Return to Greenville...The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKNPSE) will make their second and final stop at the short track of Greenville Pickens Speedway (GPS) for a Labor Day matinee. Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM) will unload four entries for the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140 with part-time driver Ben Rhodes joining the series regulars of Dylan Kwasniewski, Kenzie Ruston and Austin Dyne. TSM is looking for its fifth NKNPSE win of the season after scoring win number four with Kwasniewski last weekend at Virginia International Raceway (VIR).

Chassis Info...TSM will utilize the following chassis at GPS for Monday's race: Ruston will drive TSM-501, Kwasniewski will pilot chassis TSM-500, Dyne will be in chassis TSM-503 and Rhodes will utilize chassis TSM-004.

Kenzie Ruston...Coming off a top-15 finish at the NKNPSE's first of two road-course races this season, Kenzie Ruston will return to the track where she set the NKNPSE record for the highest-finishing female in series history with her third-place finish in April in the No. 34 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet. Ruston is also looking to maintain her lead in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings while continuing to try and crack the top five in the Driver Point Standings.

"I'm looking forward to going back to Greenville. I think we have a really good setup from the last time we ran there and I really enjoy going to that track. I'm looking forward to improving on our best finish of the year, which we earned in our first race at Greenville Pickens.. TSM has provided me with great cars all year, and we have a very good racecar for Greenville."

Ben Rhodes...Ben will rejoin his TSM teammates, racing the No. 41 Alpha Energy Solutions Chevrolet in the NKNPSE after racing full time in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (NWAAS). The last few weeks for Rhodes have been impressive ones after the young driver won five of his last six NWAAS races at various tracks, including one at GPS. Rhodes swept the twin-40 races at GPS last weekend leading all 80 laps. Rhodes became the youngest driver in track history to win in the Late Model Stock division.

"I am really looking forward to the K&N Pro Series East race at Greenville Pickens Speedway. We had a great test a few weeks ago and my Turner Scott Motorsports team had the Alpha Energy Solutions Chevy handling really good for how slick the track can get. I also learned a few things racing my Late Model last weekend there that we can apply towards the race on Monday. We are hoping to keep the momentum going from our recent success in the Late Model and carry it over to the K&N car."

Dylan Kwasniewski...The Rockstar Energy Drink/Royal Purple team racked up their fourth win of the season in the last NKNPSE race at the road-course of VIR. The last time out at GPS for Kwasniewski and his TSM team resulted in a 15th-place finish after starting the race in 11th. The No. 98 team will return with a new notebook of setups and look to increase Kwasniewski's points lead with a solid finish at GPS on Monday afternoon.

"My Turner Scott Motorsports has really be on a roll lately. We were pretty disappointed in our finish at Greenville last time, but I know that our Rockstar Energy Drink/Royal Purple machine will be ready to go this time out. Hopefully we will go out and show what we can do at Greenville and continue our march towards the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship."

Austin Dyne...Coming off a disappointing finish at VIR last weekend, Dyne looks to earn a top-10 finish at GPS. Last time the NKNPSE visited GPS, Dyne posted a 12th-place finish in his No. 99 KMC Wheels Chevrolet.

"It's no secret that our season hasn't been going as planned, but my KMC Wheels team is very motivated to close out the season with some strong finishes. I think returning to any track for a second time will definitely help me out, so I feel like we can improve on our results from last time out and come home with a top-10 finish."

TSM PR

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Darrell Wallace Jr. visited Joliet's Galowich YMCAon Wednesday to speak with area youth ahead of the EnjoyIllinois.com 225, September 13. Wallace Jr. spoke with children involved in the YMCA’s after school program on the value of work ethic and dedication.

“It was only 10 years ago when I was a kid just like them, starting out in racing, trying to get to where I am today,” said Wallace Jr. “Whether they want to be a racecar driver, teacher, doctor or anything else, it requires all the same principles. I think that’s an important thing to share with kids whenever you have the opportunity to talk to them. If you work hard and dedicate yourself to a goal, there is nothing that says you can’t achieve it.”

Wallace Jr. then travelled back to Chicagoland Speedway to surprise several NASCAR Driving Experience participants with some friendly advice and insider tips.

Wallace will make his first appearance on the track Chicagoland Speedway this fall, and is currently 11^th in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series point standings, with one top-five, seven top-10’s and one pole win. The EnjoyIllinois.com 225 will run under the lights on Friday, Sept. 13 as part of a triple-header weekend that kicks off the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Chicagoland Speedway.

CLS PR

When the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) invades Canada for the first time in series history on Sunday, Sept. 1, the 30-truck field will all be on common ground...or will they?

