J.J. YELEY BROUGHT HIS No. 28 TOYOTA HOME TO AN 18TH PLACE FINISH IN IOWA

J.J. Yeley

NEWTON, IOWA August 03, 2015 – In what proved to be a challenging day, NASCAR veteran J.J. Yeley and his JGL Racing team overcame many obstacles to capture yet another NASCAR XFINITY Series top-20 finish on Saturday night in Iowa.  At the end of a dramatic 250-lap event, Yeley brought his No. 28 Toyota home to an 18th-place finish in the running of the US Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway.

“That was definitely a hard fought finish tonight and a total team effort by everyone on this JGL Racing team,” said Yeley.  “TJ Bell stepped in and did a great job in practicing the car for me on Friday while I was in Pocono.  I got to the track on Saturday and we didn’t quite have the qualifying effort we wanted.  We battled the first half of the race but Steven Lane (crew chief) made some great adjustments and our car was at its best at the end of the race.”

After missing the two practice sessions on Friday while in Pocono for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice and qualifying, Yeley arrived at Iowa Speedway in time for qualifying for the Saturday night event.  While advancing to the second round, J.J. and his JGL Racing settled for the 20th starting spot for the 250-lap event.  The early part of the race would see Yeley battle with the handling condition on his No. 28 Toyota.  A few long green flag runs at the beginning of the race gave the JGL Racing few opportunities to tune on their car and eventually falling two laps down to the leaders.

In typical fashion for this JGL Racing team and Yeley, collectively they would battle and regain their two laps to get back on the lead lap with just 20 laps remaining in the short track battle.  With multiple cautions late in the race allowing for some key adjustments to the No. 28 Toyota, Yeley would charge inside the top-15 in the closing laps.  With the race going into overtime with a Green/White/Checker finish, Yeley made his charge towards a top-10 finish before being pushed into the outside wall off turn two on the last lap.   The end result was a damaged No. 28 Toyota coming to the checkered flag in the 18th position.

“With our car best there at the end of the race we were in position to really capitalize on what was a challenging night,” added Yeley.  “Unfortunately a couple of cars got together there on the last lap and it pushed us into the outside wall and we lost at least five spots.  But in all, this JGL Racing team battled hard all night and we overcome being down two laps to post a solid finish.”

With the 18th-place finish Yeley remained in the 13th position in the overall NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers’ standings – a mere 14 points out of the 12th spot.

Yeley and his JGL Racing team will set their sights next on Watkins Glen International.  The running of the Zippo 200 will be Saturday August 8th and can be seen LIVE on NBC Sports Network at 3:00 pm ET.  It can also be heard on Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Channel 90.

 

DRIFTING STAR KEN GUSHI TO RACE SCION FR-S AT PIKES PEAK

Best known as a top drifting competitor, Gushi won the 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Exhibition Auto Class driving a Lexus ISF CCS-R

Veteran Scion Racer to Compete in Famed Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

TORRANCE, Calif., June 28, 2014 – Veteran racer Ken Gushi knows the Scion FR-S. He also knows the demanding 156-turn race course that climbs Pikes Peak. Gushi will bring his experiences together driving the GReddy Racing Scion FR-S in the 92nd annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb tomorrow,  June 29.

Best known as a top drifting competitor, Gushi won the 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Exhibition Auto Class driving a Lexus ISF CCS-R. This year he’ll drive a 2013 FR-S in the Time Attack 1 Division for production-based two- and four-wheel drive vehicles. This is the second appearance of the FR-S at the event.

“No race on earth is quite like the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and I can’t wait to conquer it in a car I love: the Scion FR-S,” Gushi said. “Every turn of this course requires the best performance out of the driver and vehicle, and racing fans will love what they see.”

The 12.42-mile race in the Colorado Rocky Mountains finishes at the 14,115-foot summit, where drivers and vehicles contend with thin air and high winds. To prepare for the course, the GReddy Racing team has retuned the suspension of the FR-S race car and added new performance and safety components. As modified, the engine produces 500 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque.

