Valvoline Racing News

Tobler Tunes Beckman to Career-Best Elapsed Time - Valvoline NextGen Team is Primed for NHRA Opener

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:47:44 EST

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Feb. 6, 2012) - Jack Beckman earned his nickname "Fast Jack" several years before he set the NHRA Funny Car speed record last year.

His moniker could be changed to "Fast and Quick Jack" after he posted the quickest elapsed time of his career three weeks ago in testing when his Valvoline NextGen Dodge Charger R/T tuned by crew chief Rahn Tobler completed a lap in 4.037 seconds at Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter, Fla.

"I still like 'Fast Jack.' It just sounds better," said Beckman, a Southern California native living in Norco, Calif. "It was nice to run that quick. Now we have to do it when it counts, and I know we can."

Beckman, 45, knows testing milestones don't count officially in the record book.

It would be more meaningful to him if he and his Valvoline NextGen team can match that quick time this week when the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season opens Thursday with the Winternationals at Pomona, Calif.

"Fast Jack" already is in the book for a run more appropriately attached to his nickname. He became the NHRA record-holder for speed when he completed a run last September at 318.99 mph at zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

Records are nice accomplishments but what Beckman and the Valvoline NextGen want most is to win races with their Dodge.

"We came close to winning the championship last year, but Matt had a little better year," Beckman said of Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan.

"I know everyone says this but there really are so many good teams and drivers out here that you just can't afford to have the slightest slipup.

"And none are tougher than my teammates."

Beckman won three titles last year in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and finished 72 points behind Hagan, who knocked Beckman out of the NHRA Finals last November in the second round.

At last year's Winternationals, Beckman lost in the first round to Ron Capps, another DSR teammate.

The Winternationals opens Thursday with one round of qualifying followed by a single session on Friday. The last two sessions are Saturday with championship eliminations set for Sunday.

Jack Beckman Fast Facts

At Pomona in 2011:

NHRA Winternationals (Feb. 27, 2011): Beckman qualified second and advanced to the championship round where he lost to Mike Neff.

NHRA Auto Club of Southern California Finals (Nov. 13, 2011): Beckman was the No. 5 qualifier but lost in the second round to teammate and eventual Funny Car series champion and event winner Matt Hagan in a very close race.

NHRA national record: Funny Car speed - 318.99 mph by Jack Beckman, Sept. 2011, Concord, N.C.

NASCAR Star Carl Edwards To Appear at the CME

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:45:48 EST

(CONCORD, N.C.-- February 3, 2012) – NASCAR star Carl Edwards is coming to the Canadian Motorsports Expo on Saturday, February 11. Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Fastenal Ford Fusion NASCAR Sprint Cup car, will be signing autographs and meeting with Canadian racing fans just one week prior to taking to the track at Daytona International Speedway to qualify for the season-opening Daytona 500. The Sixth Annual Canadian Motorsports Expo Powered by Inside Track Motorsport News takes place February 10, 11 and 12 at the International Centre, adjacent to Toronto’s Pearson Airport.

“I’m looking forward to coming to Toronto on Saturday, February 11 to meet Canadian racing fans at the Canadian Motorsports Expo,” said Edwards, who won the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. “I was in kind of a rush the last time I was in Canada, last August. We were doing double-duty that weekend, shuttling back and forth between the Michigan Cup race and the Nationwide race in Montreal. This time, it’ll be nice to chat with the fans in a more relaxed setting.”

“We’re very pleased to announce that Carl Edwards will be our headline celebrity at this year’s Canadian Motorsports Expo,” said the CME’s David Weber. “Heading into this year’s show, virtually all of our exhibitor space has been sold and we’ve gotten a lot of great support from some of the country’s top companies, racing series, tracks, manufacturers and retailers. This year’s CME is going to be the best ever, and we’re extremely excited that Carl Edwards is going to be part of it.”

Carl Edwards is scheduled to appear at the CME from noon until 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 11. During his visit, he will appear on-stage for a moderated Q&A with the audience before taking part in a one-hour autograph session. Watch the CME’s website (www.CanadianMotorsportsExpo.com) for details on Carl Edwards’ appearance, including confirmed times and the autograph session.

