Third Annual Better Half Dash on Bojangles’ Pole Night

The 201 Better Half Dash is expected to be even more fun

Concord, North Carolina (Sept. 26, 2013) – Ladies start your engines! The girls of NASCAR are set to race 25 laps for charity during the third annual Better Half Dash on October 10 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The last two events saw Jacquelyn Butler walk away with the prized six-foot pink trophy in 2011. Last year the wife of NASCAR driver Travis Pastrana, Lyn-z Pastrana, drove to victory during the second annual Better Half Dash. This year last seasons champion indicates she is looking forward to repeating her success at Charlotte.

Lyn-z showing off her 2012 big pink Better Half Dash trophy

The ladies of NASCAR are set to run down the track in North Carolina just before the NASCAR Sprint Cup racers head out on the track to see who can do the fastest lap on Bojangles’ Pole Night. The ladies of NASCAR will drive U.S. Legend Cars International Banderos around the frontstretch quarter-mile for bragging rights and charities like Motor Racing Outreach and Speedway Children’s Charities.

The ladies from the 2012 Better Half Dash

Below you can check out which ladies are set to drive during the 2013 Better Half Dash.

Wendy Venturini, motorsports analyst for Fox Sports 1

Lyn-z Pastrana, wife of NASCAR driver Travis Pastrana

Kristen Yeley, wife of NASCAR driver J.J. Yeley

Michelle Gilliland, wife of NASCAR driver David Gilliland

Ashley Stremme, wife of NASCAR driver David Stremme

Heidi Stoddard, wife of NASCAR team owner Frank Stoddard

Jessica Park, wife of NASCAR driver Steve Park

Gina Cope, wife of NASCAR crew chief Ernie Cope

Amy Gordon, wife of NASCAR crew chief Todd Gordon

Melanie Self, a representative of Motor Racing Outreach

The better half of the team of Pastrana, Lyn-z is a sports professional, being a eight-time X Games medalist, and keeps her trophy from last year in their bedroom. She apparently likes her big pink trophy and expectations are for Lyn-z to be very competitive during the 2013 Better Half Dash.

Better Half Dash defending champion and eight-time X Games medalist, Pastrana is no stranger to winning, and she has a special fondness for her six-foot pink Better Half Dash trophy. “It’s actually sitting in our bedroom. None of Travis’ trophies are in our bedroom,” Pastrana said. “I’ve never gotten a trophy like that ever in all my action sports.” “It’s definitely a really fun experience,” Pastrana said. “It’s cool to get to know some of the other wives and bring the community together a little bit more.”

The starting positions for the 2013 Better Half Dash will be determined by qualifying on October 7, 2013, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Race enthusiasts hoping to lend a hand to their favorite driver can show up to add their support, since the driver collecting the most donations will be in front of the field heading to the green flag. You can also help the charities each driver is helping by donating a few dollars in their name by visiting www.go2mro.com/betterhalfdash.

Race fans can also have a little fun watching their favorite drivers act as crew chiefs and spotters during the 2013 Better Half Dash. The husbands will be in the pit taking care of the girls’ cars, but aren’t allowed to make any engine, chassis or suspension changes.

The lady that walks away with the 2013 Better Half Dash Championship will be given $10,000. $5,000 she can hand out to her favorite charities, while the other $5,000 will be given to Speedway Children’s Charities and Motor Racing Outreach.

People looking for more information on the 2013 Better Half Dash should check out www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or www.go2mro.com/betterhalfdash. You can also follow all the fun and action by following #BetterHalfDash on Twitter.

This event is a must attend party for all race fans and ladies looking to have a little fun. Men can bring their better halves, while the ladies can hang out and talk to the girls of NASCAR.

See you at the track in Charlotte on October 10, 2013, for the 2013 Better Half Dash.

The Second Legends Million Race is Set

CONCORD, N.C. (June 17, 2011) – The second annual Legends Million

returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway Aug. 1 and 2. The largest grassroots

race in history will once again offer the largest Legend Car and Bandolero

purse of the year, as drivers do battle on the speedway’s frontstretch

quarter-mile oval.

Registration for the Legends Million begins today and is scheduled

to close on July 18. The purse structure for the 2011 Legends Million will

be prorated, based on total cars registered, so competitors are encouraged

to register early.

“As the car count goes up, the purse goes up,” said Don Hawk, vice

president of business affairs, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. “We’re asking

competitors to get their registration in as early as possible so we can get

the purse locked in.”

In the inaugural Legends Million last year, Kannapolis, N.C., native

Daniel Hemric was victorious, taking home an unprecedented $250,000. More

than 300 drivers from 36 states and two foreign countries, ranging from 12

to 72 years old, registered for the one-of-a-kind Legend Car race.

“These are the race cars that launched the careers of NASCAR drivers

like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Joey Logano, David Ragan, Kurt Busch and Kyle

Busch,” said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor

Speedway. “The Legends Million is a great opportunity for fans to come to

the track and see the future stars of NASCAR compete in the largest Legend

Car race in the world. It’s also an excellent opportunity for young drivers

to get noticed and hopefully take their career to the next level.”

Registration links are available online at

http://www.charlottmotorspeedway.com and at http://www.uslegendscars.com. The cost to

register is $500. Competitors who purchase a new Legend Car from U.S. Legend

Cars International will receive free entry into the Legends Million.

