Grant and crew member Zack Ralston took the BeasleyAllen.com ARCA speedway car to the RoushYates chassis dyno Wednesday. That car, to be run next at Talladega April 23rd, performed well on the dyno, with engine builder Nick Ramey assuring Grant that the engine/driveline set up is ready to go for the testing at Talladega in late March. Grant & Zack will finish pre-test work on the intermediate car and then load the transporter for the long trip to Alabama and Mississippi where they will turn their attention to a 3rd car—the BeasleyAllen.com Super Late Model which will be run in the Rattler 250 March 7th. 

A short video promoting the Rattler race can be viewed at www.southalabamaspeedway.com . That YouTube video includes Grant’s hard crash which took place coming out of turn 4 in the 2009 race. Grant hit the front wall at approximately 95 miles per hour, doing considerable damage to the car, but not injuring Grant. 2 days after the Rattler race, Grant will test the ARCA intermediate car at Texas Speedway at speeds almost twice as fast as those at Opp.
 
Grant & Zack will work at the Bragg Racing shop in Mississippi over the weekend, putting the Super Late car (which has not been run since the Snowball Derby) in shape for testing at Opp’s South Alabama Speedway next week. Qualifying for the 250 lap Ratter race will take place the evening of Friday March 5th, with the race scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday March 7, 2010. 

Additional information regarding the Rattler 250 race can be found at www.speed51.com .

Grant is busy working in the North Carolina shop, as he and Zack Ralston put finishing touches on the BeasleyAllen.com ARCA intermediate car which will be tested at Texas Speedway March 9th. Before then, Grant & Zack will be preparing, testing and racing the BeasleyAllen.com Super Late Model at the 250 lap Rattler race at Opp’s South Alabama Speedway. Grant will attempt to repeat his 2008 win at the 3/8 mile track where he suffered a hard crash last year.   

Congressman Bobby Bright will return to the track for the March 7th Rattler race, as the race’s Grand Marshall. The Congressman was raised near the track and has known many of the local residents since childhood. 

When they head south later this week for Rattler prep and teasting, Grant & Zack will have the ARCA car ready for testing at the Dallas, Texas track. While other race teams and fans head home after the Sunday afternoon Rattler 250, the BeasleyAllen.com race transporter will head west for the open ARCA test session 2 days later. Grant & Zack will then make the long drive back to North Carolina to prepare for the Texas and Talladega ARCA races to be held in April.
 
For more information on the Rattler 250, visit  www.southalabamaspeedway.com .

Grant returned to Daytona International Speedway last week, not as a driver, but as crew member for NASCAR driver Rick Crawford. Grant helped Rick’s crew prepare for the Camping World Truck series opener at Daytona, before driving back to Charlotte to work on the BeasleyAllen.com ARCA intermediate track car. That car will be tested at Texas Speedway at the ARCA open test session March 9th, but Grant must have that car ready to go by the end of next week. That is because he will be traveling to the Bragg Racing shop in Mississippi to finish preparations for the March 7th Rattler Super Late Model Race at Opp’s South Alabama Speedway. “When the Rattler is concluded, we will head directly to Texas for testing the ARCA car 2 days later. We will be bringing the ARCA intermediate car when we leave North Carolina next week.”

 
Grant will be making the transition from racing on Daytona’s 2+mile high banked course to the 3/8 mile Opp bullring. The Rattler is considered one of the top 10 Super Late Model races of the year. Grant won the race 2 years ago and crashed out of the contest last year. “I will be drivng the Bragg Racing Snowball Derby car which finished 6th at Pensacola and we are all working hard to make sure the BeasleyAllen Super Late Model returns to victory lane at Opp.” Grant is also looking forward to returning to a 1 1/2 mile track at the ARCA test, as the  intermediate car was one of the top cars in each of the races it ran last year. That car posted 2nd place finishes at Chicago & Kentucky, a 3rd place finish at Kansas and was 7th at Rockingham.
 
More information on the Rattler can be found at  www.southalabamaspeedway.com .

The 2010 racing season begins this afternoon when 42 racers take the green flag for the 200 mile Lucas Oil ARCA race this afternoon. Grant qualified the BeasleyAllen.com car 20th of 52 competitors. “I am a little dissapointed in our starting position, but we believe the car will race well in the draft. The key to the race is avoiding the big wreck which is sure to happen sooner rather than later. That will determined by luck and will be outside our control. We have taken care of everything we have control over and I am going to avoid the wreck if I can. However, we will be running 185 miles per hour in a pack and whatever happens, will happen.”

The final pre-race practice, which was to focus on drafting, was rained out Friday afternoon. Many of the racers have never drafted before and the fans are sure to see an exciting race. Speed TV will nationally televise the race this afternoon at 3:30 pm. The starting grid and all aspects of the race can be accessed at www.arcaracing.com .

The BeasleyAllen.com ARCA car placed 20th fastest of 52 competitors in practice Thursday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway. At a speed of just over 180 miles per hour, the car performed much better than it did at the December test. “The car handled well, and our great crew made quick changes between runs, allowing us to evaluate several set up changes.” A radiator leak and gear shifter bug occurred during practicd, but were quickly fixed, and Grant feels the car should qualify within the top 15 today. 

“The practice and qualifying speeds will be slower than race laps, as the draft during the race will elevate the car speeds considerably. I feel the car will do better in the race than in qualifying, but nobody knows how his or her car will work with another car until the green flag drops.” The qualifying speeds will be available live this morning, through the web site www.arcaracing.com . 

The 200 mile ARCA race will be nationally televised Saturday at 3 pm on Speed Channel.