Easter Weekend Momentum Propelling
Team CHR Into May

What initially was a joke by owner KIT HENRY to crew chief FUZZ LYONS, turned out to be a very successful outing for Team CHR at Green Valley Raceway in Glencoe, Alabama.

“I read about this event called the “Rumble in the Jungle in Alabama” on the internet and jokingly mentioned it to Fuzz (Lyons) that we ought to go as the weather here has not been conducive to racing, PLUS…they are paying $5000.00 to win the final night!”

After a short discussion and some talk with the promoters, the team loaded the hauler and headed 10 hours south. Their brand new Beaberbuilt chassis would finally get its debut at a facility the team had never seen before and they were anxious to see how well that Stanton 360 motor was going to perform.

Thursday night was the warm-up event with the top three cars locking in for the Saturday night “A” Main and the crew was confident even though the small field was packed with strong 360 racers like MIKE DUPUY, TIM GRAY and others. CAP HENRY would run a solid second in his heat race, redraw 4th starting spot for the “A” Main and run an impressive race to finish third, locking him in for the “$5000.00 to Win” Saturday night final.

Friday night would offer a great opportunity to tweak changes to the chassis, motor and gearing as the 20-year old turned in the fastest time of hot laps and was ready to “rumble”. Starting 6th in the “A” Main, Cap immediately jumped to 3rd but was a little to eager and got caught between good adhesion and the part of the track that had slicked up, spinning the car and relegating him to the tail of the field. As usual, Cap wasn’t finished and when the green flag flew, he was gassing it up carving his way through the field to finish 5th for the evening.

Saturday would turn out to be even tougher as veteran dirt standouts BRAD LOYETT, TIM CRAWLEY and World of Outlaws regular JASON SIDES would join in. The Top 6 would redraw for starting spots with a slight twist as each driver had to pull the pill and then give it to somebody else. Typically, Cap would draw the #1 pill and proceeded to give it to MIKE HESS whom had been quick, though maybe not as consistent as some of the other cars. Cap would end up in the #5 spot behind Hess, Dupuy, MATT LINDER, Loyett with Crawley lining up on his outside

Following a great start, “the Kid” was running a solid 5th place with 12 laps to go out of 30, though not making any headway on the leaders. During an ensuing caution, Cap pulled the wing all the way back and began to look at running the high side up on the cushion, something only the leader had done a few times during the event. For the remainder, Cap and Dupuy would run the upper cushion moving into second before anybody would get the idea of what was working for the leaders. In the last 2 laps, everyone knew Cap would make a run for the win although he came up about a car length short of victory. Mike Dupuy would tell Cap afterward that “he could hear that MOPAR coming and knew exactly who it was!”

Overall the team was very pleased with the outing running 3rd, 5th and 2nd to some of the best 360 cars and drivers in the country. Tim Gray invited Cap to run with them more often as he felt the young man was a “ball to race with clean AND a contender’”.

Next up for Team CHR is a return to “P-A Posse Country” with the All-Star Circuit of Champions, Friday night, April 29th at Williams Grove and Saturday April 30th at Port Royal Speedway.

Team CHR would like to thank the following sponsors: HMS, Inc., Lucas Oil Products, RaceFanRadio, Indy Race Products, Stanton Race Engines, Outerwear Performance Products, GME/Neilds Steering, Kistler Racing Products, Simpson Race Products, Green Filters, Mad Industry, T-N-T Graphics, FK Bearings, Fragola Performance Systems, Stewart’s Custom Coatings, G-Force, Race Coveralls. Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Inc., Green High Performance Filters, Beaberbuilt, Maxim Racing Chassis and Team CHR.

Chris Ferguson Finishes Third in Ultimate at Volunteer Speedway – Takes Over Ultimate Points Lead

Mount Holly, North Carolina – Putting a very tough previous weekend of racing behind him, Chris Ferguson rebounded on Saturday night at Volunteer Speedway in a big way. Affectionately known as “The Gap” Volunteer Speedway, located in Bulls Gap, Tennessee is well know for it’s high banks and lightning fast speeds. The Ultimate Late Model Series made it’s first ever visit to “The Gap” on Saturday night for a $10,000 to win / 75 lap event. Ferguson kicked off the evening in great fashion by topping the other thirty-one entrants in time trials to claim the Shell Racing Solutions Fast Time Award. Ferguson’s lap of 12.449 seconds placed him on the pole for the first of four ten-lap heat races.

“We had a great lap. The car felt very comfortable and I knew we were going to at least be in the top five. So I was very happy to wind up fastest overall. There was a ton of talented guys there. Bloomquist, Owens, Cook, Madden and the list could go on and on. Going there a couple weeks back really helped us be better prepared and I think that showed with how we ran. We were definitely excited about going back up there. We had a good car that night and we got turned around running third. So I was confident that we were going to be in good shape for the Ultimate race.” Ferguson said.

