PGM Racing Announces 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Rookie Campaign With Driver Stephan McCurley
January 29, 2009
PGM Racing team owner Donny Kelley has announced that 18 year-old Texas Late Model champion Stephan McCurley will drive his #03 PGM Racing Chevrolet in the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series.
The team will debut at the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 ARCA event at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 2009. They plan to race the full season in an effort for Stephan to compete for the Rookie of the Year title. This will be the first ever ARCA race for this newly formed team and rookie driver. They will be under the guidance of veteran crew chief Travis Sharpe.
PGM team owner Donny Kelley is no stranger to the series, having competed last season as a driver with a top 20 finish in the final ARCA RE/MAX point standings.
Donny became an ARCA RE/MAX Series team owner with the strategy for PGM Racing that is based on giving young and talented race drivers an opportunity to prove themselves in the bigger leagues of the sport based on talent and not their pocketbook. His plan is to start building the team with Stephan, whom he has known and raced with on the Texas short tracks, and then eventually develop him into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He then plans to scout top racing talent and then bring another deserving driver through his program.
“We know the next ‘Great American Driver’ is out there and we aim to find them, build them, and make their goals and dreams a reality. Our mission at PGM Racing is to build a strong foundation with winning drivers, championship caliber equipment, good people and a winning attitude,” stated Kelley. “We are looking for marketing partners who also believe in this cause and want to share in this purpose. We already have some great supporters on board with us and we plan to build this into a successful program for all involved.”
For driver Stephan McCurley, this is a dream come true. “I am really excited to be driving for Donny, the PGM team and racing at Daytona,” said McCurley. “Donny is giving me a chance that I probably would not have been able to get on my own since I don’t have the finances to offer teams in these top divisions. It’s a goal for me to win races and championships soon in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and this gives me the start I need to prove myself. I will be focusing on getting the ARCA rookie of the year and doing my best to get the team good finishes all season. I appreciate the opportunity and I want help him build the team.”
Stephan comes to Daytona after testing for the PGM team back in December of ‘08, but it will be his first race on a super speedway.
McCurley has just come off a hot late model season in the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour where with only one car, and just his dad and himself as crew, he finished 2nd overall in the final series championship point standings, 2nd in the Carolina Clash standings and won the Blue Ridge Regional point standings all in the tour’s first season, as well as Stephan’s first touring series in a late model.
Stephan McCurley is fully focused on the job he has ahead of him at Daytona. Recently, when the new PGM ARCA car was painted a metallic charcoal grey, he was asked if he was worried he would blend into the track and get run over as a rookie– He replied; “The color of the car won’t matter because I plan on being up front.”
Donny Kelley is impressed by McCurley’s desire and focus. “Stephan has a ton of driving talent and knowledge about the race car,” Kelley said. “I have had my eye on him for years and both of us being from the Houston, Texas, area I believe we have the perfect combination for this team. As a fellow driver Stephan and I respected each other on the track, but we raced hard — and that’s what I want in my driver as a car owner. I am very optimistic that we will have success this season with the car, engines and crew we have assembled. We are going for a full 2009 ARCA run and we hope to bring in more marketing partners as the season progresses. We are excited about our debut at Daytona and we are going there fully prepared to run up front.”
PGM Racing is based out of Porter, TX and driver Stephan McCurley hails from nearby Humble, TX just outside of Houston.
PGM Racing’s marketing partners include; Porter Glass and Mirror, American Screen Graphics, Royal Purple Synthetic Oil, and Sonic Restaurants.
For more information please visit www.pgmracing.net and www.stephanmccurley.com.
Lone Star Legends return to Thunderhill Raceway
January 29, 2009
Kyle, TX - The start of the 2009 Racing Season at Thunderhill Raceway (THR) in Kyle (TX) is getting closer, and the schedule continues to change – adding more entertainment value for the fans.
The latest addition to the schedule is the return of the Lone Star Legends and Bandoleros to Thunderhill Raceway’s 3/8-mile, asphalt oval speedway – on April 11, July 11 and August 8.