Although the Truck Series has not raced on a road course in more than 13 years - leaving half the field with little to no road course racing experience - Chad Hackenbracht, driver of the No. 51 Tastee Apple/Ingersoll Rand Toyota Tundra is coming off a road course racing start less than two weeks ago in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. In fact the 21-year-old driver is the only driver entered in Sunday's historic event at Canadian Tire Motorsports (CTMP) that competed in the NNS event on August 17. Although the two courses do not compare in regards to track layout, Hackenbracht feels that just having those road course racing tactics fresh on his mind will give him an advantage on Sunday.

In addition to his start in the NNS earlier this month at Mid-Ohio, the driver of the No. 51 Toyota Tundra has two starts in the ARCA Racing Series at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) in Millville, a 2.250-mile road course. In fact, the New Philadelphia, Ohio native has earned one top-10 finish at the course and was on his way to another solid run - after earning his career first ARCA pole award in just his second start at the course - when the 21-year-old driver was sidelined early due to a mechanical failure.

@HockenSomthin will also compete for the No. 27 Jacombs Motorsports team in the Pinty's presents the Clarington 200 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race on Sunday prior the 64-lap NCWTS and knows the added track time under race conditions will be beneficial to his success.

With nothing to lose and everything to gain, Hackenbracht hopes to capitalize on his added track time and road course racing experience to bring home a solid finish for the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports team so they can continue on course to the 2013 NCWTS Owner's championship. In the last three NCWTS races, the No. 51 team has gained 21 points on the series-leading No. 88 team.

KBM PR

Chicagoland Speedway today announced the Illinois Office of Tourism as the title sponsor of its NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race this September. The EnjoyIllinois.com 225 will run under the lights on Friday, Sept. 13 as part of a triple-header weekend that kicks off the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Chicagoland Speedway.

Illinois hosted more than 99 million domestic visitors in 2012, a 6.1 percent increase over the record 93.3 million U.S. residents who visited Illinois in 2011. It marked the second year in a row that Illinois’ visitor numbers broke records and outpaced the national average of 5.4 percent.

“Visitors to Chicagoland Speedway know the thrill of experiencing the track in Joliet as well as the wealth of attractions, restaurants and entertainment options that surround them on a visit to our state,” said Jen Hoelzle, deputy director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Tourism  “We look forward to welcoming visitors to the Speedway and Illinois in September as the title sponsor for EnjoyIllinois.com 225 to kick off the NASCAR weekend.”

The EnjoyIlinois.com 225 falls on the same day as NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying for the GEICO 400 and will also mark Family Fun Night at the track, with post-race fireworks.  Advance Tickets for the EnjoyIllinois.com 225 start at just $25 and kids 12 and under are free in certain sections.

“As a destination, we all know Illinois has a great deal to offer. That has become increasingly evident given the record breaking number of people visiting over the past two years, and the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend is yet another opportunity to demonstrate one of our state’s great assets,” said Scott Paddock, president of Chicagoland Speedway. “As we prepare for the start of NASCAR’s playoffs, we look forward to hosting race fans from near and far as they join us to Enjoy Illinois with a thrilling night race.”

CLS PR

For the eighth year in a row, Pocono International Raceway will join together with the American Red Cross to host a September 11^th remembrance blood drive at Pocono Raceway on September 12, 2013. Pocono Raceway will also sponsor 20 satellite blood drives across Eastern Pennsylvania on September 12-13, 2013. Eligible blood donors are encouraged to commemorate the anniversary of September 11^th, as well as remembering those affected by recent natural disasters, by rolling up their sleeves and giving the gift of life at one of the blood drives.

As a thank you to those who support this remembrance blood drive, Pocono Raceway is giving all presenting donors (regardless of location) the chance to win a “Fantasy Race Package.” The winner will receive four Terrace Club seats and will meet all the NASCAR drivers, on stage, during the opening ceremony of the 2014 GoBowling.com 400. There will also be other exciting give-a-ways, including race tickets and Sunoco gas cards.

The “Drive for the Red” will allow people, for a donation of $10 per lap (multiple laps allowed), to take a ride around “The Tricky Triangle” in their own vehicle from Noon to 6:30 PM on September 12. All donations will benefit the American Red Cross Disaster Fund. Blood Donors can participate in the “Drive for the Red” prior to donating blood. You do not need to donate blood to participate in the “Drive for the Red.” Enter Raceway via gate # 1, Earnhardt Rd. (Drive only participants not eligible to win prizes)

To make an appointment to donate blood, please call 1-800-RED CROSS (733-2767) or visit: www.redcrossblood.org   and enter code: POCONO. Each pint of blood donated could save up to three lives, so please consider helping patients in need. It’s a pint from you, but for another it could be a life saved. Individuals who are at least 17 years of age (16 with parental permission), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.  Please bring your Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive ID when you come to donate. Walk-ins are welcome.