Ferguson lined-up for heat number one with 3-time and reigning Southern All Stars East Champion Casey Roberts to his outside. At the start of the heat Roberts was able to get the jump to take the lead. “The outside was the better line for starts. The Gap is just such a big momentum-type racetrack you really needed to be out there to get going. So Casey was able to get the lead. But I believed I could race my way back into the lead and that’s just what I was able to do.” Ferguson added. Ferguson flashed by Roberts to take the point on the second lap of the heat and then led the final 8 circuits to take the win and put himself on the pole for the seventy-five-lap feature.

Ferguson and veteran Jimmy Owens led the field to green for the feature. It was Owens who took control of the event with Ferguson following closely. “Jimmy beat us on the start. I tried to race him on the bottom but slid up high through (turns) 3 and 4 and he drove away. Jimmy is really good at Bulls Gap. Of course Jimmy is good wherever he goes, so I knew he would be tough to beat there. But we gave it a good shot. I believe we should have run second but I let Davenport get by me on a restart and after that it was just too hard to pass. The lap cars made it even tougher on us. But that’s just a part of racing. We are happy to get back on track and get a good finish. Our Randy Clary power was awesome and our Warrior Race Car was excellent all night. We are ready to get to Lancaster this week and try to get another win.” Ferguson concluded.

Ferguson’s third place finish at Volunteer Speedway vaulted him into the lead of the Ultimate Series standings. Ferguson (151) now leads Chip Brindle (148), Roberts (143), Jonathan Davenport (132) and Petey Ivey (113) heading into the next series event on May 7th at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Virginia. Ferguson is pumped about the Wythe event given his past success at Fred Brown’s beautiful 4/10ths of a mile facility. “I love running at Wythe. It is such a nice place and the track is always fast and racy. It’s always a pleasure racing at Mr. Fred and Miss Susan’s place. And we are all the more happy to be going in with the points lead. There’s a lot more racing to do but I would rather lead than follow in the points deal.” Ferguson said. This weekend Ferguson and his CFM Team will return to Carolina Clash competition for the Saturday night, April 30th $4000 to win event at Lancaster Speedway in Lancaster, South Carolina. For event information visit www.carolinaclash.com or www.lancasterspeedway.net

Chris and his CFM Team would like to thank Starrette Trucking, Hal’s Plumbing, Carver and Sons Roofing, Quality Landscape Materials, Creech's DJ Service, Big A's Custom Graphics, Keith's Handyman Service, Randy Clary Race Engines, Warrior Race Cars, Quality Fasteners, RE Suspension, K&N Filters, FK Rod Ends, Fragola Performance Systems, Schaeffer’s Racing Oil and Lubricants, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Hooker Harness, Outerwears, RF Composites, Team W, KELCAR Motorsports Media, Dirt Racing Magazine, CV Products and Behrent’s Performance Warehouse.

Chris’ has a new website that is currently in development and should launch soon. Until the website is released supporters and fans can keep up with Chris and his CFM Race Team by following Chris on Twitter @ChrisFerguson22 or by liking Ferguson’s Fan Page on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ChrisFerguson22 . Chris’ fans should also be on the lookout for new CFM Merchandise by ASI Racewear that will be released soon.

Menzies Motorsports draws top spot for 43rd Tecate SCORE Baja 500 start!

With one first place finish already this year and a 6th place finish at the San Felipe 250, in the #70 Red Bull/Menzies Trophy Truck Bryce Menzies and C0-Driver Pete Mortensen are going for another win.

This past Saturday was the drawing of the top 12 starting positions for the 43rd annual Tecate SCORE Baja 500, and those who finished in the top 12 at San Felipe 250 were the only few who got the opportunity to be in this draw. At only 23 years young Driver Bryce Menzies has already made a name for himself, not just in Short Course racing but with just a few years of desert racing under his belt he already has many accomplishments to be proud of.

The Las Vegas local awoke Sunday morning to hear the news from father and team owner Steve Menzies that he would receive his first starting position for the Baja 500. “I couldn’t be happier. This year has already been one for the books and to draw the starting position for my 4th SCORE race is very fortunate.” Commented the young Menzies.

With 31 Trophy Trucks entered into the race it is going to take more than just driving fast to win this race. “We will be going down a week or so before the race to prerun the course and make sure we can be as prepared as possible. There are so many obstacles in this race and having the opportunity to oversee the course before the race actually gives all the drivers the chance to go faster but also the knowledge of what dangers are out there so they can try their best to prevent any accidents.” Said Co-Driver Pete Mortensen.

Make sure to stay updated on the latest news photos and videos by going to: www.menziesmotorsports.com

Walsh Race Craft ~ Jeremy Lawson
Budds Creek, MD ~ Round 4 Race Report

With the threat of rain in the forecast for the weekend, round four would potentially be our first mud race of the 2011 season. The rain held off until just after round one of pro practice, so with the rain pouring down and the tack becoming a muddy mess, we opted out of round two pro practice and began to prepare the ATV for our first mud race.

