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Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019

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Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019 Empty Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019

Post by PackerMan71 Sat Aug 06, 2011 11:26 pm

MY GRAVITY RACING, INC. DRIVER STATS AND INFO
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Driver Name: Packer Carroll
Nickname: Emerald Warrior
Date of Birth: April 6, 1985
Place of Birth: Chillicothe, OH
Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019 468px-Packer2013
Current Full-Time Series: FARC Lowe Dollar Series
Current Team: Gravity Racing, Inc. #71 Lycoia (FARC)

Series Competed In:
-BAAR Super Pro Series (1998-2005, 2016 PT)
-FARC Lowe Dollar Series (2009-2011, 2015, 2017-2018)
-Dash Cup Series (2013 PT)
-TM Junior Series (2010)
-TM Lights Series (2011)
-TM Master Cup Series (2009-2019)

Racing Accomplishments:
-25 BAAR Super Pro Series victories.
-3 BAAR Super Pro Series championships (1999-2001)
-2 Ohio 250 (now 300) victories (1999 & 2000)
-4 FARC Lowe Dollar Series Q-Race wins (Grand Detour, Vancouver, Milwaukee, & Lake Afton)
-3 TM Master Cup Series Q-Race Wins (Decatur & 2 Karjala Pre-Q)
-3 FARC Lowe Dollar Series wins (Boston 2009, Watkins Glen 2011, Chili Bowl 2015)
-Best career TM Junior Series finish: 2nd (Decatur)
-Best career TM Lights finish: 3rd (Las Vegas)
-2 TM Master Cup Series wins (Road Gatineau 2012, Ohio 2017)
-Made his ARLA Elite Series debut in just his second attempt (Pikes Peak) and finished 7th.
-Made TM Master Cup Series debut in 2009 at Australia
-Best career TM Junior Series finish: 2nd (Decatur)
-Best career TM Lights finish: 3rd (Las Vegas)
-Voted FARC Lowe Dollar Series Most Popular Driver in 2009.
-In 2010, went triple-duty, with full-time ARLA Elite Series & TM Junior Series schedules, and will run the TM Master Cup Series part-time.
-Voted FARC Lowe Dollar Series Comeback Driver of the Year in 2010.
-Earned first career TM podium finish with a 2nd at the 2010 TMJS Decatur Grand Prix.
-Finished 5th in 2010 TMJS Points Standings and 4th in the 2010 ARLA Elite Series Points Standings, his first top 5 points finishes, despite a lack of a win.
-Gravity Racing, Inc. was voted FARC Lowe Dollar Series Team of the Year in 2010.
-Earned Competitive Spirit Award for completing the most laps in ARLA Elite Series competition in 2010.
-Earned first TM Lights podium with a 3rd at Las Vegas 2011.
-Earned first TMMC top ten finish with a 10th at EuroSpeedway Lausitz in Germany.
-Became the first car owner to sweep both races at a FARC Lowe Dollar Series event since FARC went to the twin race format in 2011, at Verdugo, with Anthony Griffith and Todd Wodarczyk. He repeated the feat at Watkins Glen when Packer himself and Wodarczyk won both races.
-Earned first top 5 TMMC finish at the 2011 Round of Wisconsin.
-One of three drivers (along with Alexis Rainsford and Divina Henton) that helped the #1 Lynxe Volpi Racing Team win the 2011 TM Master Cup Series Owner's Championship.
-Gravity Racing, Inc. was voted FARC Most Popular Team in 2011.
-Led his first career TM Master Cup Series race at Las Vegas 2012.
-Earned his first career TM Master Cup Series victory at the 2012 Round of Quebec, leading the most laps for the first time in his career and also became just the 10th driver in history to win a FARC Lowe Dollar Series race and a TM Master Cup Series race in his career.
-Earned his 2nd career TMMC victory with a surprise win at the 2017 Round of Ohio.
-2017 TM Master Cup Series Independents' Trophy Champion.

PACKER'S BIO

Packer Carroll was born on April 6, 1985, in Chillicothe, OH. He began watching racing on TV from an early age. At the age of 10, he got his first go-kart, and showed he had some impressive driving ability for someone his age, and considered a career in racing.

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ROOKIE SHOOTOUT UPDATE: CARROLL MAKES A SPECTACULAR SAVE

In the early laps of the much-anticipated Rookie Shootout, we almost had the big one on Lap 4 when TM Master Cup driver Marcos Leonard almost spun the #71 of Packer Carroll coming out of turn 4, but in an impressive display of car control, Carroll saved the car and perhaps half the field, as he was running near the top ten at the time. The unbelieveable save proved that while Carroll may be an ARLA rookie, he's no stranger to racing, winning multiple championships in racing leagues across the country. After the save, he dropped to the back, probably to catch his breath.

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PACKER'S DEBUT GOES UP IN SMOKE

It was gonna happen eventually, but the big wreck happened on Lap 15. Over half the field was involved in the wreck, including Packer Carroll, one of the many drivers making their ARLA debut. He took the wildest ride when his car flipped over on its roof on the apron of turn 4. He crawled out of the vehicle and was uninjured, but as he walked away, he looked back and shook his head at his totaled Dragoon, just an innocent victim in a massive pile-up.

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PACKER FAILS TO QUALIFY FOR DAYTONA

With the new qualifying procedures in place, Packer Carroll went out to qualify his #71 Shiny Wax Dragoon. However, the car didn't have much speed at all, and he wound up 35th, near the bottom of the running order.

After bringing the car back onto pit road, he got out and walked off in disgust.

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PACKER'S OFFICAL DEBUT TO TAKE PLACE AT PIKES PEAK

After a disappointing start to his ARLA career, Packer Carroll was jumping for joy when he qualified 6th fastest among the cars that needed to time their way in. When he climbed from the car and learned he was in, he high-fived and congratulated his crew on a job well done. When he was interviewed, the excitement in his voice was evident.

PACKER: I'm so proud of my guys for getting this car into the race, and it started in the first session. When we were 2nd fastest in Session B, I had a feeling we were gonna qualify for the race this week, and we made it. Daytona is nothing but a distant memory now. Now we can focus on racing this week instead of watching from the stands. I tell you, I've got goosebumps. I can't wait for that green flag to drop. And a special thanks to Shiny Wax for sticking wth us.

Packer debuts his #71 Shiny Wax Gasnier Dragoon this week.

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PACKER WITH IMPRESSVE DEBUT AT PIKES PEAK

In a very impressive debut in what was a very competitve race, Packer Carroll, driving his own car, the #71 Shiny Wax Gasnier, finished 7th after starting from the 27th position on the grid.. He wasn't the highest finishing rookie in the race, but he was still very pleased with his efforts.

PACKER: I'm very proud of my guys for the car they gave me this weekend. Getting through the qualifying sessions was pretty damn good, but we get a top 10 finish in our first start, and we were running in the top 5 as well, so this is very encouraging. Right now, we just need to get this car into the top 30 in points, and we'll go from there.

When asked about the incident with Brenda Riggs, Packer's face sombered and he said this...

PACKER: Yeah, I want to apologize to Brenda for that. I would never intentionally wreck another driver unless they REALLY ticked me off. I just had a run on her going into turns 1 & 2, and I don't know if she kept crowding me down or she got loose or what, but I just kept moving down and down, and there wasn't any place left for me to go except the apron. It wasn't anything intentional at all. We were just racing hard for a top 5 spot. Just the way things go in ARLA sometimes.

Packer can breathe easy, however. He is locked into the next race on the ARLA schedule, which is being held at Indianapolis. From there, he can work on keeping his #71 car in the top 30 in owner points to have a guaranteed spot in all the races.

He is currently tied for 28th in points.

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PACKER FRUSTRATED OVER LAST PLACE FINISH

In a race that would be very important, for it would determine the top 30 teams locked in for race 4, it ended very quickly for the #71 team. Packer Carroll was part of the traffic jam of lap 1, and completely destroyed the front of his car, ending his day. He was visibly very upset as he got out of his car.

PACKER: This is something we absolutely did not need. We didn't have a great qualifying effort, but we were working on race setups for today. Well, we didn't even make it one lap today and totaled a great race car. We need a good run to keep this car in the top 30 in points, but now we'll have to run the qualifiers in Colorado.

When asked what he thought of the change back to qualifying races, Packer just shrugged.

PACKER: Honestly, it doesn't matter what the qualifying procedure is to me. Basically, we have to be top 12 to make the show, no matter how we do it. However, were going back to Colorado for another race. After Pikes Peak, I'm looking forward to the next race.

Packer finished 42nd, and the #71 Shiny Wax Gasnier sits 33rd in owner points, meaning they'll have to run the qualifying races at Colorado.

GRI FAILS TO QUALIFY FOR DENVER

After a frustrating Indianapolis, the #71's woes continued when Carroll finished 14th, two spots out of a spot in the race. Needless to say, he was very frustrated.

PACKER: I just don't understand what's gone wrong, all of a sudden. We made the race in Pikes Peak, and we were in good shape for a least the first part of the season, then comes Indy and we get wrecked out on the first lap, then we're just two spots from making the race and we fail to do so. (sighs) I've never had this kind of problem before, failing to qualify for races. We need to figure this out, or we'll never get off the ground in ARLA.

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AFTER DNQ'S IN COLORADO, GREEN VALLEY, & TALLADEGA, SHINY WAX ISSUES ULTIMATUM TO GRI

In a press release by high-profile sponsor Shiny Wax, they issued a statement saying that they would end their sponsorship with the Gravity Racing, Inc. #71 Gasnier Dragoon unless the team makes it into the top 30 in ARLA Elite Series points by the end of the 12th race of the season.

Needless to say, this was troubling for the car's owner and driver, Packer Carroll. After missing the Smash Beer 100 at Daytona, he made the race at Pikes Peak and finished 7th. But things have gone downhill from there for Carroll. He was locked in at Indianapolis, but was crashed out of the race before the first lap was complete and finished 42nd. He missed the next three races at Colorado, Grand Valley, and Talladega.

Now, unless his team can pick up its performance in the qualifying races, he might lose the sponsor that helped him start his ARLA team.

PACKER: Well, this annoucement is certainly not the news we wanted to hear here at GRI. We're gonna have to step up our performance if we want to keep our sponsorship with Shiny Wax. Losing a high-profile sponsor, with the way the economy is right now, would be very heartbreaking for our team. But we're gonna fight on, and hopefully we'll make our way back into the top 30. It's gonna be tough.

Shiny Wax currently is paying $105,000 a race to GRI.

There are rumors circulating that even with the sponsorship troubles, Shiny Wax and GRI may be starting an ARLA Thunder Trucks team, with the same number, sponsor, and paint scheme as the Elite Series car. Packer has tabbed Zach Gott, a friend of his, to drive the Thunder Truck in 2009.

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SHINY WAX GASNIER RETURNS TO GRID AT ROVANIEMI

After missing three consecutive races, at Denver, Green Valley, and Talladega, the #71 team made it back to the grid as the ARLA Elite Series began their European tour in Rovaniemi, Finland for Round #7. After finishing 6th in the Q-Race, he qualified 26th for the main race, but ran up front early. He was caught up in the big wreck near the end of the race, but did not sustain as much damage as some of the other cars had. After pitting for repairs, he returned to the track and finished on the lead lap, in 18th.

Not the finish Packer was hoping for, but he was happy just to make the race.

PACKER: We could've finished better, but we just got caught up in the pile-up near the end there. But finishing on the lead lap, we'll take it. Besides, we're heading to a street course next, and that's my specialty. I'm definitely looking forward to that.

He, of course, means the street course in Leipzig, Germany, where the ARLA Elite Series will hold Round #8 of the 24 race schedule.

Things seem to be going in the favor of the GRI drivers now, though. Rush McCloud, Carroll's partner, finished 3rd at VIR in the TM Junior Series not too long ago, but still sits 36th in points, and ARLA Thunder Trucks driver Zach Gott has led in both of the first two races and finished 2nd at Carbondale.

Packer currently is 39th in driver points, and his team is 40th. They are 111 points out of 30th.

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AFTER HEARTBREAKING FINISH IN LEIPZIG, CARROLL IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH #31 TEAM

Even though he was starting 39th, GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll was confident that he could fight his way through the pack with his road racing skills, and for a while, he was doing it. He had made his way up to the top 20 when disaster struck. On the seventh lap, he overcooked the infamous s-curve that had claimed so many victims over the race weekend. He only clipped the haybale, however, and he would've been okay, but another car slammed into the driver's side door, and the #71 Dragoon went airborne. Packer had the wind knocked out of him by the impact, but he was ok. His car, however, was done, and he had to retire from the race, finishing 22nd.  Sad

After coming out from the infield care center, Carroll was visibly distressed and frustrated, and he made those feelings known.

PACKER: I'm just so frustrated at myself right now. My car was great today. I was charging up through the field, then I get ahead of myself and make one stupid mistake. I probably would've got it going afterward, because I only clipped the haybale, but another car was coming through, and he T-boned my car and sent it flying. Knocked the wind right out of me. (sighs) Man, I really thought we could do something today, and I let a golden opportunity slip through my fingers. What can you do?

He walked off to help his team load his destroyed car into the hauler, clearly frustrated with the circumstances of the day.

He and his team currently sit 39th in both standings, and the #71 is 102 points out of 30th. With his sponsor's deadline fast approaching, Packer's team better step up the performance, or they'll be looking for a new sponsor.

After ARLA posted the penalties following Leipzig, there have been reports that Carroll is currently in negotiations with White Mountain Racing's #31 team for a 1-race deal. Lizz Hebert, who won at Indianapolis earlier this season, has been suspended from Rockingham, UK, for rough driving. If White Mountain Racing agrees to let Carroll drive their car at Rockingham, Carroll may call upon his Thunder Trucks driver, Zach Gott, to pilot the #71 Shiny Wax Gasnier in Round #9.

When asked about the negotiations with the #31 team, Packer had this to say...

PACKER: Yes, I'm currently talking with White Mountain Racing officals to see if they want me to drive their car at Rockingham, just until Lizz's suspension is done. I'm not abandoning my team by doing this. I have a lot of respect for Hebert after she won at Indy, and their team is running good this year. I didn't know if they had a replacement driver or not, so I offered to drive for them for the one race. If they already have a replacement lined up, then that's cool. I'm just offering my services to a team I respect greatly.

UPDATE: After much talk about who would pilot the #31 car for White Mountain Racing at Rockingham, it was announced that Leon Keniston would substitute for the suspended Lizz Hebert. They were in negotiations with GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll, but decided not to take him up on his offer.

But Packer had nothing bad to say about the #31 team.

PACKER: It was just an offer I wanted to put on the table. It would've been nice to get some guaranteed seat time, but they decided to bring Keniston in, which is not a bad idea, actually. There was nothing hostile between us. It was a business proposition. They said they already had a replacement, but they thanked me for offering my services. We might do business in the future. Ya never know.

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FRUSTRATING SEASON CONTINUES WITH DNQ AT ROCKINGHAM, UK

After a very disappointing finish at Leipzig, Packer Carroll's season long struggles continued, as he failed to qualify for his 5th race of the season, finishing 21st in the qualifying race. Needless to say, Packer was frustrated.

PACKER: We just weren't that good today. The car was terrible, and it reflected in our finish. (sighs) I just don't know what to think right now. This season is a total loss. There's no way we'll be able to get back into the top 30 before Round 12. Our sponsorship is as good as gone.

Barring a miracle, he could be right. Shiny Wax, the sponsor of Packer's #71, gave the team until the 12th race of the season to make it back into the top 30 in the points. If they didn't, then Shiny Wax would end their sponsorship with Gravity Racing, Inc., meaning that Carroll would have to pay for the team out of his own pocket. He's got the resources to do it, but he'll want to find a new sponsor soon.

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PACKER ATTEMPTS ONE LAST HURRAH WITH SHINY WAX, SIGNS NEW SPONSOR

With just three races left until Shiny Wax terminates their deal with the GRI #71 car, Packer Carroll is gonna try to give them a going away present. He has built his own TM Master Cup Series car, and will run a one-off race in one of the crown jewel events of TMMC, the Karjala Grand Prix. Hopefully, his road course skills will be enough to qualify for the prestigious event.

PACKER: Yes, we're really looking forward to running at Karjala. While my team is in the midst of the European Tour for the ARLA Elite Series, I decided to try to qualify for Karjala. Hopefully, if we make it in, it'll attract the attention of a big primary sponsor for our car, so there's a lot riding on making this race.

Normally, he drives number 71, but because another team is attempting to qualify with that number, Packer will be driving the #48 Shiny Wax Dragoon at Karjala.

While he continues to search for a primary sponsor, good news came at a good time for Carroll. It has just been announced that his team will have a new associate sponsor beginning at Round 13 of the 2009 ARLA Elite Series.

Grape Soup, which sponsors the #89 ARLA Thunder Truck team, will be associate sponsor of the #71 Gasnier up until the end of the 2010 season, and will reportedly pay $40,000 per race. Needless to say, Packer was thrilled.

PACKER: We are very pleased that Grape Soup has signed with us. With Shiny Wax ending their involvement with our team, it certainly is great that we at least have a sponsor on our car. Originally, this deal was only gonna last through the end of this year, but then they decided to make it a multi-year deal, so now it runs through the end of the 2010 season, which is great news for us. Hopefully, we'll find us a primary sponsor soon, and hopefully, a successful run at Karjala will attract a primary sponsor so we can at least finish this season on a high note.

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GRAPE SOUP UPGRADES DEAL WITH GRI, WILL COMPLETELY SPONSOR #71 CAR

Good news seems to come in waves. After the annoucement of Grape Soup coming on board to associate sponsor the #71 car, it has just been announced that Grape Soup has expanded their offer, and will now fully sponsor the #71 Dragoon through the 2010 season. Obviously, Packer was thrilled with the news.

PACKER: Well, I guess we didn't have to look very far to find our new primary sponsor. I want to thank Grape Soup for expanding their sponsorship to cover my whole team. I hope we have some good performances this season. We owe that to them for coming on board.

With Grape Soup now primary sponsor, they're now paying $70,000 per race for the #71 to showcase their product.

The new sponsor and paint scheme will debut at Round 13 of the '09 ARLA Elite Series season.

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GOTT FINISHES 22ND AT GRAND DETOUR, STILL QUALIFIES FOR ARLA ALL-STAR RACE

Zach Gott, driver of the #71 Shiny Wax Thunder Truck for GRI, started 9th in the 3rd Round of the ARLA Thunder Trucks season, but got caught up in a late race accident and finished 22nd. But he managed to qualify for the ARLA All-Star Weekend, being the last man in, 15th in the standings. Gott breathed a sigh of relief when he learned he would be racing in the All-Star.

GOTT: Whew! We just barely made in, eh? I thought we were out of it when we finished poorly today at Grand Detour, but we barely made it. I gotta thank my team for giving me this chance to race for them, and to Packer, who picked me to drive this truck. Hopefully, we'll kick some butt at the All-Star race and win one for GRI.

Gott is 15th in the Thunder Trucks standings, and finished just one point ahead of 16th place Kyle Hanover, thereby qualifying for the All-Star Weekend.

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KARJALA PRACTICE TIMES EXTREMELY CLOSE

Based on the Pre-Q practice charts, the '09 Karjala Grand Prix could be the best one yet. Almost 60 drivers are fighting for 15 spots, all of which are seperated by just one second on the practice charts. One of those drivers trying to fight his way in is GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll, who will be piloting the #48 Shiny Wax Gasnier Dragoon. While his ARLA team is on the European portion of the tour, Packer decided to try to qualify his own car into one of the TM Master Cup Series' crown jewel events. When asked about his chances of qualifying, Packer had this to say...

PACKER: Well, it's gonna be tough. There's a lot of good teams that are gonna try to qualify for this race as well, and we're a new team, so it's gonna be tough, but I have faith in my guys, and we're definitely gonna give it a shot. Shiny Wax deserves at least one shot at being in a big-time race.

Shiny Wax is ending their involvement with Packer's ARLA Elite Series team, but will continue to sponsor their Thunder Trucks team thru the end of the 2009 season. Grape Soup will begin their sponsorship of the #71 Elite Series car at Round 13 of the '09 ARLA Elite Series season.


Last edited by PackerMan71 on Tue May 21, 2019 6:51 pm; edited 117 times in total
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Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019 Empty Re: Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019

Post by PackerMan71 Mon Aug 08, 2011 4:32 pm

CARROLL FINISHES LAST AFTER ENGINE DROPS A CYLINDER

It was clear that Packer Carroll had a strong race car. After starting 20th in his Pre-Q race, he shot his way all the way up to 8th place on the very first lap, which certainly earned the respect of TMMC broadcaster Lance Andrews. Packer's road course experience was certainly evident. Sadly, he will not be able to showcase it in the Karjala Grand Prix. Midway through the race, his #48 Shiny Wax Gasnier suddenly slowed, and he made his way to pitlane. The crew raised the hood and found that the engine had dropped a cylinder. After such a brilliant drive, Carroll would finish last in his Pre-Q race.

A devestated Carroll climbed out of the car and walked to his team hauler without talking to reporters, obviously very upset. It seems his team just can't catch a break this season.

After taking a few minutes to collect himself, Packer walked out of his hauler and talked with reporters.

PACKER: Well, we certainly had a strong car. My guys did a fantastic job. We were in the top 10 after just one lap, so we had a car that could definitely run with these guys. It sucks that my engine dropped a cylinder, because we could be racing in the Karjala Grand Prix this weekend. (sighs) Seems to be the theme of my season, doesn't it?

Several drivers came by to congratulate Packer on a terrific effort. One of those drivers was 2007 TMMC Champion Tony Durbin.

PACKER: Tony was very impressed with my driving ability, and said it would be great if I could get a ride in this series. Coming from him, that means a lot to me. It's gonna make me try harder, that's for sure.

As for when he will try to qualify for a TMMC race again?

PACKER: I don't have any immediate plans to race in the TMMC unless someone offers me a ride, but I definitely plan to try to run at Decatur at the end of the year. We tried to qualify last year, and it didn't work out, but I've gotten some better equipment, as you've all just seen, so maybe we'll have better luck this year.

A season of bad breaks continues for Gravity Racing, Inc., as they fail to qualify for Karjala.

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GRI DRIVERS GETTING READY FOR ALL-STAR WEEKEND

The ARLA Elite Series is taking a small break from the European tour to return to the States and hold its annual All-Star Weekend at the Motor Speedway of the South. Two drivers of Gravity Racing, Inc. will be participating in the loaded racing line-up: Zach Gott, who just barely squeezed into the Thunder Trucks All-Star in the #71 Shiny Wax Truck, and GRI owner Packer Carroll, who built a Street Stock car just for the All-Star race.

For Packer, a season of struggles is temporarily put on hold. Knowing he can just let it all hang out this weekend is welcome relief for the owner/driver of Gravity Racing, Inc.

PACKER: This season has definitely been a struggle, but we can put that aside for this weekend. It's gonna be fun to just race your hardest and not have to worry about points or that kind of thing. Of course, there's some big $$$ on the line, so that should make the racing exciting for the fans to watch.

Another GRI driver looking to make a good impression this weekend is Zach Gott, who drives Packer's #71 ARLA Thunder Truck. He led the first two races of the season, but finished 31st at Chicago after getting caught up in a late accident. He finished 2nd at Carbondale, which catapulted him up into the Top 12 in points. But a late spin at Grand Detour threatened to put him out of the All-Star race. He managed to finish 22nd, and barely made it into the All-Star, 15th in the points standings. He says he's ready to win.

GOTT: I'm definitely looking forward to this race. I wanna prove we can contend for the wins in this series, and running up front in the All-Star race will open people's eyes, and hopefully get a ride in the Elite Series, or even better, a ride in the TM Master Cup Series. And hopefully, the journey to one of those series starts this weekend...

...in victory lane.

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COLLEY TO DRIVE #71 CAR IN ALL-STAR RACE

Packer Carroll may not be driving in the Elite Series All-Star Race, but at least his car will make its first appearance in the prestigious event.

Kevin Colley, who was ejected from the #08 Ceejay Racing car after Leipzig, was qualified for the All-Star race thanks to his win at Grand Valley, but had no ride. Packer had a discussion with him about driving his #71 car at the All-Star Race. It is just a one-race deal, but Packer was confident in Colley's abilities.

PACKER: Well, he needed a ride, and I wanted to see my car in the All-Star Race. So, I came to him with a 1-race offer to drive my car, and he accepted graciously. If he does well, we might negotiate in the future, but for now, we'll wait and see what happens.

Because Packer hasn't won a pole or a race, and because his team was 42nd in points, he wasn't eligible to race in the All-Star, but because of Colley's qualification, the #71 Shiny Wax Gasnier will run in the All-Star Race.

The #71 Shiny Wax vehicles will in fact see three races this All-Star weekend. In addition to Colley racing in the Elite Series All-Star, Packer has entered a Street Stock car, and Zach Gott will be driving the Thunder Trucks race.

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ALL-STAR WEEKEND RESULTS

STREET STOCKS

Starting midfield didn't deter GRI owner/driver Packer Carroll from driving to the front. He started in the fifth row, but quickly made his forward, eventually fighting for the lead. He led with two laps to go, but was passed by eventual winner and pole sitter Jeff Little. He wound up finishing in 6th, but was grinning like a chesire cat when he climbed out of the car.

PACKER: That was fun! It was great to get out there and mix it up with these guys and not have to worry about points for one week. I wish we could've won, but we had a shot. Maybe Zach or Kevin will win one for us.

He was nearly involved in an incident at the beginning of the race. On the 2nd lap, Allie Riggs got together with Jessica Graham coming out of turn 2, turning the 58 and sweeping her across Brenda Riggs’s front bumper, sending both the 67 and 58 spinning into the inside wall. A bit further back, Francis Gordon pushed up into the outside wall, bouncing off of Packer's car, back into the wall, then across Ricky Navarro’s bumper, resulting in the 51 being spun into Scott Daltiz, taking both cars into the inside wall. Needless to say, Packer was extremely lucky, and he knew it.

PACKER: Yeah, that was a close one. I don't need to get in anymore wrecks. I've already been through enough this season. Wrecks are pretty much the reason why my season has sucked so far. Indianapolis comes to mind. But, we'll get through it, and we'll get better.


THUNDER TRUCKS

After watching his team owner have a good run in the Street Stocks All-Star, it would Zach Gott's turn to try to impress his owner. He had good starting spot, on the inside of Row 3. Ricky Gonzalez would sit on the pole, with points leader Taylor Brillon starting on his outside. Gonzalez would get a great start, but on lap 3, Gott would chase him down and take the lead going down the backstretch. However, the next lap, Gonzalez would sweep by the 71, bringing the 8 of Lucas Sweeney with him. A back-and-forth battle ensued between the front runners. On lap 19, Lucas Sweeney would chase down and get by the 33 once again. He would build up a big lead on the rest of the field.

However, the field would be bunched back up thanks to a late race caution. The race restarted with 5 laps to go, which was the worst possible time for Lucas Sweeney, who saw his huge lead reduced to nothing. Zach Gott, restarting in 2nd, suddenly had a second chance to try to win the race. He took advantage and dove to the inside of Sweeney going into turn 1. However, coming out of turn 2, Taylor Brillon would get a run on the 71, with Ricky Gonzalez following her. Then, Gonzalez saw an opportunity and swept by Brillon for the top spot.

Moments later, Gott hooked the 63 coming out of turn 2. Thankfully, Brillon kept the truck under control, partly because Gott backed off to let Brillon get her truck under control. Because of this, Gott slipped back into 6th, and that's where he would finish, just like Packer did in the Street Stocks race. Brillon would go on to win the Thunder Trucks All-Star.

After climbing out of his truck, Zach went to victory lane and congratulated Brillon on the victory, and shared a laugh with her about the wild race. There was no hard feelings about the contact between the two, as Zach explained to the media.

GOTT: There is absolutely no hard feelings between myself and Taylor. In fact, on the contrary. Packer was right. These races are a lot of fun. We can get out there and beat and bang a little bit and have some fun while were at it. When we're racing for a championship, it can be a much different story. I'm glad we have an All-Star Weekend. Takes some stress off our jobs.

Packer was certainly proud of his driver.

PACKER: Zach definitely did a good job today, especially at the end. He could've wrecked Brillon at the end there, but he used his head and backed off, and allowed Taylor to recover the truck. Otherwise, half the field would probably be in a wadded heap, and we certainly don't need that.

Gravity Racing, Inc. has one last chance to win an All-Star Race this year, when Kevin Colley gets behind the wheel of the Elite Series #71 Dragoon.


ELITE SERIES

Unfortunately, Colley's car wasn't quite up to snuff like Packer's and Gott's were. He started near the back, and struggled to find his way forward. The day ended a little early when he was caught up in a big wreck with three laps to go. Sijau Dejao's #37 car went for a barrel roll in turn one, and when it landed back on its wheels on the apron, Colley elected to head there to escape the accident, and instead, plowed into the 37.

Yet another car destroyed for GRI, but Packer isn't too worried about it.

PACKER: That was a throw-away chassis, designed just for the All-Star Race. Probably not a good idea, considering Colley's car was junk today. He did his best with what he had. I gotta thank him for driving the car this week. Overall, we weren't that bad. It certainly has raised our confidence a little bit, so we're gonna step up our performance a little bit, and see what happens.

Packer will be back in the #71 Shiny Wax Gasnier for Round #10 of the ARLA Elite Series season.

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BREAKING NEWS: GRAVITY RACING, INC. ACQUIRES FBK MOTORSPORTS #00 CAR

In a stunning development, Manuel Ortiz, who drove the #00 Raptor for FBK, was promptly released from the team no less than a week after the ARLA Elite Series' 9th race. According to reports, Ortiz was released because of a lack of motivation, which has caused a significant performance drop. FBK has reported that Ortiz had failed to attend several team meetings since Daytona. FBK announced that Ortiz will not be replaced, and that the team will be parked for the remainder of the season.

A couple days after Ortiz's release, Packer Carroll, driver/owner of Gravity Racing, Inc., met with FBK officals to discuss the future of the #00 car. After the meeting, it was annouced that the #00 FBK car was being purchased by GRI in an undisclosed amount.

However, Packer is only planning on running the car on a part-time basis for 2009. When asked why he decided to purchase the #00 car from FatBurgerKid Motorsports, Packer had this to say...

PACKER: When we started this season, we were a brand new team in ARLA, just trying to get a foothold in this league. Being a single-car organization is definitely a disadvantage in this sport today, so in order to try to compete with the championship-caliber teams, we have to expand our operation. We know have a team in the ARLA Thunder Trucks Series, and now we have a second car in the Elite Series. However, I'm only gonna run this car on a part-time basis for a while, to get everything in order before we try to go full-time with this car. When will we go full-time with our second car? Honestly, we don't have a time table for that. We hope as early as next year, but we need to step up the performance of the #71 car first before we go full-time with a second team. 2011 is a more likely scenario.

When asked who would drive the car, Packer smiled and gave his answer.

PACKER: Well, my Thunder Trucks driver, of course. Zach Gott will drive this car in select races this season, to help get his feet wet. These cars handle a lot differently than trucks, so hopefully, this will help him get ready for the transition from trucks to cars.

Gravity Racing, Inc. will keep the #00 on the car for the remainder of this season, and will run the car in Rounds 10, 13, 15, 19, 22, and the season finale. Obviously, the #00 team will have to qualify into each race. In addition, Meltdown Anti-Freeze will be the sponsor of the #00 car, which is being reworked into a Gasnier Dragoon, the team manufacturer.

Expect to see this car on the track for the next round of the '09 ARLA Elite Series schedule.

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BOTH GRI CARS FAIL TO QUALIFY FOR BUFFALO

A season of highs and lows continues with a new low today. Packer Carroll entered two cars into the Q-race at Buffalo, site of the 10th round of the ARLA Elite Series season. His #71 Shiny Wax Gasnier, and his newest acquisition, the #00 Meltdown Anti-Freeze Gasnier, which was purchased from FBK Motorsports. Neither car qualified for the main race.

Zach Gott, driving the #00 in select races this year, lost a valve in his engine and dropped out early in the race. Packer didn't fare much better. He started 29th and just couldn't make his way through the field. He wound up 22nd, 10 spots from qualifying. Packer was extremely upset when he climbed out of the car.

PACKER: We just can't seem to get anything going. I've only qualified for 4 of 10 races this year. We just keep falling further and further behind. Maybe I should work on qualifying to get us up to the front, cause I don't know what to do right now.

The #00 will next attempt to qualify for Round 13 of the season, once again with Zach Gott behind the wheel, while Packer attempts to figure out what is wrong with his #71 Gasnier.

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GOTT FINISHES MID-PACK IN KENTUCKY, WHILE PACKER TAKES FIRST WIN IN GRAND DETOUR Q-RACE

The ARLA Thunder Trucks held their 4th round of the season at the Kentucky Speedway, where GRI driver Zach Gott finished 19th. He started mid-pack and was caught up in a incident midway through the race. The damage was repaired, but Zach couldn't make his way back through the field.

GOTT: It was tough. We tried to put on a good show today, but we just didn't have the truck. So we'll just head to Salem in a couple of weeks and try to survive the carnage there.

Despite his mid-pack finish, Gott only lost one spot in the standings. He now sits in 16th, 99 points behind the new leader Benji Flynn.

At Grand Detour, however, a great moment for Gravity Racing, Inc. occured, when driver/owner Packer Carroll scored his first ARLA win in the Q-Race for Round 11 of the ARLA Elite Series. Even though the victory won't offically count in the record books, Packer was jumping for joy when he climbed out of the car in victory lane. When reporters talked with him, he was obviously ecstatic.

PACKER: Man, this is AWESOME! I've got to thank Shiny Wax, first of all. This is our semi-final race with them, and we're certainly gonna miss having them on our car. My team did an awesome job preparing this car, so this one's for you guys! (holds up Q-Race trophy)

REPORTER: What made the difference between this Q-Race and the previous ones where you've failed to qualify?

PACKER: Well, we've decided to try to put a better effort into our qualifying program. What's really hurt us is that we've never had a good starting spot in the race. We'd move forward, but we usually ran out of time before we could make it to the top 12. So we decided to implement that mindset here at Grand Detour, and we qualified in 3rd spot, which was very important, because all the carnage usually happens near the back, and that's where we had been starting, and I didn't want another wrecked race car.

REPORTER: Jeb Klinger had the dominate car in the race, but you managed to pass him with two laps to go and took the win away. Did he somehow slip up or were you waiting for your chance to pass him?

PACKER: I was being patient. I had a good enough car to get around Jeb, but I wanted to wait until the time was absolutely right. So I rode behind him the whole race, then when it was two to go, that was when I decided to make my move, and here I am, in victory lane.

REPORTER: Your team has struggled to get a foothold in ARLA, with so many DNQs, and when your team has qualified, you usually get caught up in someone else's mess. What has this win done for your team?

PACKER: This was really big for us. It tells us that we can win races, we can run with the big boys. If we had qualified for Daytona, and if we had not crashed at Indianapolis, things would be drastically different. But we're gonna focus on the here and now, cause I think we have a shot to win this race, and make my first career win in ARLA official.

The #71 Gasnier currently sits 44th in owner points. Shiny Wax will run Round 12 next week, then it will be replaced by Grape Soup at Round 13.

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#71 A CONTENDER AT GRAND DETOUR

After taking his first Q-Race win, Packer Carroll had high hopes of contending for the win at Grand Detour. He responded with his best qualifying effort (11th), and pretty much ran in the top 10 all day long. By staying up front, he was able to avoid the carnage that happened near the back. He eventually made his way to the front, leading 17 laps. He was leading inside of 10 laps to go, but couldn't hold off the rest of the pack. He wound up 5th, which was his best career finish. Still, he was a little disappointed.

PACKER: We had an excellent run today. We had the lead there with ten to go, but I just couldn't keep those guys behind me. But we got our first ever top 5, so I'm happy with that.

The next race will be held at Watkins Glen, which is the final race that Shiny Wax will sponsor the #71 car. Being a road course specialist, Packer's hoping for a repeat performance.

PACKER: We jumped up in the points a little bit, but we need to have the same great performance next week as we did today. It's a road course, though, so it's something I'm looking forward to.