ABOUT THE CME: The Canadian Motorsports Expo Powered by Inside Track Motorsport News is a three-day celebration of Canadian racing that runs February 10, 11 & 12, 2012 at the International Centre (6900 Airport Road in Mississauga, Ontario (Canada)). In addition to booths and racing vehicles representing the entire spectrum of Canadian motorsports, the show is loaded with seminars and forums to entertain and inform racers and fans alike. Celebrity drivers will be at the CME to sign autographs and meet the fans. One of the special themes of this year’s CME is the CASCAR Reunion. Please check the show’s website (www.CanadianMotorsportsExpo.com) for news, updates, schedule information and more.

For more information on exhibitors, seminars, conferences, special events and guests, visit www.canadianmotorsportsexpo.com, call 416-962-7223 or email info@canadianmotorsportsexpo.com. Twitter: @CME_racing. Facebook: www.facebook.com/CME.Toronto

ABOUT ROUSH FENWAY RACING: Roush Fenway Racing is the winningest team in NASCAR history, fielding multiple teams in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series with championship drivers Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne. Celebrating 25 winning years in 2012, Roush Fenway is the leader in NASCAR marketing solutions, pioneering its exclusive Roush Fenway OnTrack sponsorship measurement services, motorsport’s first team-focused TV show and its award-winning social marketing channel RickyvsTrevor.com. Visit www.RoushFenway.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/roushfenway and follow on Twitter at @roushfenway. For sponsorship inquiries call John Bauersfeld at 704.720.4621.

Valvoline NextGen™ Engine Oil Pushes the Limits at the 2012 Dakar Rally

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:29:35 EST

BARENDRECHT, Netherlands – Valvoline™, a brand of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH),
announced that its recently introduced Valvoline All-Fleet Extra NextGen SAE 15W-40, ACEA E7-08 engine oil was selected as the engine oil of choice by the Van den Brink Rallysport & Mammoet Rallysport team at the recent 2012 Dakar Rally in South America. The Dutch team, driving in an X 2222 GINAF, finished in 13th position in the truck category at this year’s event, which covered a 9.000 km route from the Atlantic Ocean through the mountains and desert dunes of Argentina, Chile and Peru to the Pacific coast of the continent.

“The performance of NextGen during the race was superb,” said driver Martin van den Brink. “This race was one of the toughest and most extreme Dakar rallies I ever participated in. It really put the drivers and the material to the test. NextGen passed the test flawlessly.”

The NextGen engine oil formula is made from 50 percent recycled oil and delivers 100 percent Valvoline engine protection, making it great for engines and better for the environment. It exceeds industry specifications with reduced environmental impact because recycling takes fewer resources than refining crude oil.

NextGen engine oil is the culmination of years of continued research, technology and innovation from Valvoline scientists coupled with advancement in the oil re-refining process. Used oil is refined with the same processes as crude oil. Because used oil actually contains fewer contaminants and more usable molecules than crude oil, the result is new, high-quality base oil. The highest quality recycled oil is used and then improved with Valvoline's awardwinning additives to make NextGen exceed industry specifications and match the high quality of other Valvoline engine oils.

“NextGen engine oil is a truly exciting product for our customers in EMEA,” said Frank Rouwens, director of business development and marketing, Valvoline EMEA. “Its successful use at the Dakar proves once more its superb performance even in the toughest circumstances. Its contribution to reduce the impact on our environment makes it even more appealing to our customers, and brings a new, compelling and differentiated proposition to the transportation markets.”

Over the years, the Dakar Rally has visited the most beautiful open spaces and natural sites such as the African and South American deserts and forests. The organizers of the Dakar are constantly probing possibilities to reduce the Rally’s environmental impact of this rally, encouraging the competitors to take part with vehicles that use renewable energy. Valvoline and team Van den Brink Rallysport & Mammoet Rallysport are fully dedicated to this cause, which is underlined by the decision to drive the 2012 Dakar with the new environmentally responsible NextGen engine oil.

“Valvoline and my team are a perfect match,” said Martin van der Brink. “I will definitely continue racing with NextGen and am looking forward to future cooperation with Valvoline.” Valvoline, a brand of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), serves heavy-duty industrial and on-highway markets with Premium Blue™ engine oils, All-Fleet™ engine oils, NextGen engine oils created with 50 percent recycled oil and Valvoline Car Care products.

See our showcase of other drivers winning with NextGen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgsQXOqgHi4.

In more than 100 countries, the people of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) provide the specialty chemicals, technologies and insights to help customers create new and improved products for today and sustainable solutions for tomorrow. Our chemistry is at work every day in a wide variety of markets and applications, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, food and beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical, tissue and towel, and water treatment. Visit www.ashland.com to see the innovations we offer through our four commercial units – Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Ashland Water Technologies, Ashland Performance Materials and Ashland Consumer Markets.

