DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Daytona 500 champions Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are among the drivers that will appear at NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest at historic Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, Jan. 20 and Friday, Jan. 21.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will take to the new asphalt at Daytona International Speedway in a three-day test session, known as NASCAR Preseason Thunder, Thursday, Jan. 20 through Saturday, Jan. 22.

Tickets for NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest are $20 and available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. 2011 Daytona 500 ticketholders and children 12 and under will receive free admission. Advanced reservations are available (limited to 250 people) for special autograph sessions to be held with participating 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and Daytona 500 champions. Additional driver autograph sessions will be held on both days with wristbands available the day of the event.

To request access to the special autograph sessions, race fans can call 1-800-PITSHOP or visit the Daytona International Speedway ticket office beginning on Saturday, Jan. 8 at 9 a.m.

In addition to viewing the on-track activity from the Sprint FANZONE, fans can watch each day’s testing at no cost from a section of the Oldfield Grandstands near Turn 4.

Drivers currently scheduled to make appearances on Thursday, Jan. 20 beginning at 6 p.m. are Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, David Ragan, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr. and Regan Smith.

Scheduled to appear on Friday, Jan. 21, during the 5-7 p.m. session are Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, David Reutimann, Casey Mears, Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Kevin Conway, Kyle Busch, Paul Menard and Ryan Newman. In the 7-9 p.m. session, drivers scheduled to appear are AJ Allmendinger, Brian Vickers, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Marcos Ambrose and Matt Kenseth.

Lastly, race fans will be able to camp in the infield of Daytona International Speedway for free with their admission ticket during the three-day test inside Turns 3 and 4. Sites will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Gates to the infield will open Thursday, Jan. 20 at 8:00 a.m.

Among the activities planned for both days include:
• Interactive driver question and answer sessions on the main stage
• Show cars, displays, music
• Photo opportunity with the Harley J. Earl Daytona 500 trophy
• Blood drive outside the Turn 4 tunnel

The Roar Before The Rolex 24, the tune-up session for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series teams in advance of the 49th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, is set for Jan. 7-9. Tickets are $15 daily for the Roar Before The Rolex 24, with driver fan forums, tech talks and pit stop demonstrations slated for Saturday. 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona ticketholders and children 12 and under will receive free admission.

Tickets for both the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fests and the Roar Before The Rolex 24 are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Team HUMMER: The Official Start of the Dakar Rally
Stage 1: Victoria – Cordoba

Cordoba, Argentina (January 2, 2011) – Today marked the official start of the 2011 Dakar Rally. From this point forward, it is serious business for the competitors vying for the coveted Dakar title. Stage 1, the first of 13 timed stages in this year’s rally race, included a 566-km road section and a 222-km special that began in Victoria and ended in Cordoba.

Heavy rain created an unforeseen obstacle for Team HUMMER. According to the TV choppers flying over the route, the participants in the car category suffered from skidding and sliding. Robby Gordon, driver of the No. 303 SPEED Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER, started today’s special in fourth place. He was scored 9th as he crossed the CP1 marker located at km 137 together while last year’s winner, Carlos Sainz, led the field.

Disadvantaged by the slippery race conditions, Gordon finished 11 minutes, 4 seconds behind Carlos Sainz in the first stage of the Rally with a total time of 2 hours, 29 minutes and 36 seconds. This time puts Gordon eighth overall heading into tomorrow’s stage from Cordoba to San Miguel de Tucuman, which will be a 324-km race through the mountains.

“We started today’s special in fourth place, and unfortunately we finished eighth. We knew that the HUMMER team would not be as strong as we would like in the Argentina portion of this race, but we struggled a little bit more today than I would have liked due to the weather conditions and technical rally-style section. Sainz and Peterhansel led today’s stage, but they also started the race before the weather began and were virtually unaffected by it. That’s why you see the gap in time from the rest of the competitors,” commented Robby Gordon, driver of the No. 303 SPEED Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER.

“We started out the special good, but we had a couple of challenges along the way. Kellon [Walch] and I had to change helmets during the middle of the stage because his microphone quit working. I ran off the road at one point. We also ran out of windshield wiper fluid due to the mud. These mistakes probably cost us about 1 minute of total speed. I expected to give up 5 minutes in today’s stage not 11 minutes, which disappoints me. It is still early in the race, but we have some ground to make up tomorrow. Some of the guys are already starting to have issues this early. Hopefully, we will recover quickly from today’s issues before we enter Chile because it is our best opportunity to make up time. By this point, I want to be less than 10 minutes behind,” furthered Gordon.

“Tomorrow’s stage is supposed to go through the mountains, which are not good for us for two reasons. First, the HUMMERs are not turbo-charged then the course is a little narrow. They did say that we should encounter some bumps, which could be good for us.”

Eliseo Salazar, driver of the No. 327 SPEED Energy / Cristal CERO HUMMER finished today’s stage 28th, 34 minutes, 25 seconds behind.