Packer is currently 34th in driver points, and his team is 36th in owner points. If he manages to keep up this string of performances, he might make it back into the top 30 in points before the season is over with.

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PACKER FAILS TO QUALIFY AFTER SENSATIONAL RUN AT GRAND DETOUR

It seems there are highs and lows in the sport of auto racing. Packer Carroll is experiencing both ends of the spectrum. After a great run at Grand Detour, finishing 5th, Packer then went to the road course at Watkins Glen, expecting another good run with his road course experience. However, he started 21st and ended up 2 spots shy of qualifying yet again, in 14th. In 12 races, Packer has only qualified 5 times. Needless to say, he was very frustrated.

When he was approached by reporters, he told them no comment and walked off.

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GRAVITY RACING, INC. PREPARES TO FIELD TWO CARS FOR ROUND 13

After a disappointing DNQ at Watkins Glen, Packer is preparing two cars this weekend for Round 13 of the ARLA Elite Series. Zach Gott will be driving the #00 again this week in an attempt to make his ARLA Elite Series debut. The ARLA Thunder Trucks driver has 1 top 5 in 4 Truck races this year and is currently 16th in the points standings.

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PACKER FAILS TO QUALIFY FOR POCONO, WHILE DEVELOPMENTAL DRIVER ZACH GOTT WILL MAKE DEBUT

Gravity Racing, Inc. owner/driver Packer Carroll can't wait for 2009 to be over. He has missed his eighth race of 2009 out of 13, including his second in a row. But there is a bright spot.

Zach Gott, who was involved in a massive crash in the Thunder Trucks race at Salem, started near the back but found his way into the top ten and into the race. He will make his ARLA Elite Series debut at Pocono in the #00 Meltdown Anti-Freeze Gasnier. Packer was glad at least one of his cars made the race.

PACKER: Well, I'm glad for Zach. At least he'll be racing tomorrow. I just can't seem to make any races this year. Hopefully, 2010 will be a different story.

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GRAVITY RACING, INC. ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR 2010, EXPANDS TO THREE CARS

2009 has been a struggle for Gravity Racing, Inc. this season. The team's flagship car, the #71, has made only 5 of 13 races this season. The #00 car, being driven part-time by Zach Gott, will make its debut this week at Pocono. The ARLA Thunder Trucks team hasn't been much better. After a 2nd place finish at Carbondale, Gott has had some struggles in the #71 Shiny Wax truck, currently 20th in points. But all signs point to a breakout year in 2010.

In a blockbuster announcement, ARLA announced that all manufacturers will be limited to one per team, meaning brand new manufacturers will be making their ARLA debut in 2010. Because of this, Gasnier, who's Dragoon chassis is being used by several teams, including GRI, has announced that it will support Gravity Racing, Inc. in 2010, understanding the hidden potential that the team holds.

Thanks to the increased backing that Gasnier has now provided to GRI, driver/owner Packer Carroll has announced that he will be expanding his operation next season, but he will have three teams next season. In addition to taking the #00 car full-time next year, Packer has added a third car to the line-up, the #3 car. When asked by reporters how he felt expanding his operation in the ARLA Elite Series, Packer was giddy with excitement.

PACKER: 2009 has definitely been a struggle, starting out as a one-car team, but with the new manufacturer rules in place for next season, I think we could explode out of the gates next year. We have complete backing from Gasnier, so I think that's gonna help our ARLA program tenfold. In addition, we are now able to add not one, but two cars to the roster. As we all know, very few single-car teams last long in this series, so it was really big that we were able to expand our team. It will really help us in the long run.

Packer has also announced that he has found who will drive his #00 and #3 next season.

Henrietta LaVerne III and Sara Hackson, both relatively unknown female drivers, will pilot Packer's two new cars next season. Henrietta will drive the #00, and Sara Hackson will pilot the #3 car.

Henrietta LaVerne III is an unknown driver from Orangeville, Ontario, Canada. At 16 years of age, she is the youngest driver on Gravity Racing, Inc.'s roster. Hoping to prove that gender and age doesn't matter, she asked Packer to drive his #00 next season. After some consideration, Packer accepted and hired her for the 2010 season. She will be reportedly paid $50,000 per race, including 15% of winnings, with possible increases should she do well.

Sara Hackson is the cousin of ARLA Thunder Trucks driver Frank Hackson, who approached Carroll with the proposition that Sara would be perfect for the #3 car. After watching her test drive one of his cars at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Packer was impressed and hired her to drive in 2010. Like LaVerne, Hackson will have a $50,000 per race contract, with 15% of winnings thrown in.

Grape Soup will stay with the #71 car, as they have a contract with the team until the end of the 2010 season. In addition, Meltdown Anti-Freeze will renew their contract with the #00 car at the end of 2009, getting prepared to go full-time in 2010. At this time, no sponsors are on the #3 car, but Packer is currently in negotiations with several sponsors. Hopefully, a sponsor will agree to put their product on that #3 car.

As far as Zach Gott goes, he will remain in the ARLA Thunder Trucks for one more year of seasoning before moving up to the Elite Series. In addition, Shiny Wax will not renew their sponsorship at the end of the year, so Meltdown Anti-Freeze will take over sponsorship of the #71 truck in 2010.

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INTERVIEW WITH PACKER ABOUT SARA HACKSON

Reporters caught up with Packer Carroll as he was leaving his motor home and heading for pitlane at Pocono. His ARLA Thunder Trucks driver, Zach Gott, qualified the #00 Meltdown Anti-Freeze Gasnier for the race, and Packer was gonna be his crew chief today, as he didn't qualify the #71. The conversation went like this...

REPORTER: So, Packer, we've heard that one of your new drivers, Sara Hackson, has a 6'7'' frame. Have you made any adjustments so she'll be comfortable in the race car?

PACKER: Oh, yeah. We've made the necessary changes to the cockpit so she won't feel cramped in there. She's a tall girl, so we've moved the seat back a few inches and expanded the seat by a few inches as well. Also, since it'll be difficult to climb in and out of the window, we've installed a roof hatch, so she'll be able to climb in and out of the race car without too much trouble. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna be crew chief for my driver Zach today, so I need to get to the pitlane.

ZACH GOTT IMPRESSIVE IN WILD RACE

In a very impressive debut, Zach Gott proved that maybe he deserves a ride in the Elite Series with a very impressive 4th place finish, although he had an altercation with Harry Enola off the final turn, with Enola being turned into the pitlane. Enola managed to keep control of the car, however. After getting out of the car, Zach went down and talked with Enola about that crazy last lap and apologized for turning him, but Enola ensured him that it was just hard racing and even shared a laugh with Zach.

Packer was very impressed with his Thunder Trucks driver on a terrific debut.

PACKER: I was very impressed with his driving ability, but also his instincts. Both times he was right behind the big wrecks on the outside, and both times he slowed down and made his way through both of them. That was impressive. It also shows that the #00 car is ready to rock next year.

Optimism is booming at GRI with Zach's great debut. His next attempt is at Round 15 of the ARLA Elite Series, while he continues his campaign in the Thunder Trucks series.

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GRAVITY RACING, INC. TO SELL THUNDER TRUCKS TEAM AT SEASON'S END

In a somewhat surprising move, Gravity Racing, Inc. has announced that it will sell its Thunder Trucks team at the end of the season, a move which will leave Zach Gott without a ride. He'll still be employed at GRI, but for now, he'll serve as a back-up driver unless he gets a ride with another team. Selling the Truck team will allow GRI to focus completely on the Elite Series, considering they are expanding to three cars next season.

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PACKER A Q-RACE WINNER AGAIN, THIS TIME ON THE ROAD COURSE IN VANCOUVER

After two straight DNQ's, Packer Carroll has qualified and put his car back on the grid, and he did so with a dominating performance in the Vancouver Q-Race, starting 3rd and leading all ten laps on the way to victory. He passed pole sitter Scott Hamilton on the first lap and didn't look back. This is Packer's 2nd Q-Race win in four races. He got out of the car in victory lane and celebrated with his crew. Afterwards he talked with reporters.

REPORTER: Packer, this is your 2nd win in qualifying races. Last time this happened, at Grand Detour, you led some laps and got your career best finish. What do you think about your chances tomorrow to get that first ARLA Elite Series win under your belt?

PACKER: Well, based on the qualifying race, obviously, I like our chances. Road courses have been my favorite tracks to go to, and to get my 2nd Q-Race win on a road course says we can win here. We just need to do what we did today, and we'll be up there at the end.

REPORTER: At Grand Detour, you hugged Jeb Klinger's back bumper until two to go and made the pass for the win. Here you start 3rd again and passed Scott Hamilton on the very first lap and pretty much dominated the rest of the way, leading all ten laps. Seems like you had a different mindset here than you did at Grand Detour.

PACKER: Yes, in fact I did. I've only qualified for one road course this year, and that was because of a series-wide boycott by the top drivers. I wanted to prove this team can run well on the road courses, so we took control and never looked back, and we hope to do the same thing tomorrow.

Another point of interest is that this will be the first offical race that Grape Soup has appeared in since taking over sponsorship of the #71 car at Round 13.
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Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019 Empty Re: Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019

Post by PackerMan71 Mon Aug 08, 2011 4:35 pm

PACKER FAILS TO QUALIFY FOR GRAND DETOUR TMMC RACE

Packer Carroll's TM Master Cup Series debut will have to wait for another day.

Packer finished 1 lap down and failed to qualify for the TMMC race at Grand Detour. He might've had a chance near the end of the race, but was spun out by Kurt Walker with two laps to go. Needless to say, he was very disappointed.

PACKER: Based on the ARLA Elite Series race, my expectations for making the TM Master Cup Series race were very high, and even though we were a lap down, we were right there at the transfer spot but got spun out right before the white flag. (sighs) I was really hoping to make my TMMC debut here, but I guess I'm gonna have to wait.

Packer was driving his own car once again, but he has a special paintscheme on the car: the Fallout 3 video game from Bethesda Studios.

PACKER: Fallout 3 is one of the most addictive video games I've ever played, and I really wanted it on my car. I was really hoping to show it off this weekend, but we'll have many more opportunities in the near future.

Packer then got on a helicopter and flew back to Vancouver to prepare for the ARLA Elite Series, which is holding their 14th race of the season there.

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PACKER FINISHES IN TOP TEN DESPITE SPIN OUT, RUMORS ABOUND OF A POSSIBLE TMMC OFFER

After a dominating win in the Q-Race, Packer had high hopes for Round 14 at Vancouver. He was spun out early in the race, but recovered nicely and managed a 9th place finish, his third top ten in six races he has qualified for. He was pleased with his run.

PACKER: I think we had a better car than ninth, but I'm pleased with the team for giving me a good race car to run here. This was our first good run on a road course, not to mention this is our first race with our new sponsor, Grape Soup, and we certainly gave them a good weekend with a Q-Race win and a top ten finish. This will certainly boost our spirits as we prepare for 2010.

When asked about the new tryout system ARLA will put into effect at the end of the season, Packer just shrugged his shoulders.

PACKER: It's a complicated procedure, but what I do know is that Henrietta and Sara will have to work for their rides in the tryouts. If they do what I expect of them, then they will keep their rides for next season. All we can do is watch and wait.

There have been rumors in the GRI garage that Packer might be in line for a TM Master Cup Series ride next season. The rumors say that Packer might be contacted to drive the #7 car next season, which might not be as big a surprise as one might think.

The #7 car is owned by McCallister Motorsports, who will be backed by manufacturer Gasnier starting next season. Gravity Racing, Inc. is running Gasniers this season, and will be completely backed by the manufacturer in 2010 in compliance with the new ARLA rules. So, there might have been some influances to get Packer into the TMMC. His performances in his two Q-Races might have also attracted some attention.

In his Karjala Pre-Q-Race, he started 20th and sped all the way up to 8th by the end of the first lap, but a valve failed in his engine, which dropped him back to last, 1 lap down. In the Grand Detour Q-Race, Packer was in contention to get one of the transfer spots late in the race, but was spun out by Kurt Walker with two laps to go, ending his hopes of making the race.

PACKER: I had great runs in those races, but we just had terrible luck that kept us from getting into the race. We've got a couple more shots to get in this season, so hopefully, my TMMC debut will come soon.

When asked about the rumors regarding how he could be in line for a ride in the #7 car next season, Packer smiled and said...

PACKER: Dude, I hope those rumors are true. If things had been a little different this season, we'd probably be running for the ARLA championship right now, and maybe those good runs in my two TMMC Q-Races attracted some attention, and I'd like nothing more than to run in the premire stock car league in the world.

Doing a double stint in ARLA and TMMC can prove difficult. Would Packer be up to the challenge if it does happen?

PACKER: I think I would be ready. I've done it before, so it would be nothing new to me, except that I would be running in the two top racing leagues. I would look forward to the challenge. Very Happy

In other GRI news, the #00 team will prepare for its third attempt of six this season with Zach Gott. He missed his first attempt at Buffalo, but made the race at Pocono, and impressed everyone with a 4th place finish. He will attempt to make his second career start in Round 15 of the ARLA Elite Series.

Currently, Packer is 36th in the ARLA Driver Standings, and the #71 car is 38th in the owner points. They are 147 points out of 30th.

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PACKER QUALIFIES FOR DWYER, GOTT FALLS JUST SHORT

For the first time this season, the ARLA Elite Series goes to back-to-back road course venues. The 15th Round of the season is being held at Dwyer, just one week after racing at the kooky road course in Vancouver. And it's here that Packer will start his 7th race of the season.

After starting 13th, he quickly made his way through the field in the 8-lap event, and solidly locked himself in with an impressive 4th place finish. His #00 team, driven by Zach Gott, fell just one spot short of qualifying, in 13th. Needless to say, Packer was still proud of GRI's performance in the Q-Race.

PACKER: It would've been great if Zach would've made it into the race as well, but he fell just short. I'm still proud of him. He drove his heart out on a tough road course. But I've made it in once again, and we're at another road course, so I'm confident that we could have another good run this weekend.

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DISMAL START DOOMS #71 TO A POOR FINISH

After finishing fourth in the Dwyer Q-Race, Packer Carroll had high hopes for Round 15 of the ARLA Elite Series season. But after starting 34th, he was spun early in the race by Leigh Gruell and never recovered from it. He wound up finishing in 25th, a far cry from his 9th place finish last week at Vancouver.

Currently, Packer is 35th in the driver standings, and the #71 car is 37th in the owner standings, 152 points out of 30th.

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PACKER DNQ'S PHOENIX, NOT HAPPY WITH MURA

Packer Carroll has failed to qualify for his 9th race of the season at Phoenix. He was caught up in an accident late in the race when Nami Mura took herself, Packer, and a few others that were in the transfer spots into the wall. Needless to say, Packer was furious.

PACKER: I can't say I'm surprised that she wrecked everyone like that. She's what, 15 years old? She has a lot of growing up to do if she's gonna last long in this series.

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AFTER DNQ AT PHOENIX, PACKER CONFIRMED TO ATTEMPT TMMC AUSTRALIA ROUND

After failing to qualify for the ARLA Elite Series 16th Round at Phoenix, GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll is confirmed to attempt to qualify for the next round of the TM Master Cup Series, which is being held in Austrailia. Packer is attempting to make his TMMC debut before the new manufacturer rules go into effect next season. He'll once again be driving his own car, the #48 Fallout 3 Gasnier.

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PACKER BARELY QUALIFIES, WILL MAKE TM MASTER CUP DEBUT IN AUSTRALIA

The third time was definitely the charm. After failing to qualify in his first two attempts at a TM Master Cup Series race, driver/owner Packer Carroll will be making his TM Master Cup Series debut this week at Austrailia, driving the #48 Fallout 3 Gasnier. He barely qualified in 14th, but was ecstatic with his result.

PACKER: I'm very pleased with the effort my team put in this week. My debut will finally be taking place this week, at Austrailia. It's been a long time coming, and hopefully, we'll make the most of this opportunity.

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PACKER HAS EARLY EXIT FROM AUSTRAILIA, STILL PROUD OF EFFORT

After making his TM Master Cup debut at Austrailia, Packer Carroll was simply glad to be in the race. His car wasn't exactly stellar, but he was staying out of trouble, until Damien Snyder's spinning car slammed into his midway through the race, effectively ending his day early. Still, Packer was proud of his team.

PACKER: I would've liked to finish the race, but I was just glad to make it in. It's so difficult to make these TMMC races with the level of competition that's here, and we're still trying get a foothold in ARLA, so to make the TMMC field here at Austrailia in a single car operation, I think that speaks volumes of what this team is capable of.

As for any future attempts into the TM Master Cup Series this season?

PACKER: Well, the immediate future is not yet known, but the season finale at Decatur is an absolute must. I think that's the only confirmed race that we're attempting right now.

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ARLA TRYOUTS

DAY 1

Day 1 of the ARLA Elite Series Tryouts took place at the Green Valley Motorplex, a short .6 mile oval, which run clockwise instead of the usual counter-clockwise. It certainly made for an interesting challenge for the drivers, who were hoping to impress the owners they were trying out for.

The first race was rather uneventful. Sara Hackson would drive the #3 car in the first race, and Henrietta LaVerne III would be in the #00. Both drivers stayed out of trouble and had good finishes. Sara Hackson finished 4th, and LaVerne finished in 6th.

The second race had a little more action. Louis Tellez was driving the #3 car this time, and Anthony Griffith, who had been a mainstay at Team Thunder for a number of years, would be trying out in the #00 car. In the only caution of the day, Griffith went four-wide off turn two, and it resulted in him being pushed up into the car on the outside. He wound up finishing in 10th, four spots lower than LaVerne. Tellez, on the other hand, fared much better. He started near the front and stayed out of trouble, and he finshed 3rd, which was one spot better than Hackson. The teams packed up and headed over to Grand Valley 540 for Day 2.

DAY 2

Day 2 started out spectacularly for the female drivers. Sara Hackson won the pole in Race 1, which certainly caught the eye of Packer Carroll, who was watching the tryout races intently. Henrietta LaVerne III was certainly no slouch either, qualifying in 2nd position. The race became a three car battle between Hackson, LaVerne, and Kevin Colley, who was trying out for the #58 car. Hackson led the most laps, but Colley managed to pass her with several laps to go. However, LaVerne would catch Colley and pass him for the lead with two laps to go. She would go on to win the race. Hackson fell back and finished 4th, but leading the most laps and getting the pole would certainly boost her chances of landing the #3 ride. With her win, Henrietta LaVerne III was almost guaranteed to earn the #00 ride. In victory lane, Packer congratulated her on a job well done.

PACKER: I think this win will definitely give Henrietta the #00 car, but I'll wait and make my decision after the second race. The #3 car is still up for grabs, but Sara certainly helped her cause by winning the pole and leading the most laps. She lost it at the end, but she was passed by the race winner from this race earlier this season, Kevin Colley, so I'm not that worried about that. I was impressed with Henrietta when she was able to get by Kevin. I thought for sure when Kevin got the lead, that was it, but Henrietta caught him and passed him and won the race. I gonna wait until after Race 2, but I think my decision is made up on the #00 car.

In Race 2, Anthony Griffith showed that the #00 was certainly not lacking after LaVerne drove it to victory in the first race, by qualifying in the 2nd position. He was gonna need to try and match what LaVerne had done if he was gonna even have a shot at being hired to drive the #00 next season. Louis Tellez, on the other hand, didn't fare as well in qualifying, starting near the back. Needless to say, he had his work cut out for him as well. As the race began, Griffith was doing well, running near the front of the pack. However, much like Day 1, he as involved in an incident midway through the race, and he fell back through the field. He wound up finishing 10th, pretty much ensuring LaVerne's spot on the team. Tellez didn't fare much better. He wound up 8th, leaving his status in doubt.

PACKER ANNOUNCES TEAM LINE-UP

After Day 2 of the ARLA Tryouts was over, Packer went over everyone's performances and came to his decision.

PACKER: I'm pleased to announce that the driver of the #00 car will be Henrietta LaVerne III. She had a decent first race, but she was great in the second race, starting on the front row and winning. Anthony had two 10th place finishes in comparison, so the result was pretty obvious. As for the #3 car, I'm pleased to annouce that the driver for the #3 car will be.... Sara Hackson. It was a little bit closer between Sara and Louis, so let me clarify. Sara finished 4th in both races, for an average finish of 4.0. Louis finished 3rd in the first race, and finished 8th in the second race, giving him an average finish of 5.5. Sara clearly had the better average finish, but also starting on the pole and leading the most laps in the second race also tipped in her favor.

So, the two original drivers that Packer had tapped for his two new race teams will get to keep their respective rides, and they've earned them.

PACKER: The girls did a great job in tryouts. They had to earn their rides, and I think they passed with flying colors. I want to thank Louis Tellez and Anthony Griffith for trying out. They're very respectible drivers, but it was clear who was the better duo in the tryouts.

Many members of the press were a little surprised that Packer would select two female drivers for his team, but Packer was nonplussed.

PACKER: So they're female. What's your point? To me, it doesn't matter if you're male, female, white, or black. If you can drive my car to the potential I expect, then I want you to drive for my team. Race and gender mean nothing, as long as you have the talent. That's my view on things.

Congratulations to Henrietta LaVerne III, who will drive the #00 Meltdown Anti-Freeze Gasnier next year, and Sara Hackson, who will drive the #3 Gasnier next year.

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PACKER WINS THIRD Q-RACE OF 2009, THIS TIME IN MILWAUKEE

It could be a sign of things to come. On the flat mile-long track in Milwaukee, GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll once again qualified well, and ran well, taking the lead with 7 laps to go and holding on to score his ARLA Elite Series leading 3rd Q-Race win of 2009.

In victory lane, Packer spoke with reporters.

PACKER: I'll be honest. I wish these wins were coming in the main event, but I think this is a sign of things to come for us. I think next year is gonna be our break year in the Elite Series, and if winning these Q-Races are any indication, I'd say we can look forward to a great 2010 season.

If recent history repeats itself, he could look forward to a great run at Milwaukee. In his two previous Q-Race wins, he had top 10 finishes in the main race. If he is ever gonna put the #71 car in the top 30 in points, he needs one of those runs this weekend.

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TOP 15 QUALIFYING EFFORT RUINED BY EARLY CRASH

After starting in 11th, equalling his best ever start, Packer Carroll looked poised for a good run. However, on Lap 2, he was caught in a three-wide sandwich that saw the car on the bottom come across his nose and sent him into the wall. The crew was able to fix the damage, but Packer was never able to recover from that incident. He wound finishing in 25th position.

Currently, Packer is 35th in the driver points. The #71 car is 38th in the owner points, 182 points out of 30th.

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DESPITE BAD QUALIFYING SPOT, PACKER MAKES IT INTO BOSTON

Driver/owner Packer Carroll has shown flashes of brillance in a season marred by crashes not of his own doing and DNQs. After a lackluster 19th place qualifying performance in the Q-Race for Boston, site of Round 18 of the 2009 ARLA Elite Series, Packer charged his way through the field in the 50-lap event, continuing an impressive string of Q-Race showings. With his 4th place finish, Packer has qualified for 4 of his last 5 races. The only one he didn't qualify for was Phoenix, and he had a chance there to qualify by being in one of the transfer spots, but a crash started by Nami Mura ruined his effort.

This will be Packer's 9th start of 2009.

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V IS FOR VICTORY! PACKER CARROLL GETS FIRST CAREER WIN IN BOSTON, PERFORMS A WILD VICTORY CELEBRATION

It took 18 rounds, some busted up race cars, great Q-Race performances, and determination that propelled GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll to one of the biggest wins of his racing career. After winning 3 of the last 7 ARLA Elite Series Q-Races, and qualifying for 4 of his last 5, everyone thought that a win in the ARLA Elite Series would be coming for the driver of the #71 Grape Soup Gasnier, and after a long and often frustrating season, Packer's time was now.

After starting in 13th, Packer patiently bided his time, waiting for the perfect moment to make his move. He had to dodge a few obstacles during the day, moments that could've kept him from the promised land.

On Lap 16, Dale Underwood would hit Laura Cyrus coming off of turn four that sent Cyrus into the #76 car, driven by Jerry Richson this week. Packer, who was running right behind the group, made the move to the inside and missed a hard wreck by inches. A good thing, considering that the two-car wreck quickly turned into a massive pile-up when the rest of the field arrived.

He also had to dodge some slower lapped cars as well. Jeb Klinger and Neji Hyuga were all running slow due to being involved in the massive wreck on Lap 16. They would hold up a few of the leaders, but Packer smoothly passed all of them without much problem.

Another incident that Packer had to dodge occured on Lap 60, when the lapped car of Neji Hyuga drove right up in front of the leader, which was DJ Daniels, taking both cars into the wall. By once again opting to go low, Packer missed yet another huge wreck.

Packer restarted in 5th with 12 laps to go. He had one more obstacle, the #22 car of Vinnie Enzo, who held up Kodi Richards. Packer managed to get around him with no problem. That left just Brenda Riggs between Packer and his first career win. However, he didn't want a repeat of earlier this year. At Pikes Peak, Packer and Riggs were fighting for position when Riggs came down on Packer and was spun into the outside wall, taking her and several others out of the race. But Packer kept calm, cool, and collected, and certainly earned a lot of respect by making the pass on Riggs cleanly with three laps remaining. He would hold off the challenges of Jared Andersen and Riggs the rest of the way, and took his first career ARLA Elite Series victory, continuing the record-breaking streak of first-time winners, which is now at 8.

Then, after taking a victory lap, a comical event occured. Packer started to climb out of the car, but instead of getting out, he sat on the door, halfway in and halfway out. Then, with the checkered flag in his left hand, he started doing victory burnouts at the start/finish line, and all you could hear was the roar of the crowd.

After the innovative burnout, Packer drove his car into victory lane, where his crew awaited him. After climbing out and celebrating with his crew, race reporters had a word with the brand new ARLA Elite Series winner.

REPORTER: Packer, congratulations on getting your first career win. I know this has been a long time coming.

PACKER: Yes, it has. It's been an up and down season, we've had crappy lows and euphoric highs, but this is what we've been working for. This is why we race in this series. It's moments like these when you feel like you're on top of the world.

REPORTER: Packer, you've won 3 of the last 7 Qualifying Races, and have made four of your last five races. Based on that, it seemed that a win would be coming to this team sooner or later, and you finally have it. What kind of a morale booster is this for your team as you look to 2010?

PACKER: It's huge. I mean, we beat some of the best drivers out there today, and we're a single car operation at the moment, so next year could be Gravity Racing, Inc.'s year.

REPORTER: In the closing laps of the race, you were right behind Brenda Riggs, who was the leader at the time. Did any flashbacks of Pikes Peak come to you at that moment as you were racing her for the win?

PACKER: Yeah, it kinda did. I didn't want that same thing happening here, but I wasn't gonna let that keep me from winning the race, and I think I earned a lot of respect from my competitors today by staying out of trouble and passing cleanly, especially that last one for the win. Thanks to all my fans who have stuck with us this season. I think you guys can look forward to a great 2010 season.

REPORTER: That victory burnout you did was pretty wild. What was the inspiration behind it?

PACKER: That was what I call the "Bronco Buster". Alexis Rainsford's "Reverse Burnout" kinda inspired me to come up with a unique burnout of my own when I got my first win, and that's when I came up with the idea of riding on my door while doing burnouts. The fans got a kick out of it, that's for sure. Also, in order to reach the pedals, I had a block of wood sitting in the car so that I could get into place, get out of the car, and press down as hard as I could. That was fun, and I can't wait for the next time I get to do it.

REPORTER: Thank you, Packer, and congratulations.

With his first win, Packer jumps up to 34th in the drivers points. His owner points standing, however, took a huge leap. His #71 team is now 35th, and is just 96 points out of 30th after being over 180 points out a week ago.

In other GRI news, Packer will be running the #00 car again in Round 19, but with a slight change. With Zach Gott focusing on his Thunder Trucks campaign, Packer has asked the 2010 driver of the #00, Henrietta LaVerne III, to drive this week. This will mark LaVerne's first race as a GRI driver.

Packer's First Win

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LAVERNE FAILS TO QUALIFY, WHILE OWNER PACKER CONTINUES HOT STREAK

Round 19 at the road course in Lake Afton would see the debut of Henrietta LaVerne III in the GRI #00 car. However, she would not be able to make good progress through the field and finished 23rd, failing to qualify for the race.

In the meantime, GRI's flagship car, the #71 Grape Soup Gasnier, is on fire. Riding high off the momentum of his first career ARLA Elite Series win last week in Boston, Packer Carroll backed it up by taking the win in the Lake Afton Q-Race, his 2nd Q-Race win in the last 3, his series-leading 4th of the season, and he has made 5 of his last 6 races. Needless to say, the team has hit a hot streak at the right time. They are just 96 points from making the top 30.

PACKER: It's dissappointing that we didn't get both cars into the show this weekend. Henrietta tried hard today, but this is a tough road course, and I had some difficulty getting through the turns today, but we played it smart, and here we are, once again in victory lane.

Is there a chance we will see Packer's "Bronco Buster" again after this race?

PACKER: As hot as this team is right now, don't count us out.

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ENGINE FAILURE RUINS GRI'S MOMENTUM

In what would turn out to be one of the wildest races in ARLA history, Packer Carroll wasn't doing to bad in the #71 Gasnier. He had been spun out twice, but so had pretty much everyone else in field, and was still running good, but on lap 22, a valve popped in his engine, and he had to retire from the race, finishing 31st, losing a huge opportunity to gain on the #76 team, who has the 30th and final guaranteed spot in the field.

Despite the poor finish, Packer moved up one spot to 33rd in the driver standings. The #71 remains in 35th, now 113 points out of 30th, but still in striking distance.


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Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019 Empty Re: Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019

Post by PackerMan71 Mon Aug 08, 2011 4:36 pm

HOT STREAK COMES TO AN END AT CHICAGOLAND

After a disasterous race in Lake Afton, Packer Carroll's stunted momentum carried into Chicagoland, where he failed to qualify for his 10th race of the season. He started 22nd and was never able to make any gains. He wound up 17th, 5 spots from qualifying.

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BIG NEWS IN GRI CAMP PROPELLS PACKER INTO NEW YORK ROUND

After a dismal race in Lake Afton, and failing to qualify for Chicago, Packer Carroll's second half surge is back on track after finishing 5th in the New York Q-race. The New York Autoring, site of Round 21 of the 2009 season, will be where Packer makes his 11th start of the season. After making just 5 of the first 12 races, Packer has made 6 of his last 9, including 4 Q-Race wins, tops in the ARLA Elite Series this season.

He had great reason to perform well today. In a press conference, Packer announced that he has signed two contracts to drive in the TM Master Cup Series part-time and the TM Junior Series full-time.

After several months of rumors swirling about an offer for Packer, McCallister Motorsports has signed the GRI driver/owner to a part-time deal in 2010, and will drive the #71 car, obviously a nod to Packer's favorite number. A sponsor is yet to be determined.

In addition to signing with McCallister Motorsports, Packer has also been contacted by Greg Whittaker Motorsports in the TM Junior Series to drive the #110 car next season full-time. The team is reportedly looking to change the number, and no sponsors have been announced as of yet.

Oh, by the way, both McCallister Motorsports and Greg Whittaker Racing have manufacturer Gasnier backing their operations. Gasnier is also being used by Gravity Racing, Inc., and will exclusively run with GRI in ARLA beginning in 2010.

Obviously, the announcement of running in the TM Junior & Master Cup Series has Packer excited.

PACKER: I'd said that I was looking forward to 2010, but that was because we were expanding to three teams next year in ARLA, and I was excited about that, but now I've learned that I'll be racing in the TM Junior Series and the TM Master Cup Series next year as well. Now, the Cup Series ride is just a part-time deal, because I'm still gonna run the full ARLA schedule next year, but the Junior Series doesn't go outside the U. S., so it'll allow me to run both ARLA and Junior next year. Doing triple duty sounds like a tough job, but in the TM rides, all I have to do is drive. I have a team an ARLA to worry, so the TM drives won't be as stressful, hopefully. Laughing

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PACKER FINISHES MID-PACK IN NEW YORK

After starting 36th and missing the big wreck, Packer found himself up front and contesting for the lead, but got shuffled out, and after the second restart, he lost the lead pack. He wound up 21st, the last car on the lead lap.

In other news, the #00 will be making its 5th attempt of the season in Round 22, with Henrietta LaVerne III once again behind the wheel.

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#71 TEAM GETS A PAIR OF TOP 5'S AT APPLETON, #00 FAILS TO QUALIFY

After a somewhat bland 21st place finish at New York, driver/owner Packer Carroll earned himself yet another top 5 Q-Race finish at Appleton, and followed up with a 5th place finish in the main race, his 3rd top 5 and 5th top 10 of the season.

Early in the race, Packer hung at the back for most of the event, waiting for the big wreck to happen. When the wreck never came, he began his march to the front during the second half of the race. After a long, grueling race, he managed to work his way into the top 5, and that's where he finished.

Packer has moved up to 31st in the driver points. The #71 team has also jumped up to 32nd in the owner points, but are still 112 points out of 30th, meaning they will have to qualify for the final two races.

In other news, Henrietta LaVerne III, driving the #00 car, finished 18th in the Q-Race and failed to qualify. She will have one more chance to qualify, at Round 23 next week, where the Elite Series will head to Illinois for Decatur Championship Weekend.

In addition to attempting to put his two ARLA cars into the Decatur event, Packer will attempt one last TMMC Q-Race at Decatur in his own car, before he moves to his part-time Cup ride with McCallister Motorsports next season.

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GRAVITY RACING, INC. FINALLY GETS TWO CARS INTO MAIN EVENT, AT DECATUR

It is one of the most prestigous tracks on the schedule, and it can only be described in one word...

Decatur.

The season finale of the RROL, TM Junior Series, TM Master Cup Series, and now the semi-final event for the ARLA Elite Series, Decatur always sets the stage for the final battle in the championship hunt. Everyone feels that winning at Decatur is one of the highest honors in stock racing, next to Daytona and Karjala. And it is here that Gravity Racing, Inc. finally gets both of their cars into the race.

The #00 Meltdown Anti-Freeze team, with 2010 driver Henrietta LaVerne III behind the wheel, made it into their 2nd race of the season, the first with Zach Gott at Pocono. This was their final attempt of 2009, and they picked a good track for LaVerne to make her series debut. She started in 4th and stayed in the top 10 the whole way, eventually finishing 6th and qualifying for Decatur.

In addition, the #71 Grape Soup team, driven by team owner Packer Carroll, started 9th and finished 8th, also qualifying for Decatur. This is the 3rd straight race Packer has made the field, and he has qualified for 8 of his last 11 races after making just 5 of his first 12. Needless to say, the second half of 2009 has been good to GRI, and they hope that momentum carries them into the season finale at Rockford next week.

This is the first time that GRI has had multiple cars in the same race.

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ZACH GOTT TO HAVE DOUBLE-DUTY NEXT SEASON, AS DRIVER FOR M & J RACING, AND AS CREW CHIEF FOR #00 TEAM

In an announcement made just before the ARLA Elite Series race at Decatur, Zach Gott, who drives the #71 Shiny Wax truck for Gravity Racing, Inc. in the ARLA Thunder Trucks Series, has announced that he will be moving over to M & J Racing in 2010 to drive the #264 truck. In addition to his second season in the Thunder Trucks, he was announced as crew chief of the #00 Meltdown Anti-Freeze Gasnier, which will be piloted by female rookie driver Henrietta LaVerne III full-time in 2010.

Gott is familiar with the #00 team. He attempted three races this season in the Elite Series, but made only one, at Pocono, where he finished 4th.

Currently, Zach is 20th in the ARLA Thunder Trucks points standings with three races to go, with two runner-up finishes to his credit.

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PACKER HAS RUN-IN WITH WHITE, HAS DISMAL FINISH, WHILE LAVERNE HAS GOOD DEBUT AT DECATUR

After both GRI cars started 40th and 41st, both slowly made their way through the field. Then, halfway through the race, entering the hill, Packer made contact with Michael White and both cars spun out. After both recovered, White came up and bumped the back of Packer's car, which resulted in Packer yelling his displeasure over the radio. Packer's day did not improve, and he wound up 27th, a very disappointing finish for the GRI driver/owner.

