Vol. 1, Issue 1
a DenKel Media Publication
4 Bench Racer 5 NASCAR’s Western Swing 8 Is NASCAR’s Main Event Fixed?
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10 Hot Laps: News from Around the USA 14 Dina Parise 2015 IHRA Pro Modified World Champion 17 Garage Pass: A Look at Racers For Christ 20 12 Hours of Sebring 23 AMA Super Cross Returns Returns to Toronto 26 Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Trucks by Traxxas
BENCH RACER To make this a great publication, I need your help. Let me know what you want to see. Do you want more dirt track racing? How about off-road racing? Are bikes more your thing? Send your suggestions to DenKelMedia@usa.com
or Mid-America? Circuit of the Americas would be a fantastic alternative to one of the Texas races.
If the France family, drank some kind of crazy kool-aid and granted me total control of NASCAR, only Daytona I look forward to hearing from you. would have two points races. Daytona would kick off both halves of the season. The Daytona 500 would open the beginning of the season, and the Pepsi 400 would lead us into the second half. Charlotte would still have two races, Join Us - Are you a writer or photogra- but one would be a non-point race. The pher? Would you like to be published? Coke 600 in May would remain the Would you like to cover major events same but, I would drop the fall race and throughout America? move the non-point All Star race to the end of the regular season. Instead of Maybe we can help each other, please going from the regular season into the send me a note at Chase with no real fanfare, NASCAR DenKelMedia@usa.com could have a Speedweek in Charlotte, crown the regular season winner, and cap the week off with the All Star race.
Join Us Nice To Meet You My name is Dennis Keeley and it is my honor to bring you this publication.
Let me tell you a little about myself. I started Den-Kel Racing back in the early 80s. Along with my brother Tom and his son Matt, we took a single three wheeler and an old trailer to a National AMA Class Championship. Den-Kel Racing went on to develop several Reports are saying that the Indy 500 is nearly sold out. With 235,000 seats and young racers. an overall capacity of 400,000, selling After that, I went on to work with Dick out is an impressive feat. How does the Simon Racing (an Indy Car team), in Indy 500 sell out? I don’t want to take their efforts to field a car for Arie Luy- away from the history and magnitude of the event but, the fact that there is only endyk in the Indy 500. one Indy 500 a year has to play into it. In the mid 90’s, I started my first racing publication, Western Racing Scene and Recently some NASCAR races have then moved on to team promotions for seen less than full houses lately. Sure, RPM Racing and Genzman Racing in tracks put in a lot more seats during the boom a few years back. Now the “new” the Camping World Truck Series. fans have moved on to extreme lawnI have spent the past years working in mower racing, unisex kick boxing or the corporate world, for a major soft- whatever passing fancy that is in style ware company, as well as a top insur- now and tracks have more seats than butts to fill them. Perhaps if NASCAR ance provider. only visited tracks once a year, fans Now, I am back in the racing world to would fill the stands at their favorite bring you a family of racing publica- venues. I’m not saying NASCAR tions that will show you some of the should shorten the season. They should just visit more tracks. How about Iowa, excitement and drama racing offers.
Filling the Stands
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I would fill the empty dates created by dropping the duplicate venues with road courses and maybe a couple of dirt tracks. Just imagine dirt track regulars, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson banging doors at the Syracuse Mile. Would this put more people in the stands? We’ll never know but, it sure would make me a happy boy.
Western Swing VEGAS - PHOENIX - AUTO CLUB Text and Photos from NASCAR.com
Keselowski overcomes penalty to win at Las Vegas LAS VEGAS, NV – Overcoming a pit road speeding penalty with a daring late-race strategy, Brad Keselowski broke a 33-race drought with a victory in the Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Keselowski passed Las Vegas native Kyle Busch with five laps left to win for the first time since the fifth race of 2015 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion beat Team Penske teammate Joey Logano to the finish line by .675 seconds, as Busch lost ground over the closing laps. Rain delayed the start of the race, and high winds and a late race dust storm made visibility a challenge, but the bizarre conditions left Keselowski undeterred. Nor did a pit road speeding penalty under caution on Lap 180 prove catastrophic, thanks to a series of astute pit calls by crew chief Paul Wolfe.
Relative to the field, Keselowski picked up speed toward the end of a run with a car that was eminently maneuverable. Busch’s car took off early but couldn’t maintain its pace late in a fuel run. Six-time series champion Jimmie Johnson beat Busch to the finish line by .018 seconds to secure third place. Austin Dillon ran fifth, and rookie Ryan Blaney came home sixth, posting a career-best finish on an open-motor race track. The victory was Keselowski’s second at LVMS and the 18th of his career.