We approached the gate for moto one lined up on the inside, as the gate dropped and the racers made their way to the first corner Jeremy ducked in on the inside and came out of the holeshot in fifth. As he made his way around the track Jeremy found himself in a heated battle with Joe Byrd and while trying to make the pass on Byrd, Lawson fell back to sixth, but reclaimed his position quickly, and made the pass on Joe Byrd to secure the fifth position. Next on the list was Travis Moore who was currently in fourth position, Jeremy made short work of Moore and took over the fourth position where he stayed until reaching the checkered flag. The first moto finished in this order, John Natalie, Josh Upperman, Thomas Brown, Jeremy Lawson. With Upperman finishing two positions ahead of us and being our biggest competitor in the point standings, we definitely had our work cut out for us in moto two.

We approached moto two in the same manner in which we approached moto one, but this time Jeremy made it around the first corner in fourth. Josh Upperman spun out and gave us the opportunity to gain on him in the point standings. Jeremy surely took advantage of this start as he battled with Travis Moore yet again, but this time for the third position. Jeremy took over third and held it until the end of the race!
Consistency paid off yet again as Jeremy Lawson went 4-3 for second place overall!
We are still in fourth place overall, but now only 7 points out of third.

TROY RUTHERFORD ENJOYS 4TH VENTURA WIN

VENTURA, CA – APRIL 20, 2011

By Lance Jennings & surfnsprint.com

Series point leader Troy Rutherford of Ojai continued his winning ways last Saturday night at Ventura Raceway. The defending track champion powered by Quartz Hill's Steve Conrad on lap thirteen en route to his fourth VRA Sprint Car Series triumph of the year.

Sharing the front row with Camarillo's Brent Camarillo, Steve Conrad shot to the lead at the drop of the green flag. The March 12th main event winner set the pace, trailed by Camarillo, Santa Clarita's Guy Woodward, and a furious battle for fourth between Johnathon Henry of Stockton and Troy Rutherford. Woodward pressured Camarillo for second and momentarily fell back, finding himself in a three-wide battle with Henry and Rutherford. Rutherford got the better of the exchange and secured the third spot.

Conrad looked to put some distance between himself and the rest of the field. Rutherford was continuing his march forward and set his sights on Camarillo for second. Behind Rutherford, veteran drivers Cory Kruseman of Ventura and Camarillo's Josh Ford joined the fight for fourth with Woodward and Henry.

A few laps later, Rutherford executed a "slide job" pass on Camarillo for second. Now, with a clear path to the leader, Troy flew around the Ventura clay oval to close the gap. As Conrad stuck to the bottom groove, Rutherford carried extra momentum on the high side to secure the lead on lap thirteen. The duo began to approach slower traffic and missed a spinning Woodward, who ducked into the infield. Steve was back to challenge for the lead as Henry, now in third, was on the charge and closing in fast.

With fifteen laps down, Rutherford maintained the lead with Henry on his rear bumper. Conrad looked to challenge Henry, but fell back as the leaders weaved their way through the back markers. A yellow flag briefly stopped the action, as a car knocked down a piece of track wall on the racing surface. The track crew made a quick repair and racing resumed.

On the restart, Rutherford was in control and Henry made quick work of lapped car. Conrad charged after Henry and took second as Johnathon bounced his car off the cushion and lost valuable ground. From there, Troy Rutherford took the 30-lap victory, followed by Steve Conrad, Johnathon Henry, Brent Camarillo, and Josh Ford.

On the strength of four wins in five starts, Troy Rutherford now holds 120 point advantage heading into this Saturday's race. Driving the #11 Trench Shoring / State Ready Mix car, Rutherford won his third 10-lap heat race of the year and has led forty-eight feature laps. The defending champion is in "the zone" and will be looking to add another win to his resume.

Piloting the #56 Roy Miller Freightlines / SC Grafix entry, Steve Conrad had another strong outing with a second place run. Currently third in the point chase, Conrad was second in his heat race and has four top-10 finishes to his credit. The USAC TQ Midget graduate led the first twelve laps of the main event before falling to Rutherford and has one feature win on the year.

Johnathon Henry pressured Rutherford for the top spot before scoring third. Driving Kevin Kierce's #3 machine, Johnathon was second in his heat race and is now nineteenth in the point standings. The young driver has two top-10 finishes on the year and will look for the Ventura win on Saturday.

Brent Camarillo had his best finish of the season with a fourth place performance. The pilot of the #51 Agromin Soil / Waste Management special was second in heat race and battled for second early in the feature. The hard charger is currently sixth in the championship standings.

Driving the #73 King Racing Products / A&A Precision Machining entry, Josh Ford came home fifth in the 30-lap feature. Earlier in the night's program, Ford claimed his first heat race win of 2011 and is now fourth in the points. Last year's All Coast 360 Challenge Champion will be in the mix for Saturday's win.