Pocono Raceway PR

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” That is the opening of Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities,” a novel set in London and Paris prior to the French Revolution in the late 18^thcentury. It’s a story about the possibility of resurrection and transformation as told through the plights of its two main characters, Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton. With more than 200 million copies sold, it is considered to be one of the most famous works in literary history.  

While “A Tale of Two Teams” isn’t quite a Dickens classic, it does contain traces of similarities, specifically the notions of transformation and the anticipation of resurrection.

This narrative is set in the current day, long past all of the great historical revolutions, and the location is just outside Atlanta in the hamlet of Hampton, Ga. Headlining this story is NASCAR veteran Mark Martin, who will pilot the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in place of the injured Tony Stewart for a second straight weekend. While the NASCAR world awaits Stewart’s resurrection, which is scheduled for the beginning of the 2014 season, the No. 14 team is in the midst of transforming from a team that prepped cars for a three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion in Stewart to being a team that readies its fleet of Chevys for a 40-time Sprint Cup winner in Martin. 

Next up for the Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 team is this weekend’s Advocare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway – a track where Martin has a rich history thanks to his 52 Sprint Cup starts. The 54-year-old Martin is one of only a handful of drivers who have competed in every race run at the track since it was reconfigured to a 1.54-mile oval in 1997. In fact, the only active Sprint Cup driver to have made more starts at Atlanta than Martin is two-time Sprint Cup champion Terry Labonte.  

Since first racing at Atlanta in the 1982 Coca-Cola 500, Martin has scored two wins (November 1991 and 1994), two poles, 14 top-five and 24 top-10s while completing nearly 15,000 laps. He’s competed in both the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series at Atlanta, scoring a trio of Nationwide wins in 10 series starts.

As race fans across the country wait for Smoke to rise with Stewart’s return to action in 2014 during Daytona (Fla.) Speedweeks, Martin brings experience to the seat of Stewart’s No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet. At a place like at Atlanta where top speeds clip the 200 mph mark, experience counts. Martin counts 40 victories on his expansive Sprint Cup resume, and win No. 41 behind the wheel of the No. 14 Chevrolet is something Martin and Co. have their sights set on at Atlanta.

TSC PR

No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. chose “NAPA blue” for the color of the cast he’ll wear indefinitely on his right wrist. An MRI revealed a scaphoid fracture and sprain sustained in Saturday’s crash at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Truex and his crew chief Chad Johnston will make adjustments to his fire suit and gear shift lever to accommodate the cast, but there’s no adjusting the team’s year-long goal of earning a second-consecutive berth in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup.

With only Sunday’s Atlanta race and next week’s race at Richmond left in the regular season, Truex is 14th in the standings but holds the first wild card position. He’d like to claw his way into the top 10 and receive the bonus points for his June 23 win at Sonoma Raceway once the Chase begins. Atlanta is a good track for Truex to do that. He led 39 laps at last year’s race before a debris caution with less than five laps to go wiped out a four-second lead. Truex fell to fourth during the green-white-checkered finish.

TRUEX ON WRIST: “It’s unfortunate that it happened at this point in the season given our position in the standings. Our goals don’t change. We are going to Atlanta to win. It will be a challenge but I think we’re up to it. I know I am.”  

TRUEX ON ATLANTA: “I love Atlanta. It is one of my top-five favorite tracks. I always look forward to going there. We should have won it last year and obviously we didn’t. I had a great run at Texas earlier this year. Atlanta is fun because you can run all over that place and the track changes throughout the night. You start the race running one groove and the next run you’re running a different groove and then at the end of the race, you’re running something totally different than you’ve ever run there before. Last year at the end of the race when I was leading, I was running a groove that I never thought I could run there. I was doing something totally different than I had ever done and it was working. We learned some things at the Goodyear tire test that I think are going to work so we can go get what we should have gotten last year.”

MWR PR

The ALS Association today announced that  NEMCO-JRR will be donating space on their #70 Nationwide Series Car and their #87 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to Drive for Lou Gehrig's Disease at Atlanta Motor Speedway Labor Day weekend.  The No. 87 Toyota driven by Joe Nemechek in the Sprint Cup AdvoCare 500 and the No. 70 car driven by Tony Rainesin the Great Clips/Grit Chips 300 Nationwide Series race will show support for ALS. 

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that slowly robs the body of the ability to walk, speak, swallow and eventually breathe. Every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with ALS and, once diagnosed, patients typically live only two to five years.  Approximately 30,000 Americans are currently fighting ALS, at an average cost of more than $200,000 a year.  The ALS Association, nationally, is the leading organization in the United States who is fighting this disease that knows no gender, race or age and has no cure.