Harvick holds off Edwards at Phoenix, by a matter of inches AVONDALE, AZ – In recent years, Kevin Harvick has exercised his dominance at Phoenix International Raceway by crushing the competition. In the Good Sam 500 at the onemile track in the sonoran desert, he maintained his mastery by a
matter of inches, banging fenders with Carl Edwards in a side-by side overtime battle on the way to the finish line. After the drivers traded shots on the way to the stripe, Harvick pulled ahead to win the fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season by .010 seconds (roughly four inches), the identical margin by which Denny Hamlin had beaten Martin Truex Jr. in the season-opening Daytona 500. In the closest finish ever at PIR, Harvick won for the eighth time at the track and the fifth time in six starts since joining Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick collected his 32nd career victory, nine of which have come since 2013.
Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Austin Dillon stayed out on old tires during the caution, but Edwards led a parade to pit road for fresh rubber, and by the time the front of the field cleared turn 2 on the restart lap, Edwards had moved into second place. As the cars sped through the final two corners on the last lap, Edwards nudged Harvick’s No. 4 Chevrolet and dived to the inside. Twice their cars collided in the final quarter-mile, with Harvick winning the drag race to the finish.
JOHNSON SWOOPS IN TO SCORE OVERTIME VICTORY AT FONTANA FONTANA, CA - Jimmie Johnson won the battle between hometown heroes on Sunday, out driving Kevin Harvick in overtime at Auto Club Speedway. The six-time series champion from El Cajon, California, got the chance he needed when Kyle Busch blew a tire and hit the turn 3 wall on Lap 198 of a scheduled 200 laps, to cause the sixth and final caution of the afternoon. With the race destined for overtime, the lead-lap cars came to pit road for new tires, with Denny Hamlin leading Harvick and Johnson back onto the track.
The 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion seemed poised for a decisive win before Kasey Kahne blew a tire and smacked the outside wall on Lap 305 of a scheduled 312 laps. That brought out the fifth and final caution of the race and forced a restart on Lap 312, sending the event one circuit beyond its posted distance..
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Hamlin chose the outside lane for a restart on Lap 204, leaving Johnson behind Harvick in the inside lane. Johnson pushed Harvick clear of Hamlin into turn 1 and dived to the inside of the race's dominant driver, who had led 142 laps to that point. Johnson stayed in the gas off turn 2, ultimately clearing Harvick and pulling away to win by .772 seconds. The victory was Johnson's second of the 2016 season and his sixth in 22 starts at the 2-mile track. Driving the No. 48 Hendrick
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Motorsports Chevrolet adorned with a "Superman" logo to plug the movie "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," Johnson led 25 laps, but his rival from Bakersfield had dominated the event until the final restart. Harvick described the late-race caution as a "worstcase scenario." Hamlin ran third, overcoming radio problems that left him mired in traffic early in the race. Joey Logano ran fourth, followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who notched his first top five since last year's spring race at Bristol. Rookie Chase Elliott, Carl Edwards, AJ Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski and Jamie McMurray completed the top 10. Pole sitter Austin Dillon finished 24th, after a loose wheel forced him to return to pit road after a stop under caution on lap 110.
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HOT LAPS Daytona 500 Pole Winners: NASCAR’s amazing luck, or is the fix in? In 2013, headlines were all about Danica Patrick. She was going to be the first woman to have a real chance at winning in NASCAR’s elite series. Unfortunately her less than stellar results in the secondary series, (now the Xfinity Series) left serious doubts as to her ability. NASCAR
thought he (or anyone) was worthy. The grandson of team owner Richard Childress had better be able to do that #3 proud. Once again, the race gods shined and Austin leads the pack in NASCAR’s biggest race. Maybe now more people than ever would tune in to see the #3 run up front again.
