The first 2019 ELITE Club Division timed sessions are in the books and Robert Schönau (#70  Mishumotors Chevrolet SS) was the most consistent driver at the famous Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. The German driver grabbed his second career win in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series regularity-based division.

“It was an awesome ride today here at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo,” said Schönau, who went just 0.057 seconds from the reference time in Session 3. “The car was great and I am so happy to be able to take the win here in the first round. Mishumotors did a great job and gave me a great race car. I want to thank all mechanics and team members for the good work. I’m happy to be on top of the podium today.”

2017 ELITE Club Division Champion Andreas Kuchelbacher (#64 Speedhouse 64 Chevrolet SS) was second in his first outing with the new Speedhouse 64 at the wheel of the #64 Chevy SS. The Austrian set the goal for himself to win the championship again in 2019 and was aiming for a place on the podium at Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

Giovanni Trione (#31 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) was third. The Italian brought his streak of podium finishes up to three consecutive events and bested Alessio Bacci (#9 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang) by setting a closer time to the benchmark in Session 3.

Alain Mosqueron (#99 Dexwet-Df1 Racing Chevrolet Camaro), completed the top-5. Racing Engineering team owner Alfonso de Orleans-Borbon (#48 Racing Engineering)  ended up sixth ahead of Thomas Krasonis (#1 Alex Caffi Motorsport Ford Mustang), Nadine Vollekier (#10 Racing-Total Chevrolet Camaro), Alessandro Brigatti (#19 Racers Motorsport Ford Mustang) and Callum Cripps (#27 Alex Caffi Motorsport Ford Mustang), who rounded out the top-10.

The ELITE Club Division will hit the track again in Italy at the challenging Autodromo di Franciacorta on May 9th 2019 with Schönau leading the points standings by 21 markers on Kuchelbacher.

NASCAR Euro Series PR

Former ARCA/CRA Super Series late model champion Travis Braden (No. 27 MatrixCare/Consonus Health Care/Liberty Village Ford) started his ARCA Menards Series career with a victory in his series debut at Lucas Oil Raceway in 2015. Driving a family-owned car on a tight budget, Braden finished second in his second series start at Kentucky later that season.

Despite impressive performances, his small team couldn’t secure the funding to run a full season in the ARCA Menards Series so Braden, then a student at West Virginia University, ran a handful of races while staying active in super late models.

But by the end of 2015, Braden’s career was at a crossroads. Braden’s father Don is a towing service operator in their hometown of Wheeling, West Virginia. Despite owning a successful business, the family’s ability to keep Braden on track was waning. Braden had thought ahead, earning a dual degree in aerospace and mechanical engineering from WVU, but wasn’t yet ready to give up on his dream to be a racecar driver.

"Through all the ups and downs of my young career in racing, I've tried to always keep my mindset positive and tell myself it can be done,” Braden said. “And I think that's gotten me through the lows, and I've always come out better on the other side. Every time I've been kicked way down, for some reason, a huge opportunity has presented itself very shortly thereafter. It's been quite a rollercoaster, but I've loved it all."

Braden made the move to another late model team in 2016. He scored an impressive last-lap win at the 2016 Winchester 400 at the ultra high-banked half-mile in eastern Indiana, which put him back in the national spotlight. Opportunity knocked when RFMS Racing owner Don Fike was looking for a driver to evaluate his racecars in 2017, notably at the very same Winchester Speedway where Braden had found success in the late model.

“The 2017 season was a great example of those ups and downs for me,” he said. “I was coming off the two best years of my career in '15 and '16. I was getting a lot of attention. My following was growing rapidly. Yet all of the sudden, I was kind of getting pushed out it felt like. It was getting harder rather than easier to get sponsorship and support. We did everything we could in '17 and, honestly, in mid-summer I thought that 2017 would end up being my last season racing at this level. It was only a few weeks after I started having those thoughts that I was asked by Don Fike and RFMS Racing to test their car at Lucas Oil Raceway, and then wound up racing at Winchester shortly after. That eventually grew into the final three races of '17 and then a full season in 2018. I have never felt more grateful for an opportunity than this one.”

Braden qualified tenth and ran up front all day long in that race at Winchester, finishing fourth. It was his fourth top-five finish in seven ARCA Menards Series starts to that point in his career, and it opened the door for three more races at the end of the season.

Braden fit in with the small RFMS Racing group, led by long-time ARCA crew chief Dan Glauz. When the 2018 season opened, Braden had been selected as the team’s full-time driver. He relocated to the Indianapolis area to work in the shop full time with the team and despite a budget a fraction of the teams he was competing against, Braden scored four top-five finishes and eleven top-ten finishes, including back-to-back top-four runs at Springfield and Berlin. Despite virtually no experience on dirt, he was in contention to win at DuQuoin before contact late in the race while leading relegated him to 15th at the finish.

The “little team that could” started 2019 off with a renewed commitment from their sponsors, new uniforms for the crew members, and a renewed attitude. It has paid off handsomely as Braden is one of only two drivers with top-ten finishes in both ARCA Menards Series races so far, an eighth at Daytona and a tenth at Five Flags.