Headquartered at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, TX, the Lone Star Legends and Bandoleros series offers racers of all ages an opportunity to compete in some very unique race cars.
The Lone star Legends are 1934-37 Chevy, Ford and Dodge fiberglass coupes and sedans that are powered by 132HP Yamaha engines. Drivers in these classic-type vehicles range from ages 14 and up in the Semi-Pro class, all the way up to the “40 and over” Masters class.
The Bandoleros are small, 70” wheelbase cars that weigh only 550 pounds. The Bandit class cars are piloted by youngsters who are 8-11, followed by the Yong Guns class with the 12-15 year-old drivers. The “old folks” (ages 16 and up) drive in the Masters Class in these sleek, scaled-down racecars
Mary Ann Naumann, Thunderhill Raceway’s Owner/Promoter, is excited about the return of the Lone Star Legends and Bandoleros in 2009.
“I’m really glad that we were able to add the Legends and Bandos to our schedule,” said Naumann. “We were a little late in getting them included in our schedule this year, and this popular series was already almost completely booked at other tracks all over the state.”
Naumann also feels that this series offers a great opportunity for youngsters to become involved in motorsports.
“We’re always promoting Thunderhill Raceway as a family-oriented facility,” added Naumann. “Many of these young drivers have family members involved in our other classes, and it’s a great way to get them started in racing. A couple of the drivers were practicing this past Saturday at our Test-n-Tune session, and it’s great to see these young drivers out on the track.”
Thunderhill Raceway will kick off its 2009 racing season on March 14 with the Allstate Texas Racefest. Full Throttle Productions is hosting this popular annual event that will feature the NASCAR Grand National Division, USAC National Midgets and the TSRS Late Models.
For more information on Thunderhill Raceway, please visit the THR website at www.thunderhillraceway.com. Information on the Lone Star Legends may be found at www.lonestarlegends.net, and details about the Allstate Texas Racefest may be found at www.texasracefest.com.
by Debbie Williams, Thunderhill Raceway
Upcoming Race Car Shows
January 27, 2009
Starting on Friday of this week, several race cars will be on display at the San Antonio Rodeo BBQ Cookoff that’s being held at Fiesta Texas this year.
Michael Burris and Kasey and Katie Krauss will be helping to promote Thunderhill Raceway, and I understand that 6-8 race cars will be on display by the Alexander, Krauss and Menard race teams. I know that over 200 teams are entered in the cookoff, so make sure you visit areas 218, 219, 220 and 221 to check out the display. The name of their team is “Gasoline Alley,” and they will be displaying the THR banner and giving out flyers to promote our track.
At the end of February, Rick Remore from Cory Lovell’s race team will be hosting a car show at the Teri Road Baptist Church (TRBC). It’s a small church that’s located in the Dove Springs area in southeast Austin at 1844 Teri Road (previous Wal-Mart site).
The church is planning to emphasize racing during the month of February, and they will have a Dwarf car in the foyer for the entire month – along with decorations in a racing theme. Throughout the month, the sermons will be based on racing and competition, and a Daytona Watch Party is also being planned for anyone who’s interested.
Then, on February 22, the church will have a dinner on the grounds after Sunday morning services, followed by Pinewood Derby races. They also hope to have a bunch of “real” racecars (and trucks) on hand to give parishioners a chance to meet the drivers and crews. Since they have a large field available, they are planning to set up a life-size pit area, complete with cars haulers and crews. We also plan to set up a Track Booth and possibly some other sponsor-type booths.
This event should be fun for everyone and it will give the drivers and crews an opportunity to show their cars and to talk up racing in Austin.
By Debbie Williams, Thunderhill Raceway
Lone Star Speedzone Video Cast - 1/26/2009
January 26, 2009
In this week’s show, the crew headed out to Kyle to see what Thunderhill Raceway will have in store this season. We caught up with Debbie Williams and Mary Ann Naumann along with a few other characters we ran into in the pits!
Join Chris Doelle and Nick Holt for all the great racing action.
Stick with Lone Star Speedzone for all of your racing coverage in 2009!