2016’s, big pre-season story was rookie sensation Chase Elliott, (son of NASCAR legend Bill Elliott), was replacing the retired Jeff Gordon in the iconic #24. Could the rookie do this 4 time championship team proud? Even if you never saw a NASCAR race, you have probably guessed who won the 2016 Daytona 500 Pole. Chase Elliott was at the point and NASCAR had the feel good story that they had grown accustomed to.
needed something that would quiet Could Daytona’s magic continue? the naysayers. 2015 would be Jeff Gordon’s last Daytona 500. Would it be possible Amazingly, Danica puts her bright to keep the streak going? Could Jeff green #10 Chevy on the pole of the possibly win the pole? You bet he Daytona 500. Was this “the fix” or could, and did. Not to take away was it the fact that she had a top tier from Jeff’s Hall of Fame worthy car and team backing her? talent but three magical poles in a row is suspect. The following year Austin Dillon was bringing back the famous #3 to Surely, NASCAR would not try a competition and not everyone fourth year, would they?
I hate to be “that” guy but, I can’t help myself. It is just too easy at a restrictor plate race to control who wins the pole. NASCAR uses a restrictor plate to limit the speeds in interest of safe-
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them the ultimate opportunity to control who gets the pole. On race day, the air currents generated from the other cars traveling at 200 miles per hour all but eliminate any advantage a larger plate may have had. Adding crashes, bad pit stops, mechanical failures and other bad luck to the mix keeps the lucky plate holder from running away from the pack. Is NASCAR cheating? Ultimately, I don’t know. I do know that the last few years really look suspect to me.
ty. The plate is installed between the intake manifold and fuel injection unit, and reduces or restricts the amount of air that can enter the intake. This restriction of air cuts down on the power the engine will produce. If someone were to have a slightly larger plate, the gains would be enough to edge out the rest of the field for the pole position. Before cars hit the track, NASCAR “randomly” selects a restrictor plate and installs it on the race car. The teams are not allowed to even touch the plate. Afterwards, NASCAR will remove the plate and pack them away for the next super speedway event. Nobody inspects the plates outside of NASCAR’s own officials. The fact that NASCAR has complete control of the plates, gives
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HOT LAPS MENARDS TO SPONSOR PAGENAUD'S CAR AT 100TH INDIANAPOLIS 500 By Arni Sribhen | IndyCar.com
John Menard spent the better part of three decades at Indianapolis Motor Speedway competing against cars fielded by Roger Penske. John Menard spent the better part of three decades at Indianapolis Motor Speedway competing against cars fielded by Roger Penske. The two longtime friends and Indy car owners will join forces in 2016 with Menards serving as a sponsor of Team Penske, the Indianapolis 500’s most successful team. “I’ve always looked up to Roger and his methods,” Menard said during a press conference March 22 to announce Menards is returning to Indy car racing as a sponsor of the Team Penske No. 22 Chevrolet driven by Simon Pagenaud. “Penske perfect was always the goal. I always stressed that we had to do things perfect because I know guys who could do it that way.” Menards, an Eau Claire, WI based home improvement company with 297 stores in the Midwest, will be primary sponsor on Pagenaud’s entry for the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis and the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race presented by PennGrade
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Motor Oil in May, and the Road America Grand Prix this June. The company, which served as a Verizon IndyCar Series team sponsor for nearly three decades for drivers such as Tony Stewart, Greg Ray, Scott Brayton, Arie Luyendyk, Vitor Meira and Ed Carpenter, will also serve as an associate sponsor on the No. 22 car for the rest of the season. “Menards has a long and successful history in motorsports and we are excited to welcome them to Team Penske in 2016,” Penske said. “John Menard and the entire Menards company have been longtime supporters of Indy car racing and it is special to have them on board as we celebrate the 50th season of Team Penske and the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500.” Pagenaud first saw the unique dayglow yellow car in the paint booth at Team Penske’s Charlotte headquarters last week. He said the car popped then and will look even better on the track. “Having Menards come back after having done so much for Indy car racing in the past is incredible and to have them join with Team Penske is even bigger for the sport,” Pagenaud said. “I’m still yet to see the race suit, so I wonder what color it’s going to be. But I’m super excited to represent Menards.” A Menards-sponsored car captured the Verizon IndyCar Series championship in both 1996-97 with Stewart and in 1999 with Ray. Menard cars earned two Indy 500
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pole positions in the past – with Brayton in 1995 and 1996. The top finish by a Menards-sponsored car in the Indy 500 came with Meira who finished second in 2005. “We will be working hard to bring them their first Indy 500 victory with Simon this May and add to our team’s overall success at Indianapolis. If we don’t win, I told John he doesn’t have to pay,” Penske joked.
