 |
|
 |
Church Looking To Defend
Home Turf
At Hickory In Easter
Bunny 150 |
CHARLOTTE, NC
(April 16) – The best short track
racers from across North America
will once again be descending on
Hickory Motor Speedway this weekend
as they prepare for the 9th Annual
Easter Bunny 150. Racers flock to
the legendary speedway nestled in
the North Carolina Piedmont as the
Easter Bunny 150 has become an
Easter weekend tradition for the Pro
All Stars Series (PASS) South Super
Late Model division. Likewise, fans
of short track racing recognize the
Easter Bunny 150 as one of the
sport’s premier races, thanks in
large part to the star studded field
of drivers the event attracts year
after year.
Names like Rowe,
Lawler, Williams, Naase, and Grissom
have all visited victory lane in the
Easter Bunny 150 at Hickory. And,
until last year’s win by Preston
Peltier, no driver had achieved
victory in racing’s ultimate Easter
egg hunt more than once. But, even
with the best the sport has to offer
coming to duke it out against one
another, it is a home grown product
of Hickory Motor Speedway that some
have circled on their entry lists as
the early favorite.
Current
PASS South Super Late Model points
leader Tyler Church is actually from
Hickory, NC. He started out as a fan
attending races at Hickory Motor
Speedway and, after becoming a race
car driver, became a top contender
in the track’s Limited Late Model
division. Eventually, Church joined
forces with Peltier competing on
limited basis with PASS South in
2013. But, despite only making
sporadic starts with the series,
Church became an immediate front
runner scoring an emotional win in
the Over The Mountain 150 at
Hickory. A win made even more
special in that it came in front of
longtime fans, family, and friends
that had supported his journey up
the racing ladder. And, by the fact,
that his late mother is buried in
the cemetery which overlooks the
historic speedway.
“It was
huge to get that win at Hickory last
September,” said Church, who went on
to capture his second career win
just weeks later in the Mason Dixon
Meltdown at Southern National. “I’ve
had a lot of help since I began
racing with PASS and being at home,
it was just huge. I’m just very
thankful and then to win the
Meltdown was just a bonus.”
Despite not winning so far in 2014,
Church and his Church’s Carpet team
have been the model of consistency.
The young season has seen steady
improvement for Church, including
two top five finishes, a third at
Dillon Motor Speedway in March and a
runner-up finish in the most recent
PASS South event at Orange County
Speedway. Now as one of the biggest
races of the season approaches at,
of all places, his home track,
Church is brimming with confidence.
All that despite the stellar field
that will try to keep him from
reaching victory lane at Hickory
Motor Speedway for a second straight
time.
“Going to Hickory, it’s
gonna be tough for sure, but I think
we will be okay,” said Church. “I
was hoping to have a win by now, but
this year was my first time at
Greenville. And, at Dillon and
Orange County, I was tickled to get
a couple of top fives with the
competition we had at those two
tracks. But all I want is that
Easter Bunny, that’s it.”
Church will certainly have his work
cut out for him though this weekend
as the strongest group of Super Late
Models of the year will assemble at
Hickory Motor Speedway. Fellow PASS
South points contenders Cole Timm,
Jared Irvan, Trevor Noles and Tyler
Dippel have filed entries. As is
usual for the Easter Bunny 150, a
strong contingent of Northern
drivers will be making the trip down
to Hickory including Ben Rowe, DJ
Shaw, Joey Doiron, Austin Theriault,
Trevor Sanborn, Ryan Moore and
Canadian Steve Laking. Jay Fogleman
returns to the driver’s seat at
Hickory along with his son, Tate, as
they carry the banner for Bull City
Race Cars and Speedco Truck Lube &
Tire. Daniel Hemric returns to PASS
after winning the first two events
of the season as well as two-time
Easter Bunny 150 winner Preston
Peltier. Harrison Burton and Gus
Dean will also be back as they make
their second attempts in PASS for
2014. Former PASS South winner Clay
Rogers returns as well for the first
time since South Boston in 2013.
Veteran Randy Gentry will be looking
to bounce back after a tough run at
Orange County along with fellow
South Carolina drivers Ted Mickelson
and Clete Caywood. Veterans Jody
Measamer, Brandon Ward, Joe Heigl,
and John Batten hope to get their
seasons turned around. Florida’s
Patrick Staropoli will be stepping
in to the Jimmy Doyle owned #71 and
will be joined by fellow Sunshine
State driver Joey Padgett in making
their first Easter Bunny 150
attempts this weekend. Local
favorite Brandon Setzer will also be
making his first attempt at
qualifying along with fellow rookie
Tanner Rumburg.