Beckman's Career Best Has Valvoline NextGEN

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:10:51 EST

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Jan. 23, 2012) -- The 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season is unofficially under way now that Don Schumacher Racing has returned to its Brownsburg headquarters with reams of information obtained during testing last week in South Florida.

DSR truck driving tandems hauled race cars and mobile technical trailers home from South Florida to be back in the spacious DSR shop to begin getting ready for the 2,047-mile jaunt to the West Coast in about two weeks.

Jack Beckman and the Valvoline NextGEN Dodger Charger R/T Funny Car made more than a dozen runs from Jan. 17 through Saturday at Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter, Fla., in preparation for the Feb. 9-12 NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.

Beckman, who was second in the NHRA standings last year, recorded a career best elapsed time on Friday night at PBIR with a run of 4.037 (312.35 mph) in the Dodge tuned by crew chief Rahn Tobler.

Jack Beckman said:

"My job is to not screw up Rahn's tune-up.

"If I do everything right the number that comes up on the scoreboard is a Tobler number not a Beckman number.

"But there's always a little pride and ego in this sport, and you always remember a career best."

Rahn Tobler said:

"We're very encouraged after the whole week. In the daytime we ran well and we ran well at night. We're very happy."

"We changed a lot of things when we came here so we need to get more spares of that and configure our spare car to match this car."

Roush Fenway, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Win Nationwide Series Championships

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 09:43:10 EST

Roush Fenway brings home two titles at Homestead NNS Finale

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Nov. 19, 2011) – Roush Fenway Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished second in the season finale at Homestead-Miami and clinched the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship. The championship is Roush Fenway’s sixth NASCAR title and its third Nationwide Series Championship. Stenhouse, who carried a 41-point lead into the race, clinched the championship on lap 27 of the race and won by 45 points.

“It was just a lot of hard work by all these guys – Jack Roush, Ford Racing, everybody at Blackwell Angus Beef and Cargill – this crew right here, they didn’t give up on me,” said Stenhouse. “They were with us all through last year and I’m just glad to be here.

“This is just awesome what this team has done, what Jack Roush has done and everybody at Ford Racing and Nationwide Insurance for giving us this great series to run in and all the fans that come out to watch every week. We really appreciate that, especially the ones that support us.”

Carl Edwards finished third and secured the 2011 Nationwide Series Owner’s Championship for Roush Fenway.

Roush Fenway won its first Nationwide Championship via Greg Biffle in 2002. Edwards won the team’s second driver NNS title in 2007.

RFR will look to make history tomorrow; becoming the first time in NASCAR history to win both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series title in the same season. Edwards leads the Sprint Cup points by three, and will start tomorrow’s Ford 400 finale from the pole.

Roush Fenway wins its sixth NASCAR drivers championship.
Roush Fenway wins its third NASCAR drivers Nationwide Series Championship.
Roush Fenway wins it second NASCAR owners Nationwide Series Championship.
Roush Fenway will look to become the first team in NASCAR history to win the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series titles in the same season.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., led the Nationwide point standings for 17 weeks in 2011, including the final 14.
Stenhouse Jr,. won the first two races of his career sweeping both races at Iowa Speedway. He earned six top-five and nine top-10 finishes over the final nine races.
Carl Edwards won eight races in 2011 in the No. 60 Ford Mustang.

AAA Texas 500 Race Recap - AJ Allmendinger

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:33:00 EST

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 43 Immortals/Best Buy Ford Fusion

AJ Allmendinger started in the 26th position for the 500-mile event at Texas Motor Speedway
Allmendinger finished in the race in the 10th position at the 1.5-mile track
Unofficially, Allmendinger sits in 16th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings

Race Summary: AJ Allmendinger started the AAA Texas 500 in the 26th spot and at the drop of the green flag began to make his way toward the front of the field. After just 35 laps, Allmendinger held down the 16th position.

The first pit stop of the day came at Lap 43 of the 334-lap event. Because his driver was happy with the handling of the car, Crew Chief Greg Erwin opted not to make any changes to the Immortals/Best Buy Ford and the crew went to work bolting on four fresh tires to the car as well as filling the tank with fuel. Allmendinger returned to the track in the 13th position.

