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Texan Matt Merrell a strong second in ARCA run at Berlin Raceway

MARNE MI (7-25-09) - Justin Lofton, who had gradually fallen behind ARCA RE/MAX Series point leader Parker Kligerman in the championship chase, came to Berlin Raceway with a newly-announced game plan in place; and it worked.

The Westmorland, California driver also held off the lead-lap pack during a green-white-checker finish to win the Wolverine Power Systems 200 Saturday night at the legendary Marne, Michigan short track.

“What an incredible night,” said Lofton. “My guys were perfect tonight. We had the best car and it certainly showed. This is my favorite car. We went off a different pit strategy and it worked. I really have to hand it to my guys for making the call. This win feels every bit as good as the one at Talladega.”

Lofton, who pitted just once out of sequence with the leaders, drove back to the front and stayed there for the remainder of the race to earn his third career series victory. He also closed to within 100 points of Kligerman headed to Pocono Raceway for the next event on tour.

Through it all, it was a banner night for Lofton, who, not only won the Menards Pole Award with a new one-lap track record, led 171 of 207 laps. Lofton also snapped Kligerman’s four-race win streak after proclaiming earlier in the week that was racing for wins alone from here on out rather than racing for points.

Matt Merrell got to within a half-length of Lofton on the final lap in turn three but washed up the track as Lofton sailed off the bottom end of turn four toward the checkered flag. Merrell finished a career-best second, three lengths away in the ColinsHope.org-Red Line Oil Dodge.

“I thought I had a chance to get by Justin Lofton but I just couldn’t keep up with him at the end of the race,” said Merrell. “He was getting some really good runs. I don’t think the 6 car was necessarily better; we were pretty even-but this track really eats up tires and that’s what got us at the end.”

Seventeen-year-old Chad Finley, in the Auto Value Service Centers-AutoParts2020.com Chevrolet, finished a career-best third, but not before causing some controversy resulting from an altercation with series veteran Frank Kimmel.

“Everybody comes in to this place and dives up the track,” said Finley. “I probably should have been more patient with him [Frank Kimmel] especially with as much experience as he has here and as good as he has been here, so I apologize for that. It feels good, but it’s not all me. It’s everyone over at BKR Racing; especially my crew chief [Wayne Setterington]. He’s just awesome and we work really well together.”kimmelcrashberlin09.jpg

Finley, who was battling Kimmel for third under five laps to go, turned Kimmel off turn four. That left Kimmel sideways on the frontstretch and an open target for Michel Disdier, who plowed into Kimmel’s left-front corner on the way by. Kimmel then crawled back to pit road in a shower of sparks before returning in time to finish a disappointing 12th.

“What a night,” said Kimmel. “We had a great car all day - from practice to qualifying and on into tonight. Overall, though, it was great to battle for the lead, even if we had somewhat of a disappointing finish. We were definitely a factor until the 29 car turned us and we just flat got ran over. That was really frustrating. It would have been great to not only have the finish we deserved but to have reached that 10,000 laps led mark. Either way, we still accomplished another goal here by leading our first laps of the season, which is a great thing for this team because they’ve worked hard all year long.”

Kimmel, after leading 36 laps, inched closer to yet another milestone. The Clarksville, Indiana stock car legend is now just 6 laps shy of leading 10,000 laps in ARCA RE/MAX Series competition.

Pete Shepherd finished fourth in the Venturini Motorsports-National Exhaust Systems Chevrolet. Joey Coulter was fifth in the Darrell Gwynn Foundation-Tempest Cycles Chevrolet.

Lofton led the first 108 laps before finally making his one and only pit stop for new tires and fuel, long after every other lead lap driver had pitted. Kimmel took control of the top-spot from there until the eventual winner, who rejoined the field in eighth, quickly charged back through the pack to take the lead for good and lap 145.

Kligerman, suffering from the flu, ended up finishing sixth in the Cunningham Motorsports Dodge.

“That’s what championships are made of,” said Kligerman. “They are made of making the best out of your bad days, and that’s what we had today-a bad day. I’m feeling sicker and sicker as the adrenaline wears off. It was a rough day out there. No one seemed to have any room for us. Funny how that works out. We’ll go to Pocono and make up for it, hopefully with a win.”

Craig Goess was seventh in the Greenville of North Carolina Toyota in front of Justin Lloyd, who finished eighth in his career-first start on the LNCS-Calero Investments-RM Technology Chevrolet.

