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T E X A S M O T O R S P E E D WAY
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SPEEDREADS May 24, 2016
Razyor takes home speeding to read title
School wins for second consecutive year PAGE 2
rahal hopes to repeat history
IndyCar driver looking to move up through field again PAGE 4
rookie off to strong start Bell not wasting time in rookie season PAGE 5
Graham Rahal (left) and Christopher Bell present a trophy at the Speeding To Read Championshp Assembly at TMS Te x a s M o t o r S p e e d w a y | M a y 2 4 , 2 0 1 6
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TOP NEWS FROM TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
E.P. RAYZOR IS PERFECT TO CAPTURE TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY’S SPEEDING TO READ TITLE FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR • Drivers Graham Rahal of INDYCAR And Christopher Bell of NASCAR Serve As Special Guests At Championship Assembly For 11 Area Elementary Schools • Eleven Schools, Nearly 6,500 Students Combine To Read More Than 1 Million Books In The School Year • Rayzor Also Wins NASCAR Acceleration STEM Book Reading Competition Verizon IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie Christopher Bell are still pursuing a series crown in their respective series, but the duo had an opportunity to take part in a raucous championship celebration Tuesday at Texas Motor Speedway. Rahal and Bell served as special guests for Texas Motor Speedway’s Speeding To Read Championship Assembly held in the frontstretch grandstands that was the culmination of the year-long reading competition among nearly 6,500 students from 11 Dallas/Fort Worth-area elementary schools. Rahal and Bell took part in crowning all the champions, including Denton ISD’s E.P. Rayzor of Lantana for capturing the overall school title for the second year in a row. Following a simulated seven-lap, NASCAR stock-car race by the Team Texas Driving Experience on the speedway’s 1.5-mile oval, the drivers arrived in grand style with Rahal wheeling a motorized bathtub and Bell driving a military-style motorcycle with sidecar down the frontstretch. “When they had the race going on, you could hear the kids over the cars, which was cool,” Rahal said. “For them to read over one million books is pretty impressive. Congrats to everyone here at TMS and to the principals and the teachers for getting the kids to read that much. You could really feel the energy and the passion the kids brought to the speedway today. It was a really cool event.” Rahal and Bell conducted a Q&A session, presented trophies to the winners, took part in a “Minute to Win It” game
NASCAR’s Christopher Bell (left) and INDYCAR’s Graham Rahal (right) celebrate the Speeding to Read title with Rayzor principal Mary Dunlevy (second from left) and librarian Melissa Leonard. with some students and even took some selfies with some of the schools, including champion Rayzor. “It was cool to see how in to it the kids were,” Bell said. “It was great to be a part of. Congrats to all of the kids for reading all of those books.” Rayzor claimed its second consecutive school championship in the year-round competition on the strength of the first perfect season in the five-year history of the speedway’s educational program. Rayzor had 100 percent of its student body meet or exceed the program’s preset reading goals through each of the four turns of the competition. “Our goal for participating in Speeding to
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Read is to help our students love reading and to create lifelong readers,” Rayzor Elementary Principal Mary Dunlevy said. “I feel we have met this goal and we are very excited that 100% of our students have met their goal at each turn. If a person loves to read, it can take them anywhere they want in life. “It’s been a great experience having everyone in the school working on a common goal and working together to achieve that goal. The students have had rich conversations about books that they are reading and the library is a busy place with students checking out books on a regular basis. This can be contributed to our participation in the Speeding to Read program.”
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Racing, aai Trophies & Awards, Domino’s, Woolley’s Frozen Custard, Kid’s Beach Club, Speedway Children’s Charities-TMS Chapter, The Speedway Club and SMI Properties. Rahal, who is competing in Sunday’s historic 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, and Bell will be returning to Texas Motor Speedway on June 9-11 for the Firestone 600 INDYCAR/NASCAR doubleheader.