Competitors participating in the Legends Million are registered in

one of three divisions: Young Lions/Semi-Pro, Masters or the Legends

Million, which is open to all drivers. Each division will run heat races and

an A-Main race, with the Legends Million A-Feature serving as the grand

finale of the two-day event.

Competitors will complete time trials to determine their starting

position in the heat races. Drivers will then progress to B-Mains based on

their finishing position in the heats. The starting lineup for each A-Main

will consist of heat race winners and the first-place finishers from the

B-Mains. A total of 30 competitors will race in the Legends Million

A-Feature event, which will be 100 laps with a 15-minute break at lap 50.

Bandolero Beginner Bandit, Bandit and Outlaw drivers will also have

the opportunity to compete in a Bandolero Triple Crown event, with heat lap

and feature events spanning both days.

The Legends Million is open to all Legend Car competitors, 12 years

of age or older and is not restricted by division. All minors 17 and younger

must complete a minor waiver, which is available for download at

http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/waivers.

For additional information on the Legends Million, visit

http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or call the Charlotte Motor Speedway events

department at (704) 455-3205. For more information about U.S. Legend Cars

International and Legend Cars, visit http://www.uslegendscars.com or call U.S.

Legend Cars International’s headquarters at (704) 455-3896.

Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter at

http://www.twitter.com/CLTMotorSpdwy or become a Facebook fan at

http://www.facebook.com/charlottemotorspeedway.

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Steve Parks Runs With the Big Trucks

Steve Park looked to improve on his second race this season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Kentucky Speedway on Friday night. The No. 41 Van Dyk Baler Bollegraaf Lubo USA Toyota Tundra found trouble on lap 29, and relegated Park to a 25th-place finish.
 
The weekend started Thursday with two practice sessions. The Eddie Sharp Racing team with Carl Hartman, coming off an 18th-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway, looked to  make  more progress this weekend with the truck. Park finished the first practice with the 29th-quickest time of 32.702 seconds (165.158 mph).
 
In the thirty-minute break between practice sessions, the No. 41 team went to work to do everything possible to improve the truck. Park picked up time in the final practice with the 22nd-quickest lap time of 32.060 seconds (168.434 mph).
 
Early Friday afternoon, the No. 41 team was back in action, preparing the truck for qualifying. Park rolled off the grid, and laid down a lap of 31.809 seconds (169.763 mph). He picked up time from the practices and qualified 18th.
 
The green flag waved Friday night and the No. 41 Van Dyk Baler Bollegraaf Lubo USA team was ready to compete for a top spot. Park moved up through the field right off the bat, and by lap 5, he battled three-wide going down the backstretch with Jeffery Earnhardt. Park was able to hold off the No. 47 for the 16th position.
 
On lap 15, Park radioed to the crew that the field continued to get away from him in the straightaways. The caution flag waved for the first time in the night on lap 19 when Earnhardt spun, which gave crew chief Jefferson Hodges time to strategize how to get the No. 41 up front. Park came down pit road in the 17th position and pitted for fuel only. The quick stop allowed Park to restart 13th on lap 25.
 
Bad luck struck on lap 29, when the No. 41 brushed the wall. Park radioed to the crew that trash or rubber got under the car and caused the truck to get into turn two. The team quickly assembled a plan of attack, and Park came down pit road for an unscheduled stop to assess the damage. The crew fixed the damage on the right rear where the truck brushed the wall.
The No. 41 went back out in the 33rd position, two laps down. “It’s alright,” radioed crew chief Hodges. “We are going to battle back. This is a long race, and we have a long way to go.” Despite damage to the right rear of the truck, Park continued to run the same lap times as he did before the incident.
 
The second caution of the race waved on lap 45. Park did not follow the leaders down pit road, and gained one of his two laps back. He restarted the race on lap 50 from the 30th position. By the half-way mark on lap 75, Park explained that the left-front shock was causing problems.
 
The caution flag waved for the third time on lap 75, and Park brought the No. 41 down pit road for four tires, fuel and a jack screw adjustment. Park restarted 28th, and quickly thereafter, the fourth caution of the day waved on lap 91. He relayed to the crew that the truck continued to be loose in the corners, and  it was hard to keep the truck straight. The team made a track bar adjustment, filled up on fuel and checked the left front shock, but did not change tires. He restarted in the 29th position. 
 
Another caution waved on lap 90, and Park came in for wedge adjustments and fuel. Park restarted in the 27th position, and he was determined to improve his position in the remaining 50 laps of the race. Park fought to work with the truck around the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway and crossed the finish line 25th, three-laps down. Todd Bodine grabbed the victory in the Built Ford Tough 225.
 
“Overall, I think that we improved this weekend,” explained Park. “Obviously it is not the finishing position that we would have liked, but I think our team made a lot of progress this weekend. We started on the free side, and all weekend we were trying to find the issue. We went up in the fence in turn two while I was driving the high line around lap 29. We pitted to fix the truck and just couldn’t get back on the lead lap. All in all, I think that it was a positive weekend. The way that the race played out, we were not able to get to our goal of finishing in the top-15. I feel as if we improved this weekend, even if our finish doesn’t show it. I’m really proud of the No. 41 Van Dyk Baler Bollegraaf Lubo USA team.”