Entry forms
and the weekend schedule for the 9th
Annual Easter Bunny 150 at Hickory
Motor Speedway can be found
HERE.
Action gets under way on Friday,
April 18th at Hickory Motor Speedway
with rotating practice from 1 – 6 PM
for the PASS South Super Late
Models, PASS Pro Late Models, Super
Cup Stock Car Series, and Legends.
On Saturday, April 19th, pit gates
will open at 9 AM for the 9th Annual
Easter Bunny 150, with rotating
practice for all divisions from 11
AM – 2:45 PM. Qualifying will begin
at 3:30 PM and racing will start at
6 PM, featuring 150 laps for the
PASS South Super Late Models, 50
laps for the PASS Pro Late Models,
75 laps for the Super Cup Stock Cars
and action for the Legends cars.
Fans can
also purchase Pay-Per-View coverage
of the Easter Bunny 150 for $25 from
PASS TV Powered By
MotorsportsBroadcasting.com and
Race22.com.
Please
sign up HERE
The Pro All Stars Series
is recognized as North America’s
premier sanctioning body for asphalt
Super Late Models and boasts such
marquee events as PASS South’s
Easter Bunny 150 at the historic
Hickory Motor Speedway, the Autobus
La Quebecoise Triple Crown at
Autodrome Chaudière, and the
legendary Oxford 250 at Oxford
Plains Speedway. For technical
information concerning all PASS
divisions please send questions to
passracing@roadrunner.com.
For media or marketing
questions, please contact Alan Dietz
at 704-231-2039 or
alandietzpass@live.com.
Don’t forget to “Like” the Pro All
Stars Series on Facebook or follow
us on Twitter to keep up with
breaking news as it happens. |
 |
Brandon Setzer Looks To
Continue
Family Tradition At
Easter Bunny 150 |
CHARLOTTE, NC (April 9) – As
the Pro All Stars Series (PASS)
South Super Late Models prepare for
the 9th Annual Hickory Motor
Speedway, Newton, NC’s Brandon
Setzer looks on with added
anticipation. In his first season
competing in PASS South and coming
off a best career sixth place finish
last time out at Orange County
Speedway, Setzer prepares to race at
the track he has by far and away the
most experience at in his young
career.
There has never been
a time in his life when racing at
Hickory Motor Speedway wasn’t front
and center for Brandon Setzer. From
the time he was born, his family has
raced at Hickory, most notably his
dad, Dennis. Dennis Setzer won the
track championship at Hickory Motor
Speedway in 1983 and 1993 before
finding success in the Nationwide
and Camping World Truck Series.
Likewise, Brandon has found victory
lane at Hickory in Limited Late
Models and Late Model Trucks. Now,
Brandon’s focus is on taming a much
different beast. A beast in the form
of a 650 horespower PASS South Super
Late Model. And, with a top short
track racing coach like his father
guiding him and the home crowd
behind him, Setzer likes his chances
heading to one of the biggest races
of the season.
“We live about
five miles away from there and we’re
really excited to be going to
Hickory,” said Setzer, driver of the
Romeo Guest Construction/Jewelry
Exchange Ford #6. “We’ve tested
there a few times and raced in the
Over The Mountain 150 last Fall and
were competitive, so we’re really
excited to be going to the home
track.”
Over the years, the
Easter Bunny 150 has established
itself as one of the top Super Late
Model races in the country. Drivers
from across North America come to
Hickory Motor Speedway each spring
hoping first to qualify amongst the
elite group of drivers who make the
field and then, hope to be up front
at the end of the night to win the
unique Easter Bunny trophy. A new
sealer added to the speedway’s
racing surface during the winter has
seen speeds rocket during testing.
But, despite that, Setzer believes
the great multi-groove racing
Hickory has become famous for will
once again be prevalent at this
year’s Easter Bunny 150.
“I
really don’t think it will change
the racing,” said Setzer of the
track surface. “From everything I’ve
heard it’s back to about like it
was. I tested there about a week ago
and it felt about like it was so I
don’t think it will affect the
racing a bit. The high grooves still
going to be the way to go. I think
it will make for some great racing
with the low groove worn out. In the
short run, the low side will be the
quick way around, but I expect to
see everybody migrate to the top.”
