Paul Kelley Welcomes New Member To Family
The ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour, its sponsors, teams, drivers and fans would like to
congratulate competitor Paul Kelley on the birth of his son, Brody Michael Kelley
Brody was born May 15, 2009 at 7:30 pm. He weighed 7 pounds and was 20 1/4 inches
long.
Congrats Paul and Ginger Kelley!
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Gresham To Make NASCAR Camping World East Series Debut Saturday
After a red-hot start to the season winning two of four American Speed Association (ASA) Southeast Asphalt Tour stock car events, Max Gresham will makes his NASCAR debut in the Camping World 150 at South Boston (VA) Motor Speedway this Saturday.
Gresham will wheel the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry in the May 30 NASCAR Camping World East stock car event on the tight 4/10-mile South Boston paved oval. The 16-year-old Gresham knows he’ll have a proven car and team behind him when he takes the green flag.
“I’m really thrilled to have an opportunity to be in a Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) NASCAR Camping World car,” said Gresham. “They win in every NASCAR division they race in. Matt DiBenedetto earned his first career NASCAR Camping World Series East victory at Tri-County Speedway a couple of weeks ago with the same JGR car and guys I’m working with. You can’t ask for a better opportunity than that.”
Gresham has made the most of his opportunities so far this season capturing ASA Southeast Tour events at Dillon (SC) Motor Speedway and Mobile (AL) International Speedway. He is second in the division’s championship chase, just eight markers out of the top spot.
This weekend, Gresham is focused on mastering the historic ‘SoBo’ track.
“I think you are going to have your car set up to be loose in and off the corners if you are going to be fast,” said Gresham, who will be making his first-ever South Boston appearance as well. “We tested a late model there and it is not hard to find the line and the fastest way around. It’s a fun little track, not my favorite yet, but it could be if we can have a good run with the JGR Toyota Camry Saturday night.”
Gresham, who also tested the No. 18 Gresham & Associates JGR Toyota (left) at Hickory Motor Speedway recently, has high hopes for a solid finish at South Boston Saturday.
“One of the things we really improved on at Hickory was our team communication skills,” said Gresham. “I was able to give better information from the cockpit. I’m finding the Camping World car is pretty easy to drive once I got it figured out. They take more finesse than a late model. You have to do more than just run the car hard.”
Gresham, a sophomore student at Woodward Academy in College Park, GA will take the green flag in the Camping World 150 at South Boston (VA) Speedway on Saturday, May 30 with practice beginning at Noon with qualifying to follow at 4:45 p.m. Eastern Time. The 150-lap NASCAR Camping World East Series event will take the green flag at 7 p.m.
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Gresham, ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour Get Soaked At Hickory
Max Gresham’s bid for a third American Speed Association (ASA) Southeast Asphalt Tour victory this season got drenched Sunday as continuous rains washed out the RC Cola / Moon Pie 100 at Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway.
“Yeah, we got wet,” said Gresham Sunday. “We practiced and qualified Saturday and then it rained all morning today. They called it by noon.”
Gresham also indicated the rainout might actually turn out to be an advantage when the series returns for the make-up event (date to be determined).
“We’ll have more experience when we come back here later in the season,” said Gresham of the .363-mile paved famed Hickory oval. “We qualified eighth on Saturday and we’ll start seventh because of the draw. I’m going to need all the experience I can get to be able to get to the front and win from back there.”
The Woodward Academy (College Park, GA) sophomore student will next make his NASCAR debut in a Camping World East Series stock car event at South Boston (VA) Speedway on Saturday, May 30. The event will also mark the first time Gresham will wheel a Joe Gibbs Racing entry.
“I’m extremely excited to make my NASCAR debut and drive for Joe Gibbs Racing,” said Gresham. “I’m going to be doing some testing in the next two weeks leading up to the South Boston race. It’s going to be a great experience and opportunity for me. I can’t wait to do it.”
To learn more about Max Gresham and Gresham Motorsports, please log on to www.greshammotorsports.com.
For information about sponsorship/partnering with Max Gresham and Gresham Motorsports, please contact Tony Gresham at tgresham@greshaminc.com.
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Jason Hogan Event Preview: ASA SAT Hickory Motor Speedway
For the first time this season Jason Hogan will make his return to a track where he scored one of his three ASA Southeast Asphalt series wins just a season ago. The track often referred to as the “Birthplace of the Nascar Stars”, Hickory Motor Speedway; is the location where Hogan scored his first career series win last September. The Georgia based race team will look for their fourth consecutive top five finish which they hope will help stretch out their eight point lead over series rookie and fellow Georgia native Max Gresham.