“The highly competitive Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will showcase Ken Gushi’s renowned racing skills and the enhanced performance capabilities of the FR-S,” said Landy Joe, Scion auto shows and special events manager. “Scion Racing is thrilled to compete in this iconic event again this year and let our fans experience a ‘Race to the Clouds’ with the FR-S.”

For more information about the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, visit www.ppihc.com. For videos and interviews with Gushi after the race, visit www.scionracing.com.

 

 

HOMETOWN HERO WALTRIP HOPES FOR KENTUCKY BREAKTHROUGH

Michael Waltrip

June 27, 2014 – Thought omnipresent at a race track – in either a television studio or walking pit road – Owensboro, Kentucky native Michael Waltrip doesn’t get behind the wheel of a race car all that often anymore.

He has people to do that for him, these days.

And they’ll represent him at his home track of Kentucky Speedway. So, yes, in a way, this is a home race for Kansas native Clint Bowyer and North Carolina native Brian Vickers – the two cornerstones of Michael Waltrip Racing.

This is a big one for more than local pride, of course. Both drivers are winless, and especially in the case of Vickers, in danger of missing the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Bowyer, coming off two consecutive top-10 finishes, has climbed to 14th in points – good enough to be one of the Chase Grid drivers were NASCAR’s playoffs beginning today. They’re not. So a win at Kentucky would go a long way. It’s more than possible; Bowyer finished third last year.

Vickers has yet to crack the top 25 at Kentucky, finishing 31st (DNF) last season and 27th in 2011. He’s hit a rough patch of late, a stretch defined by bad luck. His engine gave out at Dover, leading to a 43rd-place finish, and at Michigan, an early accident caused him to limp home in 42nd.

 

 

KYLE BUSCH GOES AFTER PERSONAL RECORD AT KENTUCKY

June 26, 2014 – It is well known throughout NASCAR circles that Kyle Busch will drive anything at any time and often wins – anywhere. . Although he is a full-time competitor in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the Las Vegas native frequently competes in both the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

The second-generation driver has accumulated 134 wins in all three national series and currently holds the record for highest winning percentage in the truck series at nearly 33% with 39 wins in 119 starts. His 134 wins rank second overall in history for most wins across all three NASCAR national series.

He will once again attempt triple duty this weekend at Kentucky Speedway, and in Thursday night’s truck race, Busch has the opportunity to add to his personal record book.

If Busch can find a way to Victory Lane this Thursday night in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 225 he will set a personal record in the series with his sixth consecutive win in as many starts. He has accomplished five wins in a row twice. In addition to his current streak, Busch also won five in a row in 2009.

In four previous truck races at Kentucky, Busch has one win and has finished in the top-10 in every start.

 

TALENT TRANSITIONS BOLSTER KEY NASCAR BUSINESS AREAS

Rogers, Parker and Warfield Assume New Roles within Organization

Brent Dewar, Chief Operating Officer of NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. June 26, 2014 – NASCAR announced transitions today within three key business areas, highlighting the company’s commitment to talent development.

Patrick Rogers has been promoted to senior director of Driver Marketing Services, Evan Parker becomes senior director of Brand Platforms and Scott Warfield has been promoted to senior director of Social Media and Broadcast Communications.

“NASCAR is committed to the development of our team throughout all areas of the organization,” said Brent Dewar, Chief Operating Officer of NASCAR. “Each of these moves highlights our goal of growing our talented professionals, and thereby strengthening our company. Patrick, Evan and Scott have added incredible value in their current roles. They now have an opportunity to showcase their talent in other critical areas of our business.”

Rogers most recently served as director of Brand Platforms, Marketing. He was instrumental in the renewal of series entitlement partner Camping World. His new role will give Rogers oversight of NASCAR’s Driver Services team, which works closely with the industry in order to develop, nurture and maximize the integration of the sport’s drivers. Rogers will report to Jill Gregory, NASCAR vice president of Industry Services.

