Logano Wins At Bobsled Challenge
Captured Head-To-Head Race With NHRA’s Troxel
Jason Cunningham, NASCAR
January 10, 2010 – 7:10pm
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – The Fifth Annual Lucas Oil Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge presented by Whelen Engineering concluded on Sunday with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano a winner.

Logano defeated Melanie Troxel from the NHRA in Sunday’s Race 2 finals, which pitted the fastest NASCAR representative against the fastest from the NHRA. Logano’s run of 49.81 seconds edged the 50.08 of Troxel, who was the champion of Race 1 earlier in the day.

“I’m happy with my time, and it makes it a ton of fun to finally get a win,” Logano said. “This is a blast.”

A three-year participant in the Bodine Bobsled Challenge, Sunday’s Race 2 overall win was the first in a bobsled for Logano. Logano recorded the second-fastest time, just behind NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Todd Bodine, during the first round of competition against his fellow NASCAR competitors, and advanced to the semifinals in the head-to-head portion of the racing with a win against part-time driver and ESPN NASCAR analyst Boris Said. Logano then defeated Bodine in the semifinals to earn a match-up with Troxel.

“I’m still not that good, but I got lucky,” Logano said. “I just keep asking questions. Same as in my Cup car, I just ask questions. I didn’t think I had a chance against her.”

Troxel made it to the finals of Race 2 by recording the fastest time among her NHRA competitors in the first round, then defeated Morgan Lucas in the semifinals.

Earlier in the day the event’s 10 participants competed in Race 1, which determined an overall winner based on the combined time of two runs. Troxel took top honors with a composite time of 1:39.33 to just edge fellow NHRA representative Jeg Coughlin Jr. at 1:39.40. Said was third overall, and fastest among the NASCAR drivers at 1:39.69. Bodine was fourth at 1:39.82.

Shawn Langdon (NHRA, 1:40.12), Morgan Lucas (1:40.32), Logano (1:40.40), Philip Morris (NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, 1:40.53), George Brunnhoelzl III (NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, 1:40.97) and Carl Renezeder (Off-road racer, 1:41.16) rounded out the Race 1 results.

Said recorded the fastest single run of any competitor on Sunday, a trip of 49.21 seconds during the first round of Race 1.

The Bodine Bobsled Challenge was held on Mount Van Hovenburg in rural Lake Placid, site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, and the 2009 World Bobsled Championships. The event is geared to create awareness and greater funding for the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, Inc., which provides made-in-America bobsleds for the United States men’s and women’s national teams.

Action from the Fifth Annual Lucas Oil Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge presented by Whelen Engineering will air on SPEED on Jan. 24 and Jan. 31.

NOTES: Troxel was the first female to participate in the Bodine Bobsled Challenge in the event’s five-year history … Renezeder was Saturday’s fastest qualifier … An off-road racer who is not affiliated with NASCAR or NHRA, Renezeder competed with the NHRA in Sunday’s Race 2 … Corey LaJoie, son of former NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Randy LaJoie, qualified for Bodine on Saturday.

Race 1 (winner decided by combined times of two runs)
1. Melanie Troxel – NHRA (1:39.33)
2. Jeg Coughlin Jr – NHRA (1:39.40)
3. Boris Said – NASCAR (1:39.69)
4. Todd Bodine – NASCAR (1:39.82)
5. Shawn Langdon – NHRA (1:40.12)
6. Morgan Lucas – NHRA (1:40.32)
7. Joey Logano – NASCAR (1:40.40)
8. Philip Morris – NASCAR (1:40.53)
9. George Brunnhoelzl III – NASCAR (1:40.97)
10. Carl Renezeder (1:41.16)

Race 2
NASCAR Round 1:
1. Todd Bodine (50.16)
2. Joey Logano (50.31
3. Boris Said (50.32)
4. Philip Morris (50.71)
5. George Brunnhoelzl III (50.90)

NHRA Round 1:
1. Melanie Troxel (49.60)
2. Morgan Lucas (50.06)
3. Carl Renezeder (50.25)
4. Jeg Coughlin Jr. (50.26)
5. Shawn Langdon (50.32)