“The deal for last year came together pretty last minute,” he said. “We wanted to be more prepared and do more but ran out of time in my opinion. But in the end, we slowly progressed all season and really positioned ourselves for a breakout 2019 season. We haven't proven it yet but only two races in I picture us as sort of laying in the weeds. We've worked really hard on our equipment and it's going to shine through during the busy summer stretch.”

As the series heads to Salem Speedway for the third event of the season, Braden is optimistic for a chance to run for the team’s first top-five finish of the season. Salem is a sister track to Winchester, where so much of Braden’s success over the years has happened. And despite a 14th-place finish there last April, Braden rebounded to finish fifth on the high-banks at Salem last September.

“We finished in the top five at Salem last fall after struggling there in the spring,” he said. “We were realistically an eighth-place car that day, but I see us as a true top-five car for this year's show. Everything we learned from our struggles last year is finally coming full-circle.”

While the season has started with numerous positives, the RFMS Racing team was touched by tragedy on March 14 when long-time crew member Jason “Red” Morris lost his life in a traffic accident in Ohio. Braden and his teammates will be racing in Morris’s memory at Salem and throughout the 2019 season.

“I can honestly say that I have never wanted to win a race more than I want to win this race at Salem. You will have to claw it away from me this time,” he said.” Of course, we have been after our first win with determination but this one is going to be a bit more personal. Our first race without Red, at one of his favorite races. He had been talking a lot about how excited he was for Salem and felt it was our time to shine. He was a guy who understood what was going on. He knew. And so now it's my job to go get it done for him. I feel a lot of pressure, personally, to make this happen for him. It will be an emotional day.”

Practice for the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 is set for 11 am ET on Saturday, April 13 with General Tire Pole Qualifying scheduled for 3 pm ET that afternoon. The green flag on round three of the 2019 ARCA Menards Series season will drop shortly after 2 pm ET on Sunday, April 14. The race will be televised live on MAVTV and ARCA for Me members can access live timing & scoring, live chat, and live track updates at ARCARacing.com. New members can register for free at ARCARacing.com/login.

ARCA Racing PR

Roush Yates Engines announced today a multi-year partnership extension agreement with CNC Software, Inc. for Mastercam to continue as the official CAD/CAM software of Roush Yates Engines and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions. After starting the partnership in 2015, this extension will partner these two innovative companies together until 2025.

Mastercam, an industry leader for more than 35 years in CAD/CAM software, delivers CNC programing solutions in 75 countries around the world. Their strategy of combining superior software programming with continuous development and support makes their product the best in the industry. This is why Roush Yates Engines selected Mastercam as their CAD/CAM software to program more than 50 CNC machines in a newly renovated, climate controlled, 88,000 square foot facility in Mooresville, North Carolina.

“With a shared commitment of quality and objective to deliver the best products to our engine programs, partnering with Mastercam ensures us a continued level of excellence,” said Mitch Miller, General Manager, Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions. “Their software and continued collaboration are vital to our success on the race track and we look forward to expanding this valued partnership into the future.”

Mastercam software is invaluable to the production of more than 40% of the engine components that power the Ford NASCAR FR9 EFI and IMSA Ford EcoBoost race engines. Thousands of components are milled and drilled with the use of Mastercam software programming. It is critical that these parts meet the tightest of tolerances to support our engine designs and development process.

To deliver the best on the race track and compete globally, you need to partner with the best. That’s why Roush Yates Engines and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions partner with Mastercam.

Stas Mylek, Partnership Program Manager at CNC Software, Inc., says “We are privileged to have Roush Yates Engines as a valued partner for the next five years. They not only push their engines but have been instrumental in driving Mastercam to new levels of performance through the ongoing collaboration between the two companies. It’s exciting to witness the significant growth in their shop, the product and services they provide, and their use of Mastercam.”

RYE PR

Barrett-Jackson, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions, will offer an enviable selection of Japanese performance cars during the 17th Annual Palm Beach Auction, April 11-13, all at No Reserve. Highlighting this import segment of the collector car market at Palm Beach will be a 2012 Lexus LFA (Lot #742), one of only 500 built, and one of only 170 of these naturally aspirated 4.8-liter V10 juggernauts allocated to the U.S. market.

“The increasing popularity of performance imports is one of the hottest trends in collecting,” said Craig Jackson, Chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “Earlier this year in Scottsdale, the first production 2020 Toyota Supra sold for a staggering $2.1 million for charity, followed up with a 2012 Lexus LFA that sold well into the six figures. The demand for imports is largely being driven by bidders who were born in the 1960s and ʼ70s and now have the means to afford the vehicles of their youth. For those in the market to relive their childhood, we’ll have an incredible selection of imports in Palm Beach.”

A “thoroughbred supercar” ready to sell during the Palm Beach Auction at No Reserve: 2012 Lexus LFA (Lot #742).

Two Toyota Supras are among the most anticipated exports that will cross the block during this year’s Palm Beach Auction. The first, a 1993 Toyota Supra Liftback (Lot #353) is powered by a twin-turbo 3.6-liter inline-6 engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission originally sold in Japan. The second is a 1994 Toyota Supra Turbo Liftback (Lot #680.1), which is a two-owner, all-original MK.IV twin-turbo version. It’s powered by a 3.0-liter 6-cylinder engine backed by a 4-speed automatic transmission and only has 45,127 original miles.

