daytona 500 winners

Here are your 2009 Daytona 500 Winners. Matt Kenseth was named the winner of the 2009 Daytona 500 when rain caused officials to stop the race.

Matt Kenseth was the leader in lap 153 when a progressive, consistent rain caused Daytona officials to bring the cars in. 20 minutes later, with no let up in sight for the rain, the 2009 Daytona was stopped, Matt named the winner.

Here are the final winning results
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Kevin Harvick
3. A.J. Allmendinger
4. Clint Bowyer
5. Elliott Sadler
6. David Ragan
7. Michael Waltrip
8. Tony Stewart
9. Reed Sorenson
10. Kurt Busch
11. Martin Truex Jr.
12 David Reutimann
13. Jeff Gordon
14. Juan Montoya

This is only the fourth time the race has been called.


Meanwhile,Here are all Daytona 500 winners and their average speed in miles per hour.

Year Race Winner Avg. Speed
1959 Lee Petty 135.521
1960 Junior Johnson 124.74
1961 Marvin Panch 149.601
1962 Fireball Roberts 152.529
1963 Tiny Lund 151.566
1964 Richard Petty 154.334
1965 Fred Lorenzen 141.539
1966 Richard Petty 160.627
1967 Mario Andretti 146.926
1968 Cale Yarborough 143.251
1969 Lee Roy Yarborough 157.95
1970 Pete Hamilton 149.601
1971 Richard Petty 144.462
1972 AJ Foyt 161.55
1973 Richard Petty 157.205
1974 Richard Petty 140.894
1975 Benny Parsons 153.649
1976 David Pearson 152.181
1977 Cale Yarborough 153.218
1978 Bobby Allison 159.73
1979 Richard Petty 143.977
1980 Buddy Baker 177.602
1981 Richard Petty 169.651
1982 Bobby Allison 153.991
1983 Cale Yarborough 155.979
1984 Cale Yarborough 150.994
1985 Bill Elliott 172.265
1986 Geoffrey Bodine 148.124
1987 Bill Elliott 176.263
1988 Bobby Allison 137.531
1989 Darrell Waltrip 148.466
1990 Derrike Cope 165.761
1991 Ernie Irvan 148.148
1992 Davey Allison 160.256
1993 Dale Jarrett 154.972
1994 Sterling Marlin 156.931
1995 Sterling Marlin 141.71
1996 Dale Jarrett 154.308
1997 Jeff Gordon 148.295
1998 Dale Earnhardt 172.712
1999 Jeff Gordon 161.551
2000 Dale Jarrett 155.669
2001 Michael Waltrip 161.783
2002 Ward Burton 142.971
2003 Michael Waltrip 133.87
2004 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 156.345
2005 Jeff Gordon 135.173
2006 Jimmie Johnson 142.667
2007 Kevin Harvick 149.335
2008 Ryan Newman 152.672

Wood Brothers third Daytona 500 victory

Wood Brothers 3rd Daytona 500 Victory - 1972 - A.J. Foyt; 1972 brought the Wood Brothers their third Daytona 500 victory.

After coming off a disappointing 1971 Daytona 500 finish (a race that the Wood Brothers and A.J. Foyt would have won had they not run out of gas), the Woods and A.J. joined forces again to make a run at the 1972 Daytona 500.

The race started with Bobby Isaac on the pole. A.J. had to fight race traffic and force his way to the front. Foyt eventually caught NASCAR legend Richard Petty and it appeared that the winner of the race would be decided between the two. However, this battle was short lived as Petty's car had trouble and he was forced to retire to the garage.

Once Petty was out of the race it was clear sailing for A.J.Foyt won the race by almost two laps beating Charlie Glotzbach by the largest margin of victory in Daytona 500 history.

A.J.'s bold prediction followed by his dominant performance and win confirmed that A.J. Foyt was truly one of greatest drivers to ever race.
Source:motorsportnews

Patrick Sheltra Aims For Perfection At Daytona

If there is one driver who is anxious to get the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series (ARS) under way, Patrick Sheltra is probably the most excited. And he has every reason to be. After producing some very stout and impressive times in pre-season testing at Daytona International Speedway in December, Sheltra has been named as a pre-race favorite for Saturday’s Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona.

Florida native Patrick Sheltra will roll from the 16th position in today's Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona, marking the second-time in the young-gun's racing career that he'll take the green flag at the "World Center of Speed."