"The Kruser" Cory Kruseman scored the victory in the night's second heat race. Piloting the #21K Lucas Oil / Sander Engineering car, Kruseman was sixth in the main event and has three top-10 finishes to his credit. The 2-Time Chili Bowl Nationals Champion is eighth in the point chase heading into Saturday's action.

Ojai's Derek Buckley won his fourth heat race of the 2011 campaign and scored nineteenth in the feature. The driver of the #76 Fatheadz Eyewear / Competition Suspension Inc. entry has two top-10 finishes and is currently ninth in the points. The hard charger will be looking for Saturday's win at Ventura.

Brandon Thomson of Norwalk won the 12-lap Semi-Main. Also earning transfer spots to the feature were Dakota Kershaw, Cody Kershaw, and Clark Templeman III. Thomson earned the night's "Hard Charger / Best Passing Job" honors with a ninth place run after starting seventeenth. Dakota scored fifteenth, Cody claimed twelfth, and Templeman recorded a thirteenth place finish.

Ventura Raceway had five other companion classes scheduled on the night. Rob Kershaw won the VRA Senior Sprint Car main event and Jack Parker claimed victory in IMCA Modified action. Ray Estrada scored the Pro Dwarf Car triumph and, Dan Hillberg won the California Lightning Sprint feature after Jarrett Kramer's car failed a post race tech inspection. Richard Renken won in the VRA Go Kart division.

Ray Cook Runner-Up at Smoky Mountain; Plans Trip to Bulls Gap this Saturday!

The D&R Motorsports team entered one lone event over the weekend, as they ventured to the Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tennessee on Saturday night, April 16. The Southern All Stars Dirt Racing Series (SAS) rolled into the historic racetrack to sanction a one-day, $5,000 to win program. Ray Cook laid down the third quickest lap during SAS qualifying, which locked him into the inside second row starting spot for the 'Smoky Mountain Spring 50.' The Brasstown, North Carolina native sported a fast racecar in the 50-lapper and despite losing his brakes late in the race, he moved up to the second position to finish only behind winner Jimmy Owens. Full results from Smoky Mountain can be located online at www.southernallstarsracingseries.com.

Ray and the #53 team are poised to compete in one more Dirt Late Model program this Saturday night, April 23 at the ultra-fast Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tennessee! The Ultimate Super Late Model Series will sanction the one-day affair at “The Gap” and a $10,000 top prize will be up for grabs. Ray and the rest of the competitors will tackle the 4/10-mile, high-banked speedplant for 75 laps of green flag action in the 3rd Annual ‘Late Model Showdown at the Gap.’ Additional information on this race can be found by logging onto www.volunteerspeedway.com.

Rounds 3 and 4 of LOORRS filled with Chaos and
a 4th place finish for Bryce Menzies

Rounds 3 and 4 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series took place this past weekend in the hot desert of Surprise Arizona located on the outskirts of Phoenix. Fans and race teams from all over the west coast came down for what I would say was definitely an action packed weekend and one for the books.

Pro-4
With Ricky Johnson behind the wheel of the Red Bull Menzies Motorsports Pro 4, we know that that truck has the potential to make it to the top. Qualifying on Friday went great and Ricky once again was right up there with the top drivers which would mean for Saturdays race he would be starting in the front of the pack. Fans of Ricky would line the Red Bull Menzies pit for autographs and just to watch how the Menzies Team works. “This is a solid team here under the Menzies pit with a really smart crew who has been given the best tools and conditions to work with. They are working late into the night on the new pro 4 because they have the heart and drive to see this truck and myself on the podium” Said Ricky Johnson.

The fans filled the stands Saturday afternoon and before we knew it was time for the action to start. As the green flag quickly dropped Ricky held his ground and stayed right with the front trucks. Making good clean laps and battling to hold his 3rd position, Huseman was right behind him looking for the right moment to pass. With the race past the half way mark the team was in high hopes that the Pro 4 would cross the checkered flag, but as luck would have it with only 4 laps to go the truck broke and Ricky pulled out of the race.

After fixing the truck Crew Chief Mike Krahling watched as Sundays race got underway. Ricky qualified 2nd which would give him a great advantage to possibly pulling out front and running in first, however after battling for 3rd position Ricky made contact with the wall and for the second time this weekend he had to pull out of the race. “Unfortunately we didn’t finish either of the races this weekend, but we have learned a lot about the truck and it is now time to move forward and make it stronger for the TORC season.” Said Mike Krahling.

Pro-2
After winning round 1 of LOORRS it was time to come back and give the fans another great race. Starting 5th for Saturday’s race the crowd quickly came to their feet as the race got underway. With Marty Hart taking the early lead Bryce was left battling for 4th place behind Robby Woods who soon into the race was pouring smoke out of his truck due to a flat tire. Finally after holding off Bryce for 3 laps Woods pulled into the pit and Bryce gained a position. After the mandatory yellow Bryce was in 4th position as the green flag dropped for the restart. After chaos on the track settled Bryce found himself making contact to the rear of Carl Renezeder and while no damage was done to Carl, Bryce ended up spinning out and finding himself at the back. With only 3 laps left Bryce made his way past a few trucks and got the truck safely to checkered for a 7th place finish.