A great group of drivers have
already filed pre-entries including
PASS South points leader and Hickory
native, Tyler Church. PASS South
points contenders Cole Timm, Jared
Irvan, Trevor Noles and Tyler Dippel
have also filed entries. As is usual
for the Easter Bunny 150, a strong
contingent of Northern drivers will
be making the trip down to Hickory
including Ben Rowe, Joey Doiron,
Austin Theriault, Trevor Sanborn,
and Ryan Moore. Jay Fogleman returns
to the driver’s seat at Hickory
along with his son, Tate, as they
carry the banner for Bull City Race
Cars and Speedco. Veteran Randy
Gentry will be looking to bounce
back after a tough run at Orange
County along with fellow South
Carolina drivers Ted Mickelson and
Clete Caywood. Veterans Jody
Measamer and John Batten hope to get
their seasons turned around and
Florida’s Patrick Staropoli will be
stepping in to the Jimmy Doyle owned
#71.
Entry forms and the
weekend schedule for the 9th Annual
Easter Bunny 150 at Hickory Motor
Speedway can be found
HERE
Action gets under way on Friday,
April 18th at Hickory Motor Speedway
with rotating practice from 1 – 6 PM
for the PASS South Super Late
Models, PASS Pro Late Models, Super
Cup Stock Car Series, and Legends.
On Saturday, April 19th, pit gates
will open at 9 AM for the 9th Annual
Easter Bunny 150, with rotating
practice for all divisions from 11
AM – 2:45 PM. Qualifying will begin
at 3:30 PM and racing will start at
6 PM, featuring 150 laps for the
PASS South Super Late Models, 50
laps for the PASS Pro Late Models,
75 laps for the Super Cup Stock Cars
and action for the Legends cars.
The Pro All Stars Series is
recognized as North America’s
premier sanctioning body for asphalt
Super Late Models and boasts such
marquee events as PASS South’s
Easter Bunny 150 at the historic
Hickory Motor Speedway, the Autobus
La Quebecoise Triple Crown at
Autodrome Chaudière, and the
legendary Oxford 250 at Oxford
Plains Speedway.
For
technical information concerning all
PASS divisions please send questions
to
passracing@roadrunner.com.
For media or
marketing questions, please
contact Alan Dietz at
704-231-2039 or
alandietzpass@live.com.
Don’t forget to
“Like” the Pro All Stars Series on
Facebook or follow us on Twitter to
keep up with breaking news as it
happens. |
 |
|
 |
SEVERAL PASS NORTH TEAMS
HEADED
TO EASTER BUNNY 150 |
It’s one of the rites of
spring for many PASS North race
teams and northern race fans that
follow the PASS North Series, it’s
time for the 9th Annual Easter Bunny
150, PASS National Series event at
Hickory Motor Speedway in Hickory,
North Carolina scheduled for
Saturday, April 19th.
“It’s
been a long winter, stated one local
race fan. Every year we pack up the
camper and head to Hickory for this
race. We always seem to hit great
weather, and the warmth of spring
down south makes it that much
better. When we get back, the PASS
North Series opens up and the racing
season will be under way. The Easter
Bunny 150 is one of our favorite
races as Hickory has so much
heritage and so many fond memories
of years gone by.”
This event
will feature at least a handful of
PASS North Series drivers that will
be making the trek south. PASS
National Championship point leader,
Ben Rowe (#4n, photo above) from Turner, Maine will be
headed south as well as 2013 PASS
North runner-up, Berwick, Maine’s
Joey Doiron (#73, photo below). Also pre-registered are
Austin Theriault from Fort Kent,
Maine, Trevor Sanborn from Buxton,
and Ryan Moore from Scarborough.
Numerous other teams have shown
interest in making the trip as well.
The Easter Bunny 150 schedule
shows an open practice session for
the four divisions on Friday, April
18th from 1-6pm. In action will be
the PASS Super Late Models, Pro Late
Models, Legends and SCSCS Super
Cups. Saturday schedule shows time
trials beginning at 4pm, followed by
an on-track autograph session at
5:15pm. Racing action goes green for
the Easter Bunny 150 events at 6pm.
Hickory Motor Speedway is
located at Exit 48 off from I40.
Then proceed ½ mile west on U.S.
Route 70. Adult tickets are just $20
for one of the biggest events on the
PASS Tour, and can be purchased on
the day of the event. |
 |
|
|
|
