Sloan Henderson Set to Make CRA Series Debut at Columbus Eighteen-year-old Sloan Henderson will attempt to make her first career start in the CRA Super Series on Saturday, August 28 in the CRA 125 at Columbus Motor Speedway. She will pilot the No. 4 GreenPro Landscaping/Rebel 105.9 Chevrolet in the seventh event held at Columbus for the CRA Super Series. ‘I’m really looking forward to racing with CRA at Columbus, ’said Sloan Henderson. ‘The series has some great drivers and I’m excited that my first start will take place at a track that I’m familiar with. It should help the learning curve and the cars are similar to what we race with the exception of a different tire,’ added Sloan.

Henderson attended the CRA Super Series event at Berlin Raceway earlier this year for an introduction to the series. Future plans with CRA remain tentative, but goals are to make four additional starts if this weekend’s event is a success. Henderson began her racing career in 2004 and has already established an impressive resume. She competed in Quarter Midgets scoring over 50 feature victories and establishing three track records during her first season of competition. As she moved through the ranks of racing she earned Rookie of the Year honors in Bandoleros in 2005 and Legends Cars in 2007. Henderson’s impressive 2006 season included the KOIL Championship in the Legends Cars, third in INEX Bandoleros National Points and 13 feature victories. In the Legends division, Henderson finished sixth in the INEX National Points in 2008. Season highlights included 13 feature victories and 33 top-five finishes.

The following season she was 2009 NASCAR Whelen Rookie of the Year for Ohio competing at Columbus and Kil-Kare speedways. This year, Henderson has been a regular fixture at Columbus and Kil-Kare in the Late Model division. In 22 starts, she has collected two feature wins, 16 top-five finishes and 18 top 10s. Her most recent victory is the Robbie Dean Memorial event, a 94-lap event at Columbus on August 6. Henderson will add a new chapter to her career with the first appearance in the CRA Super Series this weekend competing against some of the premier Late Model drivers in the country at her hometrack. The CRA Super Series returns to Columbus Motor Speedway on Saturday, August 28 in the CRA 125. Practice begins at 1 p.m. with the racing program starting at 4. Tickets are $18 for adults and $5 for kids. Following the racing action a free concert will feature the Blue Oyster Cult.

Older image of Patrick, before the media frenzy...

Danica-mania as it is being called in the media, the phenomenon that drives most fans crazy. Danica making the decision to drive in two series, full time in Indy and part time in the NASCAR Nationwide and ARCA series’ has grouped her into several categories. Her media attention has become tiresome to most, “Who cares if she’s running 30th!?” I’ve heard many times during a Nationwide Series race..

I came across this article and it really made me want the options of my readers. Like most I have tons of respect for Danica and by any standards it’s not her fault what the media has done with her image. Read the article below from DelawareOnline.com by Mike Finney. Leave us a comment and tell us what you think. We have to agree with him on some points, does Danica need to get used to the ways of NASCAR, bumping and banging is the way of Stock Cars.. Or should she stick with Indy? Let us know below!

Courtesy of DelawareOnline.com

For better or for worse, Danica-mania is heading to Dover International Speedway next month.

The track is taking full advantage of Danica Patrick’s upcoming Nationwide Series race at Dover on Sept. 25, prominently featuring her on billboards and hosting a free question-and-answer session with her prior to her first race at the speedway.

The biggest question is, “Why?”

Female drivers have competed at Dover before. Anyone remember Shawna Robinson or Erin Crocker? They weren’t featured on billboards.

However, the hype that surrounds Patrick is not because of her out-of-this-world driving skills. Rather, it is because of her cover-girl looks, which should offend all drivers, male or female.

That’s because Patrick’s accomplishments, or lack thereof, don’t stack up to many drivers, male or female.

Patrick has made six starts in the Nationwide Series. Her average starting position has been 29th and her average finish has been 30.5.

Sure, there should be a learning curve, but she drives one of the fastest race cars out there for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team, which is supported by Hendrick Motorsports.

Her results so far are embarrassing. Does anyone remember her whining after veteran driver Morgan Shepherd slightly bumped into her at New Hampshire, causing her to spin out?

“Is NASCAR going to let him get away with that?” she said. Please!

Of course, people could also say that she is concentrating more on her full-time IndyCar career. The problem is, she has only five top-10 finishes in 13 races in the Indy Car Series with an average finish of 12.6. She hasn’t exactly been knocking down the gate to Victory Lane there, either.

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Jennifer Jo Cobb didn’t fly in a private plane or on a first-class flight to get Darlington this weekend.

Instead, the Camping World Truck Series rookie drove from her home in Missouri with a stop in Nashville, Tenn., to save on travel costs. Those are the kinds of sacrifices Cobb is making in the first year of owning her own team.

Cobb, along with some help from investors, bought the trucks from the No. 10 Circle Bar Racing team and is running the full truck schedule for the first time in her career. Prior to this season, the 36-year-old had made only four starts in the series.

“I want to be an inspiration to people of what’s possible with so little. I think that can transfer to not just racing but other things in life,” said Cobb, the only female competing full time in any of NASCAR’s top three series.

While Cobb was able to buy the trucks, the technical support and engineering didn’t come along with it. Cobb says the team has only five full-time employees but has several volunteers who help out.

Still, Cobb said there are some weeks where she has to do little things like the accounting work and filling out the entry lists.

“All the things that need to be handled from a small-team perspective has been challenging,” Cobb said.

Cobb also doesn’t have a full-time sponsor for the car. Instead, she runs her clothing line, Driver Boutique and Drivenmale.com, on the truck each week.

Cobb came up with the idea for the clothing line, which caters to both female and male race fans, in 2006.

