The Earnhardt name is synonymous with Chevrolet but when Jeffrey Earnhardt had the opportunity to race for a Ford team he looked back to his grandpa’s days and saw the photo of Dale Earnhardt next to the #15 Ford. “My goal is to race full time and eventually compete in Cup” said Jeffrey. “I’ll drive the car the team gives me and do my best to exceed expectations.” So it should be no surprise that his sponsor, Keen Parts, the leading supplier of Corvette restoration parts and accessories shares Jeffrey’s vision. “Jeffrey is a terrific young man and we’re proud to have him representing Corvetteparts.net” said Tom Keen, co‐owner of Keen Parts. “We’d love to see him get the opportunity to drive a Chevy in the future but in Richmond we decided to go with the first hybrid in NASCAR. #FORVETTE is our social media hashtag for the #79 Corvetteparts.net Mustang in the upcoming Virginia 259 College Savings 250 in Richmond this Friday. We want to see Jeffrey on the track so we created our own brand for this race.”

Keen Parts was Jeffrey’s partner that made national headlines earlier in the year when they sponsored Jeffrey’s first race at JR Motorsports. “Tom and TJ have been very supportive of me and I look forward to a great race and a long future together. I’m excited to race and hope everyone will check out Corvetteparts.net” said Jeffrey.

The Virginia 259 College Savings 250 green flag drops at 7:30pm with race coverage on ESPN2, MRN Radio and on Sirius channel 90.

Jeffery Earnhardt PR

Sharp-Gallaher Racing would like to issue the following statement in response to the penalty assessed by NASCAR to crew chief Brian Berry for the actions of team members, which is inclusive of guests, following the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The team will not be appealing the penalty.

Penalties have been issued to teams in the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series following last weekend’s events at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, respectively.

In the NASCAR Nationwide Series, the No. 30 and No. 32 teams have been penalized for violating Sections 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (Any determination by NASCAR Officials that race equipment used in the event does not conform to the NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20-A of the NASCAR rule book, or has been approved by NASCAR prior to the event); and 20A-12.8.1(B) (Car failed to meet the minimum front car heights). These infractions were all discovered during post-race inspection Aug. 31.

As a result of these violations, crew chiefs Pat Tryson (No. 30 car) and Trent Owens (No. 32 car) have each been fined $10,000. In addition, drivers Nelson Piquet Jr. (No. 30) and Kyle Larson (No. 32) have been docked with the loss of six championship series driver points. Owner Harry Scott Jr. has been docked with the loss of six championship owner points for each of the two cars (No. 30 & No. 32).

In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Bryan Berry, crew chief of the No. 6 team, has been fined $2,500 for violating Sections 12-1 and 9-4A (Crew chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his team members) following Sunday’s race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Kelly Heaphy, who was with the No. 6 team at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, has been fined $2,500 and denied access to all NASCAR events indefinitely for her involvement in an altercation with a competitor following Sunday’s race.

NASCAR PR

Returning to Richmond...The NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) returns to Richmond International Raceway (RIR) on Friday, September 6 for the Virginia529 College Savings 250, and Kyle Larson will be making his second NNS start at the 0.75-mile track. Back in April, Larson finished eighth in his NNS debut at the track after qualifying 18th. 

Hitting The Target...Last Friday it was announced that in 2014 Larson will be promoted to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS), as the 21-year-old takes over the reins of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. In addition to his NSCS Rookie of the Year efforts, Larson will also return to the NNS to compete for Turner Scott Motorsports.

Take A Bite...RIR is the first of two races where Larson's No. 32 will sport a scheme featuring SNICKERS® Bites. SNICKERS® Bites are a new hunger-satisfying innovation introduced earlier this year that offers the trademark SNICKER® combination of chocolate, peanuts, caramel and nougat shrunk down in small, no fuss, "pop 'em in your mouth" milk chocolate cubes. The unwrapped treats are ideal for sharing, whether you're watching a movie, attending a gathering or cheering on the No. 32 as it speeds towards victory lane.  SNICKERS® Bites are available nationwide at club, convenience, drug, grocery, mass, specialty and value stores.

