Dalton/Chatsworth, GA (6/25/11) --- Team 17 Hill Motorsports driver Jeff Smith found their way to victory lane Saturday night at North Georgia Speedway in the Crate Late Model feature. Swiping the lead on a mid-race restart from 2010 Boyd's Speedway Track Champion Craig Burrows, Smith held on to the No.1 spot for his 9th victory of the 2011 season. A low car-count determined an extended 25-lap feature event which was no problem for the #17S "Josh Roberts Trucking, FK Rod Ends, Hypercoils, Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oils, Bilstein, Martin Motorsports, Gene's Racing Parts" sponsored Warrior / RaceTek powered machine. Smith started out back as far as 6th racing past Grayson York, before restarts jamed the field together for what would be the winning pass.

"We're really fortunate on the restarts, Craig left the door open on the bottom twice and that was all that I needed to get him" stated Smith Sunday from his raceshop. Smith concluded by thanking Daniel Martin who's stepped up recently, helping the team get to where they are today. Jeff was twice voted on by racefans 2010 Most Popular Driver and ESPN RaceZone Driver of the Year last season. Fans can follow the team on their new web-site www.team17hillmotorsports.com or check out Jeff's facebook page for updates. Smith and Tennessee racers Jason Welshan and Jerry Coffman are all locked in a tight points battle at Boyd's Speedway for the 2011 Track Championship and should be in competition after the 4th of July Holiday weekend.

The first day of summer brought out the heat on and off the track in round three of the Summer Shootout Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Tyler Green, Ben Rhodes and Carson Ferguson were among those able to keep their cool as each cruised to victory in their feature events.

Green, of China Grove, N.C., held off the likes of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, David Ragan, to take home his first win of the season in the Legend Car Pro division.

Battles for position were hard-fought from first on back as Wentzville, Mo., native, Kyle Weatherman, and last week’s feature winner, Sean Rayhall, of Austell, Ga., swapped for the lead.

Green proved he was a force to be reckoned with as he made a hard-charging pass on the outside to move into second position, eventually taking the lead with five laps to go.

Contact between Gregory Lang, of Davidson, N.C., and Chase Catania, of El Cajon, Calif., brought out the caution and staged the field for a green, white, checkered finish. Green held off the competition to get the win as Rayhall settled for second and Austin Hill, of Winston, Ga., crossed the line in third. Ragan trailed behind to finish fourth.

In the Legend Car Young Lions feature, Rhodes, of Louisville, Ky., led a majority of the laps as he secured his third win of the 2011 season.

Moving into the second position after starting the race in fourth, Rhodes quickly challenged Mason Massey, of Douglasville, Ga., for the lead. On Lap 4, the two were side-by-side in Turns 1 and 2 as Rhodes eventually slid to the inside, taking the top spot.

A single car spin brought out the caution on Lap 8, allowing the field to catch back up to the leaders. Rhodes quickly distanced himself from the field on the restart, leaving the remaining cars to battle in the closing laps.

Matt Pappa, of Nassau, N.Y., made a daring last-lap pass on Concord, N.C., native, Justin Carroll, to take the third position as Rhodes cruised across the finish line to claim victory. Massey followed behind to finish second.

In the Bandolero Bandits feature, Ferguson, of Mt. Holly, N.C., broke away from the pack en route to pick up his third feature win in the Summer Shootout Series this season.

Jacob Heafner, of Dallas, N.C., paced the field to the green, but after a pile up on the opening lap, a complete restart was required. Ferguson used the restart to pass multiple cars, making his way into the second position.

On Lap 4, Ferguson piloted his No. 00 past leader Austin Green of Concord, N.C., leaving Green in a two-way battle for the second position with Heafner. A late caution took Heafner out of contention, allowing Dawson Cram, of Mooresville, N.C., to take control of third.

The race came down to a three-lap shootout with Ferguson taking the checkered flag ahead of second place finisher Green and third place Cram.

