Mooresville, North Carolina, (May 21, 2009) - TRG Motorsports has signed Charter Air Transport as an associate sponsor on the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet Impala SS starting this weekend at the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Charter Air Transport will help the team get the next races at Dover International Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Michigan International Speedway.
The Cleveland, Ohio based Charter Air Transport operates a fleet of fuel efficient Embraer 120 Brasilia turboprop planes as well as Citation private jet air craft, offering an affordable solution to team transport.
"Charter Air Transport, Inc. is thrilled to be a sponsor for TRG Motorsports and David Gilliland" Mike Hoyle, president and CEO said. "We are pleased that our 30-passenger aircraft are the right solution for the No. 71 team's travel to and from the Dover, Pocono, and Michigan Sprint Cup races. We are excited to have the CharterAirTransport.com logo on the car and look forward to flying everyone from TRG Motorsports safely and efficiently in the coming weeks."
Charter Air Transport familiarized themselves with the team through David Gilliland's web site.
"It is nice that my web site was a conduit for Charter Air Transport to form a relationship with the team," Gilliland said. "Having the right flight service in NASCAR makes life so much easier. I am looking forward to our first ride to Dover."
Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, is proud to have Charter Air Transport onboard.
"The movement of the team is one of the most important aspects of NASCAR racing," Buckler said. "The wear-and-tear on the human aspect of the team is very grueling when you are running 38 weekends a year. The availability of the Charter Air Transport fleet makes working in the series that much easier. We are looking forward to our first ride to Dover in one week and to our new partnership."
Founded in 1997, Charter Air Transport, Inc., a subsidiary of Business Aircraft Group, Inc., which provides aircraft management and charter on our fleet of 30-seat airliners and 9-seat business jets. With a "Gold" rating from ARG/US, our team of aviation and travel experts supports the private air travel needs of individuals and groups in the United States and throughout the world. Visit us on the web at www.charterairtransport.com.
TRG Motorsports is based in Mooresville, North Carolina. Currently the team fields a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry as well as a Camping World Truck Series effort and an ARCA RE/MAX Series team. The Racer's Group was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of sports car racing. TRG's Porsche sports car program is run out of the company's headquarters in Petaluma, California. The team has the most wins of any team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series with 27, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona (three) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
For more information please contact Kyle Chura at (248) 821-0468 or chura@aol.com. Detailed team info can be viewed at www.trgmotorsports.comand www.theracersgroup.com.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
TRG Motorsports Signs Charter Air Transport on 71
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
David Poole: The Passing of a Voice of NASCAR!
There are certain people in my beloved world of NASCAR who have impacted me on a personal level, without ever meeting one on one. David Poole, Charlotte Observer beat writer and Sirius The Morning Drive co-host, is one such person.
I listened, stunned and in shock, when I tuned into Sirius Speedway, and heard a grieving Mike Bagley discussing the sudden passing of his partner and good friend, David Poole. Mr. Poole died today from a massive heart attack shortly after the conclusion of his morning radio show. Becoming very emotional myself, I listened to the memories and tributes to Mr. Poole for the rest of the afternoon, quietly wiping away tears in the midst of my spreadsheets and reports for work.
David Poole was a media man who was known for being a grumpy ole curmudgeon. Once you got past his gruff exterior, and really studied his arguments, you realized that not only could he turn a pretty phrase, he came to work armed with the research to back up his arguments. Quite frequently, I would disagree with what he wrote, and would go and do my own research, only to find that Poole's points were logical and well made. Indeed, he frequently changed my mind on individual subjects, but even more importantly, I changed the way I viewed NASCAR because of his influence.
That same curmudgeon had a heart of gold. He adored his grandson Eli, and he went out of his way to create the Pennies for Wesa charity. Today, we heard stories from fans who told David of their own challenges, and how David went out of his way to help them. And those who knew David best, his peers, would claim that David would be mortified to know that he was being revealed to be a soft touch.
Mr. Gruff also had a subtle yet devilish sense of humor. It came out the most during his weekly 'Dramatic Reads' where David would take pop music and read the lyrics with the attempted flair of a Shakespearean actor. His attempts would be enhanced by the outbursts of laughter and wheezing from his co-host, Mike Bagley. Listeners knew with certainty that he was planning his reads with Mr. Bagley's reaction in mind.
David will be missed, not only for his holding NASCAR accountable for their decisions, but for providing so many thought-provoking subjects, and for making me laugh. It will be sad tomorrow, to listen to his show, and to the many members of NASCAR who will be giving tribute to a great writer, a great critic, and a great man.
Service information, charity information, and family information.
The Best of David's articles.
David's blog, Life in the Turnlane
Post your condolences.
(photo and links courtesy of ThatsRacin.com)
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Meandering among the Marbles!
Random thoughts and mutterings from Saturday afternoon of Talledage weekend!
NASCAR Nextel Sprint Cup-Talladega
- My driver David Gilliland made it into the race. Watching the Non-top 35 qualifications as a fan is almost as stressful as it has to be for the driver, crew chief and team owners.
- I enjoyed hearing MRN radio interview both David and his crew chief, Slugger Labbe, prior to the qualification run by the #71 TRG Chevy. MRN did a fabulous job on interviewing everyone on pit road, prior to each car hitting the track for their runs.
