Tag Archive for 'arca'

The Little Team that Could

Debra Buckler

show details 11:24 PM (5 hours ago)

The team is in Charlotte (Home Base!) tonight and after many rain delays throughout the day, and only ONE

Charlotte or Bust

Charlotte or Bust

practice session—

“The Little Team that Could”  (as we have now sometimes been called!) with the help of our driver for this weekend, Mike Bliss, put the #71 car solidly in the show, and Qualified 7th!!!!!!

This is HUGE!!!!   Rather than telling you the names of the teams and drivers that we out-qualified, its easier to tell you who we didn’t beat :)  (Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart & Ryan Newman).

While the team was at the track working hard, Kevin & Torrey were very busy Continue reading ‘The Little Team that Could’

Knock, Knock, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door…

TRG CMO Torrey Galida with Bobby Labonte & VIDA wealth partner Rich Schuette

TRG CMO Torrey Galida with Bobby Labonte & VIDA wealth partner Rich Schuette

Mama, take this badge off of me
I can’t use it anymore
It’s gettin’ dark, too dark for me to see
I feel like I’m knockin’ on heaven’s door

- Bob Dylan -

These were the words, as my traveling companions loaded me into the car,…that I was senselessly babbling from the 8 hours of sensation overload.   You see, we’d just spent the day at the TRG Motorsports open house in New Jersey Motorsports Park where Continue reading ‘Knock, Knock, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door…’

Well isn’t that special….

date Sun, Oct 4, 2009 at 4:50 PM
subject Well isn’t that special………..
mailed-by theracersgroup.com

Mahinda Hood Sponsor #71 Sprint Cup at KC

Mahinda Hood Sponsor #71 Sprint Cup at KC

Sorry guys—we had a good car.

Logano spun on lap 2 & we missed him.  Menard spun on lap 6 & we didn’t.  Got about 4 cars.  Totally nothing Bobby could have done.  Dang it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We will try to turn it into a positive & keep communications going w Mahinda . This is a big company. Continue reading ‘Well isn’t that special….’

Today…….We Race

New chassis for TRG #71

New chassis for TRG #71

Deficit spending….seems to work for our government…so why not our race team?   Sometimes, the stars all come into alignment and you’re actually worse for wear if you DON’T seize the day.   This is today’s situation.

It’s been such a tough year for all teams and yet the perfect year for a team that built it’s entire 15 year history scrapping it out in….***GASP**….sportscar.  Much to the dismay of the team’s naysayers, we’ve tried to make so much from so little.   Every race that we planned to race started with a new motor ($65k/ea) and we’ve only had the one COT chassis until now…..which is the heart of the issue….it’s NOW or NEVER.   Here is Continue reading ‘Today…….We Race’

New Ride - Let’s Labonte Slide

….into P26 at Kansas City Qualifying

$50k found - looking for ANOTHER $50k

From: <slugger.com>

Date: September 29, 2009 8:27:57 AM PDT

New Chassis Delivery

New Chassis Delivery

Subject: Kansas

Good Morning;

I hope all is well; we are currently finishing our 1st new chassis of the year for Kansas with Bobby Labonte. We are going to load the truck tonight and we be at EGR racing 1stthing in the AM to be on their 4 post pull down machine (also a first for us on 2009) EGR is going to assist us with shocks, springs, bump stops, rear sway bar settings and set up info for Kansas (All like is currently being used by the # 42 team with Juan Pablo)!! This car will be by far our best car and we will be racing this car a lot to finish out the season.

In my post race report from NH, I mentioned about a high center of gravity and the car being heavy! This new car will is projected to be approximately 7.1% to 7.5% lighter, which is huge to a COT NASCAR race car!! Continue reading ‘New Ride - Let’s Labonte Slide’

TRG Motorsports Sponsor Open House - You’re Invited!!!

“The economy and where the sport is at right now and the struggles that some of the teams have had is a

Gilliland & Labbe at Watkins Glen

Gilliland & Labbe at Watkins Glen

plus for TRG Motorsports because we only have — I think [crew chief] Slugger [Labbe] said there’s only 10 guys now — but those 10 are guys that deserve and are qualified to be on a top-15 team. They were, but due to downsizing it gave us the ability to handpick some people and that gave us a great big difference.”   - David Gilliland -

We are doing a very special event at The Autobahn Country Club, in Joliet, Ill on Oct 6th and the New Jersey Motorsports Park on Oct 7th. These are very special events & something new in the professional racing world. We are bringing out everything under the TRG Umbrella and want to introduce folks to us & what we do & our various programs. Continue reading ‘TRG Motorsports Sponsor Open House - You’re Invited!!!’

Gilliland 18 - Labonte 41 @ Dover Qualifying????

