IOWA REPORT

Craig Goess, Jr.

Craig Goess

Newton, IA (July 11, 2010) Craig Goess and the No. 81 Greenville Toyota of N.C. continue the trek to the top of the ARCA Racing Series points leaderboard with a solid top-10 finish in Saturday's Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway.

Although the No. 81 struggled with adjustments for most of the night, Goess was consistent throughout the race, remaining calm and staying out of trouble. He remained in the top-15 for the entire race while battling brake vibrations and an ill-handling car. After many attempts, Goess was finally able to pass the No. 32 of Justin Marks to take over the eighth position. The lead pack had a considerable lead at that point, and Goess crossed the finish line in the eighth position.

With the top-10 finish at Iowa, Goess moved up one spot in the ARCA Racing Series point standings. He now sits in the third position, 140 points behind leader Justin Marks.

""It felt like a really long race. We struggled with the car up until that last pit stop. I think it was the only stop that we were able to make the car better and drivable. The group in front of us had such a lead that by the time we got past the No. 32, there wasn't enough time to catch up to them. It was a good points night for us. Some of the top contenders for the championship had some bad luck, and we picked up some good points at the end of the night. It should have moved us up the boards a bit. That's the positive of the night."

Goess returns to the track next week as the ARCA Racing Series heads to Mansfield Motorsports Park for the Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA 200 in Mansfield, Ohio on Saturday. The race will be broadcast live on the BAS Racing Network and ARCARacing.com.

IOWA REPORT

Kyle Fowler

Kyle Fowler

Newton, IA (July 11, 2010) Kyle Fowler started his second ARCA Racing Series race in Saturday night's Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway in the No. 6 Alabama Air National Guard Toyota.

n his ARCA debut, Fowler fought damage from and a disconnected battery to lead to his 15h-place finish. When the green flag waved, Fowler was ready to shake his bad luck and compete for a top finish. Fowler clawed his way through the field, even after going a lap down, and posted lap speeds quicker than the leaders.

"My first set of tires were hard to work with, and we were free from the get-go," said Fowler. "We were hanging about where we started. When we came to the pits for the first time and changed tires, the car was definitely better. We were one lap down-- the only car a lap down. We were faster than the leaders, at that point, which was pretty cool. We ran our fastest lap times with 135-lap tires."

Bad luck unfortunately found the No. 6 when Fowler came in for a pit stop and got stuck in fourth gear. Leaving the car in fourth gear burned the clutch out, ending the day for the No. 6.

"We were set up to get a solid top-10," said Fowler. "We just can't catch a break. The car was great, after we got that set of tires and made one adjustment that really helped the car, and I think that we were definitely set up for a top-10 finish. As of now, we are not sure when I'll return to the ARCA Racing Series. I would love to run some more races pending sponsorship."

IOWA REPORT

Pierre Bourque

Pierre Bourque

Newton, IA (July 11, 2010) Pierre Bourque and the No. 2 ESR Toyota began Saturday night looking for Bourque's best career finish in the ARCA Racing Series.

Unfortunately, the night ended early for the No. 2. On lap 37, Mikey Kile in the No. 25 blew his right front tire and hit the wall, and Bourque was caught up in the accident. The disappointing early exit placed Bourque 31st at the end of the night.

The race marks Bourque's seventh career ARCA Racing Series start. His best finish to date is 13th at Winchester Speedway in May 2006.

"I really enjoyed racing in the ARCA Racing Serise at Iowa Speedway with Eddie Sharp Racing in the No. 2 Toyota. If not for being wrecked by someone else, I'm sure we would have had a top-15 finish. I want to thank Eddie Sharp, my crew chief Wayne Carroll, spotter Jefferson Hodges and the whole crew that worked on the No. 2. I look forward to re-joining ESR later this summer once my Canadian NASCAR schedule lightens up again."

Bourque's next NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race is July 17 at the Streets of Toronto

IOWA PREVIEW

Craig Goess, Jr.

Craig Goess

Mooresville, NC (July 7, 2010) Craig Goess and the Eddie Sharp Racing No. 81 Greenville Toyota of N.C. Toyota will take the track in the Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, July 10, 2010.

Last Race: Michigan: A week after winning his first ARCA Racing Series race at Pocono Raceway, Goess continued his momentum, as he claimed his first pole at Michigan International Speedway. He came out on top of practice early in the day and then claimed the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell with a lap of 38.490 seconds (187.062 mph). When the green flag dropped on the Racing for Wildlife 200, Goess continued to show speed and led 74 of the 100 laps. In a stroke of bad luck, the caution flag came out when the No. 81 was on pit road, putting Goess a lap down and ending the team's good day. Goess, a lap down, but among the leaders, finished sixth.

Goess at Iowa Speedway: Goess competed last year in his only ARCA Racing Series start at Iowa Speedway. Starting in the 12th position, Goess battled transmission and brake problems throughout the race. After struggling all day, Goess brought the No. 81 to the checkered flag in 12th place.He also competed at the track in 2008 in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race, where he started in the 13th position and finished 18th after the sway bar fell out of the car when the chain broke. Goess hopes to overcome his bad luck this weekend and bring the No. 81 to victory lane at Iowa Speedway.

In the Points: Goess' pole and sixth-place finish helped him move up one spot in the ARCA Racing Series point standings to the fourth position. He is now 60 points behind Mikey Kile in the third position and 135 points behind points leader Patrick Sheltra.