INDYCAR MOBILE APP FROM VERIZON IS NOW AVAILABLE INTERNATIONALLY By IndyCar.com staff
The 2016 version of the smart phone application puts Verizon IndyCar Series fans in the driver’s seat with a wide array of features that take the fan experience to the next level. It is available for both Android and iOS devices and is now available globally. Previously available only via carriers in the United States, the INDYCAR Mobile App is now accessible in all countries except Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria.
“The Verizon IndyCar Series has a large global audience and, thanks to our partners at Verizon, those fans are now able to get even closer to the action with the INDYCAR Mobile App,” said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Company, the parent of INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “As we prepare for a legendary season, we’re eager for our fans around the globe to experience the benefits of following Verizon IndyCar Series action with the INDYCAR Mobile App.” Verizon customers in the United States are rewarded with the full range of features including live video streams of race weekend sessions (except the race broadcast), in-car video streams from 360-degree cameras, an interactive threedimensional “Live View” with real-time leader boards and car telemetry, two-dimensional “marching ants” with a leader board and car telemetry, radio chatter between drivers and their pit crews, streaming audio from the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network and other content exclusive to the INDYCAR Mobile App. Non-Verizon customers in the U.S. and international customers have access to exclusive video on demand, a timing and scoring leader board, social media feeds and other exclusive content. To download the INDYCAR Mobile App, go to the applications store on a smart phone device or visit
http://www.verizonwireless.com/m obile-living/inside/IndyCar/.
SUSSEX WINS AT CANYON, TAKES SOUTHWEST POINT LEAD
Ogle, 6. Nick Auto, 7. Charles Davis Jr., 8. Bruce St. James, 9. Mike Martin, 10. Chris Bonneau, 11. Andy Reinbold, 12. Tye Mihocko, 13. Dennis Gile, 14. Brian Hosford, 15. Michael Curtis, 16. Matt Lundy, 17. Tanner Grau, 18. Dustin Burkhart, 19. Kyle Shipley, 20. Landon Cling.
USAC.com
NEW SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Sussex-159, 2Johnson-134, 3-Davis-121, 4-Aiuto-104, 5-Pelkey-102, 6-Rossi-95, 7-Martin-86, 8-Bryan Clauson-79, 9-Mihocko-74, 10-Gile-74.
Peoria, AZ - Stevie Sussex of Tempe, AZ, wheeled the Mike Burkhart Stratis Construction/ Westin Diversified RSS/Chevy to victory in Saturday night’s 30-lap “Easter Eggstravaganza” USAC Southwest Sprint Car race at Canyon Speedway Park. The victory left Sussex as the series point leader as he led the final 15 laps after passing Charles Davis Jr. on lap 16. Josh Pelkey raced to second place ahead of R.J. Johnson, Matt Rossi and Tom Ogle. Bruce St. James led the first two laps before yielding to Davis. USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: March 26, 2016 – Peoria, Arizona – Canyon Speedway Park – “Easter Eggstravaganza” FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Stevie Sussex, 2. Josh Pelkey, 3. R.J. Johnson, 4. Matt Rossi, 5. Tom
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JOHNSON RETURNS TO VICTORY LANE AT PLACERVILLE SPEEDWAY WOOSPRINT.com Photo from http://jasonjohnsonracing.com/
PLACERVILLE, CA - After being involved in a crash during this event last year that sidelined him for part of the season, Jason Johnson returned to Placerville Speedway for the 2nd Annual Brad Sweet presents the Placerville Short Track Outlaw Showdown presented by Riebes Auto Parts on Wednesday night and captured his first World
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HOT LAPS of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory since Texas Motor Speedway in 2003. Daryn Pittman, who was also injured in the same event last year, finished second to Johnson, as both drivers overcame their troubles from a year ago for podium finishes. World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Placerville Speedway; Placerville, Calif.; March 23, 2016. A-Main - (40 Laps) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [4]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [1]; 3. 7C-Andy Forsberg [2]; 4. 5-David Gravel [5]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [6]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [11]; 7. 2-Shane Stewart [13]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz [20]; 9. 17WBryan Clauson [12]; 10. 75-Sean Becker [9]; 11. 88-Terry McCarl [14]; 12. 7-Paul McMahan [15]; 13. 29-Kerry Madsen [3]; 14. 22Shane Golobic [17]; 15. 29W-Willie Croft [21]; 16. 1S-Logan Schuchart [24]; 17. 88N-DJ Netto [23]; 18. 73-Brady Bacon [7]; 19. 24-Rico Abreu [8]; 20. 7S-Jason Sides [22]; 21. 83-Joey Saldana [19]; 22. 77-Kyle Hirst [10]; 23
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. O-Bud Kaeding [18]; 24. 3C-Jonathan Allard [16]. Lap Leaders: Andy Forsberg 1-13, Jason Johnson 14-40. KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz [+12]
HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLAT TRACK RACING RETURNS TO SUMMER X GAMES AUSTIN FOR SECOND YEAR
ish." During last year's Summer X Games, Kawasaki rider No. 42 Bryan Smith secured the inaugural flat track gold medal over top rival and reigning Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines champion No. 1 Jared Mees.