“We build our dockets to reflect the demands of our buyers,” noted Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “The desire for import collector cars is stronger than ever, which is why our team is including more performance imports, like the Toyota Supra and Mitsubishi 3000GT. These cars represented a rebirth of performance in the 1990s and were the postercar for so many young enthusiasts.”

Other 1990s Japanese powerhouses crossing the block include this 1996 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 Spyder Convertible (Lot #336). Powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, it is one of only 1,034 3000GT VR4 Spyders produced, and one of only 84 manufactured in 1996. Also on the Palm Beach docket is a 1992 Mazda RX7 Custom Coupe (Lot #52). A right-hand-drive RX7 Type R, this Mazda was imported into the U.S. from Japan with just over 5,000 actual miles. Rounding out the ʼ90s Japanese lineup is a 1996 Acura NSX (Lot #650) powered by a 3.0-liter V6 engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.

This unrestored 1984 Datsun 300ZX (Lot #82) Anniversary Edition is one of only 5,000 produced.

Original and unrestored Datsuns will also make an appearance in Palm Beach, including this 1984 Datsun 300ZX Turbo Anniversary Edition (Lot #82). One of 5,000 produced, this California car has its original books and window sticker, and is powered by a 3.0-liter 6-cylinder engine backed by a 5-speed manual transmission. Also on the docket is this unrestored 1975 Datsun 280Z (Lot #335), which is powered by a 2.8-liter 6-cylinder engine and has only 20,000 actual miles since new.

Click here to view the complete 2019 Palm Beach Auction docket. For more information on becoming a bidder for the 2019 Palm Beach Auction, follow the link to www.Barrett-Jackson.com/bid.

 As the Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger said long ago, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” 

That sentiment carried the day for ProX Racing Parts and Pro Circuit Racing Saturday when Monster Energy AMA Supercross visited Nissan Stadium for the inaugural Nashville Supercross. 

After his teammate and Eastern Regional 250SX Class points leader Austin Forkner went down and was sidleined with an injury he sustained in practice earlier in the day, it was up to Martin Davalos to shoulder the weight for Pro Circuit and to minimize the damage to his teammate’s point lead.

Davalos, a savy 32-year-old veteran, was up to the challenge and rode a smart, clean race to collect his fifth-career 250SX Class victory. The rider of the ProX-sponsored No. 73 Kawasaki KX250, who also picked up his first heat race win of the year earlier in the day, hung with the top five out of the starting gate and when the top two got together, taking themselves out of contention, Davalos took over the point and never looked back. 

The Tallahasee, Fla., resident and native Ecudorian led all 19 laps and took home top honors with a little more than three seconds to spare. Davalos is currently fourth in points after picking up one spot in the standings following the win.

  “It has been a long road to get back here with my neck and knee injuries last year,” commented Davalos, who spent most of 2018 recovering from injuries suffered at a trio of races (Anaheim, Atlanta and Saint Louis).

“The journey has not been easy, so to be up here (on the podium) tonight just means the world to me. My Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki KX 250 was ripping all night. Some of my competitors decided to take each other out in the main event, which left me with a clear track to do my thing and I just rode a consistent race from start to finish.”

While Davalos was confident in his riding and his ability to close out his fifth-career victory, he still made his mechanic, Kyle Defoe, a little nervous in the waning moments after rolling his way through the demanding whoop section before taking the checkered flag. 

“Everyone is talking about that,” explained Davalos. “The whoops were sketchy. It was a challenge to hit them just right every lap, and I like that. It was technical for all of us. I was managing my gap and I saw Chase (Sexton) moved up to second. I saw the white flag and I knew there wasn’t any reason to risk it. When I won my first race in Atlanta, I almost crashed on the last lap so I was like ‘I can’t do that’ so I rolled it and my mechanic was freaking out. When I came off the track he was like dude, you almost got passed. I’m like ‘calm down dude’ (laughs). So, it was alright.” 

Unfortunately, much of the day’s conversation centered around Forkner, who went down earlier in the afternoon after losing the handle on his machine during the first 250SX Class timed practice. As of press time, the extent of Forkner’s injuries had yet to be revealed, but the rider of the No. 24 Kawasaki was on crutches and in the pits when the starting gate dropped for the main event.  While the Richards, Mo., native was out for the night, he still holds a three-point advantage with two races left to determine a champion.

“I am absolutely gutted right now,” lamented Forkner. “I should have been out there racing, but a mistake in practice caused me to crash. We tried to give it a go in the third practice and everything felt fine until I over jumped one of the sections, which aggravated the issue. We still are chasing the championship and the team and I decided to play it safe and take the night off to make sure I am ready to go for the last two rounds.” 

Monster Energy AMA Supercross heads for the Mile High City this weekend where the series will wrap up a 15-week swing that began in January in Anaheim, Calif. The 15th of 17 races on the 2019 supercross championship calendar will be televised live on NBCSN Saturday, April 13 beginning at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 5:30 p.m. Pacific