Qualifying on Sunday for Bryce was not a good start to the day with the truck breaking on the first lap and Bryce not being able to get in a lap, this would leave him starting at the back for Sunday’s race with only one truck behind him. “I’m disappointed with qualifying this morning but there is nothing I can do about it. I am going to go into today’s race and give it all I have to try and work my way to the front without breaking the truck.” Said Pro 2 driver Bryce Menzies.

As the engine roared for the last race of the day, the fans stood in anticipation as the trucks took to the green flag and flew past the stands and into turn one. Bryce was quickly making his way past the slower trucks, but as he made his way around the track it was clear to him and the fans that he wasn’t going down without a fight. With the body of the truck coming apart at the seams Bryce pushed his hardest until right before the mandatory yellow the hood of the truck came undone and before he knew it Bryce couldn’t see where he was going. Spotter Ian Beaman guided Bryce into the hot pits where the Menzies crew quickly ripped the hood off of the truck and Bryce was out racing right away. At the mandatory yellow Bryce was in 5th place. On the restart Bryce made sure to stay out of the carnage and found himself yet again behind Robby Woods and where the best battle of the day took place as Bryce was on Robby for the last few laps of the race fighting for 3rd position and taking that podium spot. Bryce drove his heart out and drove a good clean race and crossed the finish in 4th. “Bryce drove his heart out today and I couldn’t be prouder of him. I don’t know what got into him today but that was some of the best racing I have seen and I hope he keeps it up.” Said father and team owner Steve Menzies.

Hoffman Claims First Win of 2011
Dominated Performance Lands Hoffman in Victory Lane

Nick Hoffman Motorsports has found what they are looking for. On Friday at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, NC. the #2 Freedom by Nick Hoffman Motorsports machine rolled off the truck with a faster pace than usually seen at the large half mile facility. Some of the early races in the 2011 season have been a so called R&D section to their portfolio, However the team feels they are done for now with wholesale changes. "We spent a lot of time already this year testing and trying things at some of these early races like the Ice Bowl and Speedweeks, but things are really going good right now" Said Hoffman.

It couldn't be anymore evident than when the green flag dropped on their A-Main event, where Nick presented a dominating performance to the fans and competitors in Gastonia. "It felt really good to get this win under our belt so we can start looking at more races this year, we got this thing rolling really good right now, and I just want to thank all those people that have stuck behind me when we were trying to make this team faster" The team has their eyes set on the newley announced NDRA Modz Series, where they will be competing for $1k and $2k shows, as well as their normally scheduled trips to St. Louis and Eldora throughout the year. Stay Tuned for more action on Nick Hoffman Motorsports on their page facebook.com/NickHoffmanMotorsports

Hands Down: Ted Christopher Rallies To Win Whelen Modified Tour Icebreaker 150 At Thompson Speedway

THOMPSON - Ted Christopher often jokes about how he continues to get better with age behind the wheel of a racecar.

It's really no joke.

On Sunday, the 52-year old Christopher added one more dramatic performance to an already overflowing list of spectacular career accomplishments behind the wheel of a Modified.

Christopher, of Plainville, rallied from two laps down after an early wreck to win the Whelen Modified Tour season opening Icebreaker 150 at Thompson International Speedway.

Rowan Pennink of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. was second and Mike Stefanik of Coventry, R.I. third.

It was Christopher's 39th career Whelen Modified Tour victory, his sixth in the last eight events at Thompson and 12th overall at the track.

Christopher's remarkable rally back to the front took place with him steering the car with two injured hands.

The doctor's orders last week to Ted Christopher were not to do anything physical for the time being with his badly injured right hand. By the end of the day Sunday Christopher didn't have even have a hand left to lift the winner's trophy over his head.

A hard wreck in the Whelen Southern Modified Tour season opening event on March 13 at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C. forced Christopher to have surgery to repair a metacarpal ligament fracture between his middle finger and ring finger on his right hand.

On lap 51 Sunday Christopher passed Ron Silk for the lead going into turn one, but then contact between the two drivers sent Christopher spinning into the inside wall off of turn two.

"I probably shouldn't have been in the position I was early in the race with some people you race with," Christopher said.

The hard contact left Christopher with a throbbing left hand to go with a bandaged right hand.

"The broken one doesn't feel as bad as this one on the left," said Christopher who was icing his left hand after the race. "It's not broken. When I go to the doctor Tuesday to get my stitches out [of my right hand] I'll them 'Maybe you can look at the left one now too.' I can get two for one on that."

After the wreck Christopher was penalized in the pits under caution, putting him two laps down from the leaders. But a caution on lap 57 followed by another on lap 63 gave Christopher two free passes and put him back on the lead lap.

