Farmland Foods today presented $20,000 to Three Square Food Bank - Southern Nevada's only food bank - as part of an expanding effort by the company to raise awareness of hunger issues around the country. Richard Petty Motorsports driver Aric Almirola joined Farmland in presenting the check.

In addition, 43 cases of Farmland Oven Perfect were donated in honor of the legendary No. 43 Ford made famous by Richard Petty. Oven Perfect is new, fresh pork tenderloin that is already marinated, seasoned and ready to cook right in the package. This easy-to-prepare meal will help to ensure families, children and seniors in the Las Vegas area have access to much-needed protein.

"At Farmland, we are committed to fighting hunger by partnering with local food banks and helping communities in the race to end hunger," said Brendan Smith, Vice President of Marketing. "We are excited to expand our work with Richard Petty Motorsports and partner with Three Square Food Bank to provide 140,000 meals to Las Vegas-area families in need."

Farmland's "Race to End Hunger" is raising awareness about hunger issues in a growing number of communities in conjunction with race weekends for the famous No. 43 car, and in partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports,.

"Our team is proud to partner with Farmland in the Race to End Hunger," said Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 43 Ford. "Communities across the country are facing a growing hunger challenge, and we are excited to kick off race weekend by partnering with Farmland to make a difference in Las Vegas."

According to Three Square, one in six individuals struggle with hunger in Southern Nevada, meaning more than 340,000 people in the community are food insecure.

In 2013, Farmland is expanding their efforts in the "Race to End Hunger" as part of the Helping Hungry Homes initiative of Smithfield Foods, Farmland's parent company. Farmland is providing cash and protein donations to food banks such as Three Square as part of a continued partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports and the No. 43 team. Last week as part of the Race to End Hunger, Farmland donated an additional $20,000 and 43 cases of Oven Perfect to St. Mary's Food Bank in Phoenix, Ariz.

In fiscal year 2012, Helping Hungry Homes provided 6.9 million food servings through school nutrition programs, food banks, disaster relief and community outreach efforts.

"We are so thankful for Farmland Foods' generous donation, which will provide so many meals to those who may not know where their next meal will come from," said Brian Burton, CEO and president of Three Square Food Bank. "It's through the contributions of companies such as Farmland that we are able to carry out our mission of providing wholesome food to hungry people, while passionately pursuing a hunger-free community."

RPM PR

The world class power and rugged styling of the All-New 2014 Chevrolet Silverado meets a leader in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – and one fan can drive away with a lifetime of Chevy racing memories.

Fans can enter for a chance to win the All-New 2014 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ, including a Chevy RacingV.I.P. Weekend Experience for two to at the Texas Motor Speedway® November 2013 race, including a meet and greet with one of NASCAR’s top drivers, Tony Stewart. Enter by visiting www.WinTheNewSilverado.com now through May 7th, 2013. The URL is also a mobile friendly site, or, fans can also enter via the Team Chevy Facebook page.

“‘Win The New Silverado is an incredible opportunity for a race fan to win the All-New, powerful, rugged, Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, as well as meet Tony Stewart – a full Chevy Racing V.I.P. WeekendExperience,” said Maria Stenbom, manager, Chevrolet Motorsports Marketing – Digital and Social. “This is an amazing opportunity for the lucky winner. Chevrolet is also very proud to partner with Stewart-Haas Racing, Sprint, Quicken Loans, Autoweek, and GoDaddy.com.”

The All-New 2014 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ is stronger, smarter, and more capable – and Chevy full-size pickups are already the most dependable, longest lasting pickups on the road. The LTZ prize vehicle comes standard with an all-aluminum 5.8 liter V8 engine 95 years in the making, and infused with the latest technology, for just the right balance of towing and efficiency.

No purchase necessary. See official rules for more details at www.WinTheNewSilverado.com.

