The Inside Track with Alex Kennedy

Photo Credit: Alex Kennedy

Alex Kennedy, a rising NASCAR star.  A name you’ll hear more and more in the future.  When Alex was five, he was racing BMX bicycles; he wanted to move up to Motocross, but his parents had other plans for him.  “Most of my friends that had moved up were already thrashed from crashing, so my parents wanted me in something with a roll cage.  From there I was immediately successful; ever since then we have kept moving up trying to find my ceiling, the point where my natural ability runs out and we have to work on making me a better driver. We haven't found it yet.”  Unlike many of the other drivers I’ve interviewed, Alex is a first generation driver, “Before me, the only racing my family had done was horse racing.  I guess I wanted more than just one horsepower!” 

Alex distinctly remembers his “Aha!” moment – the moment he knew that racing was for him.  “My first quarter midget race. We hauled out to Arizona for a race at a little track, but back then we had no idea what we were doing. We loaded the car in the back of our suburban with the rear seat and two-thirds of the middle seat pulled out along with a few small tools and one set of tires, the ones on the car, and headed out to try this racing thing. No trailer, spare parts – nothing. We showed up and everyone immediately gave us that ‘well here's a rolling road block for us to pass’ look. I went out and finished third in my heat and won the main. With that I knew I loved racing, and here we are today!” 

Photo Credit: Alex Kennedy

If you follow the Nationwide Series, you’ve probably heard Alex’s name before – at Road America, Watkins Glen, and most recently, Montreal.  As you can see from the tracks he’s raced at this year for R3 Motorsports, the 19-year-old from Aztec, New Mexico, races the road courses.  “Well when I got into Legends cars, we figured out that the car control and amount of experience gained in one weekend of road course racing was almost equal to an entire season of ovals. We did what we believed was the best bang for our buck. I love ovals, but I've been labeled a Road Course Specialist, and it bothers me at some points. I'm really good on both, just shows better on a road course. You can beat a car with more horsepower on a road course by being a better driver in the corners, that's harder to do on an oval.”  When Alex doesn’t race in the Nationwide Series, he occasionally races at a local asphalt modified track, but “all of our focus and funds have to be put towards the Nationwide Series.”

I asked if he had a favorite Nationwide driver to race against, and said he didn’t; “Since I’m only able to run a limited schedule, I don’t get to see these guys every weekend, but all of them have their own character on the track and it’s fun to see that.  All of these guys wouldn’t be here if they didn’t deserve to be, so you are able to trust them a little more and run hard and close to them, making it a fun race.”  He did tell me about the level of competition in the Nationwide Series, “The closeness of competition is insane.  Two tenths of a second is the difference between the top fifteen at a lot of tracks.” 

Photo Credit: Alex Kennedy

The last question I asked was one I always ask: Do you have a driver that you emulate your career after? “Well, I’m attempting to emulate Mark Martin.  He is a class act driver who keeps a level head no matter what, and everyone loves him.  He keeps cool on the track, but isn’t a push-over.  If you rub him wrong, he will do it back, but then that’s usually it.  He won’t go and destroy another race car just because someone rubbed him the wrong way on the track.”  It seems to me that many young, up-and-coming drivers emulate Mark Martin for these reasons.  He’s definitely a great role model and a perfect example of what goals and perseverance can do for your career!

I just wanted to say thank you to Alex for taking the time to answer these questions, and us here at The NASCAR Corner wish you the best of luck in your future racing endeavors!

To contact Alex, check out his Facebook fan page: click here and check out his website: click here. 

ARCA Press Release 8/30/11

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Southern Illinois 100 Takes ARCA Racing Series Back to Dirt

at DuQuoin State Fairgrounds

Credit to ARCA Media site

(TOLEDO, Ohio) - One race has been in existence longer than any other on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards tour, and though ARCA cars have only been a part of the event for half of that era, nearly three decades of history promise another good show on Monday afternoon.