Christopher then pitted for new tires on lap 95 and blistered his way back through the field. He was up to fourth by lap 110.

"I really owe it to the crew on that one for putting the car back together," Christopher said. "The [front end] was really really off. Sometimes this game is, not luck, but things will play into your hand and the cautions played into our hand good where we were able to get the [free pass] twice and came in and kept working. The plan was just to keep working on it to get it to where it felt pretty good with the tires that were on it and then pit late like I always love to do and it worked out good."

On lap 111 Christopher passed both third place Eric Beers and second place Ed Flemke Jr. in turn four and then he went under Ryan Preece to take the lead for good out of turn two on lap 115.

"I knew [Flemke] was going to be a problem, but Eric [Beers] sort of helped me on that one," Christopher said. "My car was so good that I knew I had a good bite there and got two in one there, that was easier. Then I could see myself running [Ryan Preece] down."

Pennink went by Preece for second place on lap 139, but Christopher had already opened up a massive lead.

"The car was real good all day long," Pennink said. "I was just trying to avoid those wrecks and stay out of trouble. I think we had the best car out there at the end but I think I just got a little too far behind."

It was a rough day for defending Whelen Modified Tour champion Bobby Santos III of Franklin, Mass. Santos set a track record in qualifying Saturday and started on the pole but it all went bad for Santos when he went to the pits 16 laps into the event with motor issues. Santos never returned and finished last in the 33 car field.

Owens preaches Volunteer Speedway sermon for ‘Old Fashion Sunday Meeting @ The Gap 50’ $5,000 Super Late Model victory

BULLS GAP, Tenn. (April 10) — The calendar shows it’s the second weekend of April, but Sunday at Volunteer Speedway felt more like mid-summer as temperatures approached 90 degrees in East Tennessee.

After competing in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway on Saturday night, Jimmy Owens of Newport made the fast trip back home and the move proved to be a wise financial decision. Owens grabbed the lead from Mark Douglas on lap 23 of the “Old Fashion Sunday Meeting @ The Gap 50” and once out front he was never seriously challenged in pocketing $5,000 for the Super Late Model victory.

Austin Dillon, a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series racer and grandson of multi-team owner Richard Childress, toured the high-banked 4/10-mile oval at 12.799-seconds to earn the pole position and $300 from Martin’s Roofing Service of Bean Station for the 50-lap main event.

Dillon and Douglas, who timed-in second quickest at 12.804 led the 23-car field to green from row one. With both racing side-by-side down the front straightaway into first turn, Douglas rode the cushion up top to power into the lead over Dillon as they raced off second turn, with Chris Ferguson, Billy Ogle Jr. and Ty Dillon holding down top five in running order back around at the stripe to complete the opening lap.

“The Newport Nightmare” Owens was on the move quickly, overtaking Ty Dillon for fifth on lap 2. One circuit later Owens got around “Billy the Kid” Ogle between turns three and four to take over the fourth spot. All eyes were on Owens, as he was up-on-the-wheel and hustling his way around the track – passing Ferguson to move into third place on lap 4 racing off turn two.

With the race running clean-and-green, Douglas, a two-time Volunteer Speedway Super Late Model competitor, had pulled out to seven car length lead by lap 10 over Austin Dillon, who had Owens riding in his rearview mirror. Douglas caught the tail of the field and began having to work traffic on lap 17.

Having difficulty in maneuvering his way around the traffic directly in front of him, all at once Douglas’ lead evaporated and Austin Dillon and Owens were applying pressure. Coming to the start-finish line to begin lap 18, Douglas was trying to use his front nosepiece to move slower cars aside. Owens saw the top of the track open and he drove his mount in hard on the outside of Austin Dillon, and racing off turn two Owens sped past to move into the runner-up position.

But Owens, driving the Reece Monument Co./Gantte Appraisals/Byrd’s Radiator/Midwest Sheet Metal/Hoosier Racing Tire South/Alwee Trucking/Red Line Synthetic Oil/VP Racing Fuels/Performance Rod & Custom/Wear Development/Cornett Thunder Racing Engines/Bloomquist Race Cars/No. 20 Ford Fusion, was not content to ride in second. Just a few laps prior, Owens had gone up top in getting around Austin Dillon.

In making what would prove to be the race-winning move, Owens drove in hard on the bottom to get inside of Douglas entering turn one on lap 23 to take a lead he would never relinquish. Just two circuits later, good runs for both Ferguson and Jonathan Davenport ended when they spun in turn two to bring out the yellow.

Going back green Owens was riding out front for the Delaware Double File Restart, with Austin Dillon and Ogle behind him. Back up to speed and after working his magic in charging from third row starting position all the way into the lead, Owens began to put distance between himself, Austin Dillon and Ogle during a 22-lap green flag stretch. Owens’ run to victory was temporarily slowed when Bryan Hendrix slowed to a stop high between turns three and four with a flat tire to bring out the event’s final caution.