Team Chevy Racing PR

Team Penske announced today that AJ Allmendinger will join its IZOD IndyCar Series program in 2013. Allmendinger, who rose up through the ranks of open-wheel racing before transitioning to NASCAR, will compete in at least two IndyCar events for Team Penske this season, including the Indianapolis 500.

IZOD will once again be a primary sponsor of the No. 2 Team Penske car for multiple races this season. Allmendinger will drive the No. 2 IZOD Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet at this year’s Indianapolis 500, scheduled for May 26 at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 31-year-old Allmendinger will also compete in the April 7 IZOD IndyCar Series race at the Barber Motorsports Park road course in Birmingham, Ala., in the IZOD machine for Team Penske.

Today’s announcement represents a homecoming for Allmendinger on a couple of different fronts. He will return to his roots as the Los Gatos, Calif., native raced in the Champ Car World Series from 2004-2006 when he earned five wins, two poles and 14 podium finishes over a three-year period. It also means a return to Penske Racing. Allmendinger drove for the organization’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team for the first 17 races of the 2012 season before he was suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. After successfully completing NASCAR’s Road to Recovery program, Allmendinger returned to compete in four Cup Series events for another team at the end of the 2012 season.

“It is exciting to welcome AJ back to Penske Racing,” said Roger Penske. “He obviously went through a tough time last year but he has done everything he needed to in order to get back to racing at the top level of the sport. We have always believed in AJ and his ability and he deserves this opportunity. We think he will be a strong competitor this season in the IZOD IndyCar Series for Team Penske and we look forward to racing with him in the IZOD car at Barber and at the Indianapolis 500.”

When Allmendinger transitioned from open-wheel racing to NASCAR, he left as one of the hottest drivers in Champ Car. In his last season racing open-wheel cars in 2006, Allmendinger earned five wins – including an impressive stretch of three in a row – and seven podium results on his way to finishing third in the series championship.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back to my roots and racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series,” said Allmendinger, who tested the No. 2 IndyCar for Team Penske at Sebring International Raceway on Feb. 19. “I have to thank Roger (Penske), Tim (Cindric) and everyone at Team Penske for this opportunity. I think it’s every driver’s dream to race for Team Penske at the Indy 500 and that experience is going to be incredible. I also have to thank IZOD for their support and for giving me a chance to show what I can do. I definitely intend to make the most of it.”

Allmendinger will next drive the No. 2 IZOD Team Penske car at the IZOD IndyCar Series spring training test sessions, March 12-13 at Barber Motorsports Park.

As he rose up the ladder of his open-wheel racing development, Allmendinger was one of the most decorated American racers in recent history. He won the Barber Dodge Pro Series title in 2002 and captured the Toyota Atlantic Series championship the following season. Allmendinger went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors in the Champ Car World Series in 2004 as he continued to excel in IndyCar.

“Everyone at IZOD is proud to continue the brand’s sponsorship of Team Penske in 2013 and we look forward to working with AJ (Allmendinger) as he makes his return to open-wheel racing,” said Mike Kelly, Executive Vice President, The PVH Marketing Group. “AJ is a great fit for the brand as he embodies IZOD’s youthful and competitive American spirit. We hope to see the No. 2 IZOD Team Penske car take the checkered flag at Barber, and on racing’s biggest stage at the Indianapolis 500 where we’d all love a storybook ending with AJ drinking the milk in Victory Lane.”

Penske Racing PR

The new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Gen-6 car prepares for its intermediate track debut as teams “rolled the dice” on various set ups during testing Thursday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Intermediate style tracks make up the bulk of the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule and teams were given an extra day to fine-tune their machines before the Kobalt Tools 400 Sunday, March 10 (3 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN Radio, SiriusXM Satellite Radio).

“We’ve scheduled a few of these early test sessions at some of our race tracks” saidRobin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “It gives the teams an opportunity to get the best information they can to prepare for the upcoming weekend’s race. All in all things are going pretty smoothly.”

