Jesel truck makes Bonneville 200-mph Club
A tip of the Scorer’s Margarita glass goes out to a couple of drivers for their Salt Flats performance. Wayne Jesel made two runs with an average of 219.487 mph to set the D/BMP record and got into the Bonneville 200-MPH Club. He had an official top speed of 232.691 mph. That was with a 293 ci Dodge R5P7 NASCAR-style engine with twin turbochargers.
Jimmy Barton then drove it to a two-run average of 225.707 to set the E/BMP record with an official top speed of 228.847 mph. Dropping the engine size to 256 ci made the class change from D to E. (photo courtesy Wayne Jesel) [10/03/08]
Laperle wins Milk Bowl and ACT championship
Canadian racer Patrick Laperle won one prize and, with it, grabbed another at the Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl at Thunder Road International Speedbowl.
Laperle won the 45th running of the famous short track event and used the points from the victory to clinch the 2008 American Canadian Tour championship. A resident of St. Denis, Quebec, Laperle became the first Canadian to win the ACT title. He won the Serie ACT Castrol title, a series sanctioned by the ACT and run under the same rules, in 2007.
Goodyear is the exclusive tire provider for ACT racing. That includes both touring series and the late model stock divisions for weekly racing programs at tracks all over the region.
The Milk Bowl ranks among North America’s finest short track events each year. The 2008 rendition attracted 56 entries. There were 28 starters. The race is run in three 50-lap segments. Points are awarded after each segment and the field is inverted after each segment. The car finishing with the fewest points wins the overall scoring.
Laperle finished first, 11th and eighth in the three segments, scoring 20 points. He beat the second-place finisher, driven by Eric Williams, by just two points. Ryan Nolan finished third, followed by Dennis Demers and Chip Grenier.
Laperle’s Milk Bowl win was his third in the last four years.
Scott Payea finished sixth in the race and finished second in the championship chase, losing the title by only one point. [10/03/08]
Race shop map, guide to NASCAR country now online
Race fans can learn about NASCAR country’s race team shops, motorsports museums and racing experiences with a new online version of the Cabarrus County visitors guide. Like its printed counterpart, the online guide features a fold-out map of all North Carolina Sprint Cup team shops, complete with directions to the shops and descriptions of visitor amenities at each shop. Also featured are major stops along The Dale Trail, a self-guided tour of landmarks relating to Dale Earnhardt’s life and racing career.
Over 90 percent of all NASCAR team shops are located in North Carolina, and most are within a half-hour’s driving distance of legendary Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Cabarrus County. Because of its unparalleled concentration of motorsports attractions, the region is one of the fastest growing visitor destinations in the country – popular all year round with visitors who want to get an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes of the world’s fastest growing sport.
“Cabarrus County is to NASCAR as Nashville is to country music,” notes DeSales Wagster, president and CEO of Cabarrus County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
For more information or to receive a free printed copy of the Cabarrus County NC visitors guide and pull-out map to the race shops, phone 800-848-3740 or visit www.VisitCabarrus.com. [10/03/08]
Tickets available for Lowe’s 2009 events
With renewals completed, all remaining tickets for the May 24, 2009, Coca-Cola 600 and May 16 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway are now for sale.
Priced from $39 to $125, a wide selection of grandstand seating options are available for the 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600 including a number of premium front stretch seats. Tickets for the 25th running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race range in price from $30 to $85.
"We will begin a new era in the tradition-rich history of Lowe's Motor Speedway in 2009," said Marcus Smith, president and general manager ofLowe's Motor Speedway.
"The 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600 and the 25th running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will be the biggest back-to-back weekends in motorsports. We're planning a spectacle of entertainment that no race fawill want to miss."
Tickets can be purchased online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS. [10/03/08]
Stanbrough receives KISS Helmet
The 2008 King of Indiana Sprint Series Champion’s Helmet was presented to four-time series champion Jon Stanbrough at Lawrenceburg Speedway, Aug. 30. Lawrenceburg’s promoter Dave Rudisell represented the KISS series tracks as Doug Auld, publisher of Sprint Car & Midget Magazine, made the presentation.
“It is really special, especially for me this year,” Stanbrough acknowledged. “We’ve not had quite the stellar year that we’ve had the last couple years. To be able to win three of those races and win the championship, that’s obviously nice to do that this year. I thought last year’s helmet was really nice looking and this year’s is even nicer looking. It’s something that I can set up on my shelf and keep with me for the rest of my life and look back on it. It will be a great memory for me.”
The KISS Champion’s Helmet features a one-of-a-kind design by Eagle Graphix helmet artist Noah Ennis. (Tim Thomas photo) [10/03/08]