“It’s a fun side project and a nice distraction,” said Cobb, who also will run four Nationwide races this year. “I fill out the orders myself. We aren’t making a huge margin off it but I am so appreciative of the people who have bought stuff from us.”

Cobb also has faced her obstacles on the track. She admits she has been a little intimidated at some tracks like Dover but says she is starting to become more comfortable each week.

Cobb has four top-20 showings to her credit with a career-best 14th at Texas and Saturday at Darlington.

“We celebrate over top 20s and people think we are stupid. They have no idea what we are up against,” Cobb said.

Cobb has hopes of securing a sponsor for next year. If she doesn’t, she will likely have to shut down the operation.

“I get razzed up worrying about next season,” she said. “It would be a shame not to race next season. I can’t say how valuable it is and how much I’m learning. We can’t afford everything. We are young and don’t have experience but we have come a long way. That’s why I hope we can find a sponsor and do it again next year.”

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Scores Fifth-Place and Second-Place Finishes in Two 50-Lap Features

Hickory, N.C. (August 11, 2010)  On Saturday, August 7 Candace Muzny participated in two NASCAR Whelen All-American Series 50-lap Bojangles Late Model races at Hickory Motor Speedway. Muzny finished fifth in the first race of the night and came home with her season-best finish of second in the last race of the night in her No. 92 Arrow Wrecker Service/Manale Landscaping Chevrolet.

Muzny qualified eighth for the first feature, a 50-lap race to start the action on Saturday night at Hickory Motor Speedway. On lap three, Muzny moved up to seventh position and gained another spot on the next lap, moving into sixth. On lap 32, Muzny got past the No. 43 for fifth position. She spent the remainder of the caution-free race battling with the No. 51 for fourth position, but fell just short as the two crossed the finish line side-by-side and Muzny was scored fifth.

“In the first race, my car was pretty good,” Muzny said. “We were passing cars, but we knew that it could be better. We all regrouped in between the two races, and we made the right changes.

Muzny began the second 50-lap Bojangles Late Model feature in 10th position. By lap four, Muzny had worked her way to seventh and on lap 9, Muzny entered the top-five. On lap 20, the Oklahoma City, Okla., native continued to race in the fifth-position, as second- through sixth-place raced closely together. On lap 25, Muzny took over the fourth position from the No. 19 and on lap 36 she passed the No. 5 for third. Muzny continued to battle side-by-side with the No. 10 until she took over the second spot on lap 40. Racing continued to be close through the final 10 laps of the race, but Muzny held her position, bringing the No. 92 Arrow Wrecker Service/Manale Landscaping Chevrolet home in second-place and scoring her best finish of the season.

“I’ve got to thank my crew,” said Muzny. “Without them, I wouldn’t have a fun racecar to drive. I want to say congratulations to my crew chief, L.W. Miller, who couldn’t make it to the race here tonight because he was at Bowman Gray Stadium winning the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour race. I’ve also got to thank all the guys for racing me clean. I always have a good time racing at Hickory. Tonight was a lot of fun. Lastly, I need to thank my sponsors Arrow Wrecker Service and Manale Landscaping. Their support means a lot to me.”

Munzy currently sits fifth in the point standings at Hickory Motor Speedway, 100 points behind leader Andy Mercer and only 20 points out of fourth position. She will return to Hickory Motor Speedway this Saturday, August 14.
CNM Racing Public Relations
Contact: CNMRacing@gmail.com

Courtesy of MercedSunStar.com

By MIKE ADASKAVEG
Merced Speedway

Read more: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/08/06/1520859/porter-blazes-trail-for-local.html#ixzz0wCznsLvk

Ready to get back to 1.5-Mile Oval at Nashville Superspeedway

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 28, 2010) – Michelle Theriault didn’t choose an easy time to make her 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) debut. With her first race on the half-mile oval of O’Reilly Raceway Park and then traveling to another new, completely different track, the “Tricky Triangle” of Pocono Raceway, the rookie driver has had her work cut out for her so far. Theriault is ready to get to a familiar racetrack, and Nashville Superspeedway 1.5-mile oval is the perfect place.

“I like Nashville a lot,” said Theriault. “Since I started racing in the ARCA Series, the mile-and-half tracks were more my forte. They are what I became really comfortable and confident with. I have a lot of experience at the mile-and-a-half tracks. I feel really good going into Nashville versus the last two weeks where I haven’t had as much experience. It’s a good momentum booster for me going in knowing that I know the track and I’m comfortable. It’s just going to be a matter of getting the truck comfortable rather than also having to learn a new track.”

While Theriault is a NCWTS rookie, she is not a rookie at Nashville Superspeedway. She competed at the 1.5-mile oval in the ARCA Racing Series in 2007, when she started 14th and had a top-10 run going until an electrical problem ended her day with less than 20 laps remaining in the race. Theriault hopes to use that run, along with the momentum from three-straight weeks behind the wheel of her ProGold Lubricants Truck, in Saturday night’s Nashville 200.

“Each week, it is easier to get in the truck and, off the bat, start where we need to be,” explained Therault. “Being that I haven’t raced, and now I’m at three weeks in a row, I feel really positive about that. I feel like that’s the momentum we need to continue and to help me get better as a driver. I am glad that we are continuing to race on a weekly basis and hope to do so for a few more races this year.”

Theriault is set to hit the track at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday, August 7 for a full day of racing. The first practice for the stars of the NCWTS is set to begin at 10:00 a.m. CDT, with qualifying beginning at 4:05 p.m. CDT. The green flag for the Nashville 200 will drop at 8:00 p.m. CDT. Live Green flag coverage of the Nashville 200 begins at 8:00 p.m. CDT on SPEED.

Follow Michelle Theriault: Check out Michelle Theriault away from the race track and her No. 48 ProGold Chevrolet by becoming a fan of her on Facebook and by following her on Twitter.

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