With a five-lap dash to the checkers, Owens set sail with a clear track ahead of him to easily win over Austin Dillon, Ogle, Ty Dillon and Chip Brindle, who came home with a fifth-place finish after starting 13th.

Completing the top 10 finishers were Tommy Kerr, Eric Wells, Chris Brown, Chad Ogle and Eric Jacobsen.

”This is a good home-track win for us tonight,” said a smiling Owens after climbing from his car on the front straightaway in victory lane before the cheering crowd. “Here at ‘The Gap’ is where I began my racing career. Even though I mainly only get to race here when the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series has an event, it’s really special to get the opportunity to get hang out in the pits with people you’ve known many years and to race before fans who’ve cheered for you a long time.

“You can’t race at the level we compete at unless you’ve got good backing, and I really want to thank Mike Reece with Reece Monument Co. in Tazewell, and George Gantte with Gantte Appraisals in Dandridge for all they do for me – along with all other sponsors we have on the car. The way we travel around the country racing, you’ve got to have good financial support and also a good crew helping work on the car. I realize just how fortunate I am to have all the key pieces of the puzzle in place to allow me to race on the national level.”

With a stellar 25-car field of Fastrak Racing Series-sanctioned Pro (Crate) Late Models in attendance, Jerry Broyles and Shanon Buckingham brought the field to green from the front row. Broyles and Buckingham raced door-to-door down the front straightaway into the first turn, but carrying the momentum off the banking exiting turn two up high Buckingham moved into the lead over Broyles, Dale Ball, Bobby Mays and Tim Byrd.

Ball got around Broyles for second on lap 2, closing in on the rear bumper of Buckingham, while Broyles, Mays and Byrd were running nose-to-tail. Just outside the top five in running order, Vic Chandler, Mike Smith, David Smith, Weston Gantte and Brandon Williams were battling for real estate. Caution waved on lap 9 when Andy Ogle and Richard Adkins spun in turn three.

Buckingham was all alone out front for the Delaware Double File Restart, with Ball and Broyles side-by-side behind him. Ball got a good run on Buckingham racing down the front straightaway into first turn to get a nose underneath him, and racing off turn two Buckingham suddenly slowed with a suspected broken fuel pump and Ball moved into the lead. With cars jamming up behind the slowing Buckingham, at end of backstretch Steve Cooke and Joey Steele spun to bring out the caution.

The next attempt to go green had Johnson City chauffeur Ball riding out front, with Broyles and Mays behind him. While Ball began to put a little distance between his Smith Brothers Harley-Davidson of Johnson City/Luke's Pizza of Johnson City/Alan Poyner Enterprises/Mainline Communications/Jim Schweitzer Inc./Twin D Auto & Truck Sales of Johnson City/Tri-City Rubber & Gasket Co./Advance Auto Parts/Bilstein Shocks/Warrior Race Cars/No. 2 Chevrolet Impala and his closest challengers Broyles and Mays during a 10-lap green flag run, he saw a seven car length lead be erased on lap 19 when Jordan Dill spun between turns one and two to bring out the event’s final caution.

Chip Brindell Takes Home First Super Late Model Win!!!!

Chip Brindell returned to his hometown of Chatsworth, at the North Georgia Speedway in the STARS Volunteer Racing Series event. Starting on the pole, Chip was able to hang on to the lead through all 40 laps. Billy Ogle Jr., who had the fastest qualifying time, kept trying to pass Chip who stayed out in front for the win, leaving Jonathan Davenport to come in third.

Everyone here at FK Rod Ends would like to congratulate Chip on a job well done!!

The Top Ten:
(1) Chip Brindle
(2) Billy Ogle Jr.
(3)Jonathan Davenport
(4) Gary McPherson
(5) Ronnie Johnson
(6) Eric Jacobsen
(7) Tony Knowles
(8) Shane Clanton
(9) Derek Ellis
(10) Vic Hill

Andy Forsberg Win #1 of 2011

On Friday April 8th the F&F X1 headed to an unusual Friday night 360 points race in Placerville CA, Andy was 2nd quick, 3rd in his heat race and after the fast time car did not transfer out of his heat race Andy would become the fastest car to transfer from the heats and would pull an 8 pill for his starting position in the A main event. Andy lined up 8th in the A and by mid race was up to 5th and going for the 4th place spot of Mason Moore, Andy miss judged and hooked the back of Mason nerf bar causing both cars to spin out and block the exit of turn 4 the 6th and 7th place cars had no where to go and contact was made, Andy kept going but with the contact there was damage to the car and he had a flat left rear tire, he was forced to pull into the pits where the F&F crew made repairs, Andy tagged the rear and in 10 laps made his way back up to an 8th place finish.

