Day: January 2, 2018 | Karnac Racing News

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year Erik Jones to Race at CRA SpeedFest 2018

Salem, IN (January 2, 2018) – 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year Erik Jones has filed an entry to compete in the upcoming CRA SpeedFest 2018, which will be held on Saturday, January 27th and Sunday, January 28th at Crisp Motorsports Park – Home of the Watermelon Capital Speedway located in Cordele, Georgia. As is tradition, this event is held the weekend prior to the Super Bowl every year.

CRA SpeedFest 2018 will consist of a $10,000 to win 200 lap ARCA/CRA Super Series Super Late Model special non-points event and a $5000 to win 125 lap JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Pro Late Model special non-points event. The 200 ARCA/CRA Super Series event will be an eight tire max event that will count yellow flag laps up to lap 175 with Controlled Cautions. The 125 lap JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour event will be a four tire only event that will count yellow flag laps up to lap 100. In addition, CRA SpeedFest 2018 will also feature a 20 lap Legend feature and a 15 lap Bandolero feature.

Jones will compete in the 200 lap Super Late Model event for KBR Motorsports, the same team he won the 2017 Battle at Berlin 251 with and competed with in last year’s SpeedFest event. Jones was that events Fast Qualifier for the Super Late Models and finished second in the event to winner Harrison Burton.

“Speedfest has been that race on my list that I’ve always wanted to win, but just haven’t been able to put it all together,” remarked Jones. “Last year we sat on the pole, but weren’t able to capitalize and ended up finishing second. The competition is always top notch at this event and I’m hoping this year we are the ones hoisting up that trophy in victory lane.”

Jones was the 2011 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour inaugural Champion. Jones’s accomplishments since that 2011 season have been astounding. After victories in the ARCA Racing Series, Jones moved to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to drive for Kyle Busch Motorsports and was crowned that series 2015 Champion. Also in 2015, Jones won his third straight Winchester 400 and in so doing became the first ever to claim the JEGS/CRA $100,000 Super Late Model Triple Crown by also winning the Redbud 300 and Battle at Berlin 251 that season. Jones also has two Snowball Derby wins and a win in New Smyrna Speedway’s famed Governor’s Cup.

Jones has seven NASCAR XFinity Series wins and seven NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wins to date. His 2017 season with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series included five top five finishes, 14 top ten finishes and he led a total of 310 laps. Jones is set to replace Matt Kenseth in the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

Additional entries for both events are expected to continue to arrive over the next couple of weeks leading up to the event. CRA would like to remind any driver not entered yet that the advance entry deadline for CRA SpeedFest 2018 is January 14th, after that date teams will have to pay an additional $50 late fee to enter.

Track and CRA SpeedFest 2018 information, including purchasing advance tickets, can be found at www.crispmotorsportspark.com.

All information on CRA, including rules, license forms and the entry forms for both CRA SpeedFest 2018 events, can be found at www.cra-racing.com.

By Scott|2018-01-02T17:11:40-05:00January 2nd, 2018|CRA Racing Series, Racing News, Upcoming Events|Comments Off

Sunoco Race Fuels Continues Exclusive Partnership with Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

BATAVIA, OH (January 2, 2018) – Sunoco Race Fuels – an industry powerhouse manufacturer of high-performance racing fuels – will continue their exclusive partnership as the “Official Fuel” of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series through 2020.

For decades, Sunoco’s fuels have been associated with racing excellence. Today, Sunoco has expanded the reach of its racing fuels line around the world to include all types of professional motor sports and other activities where premium race fuels make a difference. With its unsurpassed innovations and years of experience, it’s easy to understand why more and more engine builders, racers, tracks and sanctioning bodies choose Sunoco over all other racing gasoline combined. It takes high-performance racing fuels that are willing to go the distance – fuels like those produced by Sunoco. As the largest manufacturer of racing gasolines in the world, Sunoco has a 40-year track record of winning performances.

“We’re able to bring the excitement of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series to fans across the country because of the help from dedicated partners like Sunoco Race Fuels,” said Rick Schwallie, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Director. “Above all, the friendships and relationships we’ve built among their company employees, our staff, and everyone involved is second-to-none. We look forward to continuing our great working relationship with Sunoco for many years to come.”

Sunoco Race Fuels will continue as the title sponsor of the Road to Wheatland loyalty program. The Sunoco Race Fuels Road to Wheatland will award a $1,500 cash bonus to the top-twelve drivers in the current championship standings, who maintain perfect attendance through the Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 at Lucas Oil Speedway. In addition, the highest finishing driver in the Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 utilizing Sunoco Race Fuels exclusively, that maintains perfect attendance throughout the entire Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season, receives a $2,500 cash bonus at the year-end award banquet.

Sunoco Race Fuels has expanded the “Race for Gas” program for Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series drivers in 2018 and beyond. Any driver utilizing Sunoco Race Fuels exclusively will earn points at each series event. The driver that earns the most points throughout the season will be crowned the Sunoco Race for Gas Champion and receive a $3,000 cash bonus at the year-end awards banquet. Second-place in Sunoco Race for Gas standings will earn a $2,000 cash bonus, while third-place receives a $1,000 cash bonus.

