Grant Enfinger Racing » BeasleyAllen

Chicago recap, fastest car didn’t win the race

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:00:26 +0000

NASCAR Cup racer Michael Waltrip, one of the announcers for Speed TV’s coverage of last Friday’s ARCA race at Chicagoland Speedway, noted that the BeasleyAllen.com car was posting the fastest times during the closing laps of the 150 mile race. So why didn’t Grant win the race when he had the fastest car at the end? The answer can be traced to a pit stop in which a NASCAR crew made a mistake which cost Grant track position, requiring Grant to pass cars to regain the 3rd position on the track. Grant was never passed on the track, but losing time in a pit stop could not be overcome. The NASCAR pit crew was hired to give Grant the best possible chance to win the race. Unfortunately, that decision backfired on the BeasleyAllen.com team.

CREW CHIEF HOWARD BIXMAN WITH GRANT AT CHICAGO

Grant, during the final 10 laps of the race, was faster than the leader and ultimate winner, Patrick Sheltra. Between Sheltra and Grant was the #55 car of Steve Arpin. When Grant came up along side Arpin’s car, Arpin pinned Grant to the bottom, causing Grant’s car to be come “aero–tight” which is a condition caused by the side drafting of the 2 cars. “The car was already tightening up at the end of the race and when Arpin pinned me to the bottom, I just could not stay in the gas and turn the car.” Camping World Truck veteran Rick Crawford watched the race from the BeasleyAllen.com pit and noted that Grant could have taken Arpin out of the race, by spinning the #55, giving Grant 2nd place and providing a clear shot to the front. “I wanted to win the race badly, but I am not going to crash another driver who has raced me cleanly. Besides,we can’t afford to get into a crash contest. We would run out of cars before the other guys use up all their cars.”

While there are remaining ARCA races on television at Kansas (where Grant finished 3rd in 2009) and Rockingham, there are no plans to make those races, although Grant continues to search for sponsorhip for either or both of those races. “We raced an extra race with BeasleyAllen beyond the scheduled races. BeasleyAllen has been one of the most consistent sponsors in the ARCA circuit the past 2 years, and we have tried to give the firm its money’s worth in exposure and support for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I can’t thank the firm enough for allowing me to pursue my dream of big time stock car racing. I am going to continue to pursue my motor sports career. Whatever I am able to do in the future will be due to a large extent on what BeasleyAllen has done for me.”

Grant packing up for long truck drive to Daytona

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:32:24 +0000

The racing world, during an otherwise slow time of the year, is focused on the ARCA test session at Daytona Speedway Friday through Sunday. The Associated Press, ESPN, Speed TV and ESPN are not descending on the speedway to report on Grant’s practice sessions. IRL racer Danica Patrick, in her first public performance in a stock car, has generated more interest in a routine test session than is shown in many NASCAR races. Danica is holding a press conference in North Carolina Thursday, before boarding a private jet for the short flight to the Daytona Beach airport which is only a few hundred yards outside the high banks of the speedway. Grant, meanwhile, will be loading the BeasleyAllen Kenworth rig for the long drive down I 95 to the race track. While Danica is meeting the press in Florida or waiting in her motorhome during the time it takes her JR Motorsports crew to ready her car, Grant and a few of his friends will be setting up the BeasleyAllen car for practice.

“I’m sure Danica is excited to be heading to Daytona, but she isn’t looking forward to Friday any more than I am. Eleven years ago I raced my kart around the big track and I am excited to be running a stock car on the high banks. Just as racing at Talladega was a dream come true, running Daytona at more than170 miles per hour is something I have thought about for a long time. I am not worried about who gets attention during the test. We are going to stay focused on the reason we are testing this weekend to be in a position to win the race February 6th.” The season opener, to be televised live on Speed TV, will be sandwiched between Cup pole qualifying and the Budweiser Shootout Cup race.

Weather permitting, the test will allow the racers to shake down their cars and get up to speed Friday, when drafting will not be allowed. The 2nd day of the test will allow drafting and the drivers will be sure to draft only with other racers they trust. Drafting, even in practice, can be dangerous but Grant believes he needs to know before the race how his car will react to different cars, whether in front of them, behind them or in a pack with other cars on either side. Because of the drafting practice, the 2nd day of the test will be extremely intense. If weather doesn’t interfere with Grant’s testing, he will head back to North Carolina Saturday evening, but if the current forecast of rain for Friday is accurate, the drafting day will be Sunday.

For reports on testing this weekend and for current lap times, visit www.arcaracing.com.

Grant back in North Carolina, Danica adds excitement to Daytona

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:53:02 +0000

Grant was looking forward Tuesday to his best night’s sleep in the past several weeks. He has worked long hours every day and night since leaving the BeasleyAllen Conference & Expo several weeks ago. He and the Bragg Racing crew have worked 48 hours non-stop a few times leading up to the Snowball Derby. After the race Sunday night, Grant drove the race rig to the Bragg shop in Mississippi where the Derby car was unloaded and the BeasleyAllen ARCA car was rolled in the trailer, along with most of the equipment and tools used for the Derby. Grant slept a few hours Sunday night before driving the Kenworth to the North Carolina shop Monday. Upon arriving at the shop, Grant began work preparing the ARCA superspeedway car for yesterday’s chassis dyno test which could only be scheduled for Tuesday.

Grant will spend the next several days preparing the speedway car for next weekend’s ARCA test at Daytona, in order to be ready for the season opener. The race is scheduled for February 6th and will likely be the most viewed race in ARCA history, due to yesterday’s announcement that IRL racer Danica Patrick will make her stock car racing debut in the ARCA Daytona race. Even the December 18-20 test session is being promoted, as Danica-mania has hit the stock car world. Danica must compete in the ARCA race before being approved to compete in the NASCAR Nationwide series which she is planning on doing with the help of JR Motorsports, a team headed by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Daytona Speedway is opening the grandstands for fans to watch the testing free, and will be conducting tours of the pits during the test weekend.

Grant has never raced on the Daytona track, which is slightly smaller and slower than Talladega where he finished 3rd earlier this year. Daytona Speedway is a rougher, narrower track which, combined with high banks and 175 mph+ speeds makes driving and drafting difficult. The January 2009 ARCA race had several multi-car crashes which eliminated many of the cars which started the race.

For that latest information and details on the Daytona test and Danica Patrick’s plans for stock car racing, visit www.arcaracing.com.