The Southern Illinois 100 presented by Federated Auto Parts at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds has existed since 1950 and been run in consecutive years every year since 1954, meaning that Monday's event will be the 59th over a history that includes winners like Fred Lorenzen, Jack Bowsher, A.J. Foyt, and Rusty Wallace, not to mention recent ARCA stars like Frank Kimmel, Parker Kligerman, and 2010 winner Steve Arpin.

Practice for the 16th race of the 19-event 2011 ARCA Racing Series season will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell following at 11 a.m. and the 100-lap, 100-mile race going off at 1 p.m. The Southern Illinois 200 is the second of two dirt mile events on this season's schedule. All times are Central Daylight, and ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring coverage and live audio coverage of all on-track events.

ARCA began its affiliation with the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds and the Southern Illinois 100 in 1983, and the event has taken place on Labor Day for each of the past 10 years, dating back to 2001.

Kimmel, driver of the No. 44 Ansell/Menards Ford and a nine-time ARCA champion, is the all-time win leader at the dirt oval with five victories (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008). The Southern Illinois 100 will be his 60th start since his last win, which came at Salem Speedway in September 2008, only days after his most recent DuQuoin win.

In all, Kimmel has 13 dirt victories - including five at DuQuoin - and finished seventh on the similar Springfield, Ill. mile nine days ago. With a series-high 14 top-10 finishes in 15 races, Kimmel is undoubtedly a driver to watch at DuQuoin.

Only two drivers stand above Kimmel in driver points: Ty Dillon (No. 41 Hemelgarn/CIPT Chevrolet) leads Chris Buescher (No. 17 Reliance Tool/David Ragan Ford Ford) by exactly 400 points, and both have reason to believe a trip to Victory Lane could be in store following a rare Monday afternoon event.

Dillon finished a career-worst 13th at Springfield, but will carry a series-high seven wins and a wealth of dirt racing experience into the event. Buescher, meanwhile, finished eighth at Springfield but has five runner-up finishes this season, including one Friday at Madison International Speedway in Wisconsin. A two-time winner last season, Buescher is still looking for a breakthrough victory in 2011.

Chad McCumbee (No. 1 ModSpace Ford) certainly figures to be a contender, having just won at Springfield. Tom Hessert (No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet) will enter DuQuoin with second-place finishes in each of his last two dirt starts.

Will Kimmel (No. 68 Messina Wildlife Management/Menards Ford) is the nephew of Frank Kimmel, and he will aim to improve on a sixth-place finish at DuQuoin in 2010 and a fourth-place run at Springfield earlier this month.

Another dirt specialist entered is Kelly Kovski (No. 39 Central Illinois Security/Schluckebier Farms Chevrolet), who finished ninth last season at DuQuoin and sixth at Springfield this year. Kovski is typically the crew chief at Allgaier Motorsports for top-five contender Grant Enfinger (No. 36 Hoosier Tire Midwest/RaceTires.com Dodge), making his entry as a driver even more appealing.

Other notable entries include two-time World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion Josh Richards (No. 25 Joy Mining Machinery Chevrolet), who is often regarded as one of the world's finest dirt drivers, and Andrew Ranger (No. 53 Van Dyke Baler/Bollegraaf Ford), a road course ace who won at New Jersey Motorsports Park earlier this season.

Thirty-five cars are currently entered.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards features 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. The series tests the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, annually visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

My NASCAR-Filled Trip to North Carolina

Lake Norman

I know I said I was going to try “live blogging” from my weeklong trip to North Carolina, but it didn’t work out so well.  After the first day, the time I had to write at night quickly decreased, so I made the executive decision to write about everything – except for my visit to Richard Childress Racing, Childress Vineyard, Victory Junction Gang, and of course, the SPEED Studio – when I got home to make sure the quality of the article didn’t suffer from a lack of time to be properly written and edited.