Rayzor guided the 11 schools to another program record by combining to read 1,098,074 books during the nine-month competition that began in September. Rayzor was joined in this year’s program by Samuel Beck, Sendera Ranch and O.A. Peterson of the Northwest ISD; Old Settlers and Rockbrook of the Lewisville ISD; Northbrook of the Eagle Mountain/ Saginaw ISD; J.A. Hargrave of the Crowley ISD; Nathan Adams of the Dallas ISD; and Carroll Peak and Riverside Applied Learning Center of the Fort Worth ISD. Of the 11 schools, four had 94% or better of their student bodies reach the year-long reading goals. In addition to Backstretch Division and overall champion Rayzor at 100%, Frontstretch Division champion Samuel Beck was at 98%, Old Settlers at 94.7% and Sendera Ranch at 94.5%. Rayzor was paced by both individual reading champions, four of the six individual grade champions and the K-2 classroom champions. Karina Singh, the kindergarten champion, won the K-2 individual crown with 15,016 books read while Noah Temer, the fourth-grade champ, earned the 3-5 crown with 1,760 books read. The duo’s siblings were grade champions with Olivia Temer being named the first-grade champion with 12,310 books read and Jayden Singh the second-grade champ with 5,034 books read. Rounding out the grade champions were third-grader Jaylen Robinson of Hargrave (868 books read) and fifth-grader Michael Du (1,055 books read) of Old Settlers. Melanie Peterson’s kindergarten class at Rayzor was named the K-2 classroom champs with an average of 2,614 books read per student during the competition. Lori Lucas’ third-grade class at Hargrave
won the 3-5 crown by averaging 461 books read per student. All the individual and classroom champions earned trophies, prize packs and tickets to the Firestone 600 Verizon IndyCar Series race on Saturday, June 11, at Texas Motor Speedway. For winning the school title, the student body at Rayzor also earned tickets to the Firestone 600. Also, the champion principals, librarians and teachers were rewarded with a spa treatment or dinner for two at The Speedway Club. Domino’s is donating a pizza party to one of the school division champions while Woolley’s Frozen Custard will be donating a custard party for the other to celebrate their accomplishments. Rayzor also was dominant in the NASCAR Acceleration STEM-reading competition that was part of the Speeding To Read program for 2015-16. The school swept all five honors, capturing the school crown, K-2 individual champion with first-grader Richard Kim (1,311 STEM books read), 3-5 individual champion with fourth-grader Matthew Kwon (362 books), K-2 classroom champ with Aleisha Moore’s first-grade class (7,662 books read) and the 3-5 classroom champ with Teila Darthard’s fourth-grade class (921 books). All received NASCAR Acceleration championship trophies for their efforts compliments of NASCAR. Score A Goal in the Classroom donated nearly 1,200 books to Tuesday’s champions as well as the libraries of all 11 schools that participated in the program. Score A Goal in the Classroom is among the 11 Texas Motor Speedway Speeding To Read partners that consists of NASCAR, Verizon IndyCar Series, Lionel
Bell, a native of Norman, Okla., will drive the No. 4 JBL Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Rattlesnake 400 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Friday, June 10 (8 p.m. CT, TV: FOX Sports 1, Radio: SiriusXM Radio Ch. 90, MRN and 95.9 FM The Ranch locally). “This is as close to home as it gets on the NASCAR schedule so it is always great to come back to Texas,” said Bell, who finished eighth in his Texas Motor Speedway debut in the NCWTS this past November. “As a race car driver, all you can ask for is multiple grooves and you have that here at Texas and that is part of what it makes it so fun. It’s a fun place to race at it and it makes it sweeter to be a little closer to home.” Rahal will drive the No. 15 Mi-Jack/Steak ‘n Shake Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing when he returns for the Firestone 600 on Saturday, June 11 (7:45 p.m. CT, TV: NBC Sports Network, Radio: SiriusXM Radio Ch. 209, IMS Radio Network and 95.9 FM The Ranch locally). “I think (the Firestone 600) is going to be nuts,” said Rahal, whose best finish at Texas was second in 2012. “Typically this race is, but I think it is going to be a great show. I have been seeing some extremely close racing recently and I think you will see a great battle here. “From the time we tested here (three weeks ago), we have learned a lot about the car. I think you will see an awesome show when we come back here in June. It’s always fun here and they have a great crowd here. I hope a lot of people will watch the 500 this weekend and want to come out here to Texas and be a part of our series. I am looking forward to being back here in June.” For the full overall results or more information on the Speeding To Read program, please visit www.speedingtoread. com.
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Rahal Looking To Contend With A Repeat History Performance at Indianapolis 500 victory by Bobby Rahal, the father and co-owner of Graham’s No. 15 Steak ‘n Shake Honda. Bobby started fourth en route to his only Indianapolis 500 victory in 14 career starts.
Verizon IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal (front left) and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Christopher Bell take a selfie with the champions of Speeding to Read - Rayzor Elementary.