NASCAR Round 2:
Joey Logano (50.00) def. Boris Said (50.03)

NHRA Round 2:
Morgan Lucas (DNF) def. Carl Renezeder (DNF)

NASCAR Semifinal:
Joey Logano (49.70) def. Todd Bodine (50.12)

NHRA Semifinal:
Melanie Troxel (50.12) def. Morgan Lucas (50.14)

NASCAR vs. NHRA Final:
Joey Logano (49.81) def. Melanie Troxel (50.08)

TALLADEGA, Ala. – Clad in Crimson Tide apparel, Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage raised the Talladega Superspeedway flag over the Texas Speedway Club offices, much to the delight of Talladega Superspeedway President Rick Humphrey. The flag ceremony was a condition the two presidents agreed upon when making a friendly wager on the outcome of Thursday night’s BCS Championship game. The University of Alabama’s 37-21 victory over the University of Texas assured that the Talladega Superspeedway flag will fly over Texas throughout the weekend and that Talladega will receive a shipment of Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse beef brisket.

“I’m very excited to know the Talladega Superspeedway flag is flying over Texas Motor Speedway,” said Humphrey. “But more importantly, I’m excited for the University of Alabama and the pride that a national championship brings to our state. I love Talladega Superspeedway and I love the Alabama Crimson Tide. Today is a great day for both.”

Talladega Superspeedway is preparing for the 2010 Aaron’s Dream Weekend featuring qualifying for the NASCAR Nationwide Series, followed by the ARCA Racing Series 250 race on Friday, April 23. On Saturday, April 24, fans will see qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, followed by the Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. On Sunday, April 25, the greatest drivers in the world face off in the Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

BIFFLE TEAMS UP WITH BAKER CURB RACING AND RED MAN MOIST SNUFF

NASHVILLE, Tenn., January 9, 2010 – Baker Curb Racing announced today that the team has reached an agreement with Greg Biffle to drive in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this season. Red Man Moist Snuff will be the primary sponsor on Biffle’s No. 27 Ford Fusion, which will debut in the Camping World 300 at Daytona International Raceway on Saturday, February 12.

“We’re very excited to reunite with Greg Biffle for the 2010 season,” Baker Curb Racing president Matt Crews said. “Red Man was part of our original sponsor group in 1995 and helped build the team into what it is today. In 2005, Greg had one of the most successful seasons in team history and with him back in the car we’re looking forward to building upon the improvements we made last season.”

Over Biffle’s 234 career starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series the 40-year old driver has collected 20 wins, 14 poles and the 2002 series championship. Of the 234 starts, 43 have been for Baker Curb Racing (formerly Brewco Motorsports) where from 2005-2008 he registered 17 top fives and 29 top 10’s. In 2005 he put together one of his most dominant Nationwide Series seasons recording one win, 15 top fives and 21 top in just 27 races.

“I experienced a lot of success running for Baker Curb in the past and I’m extremely excited to be reunited with them,” Biffle said. Red Man Moist Snuff is a great sponsor that has been involved in NASCAR for a long time and knows what it takes to be successful on and off the track. This race team showed great improvement last season and I can’t wait to get on the track in Daytona and help take them to the next level.”

“We are thrilled with the opportunity to partner with Baker Curb Racing and Greg Biffle for the 2010 Nationwide Series,” according to Steve Abbot, Senior Brand Manager for Red Man Moist Snuff. “NASCAR events are some of the highest attended sporting events in the country and this gives us an opportunity to acquaint loyal NASCAR fans with the newest product in the Red Man family. We are also excited to team with a great driver like Greg Biffle and look forward to seeing what he will accomplish this year.”

Nashville area fans can get a firsthand look at Biffle’s No. 27 Red Man Moist Snuff Ford Fusion at tonight’s Nashville Predators game versus the Anaheim Mighty Ducks at 7:00 p.m. The Red Man Moist Snuff Pit Crew will unveil the car on the ice during the second intermission.

