TrackChic

TRUECAR DRIVER, SHEA HOLBROOK, AND COMPASS360 RACING READY FOR 2012 WORLD CHALLENGE

2012-02-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

(St. Petersburg, FL) — Compass360 Racing (C360R) released details of the first of their four-car Pirelli World Challenge program today with the announcement that Florida’s Shea Holbrook will join the team in defending its 2011 Touring Car championship. Holbrook will return to the series, which she’s competed in for the past two seasons, with her familiar Shea Racing #67 number plate on a brand new 2012 TrueCar, C360R Honda Civic Si.

“We’ve been talking with Shea since she sent me an email back in 2009,” remarked C360R Team Principal Karl Thomson. “She’s made great progress as a driver since then, and we’re really excited to welcome her to our squad as an integral part of our run for the TC championship this year. She first drove one of our cars at St. Petersburg last season and I’m just thrilled to have her with us for the full season.”

Holbrook, who last year became the first woman to win a Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car race (at Long Beach, California where she also won the Optima Batteries Best Standing Start award and the Sunoco Hard Charger award), will represent new sponsor TrueCar throughout the year. “For young people, and young women in particular, this opportunity proves that you should never give up on your dreams because you never know what opportunities are just around the corner,” said Holbrook. “It’s an honor to drive for a team that’s won so many championships and has such depth on the technical side, and to represent a sponsor like TrueCar that really understands racing.”

The #67 car will enjoy support from Honda Performance Development and will feature TrueCar livery as part of the firm’s “Women Empowered” initiative, which is an extension of the company’s efforts to help women enjoy the best possible car buying experience. With over 80% of car buying decisions influenced by women – and 50% of all car purchases made by women - this impactful audience is a significant part of the automotive retail landscape which will be marketing through associations like the one with Holbrook.

The World Challenge season begins with a double-header race at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix with IndyCar, March 23-25. The event will be televised, taped-delayed, on NBC Sports. For more information visit www.c360r.com

About TrueCar, Inc.
TrueCar, Inc. is an automotive solutions provider focused on changing how cars are sold by providing a significantly better customer experience while helping qualified dealer partners gain incremental market share and reduce costs. TrueCar is a visual publisher of new car transaction data. TrueCar price reports help both dealers and consumers agree on the parameters of a fair deal by providing an accurate, comprehensive and simple understanding of what others actually paid recently for an identically-equipped vehicle both locally and nationally. TrueCar works with a national network of dealers that provides a no-hassle car buying experience, and in many cases a highly competitive upfront price, to assist some of the nation’s largest and most well respected membership and service organizations to meet the auto research and buying needs of their members and customers. TrueCar is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA and has offices in San Francisco, CA and Austin, TX. With 131 percent annual growth since 2006, TrueCar has connected hundreds of thousands of consumers with dealers nationwide resulting in the sale of over 400,000 vehicles and is developing a suite of products and services centered on radical clarity through the comprehensive analysis of market data and information.

You can follow TrueCar on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TrueCarRacing and become a fan of TrueCar on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TrueCar or visit their website www.truecar.com
About Shea Holbrook

Shea’s passion for driving started when she was 16 with a “Richard Petty Experience.” Shea quickly began excelling in the motorsports world through high performance driving events all throughout Florida. She then went on to obtain her SCCA license and since then Shea has been road racing competitively all over the nation with many organizations, from sprint races to 25 hour enduros. Shea debuted her first professional race season with SCCA World Challenge Pro Racing in 2010 finishing 6th in the championship. Shea became the first women to ever win a Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car race in 2011 winning the Long Beach Grand Prix along with winning Best Standing Start and the Hard Charger Award. She’s also the fourth women to of ever won a professional race at Long Beach alongside Katherine Legge, Dancia Patrick and Simona De Silvestro. Shea is currently attending the University of Central Florida majoring in Communications/Marketing in which she’ll graduate in May. Something you may not know about Shea is that she is a accomplished national competitive water skier holding numerous state, regional and national titles. Shea received the “Living Legend Honoree Award” for her on and off track efforts and has been honored in the “Women in Motorsports” SuperCars Super Show Exhibit. In 2008, Shea became a “Women in the Winners Circle” graduate of the Lyn St. James program. “Fear is a state of mind, will is an action taken.” Shea lives this quote and believes through commitment and determination anything is possible. Helping others is another love of Shea’s. Shea Racing partnered up with Frito Lay Corp., in 2008 to raise $12,500 for the Susan G. Komen “For the Cure.” She has also raised thousands of dollars and awareness for her charity of choice, Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD.) PPMD benefits Duchenne muscular dystrophy which affects her own family.