As you may have seen, Saturday, upon arriving in North Carolina, I visited Richard Childress Racing, the Childress Vineyard, and Victory Junction Gang.  To see the complete article, click here. 

Sunday, I visited the NASCAR Hall of Fame for the first time.  To say I was impressed would be a complete understatement.  The facility was immaculate, the people were extremely friendly and willing to point you in the right direction, and the exhibits teach you a lot about the sport and its rich history.  My favorite part had to be seeing how our sport has evolved: in the cars themselves, the fans, journalism, and everything else you can think of.   It’s hard for me to pick a favorite exhibit from the Hall of Fame, but I’m going to say I was partial to iRacing, where I started fourth out of five cars and finished first against adults (let’s just say if I was a NASCAR driver, I would have a Kyle Busch attitude).  Heck, I don’t even have a driver’s license!  The hall with all of the Inductees was super cool too; you can learn more about them and their racing careers through their cars and their memorabilia.  Finally, my third favorite exhibit was “Glory Road,” which displays cars from NASCAR’s inception, all the way up to today’s cars. 

Monday was the highlight of my trip (besides Wednesday, but I’ll get to that later on).  As many of you have read, I was at the SPEED Studio for a tour and to watch Race Hub being filmed and visited Penske Racing and Kyle Busch Motorsports.  (To read the full article, click here click here)  But my day didn’t end there; from the SPEED Studio, we headed over to Charlotte Motor Speedway for a tour.  The tour guide asked us if we were in a rush, and of course we said no, so he took our tour over to zMax Dragway and to the Dirt Track.  Included in the tour was: a lap or two around the 1.5-mile track, see the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series garages, take a ride on the infield road courses and down pit road, and a trip to Victory Circle…all for $9 for adults (13 and older), $7 for seniors (55 and older), military personnel, and children 12 and under.  Still, my day wasn’t over.  From Charlotte Motor Speedway, we traveled a few miles up the road to Roush-Fenway Racing.  After spending a half hour or so reading and looking at the cars, it was time for us to leave, but not without one more surprise; we saw none other than the “Cat in the Hat” himself, Jack Roush,  getting into his truck!  This little surprise concluded our busy day.

All the fun from Monday had to be balanced by Tuesday, which was spent looking at colleges.  It’s safe to say I love High Point University.  I’m seriously counting down the days until I can apply to go there!

Wednesday morning I had an early wakeup call since it was a three hour trip to Bristol for the Whelen Modified and Camping World Truck Series races.  This was my first trip to Bristol Motor Speedway and I was not disappointed.  As soon as we sat down in the stands, I was in absolute awe.  Honestly, I assumed it was going to be like every other track that I’ve been to – but it wasn’t.  From the altitude of the track to being able to see everything, I was hooked!  After missing the first half of the Whelen race for an Austin Dillon Q&A session, we grabbed pizzas and headed back to the stands to watch the second half.  I’m a rookie to the Whelen Modified Series and I think it’s safe to say I’ll definitely be paying more attention to that series from now on; awesome racing action, and quite a few young drivers with a lot of talent that will go far in NASCAR that people should keep an eye on.  The track was awesome during the day, but when the lights came on as the sun went down; it was a completely different atmosphere that I can’t quite put my finger on.  I’m sure you don’t want to read more of my rant of how amazing it was, so I’ll finish by saying it is one thing that every NASCAR fan should be able to go to!

Thursday marked my last day in North Carolina and it was a pretty low key day since we were exhausted from the long day before.  We went to Kevin Harvick Incorporated and Joe Gibbs Racing.  Again, both facilities were amazing.  I’m still amazed at the fact that these are race shops and are super clean.  For those who haven’t been to a race shop, they automatically think of dirt, grime, and a small, disorganized space.  In reality, it is the complete opposite. 