At the Lap 66 mark, the driver of the No. 43 machine let his team know that the handling of the car had become a little loose in and off the corners and tight in the center. A pit stop at Lap 90 enabled Erwin to make a wedge adjustment to the car. Allmendinger commented during the first caution period of the day, which came at Lap 113,
that the car was better after the changes.

Allmendinger made his way into the Top 10 just prior to the 200-lap mark and continued to move forward. Lined up for a restart at Lap 207 in eighth, he held down ninth place when another caution flag flew at Lap 240. The crew opted for four fresh tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment this time around. A lightning quick stop by the
Immortals/Best Buy team helped Allmendinger pick up two positions and he lined up for the green flag at Lap 245 in seventh.

A two-tire pit stop at lap 264 kept the No. 43 Ford inside the Top 10 until the handling of the car began to slip. Allmendinger fell back to as far as 24th, but began to move back toward the front of the pack with 30 laps remaining in the event. When the checkered flag flew, Allmendinger had wheeled the Immortals/Best Buy Ford into the 10th spot.

Allmendinger’s Thoughts on the Race: “That was probably the most comfortable I’ve ever felt on a mile-and-a-half track, especially one like this. It was fun. From the start we were just passing cars and making good adjustments. The track was tough because the sun would keep popping out and the track would change a lot, but overall, I felt like it was definitely the best I’ve ever felt in a car around one of these places. We just got a bad break there on the two tires. It was a good fight to get back to 10th, and more importantly, that’s something to build on.”

Sunday's finish marked the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports team's ninth Top-10 of the season. Allmendinger sits in 16th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings heading into next Sunday’s race at Phoenix International Raceway.

AAA Texas 500 Race Recap - Marcos Ambrose

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:30:00 EST

MARCOS AMBROSE
No. 9 DEWALT Ford Fusion

Marcos Ambrose started the race at Texas Motor Speedway from the 12th spot
Ambrose finished the 500-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in the 11th position
Unofficially, Ambrose sits in 17th position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings

Race Summary: Marcos Ambrose started the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Texas Motor Speedway from the 12th spot. He quickly drove his way into the Top 10 and was running in the eighth position by Lap 30, clicking off lap times as quick as the leader. Though his car was fast, Ambrose communicated to Crew Chief Todd Parrott that his DEWALT Ford was loose getting into the corners, tight in the center and loose on exit.

A routine pit stop under green flag conditions on Lap 42 allowed Parrott to call the No. 9 machine onto pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment in an attempt to correct the car’s handling issues. Just eight laps after pitting for his initial stop of the day, Ambrose relayed to the crew that he really liked the changes made to the DEWALT Ford.

Continuing to run lap times as fast as the leader, Ambrose steadily drove his way toward the front of the field and was running in the fifth position when the first caution flag of the day flew on Lap 113. Before coming into the pits on Lap 114, Ambrose relayed to the crew that he was still fighting a tight condition through the center of the corners and there was too much load on the right front tire. Parrott elected to make an air pressure and track bar adjustment and add four fresh tires and fuel to the DEWALT car during the third stop of the day.

Restarting in fifth place, Ambrose slipped back a few position before letting the crew know that the changes made on the previous stop had not helped the car’s handling. Another round of routine green flag pit stops near the middle stages of the race allowed the Richard Petty Motorsports crew to continue to make chassis adjustments on the car during a Lap 159 stop. Shortly after pitting, Ambrose keyed up his radio and told the No. 9 team that the car was the best it had been all day and he was pleased with the changes made.

As the race went on, Ambrose made his way to the second position on Lap 210 and ran inside the Top Five for the majority of the 334-lap event. A caution on Lap 263 for fluid on the track brought Ambrose down pit road for the seventh time during the AAA Texas 500, and Parrott called for only two right side tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. Several teams elected to take four fresh tires during that round of pit stops, and as the race went on and the track temperatures dropped, the racing surface began to lose grip, allowing the teams with four fresh tires to capitalize and drive toward the front of the field.

Struggling to find grip with just two new tires, the DEWALT Ford was quickly losing positions and Parrott elected to short pit for four fresh tires on Lap 297. Falling as far back as the 26th spot on Lap 302, Ambrose pushed on and when the rest of the field had cycled through their final pit stops of the day, Ambrose was back inside the Top 15. With just a few laps remaining in the 500-mile event, Ambrose never gave up and drove his way to an 11th-place finish.

Ambrose now sits in 17th position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings heading into the 35th race of the season at Phoenix International Raceway.