BRITTANY FORCE GETS FIRST WIN AT GATORNATIONALS NHRA.com
AMAPRORACING.com
DAYTONA BEACH, FL, (Mar. 25, 2016) - AMA Pro Flat Track stars return to the stage for another year at ESPN's Summer X Games in Austin, Texas for the Harley-Davidson Flat-Track Racing event at Circuit of The Americas on June 2 - 5. The X Games will be broadcast live on both ESPN and ABC. "The X Games is an outstanding festival for the world's leading young extreme athletes and we are proud to once again have the AMA Pro Flat Trackers showcase our uniquely American sport," said Michael Lock, CEO of AMA Pro Racing. "The action will be fast and furious and the redesigned track will deliver thrilling racing from start to fin-
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A first-time Top Fuel winner was guaranteed at the Gatornationals with Force, Terry McMillen, Clay Millican, and Dave Connolly all advancing in the second round. The Monster Energy driver left nothing on the table after running low e.t. of every eliminations round and leaving the starting line first on each occasion. “It feels good to finally bring home the win,” said Force. “Our car was on fire all weekend. It went down there and had great runs. This is a very proud moment for me and the John Force Racing team and the Monster Energy team. It took everyone to get us here.” It was a huge triumph for the entire
team. The John Force Racing organization is a juggernaut in the Funny Car class and had been on a huge learning curve to adapt to the dragster category since unveiling its first Top Fuel car in 2014.
Despite scoring a DNF, Adler still picked up fifth place in his #10 4 Wheel Parts/Odyssey Battery
CONSISTENCY REWARDED IN ROUND 2
LUCASOILOFFROAD.com
May 21 - 22 Campus
Utah Motorsports
JOSH WILLIAMS 2016 CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL TOUR ARCA.com
ROUND 1: WHO STRUCK FIRST IN 2016? LUCASOILOFFROAD.com
Chandler, AZ - Following Opening Ceremonies, it was time for Pro 4 Unlimited, and the front row featured Kyle LeDuc and Bryce Menzies. LeDuc led Menzies, Carl Renezeder, Eric Barron, and Greg Adler after the the dust settled, MacCachren took the lead on the final lap, and sped to victory in his #21 Rockstar Energy Drink/Makita Industrial Power Tools Ford. Renezeder was second in the #17 Lucas Oil Products/Lucas Oil Racing TV Ford, with Barron third in the #32 Mickey Thompson/Icon Vehicle Dynamics Toyota, and Mittag fourth in the #81 Jhonlin Racing Team/Maxxis Tires Ford.
Chandler, Arizona - Greg Adler and Bryce Menzies started from the front row in the Pro 4 Unlimited. Menzies and Kyle LeDuc made big contact with each other in the second corner and ended their races very early. After a few full course yellows and some great action throughout the field, it was Renezeder in the #17 Lucas Oil/KMC Wheels Ford in the lead, and when the checkered flag waved, it was Renezeder who improved one spot from his second place the day before to take the win here this afternoon. Yesterday’s winner MacCachren dropped one spot to second today, with Adler taking third, Barron fourth, and Curt LeDuc fifth.
UPCOMING EVENTS Apr 23 - 24 Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park
Concord, NC - ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards veteran driver Josh Williams made a pit stop in New Haven, Connecticut this week to visit with the Children at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. Williams has officially created the Josh Williams Hospital Tour, which is scheduled to visit many hospitals throughout the country in 2016. Not only does Williams interact with the children and their families to help brighten their days, mixing in some Musselman’s Apple Sauce for fun, they also get really creative with some real hands-on painting fun. Each child makes hand prints that are then integrated into a custom wrap which shows up on Williams' No. 6 cars during the season.