How do you like your chances of repeating at Hickory?
“I really believe we have a solid chance of coming home from Hickory with a win. I know last year we got the win handed to us after (Jeff) Choquette got disqualified but you can’t take away the fact we put ourselves in position to be declared the winner. If you look at the races we’ve ran so far they don’t really play into my favor with the exception of Lanier so to go to a track we won on last year and we know we can get it done gets me excited.”
What kind of track is Hickory and would you consider it a Jason Hogan style track?
“For the most part, Hickory is definitely a Jason Hogan style track. It is true short track with two grooves of racing which mean you can race side by side with no problem. We usually do better on a track that has a lot of grip and Hickory is a very abrasive track but overall it’s a place that fits my driving style.”
If you weren’t racing this weekend, what would you be doing?
“First of all I wouldn’t have to answer these questions! I’m just kidding; I would probably be on the lake somewhere hanging out with friends and family. It’s nice to take a break from the grind of work and getting these cars ready to race every other week.”
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Casey Roderick Dominates at Lanier, Comes Up Short in Final Laps
Casey Roderick dominated the Georgia Asphalt Series (GAS) Super Six 100 at Lanier National Speedway in the No. 19 Hometown Community Bank Ford, topping the charts in one practice session, qualifying on the pole, and leading 96 of the 100 laps. But the 16-year-old Lawrenceville, Georgia, native came up a few laps short of a perfect day to finish second to his Bill Elliott Racing teammate, Chase Elliott.
“Chase just had a better car there at the end,” Roderick said of his teammate. “We had a great day, fast in practice and won the pole, and we led most of the race, but Chase led the lap that counts. It was really just me and him all night, and I had fun racing him. I’m happy for him and proud of him for running a great race. He earned this one, that’s for sure.
“I’m glad we could put on a good show here for Hometown Community Bank and the Braselton Visitors Bureau, especially here in front of our hometown fans. The team gave me an awesome car today, and we almost got that first win. We’ll just keep working hard and if we keep having these good runs, one of these days we’ll be celebrating in Victory Lane too.”
Roderick’s No. 19 Hometown Community Bank Ford unloaded fast at Lanier, leading the first 30-minute practice session and running third in second practice. Roderick was the last of 17 cars to make his qualifying run around the 3/8-mile oval, just as the clouds moved in. On his second circuit, Roderick laid down a fast lap of 13.879 seconds – the only driver to qualify in the 13.8-second range – to claim the pole and demote his teammate Elliott to second.
At Lanier, the pole winner each week climbs atop the flag stand and rolls a die to determine the field inversion for the start. With a one in six chance of maintaining his pole starting position, Roderick said a prayer and sent the giant die rolling across the front stretch. When it stopped tumbling, the die landed with a one on top – and Roderick kept his top spot.
For the third time in three GAS starts this season, Roderick led the field to the green flag – with his BER teammate alongside him. Following an early caution on lap 2, Roderick pulled away slightly from Elliott and the rest of the field. By lap 15, the No. 19 had a four car-length lead over second place until a caution three laps later brought the field back together.
During the caution, Roderick reported to his crew that the car felt really good. The crew radioed back that the line he was driving around the track looked to be working to his advantage and to keep doing what he was doing.
On the restart, Roderick was able to jump out front again but was quickly slowed when a three-car wreck brought out the yellow – and eventually the red flag – one lap later. Once the race went green again, the No. 19 and No. 9 stayed nose-to-tail and pulled away from Paul Kelley and Greg Simpson in third and fourth.
Roderick continued to set the pace and caught lap traffic on lap 34. The lap cars allowed Kelley and Simpson to catch the leaders, and the top-four began to break away from the rest of the field.
Following a quick caution on lap 50, Roderick and Elliott once again jumped out front and paced the field. While Kelley and Simpson raced for third and more battles raged further back in the field, Roderick and Elliott pulled out to a five car-length lead over third and a straightaway lead over fifth by lap 68.
Roderick had repeatedly pulled away from his BER teammate Elliott in second, but he was never able to get too far ahead. On lap 70, Roderick had Elliott all over his back bumper, but Elliott did not make a move for the lead.
The two continued to run nose-to-tail and maneuver through traffic for 25 laps until Elliott began putting the pressure on Roderick. On lap 95, Elliott took a look to the inside of Roderick, but he was able to defend the lead and keep Elliott behind him. On the next lap, Elliott managed to get his nose under the No. 19 going into turn three, and Roderick – whose car had started to develop a loose condition – wasn’t able to hold him off. The two raced side-by-side out of turn four, and Elliott cleared the No. 19 at the line to lead lap 97.