Other feature winners included John Sossoman, of New London, N.C., in the Legend Car Masters division; Tyler Hill, of Port Tobacco, Md., in the Legend Car Semi-Pro division; Hunter Stewart, of Mooresville, N.C., in the Bandolero Beginner Bandits division; and Parker Barnes, of Roswell, Ga., in the Bandolero Outlaws division.

The 18th annual Summer Shootout Series continues Tuesday night, June 28, with Media Mayhem. In addition to a full slate of Legend Car and Bandolero racing, local television weathermen will get behind the wheel to compete in the second school bus slobberknocker of the season.

After racing to their third victory of the season on Friday at River Cities Speedway, the Aggressive Hydraulics #7 team returned to the high banked, high intensity, 3/10-mile on Saturday looking to keep the momentum rolling in the finale of the Duel in the Dakotas.

A strong field of sprinters assembled for battle on the hot sunny day in North Dakota with Dollansky piloting the Big Game Treestands Maxim to 4th fastest time in qualifying among the 34 cars in the pit area.  Spectacular heat race competition would see 'The Crowd Pleaser' motor from the fourth spot and track down Kevin Swindell to take the lead and cruise to the victory.  Winning the heat put the Karavan Trailers #7 in the dash where Dollansky would start second and finish 2nd in the 8-lap event.

Starting from outside the front row of the 40-lap A-Main, Dollansky ran the highside of the track until the first caution came on lap 10.  As racing resumed the #7 fell back to fourth momentarily until he worked the cushion aboard the Eaton's Aeroquip Performance Products Maxim and raced past Donny Schatz and Steve Kinser to retake second and come after Jason Sides for the lead until another stoppage on lap 14.  Following two cautions, the intensity of the feature continued to swell as the top four drivers went four wide exiting turn two on the restart with Dollansky slipping back to fifth by a lap 21 caution.

The driver from Minnesota continued to work the highside and motor up to third by lap 24 and then executed a slide job on Joey Saldana in turn 1 to assume the runner-up position one lap later.  With Sides running the bottom and Dollansky working the cushion to perfection, the driver of the Big Game Treestands backed sprinter slowly started to hunt down the leader with the laps winding down.  The action culminated on the final two corners when 'The Crowd Pleaser' exploited his nickname to full potential as he shot between Sides and the outside wall and charged to the checkered flags to sweep the weekend and record the teams fourth victory of the season.

"We got a good starting spot outside the front row for the long 40 lap race and had a few cautions that put us in double-file restarts and one restart we got shuffled back to 5th and we had to work our way back,", commented Dollansky.  "It was an intense race and we were able to get up to 2nd and pace ourselves in the latter part of the race, Jason was running a good race and had a good car.  At one point it looked like it was going to be a shuffle between five cars for the win.  He led every lap but at the end of the race when we were in lapped traffic running second I could tell he was primarily running the bottom and we got a good run on him in the last corner and had just enough room to get through and get the win.  It was great to get back to back wins for Aggressive Hydraulics and everyone that supports this race team."

6-19-2011

After a weekend full of mud for TORC round 1 was canceled due to rain and Menzies Motorsports was ready to re-group and head to Crandon, WI for rounds 3 and 4 of the TORC series. Just a week before race day the Menzies/Red Bull drivers brought out the PRO trucks to do some testing and get the trucks prepped and ready for the course. “This course is high speed and it will be something completely new to me. It was a must to come out here and test so that I didn’t go into race weekend not prepared.” Said PRO 2WD driver Bryce Menzies.

Thursday afternoon the gates to “The Big House” opened up and teams from all across the country started moving in and setting up their home for the weekend. Crandon is known for their passionate fans and the history that has given drivers a place in the history books of off-road racing. Team owner Steve Menzies “ Our team is thrilled to be here racing at the historic Crandon track. We are ready to show the fans what we are all about and that is putting on a show and getting on the podium” said as he helped the team set up there pit consisting of 2 semi’s that would house their PRO Light, PRO 2WD and PRO 4x4 this weekend.