Henrietta LaVerne III, however, made some good progress through the field and made some nice dodges through other driver's spins. After starting 40th, she finished 15th, a nice debut for the rookie female driver.

Currently, Packer is 31st in the driver points, with 1 race to go...

Rockford.

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PACKER WINS FIRST TMMC DECATUR PRE-Q RACE, BUT NOT WITHOUT CONTROVERSY

It was a huge step for GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll, but not in the way he had hoped to do it.

Before heading to Rockford for the ARLA Elite Series season finale, Packer had some unfinished business at Decatur, namely the finale to Decatur Championship Weekend, the TMMC Decatur Grand Prix. After starting 8th in his Pre-Q Race, Packer steadily drove his #48 Fallout 3 Gasnier toward the front. Then, after green flag pitstops, Packer found himself right behind Alonso Tosia for the lead. But that's where things got a little hairy.

As Packer and Tosia were coming up to lap Woody Watts in the #01 car, it looked like Watts would not move out of the way of Tosia and Packer. Packer made a move to the inside to pass them both in turn 3, but Tosia also moved down to pass Watts, right across the nose of Packer's car. This resulted in Tosia and Watts being spun out and taken out of the race. Packer was immediately on the radio, apologizing to Tosia's team for the incident.

Packer would go on to win the first Pre-Q Race, but was radioed to meet with TM Master Cup officals in the hauler. When asked about the incident, Packer had a nervous look on his face.

PACKER: I don't know exactly what happened, but I want to apologize to Alonso for that. I was racing him for the lead, but I didn't want to knock him out of the way doing it. I've tried my damnest to drive as clean as I've possibly could in this series and in ARLA, and anyone who's seen me drive knows I race clean. But I don't know if Alonso tried to block my move or what.

REPORTER: Well, there was a lapped car in front of you and Tosia, the #01 of Woody Watts. Were you aware that he was just in front of you two as you were racing for the lead?

PACKER: No, I had absolutely no idea. I was tucked up behind Alonso so we could draft away from the rest of the field. This may be a road course, but the draft does come into play here with the long straights and fast turns. I thought when I went to pass him, he was trying to block me, but he was just trying to get around a lapped car. (sighs) Now I feel stupid. Embarassed

Packer's crew chief, TM Junior Series driver Rush McCloud, was quick to stand up for his driver and friend.

RUSH: I don't think it was Packer's fault at all. Woody Watts was 4 laps down because of his pit problems, but instead of being courteous and pull over for Packer and Tosia, he decides to block them and all that did was cause that wreck, and now Tosia's team is blaming Packer for it. They should be blaming Watts, because he didn't get out of the way when he should have. Not only that, but there was a far more dangerous wreck earlier in the race, when Kristan Jeffries was wrecked by his own teammate and flipped 30 times, and based on the injuries he sustained, he'll be lucky to walk again after that, and unlike Packer's incident, it looked like Jones did it intentionally just because he wanted a spot in the Q-Race. And I will bring that to the official's attention when we go meet them.

At this moment, Packer's spot in the Main Q-Race is in doubt. If the officials deem the contact between Packer and Tosia to be a racing incident, then Packer will be declared the winner of the first Pre-Q Race and keep his spot in the Q-Race. It all depends on what the officials think.

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RUSH FURIOUS WITH SENDACK'S COMMENTS

After the meeting between TM Master Cup officals, Packer Carroll, Alonso Tosia, and Woody Watts had concluded, officals would go over all their notes to determine what their decision would be. While waiting on the ruling, Packer and his friend and crew chief, Rush McCloud, got wind of Brian Sendack's comments about the Lap 14 incident.

Brian Sendack to the press wrote:I have no idea what Lance Andrews sees in Packer Carroll. I mean, if Alonso Tosia is making a mistake, the smart thing to do is let him make that mistake and then take advantage. Instead he just flat out wrecks Tosia and Watts. That kind of crap has no place in any kind of respectable motorsport, and I support Flavio Vespucci's argument to get Carroll disqualified. I'm still an STS guy until the end of this season, and if Packer is allowed to pass pre-qualifying, I'll send him packing really quickly.

Needless to say, Rush was furious.

RUSH: That jerk has a lot of nerve calling Packer out. Considering how much of wrecker he is, he's in no position to be talking! Maybe he's just jealous of the fact that Packer has his own team in ARLA, has a TM Junior Series ride, and is in line for a full-time ride in the TM Master Cup Series in 2011. Maybe Sendack needs to worry about his own problems and mind his own f***ing business! And what is this saying about him "sending Packer packing really quickly"?! Now you've crossed a line, Sendack! If you've got a problem with us, why don't you drag your sorry a** down here if you've got the guts and say it directly to our faces! Evil or Very Mad

The normally calm Packer wasn't too happy with Sendack's threat, either.

PACKER: If he's got a problem with my driving, then fine, that's his business. But the moment you threaten me, that's when you're asking for trouble. Sendack, you'd better watch what you say to me, because you're gonna get a problem you can't handle. If you want to settle this, let's settle this on the track.

We are still awaiting word from TMMC officials on their final decision.

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PACKER PENALIZED 45 SECONDS FOR INCIDENT WITH TOSIA, BUT STILL QUALIFIES

After much debate, officials decided to slap GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll with a 45-second penalty for the Lap 14 incident with Alonso Tosia in Race 1, effectively taking the win from him, but he still qualifies for the Q-Race, as the penalty dropped him to 15th. Only the top 15 make it past pre-qualifying. Despite this, Rush McCloud, Packer's crew chief, was not happy with the ruling.

RUSH: I don't agree with the penalty at all. Sure, we're still in the race, but I think the officials made a bad judgment call, because that accident wasn't Packer's fault. I don't know, maybe I need to buy the officials some glasses because they didn't see the whole story, but we'll have to take this and go on.

As for the threat made by Brian Sendack?

RUSH: I told the officials about it, and they told me they will be keeping their eye on Sendack in the Q-Race.

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AFTER HAVING THE PRE-Q WIN TAKEN FROM HIM, PACKER COMES BACK AND WINS THE DECATUR Q-RACE AFTER THRILLING BEATING AND BANGING BATTLE WITH NEW RIVAL SENDACK

After the Pre-Q Race controversy, and the war of words that followed between Ocean Motorsports driver Brian Sendack and Gravity Racing, Inc. driver/owner Packer Carroll, everyone in attendance was anticipating a showdown between the two in the Main Q-Race.

They would not be disappointed.

After pitstops had been completed, Packer had a case of deja vu when he found himself in second once again after pitstops, only this time, it was behind his new archrival, Brian Sendack. Normally, Packer prides himself on being a clean driver, but after the comments Sendack made, saying that he would send Packer "packing", Packer was determined to let Sendack know that he was not a driver to mess with. Coming into turn 3 a few laps later, Packer bumped Sendack and passed him for the lead. Sendack then immediately tried to follow through on his threat by bumping Packer as they were coming through the Hill, but much to Sendack's surprise, Packer maintained control of the car and would go on to win the race, and this time, the officals declared Packer the winner, much to the shigrin of Sendack.

Afterwards, in victory lane, an enraged Sendack made his way over to where Packer was. The two rivals had a heated exchange that nearly came to blows but was calmed down when the crew chiefs of both drivers interviened and pulled their drivers away from each other. Afterwards, reporters had a talk with Packer on his latest Q-Race victory and the battles with Sendack.

REPORTER: Well, Packer, we meet once again in victory lane in a Q-Race, only this time in the TM Master Cup Series. You have four Q-Race wins in the ARLA Elite Series, and that success seems to have come over to the TMMC here at Decatur. You crossed the line first in the Pre-Q Race, but you were penalized and dropped back to 15th. But you come back and win the Main Q-Race here at Decatur, which is leading to many people saying that you may be the odds-on favorite to win the Decatur Grand Prix. How are you feeling right now?

PACKER: Pretty good. I know there is a lot of controversy swirling around me right now, but hopefully I can put that to bed in the main event. This team is capable of winning this race, and if things fall our way, we can prove we can get the job done.

REPORTER: Of course, everyone is talking about the new rivalry between yourself and Brian Sendack, and we saw a sample of that in this Q-Race when the two of you were beatin' and bangin' fenders for the lead, much to the delight of this sellout crowd in Decatur. How did this whole thing between you and Sendack get started?

PACKER: Well, it all started when I accidentally wrecked Alonso Tosia, and Sendack opened his big mouth and threatened me. I didn't take too kindly to that, and neither did Rush, so there was some extra motivation to beat Sendack in this race.

REPORTER: Did you know that you would be racing him for the win?

PACKER: No, not until after pitstops. It really is amazing how things work out in racing. I wanted to make the pass clean, but it was obvious that he was gonna play dirty, so I gave him a little bump and took the lead. He tried to do the same thing to me at the Hill, but it didn't work. It was so sweet to see him in my rearview mirror as I took the checkered flag. I normally wouldn't say that kind of thing, but Sendack pissed me off with his comments, so I was willing to make an exception in his case.

REPORTER: Sendack came down and had some words for you after the race. Were you at all surprised by his reaction?

PACKER: Hell, no. He said he would send me packing, and he didn't get the job done, so of course he would be pissed.

REPORTER: Do you think this heated rivalry will carry over into the Decatur Grand Prix?

PACKER: It might. I don't want this to go farther than it already is, but there's no question Sendack will want to settle this with me. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

This will be Packer's last drive in his own car in the TM Master Cup Series before he moves to a part-time ride with McCallister Motorsports in 2010. And of course, everyone will be waiting to see what happens between Sendack and Packer.

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PACKER STAYS OUT OF TROUBLE, FINISHES 15TH IN DECATUR GRAND PRIX

After starting in the top 10, Packer's race at Decatur settled down at mid-field, and for the most part, stayed out of the carnage that was happening everywhere. A big moment for him came when Danny Savin and Alexis Rainsford, while fighting for the lead, came up to lap Packer. At the hill, his crew chief, Rush McCloud, told Packer to be cautious, as the leaders were coming up to him. Coming out of the hill, seeing the leaders trying to pass him, and not wanting to get involved with another controversial event, Packer immediately backed off the gas and let Rainsford and Savin through. Remembering the incident he was involved in with Michael White in the ARLA Elite Series race at this same section, Packer certainly did not want to be known as the guy who costed Alexis Rainsford a shot at the title.

After that scare, the rest of the race progressed uneventfully for Packer, but he managed a 15th place finish. While it wasn't what he was looking for, he'll certainly take it after having to fight through Pre-Qualifying just to get into the Decatur Grand Prix.

PACKER: Whew. That was a tough 48 laps to get through. I'm just glad we got through it without causing any major incidents. As soon as Rush warned me about Danny and Alexis coming behind me, I backed off the throttle so they could race for the lead without me in the way, and I certainly didn't want to ruin Alexis's chances of winning the championship. The car wasn't as good as it was in the qualifying races, but the carnage this race had helped us move up. I'm certainly looking forward to racing for Garth McCallister next season, and hopefully full-time in 2011.

Packer plans to donate his 15th place winnings to charity in support of the Haiti earthquake victims.

Packer's season is not yet done. He still has one final race to qualify for: the Rockford 200 in the ARLA Elite Series.

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PACKER CHARGES INTO ROCKFORD FROM LAST PLACE

With just 23 cars racing at the season finale at Rockford, it would no doubt be the hardest race on the schedule to qualify for. With the top 7 in points locked in, only 16 spots were available, and with 8 Q-Races, that meant that only the top 2 from each race would make it in. But despite the long odds, GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll will get to finish his rookie season with a bang.

After making just 5 of the first 12 races, the #71 went through a sponsor change, and it seemed to energize the team. And with Gasnier completely backing GRI next year, the #71 team became a force to be reckoned with in the Q-Races during the second half of the season, winning 4 of them, which is guaranteed to be the most of any driver this season, and the team qualified for 9 of the last 12 races, and earned their first career win at Boston.

In their Rockford Q-Race, Packer would start last among the 8-car field, but quickly made his way to the front in the 25-lap sprint, and even led 4 laps before finishing in 2nd behind Brenda Riggs and qualifying for his 14th race of 2009. In the pitlane, Packer was ecstatic.

PACKER: Well, my team has vastly improved in the second half of this season. I want to thank my crew for a tremendous job of getting this car into Rockford. It's definitely one of the crown jewels, and now we have a chance to win it. It would be the perfect end to an up and down season.

Currently, Packer is 31st in the points standings. The highest he can finish in the standings is 29th, but a top 30 finish, which didn't look possible at the beginning of the season, is now within reach. But he must first get through 200 laps... at Rockford.

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GOTT QUALIFIES FOR ROCKFORD, FINISHES RUNNER-UP AGAIN

Anymore runner-up finishes and Zach Gott might be called the new Chronic Bridesmaid of the ARLA Thunder Trucks Series.

After qualifying for the season finale at Rockford, Zach started the GRI Shiny Wax #71 truck on the outside of the front row, and led 22 laps before eventually finishing 2nd behind Jared Pierce. This is his 3rd runner-up finish of the season, the last two coming at Carbondale and Sears Point. It propelled him up the points chart and he finished in 14th in the final standings, earning himself and GRI a nice chunk of change from the point fund, a good thing considering earlier in the season, Zach was hovering around 25th in the standings.

Despite the good finish, Zach was still a little frustrated.

ZACH: I was hoping to get a win for GRI before the season ended, but I wound up getting second again. I'm tired of finishing second. I want to go to victory lane, and so help me, I'll get there next year.

With GRI selling the Thunder Trucks team to focus on their Elite Series program, Zach will be moving over to the crew chief position for the #00 team, which will be driven by Henrietta LaVerne III in 2010. In addition, Zach is moving over to M & J Racing to drive the #264 truck, as a teammate to 2009 Thunder Trucks champion Benji Flynn.

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PACKER FINISHES 9TH AFTER LEADING 16 LAPS AT ROCKFORD

After starting 14th for the Rockford 200, Packer Carroll steadily made his way forward, and by Lap 20 was leading the race. Then, after a great restart after the second caution came out, Hinata Hyuga caught up to him and passed him for the lead. Then Packer's car went downhill after that, but he held on for a 9th place finish, his sixth top ten of the season. Still, he was a little disappointed.

PACKER: We had a good car at the start, but then the handle just started to go away midway through the race. Still, we got another top ten, so I'm happy about that. Congratulations to Hinata Hyuga for winning the championship, and hopefully we'll be back here next year with a shot at the championship.

There is great news for Packer regarding Daytona. Even though his car finished 31st in the owner standings, because most teams in front of him dissolved or moved down to the Thunder Trucks, Packer's #71 has been bumped up and is one of the 22 cars that will be locked into Daytona next season, and Packer is thrilled, knowing his spot is secure. He'll just have to watch and wait and see if his two female rookie drivers make it into Daytona.

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PACKER WALKS AWAY FROM BANQUET WITH NOT ONE, BUT TWO AWARDS, INCLUDING PRESTIGIOUS MOST POPULAR DRIVER AWARD

At the beginning of the evening, GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll had a feeling he would win the Q-Race Driver of the Year, and he did, by a landslide. It was the second award that was the most shocking. Why? He had been voted Most Popular Driver.

How does someone, in his rookie season, qualify for only 14 of the 24 races, finish 31st in the final standings, and still win Most Popular Driver?

One reason could be his mid-season turn around, when he got the Grape Soup sponsorship and started winning Q-Races like crazy.

Another reason could be that he is not a volatile person like some of the drivers on the circuit.

The biggest reason, however, may lie in his win at Boston, when he showcased his patented Bronco Buster burnout, which had never been done before.

Either way, Packer was stunned when he learned he had won the MPD award.

PACKER: I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be voted Most Popular Driver. That's gonna make me drive harder next year, because now, I've got a big fanbase behind me, and I don't want to let them down.


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2010 GRI PLANS

PACKER CARROLL:
The driver/owner of Gravity Racing, Inc. is gonna have a busy 2010 season. In addition to running his three car ARLA team and driving the full 2010 season, Packer will also run full time in the TM Junior Series, driving the #110 Advance Auto Parts Gasnier for Greg Whittaker Racing, and is driving part-time in the #71 Diet Delano Gasnier for McCallister Motorsports in the TM Master Cup Series. In addition, Packer announced that he might also return to the RUSH Extreme Championship Series this season as well, meaning he could be running for three championships in 2010.

2009 Results:
ARLA ELITE SERIES:
Starts: 14
Poles: 0
Wins: 1 (Boston)
Top 5: 3
Top 10: 6
Laps Led: 36
2009 Points Finish: 31st
Other Notes:
-4 Q-Race Wins (Grand Detour, Vancouver, Milwaukee, & Lake Afton)

TM MASTER CUP SERIES:
Starts: 2
Poles: 0
Wins: 0
Top 5: 0
Top 10: 0
Laps Led: 0
2009 Points Finish: N/A
Other Notes:
-1 Q-Race Win (Decatur)

RUSH McCLOUD:
After a dismal 2009 in the TM Junior Series, mustering just 1 top 5 and 2 top 10's, Rush is moving down to drive Packer's new entry in the CRL Modified Series, the #71 Bolden. Since Gasnier doesn't run in the CRL Modifieds, they gave the team permission to use Bolden for their cars. In addition to his run for Rookie of the Year in the CRL, Rush will also be Packer's crew chief in the ARLA Elite Series and TM Master Cup Series.

2009 Results:
TM JUNIOR SERIES:
Starts: 9
Poles: 0
Wins: 0
Top 5: 1
Top 10: 2
Laps Led: 1
2009 Points Finish: NC
Other Notes:
-Best Finish: 3rd (VIR)
-1 Q-Race Win (Twin Ring Motegi)


ZACH GOTT:
Zach had a decent 2009 season. He qualified the #00 Meltdown Anti-Freeze Gasnier at Pocono and finished 4th, and he finished 14th in the 2009 ARLA Thunder Trucks with three runner-up finishes. For 2010, he will stay in the Thunder Trucks as a driver, moving over to M & J Racing to drive the #264 truck as teammate to 2009 Trucks champion Benji Flynn. In addition, he will be the crew chief of Henrietta LaVerne III, who will run for Rookie of the Year in the ARLA Elite Series in 2010.

2009 Results:
ARLA ELITE SERIES:
Starts: 1
Poles: 0
Wins: 0
Top 5: 1
Top 10: 1
Laps Led: 0
2009 Points Finish: N/A
Other Notes:
-Finished 4th in only start (Pocono)

ARLA THUNDER TRUCKS:
Starts: 12
Poles: 0
Wins: 0
Top 5: 3
Top 10: 4
Laps Led: 56
2009 Points Finish: 14th
Other Notes:
-Best Finish: 2nd three times (Carbondale, Sears Point, Rockford)


HENRIETTA LaVERNE III:
After running 6 races in the Thunder Trucks, and qualifying for Decatur in the Elite Series, with a best finish of 15th, LaVerne will move into the #00 Meltdown Anti-freeze Gasnier full-time in 2010, as she guns for Rookie of the Year. Because she is a rookie, she will run in the Rookie Shootout at Daytona, and hopes she can lock herself into the Daytona 200 by winning the Shootout.

2009 Results:
ARLA ELITE SERIES:
Starts: 1
Poles: 0
Wins: 0
Top 5: 0
Top 10: 0
Laps Led: 0
2009 Points Finish: N/A
Other Notes:
-Finished 15th in only start (Decatur)

ARLA THUNDER TRUCKS:
Starts: 6
Poles: 0
Wins: 0
Top 5: 0
Top 10: 0
Laps Led: 0
2009 Points Finish: 41st
Other Notes:
-Best Finish: 15th



SARA HACKSON:
After starting in several RROL Elite Series races for the family owned operation, Sara Hackson will take control of GRI's newest entry in the ARLA Elite Series for 2010, the #3 Smudge Erasers Gasnier. Like her teammate, Henrietta LaVerne III, Sara will drive for Rookie of the Year, and will compete in the Rookie Shootout as well. In addition, Sara will run in the RROL full-time with her family team.

2009 Results:
RROL ELITE SERIES:
Starts: 2
Poles: 0
Wins: 0
Top 5: 1
Top 10: 2
Laps Led: 15
2009 Points Finish: N/A
Other Notes:
-Best Finish: 4th (Carbondale)

2009 SEASON COMPLETE
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Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019 Empty Re: Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019

Post by PackerMan71 Mon Aug 08, 2011 4:46 pm

2010 SEASON
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BOTH GRI CARS CAUGHT UP IN THE BIG ONE

The 2010 Rookie Shootout at Daytona turned out to be an unsuccessful venture for GRI rookie drivers Sara Hackson and Henrietta LaVerne III. After a very questionable move by Ricky Gonzalez caused the the front pack to wad up, the track was completely blocked when the second pack arrived, which Hackson and LaVerne were in. Both cars were totaled, and both Hackson and LaVerne had to drop out of the race.

GRI owner Packer Carroll was very critical of Ricky Gonzalez.

PACKER: This kind of thing is what gets you thrown out of ARLA. Blocking the leaders like that when you're wrecked and a lot slower than everyone else, that just creates an unsafe condition on the track. Hopefully, we won't encounter that problem next week.

Sara Hackson and Henrietta LaVerne will now have to run the qualifying races if they hope of joining their car owner on the grid for next week's Daytona 200 presented by Smash Beer.

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DAYTONA Q-RACE RESULTS: #00'S ENGINE GRENADES BEFORE THE GREEN FLAG, WHILE SARA HACKSON WILL MAKE ARLA ELITE SERIES DEBUT AT DAYTONA

It was a tale of two races for the GRI cars.

In Race #1, it was over before it even started for Henrietta LaVerne III. The #00 Meltdown Anti-Freeze Gasnier's engine blew up as it was coming to the green flag. This means that LaVerne will not qualify for Daytona, meaning she will start in the same hole Packer found himself in at the beginning of the 2009 season.

After pulling into the garage, Packer and crew chief Zach Gott went under the hood to locate the source of the engine failure. They eventually discovered what made the engine grenade on them.

PACKER: One of the valve springs exploded as Henrietta pressed the gas at the start. There's nothing left of that valve spring, and pieces flew all over the engine compartment. Basically, this engine was junk before it even crossed the finish line. A freak accident, basically, because I've never seen a valve spring end up like this before. It's frustrating, because Henrietta didn't get a chance to showcase her skills today.

In Race #2, Sara Hackson, driving Packer's newest entry, the #3 Smudge Erasers Gasnier, with Rush McCloud's wife Regina as crew chief, started in 19th, and she worked her way into qualifying position. Only the top 10 qualify for the Daytona 200. She finished in 7th, and will make her ARLA Elite Series debut at Daytona. Her cousin, Frank Hackson, also qualified when he finished 10th in Race #1.

Packer expects good things out of Sara here at Daytona. In her two RROL Elite Series starts last year, she finished 4th and 6th, and led some laps in one race.

PACKER: This is what I would expect out of Sara. This is a brand new team we have, and she's put it on the grid for the first time. But that's just part one. Doing well in the main event is the second part of our plan. If we finish well in the 200, we'll be in good shape for the rest of the season.

Packer's #71 Grape Soup Gasnier was already locked into the race.
Sara Hackson and the #3 team will make their debut in the Daytona 200.
Henrietta LaVerne will have to wait until Round 2 to make their first start of the 2010 season.

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ZACH GOTT LEADS LAPS, QUALIFIES FOR DAYTONA

With a lot of one-off trucks attempting Daytona, under the format the Thunder Trucks were using, it meant that nobody was locked in. Two races, 21 trucks each qualify. And Zach Gott is one of those trucks.

After starting 6th in Race #2, he found himself in front, leading the restart after the one and only caution of the race. He led 7 laps before eventually winding up 17th, but it was good enough to get him into the race. A good thing, considering the Elite Series team he is crew chief of, the #00 GRI Gasnier driven by Henrietta LaVerne III, blew its motor before the start of its Q-Race.

ZACH: Yesterday was tough, but I had to refocus my attention to the truck team I'm driving for today, and I got the job done. It wasn't pretty, but we're in the race, so that's a good thing.

He comes into the 2010 season with unfinished business. Last year, he finished 2nd three times, at Carbondale, Sears Point, and the finale at Rockford. His main goal this season? Get his first career win, no matter what.

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ZACH FINISHES 33RD AFTER BEING PINCHED INTO THE WALL

After starting in the top 10, Zach managed to lead several laps before being taken out in the second wreck in turn 1 and 2. He wound up 33rd, almost exactly what happened to him in last year's opener when he led laps and finished 31st.

He declined to comment to reporters, obviously frustrated and wanting to get out of Daytona as soon as possible. The #00 Elite Series car, which he is crew chief of, failed to qualify for the Daytona 200.

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PACKER HAS A GREAT RUN IN HIS TMJS DEBUT, BUT FINISHES 30TH AFTER GETTING CAUGHT UP IN LAP 38 WRECK, FAILS TO QUALIFY FOR TMMC OPENER

In a race he was looking forward to for the past 5 months, Packer Carroll made his TM Junior Series debut in the season opener at Twin Ring Motegi. He started 40th, but if you've watched him in the ARLA Elite Series, you would know that he would find his way to the front quickly. By the halfway point of the race, Packer had climbed up to as high as 3rd, showcasing that he had one of the fastest cars on the track. But his race came to an early end after being caught up in a massive wreck off of turn 4 on Lap 38. He wound up finishing in 30th. Despite that, Packer was still pleased with his run.

PACKER: It sucks to have been taken out in that wreck, but this car was dynamite today. The Greg Whittaker boys showed that they could get the job done with Franz Redlich in this car last year, and I wanna prove I can do the same thing. We definitely had one of the fastest cars here today, we just ran into some bad luck.

After he failed to qualify for the TM Master Cup Series opener, Packer then boarded a jet to fly back to Daytona, anxious to get out of Japan as soon as possible and prepare his own car to run in the ARLA Elite Series season opener, the Daytona 200.

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PACKER UNVEILS SPECIAL PAINTSCHEME, SPONSOR TO BE RUN IN SELECT RACES IN 2010

On the starting grid before the beginning of the Daytona 200 for the ARLA Elite Series, Packer announced that he will be running a special paintscheme and sponsor at select races this year. ZombieBusters.com, an online zombie survival store, will be on the car for 4 races in 2010, one at each of the track types, respectively.

The first race with ZombieBusters.com will be at Round 6 at Talladega, the Radii Talladega 150. Race 2 would be the very next race, Round 7 at Packer's home track of Mansfield for the Mansfield 175. Race 3 will be Round 14 at Pikes Peak for the Colorado 150, where Packer made his ARLA Elite Series debut. The last race for ZombieBusters will be at Decatur Championship Weekend. However, should Grape Soup not renew their contract with the #71 team, ZombieBusters have said they will go on board with GRI in 2011.

PACKER: It's really cool to be able to run a zombie-themed scheme and sponsor on my car. I'm a big fan of zombie movies and video games, so I'll be looking forward to Talladega in a couple of months.

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PACKER FINISHES 23RD WITH DAMAGED CAR, WHILE SARA HACKSON FINISHES 6TH IN DEBUT

In their first runs in Daytona, Sara Hackson and teammate/owner Packer Carroll started towards the back, but shuffled around the field during the race. Packer even managed to lead a lap, his first at Daytona. Disaster almost struck the #71 team, however, when the #66 of Jeb Klinger and the #50 of Leslie Riggs got together coming off of four. Riggs slid up the track into Packer, who got into the outside wall. The damage didn't appear to be serious, and after pitstops, Packer restarted 10th. However, he quickly lost the lead draft and was running by himself for the majority of the event. However, he was still fast enough to stay on the lead lap at the finish and salvaged a 23rd place finish, which was impressive considering what the team discovered after the race.

PACKER: Apparently, hitting the wall in the tri-oval did more damage than we first realized. Turns out for the last 50 laps or so, I had a broken shock mount. When you have that, the car is evil to drive. I'm surprised I brought that thing home in one piece, let alone in 23rd. We'll take it and head to Iowa.

Sara had a better showing at Daytona. Driving the brand new team for GRI, the #3 car sponsored by Smudge Erasers, Hackson was running about mid-pack for most of the event, fighting a pushing condition in the car. On the last set of green flag pitstops, the #3 pit crew, led by crew chief Regina McCloud, had a fast pitstop, and Sara was among the 6 cars who would be fighting it out for the win. Coming to the white flag, it looked like Sara would make a move to get to the front, but Allie Riggs sliced underneath her and kicked her up to the high side. Sara wound up in 6th place, but it was a fantastic result for Sara and the #3 team, which were making their first ever points starts. Packer was impressed.

PACKER: I said it before the race. I'm expecting good things out of Sara in the #3 car. I think she will be a contender for Rookie of the Year this season, and hopefully I'll be up there with her in the points to fight for the championship.

Under the new owner points rules for 2010, the top 22 in owners' points will be locked into the first 3 races of 2010. In addition, the top 5 finishers from Daytona not already locked in will qualify for Rounds 2 & 3 as well. The #71 team was in the top 22 in owners' points, and Sara Hackson's 6th place finish at Daytona locks her in for Rounds 2 & 3, including Iowa, her home track. That means that only the #00 GRI entry, Henrietta LaVerne III, will have to qualify for Iowa.

#71: Packer Carroll is 23rd in points. He is locked into Race 2.
#3: Sara Hackson is 7th in points. She is locked into Race 2.
#00: Henrietta LaVerne III has not scored any points yet. She must qualify for Race 2.

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PACKER LEADS MOST LAPS IN TMJS AUSTRALIA ROUND, BUT FALTER BY THE PIT CREW COSTS HIM THE WIN

In Round 2 of the 2010 TM Junior Series season in Australia, Packer Carroll proved that his great run in Japan wasn't a fluke. After qualifying on the outside of the front row, next to Milano Rossini, Packer would battle Rossini for the first part of the race, then he would pass Rossini for the lead after Rossini's pitcrew stumbled on the first pitstop of the race. He led 27 of the 40 laps and looked like he was gonna win his first TMJS race, but his pitcrew had a lugnut issue on the last green flag pitstop, and it cost Packer a shot at the win. He wound up finishing in 5th, his first top 5 finish in the TMJS. Still, Packer was very frustrated.

PACKER: It's very frustrating when you lead the most laps and look like you're on your way to victory, then a bad pitstop takes you out of the hunt. Just like Japan, this car was great as you all have seen. The Greg Whittaker crew gave me a great car, but they have to work on their pitstops. We can't afford to have this sort of thing happening everytime we're fighting for the win.

With his 5th place finish and leading the most laps, Packer vaults up the points standings, from 30th to 15th, just 47 points out of the lead.

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DESPITE BEING CAUGHT UP IN SEVERAL INCIDENTS, PACKER & HACKSON NOTCH TOP 12 FINISHES AT IOWA

Round 2 of the 2010 ARLA Elite Series season would take place at the Iowa Speedway, which was the home track of GRI driver Sara Hackson. After a 6th place finish in her ARLA debut at Daytona, she hoped she would give the hometown crowd something to cheer about. At the same time, GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll was hoping to improve his position in the points standings. He was 23rd, just 4 positions ahead of the cutoff point, and he didn't want to have to race his way into the main events like he did all of last year.

It wasn't pretty, but they got the finishes they needed. Despite being caught up in several incidents and having numerous close calls, Carroll and Hackson both notched top 12 finishes, which certainly helped them in the points standings.

Their first close call came on Lap 15. Coming off of four, Chris Johaanes, Louis Tellez, and Devin Rogers go three-wide, and all three end up in the wall. Packer and Sara were right behind the incident. Packer had to jerk his car to the right and missed the wreck by inches.

On Lap 21, Packer was on the outside of a three-wide situation with Alex Carson & Andy Pearson. Carson turned Pearson, and Packer managed to escape.

On Lap 30, a five car pile-up ensues right in front of Packer going into turn 3. By opting to go to the inside, Packer missed the wreck.

Luck finally went against GRI on Lap 60 during green flag pitstops. Hackson was making her way onto pitroad when she was turned by Jack Lucas Samson, who had just completed his green flag stop. Sara was then hit by Amy Harrison. Fortunately, it was on the right side, and the damage wasn't too significant. It did cause her to fall off the lead lap, though. Crew chief Regina McCloud was furious with Samson.

On Lap 67, another big pile-up ensues in turn 1. While trying to navigate the wreck, Packer gets turned, but he only sustains minor damage, and he continues.

The final incident of the day happened on Lap 100. Packer gets turned by Kyle Eckerton going into turn 1. However, the damage wasn't serious, and he didn't lose too many spots considering he was one of only nine cars on the lead lap. Packer finished 9th, his first top 10 of the season, and despite being a lap down, Sara salvaged 12th place, which considering her involvement in the Lap 60 incident, that's pretty good.

With such a high attrition rate, Packer & Sara's good finishes propelled them up the points chart. Packer has jumped from 23rd to 11th in the standings, the highest he's been in his ARLA career, and Sara Hackson, in a big surprise, is now 5th in the points standings despite just 2 career starts. Packer commentated on his team's performance so far.

PACKER: I said 2010 was gonna be our breakout year, and so far it has been. I'm 11th in points, so I'm safe as far as being locked in is concerned, and Sara is doing her job nicely. She's top 5 in points, and she's looking real good. I knew some good things would come if we had her on the team, and she's proving it. What's more impressive is the fact that the #3 is a brand-spanking new team, so for them to come out of the box like this is very encouraging. Henrietta should take some notes from Sara, and use them at Hattiesburg to get into the race there.

Packer Carroll finished 9th in the Iowa 125. He's now 11th in points. He is locked into Race 3 at Hattiesburg.

Sara Hackson finished 12th in the Iowa 125. She's now 5th in points, and is the highest ranked Rookie of the Year contender. She is locked into Race 3 at Hattiesburg.

Henrietta LaVerne III did not qualify for the Iowa 125. She currently has no points. She must run the Q-Race at Hattiesburg.

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ZACH'S DISMAL ARLA SEASON CONTINUES AT THOMPSON

It has been a frustrating 2010 season for Zach Gott. The team he is crew chief of, the #00 Meltdown Anti-Freeze Gasnier, has failed to qualify for all three ARLA Elite Series races this season. Worse, he has yet to finish a Thunder Trucks race this season.

Early in the Thompson 90, he had mechanical problems, and he fell out after just 18 laps. He finished in 40th, and is now 46th in the points standings, a far cry from last year. When approached by reporters, he told them he didn't want to talk.

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HACKSON HAS BAD LUCK IN LAP 37 INCIDENT, WHILE PACKER IS INVOLVED IN TWO WRECKS AND SALVAGES A TOP 15 FINISH

In the Hattiesburg 125 presented by Rubber-Dub-Dub, the horrible tire wear was the big story of the weekend, and with the tire company giving out free tires this weekend, everyone was taking advantage on every pitstop.

As the race began, Sara Hackson started 9th, and Packer Carroll started 32nd. Packer hasn't qualified well throughout his ARLA career, but he doesn't focus on qualifying. He instead focuses on race set-ups, and it's showing in his results. What's also showing, based on the first three races of 2010, is his uncanny persistence in the face of adversity, and it shows in his finishes and in the points standings.

On Lap 17, the #17 car of Joseph Howard drifts into the wall in turn 3. Coming to the start/finish line, Howard for some reason drifts down into the path of Packer's car. Packer tried to go low, but couldn't as there was another car on his inside. As a result, Packer swerves high to avoid Howard, clips the #17 car and slams the wall. Worse, another car hits his in the rear and triggers a massive pile-up on the front stretch. After the race, Packer was critical of Howard.

PACKER: What was he thinking? I never expected a move like that from a TM Master Cup Champion like Howard. Maybe he had a mechanical issue or something, but he drifted in my way, and there wasn't a whole lot I could do.

On Lap 36, during green flag pitstops, Amy Harrison, coming out of the pits, drifts up into Reed Webber, Jr. in turn 3 and sends both cars into the wall. Behind them, Bigsby Foote tries to move up to dodge the wreck, but drifts into the path of Packer and takes both cars into the wall. Packer was not amused. At the same time further back, Sara Hackson does the same thing as Foote and gets turned by Lucas Hunter, who was in his first race since his horrifying crash in the Rookie Shootout earlier this season. Sara then gets slammed by Taylor Brillon, and takes both cars out of the race.

