Brad Keselowski Wins At Kansas!

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP)— Brad Keselowksi held off Dale Earnhardt Jr to win Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race atKansas Speedway and pick up his first victory of the year.

Keselowski led the final nine laps, conserving just enough fuel to stave off Earnhardt and snap a 75-race winless streak.

Earnardt finished second for the second week in a row in a fuel mileage race. Earnhardt appeared to have enough to make a late charge on Keselowski. That push never came - though Earnhardt did move up to third in the points standings.

Denny Hamlin was third, followed by Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards.

Pollsitter Kurt Busch led for 152 laps Sunday and finished ninth. He had to stop for gas as the leader with 10 laps remaining.

#2 isn't so bad today as Brad Keselowski wins at the Kansas Speedway in his #2 Miller Lite racecar. It is his second Sprint Cup victory.

Emporia native Clint Bowyer, who won the Truck Series race on Saturday, finished a dissapointing 18th.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. came in right behind Keseloski in second. Pole winner Kurt Busch finished ninth.

From KWCH Eywitness News Chanel 12.

~

SECOND ANNUAL SONOMA HISTORIC MOTORSPORTS FESTIVAL JUNE 4-5

MORE THAN 250 HISTORIC CARS FROM CALIFORNIA ENTERED


SONOMA, Calif. (May 5, 2011) - Of the 400 historic cars entered in the Second Annual Sonoma Historic Motorsport Festival, June 4-5, at Infineon Raceway, more than 250 hail from the State of California, a hot bed for collectors of exotic street cars and significant race cars. The event features the McLaren marque, which was a dominant force in the Can-Am, Indy 500 and Formula 1 racing series in the '60s and '70s.


While nearly 190 of the entries list Northern California as home, the remaining are from the Los Angeles and Central California areas. Included in the San Francisco-based cars are a 1934 Bugatti T-59, owned and driven by Charles McCabe, a 1977 McLaren M23 and a 1963 Lotus 27 Formula Junior driven by Danny Baker, and Len Auerbach's 1938 Aston Martin.


Jim Gallucci, of Danville, will race his 1969 McLaren M8C, while Peter Giddings, also of Danville, will compete in his 1931 Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3 and 1956 Maserati 250F.


From nearby Yountville, home of the world-renowned restaurant, French Laundry, Steve Cook will race his 1964 March 741 and 1968 McLaren M6B. Jeremy Nickel, also from Yountville, will pilot his 1963 Lotus 27 Formula Junior in one of the 13 races groups that will compete during the weekend. Jeffrey O’Neill, who lives and works in the heart of the wine country in Kentfield, has entered his 1957 Maserati 250F, and Frank Altamura, of Napa, will drive his 1966 Porsche 911S.

Petaluma will be represented by the 1974 Shadow DN4A, entered and driven by Fred Cziska, and the 1963 Corvette of Dan Payne, while the quaint seaside town of Sausalito boasts six entries, including a 1934 Lagonda Rapier (owned and driven by Alan Patterson), David Swig's 1957 Montsterati Special, and Howard Swig's 1931 Chrysler CD8 LeMans.


The L.A.-area entries include Bob Lee's 1968 McLaren M6B (of Rolling Hills), Mitch McCullough's 1956 Lotus 11 LeMans (of Redondo Beach), and from Santa Monica, Dave Hagan's 1960 Cooper T-52 Formula Junior.


"The state of California is well represented at this year's event," said Steve Earle, president of General Racing, Ltd., who for four decades has devoted his life to organizing historic car racing events. He is the originator of the Monterey Historic Automobile Races and the Wine Country Classic that preceded the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival.


"Many of the owners from Sonoma, Petaluma, San Rafael, Sausalito, Novato and Mill Valley could actually drive their cars to Infineon Raceway, and I suspect a few of them will. After all, a drive through the Northern California countryside can only enhance the adventure that will face these owners when they get on track at the stunningly beautiful Infineon Raceway. We expect great late spring weather." A complete entry list may be found at www.sonomahistoric.com.


The weekend’s festivities will also include the Historic Race Car Festival in the Sonoma Plaza Saturday evening benefiting Speedway Children’s Charities, and other special programs to be announced.