This Week's Camaro...The No. 32 SNICKERS Bites team, lead by crew chief Trent Owens, have prepared chassis TSM-331 for use in Friday night's race at RIR. This marks the fifth time this chassis has been used this season. In its four previous starts, chassis TSM-331 has racked up all top-10 finishes, including a fifth-place finish in its most recent race at Iowa Speedway last month.

Watch and Listen...The Virginia529 College Savings 250 will be broadcast on ESPN2, with coverage beginning at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Larson will be featured on NASCAR Countdown prior to the start of the race. You can also listen to the race live by tuning in to MRN Radio or SiriusXM Satellite Radio, channel 90.

Previous Race Recap...After qualifying 13th for the Great Clips/Grit Chips 300, Larson and the No. 32 Cessna team remained patient throughout the 195-lap race as they worked their way to the front. After solid adjustments and great pit stops all night by his crew, Larson drove to a fifth-place finish in his first NNS race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Kyle Larson on Returning to Richmond:

"Last week was definitely a great week, but now I am focused on Richmond. It's always nice when we can go back to a track for a second time, and you really can't beat short-track night-time racing. I think Richmond will be a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do in the SNICKERS Bites Chevy."

TSM PR

Returning to Richmond...The NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) will make its second and final stop of the 2013 season at Richmond International Raceway (RIR) this weekend. Allgaier has unfinished business at RIR after running in the top 10 all night but coming home in the 31st position in the spring race due to contact with another competitor. Allgaier looks to continue his most recent short-track success from Bristol Motor Speedway where he brought his No. 31 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet home in fourth.

This Week's Camaro...This weekend the No. 31 BRANDT Chevrolet team will utilize chassis TSM-333. TSM-333 has raced six times this season: Phoenix International Raceway (March), Bristol Motor Speedway (March), RIR(April), Iowa Speedway (June, August) and New Hampshire Motor Speedway (July). 

Meet Justin...Allgaier will appear at the Chevy stage along with his Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM) teammates on Friday, September 6 at 1:45 p.m. located in the RIR Fan Zone. Allgaier will also sign autographs at the NNS autograph session on Friday, September 6 from 2-3 p.m. at the amphitheater located behind the frontstretch grandstands.

Recapping Atlanta...The NNS made its one and only stop of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway for a Saturday night, Labor Day weekend race. The weekend began with the first practice session on Friday evening under cloudy conditions. The final practice session of the weekend was held on Saturday morning, before qualifying followed in the afternoon. Allgaier and the Wolf Pack Energy Services team ran a total of 67 laps between the two practice sessions which earned them a qualifying spot of 21st out of 40 cars. Allgaier laid down a lap time of 31.198 seconds, which put him in the 14th-starting spot for the Great Clips/Grit Chips 300. After maintaining a top-15 position all night during the 195-lap race, Allgaier brought his No. 31 Wolf Pack Energy Services Chevrolet Camaro home in the 11th position for TSM.

Crew chief Scott Zipadelli on Richmond International Raceway:

"I'm looking forward to getting back to Richmond [International Raceway]. We will practice in the morning and race at night, so that always presents a little bit of a challenge because of the weather conditions. We were having a great race in the spring and unfortunately got caught in a wreck. Hopefully this time we will be able to stay out of trouble and bring home a great finish."

Justin Allgaier on Richmond International Raceway:

This Week's Camaro...The No. 30 WORX team will have chassis TSM-319 for Friday night's race at RIR. TSM-319 has been used five times this season, most recently at Iowa Speedway where Piquet Jr. brought home a top-15 finish.

Atlanta Recap...Making his first career NNS start at a hot and steamy Atlanta Motor Speedway last Saturday night, Piquet Jr. looked to end the summer portion of the NNS schedule on the right foot in the Great Clips/Grit Chips 300. Piquet Jr. and his No. 30 WORX Yard Tools team started the weekend by qualifying 10th at the 1.54-mile oval. Piquet Jr. was able to battle all night and bring home the WORX Yard Tools Chevrolet Camaro with a hard fought 12th-place finish.