In the meantime, Packer continued to run despite the extensive damage to his car. You would think his car would be an obstacle, but amazingly, he was running decently competitve speed, and he just refused to die with his car. It looked like it had just went through a run at Grand Detour or Bristol, but showing the scrappiness that made him Most Popular Driver, he fought his way to a very respectable 14th place finish, which propells him up the points chart into 9th, the first time in his career he has cracked the top 10 in the points. Even Packer was amazed at his car's reliability.

PACKER: I gotta tell you, this car is unbelievably durable. I think we've been involved in at least one wreck in all three races this season, and we've still made it to the top 10 in the points. That just goes to show you how competitve we really are. It sucks that Sara went out so early, but we're both locked in in the owner's points, so now we can focus on running for the championship.

#71 Packer Carroll finished 14th in the Hattiesburg 125, and is now 9th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings, 68 pts. out of 1st.
#3 Sara Hackson finished 36th in the Hattiesburg 125, and is now 11th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings, 86 pts. out of 1st.
#00 Henrietta LaVerne III did not qualify for Hattiesburg. She currently has no points. She must race her way in at New Hampshire RC.

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GRAVITY RACING, INC. FINALLY HAS THREE CARS IN THE SHOW

After a frustrating start to the season for Henrietta LaVerne III, missing the first 3 races, she finally got the #00 Meltdown Anti-Freeze GRI Gasnier onto the grid for the Atlant-X @ Loudon, taking place on New Hampshire Motor Speedway's road course.

After starting 16th, she hardly made any leeway throughout the 38-lap Q-Race, but she did just enough, staying out of trouble and finishing 14th, transfering her into the main race. This means that Gravity Racing, Inc. will have all three cars in the same race for the first time in team history. Team owner Packer Carroll was pleased.

PACKER: It wasn't pretty, but she made it in, and that's all that matters. We'll have all three cars in the race for the first time, and that's a huge accomplishment considering where this team was a year ago. Let's hope Henrietta has a good outing this weekend. She'll need it if she plans on keeping this ride for the entire season.

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PACKER SURVIVES BRAZIL SLUGFEST, MOVES INTO TOP TEN IN TM JUNIOR SERIES POINTS

It may not have been the finish he had been hoping for, but Packer Carroll will take it.

After starting in 7th in the TMJS third round at Brazil, he ran the #110 Michelin Gasnier in the top 10 for the majority of the race. He eventually fell a lap down, but was still running top 10. The only incident he was involved in was when Gasper De Souza, while running 2nd, appeared to have a tire go down, and he slid down the track in turns 3 & 4, into the side of Packer's car, and back up into the outside wall, taking the #166 car out of the race.

Packer continued on, and wound up finishing in 11th place. He now sits 10th in the TMJS Points Standings, 53 points out of the lead.

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MILESTONE DAY TURNS BAD FOR GRI CARS

The Atlant-X @ Loudon would mark the first time that Gravity Racing, Inc. had three cars in the same race. However, the race would not turn out so well for GRI.

On Lap 1, there was a jam of cars heading into the first right-hander, and Packer Carroll spun the car avoiding the accident. He didn't receive any damage and continued on.

Not long after, Sara Hackson threw her car off the track in the esses and into the tire barriers, taking the #3 car out of the race. This is the second DNF in a row for Hackson, and will be devestating for her in the points.

Not long after, Packer attempted a pass going into the uphill right-hander, but Rachel Gonzalez, the car in front of him, moved over and took themself and Packer into the wall and out of the race. This would mark Packer's first DNF of the season, and he was furious.

PACKER: I can't believe that's what kind of drivers we have in this series. Rachel Gonzalez needs to get a more reliable spotter.

This left Henrietta LaVerne III in the #00 as the only remaining GRI car left in the race, and she was running around mid-pack.

However, due to the extreme attrition rate, and Henrietta staying out of trouble, she scored her 1st career top 10 by finishing in 6th place. However, the #00 is not locked into the top 27. She'll have to qualify once again for Race 5 at Memphis.

#71 Packer Carroll finished 32nd in the Atlant-X @ Loudon. He is 11th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings, 105 pts. out of 1st.
#3 Sara Hackson finished 35th in the Atlant-X @ Loudon. She is 16th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings, 129 pts. out of 1st.
#00 Henrietta LaVerne III finished 6th in the Atlant-X @ Loudon. She is 45th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings. The #00 team is 98 pts. out of 27th. Henrietta will have to race her way in at Memphis.
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Post by PackerMan71 Mon Aug 08, 2011 4:55 pm

PACKER MAKES AMENDS WITH RACHEL GONZALEZ, LAVERNE MAKES SECOND CONSECUTIVE RACE, SURPRISING DISCOVERY ON #3 CAR AFTER LOUDON

After being taken out in a wreck with Rachel Gonzalez at Loudon, Packer Carroll was very upset at the time with the driver of the #15 car. But after going back and looking at the footage, he went and apologized to Rachel for his outburst.

PACKER: It's a very different perspective when you're inside the car. From where I sat, it looked like she came over on me, but it turns out I didn't really give her enough running room to begin with. I went and talked to Rachel about it, and I apologized for blowing up like that. The reason I was so heated is that I've been involved in at least one incident in the first four races of the season. How I'm 11th in the points despite all that is beyond me. So I've had quite a repair bill, and we're not even a quarter of the way through the season yet. Thankfully, Gasnier has our backs.

After missing the first three races of the season, Henrietta LaVerne III Has made her second straight race of the season, this time at Memphis. She finished 11th after starting in 16th. Packer was pleased with Henrietta's run.

PACKER: Looks like the light finally turned on for Henrietta. She knew if she didn't step up her performance, she'd lose her ride. I guess that prospect wasn't too appealing to her, and it's shown the last two races.

After hitting the tire barriers and falling out of the race at Loudon, it was thought that Sara Hackson had made a driving error going throught the esses. But she claimed that something was wrong with the steering, and it would not turn. Noting this claim, Packer and his team went back to the shop and tore the #3 car apart. What they found was shocking, to say the least.

PACKER: There was a bent ball joint on the lower control arm. No wonder the steering felt all wonky to Sara. And when she spun into the barriers, the ball joint had snapped off and was wedged in the control arm, which meant that Sara couldn't steer the car. We're gonna replace all the ball joints on all the cars to ensure that something like this doesn't happen again.

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PACKER RESPONDS TO LAVERNE/WEBBER SITUATION

After the Q-Race in Memphis, it was revealed that Jaguar Racing driver Reed Webber, Jr. & GRI driver Henrietta LaVerne III were currently dating, and it's raised some eyebrows around the garage, particularly in the Jaguar camp, who's saying that Reed and Henrietta should be focused on racing instead of each other. However, Packer Carroll, the owner of Gravity Racing, Inc., had this to say.

PACKER: As far as I'm concerned, I think it's great that Henrietta has a boyfriend. I've met Reed a few times, and he's a pretty cool guy. I think he's perfect for Henrietta. As far as the rest of the garage is concerned, what Henrietta and Reed do on their own time is none of their damn business. Those two can have a relationship if they damn well please, and they shouldn't let the other teams affect how they feel for each other. Look at Chris Johaanes and Allie Riggs. Look at Chris Davenport and Alexis Rainsford. They're dating as well, and you don't see anyone getting all over their case, do ya? I think everyone should back off of Henrietta and Reed.

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PACKER FINISHES ONE SPOT FROM QUALIFYING FOR TMMC BRAZIL ROUND, THEN RECEIVES STUNNING ANNOUNCEMENT

After his 11th place finish in the TM Junior Series race at Brazil, Packer Carroll took to the track in the #71 Gasnier for Majestic Motorsports for the TMMC Brazil Q-Race. He started 29th, and was able to avoid the massive Lap 2 wreck. But disaster struck at the midway point of the race. Packer reported an ignition problem on the car, and by the time the Diet Delano crew got the problem repaired, Packer was 6 laps down. However, due to the qualifying format for the first three races of the season, Packer's shot at qualifying was not done yet, and he was clocked as one of the fastest cars on the track despite being 6 laps down.

However, despite his best efforts, Packer finished 27th, one spot from qualifying. However, about 15 minutes after the race, he received a shocking announcement. Stan Rosenstreter had been disqualified for causing the massive Lap 2 accident that took several cars out of the race and sent one into the catch fence. This bumped Packer into the TMMC Brazilian Round. He was at a loss for words.

PACKER: I'm... just stunned by what I had just heard. I can't believe that despite being 6 laps down, I've qualified for the race. Hopefully, I'll be able to make the most of this opportunity.

This will be Packer's third career TM Master Cup Series start. It would've been his fourth, but he gave up his spot in Australia for another team because he had to leave to compete in the ARLA Elite Series race in Hattiesburg. He still was awarded 41st place points for qualifying the #71 car.

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DECENT RACE COMES TO UNEXPECTED END FOR PACKER

After qualifying in 30th for the B.B. Wolf's Memphis 150, Packer Carroll would steady work his way to front. His teammate, Sara Hackson, started in 31st, and Henrietta LaVerne III started 26th.

The race progressed uneventfully for all three GRI drivers, but disaster struck during green flag pitstops. Jack Lucas Samson, while trying to come onto the pits, went wide of the entrance and slammed the end of the wall, and spun right into the path of Packer's car, sending both cars into the wall. Samson would continue, but Packer was done for the day, and he was irate. Slamming his helmet to the ground in frustration, he put his arms out when Samson drove back around, wondering what had happened. Of course, Samson was also showered by boos from the crowd for wrecking ARLA's Most Popular Driver. Packer was not very kind to Samson in his interview.

PACKER: What is that idiot thinking, rushing around the access road like that?! When you do that, you run a risk of running into the end of the pitwall, and that's exactly what happened, and he took me out in the process. Ridiculous!

Of course, he has a reason to be frustrated. Packer would finish 36th, and would drop to 18th in the points standings. Even more worrisome, the #71 team is 21st in the owner points, and only the top 27 are locked in. If Packer has more bad luck at Talladega next week, he could find himself back in the Q-Races once again.

In the meantime, Sara Hackson would get her 2nd top 10 finish of her career with a 7th place effort, although she was called to the hauler for a little finder rubbing on Leslie Riggs late in the race. Crew chief Regina McCloud said that it was just hard racing, and that there shouldn't be any penalties for the incident.

Henrietta LaVerne III had a quiet run, and stayed out of trouble for the most part. With her relationship with Reed Webber, Jr. being the biggest story of the race, she stayed under the radar and finished 19th, a decent run for LaVerne, but she'll still have to qualify for Talladega next week.

Packer hopes that next week at Talladega will mark a turning point in his season, as he unveils his ZombieBuster.com paint scheme for the first time.

#71 Packer Carroll finished 36th in the B.B. Wolf's Memphis 150 at Memphis. He is now 18th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings, 145 points out of 1st.
#3 Sara Hackson finished 7th in the B.B. Wolf's Memphis 150 at Memphis. She is now 10th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings, 111 points out of 1st.
#00 Henrietta LaVerne III finished 19th in the B.B. Wolf's Memphis 150 at Memphis. She is now 35th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings. The #00 team is 35th in the owner points, 88 points out of 27th. Henrietta will have to qualify for Talladega.

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PACKER ACCEPTS SAMSON APOLOGY

Not long after the Memphis race, GRI owner Packer Carroll received a letter of apology from Jack Lucas Samson.

Dear Packer,

I would like to say sorry for my stupid move that ruined your race. I lost the handling and shouldn't have made a move like that where I was going to miss the pits, but I did it anyway and it ruined your day more then mine (even though I blew up a short time later ). I want to make it up to you. Inside the envelope is a check. Its a blank check. I would like you to take the check and help you pay for the repairs to your car. I know your an owner-driver and I know how tough it is to pay for damaged/ruined race cars. This is the only way I know how to say sorry. I hope we can put this behind us. I know you said some stuff to the press but you had every right to say that. I hope you give me a buzz soon.

Sincerely,

Jack Lucas Samson 2-time winner of the Reject of the Race


Packer had this to say.

PACKER: Well, he's taken full responsibility for what happened, and that takes a big man. I think we can put what happened at Memphis behind us now, and focus on Talladega.

For the next two races, at Talladega and his home track of Mansfield, Packer will be running the ZombieBusters.com paintscheme.

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DESPITE BEING INVOLVED IN LAP 3 CRASH, PACKER FINISHES 23RD IN TMMC BRAZIL ROUND

Packer started 32nd in the Brazilian TM Master Cup Series race, but things went awry on Lap 3, when a big wreck broke out down the backstretch. While trying to maneuver through the wreck, the hole closed up and Packer rear-ended a car in front of him, which earned the ire of broadcaster Dan Mullen, who thought Packer had "sped up" to get through the wreck. After the race, Packer had this to say.

PACKER: For your information, Mr. Mullen, I never "sped up" as you thought I did. I never had my foot on the gas pedal while I was trying to dodge that wreck. There was a hole and it closed up before I could get through it. Maybe you need to buy yourself some better glasses or better yet, why don't you try driving one of these cars and see who hard it is to drive through a wreck?

After coming to the pits for repairs, the #71 Diet Delano crew removed the hood of the car and sent Packer back out onto the track. Despite being not as fast as the leaders, Packer was gracious when the leaders came up to lap him, staying as high up the track as possible to give the leaders more room to race. And despite finishing 6 laps down, just like the Q-Race, Packer managed to salvage 23rd place due to the high attrition rate.

As for Packer's next attempt at a TM Master Cup Series race?

PACKER: Whatever the team says.

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PACKER GETS CAUGHT UP IN LATE RACE WRECK, LOSES 10 SPOTS IN STANDINGS

In the TM Junior Series 4th Round of 2010 at New York, Packer Carroll was running around 15th with two laps to go, when an engine expired on the car about two seconds in front of him. He tried to dodge it, but was caught up in the late race crash that took 5 cars out of the race. He wound up finishing 26th, and it costed him 10 spots in the standings, from 10th to 20th.

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PACKER UNVEILS NEW PAINTSCHEME, SURVIVES TALLADEGA WITH 18TH PLACE FINISH

After two straight DNF's, GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll hoped to just survive the carnage that was Talladega. Starting in the last row with teammate Sara Hackson next to him, both drivers somehow navigated through the big one that happened midway through the race, which included Packer shooting through the tri-oval grass to dodge the wreck. He and Sara made it through, and even though the result for Packer was an 18th place finish, considering what happened the last two races, he'll take it.

PACKER: I finally made it through a race without being involved in a major incident, and at Talladega no less! I think the power of the ZombieBusters paintscheme scared away the bad luck. Laughing But, I'm just glad we survived the race. Now, we're gonna be headed to Mansfield next week, about an hour north of my hometown. I can't wait. Very Happy

Sara Hackson fared slightly better in the race. After starting dead last on the field, she also made it through the big one and finished in 12th place, improving her position in the points standings to 8th.

#71 Packer Carroll started 41st in the Radii Talladega 150 and finished 18th. He's now 17th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings, 149 points out of 1st.
#3 Sara Hackson started 42nd in the Radii Talladega 150 and finished 12th. She's now 8th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings, 103 points out of 1st.
#00 Henrietta LaVerne III did not qualify for Talladega. She's now 37th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings. The #00 team is 131 points out of 27th. They must run the Q-Race at Mansfield.

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HACKSON NOTCHES THIRD TOP 10 OF SEASON, WHILE PACKER AND LAVERNE STRUGGLE AT GRI'S HOME TRACK

Gravity Racing, Inc.'s much anticipated homecoming didn't fare as well as they had hoped for.

All three cars were involved in some form of incident at the Dawgfather's 175 at Mansfield, but Sara Hackson managed to finish in 7th, her third top 10 finish of the season. Packer Carroll and Henrietta LaVerne III, however, didn't fare as well, finishing outside the top 20.

Sara Hackson was the highest starting GRI car on the grid, starting in 3rd place. However, she immediately passed outside polesitter Leslie Riggs and polesitter Harry Enola, and she would lead the first laps of her ARLA Elite Series career. She led the first 12 laps of the race, but got held up by lapped cars and lost the lead to Bigsby Foote. It was the last of the race she would lead.

On Lap 63, Sara's cousin Frank Hackson, back in the #127 car, turns her team owner Packer Carroll into the #37 of Sijiu Dejao coming off of turn two. Packer managed to keep the car straight, and Dejao spun into the turn 3 wall.

On Lap 130, Packer's #71 Gasnier, sponsored again by ZombieBusters.com this week, got tight coming off of turn two, like a lot of cars had been, and spun the #88 of Armand Mitro into the wall.

Disaster struck on Lap 137. Allie Riggs forces four-wide off turn two with Kurt Walker, Sara Hackson, and Kevin Monroe. Walker forces Hackson into Monroe, who gets sandwiched into the outside wall. Hackson kept control of the car and kept going. In the meantime, Riggs' car collided with Kodi Richards, and she spun right into the path of Packer Carroll. Unable to avoid her spinning car, Packer's front end received significant damage, and he fell off the pace for the rest of the race, much to the shigrin of the hometown crowd.

Things got worse for GRI on the restart. Henrietta LaVerne III in the #00 Meltdown Anti-Freeze Gasnier was one of several drivers during the race who got a pass-through penalty for passing to the left before the start/finish line, which is against ARLA rules. Not long after, LaVerne spins her car entering turn one, but keeps going.

On Lap 156, LaVerne brought out the final caution of the day when she spun the slow car of Sijiu Dejao into the wall coming off of turn two, taking the #37 car out of the race.

After it was all said and done, Packer would finish 26th, a very disappointing finish for someone who had high expectations for his home race. LaVerne didn't fare much better, finishing 24th after starting 13th. But there was a little bit of light for GRI. Despite being caught up in the Lap 137 incident, Sara Hackson finished 7th, led 12 laps, and bolstered her bid to become Rookie of the Year, even though she remains 8th in the points standings. And despite finishing 26th, Packer moves UP one spot to 16th. The reason is that many of his nearest competitors in the points standings had trouble as well. One could only wonder how high he could be in the points if he didn't have so much trouble.

The next race for the ZombieBusters.com paint scheme is Round 14 at Pikes Peak, where Packer made his ARLA Elite Series debut last season.

#71 Packer Carroll started 28th and finished 26th in the Dawgfather's Mansfield 175. He is now 16th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings, 199 points out of 1st.

#3 Sara Hackson started 3rd, led 12 laps, and finished 7th in the Dawgfather's Mansfield 175. She remains 8th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings, 113 points out of 1st.

#00 Henrietta LaVerne III started 13th and finished 24th in the Dawgfather's Mansfield 175. She remains 37th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings. The #00 team is 126 points out of 27th. They will have to run the Texas Q-Race.

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GOTT FINISHES FIRST THUNDER TRUCKS RACE OF HIS SEASON, CATAPULTS UP THE POINTS CHARTS

In the Cletus's Savings and Loans @ Green Valley, Zach Gott started and finished 15th, finishing his first race of the season. In addition, he jumps up the points standings, from 46th after Thompson to 27th after Green Valley.

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TEXAS HORROR STRIKES GRI DRIVERS

After starting near the back, Packer Carroll and Sara Hackson began making their way through the field. On Lap 15, the #109 of Mikael Carter blows an engine right in front of Hackson. The 109 unexpectedly slowed down, leaving Hackson no time to get out of the way. The spinning car came to rest in turn 1, where Packer dodged it by going to the apron.

It wouldn't matter. On Lap 51, Packer's engine surprisingly expires, due to an ignition failure. Because the cockpit was filled with smoke, Packer had a hard time seeing where he was going. As a result, in dodging the #71, several cars spun in turn 3, where Hackson was also collected. There were several hard impacts, but all drivers were okay. Both GRI cars were out of the race.

In the garage, Packer was stunned by what had just happened.

PACKER: Wow. My engine failed on me? That's never happened to me before. This is the first time I've experienced an engine failure in a car I'm driving. One of our engines failed at Daytona, but that was a freak accident. Right now, they're telling me it was an ignition that caused the failure. I just... I just can't catch a break, it seems.

#71 Packer Carroll started 36th and finished 32nd in the Texas 200. He is now 20th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings, 189 points out of 1st.

#3 Sara Hackson started 38th and finished 30th in the Texas 200. She is now 11th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings, 99 points out of 1st.

#00 Henrietta LaVerne III did not qualify for the Texas 200. She is now 40th in the ARLA Elite Series Points Standings. The #00 team is 150 points out of 27th. They will have to qualify for Race 9.

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SHOCKING ANNOUNCEMENT ROCKS GRAVITY RACING, INC.

After the Albuquerque Q-Race, where Henrietta LaVerne III failed to qualify, and before the start of Race 9, the garage received a shocking announcement. Sara Hackson, driver of the #3 Smudge Erasers Gasnier, will be unable to fulfill her obligations to Gravity Racing, Inc., which leaves the #3 car without a driver.

Team owner Packer Carroll was thunderstruck at the news.

PACKER: I... I am just at a loss for words... Sara was without a doubt my best driver, and then this happens. I just don't know what to think anymore... Seems like ever since I was named Most Popular Driver, controversy seems to follow us.

Crew chief Regina McCloud was also stunned at the news.

REGINA: I really sad that this happened. Sara was a good friend, and a promising driver. I hope she works out whatever it is she's dealing with, and hopefully return to us in the future.

This is just the latest batch of controversy to hit GRI in 2010. There are even rumors swirling that LaVerne may be released from the #00 car if she fails to qualify for Round 10. This news is also coming as Packer prepares for the 33rd Karjala Grand Prix for the TM Master Cup Series. In addition to driving the #71 Diet Delano Gasnier for Majestic Motorsports, he will also try to field a car for Regina in the race, with the number #171. Since he can't use Gasnier, he is building a car from the Omecha chassis. Jack Link's Beef Jerky is rumored to be on the car for this one race. No word yet if Regina's entry has been accepted.

In the meantime, Packer is searching for a new driver to take control of the #3 car for the remainder of the season. Regina McCloud will drive the car at Albuquerque, with Zach Gott, the regular crew chief of the #00, temporarily becoming crew chief of the #3.

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FORMER TM MASTER CUP SERIES DRIVER WILL PILOT GRI #3 CAR FOR REMAINDER OF THE 2010 SEASON

In the minutes before the start of Round 9 at Albuquerque, GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll has announced he has found a driver to replace Sara Hackson in the #3 Smudge Erasers Gasnier.

Former TM Master Cup Series driver Eric Jackson will pilot the #3 Gasnier for the remainder of 2010, beginning at Round 10. He finished 8th in the 2007 TM Master Cup Series points standings, but lost his ride. He hopes giving the #3 car in ARLA a great run will be the stepping stone he needs to return to the TM Master Cup Series. Packer was pleased with his acquisition.

PACKER: I think Eric's a good driver. He just never had the chance to blossom in Cup, even though he finished top 10 in points a couple of years ago. Hopefully, he can give this car a good ride, because Sara certainly did. He's got the equipment. All he needs is the desire.

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McCLOUD FALLS OUT AFTER TWO LAPS, WHILE PACKER HAS A QUIET RUN

At the start of the Albuquerque 150, Regina McCloud, who was driving the #3 car this week, surprisingly qualified in the 4th position. However, her race was short-lived. On Lap 3, she got tangled up with several other cars and began a pile-up which resulted in Leslie Riggs taking out the turn 3 wall. The race was red flagged while officials repaired the damage. Regina was a little embarrassed by what happened.

REGINA: I guess I was a little nervous because it was my first big race, and I ended up causing a wreck. Not exactly how I wanted this race to end up.

After starting 39th, Packer Carroll had a low-key run that saw him not get involved in any incident for the first time this season. With all the controversy surrounding his team, Packer managed a quiet 14th place finish, which moved him up to 17th in the points standings.

The next race, at Tampa Bay, will see the debut of TM Master Cup Series veteran Eric Jackson behind the wheel of the #3 Smudge Erasers Gasnier.

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PACKER GIVES IMPRESSIVE RUN IN TM JUNIOR RACE IN FRONT OF HOME CROWD

After a disappointing run in the ARLA Elite Series race at Mansfield, Packer Carroll returned for the TM Junior Series race, with a vengence.

After starting 4th, Packer stayed up front all race long, and out of the trouble that was happening behind him. Only about half the field finished the race, and Packer was one of only four cars on the lead lap when the race concluded. He finished in 4th, 2.6 seconds behind eventual winner Jeff Cesnik.

PACKER: It was a great run infront of my home crowd today. We just had nothing for that #001 car. But after what happened in the ARLA race, I'll take a top 5.

The 4th place finish catapulted him back up the points chart, from 20th to 11th, just 50 points out of the lead.
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Post by PackerMan71 Mon Aug 08, 2011 5:04 pm

JACKSON HAS IMPRESSIVE DEBUT, GOES SOUTH WITH BATES SPINNING HIM, WHILE PACKER EARNS 2ND TOP 10 FINISH OF THE SEASON, CALLS FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST BATES

The Zing Energy Tampa 150 saw the debut of Eric Jackson in the #3 Gasnier for GRI. And he made an impression right off the bat by starting in 2nd place.

On Lap 19, Henrietta LaVerne III was involved in a four-car spin in turn 3. She recovered and continued.

On Lap 35, Jackson took the lead for the first time, leading laps in his first ever ARLA race. He would battle with Jeb Klinger, Jason Bates, and Andy Pearson for the lead.

By Lap 85, Jackson had a two-second lead. However, Bates began to catch up. The controversial incident of the day occured on Lap 121. Bates got a run on Jackson off of turn 2, but clipped him and spun Jackson into the inside wall, taking Jackson out of the race. Crew chief Regina McCloud was furious. She immediately called for the officials to penalize Bates for rough driving and wrecking the leader of the race.

On Lap 134, Henrietta LaVerne is involved in a wreck with Kurt Walker and falls out of the race.

Team owner Packer Carroll stays out of trouble and finishes in 6th place, his 2nd top 10 finish of the season, moving him up to 14th in the points standings. He also had some words for Bates.

PACKER: That kind of driving doesn't belong in ARLA. I hope the officials do something about this, because he took a win away from Eric. Also, he altered the outcome of the race at the end by trying to get his lap back. I know he wants to win, but he is just way too greedy. Something needs to be done about this.

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PACKER WINS FIRST KARJALA PRE-Q RACE, HAS CONFIDENCE IN HIS PITCREW

After starting 16th in the first Pre-Q Race for the 2010 Karjala Grand Prix, Packer Carroll set the fastest first lap, and by the end of Lap 2, he was in 5th place, as he managed to get through the mayhem of the first few corners. He seemed to be picking up right where he left off last year, when he started 20th and shot up to 8th in one lap in his own car last year before a broken cylinder put him out.

On Lap 8, he made his scheduled pit stop. The #71 Diet Delano crew pulled a lightning fast pit stop, which gave Packer the lead of the race, which he wouldn't relinquish, winning by nearly 7 seconds over Mathias Taube.

In victory lane, Packer talked with reporters.

PACKER: What can I say? This car was awesome. I won this race because of my pit crew, though. They had a brilliant pit stop midway through the race, and they got me the lead. It was my job to keep it, and I did. I hope we have the same luck in the Q-Race.

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PACKER SITS ON POLE FOR KARJALA Q-RACE, BUT GETS "ROYALLY SCREWED" BY ARCHRIVAL BRIAN SENDACK

Following up his spectacular performance in the Pre-Q Race for Karjala, Packer Carroll backed it up by placing the #71 car on the pole for the Q-Race. However, that run would end because of the actions of an old enemy.

In the third turn on the first lap, Brian Sendack, who had qualified on the outside of the front row, spun Packer out of the lead. This is not the first time the two have collided. At the 2009 Decatur Grand Prix, Sendack had harsh words for Packer after the Pre-Q Race, which resulted in a fierce on-track battle in the Q-Race, which Packer ultimately won. The two got in a heated scuffle after the race.

This time, Sendack did what he said he was gonna do at Decatur. He wound up finishing in second place, while Packer finished next to last. Because there were no caution flags, there was no way Packer was going to catch up, even with a fast car.

After the race, Packer immediately headed over to where Sendack was and met him with a hard shove that almost sent Sendack to the ground. The two had to be held back by their respective pit crews, while Packer was shouting insults at Sendack.

Afterwards, reporters had a talk with Packer, who was understandably angry.

PACKER: You all saw what happened. I had the fastest car out there, and got royally screwed by that b*****d, Sendack. I guess he hasn't let go of the grudge from Decatur, because he couldn't stand the fact that he didn't deliver his promise from that day. Well, he got the job done today. I'm quite honestly shocked that the TM Master Cup officials let that move go. I thought if you wreck the leader, you would be penalized for it. I could've done what he did in Australia, but I didn't, because I don't like to be known for that kind of driving. Well, I'm heading over to the hauler and have a talk with the officials about it, because Sendack doesn't deserve to be in this race. This is the biggest race of the year, and he cost me and my team a chance to be in it. I'm really hoping the officials will see what happened and make the correct decision.

We are awaiting word from TMMC officials concerning this matter between Packer and Sendack, and we will update you when new information is revealed.

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PACKER AT ARLA MEETING, GIVES OPINION ON SOME IDEAS TOSSED AROUND

At the midway point of the 2010 season, ARLA CEO Jen Walker invited officials and team owners to a meeting to discuss possible changes to ARLA in 2011. One of those team owners was Packer Carroll, who had just returned from Karjala after failing to qualify, no thanks to Brian Sendack. After the meeting concluded, Packer gave his opinion on some of the ideas that were tossed around.

PACKER: One of the ideas was doing away with the Q-Races and splitting the field into two and hold two points races. Personally, I liked the idea, because 1. Teams won't have to worry about not qualifying for races, which in turn, costs them money, and 2. It would give new teams an opportunity to get a good start, which is something I wish I had. Also, it would make the points battle very interesting.

As for the idea of merging the Thunder Trucks and Elite Series together...

PACKER: I don't think it would work. The cars and trucks have distinct characteristics. The trucks have less downforce, but in turn handle better. The cars have more horsepower and downforce, but they don't handle quite as well, and we don't go to many tracks where horsepower is a big advantage. I can understand where the concept comes from, but I don't think it would work in today's competition.

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McCLOUD FINISHES 10TH IN CRL DEBUT

After starting third to last in the Pizza Hut 150 at Irwindale, Rush McCloud began making his way to the front in the #71 Bolden. He eventually finished a lap down, but managed to finish in 10th place, his first top 10 in his first start, earning 3 points.

RUSH: I think we could've gotten a better finish if I had been able to stay on the lead lap, but 10th is pretty good, and we've got our first points. Hopefully we'll be able to qualify for Phoenix.

Even though Rush is 10th in the CRL Modified points standings, the first three races are going by 2009 standings. Because the #71 GRI entry is a new team this season, they must run the first three Q-Races.

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JACKSON LEADS EARLY, BUT HAS IGNITION PROBLEMS, WHILE PACKER HAS A QUIET TOP 10 RUN; GOTT FINISHES 11TH AT IOWA, MOVES INTO TOP 10 IN ARLA THUNDER TRUCKS POINTS STANDINGS; ANNOUNCEMENT MADE REGARDING LAVERNE'S STATUS IN #00 CAR

After starting 30th in the ARLA Thunder Trucks' 6th round at Iowa, Zach Gott charged through the field in his #264 truck, and managed an 11th place finish. What's amazing is that it jumps him up to 7th in the points standings, 152 points out of the lead. He has just 1 top 10 and three DNF's in 6 races, and was as low as 46th in points at one point, which makes his run all the more remarkable.

In 2009, after sitting for 12 years, North Wilkesboro Speedway reopened, and in 2010, would host Round 11 of the ARLA Elite Series season, appropriately named the North Wilkesboro 150.

Eric Jackson, in his second career ARLA start driving for GRI's #3 Smudge Erasers Gasnier, started in 7th, while his boss, Packer Carroll, started in 20th. Jackson made his way to the front in a hurry, and would lead 15 laps before suffering an ignition problem midway through the race. He switched to the back-up, but was turned by another car while trying to refire his engine. He would finish 4 laps down in 22nd. He has led a combined 82 laps in his first two races, but has yet to score a top 10 finish.

Meanwhile, Packer had a quiet run which saw him avoid the carnage that took place all around him. He finished in 7th, his third top 10 finish of the season, which have all come on short tracks. Despite that, he dropped a spot in the standings to 15th, 229 points out of the lead.

In other GRI news, the team has announced that despite the fact that Henrietta LaVerne III has missed more than half her races this season, she will remain with the team through the rest of the 2010 season. The team has also stated that they will look for a replacement driver for 2011.

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TMJS CALIFORNIA RACE ENDS EARLY FOR PACKER

After starting 6th in the sixth round of the 2010 TM Junior Series at California, Packer Carroll was spun early in the race and collected in a huge pile-up on the first caution. He drove the car back to the garage, but the damage was too severe to the car, and he retired in 34th place. He was very frustrated.

PACKER: I don't know what the hell happened. I was just riding along, and then I was turned on the frontstretch. It's been feast or famine for us this year. We're either finishing in the top 5 or not at all. Hopefully, Round 7 will see us on the uptick.

Packer drops to 15th in the points standings, 103 points behind leader Avery Holtzmann.

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GRI TEAMS PREPARE FOR DWYER, PACKER HAS A RUN-IN WITH ARCHRIVAL SENDACK

GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll was talking with some drivers about what to expect for the longest race in ARLA history, the 120 Laps of Dwyer. Among the drivers he was talking to was Andy Pearson, Bobby Porteau, and Brenda Riggs, when he ran into his archrival, Team SAAR USA driver Brian Sendack. Obviously, the tension between the two was still thick, evidenced by what happened at Karjala. The two exchanged some words, then went their seperate ways. Reporters asked Packer what the conversation was about.

PACKER: He basically tried to gloat about what happened at Karjala, and I basically told him that if he gets in my way this Sunday, I will give him a taste of his own medicine. What comes around, goes around.

Reporters then asked him about how his team has prepared for Dwyer.

PACKER: Well, Henrietta made it into the Q-Race, so that's good. We've had to roll out a back-up car, but it should be ready in time for the race. If she makes it in, her relief driver is her father, Henry. I've never seen him race, so hopefully, he'll get the job done. As far as the #3 is concerned, I think they'll be a threat to win this week. Eric has shown that he can get the job done, but what's even cooler is the fact that we have Kevin Dwyer on board as Eric's relief driver, so I'd expect the #3 team to be a threat for the win. As for me, I'm looking forward to this race. Road courses are my favorite track to race on, and with Rush as my relief, I think we can look forward to a great weekend for GRI.

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McCLOUD EARNS FIRST CRL PODIUM FINISH, #71 TEAM FINDS A SPONSOR

It looks like Rush McCloud has found the perfect type of race car to drive.

After a miserable 2009 season in the TM Junior Series, Rush moved down a notch to drive Gravity Racing, Inc.'s new team in the CRL Modified Series, and notched a top 10 finish in his debut race. He didn't qualify for Phoenix, but made the field for New Hampshire's Life Takes VISA Loudon Shootout. He was clocked as one of the slowest cars in practice and qualifying. It usually means that a GRI car is gonna come through the field, and McCloud did just that.

After starting in 25th, he steadily made his way through the field in his unsponsored #71 Bolden. By the halfway point, he was in the top 10. By Lap 40, he was battling for a podium. He had the second fastest lap of the race. The only problem? Eventual winner Jon Halks was 1.3 seconds faster per lap, but when he came up to lap Rush, Rush let him through and actually followed through the hole that Halks made, and he was solidly in 3rd place. If he had a few more laps, he could've caught runner-up finisher Landon Rody, but he still earned his first podium finish of his career.

After the podium celebrations, Rush talked with reporters.

RUSH: I think it's awesome that the CRL honors it's top 3 finishers with a trophy and some champagne to spray. We had one of the fastest cars on the track, but we just had nothing for Halks, man. He was in another zip code today. But this also locks us into the top 12 in points. That means we can save our equipment and focus on the feature events. I think at this point, we can contend for a championship this year.

