Kentucky Speedway News and Notes - Feb. 12, 2007
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY RPM READING PROGRAM TO MAKE NORTHERN KENTUCKY STOPS FEB. 15
Kentucky Speedway’s RPM Reading Program will make Feb. 15 stops at Gallatin Co. Upper Elementary School and Dry Ridge Elementary School. Official speedway mascot “Horsepower” plays host during program visits and helps energize reading efforts by furnishing individual RPMs (Reading Program Manuals) to help track books students read throughout the school year. Other program materials include a classroom “Winner’s Circle” poster, color-in bookmarks and personalized cutout racecars that display readers’ names. Once schools enroll in the program, teachers work with students to
set a reading goal from a list of available, approved texts. When students complete a text, they enter the title in their RPM and complete a short test related to the subject matter. Students receive their bookmark when they cross the midway point to their goal and will have a racecar bearing their name posted on the classroom “Winner’s Circle” poster upon reaching their goal. Schools also will receive surprise visits from Horsepower throughout the program. Readers’ ultimate reward will be an end-of-the-year field trip to Kentucky Speedway. Students will pack a lunch, tour the speedway and be treated to several laps around the racetrack in their school busses or vans. Participating school principals also will be rewarded with a free driving school session from the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Students will root principals on as they race around the
1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway tri-oval track in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup style cars at speeds up to 170 mph.
2006 KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY BUSCH SERIES CHAMPION TAKES DAYTONA 500 POLE
The success story Robert Yates Racing NEXTEL Cup Series driver David
Gilliland started with a NASCAR Busch Series “Meijer 300 Presented by Oreo”
win at Kentucky Speedway last summer continued at Daytona International
Speedway this past weekend when the driver of the No. 38 M&M’s machine took
the pole position for the Feb. 18 Daytona 500 and grabbed a second-place
finish in the Bud Shootout. Gilliland, who competed in 14 races last season
with his current team and posted season-best 15th-place finishes at
Talladega Superspeedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway, took his second career
series pole with a 186.320-mph lap and will share the front row with
teammate Ricky Rudd. Rudd turned a 185.609-mph qualifying circuit. The
remainder of the Daytona 500 starting grid will be determined by the
results of two 150-mile Gatorade Duel races to be held Feb. 15 beginning at
2:00 p.m., on SPEED Channel. Gilliland will attempt to become the 10th
driver to win the “Great American Race” from the pole position. The top 35
drivers from the 2006 standings are guaranteed a spot in Sunday’s 500-mile
affair along with Dale Jarrett, who will take advantage of the past series
champion provisional to compete in his new Michael Waltrip Racing car.
Other drivers who earned spots in the upcoming duel races based on
qualifying runs were Boris Said, two-time Daytona 500 winner Sterling
Marlin and Johnny Sauter. Two-time NEXTEL Cup Series champion Tony Stewart
won the Bud Shootout for the third time in his career. The defending
Daytona 500 champion also is defending series champion Jimmie Johnson. Jeff
Burton started the 2006 event from the pole position after turning in a
189.151-mph qualifying effort. Sunday Daytona 500 coverage begins at 2:00
p.m. on FOX television and MRN Radio.
NASCAR BUSCH AND CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES OPEN SEASONS AT DAYTONA THIS WEEK
NASCAR Busch and Craftsman Truck Series drivers will open their respective
seasons on Feb. 16 and 17 at Daytona International Speedway. Former
Kentucky Speedway NASCAR Busch Series race winner and 2006 NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series champion Todd Bodine will open his title defense Feb. 16 at
7:30 p.m., on SPEED Channel and MRN Radio. He finished second in last
season’s opening race behind pole award winner Mark Martin. Former NASCAR
Busch and Craftsman Truck Series Kentucky Speedway race winner Carl Edwards
will open the quest for his first Busch Series championship Feb. 17 at noon
on ESPN2. Tony Stewart won the 2006 event that J.J. Yeley started from the
pole position.
KIMMEL OPENS ARCA RE/MAX SERIES WITH TOP-FIVE FINISH
Four-time Kentucky Speedway race winner and eight-time ARCA RE/MAX Series
champion Frank Kimmel opened his 18th series season with a fifth-place
finish at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 10. The Clarksville, Ind.,
veteran who closed out the 2006 campaign with four wins, 13 top-five and 15
top-10 finishes earned his 197th career top-five finish. He finished behind
race winner Bobby Gerhart, who reeled in his third straight and
series-record fifth victory at the track. Gerhart finished a career-best
second in the 2006 series standings with one win, four top-five and 13
top-10 finishes. Marc Mitchell finished second, Jeremy Clements placed
third and Roush Racing product David Ragan rounded out the top-five in
fourth place. The series resumes action in Lakeland, Fla., at USA
International Speedway on March 24. The top 10 drivers in the series
standings entering the race are: Gerhart (Leader, Chevrolet, 245 points),
Mitchell (Second, Pontiac, -20), Clements (Third, Chevrolet, -30), Ragan
(Fourth (tied), Ford, -35 ), Kimmel (Fourth (tied), Ford, -35), Timothy
Peters (Sixth, Chevrolet, -45), Justin Allgaier (Seventh, -50), Scott
Lagasse (Eighth, Chevrolet, -55), Phillip McGilton (Ninth, Chevrolet, -60)
and Michael McDowell (10th, Dodge, -65).
-Compiled by Mike Schmaltz
KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY CONTACTS: Mike Schmaltz, 859-578-2692 (office) /
859-991-0988 (mobile) / mschmaltz@kentuckyspeedway.com or Tim Bray,
859-578-2694 (office) / 859-991-1005 (mobile) / tbray@kentuckyspeedway.com.