Roush Fenway Places Three Fords in Top Five at Texas; Edwards Maintains Chase Points Lead

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 23:23:31 EST

Roush Fenway Racing combined to lead 124 laps, while placing three Ford Fusions inside the top-five of Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. Carl Edwards, who led 14 laps in the race, led the way for the team with a second-place finish. Matt Kenseth led 87 laps en route to a fourth-place finish, while pole sitter Greg Biffle led 23 laps and finished fifth. David Ragan rounded out the RFR effort with a 12th-place run.

“I’m proud of our guys today,” said Edwards. “We wanted to beat Tony (Stewart) and pad the lead, but we are still the point’s leader. We are going to hold Tony to it and they are going to have to run that well in the next two races to beat us.”

Roush Fenway and Edwards move into the final two races of the season leading second-place Tony Stewart by three points. Kenseth moved up to fourth position; 38 points behind first.

The Sprint Cup Series travels west to Phoenix next weekend, before closing out the season at Homestead-Miami in two weeks.

Roush Fenway has won 16 times at Phoenix, including six times in the Sprint Cup Series. The team will look for its historic 300th NASCAR win next week.

Bayne Scores 1st Career Nationwide Series Win; Roush Fenway’s 299th NASCAR Win

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 23:21:54 EST

Stenhouse Jr. Extends Nationwide Series Points Lead; Ford Wraps up Manufacturer’s Championship

Trevor Bayne took the lead with only six laps remaining in Saturday afternoon’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Nationwide Series race at Texas Motor Speedway and held on to score his first career Nationwide Series victory. The win marked Roush Fenway’s 299th NASCAR victory and places the team in solid position to score its 300th win in tomorrow’s Sprint Cup race.

“This is just as surreal as the 500,” said Bayne in victory lane. “That’s hard to say, but this has been so long. We’ve worked so hard to get our first Nationwide win. These guys worked their butts off to get us here and God pulled us through.”

Roush Fenway was in championship form from the drop of the green flag, exhibiting the type of strong performance that has earned them 16 career NASCAR victories at Texas Motor Speedway. Carl Edwards, who led a race-high 157 laps finished third in the race and pulled to within two points of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Owners Championship. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rallied late for a sixth-place finish, increasing his Nationwide Series points lead to 17.

“I couldn’t be prouder,” said team co-owner Jack Roush. “Texas has been real good to us. We won with Jeff Burton here in the inaugural race back in the nineties. That was a wonderful event. I’m really proud of Trevor and proud of (crew chief) Chad (Norris) and proud of the job that Mike Beam and all the guys did to get the cars to have all that speed in them. Doug Yates and the guys did a great job with the engine and, of course, I’m especially happy to be here with Ford Motor Company to win (the Manufacturer’s Championship).”

For Bayne it was the second career NASCAR victory for the 2011 Daytona 500 winner and his first in a Roush Fenway Ford. It marked Roush Fenway’s 17th NASCAR win in 2011 and its 12th in the Nationwide Series this season.

Roush Fenway now has seven NNS victories at the TMS. The organization won both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup events at Texas in the spring and will look to complete the year sweep on Sunday.

Today’s championship effort also secured Ford Racing the NASCAR Nationwide Manufacturer’s Championship.

RFR will go for its 300th NASCAR win in tomorrow’s Sprint Cup event, where it will start in the first three positions after dominating Friday’s TMS Sprint Cup qualifying session.

AAA Texas 500 Preview - Trevor Bayne

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:14:30 EDT

Trevor Bayne on racing at Texas:

“I am pulling double duty again this weekend, so I will be extremely focused on running well in both series. We ran ok at Texas in the spring, so I am ready to get on the race track and try to make something special happen this weekend. That first Nationwide win has eluded us all year but we have been very close at times. I think Texas sets up nicely for what we want to accomplish. We are going to be aggressive with our race strategy and setup and hope for the best. Chad has been staying on me these past few weeks about being aggressive and letting it all hang out because we only have three races.”

Crew chief Chad Norris on racing at Texas:

“I told Trevor we need to race with a sense of urgency these last three weeks. It is hard to win one of these things, so we are going to do our best to put Trevor in a position to succeed this weekend. We have been working hard on our intermediate program and I am confident we will be up to the challenge at Texas.”

FAST FACTS

TREVOR BAYNE will make his 27th start of the season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Texas Motor Speedway
TREVOR BAYNE at Texas Motor Speedway… Bayne has four top-15 finishes in four starts in Nationwide Series competition