Now that I’m home, I will honestly say, coming home was disappointing.  I loved being in North Carolina and wish I could go back.  If you told me I could go back, I would be back there in a heartbeat…well, in at least ten hours.  This was one of the best vacations yet!

LINKS FOR PICTURES:

• Richard Childress Racing/Childress Vineyard/Victory Junction Gang: click here
• Hall of Fame: click here
• SPEED Studio: click here
• Penske Racing/Kyle Busch Motorsports/Charlotte Motor Speedway/Roush-Fenway Racing: click here
• Kevin Harvick Incorporated/Joe Gibbs Racing: click here
• Bristol Motor Speedway: click here

** If the links for the pictures don’t work, feel free to add me on Facebook to be able to see them.  Just let me know that and I’ll accept right away.  **

My Day at the SPEED Studio

Entrance to the SPEED Studio

At the end of last year, someone told me, “You never know when someone high up in NASCAR or SPEED is reading your blog.”  I never gave it a second thought; why would a “higher up” in the sport want (or have time) to read my blog?

A little over a month ago, I was sitting home one night writing an article and checked my e-mail.  “1 new message” popped up.  From whom you may ask?  None other than Race Hub’s own, Steve Byrnes.  He said that he enjoyed reading my blog and admired my ambition and desire.  Overjoyed, I e-mailed back saying thank you.  One thing led to another and he offered to give me a tour of the SPEED Studio since it isn’t open to the public.  Keep in mind this was over a month ago.  Do you know how hard it was for me to keep my mouth shut for over a month?!  Very!

This morning started out with visits to Kyle Busch Motorsports and Penske Racing.  Let me just say that both facilities were absolutely amazing – the grounds were manicured, the actual facility was immaculate, and the workers were extremely friendly.   

Race Hub set

I was scheduled to be at the SPEED Studio at noon, and as the moments ticked by, the anticipation (and some nerves) mounted.  “Was I going to say the wrong thing?” “Would I be in the way?” “What if I couldn’t remember my questions?”  “What if I don’t come across as professional?”  All those questions plagued my mind.  We walked into the building and I came to the realization that this was really happening. 

I signed myself in at the front desk and the nice security guard took us to the Green Room (which had a really cool Race Hub pinball machine in it).  After sitting for a few minutes, Steve Byrnes walked into the room and took me to the set of Race Hub, but not before giving me a tour.  I got to see the room where the director sits where all of the camera monitors are, and  Jimmy Spencer’s set for his famous segment.  Not what I expected at all – quite frankly, I don’t know what I was expecting.  I think I was expecting a few small rooms, but in reality, it was one big room.  I looked up and the ceiling was covered with lights, there were wires scattered all over the floor, and there were a few huge cameras. 

Green Room

As I sat there in awe, watching Larry McReynolds and Steve Byrnes film their segment, I was absorbing everything like a sponge – the way they looked into the camera, how they filmed with sounds bytes, how relaxed they were, and everything else.  My favorite part about the filming process was how they filmed the sounds bytes.  I never knew how they did that, and now I do.  Steve and Larry talked until it was time for the sound byte from the race, then a crew member would tell them how long the byte was then they would pause until the byte was over.  They also have to film Race Hub out of order because they need to film the segments when the guests are available for interviews; this is called “stacking.”

Larry McReynolds and me

After filming the segment, I went back to Steve’s office to ask him a few questions [for this article and my own inquiring mind].  Steve hasn’t always been a NASCAR fan; he grew up playing football, but one summer he went and stayed at his uncle’s house in Florida.   His uncle owned a late model team and went to races with him; that’s when the racing bug bit him.  I also asked Steve, “Who, in NASCAR, in your years of reporting, has impressed you the most that you’ve had the privilege to interview?”  I was expecting him to name one driver, but he went into an explanation, “I interviewed Ned Jarrett – he’s in the Hall of Fame, I’ve interviewed Darrell Waltrip – he’s in the Hall of Fame, I’ve interviewed Dale Earnhardt – he’s in the Hall of Fame.”  “I want to be able to walk through the garage or studio and feel proud with who I am.” He told me, to him, it’s not as important to be popular, as to be respected.  He respects Darrell Waltrip because he’s courageous; he speaks his mind and his opinions.  Steve went on to explain how he learned the most about respect from Dale Sr. 