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Dina Parise: Former Ice Capades performer exchanges her skates for a pair of driving shoes. Judging by her success, they are very heavy driving shoes. Dina Parise grew up with a dream of skating for the Ice Capades. Much in spirit with Dina’s drive and determination, she made her dream come true and toured with the premier ice skating performance troop for four years. She returned to New York and got to married her husband Andrew. Also, Dina wouldn’t forgive me, if I didn’t mention that she is the proud “mom” of her pug named Bella. Dina credits her Ice Capades experience, at least in part, for her success in the IHRA Pro Modified Division. She says that Drag Racing and skating are very similar. Touring with an ice show consists of traveling each week, from venue to venue, like going from track to track in the IHRA. The surface of the ice changes but the performer has the same skates and must adapt to the surface conditions, much like how the track surface changes. The
2015 Pro Modified World Champion
“In life you get one ticket and I’m using mine until it expires!”
Killer Instincts Photos fans line up for autographs and the children look up to the performers as role models, much as they do the drivers. Her experience on the ice skating tour prepared Dina for the similar lifestyle on the racing circuit, allowing her to focus on the job at hand. “Follow your dreams. If you feel the need to try it, then try it! Life is not a dress rehearsal.” stated Parise, “As I always say… In life, you get one ticket and I’m using mine until it expires!” _______________________
Visit Dina at; @Dpariseracing dinapariseracing.com facebook.com/DPariseRacing
charged 1953 Corvette that still holds an NHRA National Record in Comp Eliminator. Andrew has worked with some of the sports top professionals like Dave Tomasino, Scotty Cannon and Carl Spiering to name a few.
Andrew ‘Bam Bam’ Parise Andrew is the team’s gear head (Crew Chief). Andrew began racing in Super Comp with several cars. Parise Racing began with a blown 1967 Chevy Camaro, packing a 540 cubic inch, 1100 hp engine. This car was well known on the Bracket Racing circuit. But, Andrew’s passion for wild and crazy led him to build a 3000 HP Super-
In 2014, the DPR team scaled down to a single car effort. The Cadillac, that Dina runs now. Andrew has put his own driving on hold to be the DPR Crew Chief, which has paid with World Championship dividends. Andrew is right at home tearing down the car between rounds and putting a winning tune on Dina’s chariot. Husband and wife teams don’t always work out, but Andrew and Dina seem to have found the right mix. This successful, Parise team is as smooth as ice.
GARAGE PASS A Look at Racers For Christ Racers For Christ® was established in 1971 in Southern California. The mission was simple – to take Christ to the race track. Racers For Christ® was approved as a 501(c)3 non-profit in 1974 and incorporated in 1978. The size of the organization has grown – from the original five men who began Racers For Christ® to hundreds of volunteer chaplains today – but our mission has remained the same, “to serve the people in the world of motorsports in the name of Jesus Christ through providing fellowship, pastoral care, evangelism, and service.”
Story and Photos by Eddie Baugher
emblazoned upon a banner, it is what we are about. The inspiration we share is found in the pages of the Bible. It encompasses the Good News of Jesus Christ and the hope He gives to everyone. Team RFC® reaches across the entire spectrum of the motorsports world as we minister to those we encounter at the events we serve.
“Bringing Inspiration To The World of Motorsports”
Team RFC® is a non-denominational Christian organization. Our motto, “Bringing Inspiration To The World of Motorsports,” is more than just words
For some we are their church away from home. Because of the long race season and the miles traveled, they are away from their home church for weeks at a time. They know we are there for them when they travel. It is during that time we serve as their pastor. For others Team RFC® is their church. For them we have been able to speak the Word of Truth into their lives; they acknowledge Team RFC® as the fellowship of believers with whom they belong. During the year we will be present at over 2,000 events, host hundreds of chapel services with over 20,000 in attendance. We also perform weddings, make hospital calls, as well as officiate funerals and memorial services. This doesn’t happen on its own, it takes plenty of prayer and support from our valued friends that believe in what Team RFC® accomplishes in and through the world of motorsports.
Team RFC Chaplain Lee Taylor prays with a Jr Drag Racer at Crossroads Dragway in Terre Haute IN
Team RFC® is a team comprised of a few paid employees and over 300 volunteer staff. We have been called to serve those in the world of motorsports. We are always on the lookout for new
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volunteer chaplains. Team RFC® is a great place to serve and enjoy the blessings of God at the racetrack, among the roar of a high horsepower engine or in the beauty of a restored classic car – God and Team RFC® have a place for you! Team RFC® is not underwritten by any organization or church. We are fully funded by the generous gifts of our partners in the ministry – like you. We gratefully accept donations and gifts of any amount. If you would like more information about Team RFC® – becoming a partner in the ministry – or to sign up for our mailing list, please call our office at (480) 507-5323 or email us at TeamRFC@TeamRFC.org. We look forward to hearing from you.