Verizon IndyCar Series championship contender Graham Rahal will start 26th for Sunday’s 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, not a position he relishes but one he is hoping history repeats itself. Rahal posted his best Indy 500 finish in 2011 when he finished third and ironically that came on the heels of his worst qualifying performance when he started 29th in the 33-car field. “I believe our team is a championship contender; we’ve proven that everywhere we’ve gone,” said Rahal, currently fifth in the series championship for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. “I definitely think that a lot of people are counting us out, then again I think if you look to the other drivers and asked them they probably know that we’ll battle hard on Sunday and make our way through the pack. I’m looking forward to seeing how this all plays out. Five hundred miles last year we started 17th and finished towards the front, so anything can happen.” This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Indy 500 Te x a s M o t o r S p e e d w a y | M a y 2 4 , 2 0 1 6
Graham would cherish the opportunity to put his likeness on the Borg-Warner Trophy next to his father’s to celebrate a race that has meant so
much to his family. “To get a victory for my dad is obviously huge,” Graham said. “To look back on all the things my dad accomplished over his career, I tell people all the time the only thing everyone introduces him as is the 1986 Indy 500 champion. I think that shows the importance of that race over any other.”
Verizon IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal (left) (along with Christopher Bell) drives a motorized bathtub into the Speeding to Read Championship Assembly.
SPEEDREADS
Camping World Truck Series Rookie Bell Off TO Strong Start NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie Christopher Bell is off to a strong start to the season for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Bell (No. 4 JBL Toyota), a native of Norman, Okla., will arrive at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, June 10, for the Rattlesnake 400 riding a streak of three consecutive top-10 finishes in the series. He started the run with a fourth at Kansas, followed by a third at Dover and eighth last week at Charlotte. He will be making his second career Texas Motor Speedway start after finishing eighth in November’s WinStar World Casino & Resort 350 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. He is looking forward to returning to his adopted home track in neighboring Texas for the NASCAR national series. “This is as close to home as it gets on the NASCAR schedule, so it is always great to come back to Texas,” Bell said. “As a race car driver, all you can ask for is multiple grooves and you have that here at Texas and that is part of what it makes it so fun. It’s a fun place to race at and it makes it sweeter to be a little closer to home.”
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TMS AND 95.9 the RANCH TO HOST INDY 500 WATCH PARTY AT BILLY BOB’S Join Texas Motor Speedway and its official broadcast partner, 95.9 The Ranch, at “The World’s Largest Honky Tonk,” Billy Bob’s Texas (2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth, TX 76164), for a FREE watching party for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Christopher Bell speaks during the Speeding To Read Championship Assembly at TMS.
track he has competed on in the series previously. “I haven’t been to a track that I raced at last year, so I’m looking forward to Texas,” Bell said. “After Daytona and the first two races of the year, we put ourselves in position in both of those races and ended up crashing out in both of them. After the last three weeks where we have been able to string together a couple of good runs, I’m looking forward to coming back to Texas, which is one of my favorite race tracks, and I’m looking for good things out here.”
Doors will open at 9 a.m. with the green flag dropping at 11 a.m. for this year’s historic Verizon IndyCar Series race. Throughout the day, there will be food and drink specials and great prizes including exclusive access to see the winner of the race at Texas Motor Speedway’s Indy 500 Champion’s Luncheon on Wednesday, June 1. The Watch Party continues after the race with a FREE Texas Red Dirt Radio Show with acoustic performances by Josh Weathers, Randy Brown and Deryl Dodd. Following that show, fans can get FREE general admission tickets to see that night’s LIVE concert at the venue by Neal McCoy.
Interestingly, it will make the first time in his young NCWTS career that he will get a second look at a Te x a s M o t o r S p e e d w a y | M a y 2 4 , 2 0 1 6
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SPLASH ’N GO
NOTES FROM TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Firestone 600 media credential deadline
The credential deadline for the Firestone 600 INDYCAR/NASCAR weekend is FRIDAY. Credentials can be requested through www.smicredentials.com. Those not yet registered for the website will first need to apply for access through the site. Once a registration confirmation e-mail is received, the credential request can then be submitted. Requests following the deadline will not be accepted.
Save the date(S)
Texas Motor Speedway will have a number of media opportunities with drivers over the next few weeks. Texas Motor Speedway’s annual event with the Indianapolis 500 winner is scheduled to take place Wednesday, June 1 (Site TBA). This year’s event will be a lunch-time affair featuring the winner of the 100th running of the Indy 500. More details to follow as the event draws closer. Juan Pablo Montoya will get the chance of a lifetime for his media day on Thursday, June 9, in the DFW Metroplex. The two-time Indy 500 champion will get inside the cockpit of Robosaurus, the world’s largest transformer that is a 40-foot high, 30ton, fire-breathing, transforming T-Rex and help work the controls of this monster. Robosaurus, with 20-foot flames shooting from its nose, tears apart and eats cars and planes for an afternoon snack with a jaw that crushes with a staggering 28,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. The event will serve as a preview of Robosaurus, which will serve as the headliner for the pre-race activities for the Firestone 600.