QUOTES:
Goess on running at Iowa Speedway
"I love this track. The location is unique in that there is nothing else around it. Iowa Speedway has a great crowd every time we go there, which is one of the reasons I love racing there. I think Iowa Speedway has some of the best fans around, and everyone is always so into the race when we are there. This weekend with the companion race with the NASCAR Truck Series race, I can't imagine what it is going to be like. I also love racing at night. Running under the lights is pretty awesome, so I'm thrilled for this weekend."

Goess on strategy for the weekend
"We are running a different car than we did last year, which I hope will have a better result. I think this weekend we are going to have to be spot on because I know some of the other ARCA Racing Series drivers have been testing during our free weeks. I also know there is going to be a large field of cars and a lot of drivers who don't race with ARCA every week. The main thing is to go out there and not beat ourselves. We are going to make improvements on the car, continue good communication and build on that to make the No. 81 Toyota of N.C. even better.

IOWA PREVIEW

Kyle Fowler

Kyle Fowler

Mooresville, NC (July 7, 2010) Kyle Fowler and the Eddie Sharp Racing No. 6 Alabama Air National Guard Toyota will take the track in the Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 8 p.m. CDT (9 p.m. EST).

Last ARCA Race: Toledo: Fowler made his ARCA Racing Series debut on May 23, 2010 in the Menards 200 at Toledo Speedway. After qualifying 13th, Fowler was ready to take on his first ARCA Racing Series race in front of a packed crowd. The green flag dropped, and Fowler showed consistency as he worked his way toward the front. Bad luck seemed to follow the No. 6 as he suffered damage in one incident, then the battery disconnected during a red-flag. Although two laps down, Fowler pushed through the field to finish 15th in his ARCA Racing Series debut.

Supporting the Troops: This weekend, the Alabama Air National Guard will be featured on the No. 6 ESR Toyota. The car will be in support of American troops abroad and Fowler's cousin, Ray Fowler, who just returned from Iraq, his third tour overseas.

Meet Fowler in Iowa: Fowler will join fellow ARCA Racing Series drivers at the Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino for an autograph session Friday, July 9 from 7 - 8 p.m. CDT. The event is located at 1 Prairie Meadows Drive, Altoona, Iowa 50009-2115.

Fowler's Racing History: Fowler grew up racing Bandolero and Legends Cars in Georgia. Success came to Fowler at a young age, as he won feature events and titles from the beginning. In 2006, the young driver competed for five championships in several Legends Car series throughout the Southeast. He won three championships and finished runner-up twice. In 2007, Fowler competed in Georgia Asphalt Series Late Models, posting 14 top-10s in 17 starts. He then competed in the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour in 2008 and scored a career-best second-place finish at Lanier National Speedway. Fowler won the pole at Lanier in 2009 at the Georgia Asphalt Series Speedfest.

QUOTES:
Fowler on racing at Iowa Speedway
"In my first race in the ARCA Racing Series at Toledo Speedway, I learned a lot. Being my first race, I received great experience in the car, and I'm thrilled to be back at the track. I am confident going into Iowa, and I know we are going to have a good run. We've had some bad luck with things like mechanical problems, so I am looking forward to turning around the luck for the better. I am thankful to Eddie Sharp for allowing me this opportunity to run with the team again at Iowa. Crew chief Kevin Caldwell has been great to work with, and I look forward to this weekend with him on top of the pit box again."

IOWA PREVIEW

Pierre Bourque

Pierre Bourque

Mooresville, NC (July 7, 2010) Pierre Bourque will make his first ARCA Racing Series start of 2010 at Iowa Speedway in the No. 2 Eddie Sharp Racing Toyota for the Prairie Meadows 200 Saturday.

Iowa Experience: Bourque competed at Iowa Speedway several times in different series over the years. He has one ARCA Racing Series start at the Newton, Iowa track in 2008 with ESR in the No. 2 car, where he started 41st and worked his way to finish in the 16th position. In 2009, he competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the track, finishing 29th in his NASCAR debut. In 2007, Bourque piloted a K&N Pro Series East car to a 14th place finish at Iowa Speedway.

Reuniting with ESR: Bourque reunites with Eddie Sharp Racing this weekend. He competed in three ARCA Racing Series events in 2008 with the team at Daytona International Speedway, Iowa Speedway and Kansas Speedway.

Canada Connection: Bourque, native of Ottawa, Ontario, joins Steve Arpin as the only two Canadians driving in the Prairie Meadows 200. In 2010, Bourque is competing full-time in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and currently sits ninth in points after three races.

Wide Series Experience: Bourque began racing in 1978 at a driving school in Mt. Tremblant, Quebec. He started racing formula cars on road courses but took a brief hiatus from the track to run for office. After serving on the Ottawa City Council, Bourque has expanded his racing experience. He has competed throughout motorsports in the ARCA Racing Series, GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, NASCAR Camping World East Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Beyond the Track: Bourque is the creator of Bourque Newswatch, www.bourque.org, a website that goes behind the scenes of Canadian politics. Often called "Canada's Online News Authority," the website is a well-known news authority in the country and receives millions of readers each month. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame and the Chair of the Hall's Communications Committee.

QUOTES
Bourque on racing at Iowa Speedway
"I am thrilled to be re-united with Eddie Sharp Racing. I was there last week for a seat fitting, and it felt like going home again with a lot of familiar faces and a great can-do attitude. I'm very excited to be working with crew chief Wayne Carroll. He's extremely competitive, I think we hit it off right away, and I know I can expect great things from him and his crew. Iowa is one of my favorite tracks for two reasons: first, it is an exceptionally well-designed course, and second, it attracts an incredibly intense fan base. In short, it's the perfect package for me to get back to racing in ARCA."