2010
· Campaigned as a three-race vehicle team throughout Argentina and Chile
· Robby Gordon finished 8th overall, the Vanguard HUMMER finished 20th and the Chile HUMMER ended on Stage 3 after the transmission expired

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season hasn’t even started yet and AJ Allmendinger is already turning competitive laps at Daytona International Speedway.

For the second straight year, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star is participating in Daytona KartWeek, which showcases hundreds of karters from across the country in World Karting Association races.

“We’ve had three off weekends now so I’m bored,” said Allmendinger, who drives for Richard Petty Motorsports. “I had to get away from the house. It’s time to go racing. As soon as Christmas is over, it’s time to go racing.”

[nggallery id=47]

Two different courses showcase two different series during Daytona KartWeek – the George Kugler/Bridgestone Manufacturer’s Cup Series that competes on the sprint track located in Turns 3 and 4 and the Dirt World Championships on the quarter-mile dirt track outside Turns 1 and 2.

Daytona KartWeek is the beginning of what will be a two-month stretch of events for Allmendinger at the “World Center of Racing.”

“I think I might buy a condo or something here in Daytona,” Allmendinger joked. “I just love karting. I love competing. I use to be really good at it and I’m not so good at anymore and now I need to get better at it again. I feel fortunate enough being a Sprint Cup driver and doing something that I love to do every Sunday that I have the opportunity to have the equipment and have fun again and enjoy it.”

Allmendinger didn’t enjoy last year’s Daytona KartWeek as much as he wanted. He struggled on the track and packed up early and headed back home to North Carolina. This year, he comes ready for what is a competitive field that also includes 2010 Daytona 500 champion Jamie McMurray.

He recently switched over to Arrows go-karts and he has longtime friend Tim Pappas, who Allmendinger worked with at Paul Tracy Karting, assisting him in the garage.

“We’re better but we’re still not where we want to be,” Allmendinger said. “There are some fast kids here. Last year, we were so out in left field. I wasn’t even competitive. It wasn’t even fun. At least I feel like we’re in the ball game to where we can have some fun racing against some fast guys and at least contend for a decent spot. We still have work to do.”

As Allmendinger has been racing on his kart, he was also able to see the new racing surface around the legendary 2.5-mile tri-oval. He will get his first laps on the new asphalt during NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing on Jan. 20-22.

“It looks smooth,” Allmendinger said. “I’ve heard great reviews about it. It looks really cool. I read about the testing. It looks like it’s going to be a hell of a race. It’s basically going to be Talladega but a lot narrower. We’re going to still think we can go five wide but I don’t think it really holds that. Everybody that I’ve talked said it’s so smooth and it’s going to be a great race. I look forward to Jan. 20 and we can get to go test.”

* NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Teams To Test January 20-22 At Daytona International Speedway
* NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest At Daytona Coincides On Jan. 21-22

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 9, 2010) – Daytona International Speedway’s three-day NASCAR Sprint Cup Series test, known as NASCAR Preseason Thunder, is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 20 through Saturday, Jan. 22. Sunday, Jan. 23 is the rain date.
The 2011 edition of NASCAR Preseason Thunder will help teams acclimate to the new pavement, plus speed their preparation for the 53rd Daytona 500 on Feb. 20 – the series’ traditional season-opener.
The repaving project – only the second in track history and first since 1978 – began immediately after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event on July 3.
“This allows everyone an equal opportunity to work on their setups and get everything in order leading up to Speedweeks and the running of the Daytona 500,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “Additionally, it gives the teams the chance to get accustomed to the new pit road and the added run-off areas on the backstretch. We’re excited about the new surface and believe it will only enhance the racing experience at Daytona.”
All NASCAR Preseason Thunder sessions begin at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m., weather permitting. Each includes a lunch break from noon until 1 p.m.

Fans seeking to rev up their new year can do so at the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest at Daytona – the companion event to the January test. Along with watching NASCAR Preseason Thunder track activity from Daytona’s Sprint FANZONE, fans can enjoy two Fan Fest sessions – from 5-9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 21 and from 5-7 p.m., on Saturday, Jan. 22.
Driver question-and-answer and autograph sessions are planned. Tickets for the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest are $20. Fans also can watch each day’s testing at no cost from a section of the Oldfield Grandstands.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to our new racing surface in January,” said Joie Chitwood, Daytona International Speedway president. “NASCAR Preseason Thunder will be an important test session for all teams as they acquire data from their first laps on the new asphalt at Daytona.
“The test is also going to serve as a great opportunity for fans to interact with their favorite drivers in advance of Speedweeks 2011 and the 53rd annual Daytona 500.”
Teams from the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series are expected to receive extra practice time during Speedweeks to get acclimated to the track’s new surface.

Fast Facts

What: NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing for the 2011 Daytona 500

Where: Daytona International Speedway.

Track Layout: 2.5-mile tri-oval.

When: Thursday, Jan. 20 through Saturday, Jan. 22.

Times: 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Who: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams.

Photos usually say it best, in fact you know the old saying, a picture is worth a….so here’s 19,000 words!

[nggallery id=46]

Photo Credit: NASCARMedia