On Saturday April 9th Andy and the F&F X1 headed to Petaluma CA for round #1 of the 360 CA Civil War Series, Andy was Fast time, finished 3rd in his heat race and for the second consecutive night an 8 pill was drawn for the A main inversion placing Andy on the outside of row #4, the track was rough and heavy and fast. Andy picked his way through the field and on lap 24 he made his move for the lead in turn 4 and would not look back for the final 6 laps of the race to claim the Victory in only his 3rd night out driving in the F&F X1. The win was the F&F X 1 teams first ever win at the Petaluma Speedway and their first Civil War victory since May of 2008 with driver David Robinson Jr.

This upcoming weekend Friday April 15th the A&A Motorsports #92 heads to Chico CA for race #2 of the 410 points season, and on Saturday April 16th the F&F X1 heads to Placerville CA for 360 points race #2.

Ray Cook Eyes Doubleheader Weekend Following Rough Trip to Texas

(BRASSTOWN, NORTH CAROLINA) The D&R Motorsports team and driver Ray Cook were back on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series trail over the April 1-2 weekend in the Lonestar State of Texas. The Lonestar Speedway in Kilgore, Texas played host to a two-day showdown, which was headlined by a $20,000 to win main event. On Friday night, Ray timed in fourth fastest in Group B during the qualifying session and was scheduled to roll off from the front row in his heat race later in the evening.

Mother Nature rolled into the Kilgore area at the start of his heat race and the preliminary event was pushed back to Saturday due to rain. When racing action resumed, Ray was battling for the top spot in his heat race when a broken water pump relegated him to a fourth place finish. After switching to a back-up car prior to the start of the 100-lapper, the Brasstown, North Carolina native was headed towards a possible top five finish until a broken fuel pump dropped him back to the twenty-third finishing position. Full results from the rough weekend at Kilgore can be located online at www.lucasdirt.com.

The #53 team will look to turn around their fortunes on April 8-9 in a doubleheader weekend in the states of Georgia and Indiana. On Friday night, the Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, Georgia will play host to a $3,000 to win Southern Regional Racing Series (SRRS) program. The action will quickly shift north to the legendary Brownstown Speedway in Brownstown, Indiana on Saturday evening for the annual running of the ‘Indiana Icebreaker.’ The one-day Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series battle will pay $10,000 to the winner. Additional information on both weekend events can be found at www.southernregionalracingseries.com and www.lucasdirt.com.

Keith Rocco Kicks Off Defense Of NASCAR National Title With Bud Blastoff SK Modified Victory At Waterford

WATERFORD - Keith Rocco kicked off the 2011 local racing season doing exactly what he did for most of the 2010 season: Winning.

Rocco, the defending NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion, opened the season by racing to victory in the 61-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Sunday at the Budweiser Blastoff at the Waterford Speedbowl.

Rob Janovic Jr. of Waterford was second and Tom Abele Jr. third.

Rocco, of Wallingford, led every lap on the way to victory in last year's Budweiser Blastoff, a season sendoff that began his dominating roll to a perfect season under the Whelen All-American Series points system and his first national title.

Over 59 SK Modified division starts at Waterford, Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson International Speedway in 2010, Rocco had 22 victories, 45 top-five finishes and 56 top-10's. He also won SK Modified division track championships at Waterford and Stafford.

Though, even after winning in dominating style, Rocco was hesitant to even speak about the possibility of defending his national title.

"You've got to put that behind you," Rocco said. "I think it's going to be just about impossible to repeat what we did last year. It's one of those things, the chances are you're not going to have a season like you did the year before, especially when you did what we did last year. We'll start from scratch and put last year behind us. Start all over again, start racking up wins and see what happens at the end. We're definitely heading in the right direction."

Rocco started second behind Janovic but went to the lead on the first lap. But following a restart with 35 laps remaining, contact between Rocco and second place Ron Yuhas Jr. allowed Janovic to move back to the front.

"It was just hard racing," Rocco said of the incident with Yuhas. "I think he was trying to crowd me a little bit and I got free off [the corner] and I just tried to save it and stay along side of him and we just made a little bit of contact. He bounced off the wall and came back at me. It was just hard racing both ways."

Rocco restarted in third place and moved past Diego Monahan for second with 31 laps left. With 29 laps remaining he used the low lane to easily go past Janovic and retake the lead. Janovic's attempts over the closing 25 laps to make a move on Rocco proved futile.

"We've got some fine tuning to do on the car," Janovic said "Overall I'm pretty happy, we started on the pole and finished second, ya know, we lost. We were struggling there a little bit there at the beginning. I've got to figure it out.

"Restarts were killing us. The initial start and every restart, the car just wanted to push up and it took me about a good three laps before the car just settled in and got fast. I thought we were faster than [Rocco]. I tried him on the outside once and just lost ground. I figured I'd put a little pressure on him and then I was saying, 'Ah, second place, not too bad with a straight car on opening day.'"

Said Rocco: "The car wasn't 100 percent today, but I can't say enough for Troyer Racecars. Even when they're off they're still fast."

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