Bryan Silas fought his way back onto the lead lap after getting spun early in the race to finish a solid ninth in the Rockingham Speedway-Holland Pumps Chevrolet. Tom Hessert finished 10th in the Cherry Hill Classic Cars Ford.

The ARCA RE/MAX Series travel next to Pocono Raceway for the Pennsylvania ARCA 200 Saturday, August 1st, live on SPEED at 1:00 PM ET. The ARCA Racing Network will also carry live streaming audio of all the on-track activity at ARCAracing.com

From ARCAracing.com

The McCurleys: Texas Father and Son race to the future

This weekend is Father’s Day, and for nineteen year old ARCA Rookie Stephan McCurley he will be spending plenty of ‘quality time’ with his dad and crew chief Mike McCurley as they compete in the Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA RE/MAX 200 at Mansfield Motorsports Park.

The father and son duo have worked together the last 12 years towards a common goal – success for Stephan’s racing career. These years were spent side-by-side, in the shop and racing on the weekends since Stephan was seven years old, with Mike as the crew chief and Stephen the driver.

The two have succeeded through the ranks from karts, Allison Legacy cars, Late Models, the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour and now the ARCA RE/MAX series. Always on a limited budget, just the two of them, they have pulled off some amazing feats over the years. This success comes from a relationship and communication between crew chief and driver that even Sprint Cup teams would envy.

At an early age, Stephan would come to his dad Mike with car designs and set-ups. Mike immediately saw an amazing ingenuity in his son. He would implement these suggestions and ideas on the race car. Soon this was almost a telepathic flow between the two of them. This led to success very early in Stephan’s career, and continued as he advanced in the sport.

This communication and teamwork between the two of them could not have been more evident last year when they raced their own Super Late Model in the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour. They spent a lot of time on the road, sometimes for stretches that lasted up to three weeks; they traveled thousands of miles from Houston TX as far as Raleigh NC, with just the two of them to share driving duties. At the track they maintained and prepared the car with little or no crew to speak of, except for a volunteer crew member here and there.

“Dad and I spent a lot of time on the road last year.” Says Stephan. “It was hard work, but that’s what we both love to do. We talk about what we could do to make the car better, and making that happen. When you spend that much time together you get to be really close, and Dad and I know what each other are thinking sometimes without even saying it.”

Going up against well funded teams, with full crews, the two lone McCurley’s pulled off an impressive ASA season, finishing 2nd in the overall point’s championship for the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour in series inaugural season, also winning the Blue Ridge regional championship in points and finishing 2nd in the Carolina Clash regional championship points.

At the end of 2008, the McCurley’s on-track performance caught the attention of ARCA team owner and fellow Texan Donny Kelly. He offered 18 year old Stephan a ride for 2009 in his #03 ARCA Chevrolet. In all aspects, this is a rookie team. This would be the first year for Donny Kelly as an ARCA car owner; Stephan has an ARCA driver, and Mike as an ARCA crew chief. They would have to pull off a very big job.

Mike knew he had to dive in and learn about the ARCA car as quickly as possible. Stephan also did the same, with shock setups and getting the feel of a heavier race car. They both maintain the ARCA car full time.

“Stephan and I work all day on the ARCA car, over at the shop in Porter TX, and drive back to our shop in Humble, every night to work on the late models, which we also maintain for other drivers. That’s actually our day job - that we do at night.” Says Mike. “Stephan is my first priority, he knows that I am going to make sure every bolt is tight on the car, and I’m going to go over everything twice. We work together to get the car better and he trusts that I am going to keep him safe at all times.”

This is the first time Mike has to lead a full pit crew; five of the #03 pit crew members include students from the University of Northwestern Ohio. Mike also serves as jack man and crew chief on race day, but he’s used to multi-tasking. “I will do whatever is needed for me to do,” he says “I’m willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to make sure Stephan succeeds in racing, even if that means working around the clock, and Stephan’s working hard right beside me. We can only hope that hard work pays off for him, I don’t care if I move on, I just want him to.”

Mike and Stephan knew this would be a big undertaking but they’ve never stepped away from a challenge. The sacrifices made by the McCurley’s extend more than father and son but to the rest of the family. Mom, Kristy, stays home with Stephan’s other two siblings, sister Destin and little brother Dayton. “Sometimes it’s hard when Stephan and Mike are gone, and they’re gone a lot.” Says Kristy. “But I fully support what they are doing and I’m very proud of what the two of them have accomplished together.” She continues, “The two of them are so close, and I’m just glad that Stephan has his dad to look out for him and keep him safe, I can sleep better at night knowing this.”