Aric Almirola is off to a strong start in 2013. The Richard Petty Motorsports driver is currently 10th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings and his team used the added track time to gather data and prepare for the race on Sunday.

“We went through a pretty big test plan this morning” Almirola said. “We’re just trying to gather data on this new car and work out some things that we were unsure of. We had some ideas we brought from the Charlotte test and we came here to try and verify them and figure out if they were going to work or not.”

Pemberton stated that the teams continue to “push the limits of their equipment.”

“So far, everyone seems to be doing their job,” said Pemberton. “Speeds are right in the range that we expected to see for the first day. They (speeds) may increase tomorrow. Today is a test day; I think tomorrow will be a better day for the speeds.”

Clint Bowyeris hoping he can keep the momentum going after the “west-coast swing.” Today’s test provided key track time to help the No. 15 team stay in the top five in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings.

“This west coast swing is important,” said Bowyer. “It is so important to get that momentum in the points race; we have already seen teams struggle the first two races and get themselves behind. Points are hard to accumulate and if you have two bad races in a row, that is a month of really solid runs to get you back where you need to be.”

Greg Biffle recorded the fastest lap of the day in the afternoon test session at 189.427 mph, lapping the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in just 28.507 seconds. Biffle’s former teammateMatt Kenseth was fastest in the morning session , clocking in at 187.396 mph.

NASCAR PR

“I’m going to stand behind Denny on this one.  Just because it’s NASCAR’s ball and their ballpark and they make the rules doesn’t necessarily mean that there can be censorship, and there appears to be a lot of censorship in this fine.  NASCAR wants drivers to have personalities and character and to express themselves but only if they say positive and not negative things.  I don’t know anyone who can do that.

“I’m going to buy me a Denny Hamlin hat and t-shirt because drivers should stick up for themselves.   It’s hard to believe that this sport has come to this where we fine drivers for comments.  Whatever happened to fining drivers for big motors and illegal bodies and cheating on the track? Now it appears they don’t have a right to have an opinion off the race track.

I could not survive in this sport as a driver at this time. I’d be paying a fine every week.  I’d be broke.

“But here’s the way it works:  It’s NASCAR’s ball, their ballpark, their rules and if you want to play, you gotta pay.  You can stand up and blow smoke and hot air all you want, but somebody’s going to have to pay that fine if it comes down to that or it’s going to have to be appealed and overturned.”

SPEED TV PR

Michael McDowell will carry a new primary sponsor aboard the No. 98 Phil Parsons Racing Ford at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. McDowell will sport the colors of Ambient Edge, an air conditioning, heating and refrigeration company, on his Fusion as part of a one-race partnership in Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400. It is the organization's first NASCAR sponsorship.

Ambient Edge provides new equipment sales and installation, 24-hour repair and service on all major brands of heating and air conditioning equipment, custom sheet metal fabrication, duct design and building load calculations. They service the Las Vegas, Henderson, Laughlin, Kingman, Lake Havasu, and Bullhead City areas.

"Ambient Edge and all of our customers are super-excited about our sponsorship of Michael McDowell's car this weekend in Las Vegas," said Steven Lewis, president of Ambient Edge. "We're a small, local company, so we're very happy to have this opportunity to participate in an event such as this. We're looking forward to the race and can't wait to see our car racing against the best in motorsports."

McDowell has three Cup Series starts and two Nationwide Series starts at Las Vegas. His best performance came in the 2009 Nationwide race, which he finished in sixth place.

"We're very proud to have Ambient Edge on our car at Las Vegas," McDowell said. "I'm excited to help spread the word about their terrific company and all that they offer. I'm looking forward to having them become part of the NASCAR family this weekend."

Phil Parsons Racing PR

After a strong showing in both Daytona and Phoenix, Hal Martin is excited to continue his momentum as he races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this Saturday. "I've never raced on this track before. Like Phoenix, I'll have to learn it quickly. I'm confident that my No.44 American Custom Yachts Toyota Camry team and I will have a competitive car this weekend."