Team RFC® Chaplain Kelly Springerley serving these young drivers at South Mountain Raceway
Team RFC® Chaplain Craig Garland (NHRA National Event Series Director) bringing the message at an NHRA chapel service hosted at the DSR hospitality tent.
Team RFC速 Chaplain Steve Hanson (Dirt Sports Director) praying with off road racer Carl Renezeder at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, at for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.
The radical DELTA WING at speed during the 12 Hours of Sebring
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Picking up Corvette Racing’s sister car’s accomplishment from 2015, Tommy Milner, Oliver Gavin and Marcel Fassler won Saturday’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, backing up their IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opening victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Milner passed the BMW M6 GTLM of Lucas Luhr for the class lead at the nine-hour, 38-minute mark. From that point, the Corvette led all but one of the remaining laps, briefly relinquishing the lead on a pit stop. The battle saw Porsche, Ferrari and Ford also take turns in the lead in this highly competitive class.
TEQUILA PATRÓN ESM HONDA PROTOTYPE WINS SECOND STRAIGHT Backs Up Daytona Victory At 64th Twelve Hours of Sebring Coming off of a stirring victory in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, the No. 2 Tequila Patrón ESM Honda Ligier JS P2 returned to Victory Lane with a second consecutive triumph in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Pipo Derani captured the checkered flag in a final sprint in Saturday’s 64th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida. With five minutes and 45 seconds to go, Derani passed Dane Cameron in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering/Team Fox Corvette DP from Action Express Racing to take the lead and the eventual victory, sweeping Daytona and Sebring in back-to-back rounds of the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup.
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“What a tough race this was,” said Derani. “We had some contact, some spins, and moving our way back to the front was just unbelievable. In the end, I knew we had a great car, and new tires. But with only 10 to 15 minutes to go and still be in fourth was difficult to believe that we were going to make it. God had an eye on me and everything I executed was perfect. I can’t believe it all. It happened like that. I was so focused to bring the car home. The adrenaline was so high I couldn’t think about anything else.” Cameron took second place in the No. 31 Corvette DP along with co-drivers Eric Curran and Scott Pruett. After leading the first two Patrón Endurance Cup segments, the sister Action Express No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette finished third, driven by Christian Fittipaldi, Joao Barbosa and Filipe Albuquerque. Fittipaldi led at the four-hour mark, picking up the five-point bonus for the first Patrón Endurance Cup segment. Barbosa had control at the eight-hour mark, bringing home another five points the No. 5 team earning the maximum 10-point bonus for leading both segments.
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The return to Toronto was met with a great crowd turnout and a very energetic vibe. After a year off for maintenance and changes to the stadium surface, The Rogers Centre didn't miss a step as the track came around nicely with some looser than-normal dirt and a whoop section that was so big and gnarly that it needed to be knocked down a bit for the night show. Never have we seen so many top-tier riders skipping the whoops lap after lap in qualifying just because the chances for disaster were too high for their liking.
Here is your 450SX main event podium, just as they were leaving the starting line: Ken Roczen, Ryan Dungey and Marvin Musquin went 1,3,2 by the end of the 20 lap main, with Roczen making a real statement by moving by all of the others and pulling away. Musquin took advantage of a last minute error by points leader Dungey to sneak into second on the closing lap. With his third win of the season, Roczen has now established himself solidly second in points, but he's still 34 down on Dungey. While not an insurmountable lead, one mechanical DNF for Dungey and we're suddenly looking at a title fight.
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But it sure must seem like a mount of points to Roczen. A past outdoor champ and FIM World champ, the #94 knows just what it takes to hunt down the points leader, but that'll take a bit of cooperation by defending champion Ryan Dungey. In what may have been his only significant mistake of the entire season, Dungey's small wash-out in a corner on the final lap was the only thing that put him as far down as he ended up: third. When a rider's worst day is third, the rest of the field knows they have their work cut out for them. Then there's Eli Tomac, who had the weight of the world on his (recently rebuilt) shoulders coming into this season. After a few races last year that had him absolutely destroying this very same field of competitors, everyone expected Tomac to come out with both guns blazing. What's happened so far has been somewhat less impressive than that. But if we look at the scoreboard, Eli is sitting a solid fourth in points, just five out of third place. That's not so bad now is it? Well, it's not so bad unless your name is Eli Tomac. One of these weekends he's going to turn it all around. Starting to sound like a broken record?