The PGM team with Stephan McCurley behind the wheel and Mike McCurley as crew chief, are making steady improvements on a race-by-race basis he currently 13th in ARCA driver points. “We are getting better every race, says Stephan. We are both learning with this experience. It would be great if more opportunities come for me from this, so my dad could get a break!” He laughs. “But I don’t know if he would know what do with himself, he has always been there for me, wrench in hand- ready to do whatever. I hope he can help out my brother and sister if they want to race, too.”

Father and son, driver and crew chief, best friends on and off the track, the McCurley’s have something special that only life in racing has brought them. Mike has run his own successful ‘driver development’ program for his son, that has done more than advance a career, but given them a bond and trust that many only wish they had with their sons and daughters. Many more challenges may be ahead for Stephan, but he knows he will always have his dad there for him.

To learn more about Stephan and Mike McCurley please visit: www.stephanmccurley.com

by McCurley Racing

Texan James Buescher back at Win-Tron Racing controls for ARCA race at Michigan

James Buescher will have a busy weekend at Michigan International Speedway. In addition to running the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event on Saturday, Buescher will return to the controls of the No. 32 Wolfpack Rentals TOYOTA Camry for Win-Tron Racing in the ARCA RE/MAX Series for Friday’s Racing for Wildlife 200.

And while the pressure to run two races on the same weekend can get to any driver, there’s even more pressure for Buescher on Friday night as the Plano, Texas, native has won in both of his starts this year for the Lakeville, Minnesota based team.

In February, Buescher powered his way through all the carnage and captured his first superspeedway win. Last month in his first start since the Daytona triumph, Buescher went back to victory lane at Kentucky Speedway recording his third career victory in the ARCA RE/MAX Series.

Now Buescher sets his sights on Michigan international Speedway and its two-mile oval looking to make it three-for-three. Ironically, Buescher has never competed in a race at the famed Irish Hills track which is a similar story to the Bluegrass track of Kentucky Speedway.

The team did however participate in the open-test at Michigan International Speedway last month with satisfactory results. Not 100 percent pleased with the performance, the team went back to work on their Camry and feel that with their motor and the adjustments made to the car, Buescher will have no problem finding himself in the running.

“James is confident about this weekend,” said Nate Thiesse, co-owner and general manager of Win-Tron Racing. “We tested a couple weeks ago and it didn’t exactly go as planned but we know that when we come back to the race, we are always much better. It’s not going to be an easy task on Friday, but we’ll be ready, that’s for sure.”

Since 2007, Buescher has 16 career ARCA RE/MAX Series starts with three victories at USA International Speedway (March 2007), Daytona International Speedway (February 2009) and Kentucky Speedway (May 2009). He has six top-five finishes and 10 top-10 efforts to his credit. Buescher holds one pole position at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2008. He had led 266 laps in eight RE/MAX Series events.

Entering Michigan, Win-Tron Racing remains second in the ARCA RE/MAX Series owner’s standings after seven races. Unofficially, Car owner Kevin Cywinski is 15 markers behind over first place car owner Jessica Sharp (No. 6). The team retained their spot from their last outing at Pocono Raceway after Matt Merrell finished fifth.

The Racing for Wildlife 200 (100 laps / 200 miles) is the eighth of 21 events on the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule. The 28th ARCA race at Michigan International Speedway is a two-day show. Practice begins Thursday, June 11 with a two hour practice session planned from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is set for later in the day slated to begin at 3:00 p.m. The event will take the green flag on Friday, June 12 shortly after 5:15 p.m. The event will live on SPEED. The race will also be broadcasted live through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local.

Further information on Win-Tron Racing is available by visiting win-tronracing.com or contacting Nate Thiesse at 952.469.1839 or nate@win-tronracing.com.

For more on James Buescher, please logon to JamesBuescher.com.

by Win-Tron Racing

Buescher has solid Camping World Truck Series run in California

As the stars of the big screen arrived in Tinseltown for the Academy Awards, the stars of the NASCAR Camping World Series rumbled into California for round 2 of the 2009 season.