A popular event away from the racing action is the Wine Country Pavilion at Infineon Raceway, where the best food and wine from the Sonoma and Napa Valleys may be sampled. Admission to the Pavilion is FREE with an event ticket. Local restaurants participating in the Wine Country Pavilion are Girl in the Fig, Botanical Bakery and CIA Greystone. The wineries include Tin Barn, Dawn Hughes, Frank and Andy Aspina, Clarbec Wines, Sidejob Cellars, Rielle Wines, Meadowcroft, Bennet Lane and Korbel. Additional restaurants and wineries are expected to participate and will be announced in the near future.


Additional information may be found at www.sonomahistoric.com. Companies interested in supporting special events during the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival, should contact General Racing Ltd., at 805-686-9292.


About McLaren:
Having dominated the Can-Am series from 1967 through 1971, McLaren was considered unbeatable. There were also McLaren victories at the Indianapolis 500 for American drivers Mark Donohue (1972) and Johnny Rutherford (1974, 1976). In Formula 1 racing, the McLaren name is equally famous. Only Ferrari has competed in more F1 races in the modern era, and McLaren’s driver lineup has included the very best the sport has produced including Bruce McLaren, Peter Revson, Denny Hulme, James Hunt, Emerson Fittipaldi, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Fernando Alonzo and current world champion drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.


Today, the McLaren Group, headquartered in Woking, Surrey, England, is comprised of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 Racing Team and McLaren Automotive. In 2011, the company will introduce its new road car, the McLaren MP4-12C. The carbon fiber composite chassis with a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine develops 600 horsepower and has a top speed of 200 mph. The seven-speed gear box with paddle shifter will accelerate from 0 to 124 mph in under ten seconds. The MP4-12C’s shapely form and extraordinary performance pays tribute to McLaren’s racing heritage.


About General Racing, Ltd.:
General Racing Ltd. was formed in 1970 to encourage the restoration, preservation and the use of historic sports and racing cars. Founder Steven J. Earle envisioned an event that would unite former racing greats with enthusiastic amateurs who owned some of the rare motorcars that once graced road courses worldwide. Earle’s vision forever changed the vintage racing landscape.

In 1974, with the support of Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance organizers, he launched the inaugural one-day Monterey (Calif.) Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca Raceway. It was a huge success and attracted a field of 66 cars.


It also sparked the interest and vision for what would become the world’s premier historic auto race. In 1975 it became a two-day affair and since then has grown to a full three-day event.


The success of the Monterey Historics spawned additional General Racing events, including the Portland (Ore.) Historic Automobile Races, the Coronado (Calif.) Speed Festival, special events at the Long Beach Grand Prix and the Kansas City Historic Grand Prix, as well as the Wine Country Classic, the forerunner to the current Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival.


In addition, General Racing assisted the organizational team from 2001-2008 at the Lime Rock Park (Conn.) Vintage Festival, held over Labor Day weekend.


Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival
WHAT: Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival
WHEN: June 4-5, 2011
CIRCUIT: 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course
TICKETS: $40 day/$60 weekend; Youth (Ages 13-20): $20 day/$30 weekend; Children 12-and-under FREE and parking is FREE. Each ticket includes entry to the Wine Country Pavilion and souvenir program
INFORMATION: 800-870-RACE, infineonraceway.com/historics, ticketmaster.com


Accredited media wishing to cover the event may apply for event media credentials at www.smicredentials.com and apply for access to the site. Once approved for access, you may log in and apply for credentials.

~

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438; jstropus@earthlink.net

AUGIE PABST RECEIVES 2010 BOB AKIN AWARD FROM
ROAD RACING DRIVERS CLUB

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 27, 2011) - Augie Pabst, described as "one of the fastest, most charismatic and popular drivers in his day" by the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, to which he'll be inducted later this year, was named the recipient of the 2010 Bob Akin Award by the Road Racing Drivers Club (RRDC). The award was presented at a dinner prior to the running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the season opener of the 2011 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.

Each recipient of this honor, considered the top award in motorsports for amateur, vintage/historic or semi-professional drivers, is selected by Akin's son Bobby, RRDC members Brian Redman and Archie Urciuoli, and approved by RRDC president Bobby Rahal.

The distinctive trophy was conceived by the RRDC to honor the memory of long-time RRDC member and past president Bob Akin, who lost his life in a racing accident in 2002.