“Patrick has extensive experience working with the industry and will be a valuable resource immediately to those key stakeholders,” Gregory said. “The collaboration with teams and drivers is at an all-time high and Patrick will work closely with internal and external groups to further develop driver brands and increase driver star power. His experience working with drivers will add power to an already strong Driver Services team and allow successful initiatives such as the NASCAR Next program to continue to grow.”

Parker will transition from NASCAR’s Los Angeles office to its Charlotte office. He served as senior director of Entertainment Marketing and helped lead the sport’s integration efforts into several entertainment properties. In his new role, Parker will lead the development of NASCAR’s marketing efforts around platforms that occur throughout the year. He will report to Kim Brink, NASCAR vice president of Marketing.

“We’re glad to have Evan bring his leadership and fresh perspective into the brand platforms role,” Brink said. “He’s very familiar with the successful programs we’ve worked hard to establish over the last several seasons. We have an aggressive strategy in place to continue reaching current and prospective fans and Evan will play a key role in leading those efforts.”

Warfield’s new responsibilities include guiding NASCAR’s overall social media strategy and its cross-departmental integration as NASCAR implements programs across a number of social media channels. He also will continue to work closely with the company’s digital, entertainment and broadcasting teams.

“NASCAR’s social media presence and impact continues to grow and serve as a key communications channel for us with our fans,” said Brett Jewkes, NASCAR vice president and chief communications officer. “Scott’s experience working with broadcasting, digital and entertainment coupled with his strong knowledge of the sport will be invaluable in his new role.”

Source: NASCAR

 

 

BRIAN VICKERS No. 55 AARON’S DREAM MACHINE / KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY PREVIEW

CORNELIUS, N.C. – June 25, 2014 – Kentucky Speedway’s advertising bills itself as the roughest track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine driver Brian Vickers can attest to that claim. A broken wheel during a May 20-21 Goodyear tire test at the 1.5-mile track led to a hard wreck in turn three for Vickers. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver wasn’t seriously hurt in the accident, but he said Saturday night’s race is going to be all about negotiating the rough surface and surviving 400 miles of close, high-speed racing.

Vickers crew chief Billy Scott said the time his team spent at Kentucky Speedway should pay dividends in Saturday night’s race although he expects the hot setup in May will be different than what works Saturday night.

BRIAN VICKERS ON KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY: “It’s an extremely rough race track. I broke a wheel last time I was there so that tells you it’s pretty rough. I like tracks with some bumps and character, but Kentucky is really rough. I think it is time for a repave. On the straightaways your head is moving back and forth so much it gives you a headache. We did the Goodyear tire test there in May and we certainly learned a few things. But, this weekend it’s going to be a tough track for everyone.”

Billy Scott

CREW CHIEF BILLY SCOTT ON AT-TRACK TESTING: “Nothing replaces going to the track and testing. All these NASCAR teams use tools like computer simulations that do a good job of helping us get an idea of what to expect once you arrive at the track. But, you don’t have real drivers or real tires. Nothing beats getting out there and running laps, getting data and hearing the feedback from the drivers.”

WOULD YOU TEST MORE? “In a perfect world—from just the setup standpoint—we would test every track we race. But considering time and money involved in doing that I’d prefer if none of us tested. That keeps it fair for the whole field and saves time and money.”

IS THERE A DOWNSIDE TO TESTING? “Not really other than time and cost. You have that chance to wreck a car and often times the tracks change by the time you go back. That even happens on the same weekend let alone when there are several weeks between testing and racing. You aren’t going to race what you thought was best at the test, but you will be somewhere closer than if you hadn’t gone there at all.”