After a dynamic performance during Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway that earned Texan James Buescher the nod for the top spot in the ARCA ReMax Series and a stint at the front of the field in his first Camping World Truck Series start for Circle Bar Racing, Buescher headed cross country to Auto Club Speedway for the San Bernardino 200.

Not only was the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Candidate making only his 3rd series start it was the first time he had seen the Auto Club Speedway. Crew chief Jamie Jones and the team on Buescher’s International MaxxForce Diesel Ford F-150 prepared a stable truck they could adjust and make faster during practice.

Buescher’s first laps on the 2-mile oval were tentative as the rookie made his first laps on a new racetrack. As the first practice session wore on Buescher steadily climbed the speed charts. By the second session, Buescher was comfortable and turning top 20 lap times. Buescher hit his marks in qualifying and improved on his practice lap times to start outside of the eighth row.

With the drop of the green flag, spotter Jason Hedlesky helped Buescher work traffic and in his first start at Auto Club Speedway Buescher moved quickly towards the top 10. With 20 of 100 laps in the books, Buescher’s International MaxxForce Diesel F-150 was loose in, loose in the middle and loose off.

With a caution on lap 26, crew chief Jamie Jones called Buescher to pit road for a double pit stop for 4 fresh Goodyear Wranglers on the first stop and a full load of Sunoco fuel on the second. Always performing, the International MaxxForce Diesel over-the-wall-crew picked up three spots on pit road.

Back under green Buescher was sliding around in oil being dropped from the 25 truck of Terry Cook, but with oil on the track the caution flag waved yet again. Jones brought the International MaxxForce Diesel F-150 back to pit road to top of the fuel tank and make a track bar adjustment.

Back under green the Plano, Texas native started working his way into the top 10, lap 48-11th, lap 49-10th, lap 50-9th, lap 51-8th.

As the laps wore on so did Buescher’s Goodyears.

By lap 70 the International MaxxForce Diesel F-150 was sliding around on the track and sliding back in the field. Buescher was looking for a caution for fresh tires but the race stayed green until the finish. With the new pit rules requiring 2 stops to take gas and tires Jones could only bring the International MaxxForce Diesel F-150 one time. On lap 81 Buescher made his way down pit road for gas and another track bar adjustment. The final adjustment was enough for Buescher to hang on for 13th and the top finishing Ford.

James on his weekend; “I’m proud to lead the Ford contingent in only my second start at Circle Bar. The credit goes to Jamie (Jones) and all the guys on our International MaxxForce Diesel team, they do a great job, not only with our trucks but also helping me get around. We had a solid truck that kept getting better all weekend, I wish we had gotten an opportunity to put on some fresh tires in the second half of the race. I’m looking forward to Atlanta.”

The International MaxxForce Diesel Team will be in action when the NASCAR Camping World Series holds round 3 of the 2009 season in the American Commercial Lines 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 7th at 2:00 PM EST. Live coverage of the race provided by Speed, MRN and Sirius Radio. Pre-Race Show on Speed at 1:30 PM EST.

By Circle Bar Racing
Photo courtesy of Ronda Greer.

Texan James Buescher gets “peeled” by the “Onion” to start the “Big One” at Daytona

James Buescher, the eighteen year-old Plano, Texas, driver who is making a splash (I know it rhymes with crash, but we’ll get to that later) in the upper echelons of stock car racing, had a great run going in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 NASCAR trucks race at Daytona on Friday, but due to an unfortunate racing incident ended up in the middle of the “big one” to finish disappointing 25th.

James Buescher

That wreck - involving nine trucks - took out defending truck champion Johnny Benson and rookie Ricky Carmichael, a former motocross star who was making his NASCAR debut.

On lap 48, Buescher, who won the ARCA race at Daytona last Saturday, had a good head of steam up and made an outside move on the race leader Ron Hornaday, Jr., but eventual race-winner Todd Bodine appeared to clip the left rear of Buescher’s International Maxx Force Diesel Ford 150. Buescher then ran into Hornaday Jr.’s truck and spun out of control, causing a chain reaction that took out Johnny Benson, Carmichael and Johnny Sauter, among others.

At the post-race press conference Buescher explained: “I just got a run to the outside of Hornaday and was trying to get around him to go try to lead a lap early on. They said he (Bodine) hit me. I don’t really know what happened, but started spinning and took a lick in the door and a lot of smoke.”