1,098,073
Amount of books read by 11 local elementary school students in this year’s competition of Texas Motor Speedway’s Speeding To Read educational program.
COLUMNIST MAC ENGLE to present pole award at STAR-TELGRAM QUALIFYING DAY Fort Worth Star-Telegram sports columnist Mac Engle (right) will be presenting the pole award in Victory Lane for Star-Telegram Qualifying Day on Friday, June 10. Star-Telegram Qualifying Day features both the Verizon IndyCar Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Verizon IndyCar Series qualifying for the Firestone 600 is from 3:15-4:15 p.m. CT, followed by qualifying for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ Rattlesnake 400 from 5-6 p.m.
TORC Returns To TMS This Weekend TORC: The Off-Road Championship brings the hard-hitting action of shortcourse truck racing to Dallas/Fort Worth for two rounds of exciting championship action Friday and Saturday at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. The series is set to open its 2016 season at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track with a doubleheader race weekend. The best drivers on dirt will battle under the lights, powering their 900-horsepower trucks through high-flying jumps and searing sweepers. The Texas opener will feature thrilling racing in three classes: the powerful allwheel drive PRO 4WD trucks, the 900-horsepower, rear-wheel drive PRO 2WD machines, and the fiercely competitive PRO Lights. All three classes will compete for points both Friday and Saturday. The pits will be open to all ages, giving race fans the opportunity to get up close to the PRO 4, PRO 2 and PRO Light machines and meet the best drivers in truck racing. A post-race track walk invites fans onto the dirt. Gates open both nights at 5 p.m. CT. Tickets for the Roundup in Texas start at just $17 for adults and $5 for kids. Entry to each race is offered at $10 for active and retired military personnel that present a valid military ID at the ticket window. Tickets are on sale now at www. torcseries.com/tickets
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I think it’s going to be a heck of a show and hopefully we can be right there in the end. - Graham Rahal on Sunday’s 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.
FINAL PIT STOP
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VIDEO SOUND BITES, SOCIAL MEDIA SNAPSHOT
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LIL’ HOSS TV
Verizon IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal discuss a variety of subjects during his visit to Texas Motor Speedway Tuesday. Click on photo to watch video
FROM THE TWITTERVERSE
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PUBLIC SCHEDULE
FIRESTONE 600 WEEKEND EVENTS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8 8:00a
VIP & Outside Campgrounds open
9a-5p
Texas Motor Speedway Credential Office Hours
ThursDAY, JUNE 9 8:00a
VICS Haulers Enter
9a-5p
Texas Motor Speedway Credentials Office Hours
9a-7p
VICS Garage Open
9:30a
NCWTS Haulers Enter
10:00a
South Tunnel Opens
11:00a
Reserved Infield Camping Opens
11a-7p
NCWTS Registration Open
11:30a-9p NCWTS Garage Open 2:30 pm
Gate 4 Opens
2:30p-3:25p NCWTS Practice 4:30p-5:25p NCWTS Practice 6:30p-7:55p NCWTS Final Practice
FRIDAY, June10 7a-7p VICS Registration Open 7a-10p VICS Garage Open 9a-7:30p Texas Motor Speedway Credentials Office Hours 10:45a Gate 4 Opens 11a-12:15p VICS Practice 12p-7:30p NCWTS Registration Open 12:00p NSCS Garage Open 3:00p Gates 3 & 5 Open 3:00p Gates 2 & 6 Open for Luxury Suites and Victory Lane Club Only 3:15p-4:15p VICS Qualifying 3:30p-4:15p NCWTS Autograph Session 5p-6p NCWTS Qualifying 5:15p-6p VICS Autograph Session 6:45p-7:15p VICS Practice 8p NCWTS Rattlesnake 400 (167 Laps, 250.5 Miles) 12 am Burnout Alley Closes
SATURDAY, June 11 12p-7:30p Texas Motor Speedway Credential Office Hours 12p VICS Garage Open 3:30p Gates 3 & 5 Open 3:30p Gates 2 & 6 Open for Luxury Suites and Victory Lane Club Only 6p Robosaurus Pre-Race Show 7:45p VICS Firestone 600 (248 Laps, 372 Miles) 30 min Portacool Post-Race Show featuring post race JB and the Moonshine Band
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ticket info www.texasmotorspeedway.com 817.215.8500 Facebook: Texas Motor Speedway Twitter: @txmotorspeedway Instagram: txmotorspeedway
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