 

 

CLINT BOWYER No. 15 5-HOUR ENERGY TOYOTA / KENTUCKY PREVIEW

ON THE HUNT FOR VICTORY LANE

CORNELIUS, N.C. – June 24, 2014 – The state of Kentucky (technically termed the Commonwealth of Kentucky) is probably most recognized as the home of horse racing in the United States. More appealing to Clint Bowyer, an avid hunter and outdoorsman, the Blue Grass state also claims to have the highest per capita population of deer and turkey.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visits the 1.5-mile track situated in Sparta, Ky., this weekend. And while Bowyer won’t have time to hunt deer or turkey, he and the No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota crew will be hunting something else- victory lane.

With the Michael Waltrip Racing team currently occupying 15th place in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, the team would like nothing more than to lock in to the Chase field. A win would certainly help the team reach that goal.

And if last year is any indication, Bowyer has a shot. He finished third in the event. And with just 10 races remaining before the Chase field is decided, the hunt is on for Bowyer and crew.

What does this team need to do in the weeks before the Chase?

“First things first you need to find that consistency back and I think we’ve done that over this last month here. I’m telling you, some of these guys, maybe us included are going to race in. Somebody is going to race in. I think two maybe three cars are going to race in before the cutoff.  However, it’s time for us to win. We need a win desperately and everybody knows that. Obviously, nobody knows that better than us.”

How do you setup for a bumpy track like Kentucky?

“The first thing you do as a driver to go around Kentucky is put a mouth piece in because you don’t want to chip a tooth while you’re going around there. It’s kind of neat because it’s an obstacle and it’s something you have to overcome and get your car to ride those bumps good and keep those tires on the ground. So much of what we do anymore is focused on aero and a lot of that means you really have to have a pretty stiff setup underneath of it and those tires don’t like that. They bounce up and down on that rough stuff so you have to go back to some mechanical grip and get some suspension back underneath of it and get you some grip.”

CHASSIS

Chassis No. 800 serves as the primary chassis for Bowyer at Kentucky Speedway. He raced it to a fourth-place finish at Dover earlier this month. Chassis No. 804 serves as the back-up chassis and finished 12th at Darlington and 15th at Bristol.

KENTUCKY STATS

• One top-five and one top-10 finishes in 3 starts
• Completed 793 of 801 laps (99%)
• Average start 13.7 and average finish 18.0

WHEN CARS AND ROADS COMMUNICATE, EVERYBODY WINS

Patent Awarded to Toyota Engineer May Help Improve Congestion and Driver Safety

Hideki Hada

ANN ARBOR, MICH. June 21, 2014 – Hideki Hada has worked in the automotive industry since 1989. During that time, he has seen increased concern from the government and people when it comes to automotive safety. As these concerns have risen, Hideki’s have risen with them. That is why in 2004 he joined Toyota Technical Center (TTC) as a Senior Engineer for the creation of government –industry collaborative projects to develop new wireless technologies for advancing active safety systems. Ten years later, Hideki is the General Manager of the Integrated Vehicle Systems Department at TTC.

Safety still remains one of Hideki’s main concerns today. He and others recognize that many accidents occur in heavy traffic areas and traffic is something that almost all people face at some time during their daily commute. When Hideki looked to tackle the challenge of improving traffic flow, he knew that this could also improve safety. This is exactly what lead to the patent he received for Vehicle Speed Indication using Vehicle-Infrastructure.

The idea behind Vehicle Speed Indication using Vehicle-Infrastructure is to improve traffic flow by dynamically adjusting posted speed limits on highways. The way this is done is through vehicle to vehicle communication.

Hideki explains it this way, “Cars transmit their actual traveling speed to highway infrastructure via Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC). The highway infrastructure management system collects that data and calculates an optimal traveling speed of vehicles on that highway based on the traffic condition in the area.  This optimal traveling speed is sent to vehicles again using DSRC wireless communication.  By these vehicles following this suggested traveling speed, the flow on the highway is improved (smoother, no congestion).”

In other words, if there is congestion 5 miles ahead, by slightly slowing the vehicle speed, for example from 70mph to 67mph, we can delay the arrival time of those vehicles to the congested area. This will prevent worsening congestion and can potentially resolve it, while also improving safety for drivers.