Tough luck for the youngster making his first Daytona NASCAR Truck Series start.

by Nick Holt
Photo courtesy of autoracingdaily.com

Texan James Buescher, 18, conquers Daytona

One of the best ways to avoid the “big one” at Daytona is to stay out front. That’s exactly what 18-year-old James Buescher did most of the way to win the wild ARCA RE/MAX Series Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 Saturday afternoon at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

Buescher takes the checkered a car length in front of Joey Logano

Buescher, who led the final 44 laps in the Kevin Cywinski-owned Wolfpack Toyota, held off NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie Joey Logano in a one-lap shoot-out to earn the biggest victory of his career.

James Buescher celebrates after a huge win at Daytona

“We’d been getting pretty good restarts all night,” said Buescher. “Just pulling away from the pack, the car was pretty good and I knew Joey [Logano] was going to try to get me in turn three because that is what he had been trying to do all night. I told my spotter not to be quiet the entire last lap and he didn’t, so he really helped me through it. Daytona is on top of everyone’s list so this means a lot.”

Buescher, who started from the tail-end because of unapproved adjustments, also steered his way through several multi-car wrecks en route to the front.

“Starting from the back, we did what we had to do to get there. These guys on this crew rebuilt the whole suspension last night. ARCA didn’t like what we had under there, but I think it made the car faster anyway.”

In all, there were six cautions for 47 laps that eliminated a wide variety of contenders including defending winner Michael Annett, Matt Carter, 1999 series champion Bill Baird and Tom Hessert to name a few.

The race was also red flagged for 19 minutes during the final caution, which involved Patrick Sheltra, Larry Hollenbeck and Frank Kimmel. Both Sheltra and Hollenbeck were transported, conscious and alert, to a local hospital for further evaluation while Kimmel finished the race in 11th, the last car on the lead lap.

Bobby Gerhart, following a one-car incident, was also transported, conscious and alert, to a local hospital. Gerhart was evaluated and released.

Logano, in the Venturini Motorsports Toyota, finished second, one length away from Buescher.

Justin Lofton, who earned the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell on Friday, finished third after leading the first 35 laps in the Lofton Cattle Toyota.

“I was hoping for the 09 car [John Wes Townley] to be a little stronger behind me to give me some momentum and help push me past Joey [Logano],” Lofton said.

John Wes Townley, in the Zaxby’s Ford, finished fourth in a back-up car with Ken Weaver, in the 1-800-4-A-Phone/Tricolor Dodge, finishing fifth. Weaver, making his series return after a two-year hiatus, also earned the CGS Imaging Hard Charger Award for advancing the most positions.

Ed Kennedy, in the Thunder 2-Daytona Lagoon Chevrolet, earned a career-best sixth place finish as did rookies’ Parker Kligerman and Tim George, Jr., who finished seventh and eighth respectively. George also earned the Highest Finishing Rookie Award. Under-funded independents’ Darrell Basham and Norm Benning finished ninth and tenth.

The event served as a prelude to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout.

Buescher also earned the Aaron’s Lap Leader Award for leading the most laps.

On Tuesday, race fans can ask Buescher about the 2009 Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 via a live audio chat on arcaracing.com. The segment, titled 30 at 30, will debut on Tuesday, February 10th at 3:30 p.m. ET on arcaracing.com.

The next event on the ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule is at Salem Speedway in Salem, Indiana on Sunday, April 5th. For more information on the ARCA RE/MAX Series, visit www.arcaracing.com.

TOP-10 UNOFFICIAL ARCA RE/MAX SERIES POINTS AFTER THE LUCAS OIL SLICK MIST 200 AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (2-7-09): 1) James Buescher 235; 1) Justin Lofton 235; 3) Joey Logano 225; 4) John Wes Townley 210; 5) Ken Weaver 205; 6) Ed Kennedy 200; 7) Parker Kligerman 195; Tim George, Jr. 190; 9) Darrell Basham 185; 10) Norm Benning 180.

by ARCA PR

Texan James Buescher qualifies 7th for Daytona ARCA event

DAYTONA BEACH FL (2-6-09)-Justin Lofton earned the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell at Daytona International Speedway on Friday afternoon with a time of 49.418 seconds (182.120 mph) around the 2.5-mile speed plant. The Eddie Sharp Racing Driver starts Saturday’s Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 ARCA RE/MAX Series race alongside Daytona Beach, Florida native Alli Owens. The race is live on SPEED beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern.