There's even more good news for McCloud and the #71 team. Jack Link's Beef Jerky will sponsor the #71 team for the remainder of the 2010 season, which is great news for the new CRL team. They are still working out the details of the contract, so the new sponsor probably won't be unveiled until Round 5 at Carbondale.

Currently, Rush McCloud sits 7th in the CRL Modified Series points standings, 20 points behind leader Tina Lee. He has 1 podium, 1 top 5, 2 top 10's out of 2 races, and has 17 points.

Rush's First Podium

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PACKER NOTCHES 3RD TOP 5 FINISH OF TMJS SEASON

The 2010 TM Junior Series would see its second road course race of the season at Portland, site of Round 7 of 16. Packer Carroll started in 6th position. The only hiccup of the day was the wrecked car of Carter Davids hindering him early in the race, but he would notch his third top 5 finish of the season, finishing in 5th. He's now in a three-way tie for 9th in the points standings, 104 points behind leader Avery Holtzmann.

After the race, he immediately headed for a chopper to fly over to Dwyer for the ARLA Elite Series' first endurance race, the 120 Laps of Dwyer.

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PACKER LOOKING TO KEEP JACKSON IN THE #3 CAR LONG-TERM, WHILE THE SEARCH FOR THE 2011 #00 DRIVER CONTINUES

In the days leading up to the 120 Laps of Dwyer, GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll was busy searching for a driver that would pilot his #00 car in 2011. In addition, he was in contract negotiations with Eric Jackson, driver of the #3 Smudge Erasers Gasnier. According to reports, Packer is hoping to keep Jackson in the #3 car through the 2012 season.

PACKER: Eric has proven that he can get the job done in the car. He just hasn't had the luck to go with it. And I don't like letting talent like Eric's go that easily. I'm hoping to keep him in the car for the rest of this season and for the next 2 years. I think he can win races not only next season, but he's still got a shot this season.

Packer's still searching for a driver to pilot the #00 car next season.

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PACKER AND RUSH SALVAGE A 12TH PLACE FINISH AT DWYER, PACKER MOVES INTO TOP 10 IN ARLA POINTS

After starting in 19th in the 120 Laps of Dwyer, Packer Carroll just wanted to make sure to stay out of trouble, considering that this was a nearly 600 mile race. Early on, he and Harry Enola got hooked together while trying to pass a lapped car, but both managed to hold on to their cars. Packer lost several spots, but it was a long race.

On the third pitstop, Packer climbed out of the car, and his crew chief, Rush McCloud, climbed into the #71 Grape Soup Gasnier. This would be the first time that someone other than Packer would pilot the #71 GRI car. Packer had faith in Rush; Yesterday, McCloud earned his first podium finish in just his 2nd start in the CRL Modified Series when he finished 3rd at New Hampshire.

At the halfway point, Rush had piloted the car into the top 10, but not long after, the engine mysteriously shut down. McCloud switched to the back-up ignition, and the engine fired to life again. He lost a lot of ground, but due to the attrition rate, the #71 car was still inside the top 15.

On the 6th pitstop, Rush climbed out, and Packer was back inside to finish the remainder of the race. He would keep the car out of trouble and he finished in 12th position, 1 lap down. Because some of his competitors ahead of him in the points standings had trouble early in the race, Packer jumped 5 spots in the standings. He now sits in 10th, 183 points behind leader Andy Pearson.

As for Eric Jackson, he was involved in a early incident with Alexis Rainsford, and he dropped out in 32th place. The #3 team now sits 20th in the owner standings. Despite his troubles, Packer has signed Eric Jackson to drive the #3 Gasnier for the remainder of this season and the next two years.

In other news, GRI will be preparing to take it's fourth part time team to Grand Detour, the next race on the 2010 schedule. ARLA Street Stocks driver Bruce Wilkinson will attempt to qualify the #7 Gasnier for the race, as part of the research and development team.

Also, there have been rumors surrounding who will drive the #00 car next season. Among the rumored drivers is Anthony Griffith, who tried out for the team last year but lost out to Henrietta LaVerne III.

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PACKER'S REACTION TO JOHN SMITH'S DEATH AT DWYER; ANTHONY GRIFFITH TO DRIVE #00 CAR IN 2011

After the 120 Laps of Dwyer had been completed, it was revealed that driver John Smith, who was subbing for Hawk Slider in the #070 car, was killed when Megan Gallagher turned down into Smith heading into Goliath, hooking the #070 car and sending both cars hard into the wall at a vicious angle. Gallagher sustained serious injuries in the crash, while Smith was taken to a local hospital, where he was announced dead on arrival. GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll saw the crash on the monitor while he was sitting on the pitbox.

PACKER: I saw the crash on the monitor, and it looked really bad. Gallagher's looked the worst, because the car barrel-rolled a dozen times. Thank goodness no one hit her. But the ones like John Smith's, where the car veers suddenly into the wall at almost 180 miles an hour, are the worst. Contrary to what Cyril Volpi said, I don't think any kind of safety measure could've saved John Smith. Typically, in that kind of crash, the driver sustains a fracture at the base of the skull. That is not a survivable injury. Our thoughts and prayers go out to John Smith and his family.

Amidst the tragedy of ARLA's first driver fatality in 6 years, it has been confirmed that Anthony Griffith will drive the #00 Gasnier in 2011.

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GRAND DETOUR GIVES GRI ANOTHER MILESTONE, PACKER'S REACTION TO "FAKE DEATH HOAX"

For the first time, Gravity Racing, Inc. will have four cars in the same race. Henrietta LaVerne III finished 5th in the Q-Race to qualify for her 5th race of 2010. Bruce Wilkinson, driving the research and development #7 car, initially failed to qualify, finishing one spot out in 16th, but was bumped in when Toby Armstrong was disqualified.

This isn't the first time Grand Detour has given GRI a milestone. Last year, GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll earned the first of four Q-Race wins, and led his first laps in the ARLA Elite Series.

Packer hopes this is a sign of things to come.

PACKER: It's a wonderful feeling, having four cars in the show. Now I hope I can do what I could've done last year, go to victory lane.

In response to Hawk Slider's fake death hoax at Dwyer, Packer has this to say.

PACKER: Unreal.

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PACKER EARNS FIRST TOP 5 FINISH OF 2010, BRUCE WILKINSON IMPRESSES WITH A STELLAR RUN IN GRI'S R & D CAR

The 13th Round of the 2010 ARLA Elite Series season, the Quincy Golden Lightning Bodywerks 150 at the treacherous Grand Detour Speedway, would see yet another stellar performance from GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll, which would also see him with his best ever qualifying effort when he started 3rd. Even more incredible, Bruce Wilkinson, who was driving part-time in the ARLA Elite Series for GRI, started next to his car owner in 4th... in a research and development car. Eric Jackson started 26th, and Henrietta LaVerne III qualified in 34th.

When the green flag dropped, Packer immediately passed outside polesitter Allie Riggs for 2nd place and set off after polesitter Harry Enola. Disaster almost struck on Lap 73, when the race saw it's third caution. Teammates Joseph Howard and Sijiu Dejao crash in turn 3, and the leaders also pile in. The top 3 cars, all Riggs Motorsports cars, Allie Riggs, Leslie Riggs, and Harry Enola, were involved and fell out of the race. Packer was involved as well, but only received minor damage to his car.

When the leaders came in for pitstops at the halfway point, Bruce Wilkinson, who drives in the ARLA Street Stocks and TM Junior Series, was in 2nd place, an unreal position for someone driving an R & D car. After minor repairs to his car, Packer eventually fought his way back into the top 5, and was right behind his teammate in the closing laps of the race.

On the final caution on Lap 126, Eric Jackson was involved in a spin in Turn 1 with Kevin Monroe and Leigh Gruell. All three kept going.

With less than 15 laps to go, Packer got a run on Wilkinson heading into Turn 1, and Wilkinson decided not to race him hard. While Wilkinson is racing to impress potential car owners, Packer is running for the championship, and Wilkinson didn't want to jeopardize his team boss' chances of that. Packer was closing on 2nd place Bobby Porteau, but ran out of time and finished 3rd, his first top 5 finish of the season, and the 10th top 10 finish of his career. Wilkinson was passed by Amy Harrison, but still finished in 5th place, an impressive debut for him. Jackson finished 24th, 3 laps down, while Henrietta LaVerne III, who stayed out of trouble, finished 2 laps down in 20th place.

Reporters talked with Packer after the race.

PACKER: It was a great run. I was hoping to get to victory lane here, but 3rd is still wonderful. I'm very impressed with Bruce's efforts here today. He took our R & D car to a top 5 finish in his first ever Elite race. That deserves some props.

With his 3rd place finish, Packer moves up to 7th in the championship standings, 171 points behind leader Andy Pearson, who finished in 9th. Packer is also tied for 9th in the TM Junior Series points standings, fueling the possiblity of a full-time run in the TM Master Cup Series next season.

The next race, Buffalo Downs, will be the ARLA Elite Series' first race on dirt since 2007, and will mark the third race of the year for the ZombieBusters.com paint scheme on Packer's car.
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Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019 Empty Re: Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019

Post by PackerMan71 Mon Aug 08, 2011 5:13 pm

PACKER QUALIFIES FOR TMMC ROUND OF ITALY, BRINGS CAR HOME IN ONE PIECE

Packer Carroll's 2010 ARLA and TMJS campaigns are finally starting to gain traction, but his TM Master Cup performances have struggled. However, he finally qualified for his second race of the season at Italy, site of Round 10 of the 2010 season.

However, his car wasn't handling the best, and he finished in 34th, 3 laps down. But he kept the car out of trouble, despite being three-wide several times, and brought the #71 Diet Delano Gasnier home in one piece.

PACKER: We struggled badly here, but the whole Majestic Motorsports team struggled this weekend. Hopefully, we'll be able to iron out the kinks before our next appearance.

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GRAPE SOUP RE-SIGNS WITH GRI, ZOMBIEBUSTERS.COM TO TAKE OVER SPONSORSHIP OF #3 TEAM

In a press conference the day after the TMMC Round of Italy, Gravity Racing, Inc. driver/owner Packer Carroll has announced that Grape Soup will remain on the #71 Gasnier through the 2012 season.

After a sluggish start to the 2010 season, Packer's team has hit its stride, currently 7th in the championship standings, just 171 points behind leader Andy Pearson. Because of this, Grape Soup responded by offering to sponsor the #71 team for the rest of 2010 and for the next two years.

As for the #3 team, Smudge Erasers will not return in 2011. However, Packer already has a replacement sponsor lined up. ZombieBusters.com, which is sponsoring the #71 team for several races this season, will take over as primary sponsor of the #3 Gasnier in 2011, which is currently being driven by Eric Jackson.

The #00 team, due to its lack of performance, is currently without sponsorship, and no sponsors are lined up at the moment.

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QUESTIONS SURROUNDING GRI: WILL PACKER DRIVE IN THE ARLA ELITE SERIES IN 2011, AND IF NOT, WHO WILL REPLACE HIM?

With racing's silly season in full swing, some of the confirmed reports were that Gasnier will remain with Gravity Racing, Inc., and that Anthony Griffith and Eric Jackson were signed to drive for GRI next year, in Jackson's case, until 2012. Grape Soup will continue to sponsor the #71 team through 2012, and ZombieBusters.com will sponsor the #3 team next season.

But there were a few unknowns surrounding the team's owner, Packer Carroll. There are rumors that he could get a full-time TM Master Cup ride next season. One of the teams that could sign Packer is Richter-Walter Racing, who uses the Carlton-Morel chassis.

The question many fans were asking: If Packer goes to TMMC full-time, would Packer be back behind the wheel of the #71 Grape Soup Gasnier to run the 2011 ARLA Elite Series?

PACKER: It depends on whether or not I'm running another series full-time besides ARLA. Greg Whittaker Racing, the team I drive for in the TM Junior Series, has expressed interest in moving over to the TM Lights Series next year, and if he re-signs me to the team, and I get signed to drive on a full-time TMMC team, then I would not run the 2011 ARLA Elite Series season, in which case, I would have to find a worthy driver for GRI's flagship car. However, if I'm signed to just the TMMC next season, then I will drive the ARLA season as well. It all depends on whether or not I go to the TM Lights next year.

If Packer were to vacate the #71 car, who would replace him?

PACKER: Well, that's a good question. I talked to Rush about it, and he said he would rather remain in the CRL since that's more his speed, although he would remain the crew chief of the #71 team. But one thing's for sure: I don't want a rookie driving this car. I want a veteran, winning driver who knows how to get the job done. Who would that be? Well, that's to be determined.

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GRI LOOKING TO EXPAND TO TM LIGHTS SERIES IN 2011

After many rumors surrounding Gravity Racing, Inc.'s plans for 2011, it has been confirmed that they will be submitting an entry form to compete in the TM Lights Series next season.

According to reports, GRI is preparing two teams for the TMLS 2011 season, with numbers 71 and 171. Starting two teams in a new series is unusual for GRI, but with the success of their ARLA and CRL teams, and with a lot of funding from manufacturer Gasnier, the budget allowed them to have two teams to start with.

It has also been confirmed that one of the drivers will be team owner Packer Carroll, who will be driving his trademark number, 71. There will certainly be high expectations for Packer, who's success as an owner/driver in the ARLA Elite Series has certainly grabbed the attention of several teams in the TM Master Cup Series.

This also confirms the rumor that Packer would be moving to the TMLS in 2011, except he will be driving his own car. Does this mean his days as an ARLA driver are nearly over?

PACKER: This expansion was a little unexpected, but Gasnier told us that we would have their support, so we began work on our TM Lights program. As of right now, I don't have a TMMC ride at the moment, although I'm sure rumors are flying everywhere. If I land a full-time TMMC ride for 2011, I will vacate the #71 Grape Soup Gasnier at the end of 2010.

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BACK-TO-BACK GREAT RUNS AT KANSAS AND ROCKINGHAM FOR PACKER, STILL LOOKING FOR MAIDEN WIN

With rumors swirling around Packer Carroll and his 2011 plans, he got a little reprieve from all the publicity with the next two races on the TM Junior Series schedule, Kansas and Rockingham. He started mid-field in both races, had quiet runs, and finished 4th and 8th. In 9 races, he has 4 top 5's and 5 top 10's, but still has no wins to his credit. Even so, he's now 6th in the points standings, 78 points behind leader Avery Holtzmann.

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JACKSON LEADS LAPS AGAIN BUT FALLS JUST SHORT OF MAIDEN WIN, PACKER EARNS 6TH TOP 15 FINISH IN A ROW, SUSPICIOUS OF #9 CAR

The 2010 ARLA Elite Series ran its only race on dirt this season at Buffalo Downs for the 14th Round of the 2010 season. Its also another race where there's some controversy.

Eric Jackson, driving the #3 Smudge Erasers Gasnier for Gravity Racing, Inc., started in 8th place, but ran in the top 10 for the majority of the first half. Then, in the second half, he wrestled the lead from Leslie Riggs and looked poised to take his first ARLA Elite Series win in just his 5th start. But after the final restart, a hard-charging Benji Flynn snatched the lead from Jackson with five laps left, and cruised to the win, with Jackson falling back to finish 4th. It was his best finish of his career, but the #3 crew, as well as several other teams, were suspicious as to how Flynn managed to make up so much track position in such a short amount of time. Earlier in the race, Flynn had a mechanical problem and had to pit, losing a lot of track position, but after he got back on the track, he was easily the fastest car on the track, with some observers saying too fast. Plus, he made a three-wide pass on the outside, which hadn't been done all day, another reason why some teams were crying foul.

Team owner Packer Carroll had a quiet run, finishing in 15th, his 6th Top 15 finish in a row, but had a scary moment when Taylor Brillon spun in front of him going into turn 1. Luckily, he was able to avoid a collision.

After the race, Packer was asked if Flynn's team had done something to their car.

PACKER: I'd be a little suspicious if I was ARLA. That car wasn't really contending for the win, then he comes down pitroad, they do something to the car, and all of a sudden he's a rocket? Add to the fact that he a made a pass on the OUTSIDE, and I'd say something's fishy. If that's the case, the #9 team stole a surefire win away from us, and I'm not happy.

Henrietta LaVerne III managed to qualify for the race, but finished 38th after spinning in turn 1 and crashing into the tires.

With some of his rivals having trouble, Packer moves up to 6th in the championship standings, 143 points behind Andy Pearson. He still has a shot at the driver's championship with 6 races to go.

The next race, at Watkins Glen, will see the #7 R&D team make another appearance, with Bruce Wilkinson once again behind the wheel.

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RUSH CONTINUES IMPRESSIVE ROOKIE SEASON WITH ANOTHER TOP 10 AT NORTH WILKESBORO

The way Rush McCloud has been charging through the field in the first three races of his CRL career, his maiden win has to be just around the corner. The only thing he needs is a better qualifying spot.

After starting near the back in 25th, Rush would begin to pick his way throug the field like he's done at Irwindale and New Hampshire. The only scare of the day happened when Eric Laycross in the #79 car hit the wall off of turn two on Lap 19 and bounced into Rush, who narrowly avoided being forced onto pitroad.

After that, the rest of the race was uneventful, and Rush finished in 7th, his third top 10 in 3 starts. He remains in 7th in the points standings with 23 points.

As for their new sponsor, Jack Link's Beef Jerky, it won't make it's debut on the car until Round 7 at Watkins Glen.

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SPARK PLUG WIRE COSTS McCLOUD AT CARBONDALE

After another dismal qualifying effort (26th) for the CRL's Carfax Carbondale Clash, Rush McCloud began picking his way through the field once again. He once again had one of the fastest cars, but mechanical trouble hit about midway through the race. The car suddenly stalled off of turn 3, and he was hit in the back by two cars. In the pitlane, the crew discovered that a spark plug wire was loose and attributed to the engine stalling. Once repaired, Rush was back on the track, and even managed to get back on the lead lap, but the race went green to the end, and Rush wound up 18th, his first finish out of the points.

RUSH: It's frustrating, but you'll have days like this. We know we have a fast car. We just have to hope for better luck at Salem next week.

Rush dropped to 10th in the standings, but remains locked into the field. However, he's only 4 points ahead of Jen Walker, who's 13th.

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PACKER SALVAGES TOP 20 DESPITE PROBLEMS, JACKSON FALLS OUT EARLY, WHILE WILKINSON IMPRESSES WITH RUNNER-UP FINISH IN GRI'S R & D CAR

In GRI's first ever rain race at Watkins Glen, Packer Carroll and Eric Jackson didn't have the runs they were looking for. Jackson fell out early after being involved in several accidents. Packer was involved in an incident on Lap 1, and never really recovered, but attrition helped him salvage a 19th place finish, moving him up into 5th in the points, the first time he's cracked the top 5 in the ARLA Elite Series standings.

The run of the day, however, belonged to Bruce Wilkinson. In his second start, driving the #7 R & D car, he displayed incredible skills in the rain, and despite a slight incident with Lance Andrews, scored GRI's highest finish of the season when he finished 2nd. Packer was very impressed with Wilkinson and made a big announcement after the race.

PACKER: Bruce kicked some major a** today, on a road course in the rain. I think I've found my new driver for the #171 TM Lights car. Very Happy

Packer, despite moving up to 5th in the standings, is still 142 points out of the lead with 5 races remaining. He hopes the next race, on the road course of Mosport, will yield a better result.

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MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS AT GRAVITY RACING, INC.

Three major announcements have been made by Gravity Racing, Inc. this week concerning their possible 2011 plans.

The first was the signing of Bruce Wilkinson to drive the #171 TM Lights car in 2011. Wilkinson, who is competing in the TM Junior Series and ARLA Street Stocks, impressed team owner Packer Carroll by scoring two top 5 finishes, including a runner-up finish at Watkins Glen, in GRI's research and development car. This prompted Packer to immediately offer Wilkinson a contract, and he graciously accepted.

GRI's second announcement was concerning the Formula Overdrive open wheel series. With ARLA looking to sanction the 2011 season, GRI has expressed interest in expanding and adding an open wheel team to their stock car ranks.

The last announcement may be the biggest one of all. During practice for the TM Master Cup Series race at Grand Detour, Cyril Volpi, owner of the Volpi Racing Team, had expressed interest in forming a partnership with another team to start an ARLA program. One of those teams was Gravity Racing, Inc., and Volpi has said he would like to use the VC03 in 2011. GRI team owner Packer Carroll has said that he and Cyril Volpi are currently in negotiations.

PACKER: We are certainly interested in joining forces with Cyril Volpi in the ARLA Elite Series for 2011. If we do decide to team up, we may switch to the Volpi VC03 for next season. If that's the case, I'd like to thank Gasnier for their support these past two seasons. Without them, we wouldn't be where we are now. So we'll have to wait and see, but for now, we're currently in negotiations.

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FLAT TIRE COSTS McCLOUD AT SALEM

After starting in 19th for the Salem 100, the CRL Modified Division's 6th race of 2010, Rush McCloud could not pick his way through the field like he had done the previous 5 races. On the pitstop after the first caution, the #71 team made numerous changes, and Rush began to find his way through the field. He had cracked the top 12 when disaster struck with 10 laps to go. A flat right front tire caused Rush to pit, and by the time he returned, he was 28th, three laps down and the last car running. That was where he would finish, his second consecutive race out of the points.

Unfortunately, this dropped McCloud into a tie for 13th place in the points, meaning he will have to run the Q-Race at Watkins Glen.

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ZACH LEADS LAPS AT GATEWAY, BUT ONCE AGAIN FALLS SHORT

After a superb qualifying effort by Zach Gott in the #264 truck, starting 3rd in the Gateway 100, the 8th race of the 2010 ARLA Thunder Trucks season, Zach would quickly take the lead going into turn 1 and would lead the first 1/4 of the race. After the second Big One brought out the second caution, everyone made pitstops, and Zach fell back to 10th on the restart. He wound up finishing in 6th, but was frustrated with the result.

ZACH: I have a chance to win, and we lose it in the pits. What do I have to do to get to victory lane?

Zach moved back up to 9th in the points standings with 4 races to go.

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VOLPI ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH GRAVITY RACING, INC. BEGINNING IN 2011

Volpi Racing Team announced a partnership with Gravity Racing, Inc. to begin in the 2011 season. The partnership will include manufacturer support for a GRI TM Lights and ARLA Elite Series campaign. This is perhaps the biggest story in the history of GRI, as they will be partnering with one of the TM Master Cup Series' premier manufacturers starting next season. Team owner Packer Carroll was excited at the announcement.

PACKER: This a huge moment for our team. Teaming with one of the TMMC's biggest manufacturers is a milestone moment for Gravity Racing, Inc. We certainly can't wait for next season. However, that doesn't mean we're not gonna give Gasnier a good run for the ARLA championship. We still have a shot to win it this year.

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VOLPI RACING TEAM SIGNS PACKER AS 2011 RESERVE DRIVER

In the wake of Volpi's announcement that they will be partnering with Gravity Racing, Inc. in 2011, it has now been revealed that GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll has been confirmed as the reserve driver for the Volpi Racing Team in 2011.

Even though it's not a full-time TMMC ride like everyone expected, Packer was still excited to be signed with one of the premier teams in the TM Master Cup Series. And he's guaranteed to have at least one start next season. Alexis Rainsford is scheduled to run the Indianapolis 500 next year, which means she will have to miss at least one TMMC race. As the reserve driver, Packer would take her place for that one race, and if necessary, more races if Rainsford decides to run more V8 Champ Car races next season.

PACKER: I'm really excited about this opportunity. Even though it looks like I won't be in a full-time ride next year, this will give me a chance to prepare for 2012, and if I'm called upon to drive one of the VRT cars, I'll be ready.

With no apparent rides in the TMMC next season, it looks like Packer will be back behind the wheel of his #71 Grape Soup vehicle for a third season in the ARLA Elite Series. In addition, he will be making his TM Lights debut next season in his own car as well.

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JACKSON EARNS TOP 10 AT MOSPORT, WHILE PACKER STRUGGLES

With the deal with Volpi now finalized, Packer Carroll could focus on trying to win the ARLA Championship. Unfortunately, even though the points leaders had trouble, Packer was unable to capitalize, finishing 24th in an ill-handling car. Packer was certainly frustrated.

PACKER: We had a chance to get ourselves into position to challenge for the championship, and we failed to capitalize on it. But we're not giving up. We still have a chance to win it.

In the meantime, Eric Jackson finished a very respectable 9th, a vast improvement over the debacle at Watkins Glen last week.

In other GRI news, the next race at the Canadian Blue Ridge Raceway will be the third and final attempt of the season for Bruce Wilkinson in the #7 R&D Gasnier.
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Post by PackerMan71 Mon Aug 08, 2011 5:21 pm

WILKINSON GOES THREE FOR THREE IN ARLA ATTEMPTS, #7 TEAM TO GO FULL-TIME IN 2011

After successfully qualifying for all three races he has attempted this season in GRI's number 7 R & D car, Bruce Wilkinson and the #7 team will be bumped up to full-time status next season.

It has been a very successful venture for Packer Carroll's R & D team. Three races on three different tracks, and they qualified for every one. They performed even better in the main race. At Grand Detour, Wilkinson finished 5th, and in the rain at Watkins Glen, Wilkinson finished a surprising 2nd.

In each race, Wilkinson improved on the previous performance. Going by this logic, could the next stop for the #7 team be victory lane?

PACKER: After watching him the previous two races, I wouldn't count him out.

In addition to his first full season in the ARLA Elite Series next season, Bruce will also be driving GRI's TM Lights #171 entry full-time as well.

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PACKER AND CO. FINISH WELL AT BLUE RIDGE, PACKER KEEPS CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES ALIVE

Packer Carroll's record on superspeedways hasn't exactly been stellar, but he avoided the carnage of the first two wrecks at the Blue Ridge 150 and scored his first superspeedway top 10 finish.

After making it through the two big wrecks that saw a lot of the top 10 in points get caught up, Packer and his teammates Eric Jackson and Bruce Wilkinson began to fight through the pack. With less than ten laps to go, Packer made a challenge for the lead on Lucas Hunter, but couldn't pull it off. On the last lap, he was pushed into the outside lane and lost several spots. He wound up finishing in 8th, his fifth top 10 finish of the season. Eric Jackson finished in 6th, his second straight top 10, and although Wilkinson didn't get the win everyone expected after his first two races, he still managed 12th place, a remarkable three race run for Wilkinson, who will go full-time for Gravity Racing, Inc. in 2011 in both the ARLA Elite Series and TM Lights Series.

With his top 10 and some of his points rivals having trouble, Packer remains in 5th in the standings, but is now just 90 points behind leader Andy Pearson. Slowly but surely he's closing the gap, but he has just three races remaining if he wants to catch Pearson for the championship.

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BACK TO BACK POOR FINISHES MAY HAVE ENDED PACKER'S TMJS TITLE HOPES

After getting caught up in a wreck at Daytona and getting put into the wall by Chad Lyndie, Packer Carroll now sits 9th in the TM Junior Series points standings with 5 races to go, but he's now 126 points behind Avery Holtzmann, and he's pretty much given up on the TMJS championship, but will continue to fight for that elusive first win.

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RUSH GETS ANOTHER TOP 10 AT WATKINS GLEN, JUST OUTSIDE TOP 12

After starting 8th, his highest qualifying spot in his career, many thought he would be a contender given how he runs through the field, but surprisingly, he never made any headway and wound up finishing 9th, his 4th top 10 finish, but is in 13th, 1 measly point out of 12th, meaning he will have to run the Q-Race at Grand Detour, and that has Rush a little nervous.

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PACKER EARNS 6TH TOP 10 FINISH OF 2010 AT APPLETON, FRUSTRATED WITH KLINGER

Round 18 of the 2010 ARLA Elite Series at Appleton saw the top 5 in the championship have numerous troubles throughout the race, but Packer Carroll was the one who had the best finish of the five drivers still in contention for the title.

After a spin avoiding the wreck involving Anthony Griffith and Bobby Porteau, Packer was challenging Kurt Walker for the lead when another car coming out of the pits, driven by Sijiu Dejao, pulled up onto the track in front of the leaders. Carroll and Walker managed to get by, avoiding the wreck that happened behing them. Coming to the caution, Packer managed to grab the lead, the first time he has led since Daytona, and just his second lap led this season. However, they came into the pits for routine stops, while some other cars stayed on track.

Then, late in the race, Jeb Klinger went four-wide with Packer in the middle, and both spun into the inside wall. Both managed to get away with minor damage, but Packer was frustrated with Klinger's impatience.

PACKER: He almost ruined my shot at the championship right there, but we managed to recover and get another solid finish.

Packer finished 10th, his 6th top 10 finish of 2010. He remains 5th in the championship, but is now just 68 points out of the lead. He gained 22 points on the lead with 2 races to go. With his spot at Rockford looking secure, Packer now sets his sights on one of the crown jewels of the ARLA circuit: Decatur, where Packer's ZombieBusters paint scheme will make it's final appearance in 2010 before it shifts to the #3 car in 2011.

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PACKER FINISHES FIFTH YET AGAIN AT A ROAD COURSE, THIS TIME AT ROAD AMERICA

For the third time this season, the TM Junior Series was at a road course event, Road America, and for the third time this season, Packer Carroll finished 5th. It was Packer's 5th (no, I'm not kidding here) top 5 finish of 2010, and has moved up one spot in the points standings to 8th. He has a solid hold on a top 10 points finish, with the 11th place driver almost 40 points behind Packer. But with 4 races to go, Packer has still yet to win his first TMJS race.

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PACKER FRUSTRATED WITH LAPPED CARS AT DARLINGTON

Despite leading a lap and finishing 6th at Darlington in the 13th race for the 2010 TM Junior Series, Packer Carroll was not very happy with the lapped cars.

PACKER: I took the lead, then the orange car (Louis Tellez) blocked me and essentially costed me the race. The officials need to do something about these slower lapped cars, because they affected the outcome of this race, and that's BS.

Packer remains 8th in the championship standings, but is now just 70 points out of the championship lead with 3 races remaining.

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AFTER A SUBPAR 2010 ARLA STREET STOCKS SEASON, REGINA McCLOUD CONFIRMED FOR FORMULA OVERDRIVE IN 2011

After a disappointing season in the ARLA Street Stocks, Regina McCloud has decided to go the route of her husband, Rush: switch from stock cars to open-wheel cars. After Rush McCloud's less than successful TM Junior Series campaign, he made the switch to the CRL Modified Series, and has seen considerable success.

In this case, Regina will make the switch from street stocks to the lightning fast Formula Overdrive Series, where she hopes the same success that her husband has found will come to her as well.

Which is why she is the first driver to be signed to Gravity Racing, Inc.'s new Formula Overdrive team, which is still searching for factory backing. There is no word yet if Volpi has any intention of providing backing to the open-wheel team like they are for the ARLA Elite Series and TM Lights GRI teams.

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MIDPACK FINISH AT DECATUR ENDS PACKER'S ARLA CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES

At the semi-final race at Decatur, Packer Carroll started 17th, and was looking to make a run to the front and establish himself as a championship contender. Unfortunately, handling issues kept him mired back in traffic, and he finished in 20th position. He moved one spot up the standings to 4th, past Kevin Monroe. It's his highest position in the points standings in his career, but his finish at Decatur effectively ends his shot at the 2010 ARLA Elite Series championship.

PACKER: It's disappointing, ya know? We came in feeling confident about our chances, but we once again underperform at a road course. Considering my background in that department, it's frustrating. We should've been up there contending for wins on the road courses this season, but we've struggled. Hopefully, our switch to Volpi will be the thing weneed to get our road course program up to where it needs to be. Hopefully, at this time next year, we'll have a shot at winning the championship. But now, all we can do is focus on the race at Rockford. We did good last year, but it's our last shot at getting to victory lane this year. We're gonna do our best and try to give the fans at least one Bronco Buster in 2010.

Of course, Packer may be the only representative of GRI in the Rockford 200.

Only the top 30 in driver points are locked into the A, B, and C mains of Rockford. Because he is 4th in the standings, Packer is the only driver locked into the A Main, the only race that awards any points. The other 4 drivers who will be attempting to qualify for Rockford in GRI equipment, Eric Jackson, Henrietta LaVerne III, Bruce Wilkinson, and Rush McCloud, are all outside the top 30, and will need to run the qualifying races in order to get into one of the mains.

Bruce Wilkinson and Rush McCloud have only been in a few races this season. Henrietta LaVerne III hasn't had a great season, missing several races, and is currently 42nd in points. Eric Jackson didn't begin the season until race 10, when he replaced Sara Hackson in the #3 car. He missed the top 30 by just 27 points.

Despite what happens at Rockford, the season for GRI is considered a success. Despite no wins, Packer is guaranteed to earn his first top 10 points trophy, with a top 5 points finish almost a certainty. He has a 45 point lead on Kurt Walker, who's 6th in the standings. Packer also currently leads the Comeback Driver of the Year vote in the Fan's Choice Awards polls.

Just like last year, Packer Carroll could leave the ARLA awards banquet with two trophies. Only these ones will come with a much bigger payday.

In other news, because of the points penalties of Curtis Darcy and Mike Andrews at Darlington, Packer has jumped from 8th to 6th in the 2010 TMJS points standings.

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RUSH'S FIRST RACE WITH JACK LINK'S ENDS EARLY

The 9th round of the 2010-11 CRL Modified Series season was the first race of the season for Jack Link's Beef Jerky on the #71 car of Rush McCloud. Unfortunately, the race lasted just four laps for McCloud.

On Lap 4, Rush was caught up in a huge mess in turn 1, and had to drop out of the race. Clearly frustrated, Rush did not want to talk to reporters.

His 37th place finish drops him to 15th in the standings, and he will have to run the qualfiers for round 10.

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PACKER BLASTS TMMC OFFICIALS FOR UPHOLDING PENALTIES OF ZACH DUFF

After the TMMC officials rejected the Volpi Racing Team's appeal of the penalties given to Zach Duff after Talladega, GRI team owner Packer Carroll was very critical of the officials, and didn't mince any words when he was interviewed about the situation.

PACKER: Absolutely ridiculous. It's pretty obvious that the TMMC officials are the most favoritistic bunch of morons in motorsports. Don't believe me? Remember two years ago when Alexis Rainsford was very critical of the tires at Twin Ring Motegi, and she was penalized 25 points for that, which was a load of BS. Fast-forward to 2010, where there were at least two occasions that Tony Durbin went on cuss-filled tirades about the other drivers. Was he penalized? Nope. Rewind back to Karjala this year. Brian Sendack spins me in the Q-Race. Was he penalized? Nope. Alexis does the same EXACT thing to Sendack in the main event, and what happens? She's penalized three laps. And at the next race, another similar incident occurs, and there's no penalty for it. Then, at Grand Detour, Alexis gets docked 25 points for an incident that happens ALL THE TIME AT GRAND DETOUR. Rolling Eyes Then, at Talladega, Zach Duff gets docked 75 points and gets suspended from Decatur for what looked like a racing incident. But the officials said that he caused a "dangerous and wreckless incident". No, what was dangerous and wreckless, you dumb jacka**es, was not putting restrictor plates in those engines and allowing them to run at 230 miles per hour. It's hard enough to drive those cars to begin with, and you wanna call the drivers wreckless? Why don't you get behind the wheel of one of these things and see what we have to go through each and every week and get an idea of what we go through. But deciding to let those cars run unrestricted was the dumbest decision I've ever seen TMMC officials make, and you have the nerve to call us reckless?

Also, I've never seen such blantant favoritism in my life. The Volpi drivers seem to get penalized for the slightest incident, and the Team SAAR USA drivers seem to get away with murder, and if you look at recent history, you can see that what I speak is true. The facts don't lie. You don't see favoritism in the other racing series: TM Lights, RROL, ARLA, CRL, I've not once seen any sign of favoritism.

Bottom line, these questionable decisions and favoritistic attitudes need to be stopped, because I guarantee you, if they continue, the TM Master Cup Series will start to lose it's luster, prestige, and it's fanbase. How about some calls that are straight down the middle and equal treatment for all drivers, huh? Is that too much to ask for? If it is, you're bigger fools than I thought.

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RUSH WITH A BAD NIGHT IN CENTRAL FLORDIA

After starting 29th, Rush McCloud struggled with a very tight race car, and wound up finishing 27th, a lap down. A clearly frustrated McCloud declined to be interviewed after the race. He drops to 16th in the points standings.