Little Testing...Piquet Jr. and his No. 30 team spent all day Tuesday testing at Nashville Superspeedway to continue to improve on their mile-and-a-half program.

Yard Tools...Piquet Jr. will again display the WORX Yard Tools colors on the No. 30 this weekend at RIR. Established in 1994, WORX Yard Tools USA, based in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the fastest growing companies serving the global power equipment market today. A diversified manufacturer and marketer of a complete range of electric-powered lawn and garden equipment and related products, WORX has over 4000 employees worldwide. The WORX line-up includes innovative grass trimmers, chainsaws, lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, blowers and more. All WORX products are emission-free and feature intuitive functions, tool-less adjustments and best-of-industry ergonomics. You can find WORX yard tools at retailers such as Lowe's, Walmart, Sears, Amazon.com and local lawn & garden dealers. More information is available on the company's website, at www.WORX.com.

Come and See...Piquet Jr. will join his Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM) teammates at the Chevy Stage on Friday, September 6 for a Q&A session at 1:45 p.m. EDT.  Following the Q&A, Piquet Jr. and his TSM teammates will join other drivers in the NNS autograph session from 2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT. 

Watch and Listen...The Virgina529 College Savings 250 can be seen live on Friday, September 6 on ESPN2. Race coverage will begin at 7:00 p.m. EDT. The event can also be heard live on MRN Radio as well as SiriusXM Satellite Radio, channel 90.

Nelson Piquet Jr. on Richmond International Raceway:

"I am looking forward to returning to Richmond and racing under the lights on Friday night. We had a pretty good car there in the spring so hopefully we can use those notes and continue to make it better. Richmond has two grooves which makes for some really fun side-by-side racing. The big key for us is finding the right setup with down force and grip; I think if we are able to do this we could have a great night. My guys have worked hard all week so hopefully we can bring the WORX Yard Tools Chevy home with a solid finish."

TSM PR

Parker Kligerman and his No. 77 Toyota Racing team head to Richmond (Va.) International Raceway Friday night for the Virginia 529 College Savings 250. The race will mark the 1000^th race in the history of NASCAR's second division and Kligerman and team are optimistic that after testing at the Virginia track last week, they will be able to apply what they learned and be able to compete for the win in the historic event.

The No. 77 crew was the lone Nationwide Series team that participated in a two-day test at the .75-mile tri-oval on Aug. 26 and Aug. 27. The team took two different cars to the session and tested multiple setups throughout the 12-hour test. Kligerman was able to make over 350 laps around the track in preparation for Friday night's event, mostly during the evening hours. Being able to test during the evening should be very beneficial for this weekend event, as Friday's lone practice session will take place in the morning hours.

Kligerman has top-15 finishes in each of his two starts at the Virginia track. In April, the Connecticut native went two laps down early, but battled his way back to a respectable 11^th-place finish. He was scored in the 20^th position for the final restart with just 12 laps remaining and maneuvered his way inside the top 10 with five laps remaining. In the closing laps, the 23-year-old lost one position and ended the day with a respectable 11^th-place finish.

Now as the No. 77 Toyota Racing team makes its second start of the season at Richmond, Kligerman is confident that the strides the team has made this season will allow him to improve upon his finishing from the spring. The talented youngster is hoping that he can put his name in the record books, as the one that won the Nationwide Series' 1,000^th race.

KBM PR

In both of his ARCA starts this season, Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) development driver Corey Lajoie has drove into the Winner's Circle. The 21-year-old racer brought home wins at the very different Chicagoland Speedway and Pocono Raceway. This weekend, he hopes to add a short track to the list as he heads to the .875-mile Iowa Speedway for his third ARCA start.

The Concord, N.C., native has four starts at the Iowa Speedway in the NASCAR K&N Series, including a win in 2012. He has two top-fives and three top-15 finishes in his four starts.