You can follow Shea Holbrook on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SheaRacing and like her of Facebook at www.facebook.com/SheaRacing8

Courtney Force and Alexis DeJoria - NHRA NITRO Generation 2012!

2012-01-31T11:04:00.000-08:00

CONCORD, N.C. – NHRA introduced two of the most intriguing rookie drivers in the history of the sport to the national motorsports media today during a press conference conducted as part of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. The legendary multi-purpose motorsports facility annually hosts two NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events at its spectacular zMAX Dragway.

Rookie Funny Car drivers Alexis DeJoria and Courtney Force, both an important part of NHRA’s Nitro Generation theme for 2012, joined NHRA President Tom Compton during the season-preview press event, which was held in front of more than 100 of the nation’s top motorsports journalists.

DeJoria, daughter of famed entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria, will drive the Tequila Patron Toyota Camry and Force, youngest daughter of 15-time NHRA world champ John Force, will pilot the Traxxas Ford Mustang. The two drivers will be among the top contenders for the prestigious Auto Club Road to the Future Award, which annually recognizes NHRA’s top performing rookie driver.

“It was a little overwhelming to meet with all the media. I was glad I was with Alexis. We were able to talk about our dreams and how we came up through the ranks as well as what it is like to be a female racing at over 300 mph. I am looking forward to getting on the track at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in a couple of weeks.,” said Courtney Force. “We just wrapped up testing yesterday in West Palm Beach. I am learning a lot about driving Funny Cars from my dad and I have also learned a lot about the media from watching all his interviews. I don’t think I can be as entertaining but I do enjoy talking about NHRA and getting behind the wheel of my Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car.”

The two drivers fielded questions from reporters about the challenges and expectations for their upcoming seasons and posed for photographs alongside a specially-wrapped Funny Car that featured the NHRA Nitro Generation design. NHRA also showed a high-energy video to the media that focused on the thrilling 300-mph performances, powerful side-by-side racing and close finishes that make NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing one of the most intense motorsports attractions on the planet.

Later in the afternoon many of the journalists attending the week-long media tour will participate in an NHRA Full Throttle Media Challenge Drag Race at zMAX Dragway. Media members will race in identically-prepared street-ready Ford Mustangs and DeJoria and Force will serve as driving coaches. DeJoria and Force also will race in the stock Mustangs in an exhibition prior to the media challenge race.

The highly-anticipated rookie battle begins Feb. 9-12 at the 52nd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. The tradition-rich race is the first of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series for 2012. Tickets are available at www.NHRATIX.com or by calling (800) 884-NHRA (6472).

SLOAN HENDERSON TO DRIVE FOR KESELOWSKI AT DAYTONA

2012-01-22T08:28:00.000-08:00

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – January 12, 2012) – Brian Keselowski Motorsports has announced that Sloan Henderson will drive the No. 29 Dodge in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway.

“This offseason has been anything but an offseason,” Keselowski said in a team press release. “We worked really hard to put things together and kick off this new venture. We really look forward to working with Sloan and will do everything in our efforts to help her launch her racing career in the right direction. I was very happy with her performance during our testing session and I am confident that she will put her best efforts into our team as well for a great outcome.”

Keselowski, owner and driver of the K-Automotive Motorsports No. 92 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team, is now the proud owner of Brian Keselowski Motorsports (BKM), fielding race cars in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards (No. 29 and No. 92) and in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West (car numbers TBA) with new up-and-coming drivers, providing them their start into stock car racing.

K-Automotive Motorsports will continue to be the primary company for Keselowski’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series efforts in the future.

Said Henderson: “I’m truly blessed to have this opportunity to work with BKM and run in the ARCA Racing Series Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway. After a great test session with the team, I’m excited about the possibility and feel comfortable that we can do very well.”
Henderson, 19, is a freshman at Wright State University in Fairborn, Ohio, near Dayton. To read more about her and Brian Keselowski Motorsports, click below to access the team’s full press release in the Team News section of ARCARacing.com at ARCA Nation.

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on February 18 will open ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season. SPEED and ARCARacing.com will carry live coverage from the historic 2.5-mile oval.