When asked about what this could mean for future vehicles, Hideki said “It is an exciting time for us because both the industry and government are working together to realize this vehicle-to-infrastructure wireless communication technologies in the US (i.e. 5.9GHz DSRC). Toyota has been contributing a large scale field operational test of this 5.9GHz DSRC technology at our Ann Arbor, Mich., campus and proven the feasibility of this technology which can contribute to the improvement of vehicle safety and create the foundation for future connected-and-automated driving systems.”

Hideki of course acknowledged that this was not a one man project, “This patent signifies TTC’s capabilities to create innovative ideas for the future transportation systems and I am happy to be a member of this great team.”

 

 

 

BRIAN VICKERS No. 55 AARON’S DREAM MACHINE SONOMA PREVIEW

Brian Vickers

CORNELIUS, N.C. – June 17, 2014 – No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine driver Brian Vickers says NASCAR Sprint Cup racing on road courses is so exciting it’s time the sport’s leaders take it global. He believes Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway will be as good a race as any motorsports fan will watch on a road course in 2014.

Vickers has good reason to think he and Michael Waltrip Racing teammate Clint Bowyer will be part of Sunday’s excitement. MWR’s success— two consecutive victories and four top-five finishes in the last six races—plus Vickers’ experience gained racing sports cars around the world make the No. 55 team one of the race favorites.

BRIAN VICKERS: “Road racing is something I’m excited about. I think the time I spent overseas road racing really helped me a lot. I’m really looking forward to Sonoma — that is sort of one I have circled so to speak. There are certain tracks that you look forward to. I like to race there and the team has good cars there. Road racing is wild and interesting. Our road racing is the best in the world. There’s a lot of great road racing out there — Le Mans was going on last weekend and I had the opportunity to race there. That is an awesome event, but unquestionably I think our cars put on a better show on a road course. I would love to see our sport expand. Everybody talks about adding more road races and I’m all for it, but just don’t add another Watkins Glen. I love Watkins Glen, but let’s go somewhere else, let’s go international, let’s go to other continents — if we’re going to add road racing let’s go to new markets. I think NASCAR will put on the best road race that any road race track we’ve gone to has ever seen. I love those tracks around the world. I think the time I spent in sports cars made me like them even more.”

IF TEAMS SHOULD IGNORE POINTS IN 2014: “You look at history and that would tell us that there’s not going to be 16 winners coming into the Chase after 26 races, but history changes right? There’s always a first time for everything. Our goal as a team is to stay as high in the points as we can and get a win. We’d love for the Aaron’s Dream Machine to have multiple wins, but we’re focused on both. I don’t think we can just throw the points out the window. Even though everything that has been done to the points is to emphasize winning, the guy that would have won the championship last year never would have won a race. So, I don’t think you can throw the points out the window yet.”

 

 

JOEY LOGANO’S DOVER DOMINANCE COULD LAND HIM IN RECORD BOOKS

Joey Logano

May 30, 2014 – Much of a driver’s success is attributed to his team, but Joey Logano has been able to find Victory Lane the last four consecutive series races at Dover for two different organizations.

Logano began his winning spree at Dover the spring of 2012 while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. He swept both races that season then backed it up last season with Team Penske again sweeping both events. A fifth straight victory on Saturday would tie a record for consecutive wins at a track, currently held by NASCAR Hall of Famers Jack Ingram (South Boston) and Dale Earnhardt (Daytona), and Kyle Busch (Texas).

Supremacy is an understatement when referring to Logano at Dover. He leads the series in pre-race Driver Rating (124.9) and Average Running Position (5.4). In 10 starts he has posted four wins, six top fives, seven top 10s and three Coors Light poles at the one-mile track.

Logano could be the catalyst to close the points deficit between first and second in the owner standings.  Roger Penske’s No. 22 team is currently second in the owner standings, 42 points behind Joe Gibbs’ No. 54 team. But Logano will have work cut out for him; Kyle Busch is slated to drive the No. 54 this week. Busch swept both series races at Dover in 2010.