PRO Light

Luke took to the track Friday afternoon for practice and qualifying where he would be going up against 15 other drivers to get the number 1 qualifying spot for Saturdays race. Practice consisted of just a few laps and after practice Crew Chief Ian Beaman made a few minor changes to the truck to help gain speed.  Qualifying came and went just as fast as practice and Luke took to the course like he had been racing for years. Before Luke could even change out of his driving suit he found out that he would be starting 4th for round 3.

Over 10,000 fans filled the grass hill Saturday morning and the sun came out to make the start of round 3 perfect for watching all classes race around the 1.25mile track. Luke lined up in staging ready to take on turn one as soon as the flag dropped. As he awaited he visualized his lines and the perfect line that he needed to get the holeshot and be out front to stay out of what chaos might unfold as all 15 trucks rushed to the blind drop down of the famous turn one.  The green flag waved and before he knew it he was at the end of turn one and turned around facing oncoming trucks as they barreled by him at over 80 mph contact was made to the #14 PRO Light and Luke found himself right where he didn’t want to be. The track was immediately red flagged due to the accident that unfolded in turn one and the race would be completely restarted. Luke lined back up in position to try it all over again but as soon as the flag dropped again he had to make his way to the hot pit due to problems with the truck as a result of the contact that was made.  “ Turn one is always something that you just really have to cross your fingers going into and hope that no one makes contact with you our you don’t make a mistake and spin out. The track was really watered down and I believe that’s what caused me to spin out. My crew worked hard to get me back out to race but the damage was too great.” Said Driver Luke Johnson

A stretch of nine events on short tracks got underway for Craig Dollansky on Friday during the opening night of the Duel in the Dakotas as the #7 team adored the Aggressive Hydraulics paint scheme for the first time in 2011.  River Cities Speedway, the fastest track on the World of Outlaws circuit, has been a strong track for Dollansky who has four top-five finishes in six races including a victory in August of 2009.

With 32 cars signed into the pit area at the track located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Dollansky muscled the Big Game Treestands backed sprinter around the 3/10-mile oval in 9.745 seconds, good enough for 3rd fastest overall in qualifying.  Scheduled to start fourth in the third heat race, 'The Crowd Pleaser' used a great start to move past Lucas Wolfe on the highside and into the second position to earn a spot in the dash race.  The six pill inversion was drawn for the dash, meaning the Karavan Trailers #7 would start fourth.  In the 8-lap event, Dollansky raced past Steve Kinser and come after Joey Saldana but ended up finishing 3rd.

With the whole racing night hurried along due to rain showers in the area, the 40-lap A-Main was run before the support class as Dollansky lining up third on the grid.  When the green flag dropped the Elk River, Minnesota native raced closely with Joey Saldana for second and would assume the position by a lap 7 caution.  As racing resumed, leader Bill Rose set a strong pace with Dollansky hounding him for the lead each time in turn three.  'The Crowd Pleaser' would make it stick on lap 19 as he raced past Rose and into the lead.  The driver of the Aggressive Hydraulics Maxim continued the fast pace working through traffic until the final caution came with 5 laps to go.  Dollansky would use a strong start to pull away from the field on the double-file restart and cruise to his third victory of the season and second at River Cities Speedway.

After a 30 minute rain delay the field retook the track and again Hoffman sped away as the field took the green. Behind the teenager, Strickler, Rob McLaughlin and Derrick Ramey were in a heated battle for second. McLaughlin’s strong run came to an early end when he headed to the pits with suspension damage.
Henry Poole decided to join the mix by lap seven as he sped around both Strickler and Ramey, to move into second. Strickler returned the favor one lap later as he rolled back around the young Poole and set his sights on the race leader.
The third of seven cautions waved on lap 13 for a spinning Steve Hines. Bucky Gregory used the Delaware Double File restart to his advantage as the Troutman,NC resident bolted into third. Behind Hoffman the top five continued to battle as Ramey retook fourth on lap 22.
The final caution of the event waved on lap 24 setting up a six lap shootout to the checkers. Hoffman was up to all challenges as the part-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor sped away to the win. Strickler, Ramey, Poole and Gregory rounded out the top five.

Last Sunday afternoon, Team CHR pulled back into their shop’s driveway after they finished one of the toughest schedules of the summer…six races in nine days leading into “Ohio Sprint Speedweek” starting tonight at Attica Raceway Park.