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ABOUT SPEED ENERGY STADIUM SUPER TRUCKS PRESENTED BY TRAXXAS Influenced by the former Mickey Thompson Stadium Off-Road Racing Series, where drivers such as Robby Gordon, Casey Mears and six-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson got their start, Gordon created SST in response to the public’s overwhelming interest in trucks and off-road racing. His plan to re-launch the former stadium series has led to exciting racing on both asphalt and dirt, while producing one of the most extreme forms of action sports today. Other, than the trucks launching 20 feet in the air and covering distances of more than 150 feet, what sets the SST program apart from other series, is the fact that all the SST trucks are identically prepared and delivered to the drivers in race-ready condition. Race winners are decided by driver skill rather than individual team engineering and budgets. Drivers and their personal mechanics are assigned specific SST mechanics who together tune and make minor adjustments to the 600-horsepower trucks.
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Back to the US After racing the first three rounds of the SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks in Adelaide, Australia, the action came to St. Petersburg, FL for races 4 and 5, on March 12 & 13, 2016. In the first round of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg held on Saturday, 2015 SST Champion Sheldon Creed easily claimed his third victory of the 2016 season, in his #1 TRAXXAS truck. The real race was for second, between Matt Brabham and Tyler McQuarrie, whose side-by-side racing for multiple laps brought the crowd to their feet. The second and final round was held on Sunday. Keegan Kincaid in the#47 TRAXXAS truck was able to hold off Creed and McQuarrie for the victory, in a race that was even more exciting than Saturday’s. Both races on the 14-turn, 1.8 mile temporary street circuit, thrilled the capacity crowd.
Round 4 Results: 1. Sheldon Creed; No. 1; Alpine, CA; TRAXXAS 2. Matt Brabham; No. 83; Gold Coast, Queensland, Aus.; United Fiber & Data/ LIVE/ Think Loud Development 3. Tyler McQuarrie; No. 83; Walnut Creek, CA; SafeCraft Safety Equipment/ GoPro/ Golden Gate Petroleum 4. Keegan Kincaid; No. 47; Crandon, WI.; TRAXXAS 5. Robby Gordon; No. 7; Orange, CA; Arctic Cat/ SPEED Energy/ Toyo Tires / TRAXXAS 6. Paul Morris; No. 67; Norwell, Queensland, Aus.; United Fiber & Data/ LIVE/ Think Loud Development 7. Augie Lerch; No. 30; Tucson, AZ.; Royal Purple Synthetic Oil 8. Dustin Scott; No. 20; Inver Grove Heights, MN.; Cobra Transportation Services/ Kraft Fitness/ KBC Graphix 9. Bill Hynes; No. 57; Nazareth, PA; United Fiber & Data/ LIVE/ Think Loud Development 10. Pat O’Keefe; Pleasant Hill , CA; SafeCraft Safety Equipment/ GoPro/ Golden Gate Petroleum
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Round 5 Results: 1. Keegan Kincaid; No. 47; Crandon, WI.; TRAXXAS 2. Sheldon Creed; No. 1; Alpine, CA; TRAXXAS 3. Tyler McQuarrie; No. 83; Walnut Creek, CA; SafeCraft Safety Equipment/ GoPro/ Golden Gate Petroleum 4. Paul Morris; No. 67; Norwell, Queensland, Aus.; United Fiber & Data/ LIVE/ Think Loud Development 5. Matt Brabham; No. 83; Gold Coast, Queensland, Aus.; United Fiber & Data/ LIVE/ Think Loud Development 6. Dustin Scott; No. 20; Inver Grove Heights, MN.; Cobra Transportation Services/ Kraft Fitness/ KBC Graphix 7. Bill Hynes; No. 57; Nazareth, PA; United Fiber & Data/ LIVE/ Think Loud Development 8. Pat O’Keefe; Pleasant Hill , CA; SafeCraft Safety Equipment/ GoPro/ Golden Gate Petroleum 9. Robby Gordon; No. 7; Orange, CA; Arctic Cat/ SPEED Energy/ Toyo Tires / TRAXXAS 10. Augie Lerch; No. 30; Tucson, AZ.; Royal Purple Synthetic Oil