ASA’s Dennis Huth honors Stapp Racing at Thunderhill Raceway awards ceremony
January 26, 2009
Tiffany Vogel, Cary Stapp, Kelli Stapp and Dennis Huth share the spotlight at THR.
Dennis Huth, President of American Speed Association (ASA) Racing, the fast-growing short track sanctioning body based in Daytona Beach, Florida, was on hand at the Thunderhill Raceway annual awards ceremony this past Saturday, January 24, 2009.
Thunderhill Raceway (THR) is an ASA Racing member track and Huth was there to recognize the 2008 American Speed Association Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil Member Track National Champion Cary Stapp and present the Stapp team with their championship hardware.
Dennis Huth addresses the large crowd on hand at the THR Awards Ceremony
Huth, a former high-ranking NASCAR official, was largely responsible for the founding of the very entertaining NASCAR Truck series and for several years headed the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series that included more than 100 short tracks accross the country at one time.
Photos by Jeff Garvin
2009 Allstate Texas Racefest Adds Unique “Dash for Cash” Elite Run
January 26, 2009
Full Throttle Productions – producer of the “Allstate Texas Racefest” – today announced a unique additional race to be held Saturday March 14th at Thunder Hill Raceway in Kyle, Texas, just outside of Austin. In addition to being the only place in the country where fans will see both a NASCAR race and a USAC race at the same facility on the same day, fans will also witness an elite-mile run in the Allstate/RunTex “Dash for Cash”.
Eight elite-mile runners from around the country will attempt to break the prestigious ‘sub-four minute’ mile barrier, never before attempted at a motorsport racing facility. “Well, it is called Racefest” stated Aryn White, co-founder of Full Throttle Productions. “We feel it adds a unique element for our fans and the fact that it has never been done before at a motorsport facility is an unexpected bonus” said White. The race will be fully certified and measured for authenticity by the USATF and adds to an already stellar line-up for Racefest 2009 which also includes a TSRS Late Model race.
“By having this elite run, it should expose short track racing to a new demographic of sports fan” Tavo (CT) Hellmund, co-founder of Full Throttle Productions, said. “We certainly are not sitting idle with the wonderful support this event has received in the past, but rather are continually trying to expand it’s reach and value to our partners and fans” Hellmund stated.
In addition to all the racing action, fans can enjoy a midway/concession area that will feature interactive fun with a climbing wall, face painting, two moonwalks, all day DJ, driver autograph sessions, sponsor tents (register to win prizes), live music and much more! Advance discounted tickets are available for a limited time.
For Information and tickets, visit www.texasracefest.com.
Swap Meet, Test-n-Tune, Banquet well-attended at Thunderhill Raceway
January 26, 2009
The weather for Saturday’s Swap Meet at Thunderhill Raceway (THR) started out cold and very breezy, but it didn’t deter the racers from bringing out their spare racing paraphernalia to sell or trade at the track’s Swap Meet. Fourteen race teams and vendors took advantage of the opportunity to swap their “stuff.”
During the Swap Meet, THR also held its first Test-n-Tune practice session of the year to give drivers from all classes and series an opportunity to shake down their racecars.
Cary Stapp (San Marcos, TX) showed up in his sharp-looking Texas Super Racing Series (TSRS) Late Model. He clocked in 33 laps on the track – turning in a top lap time of 15.706 around the 3/8-mile asphalt oval track.
“We were happy to see that so many vendors decided to join us at the Swap Meet,” said Mary Ann Naumann, THR’s Owner/Promoter. “And then we had a great turnout of cars and trucks for the practice session.”
The staff from www.lonestarspeedzone.com spent the entire day at the track shooting videos and talking to the drivers and staff about the upcoming season.
Naumann was enthusiastic about the presence of Lone Star Speedzone at the track yesterday. “I’m getting more excited about the involvement of Lone Star Speedzone in local racing,” said Naumann. “I feel they will bring racing media coverage up to a whole new level.”
Topping off the day was the 2008 THR/TSRS Awards Banquet. Special guests included Dennis Ceder, a well-known, retired head football coach from Reagan and Lanier High Schools in Austin, TX. Ceder gave a motivational talk about the similarity of racing to football and the value of being part of a team.