“We are very pleased to continue our partnership with the premier national touring sanctioning body for dirt late models,” said Terry Thompson, Sunoco Race Fuels National Sales Manager. “The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series continues to grow and provide great professionally ran events for drivers, promoters, and fans. Everyone at Lucas Oil has been a pleasure to work with, from the staff, to the drivers and the tracks we support.”

Sunoco Race Fuels will return as the title sponsor of the North/South 100 weekend, held annually in August at Florence (KY) Speedway. The Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 has been a pillar on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series slate for nearly a decade. The expansion of the crown-jewel event, which now boasts over $200,000 in purse money over the entire weekend, has made it a must-attend event for drivers and fans alike.

To learn more about Sunoco Race Fuels, visit: www.sunocoracefuels.com.

By Scott|2018-01-02T17:08:56-05:00January 2nd, 2018|Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, Racing News, Upcoming Events|Comments Off

Chris Ferguson to Embark on Full World of Outlaws Campaign in 2018

North Carolina Driver Looks Ahead to Most Ambitious Season to Date

Mt. Holly, North Carolina (01/0218) – Chris Ferguson has spent the past few seasons getting all the pieces into place – which would allow him to take his racing program to the next level. With the 2018 season now rapidly approaching, the North Carolina racer is excited to announce that he’s prepared to tackle the national scene. (Thomas Hendrickson pic)

“With a lot of hard work by my team and amazing support from so many marketing partners, I’m excited to announce that I’ll be joining the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series as a regular for the 2018 season,” Ferguson commented on Tuesday morning. Our goal is to claim the Rookie of the Year title and finish in the Top-10 in series points.”

Ferguson previously looked to pursue the WoO tour back in 2016, but the timing wasn’t right for the talented, young driver.

“That was kind of a last-minute deal back in 2016, and honestly, we weren’t prepared,” Ferguson recounted. “We struggled out of the gate because we weren’t as ready as we needed to be, so we pulled the plug after Speedweeks. This year we are infinitely more prepared, and I couldn’t be more excited.”

Ferguson’s run at the 2018 WoO tour is being made possible with support from principal sponsors, which include Diff-Tran Machining, K and K Trucking, Live Oak Aesthetic and Family Dentistry, Champion Spark Plugs, the Christopher Reeves Southeast Foundation & Crawlspace Repair, The Racing Warehouse, and Carver and Sons Roofing.

New sponsor for 2018 – Carolina Roofing and Gutters – joins a great list of returning associate sponsors.

“It’s pretty humbling to have all these great marketing partners supporting my racing dreams,” Ferguson noted. “Without their incredible support, there’s no way that I could be taking on such a huge task. Hopefully this time next year we are talking about how successful a rookie campaign we experienced, as we are preparing for our sophomore season on the road.”

Chris will kick off his pursuit of the WoO Rookie Title on February 9-10 at Georgia’s Screven Motor Speedway. A Friday show will post an $8,000 top prize, while Saturday’s feature will offer a $10,000 top prize.

“We’ve had success at Screven Motor Speedway, so I’m hoping we can hit the ground running out of the gate with some strong runs there,” the 28-year-old racer said. “We’ve got everything we need to be successful, and now I just need to do my job. I know there will be ups and downs along the way, but I have zero doubt that my team and I are up to the challenge.”

To view the complete 2018 WoO Craftsman Late Model Series schedule, please visit www.WoOLMS.com .

Chris Ferguson would like to thank all of his sponsors, which include Diff-Tran Machining, K and K Trucking of Rockwell LLC, Champion Spark Plugs, Christopher Reeve’s Southeast Foundation & Crawl Space Repair, Live Oak Aesthetic and Family Dentistry, The Racing Warehouse, special thanks to Page Lemon, RPM Trailer Sales, New Point Lighting, Carver & Sons Roofing Inc., special thanks to Tom Bennington, Langley Collision Center, TW Automotive, Rocket Chassis, Big A’s Custom Graphics, Keith’s Handyman Services, Dirty Grass Soul, Dirt Trackin’ App, ASI Racewear, Hoosier Racing Tires by Bryan, Harkey Racing, Joes Racing Products, K&N Performance Filters, Fluidyne High Performance, RM Services, Indocil Art , Frankland Rear-Ends, Bell Racing USA, Hypercoil Springs, Brinn Transmissions, Weld Racing, Dynamic Drivelines, Outerwears Pre-Filters, Penske Racing Shocks, PFC Brakes, ButlerBuilt Motorsports Equipment, All Star Performance, Motorstate, Keyser Manufacturing, FK Rod Ends, Fragola Performance Systems, Alpha Canvas and Awning, Randy Renfrow Pit Carts, VP Racing, Hooker Harness, CV Products, XCELDYNE, Stock Car Steel and Aluminum Inc., SRI Supplies, SRI Performance, Clements Racing Engines, Waterman Racing Components, Pro Fabrication Headers, Schaeffers Oil, TruForm Race Products, Tadpole Fabrication, NecksGen, Carolina Roofing and Gutters, and MSRMafia.com Marketing Services.

For more information on Chris Ferguson, please visit the official team website at www.ChrisFerguson22.com .

By Scott|2018-01-02T16:35:25-05:00January 2nd, 2018|Racing News, Upcoming Events|Comments Off