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DOUBLE DOSE OF BAD LUCK FOR GRI EMPLOYEES

Rush McCloud and Zach Gott, who are crew chiefs for GRI in the ARLA Elite Series, each experienced their own bad days in the series they run in.

For Zach, the 11th race of the ARLA Thunder Trucks at Carbondale was a complete disaster. First, he had to pit for a flat tire. Then, as he was merging, he collided with Jacob Eichholtz, who promptly dumped Zach after the wreck. Both drivers were called to the hauler. Then, Zach was involved in at least two more wrecks, the last one taking him out of the race.

Aftr he left the hauler, he was clearly frustrated about his season and his race.

ZACH: The spotter gave me the all-clear signal to merge. Turns out it wasn't clear, and I wreck the championship leader. (sighs) I'm ready for this season to be over.

Rush's day wasn't much better, as he failed to qualify for his third race of the year, this time at Charlotte. Rush hasn't scored any points since Watkings Glen 5 races ago. After the race, Rush climbed out and walked back to his hauler, clearly frustrated with this turn in his season.

Obviously, it has been a rough couple of weeks for GRI.

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PACKER'S TIME AS A MAJESTIC MOTORSPORTS DRIVER ENDS EARLY

In his final attempt with Majestic Motorsports in the TM Master Cup Series, Packer Carroll managed to make it through pre-qualifying, albeit barely, but finished 20th in the Q-Race, failing to make to the main event. Packer was extremely disappointed.

PACKER: It seems like the TMMC Gasnier has been underpowered all season long. We just haven't been able to do anything significant this year. But my time as a Gasnier driver is almost up. Rockford will be my last time driving a Dragoon.

Packer will be sitting on the pitbox of his new business associates, Volpi, and hopefully watch Alexis Rainsford win her 2nd TMMC title.

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TMJS SEASON FINALE AT DECATUR FINALLY SEES PACKER EARN FIRST TM PODIUM FINISH

After what has certainly been an up-and-down season for Packer Carroll in the TM Junior Series, he finally gets his first TM race trophy with a runner-up finish in the TMJS Decatur Grand Prix.

After starting in 5th, Packer had to dodge some of the craziness that happened in the Snake, which has been calamity corner all weekend long. Eventually, he climbed to as high as 2nd, but was too far behind to challenge eventual race winner Luciano Soveral. On the last lap, Packer was spun by a lapped car in the Snake, but fortunately, he had a big enough gap on the third place car to recover and earn his first TM podium finish, which is also his best season and career finish in the TM Junior Series. Still, it meant ending the season without a win.

PACKER: It's disappointing, ya know? We had a car good enough to win today, but Soveral was just too much for us. Still, it's my first TM podium, and that's a great thing, especially at Decatur.

Packer's runner-up finish enabled him to finish 5th in the final points standings, his first top 5 points finish, and he stands a great chance of earning another top 5 points result in the ARLA Elite Series, when the season finale at Rockford rolls around next week. And since he failed to qualify for the Master Cup Decatur Grand Prix, Packer's weekend at Decatur is over, and he will now focus his attention on Rockford to see if he can somehow earn a victory in 2010.

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McCLOUD, WILKINSON, LAVERNE, & JACKSON MAKE IT TO QUALIFYING RACES, LAVERNE WINS HER HEAT

In what has certainly been a nervous day for Packer Carroll, he can rest a little easier knowing that all 4 of his cars have made it to the qualifying races. Even more, Henrietta LaVerne III, in her final drive with Gravity Racing, Inc., led 34 of her heat's 40 laps after an impressive three-wide pass for the lead on Lap 7, and cruised to the victory. Rush McCloud, who was in the same heat, was caught up in an incident on the first caution of the race, but still managed to finish fifth and tranfer to the qualifiers. Eric Jackson led 30 of his heat's 40 laps, but slapped the wall late and lost the lead. He still finished 2nd. Bruce Wilkinson had a quiet heat and finished third.

With the way the GRI cars are running right now, there's a decent possibility that GRI could have 5 cars in the Rockford 200, which would be the most they've ever had in one race.

RUSH: I've never run at Grand Detour before, but I know the reputation of the track, so I hope we can make it through the Q-Race and get a good solid finish in the feature race.


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Post by PackerMan71 Mon Aug 08, 2011 5:24 pm

ZACH'S THUNDER TRUCKS SEASON FINALLY COMES TO A CLOSE, STILL NO VICTORIES

In what has certainly been an up and down season for Zach Gott, his 2010 season ended at Rockford with a respectable 10th place finish. But for the 2nd straight season, he finishes 14th in the points standings, and he still has yet to earn his first career win.

He will remain the crew chief of the #00 next season, this time with Anthony Griffith behind the wheel, but his status in the Thunder Trucks is unknown. He doesn't know if he will return to M & J in 2011, or go back to GRI if their entry for the 2011 season is approved.

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MIXED RESULTS FOR GRI AT ROCKFORD; LAVERNE DNQ'S AFTER RUN-IN WITH HAYES, WILKINSON TO C-MAIN, JACKSON TO B-MAIN, McCLOUD TO A-MAIN

In order to compete for the Rockford 200 trophy, you have to get into the A-Main.

For Henrietta LaVerne III, she could almost touch that opportunity, until Jim Hayes tried to pass her for the lead in their qualifying race and ended up wrecking them both. LaVerne fell out of the race, while Hayes recovered and made the C-Main. LaVerne's time with GRI was done, and she wasn't happy, as she had some scathing words for Hayes after the race.

In the meantime, Rush McCloud, in GRI's one-off entry, saw the whole thing unfold in front of him while he sat in third place. Taking the inside line, he took the lead while LaVerne and Hayes wrecked in his review mirror. Though he fell back after the restart, he managed to recover and finished 2nd, automatically transferring him into the A-Main, where his teammate Packer Carroll is already locked into thanks to his top 10 points position. Rush was ecstatic when he climbed out of the #171 Sub-Zero Energy Drink Gasnier.

RUSH: Incredible! We had to fight our way in through the heat races in order to get here, but we've done it! I hate it for Henrieta, though. I was hopin' we'd get a 1-2 finish out of that. Huh. I guess Packer's gonna need a replacement crew chief for this race, eh?

Typically, Rush is Packer's crew chief, and will be back in that same role next season as well in both ARLA and the TM Lights Series.

As for Eric Jackson and Bruce Wilkinson, they didn't make the A-Main, but will still have one more shot at it. Jackson just missed getting in in his Q-Race, finishing 3rd, transferring him to the B-Main. Wilkinson led some laps, but wound up finishing in 5th, transferring him to the C-Main. In order to qualify for the A-Main, Jackson and Wilkinson will have to win their respective Mains, but it won't be easy. They will be filled with the drivers 11-30th in the points, plus the other drivers who got in through their Q-Races.

But so far, so good for Gravity Racing, Inc. Packer won't be the only representative in the race, and as it turns out, it's his business partner and friend who will be racing with him in the Rockford 200.

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GOTT RETURNS TO GRI TRUCK TEAM IN 2011

Confirmed earlier today, Zach Gott will return to Gravity Racing, Inc. in 2011, and will be back behind the wheel of the #71 ARLA Thunder Truck, the same truck he drove to three runner-up finishes in 2009 before moving to M & J Racing in 2010, where the same kind of success eluded him.

ZACH: I just didn't have the same kind of chemistry with M & J that I had with Gravity Racing. Now that their truck program has been brought back, I'm looking forward to 2011, and my first truck win.

In two seasons in the ARLA Thunder Trucks, he finished 14th in the points standings both times, and has yet to find the way to victory lane. He hopes a return to familiar surroundings will be a boost to his 2011 season. A sponsor has not yet been named.

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RUSH McCLOUD SHOCKS THE ARLA WORLD BY WINNING THE ROCKFORD 200 IN GRI'S ONE-OFF ENTRY

After a long 2010 season without a win, Gravity Racing, Inc. finally made it's way to victory lane in the most prestigious race ARLA has to offer. Only, it wasn't Packer Carroll that went to victory lane.

It was his crew chief and business partner Rush McCloud who shocked the racing world in the one-off #171 Sub-Zero Energy Drink Gasnier, scoring his maiden win in his debut race, and pulling off one of the biggest upsets in ARLA history.

After starting 17th, Rush struggled to find his footing, but would eventually begin to work his way forward. In the meantime, his teammate, Packer, didn't take very long to find the front of the field. After starting in 11th, Packer's car was very fast in the early going as he found his way into 3rd by Lap 10. But after the first caution, Packer was shoved to the high side and was freight trained by the rest of the field. In the meantime, by the 1/4 mark of the race, Rush had made his way into 2nd, but was unable to challenge Jason Bates for the lead at the time.

Then, after the second caution which saw Bobby Porteau taken out of the race by Aaron Cruise, Packer's hopes for victory were shattered when he was black-flagged for passing on the left before the start/finish line. Zach Gott, Packer's temporary crew chief for the Rockford 200, argued that Jeb Klinger, the driver that Packer passed, checked up for some reason on the restart and that Packer was avoiding rear-ending the #66 car. But the officials ruled otherwise, and Packer had to make a stop and go penalty. He eventually went a lap down and never recovered. He finished 2 laps down in 13th, but managed to finish 4th in the final points standings, his second top 5 finish after he finished 5th in the TMJS points last week at Decatur.

This meant that Gravity Racing, Inc.'s last hope for a win in 2010 was Rush McCloud, but his #171 Gasnier had proven to be a very reliable car. But on Lap 85, his great run nearly went up in smoke. Going into turn 3, he attempted to pass the #33 of Raibeard Scott, when the #63 of Kevin Monroe charged up the inside and knocked Rush into Scott. The #33 spun down the frontstretch, but nobody hit him, and Rush was able to get by. He was apologetic on his radio, saying he didn't see the #63 coming up the inside.

At the halfway point, the fifth caution saw Kevin Monroe turned hard into the turn 4 wall by Scott Wuelen, and spun right in Rush's path, but Rush was once again able to dodge the wreck.

After the restart, McCloud was able to hang inside the top 5 for the next portion of the race, but after the sixth caution, began falling back after being forced up to the high side.

The 7th caution came out when Packer hit Jim Hayes going into turn 3 on Lap 183. The final restart saw Rush just outside the top 5, but his car suddenly found some grip in his heat-cycled tires, and charged up to the front. With 7 laps to go, Rush passed Amy Harrison for the lead and led his first lap in ARLA competition. The race's final caution occured on Lap 195, when Jim Hayes spun Scott Wuelen in turn 3. With Rush leading under caution, everyone was wondering if there would be a 1-lap shootout for the win, which would not have been good for Rush. All weekend long, the leader seemed to be very vulnerable on restarts, skating up the track in turn 1, allowing the second place car to take the lead off turn 2. If the race restarted, the advantage would've been in Amy Harrison's favor. Regina McCloud, typically the #3's crew chief, was the crew chief for her husband in this race, and was hoping and praying that the race would not restart as Packer listened in on the radio. As the pace car crossed the line, the lights stayed on, meaning the race would end under caution, giving ARLA's most prestigious race to Rush McCloud. After learning that the race would end under yellow, Regina jumped off the pit box and began celebrating with the crew, with the #71 team joining them. It was obvious listening on the radio that Rush was celebrating inside the car as well.

After he took a well-deserved victory lap, Rush stopped his car at the start/finish line, where the victory lane celebrations took place at Rockford. He climbed from the car, checkered flag in hand and climbed on top of the car, arms raised in victory as the crowd roared it's approval. Rush was joined on top of the car by Packer, who enveloped him in a bear hug, obviously proud of his friend's accomplishment.

After things had calmed down somewhat, reporters talked with ARLA's newest winner.

REPORTER: Rush McCloud, you're standing in victory lane at the Rockford 200. What are you feeling right now?

RUSH: (a little choked up) I... I can't believe I'm here right now. I... I don't know what to say, honestly. I've never experienced anything like this before. It's incredible.

REPORTER: Your CRL campaign has hit a bit of a snag in recent weeks, but what does this win do for your CRL efforts?

RUSH: It's shows if I can win in a stock car, which hasn't been my strong suit, I can win in a modified. We're gonna redouble our efforts and hopefully get a win or two in the CRL before the season's end.

REPORTER: Your very first race in ARLA, and you've pulled one of the biggest upsets in ARLA Elite Series history in its most prestigious race. You're know a part of the glorious history of the Rockford 200. What are your thoughts on that?

RUSH: To win a race as prestigious as Rockford has been a lifelong dream. It's been a struggle in my racing career, but I'm here now, so it was all worth it.

REPORTER: Heading into this race, Gravity Racing, Inc. had not won a race in 2010 despite being close several times, and this would be the last race for Gasnier with GRI. Obviously, getting GRI a win in 2010 and sending Gasnier off in grand style was a big deal for the team.

RUSH: Absolutely. We wanted some way to thank Gasnier for their contributions to our team the past two seasons, and sending them off with a win was great. And getting that goose egg off our win column was very satisfying as well.

REPORTER: Thank you, Rush. Enjoy your victory.

Afterwards, Packer gave his thoughts on his partner's accomplishment.

PACKER: I tell you, Rush did one hell of a job. We needed a win bad, and he took it upon himself to get that victory, and he got the job done. I'm proud of Rush and what he's done for me and this team. And with Volpi coming on board next year, the competition better watch out.

The other GRI drivers in the B and C Mains did a good job as well. Bruce Wilkinson led 26 laps in the C-Main, the most of anyone, but finished in 5th place. Eric Jackson led two laps in the B-Main and also finished in 5th place.

All in all, a great race weekend for GRI, and congratulations to Rush McCloud for winning the Rockford 200.

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GRI PILES UP THE AWARDS AT THE ARLA BANQUET, UNVEIL 2011 PAINTSCHEMES

After a successful 2010 season, Gravity Racing, Inc. made a killing at the awards banquet, earning more awards than any other team: the Soda World Team of the Year award, Eric Jackson winning the Roberto Moreno award, and team owner Packer Carroll winning the Competitive Spirit, Lendmaster Comeback Driver of the Year, and 4th place points awards.

PACKER: We definitely earned a lot of hardware to take home this year. Hopefully, 2011 will be more of the same, and hopefully with the big trophy.

A few days after the banquet, Gravity Racing, Inc. revealed the paintschemes for their 2011 drivers, with their new manufacturer, Volpi.

(OOC: All painting credits go to CJay. Very Happy )

Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019 Ceej_TRS_100645

A year and a half after first trying out for the #00, Anthony Griffith now becomes its primary driver. He also brings his personal sponsor, X-Protect Suntan Lotion, to the team.

Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019 Ceej_TRS_99271

With Eric Jackson in the #3 car through the 2012 season, the #3 gets a HUGE makeover with ZombieBusters.com coming on board. The online zombie survival store was Packer's special sponsor on the #71 for select events in 2010. Needless to say, the #3 now has one of the sickest paintschemes in the ARLA Elite Series.

Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019 Ceej_TRS_99273

With his incredible results in 2010, Bruce Wilkinson gets bumped to full-time status in 2011, and the #7 team gets a new sponsor: Sub-Zero Energy Drink, which was on Rush McCloud's Rockford 200 winning car. Wilkinson has lot of expectations this season.

Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019 Ceej_TRS_100647

After much speculation about his plans, team owner Packer Carroll returns to the familiar #71 Grape Soup Volpi for a third season. He also plans to run the full TM Lights North schedule in his own car, with Bruce Wilkinson also along for the ride. He, of course, also has the momumental task of driving Alexis Rainsford's car in select TMMC events, so Packer also heads into 2011 with high expectations.

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GRAVITY RACING, INC. FINAL REPORT 2010

PACKER CARROLL

2010 Stats

2010 ARLA Elite Series
Team: #71 Grape Soup Gasnier Dragoon for Gravity Racing, Inc.
Starts: 20
Wins: 0
Top 5: 1
Top 10: 6
DNF: 3
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 2
Points Finish: 4th

2010 TM Junior Series
Team: #110 Michelin Gasnier Dragoon for Greg Whittaker Racing
Starts: 16
Wins: 0
Podiums: 1
Top 5: 6
Top 10: 8
DNF: 5
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 31
Points Finish: 5th

2010 TM Master Cup Series
Team: #71 Diet Delano Gasnier Dragoon for Majestic Motorsports
Starts: 2
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top 5: 0
Top 10: 0
DNF: 0
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 0
Points Finish: N/A

SEASON IN REVIEW: It was a pretty successful year for Packer. He earned his first TM trophy at Decatur, got his first top 5 points finishes in the ARLA Elite Series and TM Junior Series, and earned several awards and accolades at the awards banquet. In addition, he formed the CRL Modified team, the new TM Lights team, Formula Overdrive teams, and Street Stocks team, which is being converted back into the Thunder Trucks program. But the one thing Packer didn't do in 2010 was go to victory lane, although his crew chief Rush McCloud won the Rockford 200. With Volpi coming on board in 2011, and with him driving Alexis Rainsford's car, 2011 is shaping up to be a big year for Packer and GRI.

ZACH GOTT

2010 Stats

ARLA Thunder Trucks Series
Team: #264 Zing Energy Truck for M&J Racing
Starts: 12
Wins: 0
Top 5: 0
Top 10: 4
DNF: 5
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 2
Points Finish: 14th

SEASON IN REVIEW: Things didn't go so well for Zach this season. The #00 team which he is crew chief for didn't have a great year, and his Thunder Trucks season was unremarkable, with no top 5s and a best of 6th with just 4 top 10s and a 14th place points finish, the same finish as last season. Plus, he's still looking for that first win. With GRI reforming the truck team, Zach hopes that a return to familiar surroundings will be the fuel he needs to finally get that long awaited trophy.

RUSH McCLOUD

2010 Stats

2010 ARLA Elite Series
Team: #171 Sub-Zero Energy Drink Gasnier Dragoon for Gravity Racing, Inc.
Starts: 1
Wins: 1
Top 5: 1
Top 10: 1
DNF: 0
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 7
Points Finish: N/A

2010-11 CRL Modified Series
Team: #71 Jack Link's Beef Jerky Bolden for Gravity Racing, Inc.
Starts: 8
Wins: 0
Podiums: 1
Top 5: 1
Top 10: 4
DNF: 1
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 0
Points Finish: Season Not Complete

SEASON IN REVIEW: Rush's CRL campaign started decently enough, with a podium and a spot in the top 10 in points, but things have soured recently. While his CRL season is on hold, Rush decided to try his luck in the Rockford 200, and hit the jackpot when he won ARLA's most prestigious race. The win will hopefully be the tonic he needs to get his CRL season back on track.

REGINA McCLOUD

2010 Stats

ARLA Elite Series
Team: #3 Smudge Erasers Gasnier Dragoon for Gravity Racing, Inc.
Starts: 1
Wins: 0
Top 5: 0
Top 10: 0
DNF: 1
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 0
Points Finish: N/A

ARLA Street Stocks
Team: #71 ZombieBusters.com Gasnier Dragoon for Gravity Racing, Inc.
Division: West
Starts: 8
Wins: 0
Top 5: 0
Top 10: 0
DNF: N/A
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 0
Points Finish: Season Not Complete

SEASON IN REVIEW: Regina's few starts in ARLA have not gone according to plan, with just 1 top 10 finish. Regina hopes that a switch to open-wheel cars will be a boost to her driving career. She will return as crew chief for Eric Jackson.

SARA HACKSON:

2010 Stats

2010 ARLA Elite Series
Team: #3 Smudge Erasers Gasnier Dragoon for Gravity Racing, Inc.
Starts: 8
Wins: 0
Top 5: 0
Top 10: 3
DNF: 3
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 12
Points Finish: 39th

SEASON IN REVIEW: Sara won her seat in the #3 at the ARLA Tryouts, and at 6' 7'', was the tallest driver in the field. She was as high as fifth in the points standings, but legal trouble forced her out of the #3 car midway through the season. Her current status is unknown.

HENRIETTA LaVERNE III

2010 Stats

2010 ARLA Elite Series
Team: #00 Gasnier Dragoon for Gravity Racing, Inc.
Starts: 8
Wins: 0
Top 5: 0
Top 10: 1
DNF: 4
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 0
Points Finish: 44th

SEASON IN REVIEW: The 2010 season was a complete disaster for Henrietta. It all started at Daytona when the engine expired right when se took the green flag, and ended at Rockford when she was taken out by Jim Hayes. Hopefully, 2011 will be kinder to her, as she's found a home with Xenos Racing.

BRUCE WILKINSON

2010 Stats

ARLA Elite Series
Team: #7 Gasnier Dragoon for Gravity Racing, Inc.
Starts: 4
Wins: 0
Top 5: 3
Top 10: 3
DNF: 0
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 26
Points Finish: 51st

SEASON IN REVIEW: Bruce's few ARLA starts have been nothing short of remarkable. In just 4 races in the Elite Series, his lowest finish is 12th, and has 3 top 5s with a best of 2nd at Watkins Glen. In addition, he earned his first Street Stocks win at Salem, and his first TM podium at Decatur. Needless to say, this certainly makes Bruce a dark horse favorite for the title, and a clear-cut favorite for Rookie of the Year.

ERIC JACKSON

2010 Stats

ARLA Elite Series
Team: #3 Smudge Erasers Gasnier Dragoon for Gravity Racing, Inc.
Starts: 11
Wins: 0
Top 5: 2
Top 10: 4
DNF: 4
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 125
Points Finish: 31st

SEASON IN REVIEW: The TM Master Cup Series veteran's career looked like it was up in smoke, until Packer called him about an opportunity to drive the #3 car midway through the season. He nearly won twice and led 125 total laps in just 11 starts. Eric is another one of GRI's drivers who is considered a favorite for the championship.

2010 SEASON COMPLETE
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2011 SEASON
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WILKINSON FINALLY CHANGES GRI'S LUCK IN ARLA'S ROOKIE SHOOTOUT, GETS ANOTHER TOP 5

After a successful 2010 season, Bruce Wilkinson went into the ARLA Elite Series Smash Beer Rookie Shootout looking for another great result. Team owner Packer Carroll was just hoping he could bring the car home in one piece.

After starting midpack, Wilkinson drove the #7 Sub-Zero Energy Drink Volpi to the front, eventually finishing in 4th place. With all these top 5 finishes, a lot of experts have Wilkinson making a serious title run this season. Packer seems to agree.

PACKER: He seems to excel at all the types of tracks. It doesn't matter where it is, he seems to just run at the front all the time. I think he could be a serious challenger for the title.

This was also the first race for GRI's new Volpi VC03, and it passed with flying colors. The next test? The Fort Worth Smash Beer 500.

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PACKER'S TM LIGHTS DEBUT ENDS ON THE PODIUM

In his much anticipated TM Lights Series debut in his own car, Packer Carroll showed that just like last year, he is very capable of running at the front.

After a wild 94-lap race in the 2011 season opener at Las Vegas, Packer finished in 3rd place, securing his first TM Lights trophy and his second TM podium. His first podium came at Decatur last year in the TM Junior Series.

Packer was proud of his team for doing an awesome job on pit road, and he knows what it will take to win the championship.

PACKER: We only have six races in the TM Lights, so there is no margin for error. One bad race, and our shot at the title is toast. But we got our first podium here today, so I'll take that. Our next goal is getting to the top step.

After the podium ceremonies are complete, he will return to Fort Worth to prepare for the 2011 ARLA Elite Series opener.

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MODERATELY SUCCESSFUL DAY FOR GRI AT FORT WORTH

In the first event under the new twin-race format, the Fort Worth Smash Beer 500, 3 of GRI's cars were in race 1: the #3, #00, and #71. The other, #7, was in race 2.

Things didn't start so good for Eric Jackson. On Lap 5, he and Ricky Navarro got together in the quad-oval as Jackson had a run underneath the 34 car. It appeared that Navarro ran Jackson into the grass, and when Jackson came back up onto the track, he turned the 34 and a massive wreck ensued down the frontstretch. Officials called Jackson to the hauler after the race.

On Lap 13, Bob Stephans turns Chuck Bloomers going into turn 1, and both slide down into the #00 of Anthony Griffith. Griffith suffered some right front damage, and the car wasn't the same after that. He finished 1 lap down in 23rd.

The night got worse for Eric Jackson on Lap 37. He tried to pass Kodi Richards and Libby Bell in the quad-oval, but like the first incident, he goes through the grass and turns the 53 and himself into the wall, collecting Nikos Kastapolous as well.

On the restart, Packer Carroll restarted in 2nd place after starting 17th, and going into turn 1, he passes the #66 of Edwin Scwarzloski for the lead. He led two laps, which is ironically the total amount of laps he led in all of 2010, before he was passed and began falling back. His car was developing a bad push off of turn 2, and he began losing touch with the leaders.

On Lap 128, Packer attempted to pass DJ Daniels in turn 2, but his car was still pushing off that corner, and turned DJ Daniels into the inside wall. He was apologetic on his radio, saying his car was still tight off of turn 2. The rest of the race was uneventful and Packer finished in 14th, the last car on the lead lap. Jackson finished 28th.

In Race 2, Bruce Wilkinson, now driving full-time for GRI, started in 15th for the second race. However, it almost went south on Lap 4, when Alex Carson and Leslie Riggs got together and triggered a big one going into turn 3. Wilkinson was spun, but managed to regain control of the car, and managed to get away before the bulk of the wreck reached him. The big one took out almost half of the field.

The rest of the race was uneventful from the #7's point of view, and he finished in 7th, the highest finisher of the 4 GRI cars.

GRI Drivers Points Standings with 16 Races to go:
#3 - Eric Jackson - 56th
#7 - Bruce Wilkinson - 16th
#00 - Anthony Griffith - 45th
#71 - Packer Carroll - 26th

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FORMULA OVERDRIVE DEBUT SUCCESSFUL FOR VGR

In the leadup to the season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, and with rain in the forecast, many were wondering what the outcome of the first Formula Overdrive race in two years would be like. For Volpi Gravity Racing, it was a pretty good debut.

Regina McCloud, coming off a disaster of a season in the ARLA Street Stocks, and Ronaldo Ventura, a relatively unknown driver from Brazil, finished 5th and 6th in their FO debuts. They are currently 5th and 6th in the points standings respectively with 9 races to go.

Even better, Volpi Gravity Racing currently sits 2nd in the manufacturers championship, just 1 point out of the lead.

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WILKINSON MATCHES CAREER BEST FINISH, JACKSON PASSES 26 CARS TO FINISH 12TH, GRIFFITH FALLS OUT EARLY, PACKER SUFFERS INJURY IN CRASH

Much like the previous event at Texas, half the GRI cars had good days, half had bad days on the streets of St. Petersburg.

In the first race was the #71 of Packer Carroll and the #7 of Bruce Wilkinson. Starting 9th in the heavy downpour, Packer would remain a constant in the top 10 for the first part of the race. Wilkinson started 2 rows behind his team owner in 15th and would eventually be a force in the race.

However, midway through, coming through the S-curve before the final right-hand turn, he was unable to avoid the spinning car of Ricky Flush and hit the rear of the #31 car. However, Packer was able to continue.

During the first round of pitstops, Wilkinson stayed out and led his first laps in Elite Series competition, earning some bonus points in the process, then he made his way to pit road. Wilkinson led 4 laps in the race.

Disaster strikes the #71 when Bigsby Foote spins at the bend. Packer attempts to avoid the carnage that ensues, but winds up in the tire wall, taking him out of the race, his first DNF since Texas last year. Then, the #31 of Ricky Flush slides hard into the back of the #71 car. Ironically, they were caught up in a similar incident earlier in the race. There was even more bad news for GRI. Packer suffered a broken right wrist in the accident. However, he made it clear that he does not want a replacement driver.

PACKER: Having a broken wrist is tough, but it's not gonna keep me out of the car. It's gonna be painful, but I can handle it. I'm just more frustrated about yet another slow start to our season. I guess it's gonna take some time for our team to get used to the Volpi, unless you're Bruce. Very Happy

Wilkinson managed to get up to 2nd place by the time the final pitstops were said and done. He came up just short of the win, finishing behind Mumba Kumangu by five car lengths. He pulled off this same feat at Watkins Glen last year, also in the rain. Packer was very pleased.

PACKER: He's gonna get a win soon. This team is just running too good for Bruce to not get to victory lane. Not only that, he can win this championship.

The second race saw the rain finally move away from the track, though it didn't matter much for Anthony Griffith, who crashed out early and finished 36th. Eric Jackson, on the other hand, redeemed himself from Texas with a stellar performance. After starting 38th, Jackson passed 26 cars in 43 laps, finishing in 12th. Passing that many cars on a narrow road course is quite a feat.

After 2 races, Griffith is 65th in the points standings, lowest of the four GRI cars. Packer drops to 45th in the standings, and now has to worry about an injured right arm. Jackson jumps up to 34th in the standings. Bruce Wilkinson, with a 7th and a 2nd, is now 4th in the points standings, just 21 points out of the lead.

The next race is the Radii Talladega 300 from the Talladega SuperSpeedway.

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ZACH'S SEASON OPENER ENDS EARLY FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE SEASON

For the third straight ARLA Thunder Trucks season opener, Zach Gott would fail to finish the race, this time at Tampa Bay, once again in 31st. Only this time, a failed header put him out, whereas the first two were wrecks.

Zach turned down requests for interviews, feeling very frustrated at the moment.

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TALLADEGA A DISASTER FOR GRI

The Radii Talladega 300, the third race of the season, was a bonifide failure for Gravity Racing, Inc. as a whole.

In the first race, Bruce Wilkinson and Eric Jackson were running up front early in the race, but lapped traffic cut them off from the lead pack, and they weren't able to recover. Wlikinson finished 20th, the worst finish of his career so far, but was still best among the four GRI cars, which tells you how their day went. Jackson finished 24th.

It got even worse in Race 2. Packer Carroll, racing with a broken right wrist, actually managed to get to the lead early on, and led 4 laps. But he was involved in a big crash 15 laps from the finish when Derek Dudding and Chris Johaanes, running considerably off the pace, stacked up the field and caused the big one going into turn 1. Packer almost made it through with minimal damage, but Dudding's car came down the track and collected him, taking him out of the race for the second straight week. Packer was very frustrated with Dudding and Johaanes.

PACKER: It's stuff like this that's gonna get someone killed one of these days. Chris, you should know better. Derek, check your rearview mirror every once in a while so this kind of crap doesn't happen. I'd like to apologize to Volpi. I thought we'd have a better start than this, but for some reason, we always get off to a slow start. Hopefully, Las Vegas will be kinder to us.

Anthony Griffith in the #00 was actually in the top 5 inside of ten laps to go, but had to pit for a flat tire, ending his chance at victory. He finished 32nd. Packer finished 35th.

Currently, Griffith is 68th in points, Packer is 56th, Jackson is 37th, and Wilkinson maintains a top 10 spot in 9th heading into Las Vegas. Also looming on the horizon is Packer's first race in the #1 car in the TM Master Cup Series, which, according to reports, will be at the Round of Germany, while Alexis Rainsford drives in the Indianapolis 500.

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LAS VEGAS ANOTHER DISASTER FOR GRI

All four GRI were involved in incidents during the Las Vegas Deuce, the 4th race of the 2011 season.

In Race 1, Bruce Wilkinson was having a decent run until he was caught up in the second caution of the race. The damage to his car was terminal and he was forced to drop out of the race, his first career DNF. He finished 34th.

In race 2, Anthony Griffith was involved in the incident that injured James West. It's the 4th straight race that the #00 has been in some kind of trouble. Griffith finished 28th.

As for Packer Carroll and Eric Jackson, they were inside the top 10, and Packer had even made it up to as high as third place before being forced into a three-wide situation in the closing laps. He drifted high in one and two and scraped the wall. He lost several spots and seemed to have it under control, until he lost control entering turn three, coming down into his teammate Eric Jackson, and taking both cars into the wall. Scraping the wall where all the marbles and trash were had cut down a left rear tire, which caused the car to suddenly veer toward the inside entering the corner. Jackson finished 24th. Packer still managed to finish 16th, but a top 5 went down the drain late in the race. The disappointment was evident on his face.

PACKER: It figures. I manage to get up to third and maybe challenge the top two for the win, but I let two cars get underneath me and I scrape the wall, which according to my crew, cut down my left rear tire. And when that happens, what do I do? I hit Eric, my own teammate, and cost both of us a good finish. :nono:

Anthony Griffith is currently 69th in the points. Packer is currently 45th, and actually gained 11 spots in the standings, Eric Jackson is 40th, and Bruce Wilkinson is in 17th.

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PACKER'S TMMC DEBUT WITH VOLPI SUCCESSFUL

In his fifth career TM Master Cup Series start, Packer Carroll would pilot the famous #1 Lynxe Volpi normally driven by defending two-time champion Alexis Rainsford. With Rainsford racing at Indy, Packer was tabbed to step into the #1 car for the Round of Germany at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz. What were his feelings before the race?

PACKER: Nervous as all hell. Laughing

There was reason to believe that Packer could have his best run of his short TMMC career. The #1 team was running a streak of 4 straight top 10s, including a win, and has finished in the points in every race this season. Packer's best career TMMC finish was 15th, back in the 2009 Decatur Grand Prix.

Packer had a great qualifying run as well, starting in 7th. Despite racing with a broken right wrist that's still on the mend, Packer managed to keep the #1 Volpi around the top 10 for pretty much the entire race. It almost went up in smoke on Lap 94. Bobby Porteau, coming out of turn 1, turned the 43 car, who was a lap down, into the right rear of Packer's car, sending him spinning. But in an amazing display of car control, Packer let the car spin around twice, and when it came back around the second time, he regained control of the car, grabbed a gear, and managed to maintain his position near the top 10 due to him having a big gap on the cars behind him.

The final restart came with two laps to go, and Packer managed to muscle his way, cleanly, into his first top ten finish when he came home in 10th, maintaining the #1 team's top ten streak. Not bad for someone with a broken wrist.

PACKER: I didn't even notice my wrist during the race. The adrenline was flowing, and racing with the best drivers in the world and actually staying competitive against them, that was a huge thrill. And getting my first top 10 finish was a big deal. I hope I made Alexis proud today.

What was next for Packer in the TM Master Cup Series?

PACKER: Qualify for Karjala. Third time's the charm. 😉

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PACKER ALMOST GETS SECOND CAREER WIN AT BLUE RIDGE

After starting about mid-pack in the Xenos Alberta Duels first race at Blue Ridge, Packer Carroll quickly showed that he had a car strong enough to be a contender, as he took the lead several times during the course of the race. Also, he was the only GRI car in race 1, so he had to rely on other drivers to help him. He was also able to stay out of trouble as well, although a Lap 10 crash between Libby Bell, Dale Underwood, and CJ Cameron almost changed that. The crash happened right in front of him, but he was able to avoid the incident. When asked about the crash afterward, Packer said...

PACKER: I think I needed a new pair of pants after that. Laughing

In the closing stages of the race, Packer found himself in contention. Coming to the white flag, he was in third behind Allie Riggs and Mumba Kumangu. When Riggs made the move on Kumangu down the backstretch, Packer stayed behind Kumangu until turn 3 so that he could get a better entrance into the corner. The move payed off as he got underneath Kumangu in three, and coming off of four, he was now underneath Riggs coming to the checkered flag. It was a drag race between the two, and at the line, Riggs barely squeaked out the win. Packer was 2nd by inches, but the excitement in his voice was evident, and it showed during post race interviews.

PACKER: That was a blast. I would've liked to have gotten my second win, but just to be contending for the win after the crap we've been through so far this season is a great thing. We've shown that the Volpis we have are very strong, and we finally got a finish to show for it.

In a tremendous show of class, Packer went to victory lane afterwards and congratulated Allie Riggs on a tremendous race, which was also a very clean race for the two.

PACKER: That was the thing. We battled hard for the win, but there wasn't any contact. It was very clean, and it was the most fun I've had in a stock car since the Boston win. So much so, I kinda forgot about my injured wrist. I guess that's what happens when your adrenline is flowing at 100 miles per hour.

Packer also led the most laps, 11, which is the first time he has led the most laps in an ARLA race. He has led 17 in total this season in 3 of the first 5 races, a far cry from last year when he led just 2 laps the entire season.