World Financial Group, Inc. (WFG), a business unit of Transamerica, has joined forces with NASCAR-series championship team Roush Fenway Racing to sponsor Trevor Bayne in two NASCAR Nationwide Series races in 2013. Bayne will race the WFG and Transamerica sponsored No. 6 Ford Mustang in the Sam’s Town 300 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9 and in the Great Clips 200 at the Phoenix International Raceway on Nov. 9.

Bayne made history on Feb. 20, 2011 by becoming the youngest champion of the legendary Daytona 500. The event, which was only his second career Sprint Cup start, was followed up with his first career Nationwide Series win at Texas in the fall of that same year.

“WFG believes in helping people reach their dreams, so we are extremely proud to be sponsoring such an exciting talent as Trevor Bayne as he strives to achieve his,” said Joe DiPaola, President and CEO of World Financial Group, Inc. “Trevor is such an excellent example of Roush Racing’s legendary ability to identify talented young drivers and grow them into future champions, and WFG is glad to be part of that.”

“Transamerica is excited to be part of NASCAR this year, partnering with WFG and Roush Fenway Racing to sponsor Trevor, who is such a talented, young driver,” said Bill Tate, Senior Vice President, Transamerica. “As a company that helps people build better tomorrows through financial services and products, we know that achieving your goals isn’t always easy, but with Trevor’s skills and determination, and the great support from his team, we’re sure he’ll have a stellar racing season.”

WFG has a rich history with Roush Fenway Racing. The company partnered with Roush Fenway as one of Carl Edwards' first sponsors in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2004, and continued to sponsor Roush Fenway drivers in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Series’ for many years, most recently in 2011.

"I am excited to be teamed up with WFG and Transamerica,” said Bayne. “I know that Roush Fenway and Carl have had excellent luck driving under WFG sponsorship in the past and I’m hoping that I can bring a win for all of us.”

WFG will also sponsor a 100-day show car program this year in conjunction with Roush Fenway Racing, featuring a touring World Financial Group Ford Mustang that will be showcased at various locations nationwide.

Follow WFG Racing on Twitter at @therealwfg for the latest information on events and more.

RFR PR

To celebrate the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day holiday, Atlanta Motor Speedway is rolling out a new and limited-time offer for race fans looking to save some green while watching their favorite NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars at the AdvoCare 500, Sunday, Sept. 1.

Matching the car number of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., the most recent NASCAR Nationwide Series race winner at the speedway, AMS is giving a $17 discount on AdvoCare 500 tickets located in rows 13-26 of the Winners Grandstand, as well as in row 16-32 of the Petty Grandstand. Both of these grandstands are located on the speedway’s fronstretch, offering great viewing opportunities of the entire speedway and pit road.

This special discount will only be available now through 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19, so fans are encouraged to act now to take advantage of this deal. Fans can visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com and use offer code “Green” or they can call the AMS Ticket Office at (877) 9-AMS-TIX or (770) 946-4211 and speak to a customer service representative.

AMS PR

NASCAR has fined driver Denny Hamlin $25,000 for comments he made following the March 3 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway.

NASCAR determined that Hamlin violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) of the 2013 NASCAR Rule Book.

NASCAR issued the following statement regarding the penalty:

“Following the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event last Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway, Denny Hamlin made some disparaging remarks about the on-track racing that had taken place that afternoon. While NASCAR gives its competitors ample leeway in voicing their opinions when it comes to a wide range of aspects about the sport, the sanctioning body will not tolerate publicly made comments by its drivers that denigrate the racing product.”

NASCAR PR

Statement From Joe Gibbs Racing

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) releases the following statement in response to NASCAR’s issuance of a fine to driver Denny Hamlin for his post-race comments in Phoenix last weekend:

“We have spoken with NASCAR and will continue to keep an open dialogue with them on this matter, but we will keep those discussions between the parties involved.

We will fully support Denny in his appeal process.”