The trophy was designed by Steuben Glass in Corning, N.Y., and is given to a driver who best exemplifies the extraordinary qualities and characteristics that Akin represented, including a passion for motorsports and automobiles, a high level of sportsmanship and fair play, and who has contributed to the sport of motor racing.

A scion of the family that founded Pabst Brewing Company in 1844, whose early racing career spanned a 10-year period (1956-66), Pabst won the 1959 USAC Road Racing Championship and the SCCA B-Modified Championship in 1960. He and his wife Joan reside in Oconomowoc, Wis., and he considers historic Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., his home track.

Pabst was presented the award by Urciuoli, Akin and Rahal. "I got to know Bob Akin when I drove with him a couple times in 1979 and 1980,” said Rahal. “Ten years ago Bob and Brian Redman approached me to be the president of the RRDC because they had a great passion for the club and thought maybe I could help them in that fashion. Unfortunately, we lost Bob in an accident in 2002. He represented so many good things and epitomized a true gentleman in the sport."

Added Urciuoli: "Bob was a great fellow competitor who was tragically killed at the age of 66. He had a great 40-year road-racing career and gave generously back to our sport, to his family, his community and his business.

“We're very proud to present the 2010 Bob Akin Award to Augie Pabst.”

Pabst's success in the late '50s and early '60s as one of road-racing's most versatile stars came driving the famous Meister Brauser Scarab, which he today drives in vintage competition. He also scored significant victories for Briggs Cunningham, John Mecom Jr., Carroll Shelby and Luigi Chinetti. He retired in early 1966.

"Like many of us, Augie began racing in regional SCCA events, starting in a Triumph TR3 in 1956,” said Urciuoli. “He had his first major win in 1959 in a Ferrari 500 TR and ended that year as the USAC Road Racing Champion in the famous Meister Brauser Scarab. In 1960 he won five SCCA nationals and the Class B-Modified championship and was named U.S. Driver of the Year by Competition Press. He continues to race in motorsports events at Road America and often had some spirited dices with Bob Akin."

"Bob Akin and I had a lot of fun together in vintage racing in the '90s," said Pabst, a three-time winner of the Road America 500 (1961, '63 and '64). "He had a very fast little Cooper and in the beginning the Scarab that I drove and the Cooper were very similar on lap times and each year the Cooper got a little faster. We used to go down from turn 3 to turn 5 at Road America and the Scarab would pull away from the Cooper. About two or three years later the Cooper would go past the Scarab.

"I feel honored and humbled to receive this award because I thought Bob was such a great person and a fabulous driver. He was a good sport and sportsman. He loved the sport as much, if not more, than we did. He contributed so much, in both professional and vintage racing."

Past recipients of the Bob Akin Award have been Sam Posey, Charlie Gibson, John Fitch, Jim Haynes, Cameron Argetsinger, Jim Downing and Steve Earle.

The permanent trophy, listing annual winners, is on display at the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) in Watkins Glen, N.Y. The recipients receive a smaller, engraved version of the award.

About the RRDC:
The Road Racing Drivers Club was formed in 1952 as a way to give champion drivers a say in their sport, particularly in the areas of safety, and has evolved to serve the future of road racing by mentoring new drivers on both amateur and professional levels. The Club’s membership includes leading industry professionals, race officials and motorsports journalists, in addition to prominent racing names.

President Bobby Rahal is the 1986 Indy 500 winner and is co-owner, with David Letterman, of the 2004 Indianapolis 500 winning Rahal Letterman Racing team. Six-time SCCA National champion John Fergus is the Club’s Vice President/Treasurer, and five-time SCCA National champion Tom Davey is the Secretary.

In addition to RRDC members lending their expertise to up-and-coming drivers, the Club presents three annual awards: the Phil Hill Award for rendering outstanding service to road racing; the Mark Donohue Award for personal spirit and performance at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs; and the Bob Akin Award – the top award presented to amateur and semi-professional racers - for speed with style, passion, sportsmanship and contribution to motorsports.

The RRDC also supports the Team USA Scholarship, which has been assisting young Americans in the early stages of their careers since 1990.

Membership in the RRDC is by invitation only. Additional information on the organization may be found at http://www.rrdc.org/ .

Photo of Augie Pabst, center, receiving the 2010 Bob Akin Award at the RRDC dinner in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Jan. 26, from Bobby Akin, left, and Bobby Rahal. Photo credit: Jeff Tan

~