The 2nd race of the Xenos Alberta Duels would see the other three GRI cars in the race. Things didn't go so well early on, when on Lap 11, Eric Jackson went 4-wide off of turn 2 and turned Damien Snyder and himself hard into the inside wall. There is still no word on Snyder's or Jackson's medical condition.

In the second caution on Lap 39, Bruce Wilkinson was caught up in a big crash in turn 1, which took him out of the race. This is the second race in a row that he has been taken out as an innocent victim of a crash.

This left Anthony Griffith as the last GRI car in the race, and he managed to earn his first top ten finish of the season when he finished in 9th place.

Packer is now the highest GRI car in the standings in 25th, moving up 20 spots, although that might change at the next race. Packer has to skip ARLA's first race in Alaska due to his TMMC commitments at Germany. Rush McCloud will fill in for Packer at Alaska to keep the #71 car up in owner points. Bruce Wilkinson has dropped to 26th in points, Anthony Griffith jumps up 11 spots to 58th, and Jackson drops 19 spots to 59th.

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JACKSON'S INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN INITIALLY SUSPECTED, OUT UNTIL DECATUR

After the Xenos Alberta Duels, GRI team owner Packer Carroll got some sobering news. Eric Jackson, the driver of the #3 ZombieBusters.com Volpi, had suffered serious injuries in his crash with Damien Snyder in the 2nd race. Snyder was also injured in the crash. While the full extent of his injuries are unknown, they will keep Jackson out of the #3 car until at least October at Decatur. Packer was devastated at the news.

PACKER: We had hoped that Eric's injuries were not that bad, but it turns out it's more serious than we thought. I feel terrible. Eric gets back into some great equipment, and then this happens.

There have been some concerns about the safety level of the ARLA cars this season. In just 5 races, 5 drivers have been injured in crashes. James West was injured at Las Vegas and is currently out for several races. Leslie Riggs, Damien Snyder, and Eric Jackson were injured at Blue Ridge in very similar crashes, which will keep them out of their respective rides for some time. The fifth driver, Packer Carroll, suffered a broken wrist at St. Petersburg, but has continued to drive despite the injury, with great success.

As for who will drive the #3 car, Zach Gott, crew chief of the #00 and driver in the Thunder Trucks, will be behind the wheel for Alaska, but beyond that is unknown.

PACKER: Due to his commitments to the Trucks and his crew chief duties to the #00 team, he won't be available after Alaska. If Cyril Volpi has any suggestions as to who to put in the #3 car after Alaska, I'm all ears.

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ELK RIDGE UNEVENTFUL FOR GRI, UNEXPECTED NAME COMES UP FOR THE #3 CAR

It's the first time since GRI first started in 2009 that Packer Carroll has not been at an ARLA Elite Series event due to being in Germany for the TM Master Cup Series race held there, replacing Alexis Rainsford in the #1 car while she races in the Indy 500. In the meantime, Packer's crew chief, Rush McCloud, would take over the #71 Grape Soup Volpi for ARLA's first race in Alaska. He started in 5th, but was not familiar with racing on ice. He managed to finish in 15th, a decent day for the Rockford 200 winner. The other GRI drivers would experience similar uneventful days. Anthony Griffith finished 32nd, and is currently 61st in points. Bruce Wilkinson finished 19th, somewhat below his standards, and is still 26th in points. Zach Gott, in the #3 car for Alaska, had the best finish of the GRI cars in 12th. He also finished 17th at Iowa in the Thunder Trucks, and is currently 16th in points. When Packer comes back for Mosport, he will be 46th in points.

In the meantime, in his search for a substitute for Eric Jackson, who could be out for the rest of the season due to his injuries from Blue Ridge, Packer asked Volpi Racing Team owner Cyril Volpi if he had any ideas about who to put in the #3 ZombieBusters.com Volpi until Jackson's return. The driver Volpi recommended will be very familiar to TM Master Cup Series fans...

Todd Wodarczyk.

After a successful debut in 2008, winning Rookie of the Year, he was left without a ride after 2011. Now, Packer has tabbed Wodarczyk to drive the #3 car possibly until the end of the season.

The #3 team went through a very similar situation last year. Sara Hackson, the driver at the start of the season, was released from the team due to the legal troubles she was having. Regina McCloud took over for 1 race, and then Eric Jackson made his debut at Tampa Bay, almost winning. And now, yet another former TMMC driver will be driving the #3 Volpi for Gravity Racing, Inc.

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PACKER FAILS TO QUALIFY FOR KARJALA FOR THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR

After winning his Pre-Q race, Packer Carroll had 76% chance of making it into his first Karjala Grand Prix...

...and he still failed to qualify.

Eight laps from the finish, Packer encountered the spinning car of Juho Kivela in the Dwyer S turn. Carroll tried blasting around Kivela's car. Unfortunately, all that did was point Kivela back in the right direction and launched the #28 Volpi into the tire wall. Packer was taken to the infield care center for a precautionary check-up due to his still healing right wrist, but was released not long after. He sat down next to his trailer, not believing what had just happened to him. When reporters asked him what happened, it was obvious he was very upset with himself.

PACKER: I screwed up. Bottom line. I tried to get around Kivela, and all I did was put my car into the tires, when I was well on my way into the Karjala Grand Prix. I had a golden opportunity, and I blew it. I... I just don't know what to think anymore. I don't even know if I'm ever gonna get to race in the Karjala Grand Prix. But congrats to Zach and Alexis on making it in. I wish them luck in the race.

With that, he got up and walked into his trailer, obviously very distraught over the events that occured in the qualifying race.

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LAPPED CAR COSTS VGR MAIDEN WIN AT WATKINS GLEN

The second round of the 2011 Formula Overdrive season presented by ARLA saw an interesting battle for the lead in the early going between Steven Teller, Soze Keyser, and Ronaldo Ventura. Ventura, a relatively unknown driver from Brazil, was given an opportunity by Volpi Gravity Racing, and he was making the most of it. He finished 6th in his first start at St. Petersburg, and was now fighting for the lead at Watkins Glen. Eventually, he would take the lead from Soze Keyser in the boot section of the course with about 11 laps left.

After the final round of pitstops, Ventura, thanks to the fast work of the VGR pit crew, had a huge lead on Soze Keyser. It looked like Ventura and VGR was heading for their maiden win in the Formula Overdrive Series... until a lapped car got in the way.

With eight laps to go, in the final turn, Patrick Johannson, for some reason, was occupying the inside line of the final turn, and Ventura, following the racing line, made the turn down into the final turn where he collided with Johannson, sending both cars into the wall and out of the race. Ventura finished 23rd, and the VGR crew was furious at Johannson.

Regina McCloud, Ventura's teammate, had problems of her own early in the race when she made contact with Quintin Jeffers in the Esses. Her car received some damage and she finished a lap down, but managed a 15th place finish and earned a championship point. She sits 7th in the points standings.

After the race, and after hearing what happened to her teammate, Regina stormed over to where Johannson was and had a very heated discussion with him, with most of the heat coming from her. Afterwards, she talked with reporters.

REGINA: That was freaking ridiciulous. Ronny is heading toward a surefire win in just his 2nd race, he is way ahead, nobody can catch him. What keeps him from victory lane? A freaking lapped car! that idiot Johannson decided to stay in the racing line and wrecked the leader in the final turn, which was my teammate, no less! He's lucky I didn't knock the piss out of him. I swear, ARLA needs to do something about these lapped cars, because this is getting stupid.

Ventura currently sits 12th in the driver standings. VGR is currently 5th in the manufacturers championship.

Also, Zach Gott finished 17th at Iowa for the 2nd round of the ARLA Thunder Trucks season. He is currently 16th in points, and will not participate at Sonoma, as it is not one of the seven races he selected.

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RIGGS CLAN TAKES #71 AND #7 OUT OF TOP 5 RUNS, GRI WORRIED ABOUT PACKER'S STATE OF MIND

With the disappointment of Karjala still hovering over him, GRI driver/owner Packer Carroll had his best qualifying effort of his career, qualifying 2nd, just missing his first career pole. He ran second behind polesitter Taylor Brillon for most of the first part of the race. Teammate Bruce Wilkinson started in 4th.

Todd Wodarczyk, taking over the #3 car for the remainder of 2011, started way in the back and never really got going. 8 laps in, he was spun by Shane Lake, who took himself and Wodarczyk out of the race.

Not long after, Packer found himself right on Brillon's back bumper, but as he tried to make the pass for the lead, the lapped car of Gary DeSouza would hold up Packer and cost him several spots. Crew chief Rush McCloud was screaming over the radio for the ARLA officials to get the #149 car out of the way. Strangely enough, Packer remained silent on his radio.

About midway through the race, the unthinkable happened. Leslie Riggs, back in the #50 after sitting out Alaska due to injury, for some reason, spins the lapped car of Leigh Gruell, right into the path of Packer's car, taking both Packer and Gruell into the tire wall. It was an eerie feeling of deja vu for Packer, who had a similar incident at Karjala that cost him a shot at qualifying. Packer would eventually finish 23rd, 3 laps down. Rush was furious, as he called for Leslie Riggs to be penalized for such an aggressive move.

Not long after, Bruce Wilkinson, who was running third, would be taken out of contention by another member of the Riggs family, Brenda, on the frontstretch. Then, as Wilkinson tried to get his car under control, the third Riggs driver, Allie, slammed into the back of the #7 car. All Rush could do was throw his hands up in disgust. Wilkinson finished 22nd, 2 laps down. Wodarczyk finished 32nd. Anthony Griffith, who started race 2, finished 13th.

Afterwards, when reporters asked Packer about the Leslie Riggs incident, he simply shrugged his shoulders and walked back to his trailer. His crew chief, Rush, had a lot more to say.

RUSH: Just disgusting what happened out there today. First, Leslie Riggs wrecks Leigh Gruell, and who gets caught up in the wreck? Oh, yeah, Packer did. What the hell was she thinking? Maybe that concussion hurt her thinking ability somewhat, because that was just plain stupid. And as if that weren't bad enough, Brenda Riggs wrecks Bruce on the frontstretch for no freaking reason, and Allie Riggs plows into the back of him! Did the Riggs family lose some IQ points recently or what, because that was just stupid on all of their parts. Not to mention that Gary DeSouza was acting like a tool holding Packer up, which put him back there to begin with. Honestly, I think ARLA could do without Mosport.

When asked why Packer had been so silent during the race and after the race, Rush had this to say...

RUSH: Packer's still very depressed about what happened at Karjala. He feels that he's not living up to Volpi's expectations, and that's bothering him a lot. He's been putting his heart and soul into this race team, and he's not gotten the return he's been expecting. On the other hand, here's guy like Rene Recarmier, driving for Gasnier, a brand new team, and he's never driven a stock car before, and in just 7 races, he has two wins. That's how screwed up this sport can be sometimes. I love it with a passion, but it can really piss me off at times, too, and this is one of those times. Hopefully, a win soon will help cheer Packer up, because I'm worried about him.

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SWEET REDEMPTION: VENTURA EARNS HIS AND VGR'S FIRST FO PODIUM, REGINA FINISHES 10TH DESPITE SPIN IN HAIRPIN, EVEN MORE CRITICAL OF JOHAANSON

In what turned out to be a wild finish in the third round of the 2011 ARLA Formula Overdrive season, the Grand Prix of Sonoma, Volpi Gravity Racing driver Ronaldo Ventura, who just missed getting his and VGR's first FO win at Watkins Glen when he tangled with the lapped car of Patrick Johaanson, enjoyed sweet redemption when he managed to avoid the carnage in the hairpin on the semi-final lap, and finished in 3rd, earning his first career podium in just his third start and also giving VGR its first podium as well. Team owner Packer Carroll, who was in town for this race (Rush's hometown, San Francisco, was not far from Sonoma), was very impressed with how Ventura managed to come back one week after the incident at Watkins Glen and earn a podium finish.

PACKER: This guy's got tremendous composure and talent. For him to come back after what happened at Watkins Glen and maintain his focus, that says a lot about him. I think he'll get win before this season is said and done.

Regina McCloud, Ventura's teammate, started in 3rd, but was involved in the hairpin mess on the next to last lap. But she managed to salvage a 10th place finish, her second top 10 in three starts and her third points finish in as many tries. However, she was very critical of Patrick Johaanson, who basically started the fun in the hairpin when he blocked leader Luke Warmwater coming to the final lap. Both Johaanson and Warmwater crashed near the pit entrance, taking Warmwater out of the win and even out of the points. Regina was furious after the race.

REGINA: Ridiciulous. I can see the first one being an accident, but twice in two straight races? Absolutely not. I don't know what Johaanson is thinking, but he needs to get his head out of his a** and quit driving like a drunken monkey out there. He's done this two weeks in a row, and it's gonna get someone killed. ARLA needs to do something, 'cause that kind of driving doesn't belong in this sport.

Regina drops to 11th in the standings, but is just 15 points behind leader Kiriki Hetsuno. Ventura jumps up to 7th in the standings, just 10 markers behind Hetsuno, with one of the big races coming up...

Decatur.

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GRI MAKES ARLA HISTORY AS GRIFFITH AND WODARCZYK SWEEPS VERDUGO

It was a historic day for the ARLA Elite Series and Gravity Racing, Inc., as GRI became the first team in history under the new twin-race format to sweep both races at an AES event.

In race 1, Anthony Griffith in the #00 was the lone GRI representative, but he started on the pole for the race. However, he didn't lead the first lap as he was passed by Laura Cyrus on the outside. He remained in second for most of the first part of the race. Then, as he attempted a pass for the lead, Griffith accidentally ran into the back of Cyrus in the problematic turn 3, a hairpin turn, and spun Cyrus from the lead. Riggs and Griffith battled for the lead down the frontstretch, and everyone knows there's no love lost between those two. Riggs would eventually take the lead.

On Lap 36, Cyrus had worked her way back up to 2nd and was about to challenge her teammate for the lead when Andy Pearson missed his braking point and slammed into the back of the #08, spinning her and causing her to get into Riggs and spin her out of the lead. Griffith would take advantage and took over the point coming to the caution. He would be unchallenged the rest of the way, leading the final 47 laps and earning his first win since Twin Ring Motegi in 2008 and the third of his career.

Before getting set for his race, team owner Packer Carroll joined Griffith in victory lane, congratulating him on getting Volpi's first win in the ARLA Elite Series.

PACKER: The #00 team needed this. They haven't been performing well since I first acquired the team from FBK Motorsports (now Grease Burger Racing), but Anthony stepped up and got the win, from the pole, no less. An awesome performance, and I hope we can duplicate this result in the second race.

In race 2, Packer would be starting in third, another great qualifying effort. Todd Wodarczyk in the #3 would start 8th, and Bruce Wilkinson would start 13th. Things didn't start well for Wilkinson, who had a flat tire early in the race. He was caught up in several turn 3 incidents and finished 23rd, 3 laps down.

In the meantime, Packer was running third behind Gary DeSouza and Leslie Riggs, when Packer made a move on Riggs going into the hairpin. A good thing he did, considering that Jacob Eichholtz came flying in and slammed into the back of the #50. Riggs would lose several spots as would Eichholtz, while Packer was now up to second. On Lap 40, with a comfortable lead, DeSouza runs into James West in the hairpin and causes some damage to his front end. He would make it back to the caution first, but had to pit for repairs, leaving Packer as the leader of the race. This is the fourth race this season that Packer has led, a far cry from a year ago when he led just 2 laps.

A while after the restart, Packer demonstrated his skill when he made what many observers called the best pass of the year when he passed three lapped cars in the hairpin. Packer's wrist was improving, and so was his confidence. A victory looked to be in sight, but with three laps left, the #71 ran out of fuel. It could've been a heartbreaking moment, but Packer responded on the radio with an "Oh, well. At least we kicked a** today."

In the meantime, Todd Wodarczyk, Packer's teammate, would inherit the lead. Crew chief Regina McCloud crunched the numbers on the #3 Volpi's fuel mileage, and decided to go for it, as the #3 team had nothing to lose at that point. The risk paid off as Wodarczyk would come back around and take his first ARLA Elite Series victory in just his second start, completing the GRI sweep of the event. Packer came home in 8th, a little disappointing after leading a career-high 40 laps, but was ecstatic about becoming the first car owner to sweep an ARLA Elite Series event since they went to the twin-race format this season.

PACKER: Awesome. I knew Todd and Anthony could get the job done, and they delivered today. I would've loved to have won the race myself, but I can't complain, because I still got to go to victory lane, not as a driver, but as an owner... twice. It's great to finally show what these Volpis can do.

All four GRI cars were parked in victory lane, and all the drivers and crews had a group photo to mark the occasion. Without a doubt, this was GRI's finest moment so far.

Despite finishing 23rd, Wilkinson moved up 2 spots in the points standings to 26th. Packer jumped 14 spots up to 33rd, and Griffith skyrockets to 31st from 53rd, gaining 22 positions.

UPDATE: After the race, ARLA assessed a 27 point penalty to Anthony Griffith for his collision with Laura Cyrus. GRI is appealing the penalty.

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GRI BROUGHT BACK DOWN TO EARTH AT BUFFALO DOWNS

After the success of Verdugo, Buffalo Downs was not a very good day for GRI.

After starting in 5th and running in the top 10 in race 1, Packer Carroll's #71 suffered a flat right rear tire going into turn 1, sending him spinning off into the tire barriers during the first part of the race. He finished 37th. Anthony Griffith and Todd Wodarczyk both had quiet runs after their wins at Verdugo last week. Wodarczyk finished 17th after starting 23rd, and Grifffith continued his string of good runs when he finished in 9th.

Things were looking good for Bruce Wilkinson in race 2, until the leader, Michael Madrigal, spun the lapped car of Dale Underwood down the backstretch. Wilkinson, with nowhere to go, hits the #03 and causes terminal damage to the #7, taking him out of 2nd place and out of the race. He finished 34th, and was furious with Madrigal after the race. Madrigal had some choice words for Wilkinson, which gained the ire of team owner Packer Carroll, who had this to say.

PACKER: Madrigal better watch what he says to my drivers, and ESPECIALLY what he says to me. Otherwise, he'll get a problem he can't handle.

Packer is currently 47th in the points standings, with Wilkinson 36th, and Griffith 32nd.

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PACKER WILLING TO COMMIT TO #1 TEAM FOR REMAINDER OF 2011

After the shocking announcement that Alexis Rainsford would be leaving to drive in the V8 Champ Car Series, Packer Carroll announced that, if team owner Cyril Volpi approves, he would be willing to fill in for Rainsford in the #1 Volpi for the races she will not be able to participate in.

Rainsford will be back in the #1 car for Indy, Japan, and Decatur, but that leaves eight races unaccounted for. Packer was gonna fill the seat at Daytona, but who would drive in the other seven races were unknown, until Packer made his announcement.

Of course, if Volpi approves, Packer may have to relinquish his plans of running in the remainder of the ARLA Elite Series schedule.

PACKER: If I have have to give up running the rest of the ARLA schedule, so be it. Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made in this sport in order to reach the big time, and this is one of those cases. My poor run at Buffalo Downs I think took us pretty much out of title contention, so that made the decision a little easier. If I can run the rest of the ARLA season and the rest of the TM Master Cup Series season, that obviously would be great, but if not, well, I've had a pretty good career in ARLA. It's gonna be difficult to leave the seat of my #71 car, whether it be now or at the end of the season, but no matter what the situation is, I'm ready to prove to Cyril Volpi that I belong in that #1 car.

As for who would replace Packer in the #71 Grape Soup Volpi...

PACKER: If I have to leave now, then Rush will fill in for me for the rest of the season. Next season, when Eric comes back from injury and returns to the #3 car, I would love to have Todd drive the #71. He's proven he is capable of winning races, as Verdugo showed. I said before that I only want the best to drive the #71 car. I think Todd fits that description.

(ooc: Finally. All relevant press releases have been transfered over here, after two hours of work. Whew. Laughing )
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Post by PackerMan71 Wed Aug 10, 2011 6:31 pm

PACKER DODGES MANY WRECKS, NOTCHES THIRD TOP 10, WHILE TEAMMATES STRUGGLE

Race #10 at Albuquerque was certainly interesting, to say the least. With a repaved surface that was brutal on tires, GRI had a somewhat positive day.

In race 1, Todd Wodarczyk was involved in the wreck between Kasie Campbell and Edwin Schwarzloski. Campbell's car came down the track after riding the wall, and there was nowhere for Wodarczyk to go. The damage to his car was terminal, and he fell out of the race, finishing 29th. Griffith finished as the first car one lap down, but came home a respectable 17th, and moves up to 31st in the points standings.

In race 2, team owner Packer Carroll started in the back, and had a pretty good view of the massive wreck that occured on Lap 4, when Jason Bates and Jason Teller get together coming off of turn 2, and a massive wreck ensued, which saw almost a quarter of the field sustain damage, and also caused a red flag. Packer managed to come to a stop, and escaped without damage. Another instance of Packer's quick thinking came on Lap 31, when Allie Riggs got loose off of turn 2, corrected, and lost control in front of championship contender Rene Recarmier, which sent the both of them into the wall and the #0 flipping down the bank. Packer managed to barely avoid the #0 by a matter of inches. Unfortunately, further down the track, Derek Dudding, who managed to avoid the wreck, gets into the outside wall on the frontstretch and gets hammered by Bruce Wilkinson, ending the #7's day early yet again. With a finish of 30th, it seems Wilkinson can't buy any luck. He has dropped to 43rd in the points standings.

In the meantime, Packer managed to steadily make his way through the field, and he earned his third top 10 of the season, finishing in 7th, moving up to 38th in the points standings.

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PACKER'S RACE AT DAYTONA ENDS IN LAP ONE CRASH

It was over before it even began for Packer. In his second race in the #1 Volpi for Volpi Racing Team, he started way in the back for the Round of Daytona, and was one of the many cars to be caught up in the big one caused by the Team SAAR USA teammates at the front of the field. Packer finished 32nd.

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PACKER TO RUN THE REMAINING AMERICAN TMMC ROUNDS, READY FOR THE ROUND OF OHIO

It has recently been confirmed that, with the exception of Indy and Decatur, Packer will run the remaining American rounds of the 2011 TM Master Cup Series season, which would be Ohio, Wisconsin, Grand Detour, and Michigan, while Divina Henton will drive the #1 in the two Canadian rounds of Quebec and British Columbia and the round of Brazil. Alexis Rainsford will return to drive at Indianapolis, Japan, and the season finale at Decatur where she will make her final farewell. Packer will still attempt to qualify for Indy and Decatur in the #28 Volpi.

But in the meantime, Packer has put a ton of focus into the upcoming TMMC race, which is taking place in his home state of Ohio. It is the first TMMC event in the Buckeye State since 2007, when Mansfield hosted the semi-final TMMC race. When he was interviewed, it was clear that this race was a big deal to him.

PACKER: This is probably, without a shadow of a doubt, the biggest race of my career. This is the first time I'm racing a TM Master Cup race in my home state, and I'm really excited. To me, a win in Ohio would be the equivalent of winning the Karjala Grand Prix. It is that big a deal to me. Anything less than a win, or a podium at the very least, this weekend would be a major disappointment.

Even Rush McCloud, Packer's business partner and crew chief, was surprised at how much focus Packer has put into this race.

RUSH: He has been looking forward to this race all year. It's obvious this race means a lot to him, so we're gonna do our very best to Packer on the podium, and hopefully, the top step. That would be the ultimate thrill.
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Post by PackerMan71 Tue Aug 16, 2011 6:57 pm

PACKER'S HOMECOMING A DISASTER

It was supposed to be the biggest race of Packer Carroll's career. Instead, it was one of his worst performances of the season.

Packer's #1 Volpi struggled from the start of the Round of Ohio, being held at the Ohio Motor Speedway short track. It only got worse for him past Lap 100, when he brought out a caution after spinning in turn 3. He managed to keep it going. On the third caution, Dan Mackay spun out going into turn three. Packer went high to avoid him, but was unsuccessful as the #20 car slammed into the left front of the #1. Packer asked on the radio, "When will this race end?" Packer finished out of the points for the second straight week.

After the race, he pulled his car into the garage and sat in the car for a good ten to fifteen minutes. His crew chief, Rush McCloud, asked him over the radio...

RUSH: You okay, Packer? Talk to me.

PACKER: I'm alright, Rush. Just give me a few minutes.

Eventually, Packer climbed out of the car and walked back to his mobile home without saying a word. When reporters interviewed Rush, he had this to say.

RUSH: He's... very depressed right now. This was a big race for him. This was his home race, and it meant a lot to him, and he feels like he let everyone down. His hometown fans, the team, Cyril Volpi, everyone. This has been a tough season for him. He's been through a lot, and it's a shame that today's race ended up this way. It's gonna be a while before he gets over this. It's gonna be an extremely bitter pill for him to swallow.

Hopefully, Packer will be in a better mood when he attempts to qualify for the 150 Laps of Dwyer endurance race.
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Post by BJ Falcon Tue Aug 16, 2011 9:27 pm

Billy Fortner gives some cheer to boost Packer's mood

From Billy Fortner, owner of the TM Lights North Series Billy Fortner, Inc. team:

"Hey, Packer, it's Billy Fortner from Billy Fortner, Inc. I know how you feel and that it sucked not finishing in the top ten in your home race. Cheer up, bud! You'll eventually get a win in 'ya. I believe in you. I know you have what it takes. Believe me, I'm not having as much luck in TMLT. I'm 100% behind you. Good luck at Dwyer. Show the ARLA crowd what you got! And when you do, you'll perhaps get redemption from this not-so-good of a race you've had."

"Believe in yourself, Pack! You're one hell of a driver that I admire. Just keep your head up high and go for it man!"

- Regards,
Billy Fortner, owner of Billy Fortner, Inc.
(TM Lights North Series)
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Post by PackerMan71 Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:18 pm

THREE OF THE FOUR GRI CARS, INCLUDING PACKER, QUALIFY FOR DWYER

The Round of Ohio was still festering in Packer Carroll's mind, but it didn't seem to affect him as he made his way into the 150 Laps of Dwyer endurance race, finishing 14th in both the Pre-Q and Main Q races. Todd Wodarczyk and Anthony Griffith also made it into the race. The only GRI car not to qualify was Bruce Wilkinson, who has had great runs this season, but has had terrible luck.

This could be a huge opportunity for Packer and Griffith. 21 of the top 40 in points failed to qualify for this race, which means that Packer and Griffith could make a HUGE gain in the points standings.

Also, Packer was seen with Alexis Rainsford and several ARLA officials. Since Chris Davenport failed to qualify, and Rainsford was to be his relief driver, Packer is appearing to be lobbying to the ARLA officials to allow Rainsford to be his relief driver, as this would've been Rainsford's last race had Davenport qualified the #27 Volpi VC02. Rush McCloud, who is scheduled to be Packer's relief driver, wouldn't mind stepping aside and allowing Rainsford to sub for Packer in the Dwyer event.

RUSH: After the Round of Ohio, Packer was pretty down in the dumps. I think teaming up with Alexis for this race would be a huge morale booster for him, considering what he has gone through this season. Hopefully, ARLA will allow this change to happen.
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Post by PackerMan71 Thu Aug 25, 2011 6:30 pm

PACKER EARNS FIRST TOP 5 TMMC FINISH AT ROAD AMERICA

After a subpar performance at Ohio, many were wondering whether or not Packer Carroll was ready to take over Alexis Rainsford's car, and Packer himself began to have doubts. He emphatically erased those doubts with an impressive performance at Road America, site of the 12th round of the TM Master Cup Series 2011 season.

After a not so good qualifying effort, Packer began to slowly climb his way through the field, although the car was not to his liking early on. But he relayed to his crew what changes were needed to make his car better, and on each pit stop, the car steadily got better and better, until he was eventually on par with the top 3 cars of Adrian Devereux, Mike Whitmore, and Chris Johaanes. Although he was never able to challenge them, Packer was able to stay out of trouble that had befallen some of his competitors, and he brought home his first top 5 finish, just one spot out of a podium in 4th, which is also his best career TMMC finish to date. Packer was thrilled with the run.

PACKER: That was a fun race, although we didn't have a good starting spot. But the crew made the car better as the race went along, and we were just as fast as the leaders at the end of the race. We just had too much of a gap to mount any kind of a challenge, but after what happened at Ohio, I'll definitely take my first top 5 finish. I would say I'm doing a good job keeping the #1 car in the lead in the owners championship.

Packer will be back in the #1 Volpi for the next round at Grand Detour, where Packer has a tremendous track record. He earned his first ARLA Q-Race win there and has a pair of top 5 finishes as well. It is also where he led his first laps in ARLA competition, so you can bet he will be looking forward to his first TMMC start there.
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Post by PackerMan71 Tue Aug 30, 2011 6:36 pm

BRAKE FAILURE ENDS PACKER'S DAY EARLY

After qualifying in 13th for the 150 Laps of Dwyer, in a special paintscheme involving Grape Soup's new flavor, Lemon-Lime, Packer Carroll was primed for a great run.

Unfortunately, he was the first car out of the race after 14 laps. Coming in for the first pitstop of the day, Packer went to slow down, but the brake pedal went to the floor, and as a result, he slammed into the back of his teammate, Todd Wodarczyk, causing terminal damage to the #71 car.

When Packer climbed out of the car, he looked underneath and saw the brake fluid dripping from underneath the car, indicating that the brakes had failed entering the pitlane. Packer promptly ripped his helmet off and slammed it into the ground.

When he was interviewed, Packer had this to say...

PACKER: It figures. We have a golden opportunity, and the brakes decide to fail on us. Now, Alexis won't get to drive my car, and that's very depressing. It seems like we can't catch a break whatsoever. (sigh) I'm just ready to give up. I don't know what we have to do to get back to victory lane.

Packer finishes last for the second time in his career, and he drops 2 positions in the standings instead of gaining positions like he was positioned to do, to 40th in the standings. Anthony Griffith and Todd Wodarczyk also had problems during the race. Griffith finished 25th and moves up to 25th in the points standings, just shy of the top 20. Wodarczyk finished 19th. Bruce Wilkinson, the only GRI car not to qualify, is 46th in the standings with 6 races to go.

Engine failure also ended Packer's day at the TM Master Cup Series Round of Grand Detour as well.
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Post by PackerMan71 Wed Sep 07, 2011 8:37 pm

PACKER QUALIFIES FOR INDY

After a good qualifying effort, starting 8th for the Main Q-Race at the TM Master Cup Series Round of Indianapolis in the #28 Lynxe Volpi, Packer Carroll stayed in mainly a conservative mode, staying out of trouble and finishing 18th, easily qualifying for the race. Packer was thrilled with the result.

PACKER: Well, hopefully, this will make up for Karjala. It was definitely on my mind during the Q-Race, but we managed to make it. We have all four Volpis in the field, so hopefully, I can do my job and score some points for Volpi in the manufacturer's championship. Of course, I also want to finish more than one lap, unlike last time.

He is referring to the 1-800-DONTBUSTPANTS 100 at Indy, which was the third race of the 2009 ARLA Elite Series season. He was involved in a wreck on Lap 1 and finished last, which severely set back his rookie season. He's hoping for a much better result this time around in one of the TM Master Cup Series' crown jewel events.

This will be Packer's tenth career Cup start, 6th of the season, and first Cup start at Indianapolis.
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Post by PackerMan71 Mon Sep 12, 2011 9:18 pm

AVERAGE DAY FOR GRI AT WALTHAM

Aside from the #3 of Wodarczyk and the #00 of Griffith involved in some fender benders, it was an average, uneventful day for Gravity Racing, Inc. In race 1, team owner Packer Carroll finished 14th, while Anthony Griffith finished 26th. In race 2, Bruce Wilkinson finished 18th, and Todd Wodarczyk finished 23rd. Griffith is now 29th in the points standings, Packer is 37th, and Wilkinson is 45th.
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Post by PackerMan71 Sat Sep 17, 2011 10:25 pm

LATE RACE ATTRITION TURNS BUST INTO POINTS FOR PACKER

After starting outside the top 30 in the Round of Indianapolis in the #28 Lynxe Volpi, Packer Carroll was not able to make much headway during the 104-lap race. But at the end, mechanical failures began to plague the top runners, and Packer was able to finish 15th, his third top 15 finish and points finish of the season, and scores 20 very valuable points for Volpi in their chase for the manufacturers championship. Packer was very surprised at the result.

PACKER: I was shocked to learn we finished 15th. The car was just not great today, and we were outside the top 25 pretty much all race long, and then at the end, we're 15th? Wow. From what Rush told me, some drivers had mechanical problems at the end of the race. Considering how long this race was, I can't say I'm surprised at that. But we managed to score some more points for Volpi. Job well done, I think.

The next race at Michigan will be Packer's final start of the season in the #1 Volpi. Divina Henton will then take over for the Canadian and Brazilian rounds.
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Post by PackerMan71 Sun Sep 25, 2011 8:43 pm

PACKER NEVER TAKES MICHIGAN GREEN FLAG DUE TO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS

In what was supposed to be Packer Carroll's final Cup start in the #1 Volpi, he never even got off of pitroad. Engine trouble kept the #1 Volpi from starting the race. Packer was a little bit frustrated.

PACKER: Man, it's been feast or famine for us this year. I've either been running at the front or having mechanical trouble. Oh, well. Just the way it goes sometimes.

Packer will attempt to qualify for Decatur in Volpi's third car at the end of the season.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

PACKER FINALLY BREAKS DROUGHT, WODARCZYK MAKES IT A SECOND SWEEP FOR GRI

For the second time this season, Gravity Racing, Inc. has swept both races of an ARLA Elite Series event this season.

Only this time, instead of Anthony Griffith and Todd Wodarczyk, it was the team owner himself, Packer Carroll, and Wodarczyk that notched their second career ARLA Elite Series victories at the Watkins Glen Twin 150K's. For Packer, it was a 2-year stretch between his Glen victory and his maiden win at Boston, while Wodarczyk has scored his 2nd win in just his 7th start, the exact same feat accomplished by Rene Recarmier this season.

In race 1, Packer matched his best career start, 2nd alongside polesitter Suijiu Dejao. Dejao was certainly no stranger to being at the front at the Glen, considering he earned his first career win at the Glen in 2009. Coming off of turn 1, Packer had a run on Dejao for the lead, but Dejao threw the block on the #71 Grape Soup Volpi several times through the Esses. Packer maintained his poise and backed off, not wanting to push the issue so early in the race. Packer's teammate, Bruce Wilkinson, started in 5th, and was eventually running right behind his car owner in third.

Just past the halfway point of the race, Packer made his move for the lead on the outside of Dejao in the final turn. It was kinda risky, as several cars that went high off the final turn had smacked the wall. Packer was able to make it stick, though, and coming into turn 1, he outbraked Dejao and took the lead coming out of the turn, finally showcasing his road course expertise.

He maintained his advantage over Dejao and CJ Cameron through the green flag pitstops, and with a comfortable advantage, cruised to his second career ARLA Elite Series victory, and he is the first owner/driver to break into victory lane in 2011 after leading 11 of the 27 laps. After a roller-coaster ride of a season, Packer was obviously excited about finally breaking through, as was evident on the radio.

PACKER: YES! FINALLY! Holy crap, I just knocked my rearview mirror off. Whoops! Laughing (OOC: Points to who can answer what I'm referencing here.)

Unfortunately, Wilkinson didn't see the end of the race. During green flag pitstops, Wilkinson stayed out to lead a lap, but wrecked the lapped car of Bigsby Foote coming out of the Esses. He wasn't able to lead a lap due to the incident, but was still in the top 10 after pitstops. But with three laps to go, he spun out in the Chicane and into the Armco, taking the #7 car out of the race. He would finish 30th.

After taking his cooldown lap, Packer stopped on the frontstretch. After grabbing the checkered flag, he attached a stilt to his right foot, and started to climb into his car. Sitting on the door, checkered flag in hand, he burned rubber all the way down the frontstetch, performing his patented Bronco Buster burnout, much to the delight of the sold-out crowd at the Glen.

Packer finally pulled his #71 Volpi into victory lane, while still sitting on the door of the car. After a victory shower from his crew, Packer was interviewed by reporters after the race.