Steve Byrnes and me

For more pictures from my SPEED Studio visit, some of them are posted below...

Race Hub set

Race Hub set

Race Hub set

Director's Control Room

Steve Byrnes and me

SPEED Sign

My Trip: Day One

Last week I decided to write a blog about each day of my vacation in North Carolina to avoid the craziness of writing one long blog with endless details – which trust me, I know no one wants to read.

Today, we killed three birds with one stone (figuratively); we went to Richard Childress Racing Museum, the Childress Vineyards, and Victory Junction Gang.  If you know me personally, you know that going to Richard Childress Racing Museum, the Vineyard, and Victory Junction Gang were three of the major places that I wanted to go to this week. 

I don’t remember going to Richard Childress Racing – even though I was there a few years back.  When you walk into the museum, you walk directly into the gift shop.  From there (if you want to go into the actual museum, open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., and on Sunday it’s closed), you pay for the admission which is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors (55 and older), $5 for students (7-18), and free for children six years and younger.  The museum, built around the original 1986 No. 3 race shop and 1991 RCR Museum, houses Richard Childress Racing’s history.  In the museum, you will see Dale Earnhardt’s 1998 Daytona 500 winning car, Kevin Harvick’s 2007 Daytona 500 winning car, Mike Skinner’s Truck Series Championship Truck, Richard – and his grandsons’ – hunting gallery, and much more. 

From there, we headed to the Childress Vineyards, a beautiful vineyard that Richard Childress owns.  We didn’t stay for the vineyard tour, but we did stay for lunch.  The food was awesome – I can’t tell you how the wine was since I can’t drink it, but hey, if the food is good, then the wine must be good too.  I was honestly surprised by the prices.  When you think of a winery, you think the food will be expensive, right?  Not in this case, very reasonable.  Be sure to check out their website for times of tours, times the Bistro is open, and the menu.  (click here)

For our last stop of the day, we headed over to Victory Junction Gang Camp.  For those who don’t know, it’s a camp, founded in 2004, where sick kids (who have Autism, Cancer, Craniofacial Anomalies, Diabetes, Hemophilia, Sickle Cell, Spina Bifidia, and many more diseases) go to receive medical treatment and have fun – while still undergoing their treatment.  I had a few bags of stuffed animals that were just sitting there in a room not being used so we decided to donate them to kids who could use them.  My dad also had brand new flashlights that the kids could use if they go outside at night, so we donated them too.  To learn more about Victory Junction, click here. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about “Day One” of my trip to North Carolina.  To see more pictures, 

click here.  “Day Two” will be about my first trip to the Hall of Fame. 