After dominating the GAS field at Lanier, Roderick came up just short at the end to finish second to his teammate Elliott, who recorded his first career Late Model win. The runner-up finish marked Roderick’s second straight top-three finish and his fourth top-ten of the season.
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Chase Elliott Scores First Win in Aaron’s Dream Machine Late Model
Appropriately enough, the rear bumper of Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Aaron’s Lucky Dog Dream Machine reads, “Nobody beats Aaron’s.” Thirteen-year-old Elliott backed that up Saturday night at Lanier National Speedway (Braselton, Ga.) when he won his first career Late Model race in only seven starts. After running second to his Bill Elliott Racing teammate Casey Roderick for 96 laps, Elliott took the lead and cruised to the win at his “home track” in the Georgia Asphalt Series (GAS) Super Six 100, just in time to give his mom, Cindy Elliott, the perfect Mother’s Day gift.
As the tradition continues from Bill to his son Chase Elliott, the same fans that made Awesome Bill from Dawsonville the Most Popular Driver for 16 years went wild when the second-generation driver made the pass around Roderick and crossed the finish line in front of his hometown fans. Hearing news of the momentous win, Gordon Pirkle at the Dawsonville Pool Room sounded the siren through the streets of old Dawsonville, as he has following every Elliott win.
“I was up in the spotters’ stand, and at first I didn’t know who the crowd was cheering for,” Bill Elliott said. “That was until I saw Chase pull up beside Casey for the pass and the crowd went wild. It was unbelievable for me to experience the fans that have supported me throughout my career out here cheering on my son now.”
“That was a heck of a race, I’m just so excited,” Chase Elliott said after climbing out of his car in Victory Lane. “The car was getting loose there at the end, and I knew I had just one chance to get around Casey and make it stick – so it had to be the right time. I set him up and got under him just enough to move him up the track and not wreck either of us. From there I just hit my marks and took it easy until we took the checkers. I just can’t believe it – this is awesome. I can’t thank everyone enough, my mom and dad, everyone on the team and especially Aaron’s and all of our sponsors for supporting us.”
The Aaron’s Dream Machine was fast from the time the team unloaded at Lanier. Elliott was fourth fastest in the first 30-minute practice, and he topped the speed charts in the second session with a 14.128-second lap.
Elliott rolled off fifth out of 17 cars during qualifying and was the first driver to post a lap in the 13.9-second range, clocking in at 13.911 and putting himself atop the leader board. Elliott’s fast lap held up through 11 more cars until his BER teammate Casey Roderick, the final car to qualify, posted a 13.879-second lap to claim the pole, bumping Elliott to second.
The BER teammates lined up side-by-side to lead the 17-car field to the green, and Elliott quickly jumped to the inside and tucked in behind Roderick. Roderick was able to pull ahead to a four car-length lead over the Aaron’s Dream Machine, but Elliott never let Roderick out of reach.
A lap 18 caution bunched the field up again and allowed Elliott to report to his crew that the car was great and he was saving it for the end.
Following a messy restart, the race was red-flagged for a spin in turns one and two while track workers cleared the debris. On the subsequent restart, Roderick and Elliott were able to pull away from third place Paul Kelley. By lap 34, the leaders caught lap traffic, but Elliott was able to clear with no problems.
During a lap 50 caution, Elliott reported to crew chief Ricky Turner that the Aaron’s Dream Machine was starting to get free rolling through the center of the turns, but he thought he could try to change his driving to correct the problem.
On the final restart, Roderick jumped out to the lead and Elliott again fell in closely behind as the two pulled away from the rest of the field. By lap 64, the No. 19 and No. 9 pulled out to a five car-length lead over Kelley in third.
Elliott slowly gained on his teammate, and by lap 70, he pulled up to the back bumper of the No. 19. Elliott’s spotter, dad Bill Elliott, advised his son to follow Roderick for a while and save his tires for a late race run for the lead. On lap 85, the elder Elliott radioed to his son to set Roderick up for the pass at the end because, with a loose race car, Elliott would only have one chance to get around the No. 19 and make it stick out front.
ps later, Elliott took a look to the inside of the No. 19 but wasn’t able to get under him. The following lap, Elliott stuck his nose under Roderick going into turn three, moving the No. 19 up the track just enough for Elliott to pull under. The two raced side-by-side out of turn four, and Elliott officially led for the first time on lap 97 of 100.
From there, Elliott hit his marks around his “home track” and crossed the line 0.513 seconds ahead of his teammate to claim his first Late Model victory in only seven starts.
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