PACKER: Finally. It's been a while, but we've finally made it back to victory lane. We've been so close this year, and we've fallen short many times, but nothing was gonna stop me today. My experience on road courses finally shined through today. But we had a tough battle with Dejao for the lead. He knows how to run this track, so getting by him wasn't easy, but we took the high line off the final turn and into turn 1, and it payed off. Once I got the lead, I didn't look back. This win... was a LONG time coming. I apologize to my fans who had to wait for so long for my second win, but we got the job done today. Now we can enjoy it. Besides, I wanted to win something before I move onto the TM Master Cup Series full time next year. I'm glad I got it today. Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019 4276145973

In race 2, Wodarczyk started about midpack, but would start making his way steadily toward the front. On Lap 16, Griffith spun out in the boot, right in front of Wodarczyk. Griffith's damage was terminal, and he would fall out in 30th, much like Wilkinson in race 1. During green flag pitstops, Jason Bates would run into Wodarczyk off the final turn, but the #3 car stayed in control, while Bates, who was actually trying to pit, missed the pitlane.

After pitstops, the #3 ZombieBusters.com pit crew, led by crew chief Regina McCloud, had a lightning fast pitstop, and it put Wodarczyk up into second place behind a damaged #65 car of Taylor Brillon. Brillon, while trying to pit, hit the #55 of AJ Young who was on her inside, forcing her to go an extra lap and causing some damage to the #65 SAAR. She was still leading after pitstops, but with the damage on her car, she was easy pickings for Wodarczyk, who easily passed Brillon for the lead coming out of the Carousel. It was clear sailing for Wodarczyk, who cruised to his second career win in just his 7th start, and completes the second sweep of an ARLA event for GRI. Packer was very impressed.

PACKER: Todd is showing that he deserves to be the wheelman of GRI's flagship car more and more every week. I think if he stays injury-free, he'll be a contender for the championship next year.

With his win, Packer jumps 12 spots in the standings to 25th, just 16 points shy of the top 20, and with the twin-race format, the top 20 in points will be honored this year at the year-end awards banquet. Griffith drops to 31st in the standings. Wilkinson, who may have suffered some injuries in his accident, drops to 49th in the standings.
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Post by PackerMan71 Sat Oct 08, 2011 2:03 pm

PACKER EARNS SECOND TOP 5 OF TM LIGHTS SEASON AT QUEBEC

Fresh off a great ARLA Elite Series win at Watkins Glen, Packer Carroll backs it up with a 4th place effort at Quebec, the 4th round of the season for the TM Lights North Division. Packer stayed clean throughout a crash-filled event.

PACKER: It seems the trouble spots on this track are turns 4 and 9. That's where most of the trouble seems to be happening. It'll be interesting to see how the Cup drivers fare at this track.

Packer also managed to lead 3 laps in the event.

With this top 5 finish, Packer moves up to 7th in the North Division standings and 14th in the overall standings, gaining a mind-boggling 42 spots in the overall championship with two races to go.
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Post by PackerMan71 Thu Oct 13, 2011 7:50 pm

GRI WITH A DECENT DAY AT DARLINGTON

After GRI's sweep of Watkins Glen, Packer Carroll and company had a decent day at the Lady in Black, Darlington, site of the 14th round of the 2011 ARLA Elite Series season.

Race 1 was uneventful for most of the event. After restarting from the fourth caution, Packer had the lead, a familiar sight after last week's triumpant return to victory lane. He led 5 laps before being passed by Taylor Brillon.

Late in the race, Todd Wodarczyk, who also scored his second career win along with Packer at the Glen, scraped the turn 1 wall and spun, unfortunately collecting his teammate and car owner in the process. The #3 was hit by another car, taking Wodarczyk out of the race. Packer managed to get away just before two groups of cars arrived, causing an even bigger pile-up. Packer managed to salvage 15th, while Wodarczyk finished 26th.

Race 2 was uneventful for both Anthony Griffith and Bruce Wilkinson. Wilkinson finished 14th, while Griffith finished 17th.

With three races to go, Packer sits 24th, just 26 points out of the top 20. Griffith is currently 33rd, and Wilkinson is in 41st.


Last edited by PackerMan71 on Wed Feb 01, 2012 12:23 am; edited 1 time in total
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Post by Electric Wolf Sat Oct 22, 2011 12:27 pm

Now that Contey's gone, who's gonna fill in the ARLA #7 and TM Lights #171?
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Post by PackerMan71 Sat Oct 22, 2011 12:39 pm

PACKER FINDS REPLACEMENT DRIVERS AFTER WILKINSON'S SUSPENSION

Gravity Racing, Inc. is back in the headlines, although not in the way they would like.

Bruce Wilkinson, who drove the #7 ARLA and #171 TM Lights Volpis for GRI, was suspended indefinitely by both organizations after he failed a random drug test. Team owner Packer Carroll had this to say.

PACKER: I really don't understand why he would be doing drugs when his career was set. It's a sad moment for GRI, but we've no choice but to move on.

As for who will replace Wilkinson in both cars, Zach Gott, who drives for GRI in the Thunder Trucks division and is the crew chief of the #00 team, will drive the #7 Volpi for the remainder of the 2011 season. In two starts in the Elite Series, Gott has a 4th and 15th. In the TM Lights, VERC driver Cameron Taylor will drive the #171 Subway Volpi for the final race of the season at Decatur.

PACKER: If Cameron does well at Decatur, I might consider him for that TM Lights car for next season.

In other news, rumors are circulating that Packer has contacted Shane Lake about a possible drive next season. These rumors are yet to be confirmed nor denied by either party.
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Post by PackerMan71 Sun Oct 23, 2011 7:56 pm

SHANE LAKE TO GRAVITY RACING, INC.: CONFIRMED

It has been a busy week for Gravity Racing, Inc. After the shocking announcement regarding Bruce Wilkinson failing a random drug test conducted by both ARLA and TM Lights, team owner Packer Carroll was hard at work searching for the drivers that would fill the open spots on his team next season. The 7 and 00 (soon to be 171) in ARLA, and the 71 and 171 in the TM Lights were in need of capable drivers. For the #7 team, that search is over.

There had been rumors that Packer had been in talks with Shane Lake, who currently drives the 82D car for Pearson-Sweeney Motorsports. The rumors were indeed true, and as it turns out, the contract has been signed: Shane Lake will drive the #7 Sub-Zero Energy Drink Kivett Spade next season, with possibly some addition assistance from Lake's restaurant chain, Dawgfather's Bar and Grill. Packer made this announcement in a press release just moments ago.

PACKER: All of us at Gravity Racing, Incorporated are pleased to announce that Shane Lake will be the driver of the #7 Kivett Spade for the 2012 season. I believe with our equipment, he can finally get that elusive maiden win next year... that is, if he doesn't get it this year first. Laughing Also, we thank Shane for bringing his restaurant business, Dawgfather's Bar and Grill, into the GRI family as well. Hopefully, 2012 will be a very productive year for both of us.

Packer is still scouting drivers for his other three rides, although he has said depending on how well he does at the TM Lights Decatur Grand Prix, Cameron Taylor could be selected to drive the #171 Subway Volpi next year. Packer has also stated that he would like to have at least one female driver on his ARLA roster for next season.

Speaking of TM Lights, Packer finished 7th at the Round of British Columbia. His shot at the overall championship is very slim, but a top 10 or even a top 5 points finish is a very real possibility.


Last edited by PackerMan71 on Sun Dec 11, 2011 1:09 pm; edited 3 times in total
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Post by DAWGFATHER Mon Oct 24, 2011 10:20 am

Shane Lake comments on new ride for next season

Shane Lake took a few questions after the announcement that he is going to GRI next season

Shane, how will next year compare to this one?

"Well Im hoping to get a Win thats for damn sure. *laughs* Seriously GRI has some one the best equipment out there for sure in the top 5 overall and Im hoping to really bring that 7 team to the front."

Will DAWGFATHER's have a primary sposnorship role at all next season?

"We'll see. Pack-man and I have a couple of small things to iron out but Dawgfathers will be on the car atleast in an associate role next season."

Alot of people are speculating that this move was done only because of Wilkerson's failed drug test. what are your thoughts?

"Well its a shame someone has to be dumb enough to use drugs to race but I'm sure Packer woulda got a hold of me for either other open car for next season. Im just hoping 2012 I can bring GRI a great season and maybe even the title."
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Post by PackerMan71 Mon Oct 24, 2011 9:28 pm

GRI WITH A DECENT DAY AT APPLETON, PACKER FINALLY CRACKS TOP 20

After the signing of Shane Lake to Gravity Racing, Inc. for next season, all four teams were looking forward to Appleton's Fright Nite event.

In race 1, Zach Gott, who was driving the #7 car, and Anthony Griffith were running in the top 10 near the late stages of the race, while Packer Carroll was running at the back with a very loose car. But, with a handful of laps remaining, about half the field, including Gott and Griffith, had to pit for fuel. Packer managed to stay out and somehow salvaged a 10th place finish out of what had been a not so good day. Despite pitting for fuel, Gott and Griffith managed to finish 14th and 15th.

In race 2, Wodarczyk was running in the top 10 midway through the race, but ran into the lapped 610 car, causing the fifth caution of the day. Several other cars were involved. Wodarczyk would finish the race one lap down in 24th.

With two races to go, Anthony Griffith is currently 29th in the points standings, while Packer has finally managed to crack the top 20 in points, currently in 20th.
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Post by PackerMan71 Sun Nov 20, 2011 3:35 pm

RACHEL RAINSFORD TO GRAVITY RACING, INC.: CONFIRMED

After being in talks with Motor Assault Racing for the past week or so, it has now been confirmed: Rachel Rainsford, the older sister of 2-time TM Master Cup Series champion Alexis Rainsford, has been signed to drive the #171 Dublin Downs Casino and Resort Kivett Spade for Gravity Racing, Inc. for the 2012 ARLA Elite Series season. Team owner Packer Carroll made this announcement just a few minutes ago.

PACKER: Everyone here at Gravity Racing, Inc. would like to welcome Rachel Rainsford to the #171 team. Hopefully, we'll be able to provide the spark that reignites Rachel's career, and we'll do whatever it takes to get Rachel into victory lane next year.

With Rainsford's signing, GRI's 2012 ARLA Elite Series roster is now set. The only seats left in question are the TM Lights #71 and #171, which may be occupied by rising stars Casey Lester and Cameron Taylor.
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Post by PackerMan71 Fri Nov 25, 2011 5:15 pm

ANOTHER AVERAGE DAY FOR GRI AT DECATUR

It seems that Packer Carroll can't get the hang of Decatur in ARLA, and it continued again for the third straight season.

Packer started back in 31st, and really couldn't make much ground during the 20-lap race. He finished 23rd, which unfortunately drops him 11 points out of the top 20 in 21st place.

His teammates also had fairly average days. Zach Gott finished 21st in the #7 Volpi, the first time he has finished outside the top 15. Anthony Griffith finished 12th, and moves to within 45 points of the top 20, currently in 28th. Todd Wodarczyk finished 13th in his race.

Next week, in the season finale at Rockford, GRI will enter six cars into the event. In addition to their four full-time teams, GRI has entered two one-off teams. Rush McCloud, the defending champion of the Rockford 200, will make his return, once again driving the #171 Volpi, now sponsored by Uncle Chunky's Milk for this event. Zach Gott was scheduled to run the #71z at Rockford, but after being moved into the #7, left the seat open. It will be filled by super late model driver Isaac Lightener, who hails from the New England area. The #71z will be sponsored by Dublin Downs Casino and Resort for the Rockford 200, before it will move over to sponsor the #171 Volpi next season, which will be driven by Rachel Rainsford.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Spoiler:


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Post by PackerMan71 Sat Nov 26, 2011 6:19 pm

TWO IN A-MAIN, TWO IN B-MAINS, TWO ARE OUT; GOTT WILLING TO GIVE UP HIS SEAT FOR HIS CAR OWNER

Six cars from Gravity Racing, Inc. were entered into the Rockford 200. Two managed to make it into the A-Main: the #00 of Anthony Griffith, and the #7 of Zach Gott. Two made it into the B-Mains: defending Rockford 200 champion Rush McCloud in the #171, and Isaac Lightener in the #71z. The other two failed to qualify: Todd Wodarczyk in the #3, and Packer Carroll in the #71. It seemed like Packer would have to wait to reach his milestone 50th career start... or so he thought. In a press conference after the heats had concluded, Gott stated that if the ARLA officials approved, he would give up his seat in the #7 car for Packer, who would've been making his final full-time start in ARLA.

ZACH: Why would I give up my spot in ARLA's most prestigious race for Packer? Because without him, this team would not be where it is today. He built this organization from the ground up, and he deserves to end his ARLA run with a bang, and it would be criminal if he wasn't allowed to start his 50th race, all as an owner/driver. In today's racing world, that is an incredible achievement. He's done a lot for my career, and I want to return the favor. I don't think any of the other drivers and owners would disagree with me. Very Happy

Packer was touched by Zach's willingness to give him the #7 car to drive at Rockford.

PACKER: He's a good man. He's willing to give up his spot in one of the biggest races of the year, just for the sake of helping me reach a milestone. I owe him a debt of gratitude, and I intend to repay it. Cool

We will update once ARLA reaches a decision.
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Post by PackerMan71 Sat Nov 26, 2011 7:48 pm

GRI RECEIVES WORD FROM ARLA: CAR SWAP GIVEN GREEN LIGHT

After Zach Gott made the announcement that if allowed, he would give his spot in the Rockford 200 to team owner Packer Carroll, which would give the popular owner/driver his milestone 50th career start in the ARLA Elite Series, this was the official word from ARLA a few minutes ago...

ARLA Officials: Teams may swap cars

After receiving a few inquiries, especially by Patriot Racing and Gravity Racing, Inc., ARLA officials clarified that teams would be allowed to swap out their own cars in the mains.

While this practice is not actively encouraged, it has been allowed in the past.

Packer had this to say.

PACKER: Thanks to ARLA for making this decision, and especially thanks to Zach for giving me his spot in the race. He certainly didn't have to do it, but I am very grateful, and I will do my best to put on one hell of a show. Going out in a blaze of glory. Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019 4276145973

This will be Packer's final full-time start in ARLA competition, although he may start in one or two races next season on a part-time basis. He leaves for his first full season in the TM Master Cup Series next season, driving for the Volpi Racing Team as he guns for Rookie of the Year honors.
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Post by Electric Wolf Sat Nov 26, 2011 7:55 pm

Casey Lester: Major props to Zach Gott on that act of generosity. Similar to what Preston Bell did to backmarker Chris Benson in the PCC Cup Series a while back. Packer really deserves iit, though. Let's hope he goes out in style as I'll be watching for Patrick Johannson to try and make it into the Rockford 200.
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Post by PackerMan71 Sun Dec 11, 2011 12:05 pm

PACKER BARELY FINISHES IN TOP 32, WILL RACE IN THE DECATUR GRAND PRIX, AND WILL DONATE DECATUR WINNINGS TO SCOTT HAMILTON'S FAMILY

It was certainly a close shave, but with a 29th place finish in the main Q-Race, Packer Carroll will be racing in his second Decatur Grand Prix. He breathed a sigh of relief when he was interviewed by reporters.

PACKER: Whew. That was a bit closer than what I would've liked, but we made it in, and that's all that matters. Making two out of the big three this year, that's pretty damn good. Hopefully next year, we'll be able to finally make the Karjala Grand Prix.

When asked about his recent argument with PSI owner Will Power about the Anthony Griffith incident with Allie Riggs, Packer had this to say.

PACKER: (Sigh) The media has blown this way out of proportion. I have nothing against Will Power or his organization. The only thing that I was trying to get across with my tweet is that maybe Will was making a bigger deal out of the Griffith/Riggs deal than what is necessary, that's all.

Packer has also stated that much like he did in 2009, when he donated his Decatur winnings to charity to help with the Haiti earthquake tragedy, he will donate his 2011 Decatur winnings to Scott Hamilton's family as a tribute to the late Xenos driver, who was killed in an accident at the Round of Brazil on the 32nd lap.

In addition to the Cup Decatur Grand Prix, Packer still has the TM Lights Decatur Grand Prix to compete in. He is currently 13th in the overall points standings, 57 points behind Lorne Roth, meaning that while it's a VERY LONG shot, Packer is still mathematically eligible to win the TM Lights championship. He would have to win the race and hope that his main competitors in front of him stumble, and with the mixing of all the divisions together, it will definitely jumble up the points standings. In addition, Packer is currently 5th in the North Division standings, 52 points behind North Division leader and overall runner-up driver Chris Davenport.
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Post by PackerMan71 Mon Dec 19, 2011 8:49 pm

PACKER JUST MISSES TOP 10, FINISHES 11TH IN FINAL FULL-TIME ARLA START, WILL BE ON STAGE AT THE BANQUET

It's not exactly how Packer Carroll envisioned his full-time stint in the ARLA Elite Series would end, but he'll take it.

After starting the 2011 Rockford 200 in the 10th position in what would be his 50th career start, Packer would be back and forth in the running order all night. However, he almost turned the championship upside-down when he made contact with championship leader Kevin Monroe on Lap 82 going into turn 1. Packer was apologetic about the incident after the race.

PACKER: That was not intentional on my part. The last thing I wanted to do was affect the outcome of the championship. I saw that I was three-wide with the 9 and Monroe, and I tried giving Monroe as much room as I could, and the next thing I knew, I was on the apron, and there's not much grip down there. Thankfully, it didn't do too much to his car.

Packer was involved in another incident on Lap 191 with Ike Durbin while battling for position in turn 4. The car took some lumps, but was not too badly damaged, and Packer kept going. He eventually finished in 11th position.

Despite missing one race (Alaska), Packer would finish 16th in the final points standings, and due to the fact that the top 20 finishers are now honored at the awards banquet due to the new twinbill format, this will be Packer's second consecutive points trophy.

PACKER: It was a good season overall. Of course, I've been through more adversity than the law should allow, but I'm happy. I got that second win at Watkins Glen, we had four wins this year, I got myself another points trophy. It's been a great time here in the ARLA Elite Series. I'm gonna miss this, but I've got a bright future ahead of me. Look out, TM Master Cup Series. 2012 is gonna kick a**. Cool

Packer had 1 win, 2 top 5s, 5 top 10s, and led 73 laps in 2011.

As for Anthony Griffith, he fell just 2 points shy of the top 20 in 23rd position.
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Post by PackerMan71 Wed Dec 28, 2011 10:41 pm

PACKER FINISHES 20TH IN TM LIGHTS FINALE AND POINTS STANDINGS, 8TH IN THE NORTH DIVISION, NAMES DRIVERS OF HIS TM LIGHTS TEAMS

After another mid-pack performance at Decatur in the TM Lights season finale, Packer Carroll announced the drivers of the #71 and #171 for 2012.

In the #171 will be Casey Lester, and in the #71 will be GRI crew chief of the #00 Elite Series team, Zach Gott.

Packer finished 20th in the race and the final overall points standings, and he finished 8th in the North Division standings.
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Post by PackerMan71 Sat Dec 31, 2011 7:17 pm

PACKER FINISHES 13TH AT DECATUR GRAND PRIX

After starting 25th alongside his longtime rival Brian Sendack, Packer Carroll, who was driving the #27 Alexisports entry, swapping rides for this one race with Chris Davenport, who would be in the #28, Packer had a fairly quiet run, similar to the 2009 running of Decatur. He had a slightly better finish this time around, finishing in 13th place, one spot behind the owner of the #27 car, Alexis Rainsford.

After climbing out, Packer went over to Alexis and shook hands with her. Rainsford's 12th place finish was enough to earn the #1 VRT team it's second consecutive TM Master Cup Series Owner's Championship, although this year was a little different as they used three different drivers during the season: Rainsford, Packer, and Divina Henton all drove the #1 Volpi at some point during the season. Rainsford earned 390 points, which gave her a fourth place finish in the driver standings. Packer earned 62 points while in the #1 car, 96 in total for the season, and Henton earned 16 points in the #1. The 476 point total was enough to edge the #26 Hodges-Walter Racing team by 13 points.

Packer was thrilled, knowing he had a hand in earning Volpi it's second owner's title.

PACKER: It's a pretty cool feeling, knowing that my contributions to the #1 team were enough to win them the owner's title. Alexis did most of the work, but my 2 top 10's and Divina's 16 points helped get the job done. Hopefully, at this time next year, I'll be hoisting the big trophy. Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019 215644238

Packer will begin his first full-time season in the TM Master Cup Series next year, driving the #2 Volpi VC04. Maia and Lego will be the primary sponsors.

As for his teammate, Divina Henton was selected to drive the #6 Volpi, which will be sponsored by Lynxe. Many experts were surprised that Volpi chose Henton over Chris Davenport, but Volpi felt that maybe Henton would be a better fit as a teammate to Packer, who certainly has a lot of experience in the leadership role being the owner of GRI.

With a very adversity filled and busy 2011 finally behind him, Packer can now put his sole focus into driving the TM Master Cup Series. His attention had been divided between various leagues over the past couple of seasons, and yet he was still successful. With his full attention now on the 2012 TMMC campaign, we could be seeing a lot of Packer Carroll next season.

--------------------------------------------------

2011 SEASON COMPLETE


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Post by navycook75 Sat Dec 31, 2011 7:25 pm

wait....are you sure you don't have Chassis points and Team points confused? beacause Chassis points is for just one car, Team points is I think the Owners Championship, where VRT finished 4th.....
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Post by PackerMan71 Sat Dec 31, 2011 8:47 pm

navycook75 wrote:wait....are you sure you don't have Chassis points and Team points confused? beacause Chassis points is for just one car, Team points is I think the Owners Championship, where VRT finished 4th.....

The team points are basically like the manufacturer's championship, much like in Formula 1, because it combines the point totals from both cars (or in some cases, three cars depending on if that team's third car qualified and scored points in one of the big events) on that team, and there's only one manufacturer per full-time team. In this case, FLASH Racing and Ingelsby would be the Manufacturer's Champion.

The chassis points denote each INDIVIDUAL car's performance, much like in NASCAR. Since the #1 car scored the most points among all the cars (despite using three different drivers), then they can be considered the winner of the Owner's Championship (of course, Cyril Volpi would be recognized as the owner's champion since he owns the #1 car, but the drivers get a mention as well. Gravity Racing, Incorporated News & Announcements 2019 215644238 )

Hopefully, that clears it up for ya. Wink
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Post by PackerMan71 Wed Feb 22, 2012 7:35 pm

2012 SEASON
---------------------------------------------------------

THREE OF THE FOUR GRI CARS SUSTAIN DAMAGE, ONLY RAINSFORD FALLS OUT, WHILE JACKSON COMES BACK TO A TOP TEN RUN

After the Smash Beer 400 was postponed due to a tornado that hit the track the day before and caused significant damage to the Dallas Speedpark, the 2012 season opener was at Daytona, an event full of unknowns, as this was the first time that ARLA would use the super late model bodies, and what kind of aerodynamic effect would the cars have on superspeedways. Early on in both races, it looked much like the restrictor plate races of years past, but much to everyone's surprise, as the races progressed, it quickly became a race where handling was key, and drivers could make passes by themselves without drafting help, although the draft was still a big part of the race.

Race #1 saw three of the four Gravity Racing, Inc. cars in the running. The #71 of Todd Wodarczyk, the #171 of Rachel Rainsford, and the #3 of Eric Jackson, returning to the #3 car after his near-fatal crash at Alberta last year ended his 2011 season. None of the GRI cars qualified well in both races. Jackson started 28th, Wodarczyk 29th, and Rainsford 34th. Shane Lake, driving the #7, would start 31st in race #2.

Wodarczyk had a close call early on when, while running near the midpack, his car pushed up the track off of turn 2, but he regained control. However, on Lap 29, the big crash happened when Scott Morales was hooked into the backstretch wall by Lucas Sweeney. Wodarczyk sustained right front damage but kept going, while Rachel Rainsford opted for the grass, but was hit by the #6 of Kiriki Hetsuno, causing the #171 Kivett to go out of the race. Eric Jackson managed to avoid the big wreck.

Jackson managed to run up in the top 5 late in the race, but fell back when the handling began faltering on the #3 ZombieBusters.com Kivett, but he held on to finish 8th. Wodarczyk, despite front end damage, would finish just 1 lap down in 22nd. Rainsford finished 39th, and since she did not make it to the finish, she received 0 points under ARLA's new rule that a car has to take the checkered flag in order to receive championship points, which makes finishing a race even more important than ever before.

In race #2, Shane Lake was having a quiet run when he received damage to his #7 Kivett trying to avoid the spinning cars of Bigsby Foote and Benji Flynn on Lap 10. He just clipped the 14 car and received some damage. After a fairly quiet run, Lake finished in 21st.

After 1 race, Eric Jackson is the highest of the GRI armada in the points, currently in 16th.
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Post by PackerMan71 Sun Feb 26, 2012 1:14 am

GRI SCALES BACK TO ONE CAR IN TM LIGHTS DUE TO THE SERIES DOWNSIZING

With the TM Lights Series scaling down the number of entrants in 2012, Gravity Racing, Inc. has scaled back its Lights program to just one car, the #71, with Zach Gott remaining behind the wheel. Unfortunately, this meant that Casey Lester was left without a ride.

PACKER: I want to apologize to Casey for this turn of events, but the TM Lights officials only approved one car for us, and I promised to pay Zach back for his contributions at Rockford. Hopefully, we can have Casey drive for us in the near future, but circumstances dictated this move.

The #71 Bolden will be sponsored by Subway for the 2012 season.
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Post by Electric Wolf Sun Feb 26, 2012 2:03 am

Casey Lester: I understand the circumstances of my release from the TM Lights. I don't put any blame on Packer for what happened, but I am quite disappointed that I can't run the TM Lights in 2012. I wish all the best for Packer in his endeavors in the TM Master Cup, ARLA Elite and TM Lights Series' efforts.
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Post by PackerMan71 Sun Feb 26, 2012 1:45 pm

ERIC JACKSON SURVIVES TALLADEGA RACE 1 SLUGFEST, HAS NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT AFTER LAP 50 CRASH FORCES ARLA TO CALL EVENT

In what was certainly the wildest race of the season thus far, the Radii Radiators 300 at Talladega SuperSpeedway certainly had its fair share of accidents. GRI driver Eric Jackson, the only one of the GRI armada in Race 1, managed to avoid all of the major accidents that occured in the 57-lap event. But the race was called and the results wiped when an accident on Lap 50 saw the M-Pire machine of Mark Freestone hit the inside wall at a bad angle, then slid back up onto the track in turn 3 and was struck in the passenger's side by the #500 of Mike Andrews, sending the M-Pire car up into the catchfence. Severe injuries were expected for Freestone, who was rushed to a local hospital. There is currently no word on his condition.

GRI team owner Packer Carroll was not at Talladega this week, as he was preparing for the TM Master Cup Series 2012 season opener at Las Vegas. When he learned of what happened, he had this to say.

PACKER: Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mark Freestone's family and friends, and we hope for the best for him. But I agree with Will Power in that they should not have wiped the race results, because it made the running of the race completely meaningless, and all it did was cost the teams a lot of money. They should've called the race, but kept the results, and allowed race 2 to happen. Some of these teams can't afford this kind of thing to happen again.

As a result of the race being cancelled, the points remain the same.
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Post by PackerMan71 Tue Mar 06, 2012 11:48 pm

PACKER'S FIRST FULL-TIME START GOES BUST WITH RUN-IN WITH DWYER

In Packer Carroll's first full-time start with the Volpi Racing Team, he qualified in the 7th position, a pretty good start to his 2012 season. Eventually, he charged up to the front and led his first lap in TM Master Cup Series competition.

However, his run was spoiled when Team SAAR USA driver Kevin Dwyer, who tangled with Packer earlier in the race, hooked the #2 MaiaSoft Volpi on the frontstretch, and both the #2 and #72 went into the inside wall hard. Both cars kept going, but with significant damage, and Packer's crew chief, Rush McCloud, was furious on the radio, calling for the #72 to be penalized.

On the final caution, on the backstretch, Packer moved up to the wall to get a run into turn 3, and turned into the front of Anthony Griffith's #08 car, sending the #2 for a spin. Packer would finish 29th, out of the points, leading 1 lap.

Packer talked with reporters after the race regarding the incident with Dwyer.

PACKER: I'm not sure what the heck happened. I don't know if he intentionally turned into me or he pushed up. Whatever it was, the end result's the same: we ended up with a torn up race car. This car was fast today. We could go from the back to front as many times as we wanted. It's just a shame it ended up like it did today. But I'm actually looking forward to going to Road Atlanta next week, for obvious reasons. Wink

When asked about the incident with Anthony Griffith...

PACKER: I derped, plain and simple. Spotter said the outside was clear, but Anthony was coming a little quicker than we anticipated. Whoops. Embarassed

Packer starts his first full-time season 21st in the points standings with 0 points.

----------------------------------------------------
RUSH RESPONDS TO DWYER COMMENT

After the 2012 Round of Las Vegas, Team SAAR USA driver Kevin Dwyer had this to say about his incident with Packer Carroll...

Kevin Dwyer wrote:Yeah, now I know why Brian Sendack doesn't like the guy. Packer ran me straight into the damn wall. Good thing he owns his own ARLA team, because if he keeps driving the way he does, that'll be the only team that will let him drive.

When crew chief Rush McCloud heard this comment, he fired back at the son of Benny Dwyer.

RUSH: Typical Team Saar USA bitching. Kevin Dwyer thinks Packer ran him into the wall. So he thinks wrecking him is justified? Please. That guy only got to where he is because of his last name, but I'll tell you this: He's not his father. Compared to what Packer has done the last three years, Kevin hasn't done jack squat. In my opinion, he's just an overrated piece of dog shit.


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Post by PackerMan71 Thu Mar 08, 2012 6:50 pm

ZACH GOTT'S TM LIGHTS DEBUT GOES BUST AFTER RUN-IN WITH JIM HAYES

After three seasons in the ARLA Thunder Trucks, Zach Gott made his debut in the big leagues, making his first career start in the TM Lights Series at Las Vegas, the first round of the 2012 season, driving for a familiar team, Gravity Racing, Inc. in the #71 Subway Bolden.

After starting 17th, Gott was back and forth in the running order until the first caution on Lap 33. Then, during pitstops, Jim Hayes in the #07 Team Thunder machine doorchecked Gott in the door not once, but twice.

During the next caution on Lap 68, Gott hit the back of the #07 car, obviously not happy about Hayes' earlier antics. Gott would finish 31st.

When asked what happened between himself and Hayes, Gott had this to say...

ZACH: Hell yes, I hit him under that 2nd caution, 'cause I didn't appreciate the way he was slamming into me under that first yellow. I'm trying my damndest to race as clean as I can, and he goes and does that? That's just something I'm not gonna tolerate. If the officials want to penalize me, so be it. I just wanted to make my feelings known.

As for getting ready for Road Atlanta next week...

ZACH: Not looking forward to it. My skill on road courses is not that good, so hopefully we'll be able to come out of that race with a halfway decent finish and some points.

Zach Gott is currently tied for 21st with 0 points.
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Post by PackerMan71 Fri Mar 09, 2012 8:45 pm

GOTT SURVIVES RUMBLE AT ROAD ATLANTA, EARNS FIRST POINTS OF THE SEASON

After a disappointing start to his TM Lights career, Zach Gott was not looking forward to the next stop on the schedule, at Road Atlanta. Road courses were not his bread and butter.

But apart from a run-in with defending TM Lights champion Thurston Blood midway through the race, and having to pit for fuel late, Gott managed to bring home a 13th place finish, giving him his first points of the season. Zach was very pleased with the result.

ZACH: That was better than I thought I was gonna perform. I had to dodge some spinning cars along the way, but we made it through pretty much okay. And we got some points to show for it, so that's great. Can't wait for Carbondale, 'cause those are more my style tracks. Very Happy

Of course, there are two events in particular that Gott is looking forward to as well: Piqua and Ohio Motor Speedway, both of which are home events for both Zach and Gravity Racing, Inc.

Gott remains 21st in the points standings, 64 points out of the lead.


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Post by PackerMan71 Fri Mar 16, 2012 3:16 pm

PACKER GETS DAMAGE IN INCIDENT WITH ASHBY AND BATES, FINISHES OUT OF THE POINTS YET AGAIN

Round 2 of the 2012 TM Master Cup Series season was at Road Atlanta, an event Packer Carroll was looking forward to due to it being a road course. After starting in 13th, things were looking good for Packer to get his first points of the season. However, things went sour very quickly.

Early on, Zelda Ashby spun the #88 of Scott Bates. Packer tried to avoid the spinning car, but got clipped in the left front. The damage hampered Packer's car for the rest of the race, and he eventually finished 1 lap down, out of the points yet again. Packer was visibly frustrated as he got out of the car.

PACKER: (sigh) Yet another opportunity wasted.

With two races down, Packer has yet to earn any points, while his teammate, Divina Henton, scored her first podium of her career at Road Atlanta and is currently 4th in the points standings. Should Packer be worried this early in the season? Crew chief Rush McCloud said it's not time to panic just yet.

RUSH: It's a bit early to hit the panic button right now. With the way this points system works, all it takes is one victory to get right back into championship contention.

He'll be hoping that victory will come at the next event, Carbondale.
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Post by PackerMan71 Mon Mar 19, 2012 3:36 am

AVERAGE ARLA DAY FOR GRI AT CARBONDALE

At the short track in Carbondale, site of the third round of the 2012 ARLA Elite Series season, it was a fairly average day for Gravity Racing, Inc.

Eric Jackson had a fairly quiet day, finishing 21st in Race 1. He is currently 21st in points.

Things didn't go so well for GRI's flagship team. On the first caution, Jessica Graham blew her motor, and while pulling down to the bottom to get to the pits, pulled down right in front of Todd Wodarczyk in the #71. He was then hit by several other cars and sent for a roll. He was fine but his race was over. Team owner Packer Carroll, who was sitting on the pitbox watching the race, threw his arms up in disgust. He was in Carbondale this weekend due to all three major stock car series being at Carbondale this weekend for a triple-header special. Wodarczyk would finish last, and dropped to 67th in points.

Midway through the race, Shane Lake was involved in an incident with Trey Ashby, but both cars continued on. Lake would finish 22nd, and is currently 33rd in points. Rachel Rainsford would score the best finish of GRI on the day, the first car 1 lap down in 11th. She is currently 49th in points.

Next up for the ARLA teams: the first road course of the season at Road America.
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Post by PackerMan71 Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:47 pm

DESPITE FINISHING 1 LAP DOWN, GOTT NOTCHES FIRST TOP TEN OF HIS SEASON & CAREER

After getting by Road Atlanta with some points, GRI driver Zach Gott was looking forward to racing at Carbondale, which is more his style track. It wasn't a great performance, as he finished 1 lap behind winner Nathan Ferguson, but it was good enough for his first career TM Lights top ten finish, 10th.

ZACH: I was hoping for a little more, but it's my first top ten in the Lights, so I'll take that. Of course, just a top ten next week isn't gonna be good enough for us. We want to win.

He of course is talking about the next TM Lights event at Piqua, one of two tracks in Ohio that the TM Lights Series will visit in 2012, and being that Gott and GRI reside in the Buckeye State, this is one of the big events of the season for the organization.

With his 10th place finish, Gott moves up to 17th in the TM Lights points standings.
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Post by PackerMan71 Sat Mar 31, 2012 7:07 pm

PACKER EARNS FIRST POINTS OF THE SEASON AT CARBONDALE

It took to the third round of the 2012 TM Master Cup Series season, but Volpi driver Packer Carroll finally scores points, at the Round of Carbondale, although he was a little disappointed with a 14th place finish after starting in 3rd and running in the top 5 for much of the event.

PACKER: Pit strategy got us. A lot of cars stayed out and it cost us a lot of track position, so I'm a little bummed that we only got a 14th out of it. Still, it's our first points of the season, so we have a little momentum heading into the European tour.

When asked about whether or not the Hodges-Walter cars might have an advantage that might be against TMMC regulations, Packer only said this...

PACKER: I would be surprised if they didn't have anything illegal. They do seem to be awfully fast this early in the season.

Packer is currently 28th in the points standings.
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