- There is no excuse, though, for the Fox/SpeedTV announcers to NOT interview ANY of the Go or Go Home drivers prior to their runs. When it takes a car almost a full minute to make their warm-up run, there is plenty of time to have a few words. Even worse, there was quite a bit of time for track clean-up, and the talking heads just kept yammering on about other tidbits that had already been mentioned. Is it any wonder why the cars in the back have trouble finding sponsors?
- Juan Pablo Montoya won the pole! One cannot help but wonder, with the Target Bulls-eye on that car, and with JPM's reputation with many of the drivers on the track, how that Bulls-eye will provide a 'Target' of Opportunity for those drivers!
- Dodge engines have been blowing up this weekend. Five Dodge cars will have to go to the back of the field on Sunday. With the advent of Chrysler's demise at the hands of the economy, it looks like this weekend is a sobering omen of 'what is to come.'
- Having my favorite driver outside of the Top 35, and struggling for sponsorship puts me in an uncomfortable spot. I am now having to hope for the bad runs, bad luck, or parts failure of several other cars or drivers or teams. My discomfort comes from being pretty sure that wishing bad luck on someone else gets returned to you!
- After watching Matt Kenseth rolling and bouncing around the track in the Nationwide race, I find myself thankful for the COT. There has been no car rolling, flipping and tumbling at a plate track since the COT first rolled out on those tracks in 2007. Indeed the only time a COT has tumbled was Michael McDowell, making a rookie mistake during qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway.
- Matt Kenseth joined the long list of drivers who have taken the Talledega Tumble. Always bad to see by fans and by family members, it seems that much worse when you know that Katie Kenseth is pregnant.
- Many fans want to point fingers at David Ragan for causing Kenseth's wreck. Even more fans point even longer digits in the direction of Kyle Busch for tapping Jason Allgeier. As a fan, I find it hard to judge those situations. The NASCAR drivers in the top series are driving 180+ mph, inches apart! I sometimes make errors in judgement going 55 mph, with car lengths between me and the cars around. While I don't wreck, I come danged close. At those speeds, the wreck is done before one can even form the thought that there is something happening, let alone reacting to it. Of course, the driver doing the tapping usually does not have any damage from this type of wreck.
- I find amusement in the Race Analysis SpeedTV pop-up being sponsored by World of Warcraft, and the Todd Bodine truck being sponsored by Ventrilo, a chat application used by WoW players! WoW has gone redneck? Who knew? (My WoW'ing spouse commented on how often the Ventrilo application crashes right before Bodine's Ventrilo entry crashed at lap 10. Amazing, he says!)
- Friday listeners to Sirius Speedway heard many callers berating the Kansas Speedway ticket office, refusing to sell any tickets to anyone wanting to view truck practice on Friday. They had customers with money in hand being turned away, with the claim, as heard on Sirius, that race fans MUST buy tickets for the whole weekend. While that is certainly their right, it certainly does not appear to be smart to alienate fans who MIGHT end up buying tickets for the rest of the weekend if allowed in on the slowest day, gate-wise, of the whole weekend. Perhaps the economy in Kansas is just fine! Or perhaps they are resting on their laurels, knowing they have an 'in' to a second date with the building of the new casino, sponsored in part by ISC.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
David Gilliland, in his NASCAR career, has often been referred to as a David slaying Goliath! Now, it appears David becomes a Monster, as he and TRG Motorsports have announced sponsorship from American Monster, a new television show coming in Fall of 2009.
TRG, known also as The Racer's Group, has been lauded for their NASCAR on a Dime program. They have few employees, fewer cars, and yet still make an impact every week at the highest level of NASCAR, the Nextel Sprint Cup series. Kevin Buckler and his small marketing and public relations team have been busier than most teams in making sure the word gets out about being sponsor-worthy. They have been creative in bringing their message to the media.
David Gilliland brings along a large fan contingent, some recent, some who have raced with David over the years, and even some who competed against David and his father, Butch Gilliland. The fans however, all have united into a strong support network for their driver and his endeavors. The racecar at Martinsville had the back deck proudly emblazoned with a "Gilly's Gang" sticker.
This sticker was paid for by the members of Gilly's Gang, who raised nearly $3000 in just a few days. When the cashiers check was delivered in Texas, the Marketing Director arranged for Kevin Buckler and David Gilliland to meet with two representatives of the Gang.
Speaking as a member of Gilly's Gang, it is only fitting that we are glad to show our pride in our driver. We are all thrilled with this new partnership.
TRG's owner, Kevin Buckler, emphasized the perfect fit for American Monster and TRG.
"The very definition of an American Monster is what we portray in our team. What we have been able to do, with 11 Monsters on the crew, against the large well funded teams has earned us a place in this sport. It was a huge risk to get involved when we did, but that risk is now rewarded with a great looking blue and silver No. 71 American Monster Chevrolet."
Gilliland, on NASCAR's Raceday Real Deal show, hosted by Wendy Venturini, states "...really, this is the way I have raced all my life...all of the racing I have ever done has been two guys in the shop, myself building on my own racecars and another guy."
American Monster PR has stated "To be an American Monster is to defy the odds and compete at the highest levels relying on little more than your tools, natural talent, and pure determination"
It appears that this is a marriage made in heaven, a perfect fit all around!
(photo credits and quotes from Americanmonstertv.com, TRGMotorsports.com, SpeedTV, and Snafam!)