Jay Robinson of NEMCO-JRR stated, "It is with great excitement and honor that our race teams will drive in support of The ALS Association and Lou Gehrig's Disease on Labor Day weekend.    We hope our efforts not only grow awareness for the disease but to also raise funds for research and patient care for those affected by ALS."

"We continue to strive to better the lives of those affected by ALS through patient care and research," said Jane Gilbert, president and chief executive officer of the ALS Association. "We are honored to be aligned with a premier racing team like NEMCO-JRR.  The awareness created through this partnership will help us continue our efforts to raise awareness and funds for those affected by the disease."

"This partnership allows the ALS Association to build broader awareness for ALS in the NASCAR sporting industry.  As NASCAR is one of the nation's largest sports, the Advocare 500 will allow us to promote ALS awareness to more than 6 million Americans who will tune in on Labor Day," said Gilbert.

"We are thrilled to partner with The ALS Association," said driver Joe Nemechek. "We hope the awareness generated through this partnership will have a tremendous impact on the organization and the patients and families whom it serves."

ALS Association PR

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Bobby Labonte is currently being treated at a local hospital near his home in Trinity, North Carolina after being involved in an accident while riding his bicycle near his home on the morning of Wednesday, August 28.

Labonte was transported to the hospital by ambulance where he was diagnosed and is being treated for three broken ribs. There are no other injuries. He is being held overnight for observation.

An update on Labonte's condition will be sent when determined. Mike Bliss will replace Labonte in the No. 51 Phoenix Racing entry this weekend in Atlanta.

Bobby Labonte PR

Giv'n Her In Canada...The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) goes north of the border to Canada for the series' first international trip in its 18 years of competition. Making its inaugural trip to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, the Truck Series will return to a road course for the first time since 2000. The 10-turn course features long straightaways, high-speed corners, esses and elevation changes, all of which will combine to create one of the most interesting races of the 2013 season.

Expert, Eh?...Although he has not yet had the opportunity to show his road-course prowess in the NCWTS, Miguel Paludo is by all accounts a road-course expert. The Brazilian came to the United States from the Porsche GT3 Cup Brasil and the GT3 Brasil Championship, two sports car series which race exclusively on road courses. Paludo won back-to-back championships in the Porsche GT3 Cup Brasil in 2008 and 2009 on the strength of 13 wins, seven poles and 25 podium finishes in a total of 31 races, making him the youngest champion in series history and the first to win back-to-back titles. Paludo competed in his final season of Porsche GT3 Cup Brasil in 2010, the same year as his NASCAR debut. Paludo competed in only six races, but earned three wins, two poles and five podiums. While racing in the GT3 Brasil Championship, Paludo earned Porsche their first win in the series in 2009, ultimately totaling four wins, one pole and seven podium finishes in 12 events, finishing third in the championship standings despite not completing a full race schedule.

This Week's Silverado...Paludo and the No. 32 Duroline Brakes and Components team will unload chassis TSM-502 this week at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. This is a brand new specialized road-course chassis.

Watch And Listen...The Chevrolet Silverado 250 can be seen live on Sunday, September 1 on FOX Sports 1. Coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. EDT. The event can also be heard live on MRN Radio and SiriusXM Satellite Radio, channel 90.

Left Foot Brake...The No. 32 Chevrolet returns to Duroline Brakes and Components colors this weekend in Canada. Duroline is recognized as a world-class company present all over the world with its products and services. It utilizes high technology for producing heavy-duty brake linings, guaranteeing high performance and durability on its products with very low noise level. It uses a patented production process called Wave Process which is ecologically correct and contributes to the environment preservation. For more information, visit www.duroline.com.br.

Meet And Greet...If you're attending this weekend's race, don't miss the NCWTS autograph session on Saturday, August 31. Paludo and his Truck Series competitors will be signing autographs from 1:45-2:45 p.m. EDT in the Driver/Crew Chief Meeting Tent next to the NCWTS garage.

Previous Race Recap...A challenging weekend at one of the NCWTS season's 'wild card' stops, Bristol Motor Speedway, was a proving ground for Paludo and the No. 32 AccuDoc Solutions truck, keeping the team in the championship hunt. Paludo and his crew battled for track position throughout the 200-lap UNOH 200, fighting their way back from a lap down to earn a top-15 finish and keep the NCWTS Driver Point Standings tight.

Miguel Paludo on driving at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

"There is no doubt that this is the one I've been waiting for all year. The No. 32 team and I have been strong every single week, but there isn't anywhere I feel more at home than a road course. My career was built on road courses. I love NASCAR and I love racing ovals now, but every win I've ever gotten, every championship I've won, has all been road-course racing. I'm so excited to have an opportunity to do this style of racing in a truck. I visited the track earlier in the season when they held the test, and even though I didn't get to drive it in a truck, I got to know the track and fell in love with it. This will be so much fun."

TSM PR