Neil Upchurch, who is the Race and Administrative Director of the Texas Pro Sedans (TPS), presented several awards to the THR staff and recognized his staff and the 2008 TPS champion.
One of the highlights of the banquet was the presentation of the American Speed Association (ASA) Joe Gibbs Short Track National Championship Award to Cary Stapp by Dennis Huth, ASA’s president.
Stapp competed in his ASA A-Line Super Stock car against short-track drivers from all over the nation to earn this coveted and prestigious title. One of prizes for winning the national championship title was the opportunity to take part in a test session with Joe Gibbs Racing. Stapp turned in an impressive performance when he took his test laps with the Joe Gibbs team at South Boston Speedway in December 2008.
Championships in the other divisions were also recognized – including Heath Stewart (TSRS Late Models), Jim Albert (Pro Trucks), J.C. Umscheid (Pro Modifieds), Homer Pitner (Grand Stocks) and Joey Tschoerner (Thunder Stocks). Albert and Umscheid were also recognized for earning the state championship titles in their respective classes.
Naumann was pleased with last night’s activities. “It was incredible to see so many drivers and their teams participating in the banquet,” said Naumann. “I also can’t say enough about the excitement that the emcees brought to the banquet. Bobby (Chaffee) and Rodney (Rodridguez) were both serious and humorous in showing our appreciation to the drivers and staff.”
“I look forward to the banquet every year because it gives me the opportunity to acknowledge everyone’s contributions and recognize our drivers,” added Naumann. “Our banquet attendance has grown so much that I’m even thinking of having two separate events next year to make sure everyone gets all of the recognition they deserve.”
Naumann also shared her insights for the upcoming racing season – including the transition to electronic scoring by all classes.
During the closing remarks, Naumann announced Clifton Winkleman as the new Race Director for the TSRS Late Models. Winkleman is replacing former Race Director Rick Day, who recently resigned to return to his hometown in Tampa, FL. Naumann also named Christine Parks as the new Director of Scoring for THR and TSRS.
Thunderhill Raceway will kick off its 2009 racing season with the Allstate Texas Racefest on March 14. Full Throttle Productions is hosting this popular annual event that will feature the NASCAR Grand National Division, USAC National Midgets and the TSRS Late Models.
For more information on Thunderhill Raceway, visit the THR website at www.thunderhillraceway.com. Information on the Allstate Texas Racefest may be found at www.texasracefest.com.
by Debbie Williams, Thunderhill Raceway PR
Lone Star Speedzone visits Houston Motorsports Park
January 22, 2009
Newstreamz Media co-owner Chris Doelle, Lone Star Speedzone Administrator Nick Holt and LSS videographer Eric Wiede recently visited with Houston Motorsports Park’s Graham Baker and John Mandabach at the immaculate 3/8-mile paved oval in Northeast Houston.
While there we shot video of conversations that Nick had with both Graham and John. Click here for the video.
We also snapped a few pics of the LSS team together with Graham and John.
Chris Doelle, Graham Baker, John Mandabach and Nick Holt
Nick and Chris show off their new LSS shirts high above HMP
“Houston Motorsports Park is on a roll,” Doelle said. “These guys are doing it right and it shows.”
LSS Gear - show you really mean business!
January 21, 2009
You have probably seen this gear on the Lone Star Speedzone staff around the state the past couple of weeks. We have had such a large number of people coming up asking how they can purchase one that we are now making them available here. We are on our second printing already and they are continuing to go fast.
Pick them up now because all the cool kids will be wearing them this racing season!! 
We have two great items available
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Athletic cap - gray color (ProFlex fitted sizes M/L available now) $14.95
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Addidas pique polo - black w/white stripes (L & XL available now) $45.00
Lone Star Speedzone Video Cast - 1/20/2009
January 20, 2009
In our first ever Lone Star Speedzone Video Cast, the Crew will head to Houston Motorsports Park to see what they have in store for the season. Join Nick Holt and Chris Doelle as they get the scoop directly from the management of Houston Motorsports Park.
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