Lofton Hoping For Another Milestone in Michigan

Justin Lofton, No. 6 CollegeComplete.com Toyota Tundra Track: Michigan Intl Speedway Event: VFW 200 Distance: 100 laps/200 miles When: Saturday, August 20th at 12:30 PM (Eastern) Broadcast information: 12:30 PM (Eastern) SPEED, SIRIUSXM, MRN Radio   Lofton Hoping For Another Milestone in Michigan   Last race review:  Justin Lofton and the No. 6 CollegeComplete.com(http://www.collegecomplete.com) team overcame the challenges of the "Tricky Triangle" that is Pocono Raceway during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)' last event on August 6. Lofton started the event from the 21st position, but shortly after beginning his climb through the field he suffered damage to the right front fender after the field bunched up following a restart. Laps later, the field fell under a red flag period after rain moved into the area. The race was delayed until the next morning. Once the racing resumed, the No. 6 team got to work and repaired the damage to the right front. From that point on, Lofton rallied, regained a one lap deficit, and finished a respectable 16th. Lofton at Michigan: The two-mile Michigan International Speedway is a special place to 25-year-old Lofton. While driving for Eddie Sharp Racing within the ARCA Racing Series in 2008, he claimed his first career stock car win at Michigan after starting on the outside pole. The win came after just eight series starts and two months of competing within ARCA. Yet another milestone in his career came at MIS in 2009, when Lofton made his NASCAR debut within the Nationwide Series. He qualified 19th for the race, and finished a solid 16th. Last season marked Lofton's first NCWTS start at MIS. He qualified for and finished the event 18th.   Off week entertaining: With the break in competition last week, Lofton used the time to focus on his production company Weekend Warriors Entertainment. Lofton, along with business partner and director Brett Bortle, flew to Illinois to shoot video for country act Jason Michael Carroll. Weekend Warriors Entertainment shot the video for production of a promotional video for the singer.   Truck information: Lofton will race chassis ESR076. He last raced the truck a month ago in Iowa, where he started ninth and finished 12th.   Lofton on Michigan Intl Speedway: "I really like Michigan and always enjoy racing there. It's a special place to me after winning my first stock car race there. It's a fun track to drive because it's wide and fast."

2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results    *For the most up to date stats, please visit LoftonRacing.com

Date Track Race Start Finish Laps Status Earnings February 18 Daytona NextEra Energy Resources 250 17 18 98/103 Running $11,125   February 25 Phoenix Lucas Oil 150 24 30 139/150 Running $7,725   March 12 Darlington Too Tough To Tame 200 17 13 147/147 Running $7,175   April 2 Martinsville Kroger 250 8 32 160/250 Running $7,600   April 22 Nashville Bully Hill Vineyards 200 14   16 150/150 Running $10,025 May 13 Dover Lucas Oil 200 12 25 177/200 Accident $10,175 May 20 Charlotte NC Education Lottery 200 28 13 134/134 Running $10,625 June 4 Kansas O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 18 19 167/167 Running $13,200 June 10 Texas Winstar World Casino 400K 25 10 168/168 Running $14,800 July 7 Kentucky Kentucky 225 17 15 150/152 Running $12,925 July 16 Iowa Coca-Cola 200 9 12 200/200 Running $10,625 July 22 Nashville Lucas Deep Clean 200 20 15 150/150 Running $10,600 July 29 Indianapolis AAA Insurance 200 24 20 197/200 Running $9,700 August 6 Pocono Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service 125 21 16 53/53 Running $10,025

____________________________________________________________   Marketing Partners   Chase Mattioli Racing (CMR) and CollegeComplete.com have entered into a sponsorship alliance with Justin Lofton Inc. for the balance of the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. For more information contact Chase Mattioli Racing, LLC, Joe Mattioli, Managing Partner, 570-350-1900 thunderman3@msn.com.   About College Complete: CollegeComplete.com helps the public navigate the ever-changing and highly complex landscape of higher education, connecting students with the institutions whose offering maximizes the likelihood of success. Partnered with hundreds of educational institutions and across all types of education goals, including traditional college degrees, trade and vocational certifications, and professional licensure, College Complete helps students assess all of the information that exists in the public domain, allowing them to understand and make sense of their educational opportunities.CollegeComplete.com is the student facing subsidiary of Ed Ideas, Inc.   About ed ideas: Ed Ideas, Inc. helps institutions of higher education optimize their admissions pipeline - from initial inquiry to graduate, and everything in between. Ed Ideas has 50 years of success in student outreach, application, and enrollment generation for the world's leading public, private, for-profit, and traditional institutions. Outsource your needs to Ed Ideas, or let us help you improve your existing processes and practices. Whether your need is large or small, Ed Ideas is your higher education resource. For additional information contact: info@edideas.com. Official Justin Lofton Press Release