Gue.
Bomarito finished second in the No. 70 Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8 started from the pole by Sylvain Tremblay, while Paul Edwards passed Jeff Segal for third in the closing laps. Edwards and starting driver Scott Russell both had to pit with tire problems on the No. 07 Banner Racing Corvette, while Segal and starting driver Emil Assentato had to come from ninth starting position in the No. 69 FXDD Mazda RX-8.
Segal and Assentato continue to lead the GT championship, although Tremblay cut the margin to four points (290-286), with Bomarito third with 267 points. Tremblay and Bomarito dominated the race, leading all but 10 of their 92 laps.
Only two races remain in the 2010 Rolex Series season: the Montreal 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Aug. 28; and the season-ending Utah 250 at Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City on Sept. 11.
Mazda's win in Rolex GT, coupled with their first overall win in the ALMS earlier in the day at Mid-Ohio and also a World Challenge TC class victory by Ryan Eversley in an RX-8, made August 7th, 2010, a date the manufacturer won't soon forget.
GRAND-AM: Two GT BMWs For Turner In 2011
When Will Turner announced that his Turner Motorsport team would step up to compete in the Rolex Sports Car Series with a BMW M6 GT Class program in 2010, it seemed like just a matter of time before the multiple-championship winning organization would be winning races in GRAND-AM’s top series.
And that proved to be true when Turner Motorsport scored a debut victory at Mid-Ohio in June with the BMW-powered M6 matched to a Riley Tech chassis. Showing the win was no fluke, the team backed that up with a run to second place in July at Daytona.
Growing the team to support both the two-car Continental Tire effort and the Rolex program hasn’t hurt the Continental Tire effort one bit, as the No. 97 Turner Motorsports M3 is currently second in the championship with six podiums and two wins.
That growth is apparently set to continue, as Turner Motorsport confirmed exclusively to SPEED this week that his team will grow to a two-car Rolex Sports Car Series GT Class program in 2011. And that won’t be the only change, as the famed BMW tuner will also make the switch from campaigning the M6 bodywork to the M3 in 2011.
“The M3 is much closer to the brand identity for Turner Motorsport and our customers, so we’re making the change in the off-season to the M3,” said Turner. “The M6 is excellent, particularly from an aerodynamic point of view. But we think we can generate a lot of performance with the M3, just like we do with our M3‘s in Continental Tire Challenge and on the street for that matter, so we are excited about making the change for next year.”
Turner wasn’t willing to talk about who might be driving the second entry just yet, but hinted that the Rolex 24 could see some familiar faces.
“We had Boris, Billy, Joey, and Paul together to start the year at Daytona and it was pretty much a ‘Dream Team,” said Turner. “It was the first time out for us in the 24 with a brand new car and we were able to learn a lot and finish the race. But we didn’t get the result we wanted so hopefully we can get lock in strong driver line ups with both cars and start 2011 off right.”
“Since before we even unloaded at Daytona, there has been a ton of interest in this GT program. But we wanted to walk before we ran. Even with everything we’ve done to date, we are still rookies in Rolex! But now that we’ve won and have more experience in the series, we are in a much better position to not only grow, but to also be competitive with both cars next year. We’ve got some exciting things coming together and hopefully we’ll be able to make some announcements before the tire test.”
Friday, August 6, 2010
Grand-Am: Rojas Captures Pole for Crown Royal 200
Rojas will join Scott Pruett in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW/Riley at the front of the grid for Round 10 of the 2010 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16. The race takes the green flag at 6 p.m. Saturday (SPEED, live).
"It's great to win the pole," said Rojas, who shares a 19-point lead with Pruett over Ryan Dalziel in the Daytona Prototype class standings (267-248). "It's been a great season so far. We focus on doing the best we can, and I'm really overwhelmed by the number of wins we have so far this year. Now this pole position is in a good way to start the weekend."
Mark Wilkins was second with a lap of 1:05.642 (134.645 mph) in the session that was black-flagged nine minutes early due to an incident when Mark Patterson spun in the Inner Loop and was collected by Buddy Rice. Both cars are expected to be repaired for the race.
"It was a tough session because of the incident, and it would have been interesting to see how it would have worked when everyone got their tires up to speed," Rojas said. "I think we were on the right page. I think we might have run a 1:04.6, but that's just quick thoughts."
Rojas and Pruett are seeking their seventh victory of the season, which would tie the single-season record set in 2007 by Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty. The Ganassi duo won the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen in June, their third consecutive victory in the event on the Watkins Glen International 3.4-mile long circuit. It was the third pole position of the season for Rojas, breaking a tie with Ricky Taylor in that category.
Pruett did double-duty on Friday. In addition to practicing the DP car, he took a few laps in the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice. Pruett is on standby in case regular driver Jeff Gordon's wife goes into labor this weekend.
Taylor qualified third with a lap of 1:105.788 (134.067 mph). He will be joined on the second row by Jon Fogarty, who qualified with a lap of 1:06.020 (133.795 mph) in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Chevrolet/Riley he drove to victory with Alex Gurney in the series' previous race, at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
Sylvain Tremblay ran a lap of 1:11.762 (122.906 mph) to capture the GT class pole in the No. 70 Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8, erasing Cort Wagner's mark set in 2003 in a Ferrari 360GT.
"The car was good from the first session, and we just kept tweaking and tweaking it," said Tremblay, who is eight points (262-254) behind SpeedSource teammates Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato. "The team is firing on all rotors - not cylinders - right now. After the history we had at New Jersey (SpeedSource swept the GT podium), we're proving that wasn't a fluke. We're here for real, and we're out to chase this championship."
Andrew Davis qualified second with a lap of 1:11.785 (122.866 mph) in the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro, followed by motorcycle legend Scott Russell, who ran 1:11.852 (122.752 mph).
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