Comments from Medallion Ford Fusion Driver Corey Lajoie:

"To win in my only two starts this season is so exciting. Having a taste of Victory Lane makes me even more excited to put together a full-time ride next year with RPM. It's difficult not to race every weekend, especially when you win all of the races you are in, but we are definitely making the best of it this season.

"I really like Iowa. We won there last fall in the K&N Series. I grew up racing on short tracks, and Iowa is a perfect combination of short track and superspeedway. You carry a lot of speed there, so I'm thankful I will have a Roush Yates engine under the hood. I think we will have a really good shot at the win this weekend."

RPM PR

Before engines roar at Martinsville Speedway on October 27, fans will hear the powerful sounds of world-renowned guitarist Gary Hoey, who has been acclaimed as one of the top 100 guitarists of all time.

Hoey will perform in Martinsville Speedway’s new Party Plaza on race morning, and then lay down some of the most iconic guitar riffs of all time during driver introductions for the Goody’s^™ Headache Relief Shot^™ 500 Powered by Kroger.

Hoey will be the “blues” portion of the “Brews, Blues and Barbecue” theme in the Party Plaza race morning.

“My latest record (“Deja Blues”) is a blues-rock album. It has a classic blues rock feel to it,” Hoey said recently. “We’ll do some classic rock in the Party Plaza, we’ll do some blues classic stuff from ‘Cross Road Blues’ to ‘Stormy Monday’.”

Hoey, who has 18 albums to his credit and a No. 5 Billboard Rock hit with “Hocus Pocus” will be on stage for driver introductions, playing a different, famous guitar riff for each of the top-12 Chase drivers introduced.

“I’m absolutely excited about the whole day. It’s going to be a great day, the new plaza and pre-race. I’m just blown away,” said Hoey.

Hoey has toured and traded licks with the likes of Jeff Beck, Brian May of Queen, Ted Nugent, Joe Satriani, The Doobie Brothers, Lita Ford, Foreigner, Styx, Steve Vai, Peter Frampton, and Dick Dale.

He is no stranger to racing either. He’s been to the Daytona 500 along with a couple of other NASCAR venues. Racing, Hoey says, is much like the music industry.

“They both have a similar kind of sacrifice. You have to have the passion for it and be able to get knocked down and then get back up again.”

The Party Plaza is a new addition to Martinsville Speedway’s race-morning lineup and in addition to Hoey, will feature a DJ and children’s activities, including a bounce house and a rock-climbing wall.

Four NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., will make appearances in the Party Plaza. The drivers will appear at different times and each will participate in an emceed question and answer session during their appearance.

There will be food vendors in the Party Plaza selling assorted food items. Pepsi products will be available for purchase. There will also be a beer garden with a variety of beer for sale.

Admission to the Party Plaza, which also includes a Pre-Race Track Pass to walk along the front-stretch of Martinsville Speedway, is just $49.

Martinsville Speedway PR

Another form of racing will take place on Saturday, Sept. 28, as Darlington Raceway will serve as the start line and finish line for the inaugural Darlington Marathon.

The race will begin at 7 a.m. and will feature 5K, 10K, Half and Full Marathon events. All races will start from the same spot across the street from the Darlington Raceway Museum. The races will continue throughout the county of Darlington before ending at the start/finish line at the track Too Tough To Tame.

Pre-registration for the Marathon is still taking place with non-refundable prices of $75 (Full Marathon), $45 (Half Marathon), $35 (10K) and $25 (5K) being offered. Participants can register online until Sept. 26 by visiting www.DarlingtonMarathon.com.

USA Track & Field will recognize times from the Darlington Marathon as official Finishing Times. Times will be eligible to qualify for the 2014 Boston Marathon.

“We’re excited to be the starting point and finish line for the inaugural Darlington Marathon,” the track’s director of corporate sales and Darlington Marathon participant Jeff Taylor said. “Hosting a variety of racing events like this is a big deal for our track and local community as hundreds of runners will be participating and spending time here in Darlington.”

Darlington Raceway PR