“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.

Ray Cook recorded his second victory of the 2011 racing season on Saturday night, June 11 at the Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Kentucky!  After a sub par qualifying session at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio on Friday night, the D&R Motorsports team chose to forego the rest of the 'Dream' program and instead headed south to Richmond on Saturday.  The decision proved to be a smart one for the #53 team, as they picked up the $3,000 top prize in the inaugural event for the United Super Dirt Car Series (USDCS).

The driver known as the "Tarheel Tiger" laid down the quickest lap during the qualifying session at Richmond to earn Fast Time honors.  Ray later ran second in his heat race, which locked him into the fifth starting spot for the 'Rain Dodger 40.'  The Brasstown, North Carolina ace methodically worked his way to the front of the field and grabbed the top spot on lap thirty-two.  Ray went on to claim the $3,000 win over Victor Lee, Aaron Hatton, Mike Jewell, and Tyrel Todd.  Following the triumph at Richmond, Ray dedicated the victory to Jamie Brown, son of former car owners Brownie and Cheryl Brown, who tragically lost his life in a house fire last Wednesday.  Complete results from Richmond can be accessed by clicking on www.usdcs.com.

“We were all disappointed by qualifying fifty-fourth fastest for the Dream at Eldora, but we salvaged the weekend with the win at Richmond,” quoted Cook earlier today.  “The car was great all night at Richmond and I can’t thank my crew enough for all of the hard work they put into it this week.  We tore up two cars last weekend and had to have a car ready for Bill Elliott to run in the Prelude to the Dream at Eldora on Wednesday.  They worked countless hours and the victory definitely gives us a boost of morale after a long week.  Also, our thoughts and prayers are with the Brown family at this time, as they deal with the loss of Jamie last week.”

The #53 team will jump back on the rigorous Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tour this upcoming weekend (June 17-18) in a pair of $10,000 to win showdowns in the states of South Carolina and Virginia.  On Friday night, the Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, South Carolina will play host to a pivotal LOLMDS battle, while the Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Virginia will do the same on Saturday evening.  Ray comes into the LOLMDS doubleheader tenth in the latest series point standings.  Additional information on these races can be viewed online at www.lucasdirt.com.

Ray Cook would like to thank all of his supporters including:  Rockstar Energy Drink, Makita Industrial Power Tools, D&R Motorsports, Hicks & Ingle Company, MasterSbilt Race Cars, Race Engine Design, PPM Racing Products, A+ Moving and Storage Company, K&N Filters, PRC Racing, Real Racing Wheels, Bill Elliott Racing, James Cook Construction, American Race Tire, Bert Transmissions, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Chizmark & Larson Insurance Agency, DBR Starters, Delph Communications, Demon Carburetors, FK Rod Ends, Frankland Racing Supply, GW Performance, Integra Shocks, ISC Racers Tape, JB Performance, Mason Racin', MSD Ignition, Peterson Fluid Systems, Schaeffer’s Racing Oil, Scott Performance Wire, Stealth Carburetors, Sweet Mfg., T&D Machine, Turbo Start Batteries, VP Racing Fuels, Wiles Driveshafts, and Wilwood.

For the latest news and schedule information concerning the #53 team, feel free to visit their official Internet home at www.raycook53.com.

Ron “The Bull” Parker continued  his record setting season Friday night at Carolina Speedway as the Belwood, NC native captured his third consecutive NDRA GM Performance Late Model main event win.
Parker started off the evening by qualifying on the pole of the 20 lap feature. Anthony Sanders joined Parker on the front row by setting the second fastest time of the 15 car field. As the green waved Parker quickly jumped to the point with Sanders in tow. As Parker began to stretch out his lead Ross Bailes began to flex his muscles as he charged through the field. As the field was headed to the white flag Bailes finally  made the move past Sanders to second. At the stripe it was Parker, Bailes and Sanders. Tenth starting Dan Brewer was fourth with Zack Mitchell fifth.
This also marks Ron's 200th career Late Model win!