Wait….am I reading that right?

How could that be?

What Changed?  The answer is simple….the team.

Taxslayer P18 in Qualifying at Dover

Taxslayer P18 in Qualifying at Dover

The NASCAR press is over the moon.   TRG had a 7 race deal with Bobby Labonte thru the balance of the 2009 season.   The Dover Race brings Gilliland driving for Taxslayer.com and Labonte back at Hall of Fame racing driving for DLP.  In fact, here’s a quick update on our plans for the remainder of the ’09 season:

  • 9/27 - Dover - David Gilliland - Start & Park
  • 10/4 - Kansas - Bobby Labonte - NEED SPONSORSHIP (or will have to Start & Park)
  • 10/11 - California - David Gilliland - NEED SPONSORSHIP (or will have to Start  & Park)
  • 10/17 - Charlotte - Mike Bliss - TaxSlayer
  • 10/25 - Martinsville - Andy Lally - NEED SPONSORSHIP (or will have to Start  & Park)
  • 11/1 - Talladega - Bobby Labonte - TaxSlayer
  • 11/8 - Texas - Bobby Labonte - NEED SPONSORSHIP
  • 11/15 - Phoenix - Bobby Labonte - NEED SPONSORSHIP
  • 11/22 - Homestead - Bobby Labonte - TaxSlayer

We really need to do everything possible to keep Bobby Labonte from having to Start & Park. This means we have 3 more races where we must find at least $100,000 in sponsorship. Continue reading ‘Gilliland 18 - Labonte 41 @ Dover Qualifying????’

Breaking the 571 consecutive start streak???….ugh.

I just logged in to check my personal email and found the following from our team CEO Kevin Buckler’s email to read.

“Hi Team,

TRG Motorsports CEO Kevin Buckler

TRG Motorsports CEO Kevin Buckler

As you know Bobby will be with us again this week but we are saddled with the unpleasant task of Starting & Parking him.  Torrey, Sean & an entire contingent from Boston, headed by our very own Bruce L. have been on the case trying to drum up sponsor dollars.

As we about were ready to call the deal dead, RJ came up with a $25,000 sponsor that could also be a BIG deal for next year.  I am sniffing with TaxSlayer on a really skinny deal for them to take the hood but I am not sure yet,  There are a few 10K guys out there that we are talking to & Pete said to tell him if we get close as he will put something on the car & cover the final part

If you guys know of anyone at all, that we could involve, this will generate HUGE press as we already Continue reading ‘Breaking the 571 consecutive start streak???….ugh.’

Pumpelly on ARCA, “We’ll talk about it over a beer sometime.”

The Mitts were off in final laps

The Mitts were off in final laps

Well the last 3 laps of the race had mitts off and knuckles bared as The South Jersey Home Builders 150 drew to a close.  Pumpelly’s official comment is, “We’ll talk about it over a beer sometime.”

Patrick Long (video)& Spencer Pumpelly are series nOObs but veteran road racers.  They come to the series in search of a more financially rewarding career that this feeder series may offer.     Their presence marks a problem for the points leaders as their ‘ringer’ status robs valuable championship points and leads to nasty track etiquette in the final turns.  So much in fact, that there were 5 position changes by the top 3 cars in the last few laps.

The ARCA post race reports, “My run in ARCA was unbelievable,” said Pumpelly. “I had such a good time here. I had a great time with the cars, the drivers that I have met here have been great and all of the teams, the officials really enjoyed

Patrick Long wins South Jersey Homebuilders 150 ARCA race

Patrick Long wins South Jersey Homebuilders 150 ARCA race

my time here and I appreciate everyone being so welcoming. Also it was my first time with the TRG guys in the stock car side. I’ve worked a lot with their sports car teams and we do a lot with the Motorsports guys in sports cars as well as the TRG guys, two different companies that kind of work together. This is my first time on the stock car side with all of those guys-phenomenal job they did. I can’t say enough. Hope I get to do more. Not sure if I will get the opportunity sooner or later but I’ll be trying.” Continue reading ‘Pumpelly on ARCA, “We’ll talk about it over a beer sometime.”’

Old Friend takes on a New Look - Spencer Pumpelly

Pumpelly in NJMS ARCA Race

Pumpelly in NJMS ARCA Race

Today is a new direction for our friend Spencer Pumpelly.  After a few months of practice and some encouraging words from teammate Andy Lally - Spencer is taking on the South Jersey Building Trades 150 at NJ Motorsport’s Thunderbolt Circuit today at 1pm EST.

Starting P5 behind current & former Grand Am teammates Justin Marks and Patrick Long, Pumpelly looks to Continue reading ‘Old Friend takes on a New Look - Spencer Pumpelly’