“The car felt really good,” said Lofton. “Driving around here doesn’t require too much but a good handling car. We came here exactly with what Bryan Clauson sat on the pole with here in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race last year and it worked again.”

The top-five starters for Saturday’s ARCA RE/MAX Series race will all be sporting the Toyota nameplate, led by Lofton and Owens. Local favorite Owens, who is making her first career ARCA RE/MAX Series start with D’Hondt Motorsports this weekend, qualified a career best second in the No. 19 ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota with a time of 49.584 seconds (181.510 mph).

“That was awesome,” said Owens. “I waited so long to be able to see my name up front at the top of the charts during qualifying and the crew and everyone over at Eddie D’Hondt racing has done a really good job supporting me. I want lots of pictures so all of you people out there taking pictures send them to me. I thought to myself ‘here’s your chance Alli. Here’s your chance to accomplish what you’ve been waiting for.’ And I went out there and hit my marks and I couldn’t be happier.”

James Buescher

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie Joey Logano qualified third in a Toyota owned by Bill Venturini, followed by Michael Annett in the No. 01 Visit Japan Campaign Toyota and Brian Scott in the No. 8 Venturini-prepared Albertson’s Toyota. Five-time ARCA Daytona winner Bobby Gerhart starts sixth in the No. 5 Lucas Oil-Slick Mist Chevrolet, followed by James Buescher, Will Kimmel, Craig Goess and Tom Hessert.

The Series will hold a final practice session from 5:10-6:15 p.m. Friday in which teams will only be allowed to make a limited number of pre-approved adjustments. The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 is live on SPEED beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. A live radio broadcast of the race will accompany live timing and scoring on arcaracing.com.

For more information on the ARCA RE/MAX Series, visit http://www.arcaracing.com/.

Texan James Buescher set for Daytona ARCA RE/MAX start

Last October’s race at Talladega should have been a standout day in James Buescher’s racing career. With the pole position in hand the Plano, Texas, native led the field to green shortly before suffering an irreparable transmission problem.

This Saturday, Buescher makes his return to superspeedway racing, taking on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway in the ARCA RE/MAX Series Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200. With the Talladega pole-winning car in tow, Buescher hopes to secure his second career ARCA victory for Win-Tron Racing.

“Talladega is a race that we should have dominated,” said Buescher. “I hope Daytona brings more of the same. Our test in December wasn’t quite what we expected but the team has taken the car back to Minnesota [home of Win-Tron Racing] and worked all the way until this week, so hopefully, this can be a race to remember.”

The upcoming 80-lap trek certainly will be one to remember for Buescher, 19, who admittedly claims Saturday night’s race to be one of the biggest of his career. It also serves as a precursor to a race the following weekend in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event—his first career start for Circle Bar Racing.

Buescher’s Wolfpack Rentals-sponsored No. 32 will give him a final chance to hone his drafting technique prior to a slugfest of full-blown fender-to-fender racing in the grizzle-heavy Truck Series. The full-time gig (an announcement was made last week) is a new horizon for Buescher as he preps for Rookie of the Year honors in the series, a year after making six NASCAR Nationwide Series appearances (one which yielded a top-ten finish at Gateway International Raceway, another awarding him his first career pole at Memphis Motorsports Park).

It’s obvious that Buescher is excited. His signature smirk has grown to an all-out smile since joining Circle Bar.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity in the Truck Series,” voiced Buescher. “Rick Crawford [owner of Circle Bar Racing] is a great person to have running the team and driving as your teammate and I’m very happy to have Jamie Jones as a crew chief. This is a chance I’ve been wanting for a long time and now it’s here. I fully intend to make the most of it.”

But the Truck Series is a full week away. Buescher is also concerned about the now.

“We have some ground to make up, I think. I’ve worked with Kevin Cywinski [Win-Tron co-owner] and Mike Chaffee [crew chief] for the last two years and we’ve had the ability to do great things but for one reason or another, it hasn’t ever materialized. This weekend is a chance to come to a big track and show that we know what we’re doing. The whole Win-Tron team puts in a great deal of effort and if I can get just one more win for them and Wolfpack Rentals, I’ll be happy.”

“I’m not sure how many more ARCA starts I’ll make, but I know for sure I want at least one more win. A Daytona win could be a dream come true.”

Watch James on Television: SPEED will air the ARCA RE/MAX Series Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at 4 pm EST on Saturday, February 7.

PGM Racing Announces 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Rookie Campaign With Driver Stephan McCurley

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.

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