Antofagasta, Chile (January 8, 2010) – Today marked the longest special of the grueling 14 stage Dakar Rally for Team HUMMER. Measuring in at 641 km, the special was made even more difficult by the varied terrain that competitors had to race across. As competitors travelled from Antofagasta to Iquique they encountered everything from areas of fast off-track, to slow track, to windy track and even a salar. Stage 7, which was expected to take competitors around seven hours to complete, was filled with magnificent views of the Chilean landscape. Drivers were challenged early in the day as they crossed over sand dunes. However, the most demanding part of the stage came when competitors had to cross the salar. The salar, which spans 3 km, is an area filled with huge blocks of dry salt that requires competitors to slow their speed to under 10 km/h. Once competitors made it past this portion of the stage, it was mostly fast, open track to the finish line.

What seemed to be a great start for Robby Gordon and his Monster Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER ended in heartbreak. Gordon led the stage through the halfway point before an alternator failure crippled his HUMMER on the course, crushing his hope for another stage win. Once the No. 302 was back on course, he finished the stage in 24th place and dropped to 10th in the overall standings.

“We started off with a really good run. By the start of the second liaison, I motored by two cars and was about the fifth car on the road. I saw low voltage on the dash and switched back and forth between batteries for about 120k before the Monster Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER finally stopped running. We had to wait a long time for a replacement, which cost us a lot of time. It’s just a huge bummer. I am ready for tomorrow’s rest day so that we can reevaluate and strategize for the rest of the race. Our plan is to come on strong for the final stages and make up as much ground as possible.”

Race Coverage – For fans tracking the Dakar Rally at home, please visit robbygordon.com, planetrobby.com, and Robby Gordon’s twitter page for daily updates on the team’s performance including a daily recap, photos and videos. Versus will provide coverage throughout the United States. A 30-minute daily program featuring highlights from that day’s racing will be aired on Versus daily at 3:30 p.m. with a replay airing later in the day. The show is set to air daily from January 3rd through January 18th, check your local listing for exact show times. A 60-minute recap show featuring all fourteen stages will air on Versus on Sunday, January 24th at 3:00 p.m.

WALTRIP TO RACE IN THE DUBAI 24 HOUR SPORTSCAR RACE

CORNELIUS, N.C. – With more than 1,000 races in a quarter-century’s worth of NASCAR experience, you would think it would take a lot to get Michael Waltrip excited about an off-season race.

But Waltrip can’t wait for his first foray into the world of international sports car racing when the two-time Daytona 500 champion competes in the fifth-annual Dubai 24 Hour sportscar race at the ultra-modern Dubai Autodrome on January 14-16.

“I love racing cars,” said Waltrip. “The Daytona 500 is the ultimate race for a NASCAR driver to win. But how cool is it to go to Dubai on the other side of the globe and race a Ferrari? I never thought I’d have a chance to be part of such a unique experience.”

The Ferrari Waltrip refers to is a Ferrari F430 GT2 of the AF Corse team co-owned by Rob Kauffman who will be sharing driving duties with Waltrip, Marcos Ambrose, Rui Aguas and Niki Cadei.

Kauffman is also a co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing which fields NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entries for Waltrip, Martin Truex Jr. and David Reutimann. The Waltrip team has a technical alliance with Ambrose’s team JTG Daugherty Racing.

Waltrip and Kauffmann tested the Ferrari at the ACI Vallelunga circuit in Italy. Success at the test led the pair to review options for sports car races around the world before deciding to race in Dubai.

The 3.5-mile track at the Dubai Autodrome is one of the most modern in the world; it is also one of the most challenging, as it has a combination of high-speed straights and technical corners.
The race expects to start about 80 GT and touring cars.

“I have always thought of myself as a pretty good road racer,” said Waltrip owns two top-five finishes in NASCAR road races. “But, this is different. This is an endurance race. This is 24 hours, not the normal three-hour NASCAR race.”

Race fans can track Waltrip’s progress during the race on his Twitter account MWR55 and watch video updates at www.youtube.com/24hafcorse

“I can’t Twitter while I’m competing during a NASCAR race, but I bet I can during this one,” said Waltrip who plans to keep fans in touch with in-race updates during driving breaks. “While I am on the other side the globe, I don’t plan on leaving my fans hanging.”

Track action starts on Thursday, Jan. 14, with practice, qualifying and night practice. The 24-hour race will start on Friday Jan. 15 at 2 pm.