Eddie Sharp Racing Post Race Report: ARCA Racing series
RACE: Prairie Meadows 200
TRACK: Iowa Speedway
DATE: July 13, 2012

LOCAL ROOKIE MASON MITCHELL TAKES TOP TEN IN FIRST ARCA RACE
Qualifies Ninth; Finishes Tenth

> DENVER, N.C. (July 17, 2012) - Mason Mitchell brought home a 10th-place finish in his Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Racing Series debut this weekend at Iowa Speedway driving the No. 6 J&S AG Services/Make-A-Wish Chevrolet for Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR). Competing in a partial ARCA Racing Series schedule for ESR, the 18-year-old from West Des Moines, Iowa was able to log laps and gain valuable experience while racing in front of his hometown fans.

With a car that had a lot more horsepower than what he was accustomed to, Mitchell spent the practice sessions learning his line and getting comfortable on the 0.875-mile speedway. By the end of final practice, Mitchell had recorded the ninth-fastest lap of the session in the No. 6 J&S AG Services/Make-A-Wish Chevrolet. The rookie backed up his practice lap and recorded the ninth-quickest qualifying time to start inside the top 10 in the Prairie Meadows 200.

Mitchell rolled off ninth, but fell back a few positions after spinning his tires on the initial start. As the race progressed, the rookie driver picked up positions passing his competition one at a time and worked his way up to the eighth position by the first round of pit stops.

Throughout the course of the evening Mitchell made improvement in everything from passing to pitting as he logged laps and gained valuable experience. With 15 laps remaining in the 200-lap event, Mitchell was tagged from behind and dropped back three positions to run in 12th place. Determined to get a top 10 at his home track, the rookie fought his way back through the field and drove the No. 6 J&S AG Services/Make-A-Wish Chevrolet across the finish line in the 10th position.

"I had the time of my life tonight," commented Mitchell. "This was my dream ever since I was a little kid. I feel like a gorilla came off my shoulders as I proved to everyone that I can compete at the highest level of this sport. I can't wait for our next race at Lucas Oil Raceway."

Mitchell will be back in the No. 6 J&S AG Services/Make-A-Wish Chevrolet for Eddie Sharp Racing at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis (Ind.) on July 27, 2012. Tune in to SPEED for live coverage of the ARCA Racing Series' Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200 at 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday, July 27.

IOWA NATIVE MASON MITCHELL SIGNS WITH EDDIE SHARP RACING
Homegrown in Iowa, Mitchell Continues Climbing the Racing Ranks at Home

> DENVER, N.C. (June 26, 2012) - Mason Mitchell, an 18-year-old from West Des Moines, Iowa will join Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) as a developmental driver in the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Racing Series for select races during the 2012 season. The hometown driver will make his ARCA Racing Series' debut in the Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway on Friday, July 13. With 12 years of experience in everything from two wheels to four, Mitchell will make the transition to the ARCA Racing Series after spending the last year racing on the American Speed Association (ASA) Midwest Tour and as a regular at Hawkeye Downs Speedway.

"It's been my dream since I was a little kid to make it to big-time stock car racing," commented Mitchell, who has over 50 late model races under his belt. "Joining a team the caliber of ESR is a dream come true. I want to thank my dad and our great sponsor J&S AG Services for making this a reality."

ESR plans are to run Mitchell in several test sessions and a handful of ARCA Racing Series events this season including Iowa, Indianapolis and Kansas to get his feet wet leading into a full-time ARCA effort for 2013.

A proven contender in the ARCA Racing Series, Sharp joined forces with driver Justin Lofton to win the 2009 series' championship. ESR has proven to be a top team for developing young talent for NASCAR competition. Drivers like Justin Lofton, Michael McDowell, Scott Speed and Craig Goess have all piloted ESR entries in the ARCA Series and have found success in the form of championships, rookie of the year titles and race wins.

"Mason is a great kid and exactly what we look for in a young driver," commented Eddie Sharp, owner of Eddie Sharp Racing. "He has tons of seat time with success at all levels, but most importantly he is driven and extremely determined to be successful in this sport. We're excited to add Mason to our development team."