On Friday afternoon, Sheltra aboard his Grace Sheltra Dodge Charger whipped his No. 60 Ferguson Pipe Enterprises-Quality Turf machine around the 2.5-mile speedway to a time of 50.157 seconds amounting to a speed of 179.437 miles per hour. The effort recorded Sheltra's career-best superspeedway effort.

"We're not happy with that, but we'll take it," said Sheltra, who finished sixth in the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series championship standings. "We know the car will run exceptional in the draft and that's the crucial element when racing at Daytona."

Sheltra continued, "We want to win today and we're hoping we can make that happen. Our bunch has worked hard over the winter to put the most competitive piece on the track as they possibly can. I think we're going to be in great shape."

Sheltra Motorsports based in Whitesville, Kentucky elected not to participate in Friday evening's happy hour session and Sheltra believes it was the right move.

"John (Hayden, crew chief) said he didn't want to take a chance of anything happening and I agreed with him 100 percent. We know the car is good. It was safer under the cover than on the race track last night."

Immediately following Daytona, Sheltra will have zero time to relax as he'll head to Volusia County Speedway two days later and return to his racing roots behind the wheel of the No. 23 Chevrolet for six nights of dirt racing. Sheltra will also race against new Sheltra Motorsports teammate Shannon Babb, who will be on-hand to watch Sheltra compete in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona Saturday afternoon.

If Sheltra was to succeed and post a win in Saturday’s ARCA RE/MAX Series opener it would be the biggest win of his career and his first in a stock car. How’s that for pressure? While the pressure is on, Sheltra is ready to perform.

Ready to deliver.

“I tell you what, I’m ready for Daytona,” said Sheltra. “Pre-season testing was great for us and it really has us looking forward to the season. If we were able to pull off the win on Saturday, it’s going to be more than a great way to start off the season.”

Sheltra, the Indiantown, Florida native will make his second-career start at the “World Center of Racing” but the 22-year old feels he was robbed of a top-10 finish in last year’s event which gives Saturday’s event an ample opportunity for revenge.

“We dodged the big one and were tangled up in a late race skirmish but still had a competitive car last year,” Sheltra recalled. “We had a top-10 finish literally taken from us on a controversial call in the pits. We crossed the line eighth but ended up with top-15 finish. Hopefully this year, the cards will fall our way and we’ll sail to our first top-five finish at Daytona.”

A year after bringing a Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS to Daytona, Sheltra Motorsports led by crew chief John Hayden is bringing Dodge Chargers as its primary manufacturer for this year’s festivities. Sheltra Motorsports ran a Dodge Charger in a limited schedule last year but the Whitesville, Kentucky-based team will turn to the Chrysler nameplate as its lead manufacturer for the 2009 ARCA season.

“We’re excited about running Dodges and we’re off to a fast start,” sounded Sheltra. “Believe it or not this is the same car that we finished fifth with at Talladega Superspeedway last October. We cut the Chevrolet body off during the off-season and put a Charger emblem on it. It’s a former Richard Childress Racing car with a Dodge hemi under the hood.”

For the second consecutive ARCA RE/MAX Series speedway event, Quality Turf of Okeechobee, Inc returns to Sheltra Motorsports as a major marketing partner of Sheltra’s No. 60. Located in the heart of Okeechobee, Florida, Quality Turf serves their customers with pride and presence. From landscaping to sod to even irrigation installation, Quality Turf of Okeechobee, Inc. can meet your every outdoor need for an affordable price. Quality Turf of Okeechobee, Inc. services the Florida counties of Okeechobee, St. Lucie, Indian River, Martin and Palm Beach.

“We’re glad to have Quality Turf of Okeechobee, Inc. back on-board with us for Daytona,” said Sheltra. “Daytona is a little closer to home for them. We gave them a top-five finish at Talladega. Now, we’ll try and give them a win!”

Immediately following Daytona, Sheltra will have zero time to relax as he’ll head to Volusia County Speedway two days later and return to his racing roots behind the wheel of the No. 23 Chevrolet for six nights of dirt racing. Sheltra will also race against new Sheltra Motorsports teammate Shannon Babb, who will be on-hand to watch Sheltra compete in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona Saturday afternoon.

Ferguson Pipe Enterprises, The Casite Company, RC Cola of Owensboro Kentucky, J&S Bulk Transport Co., Inc., Sheltra & Son Construction, Sheltra Cattle Company and Indiantown Marina will join Quality Turf of Okeechobee, Inc. as marketing partners for Sheltra’s junior year of ARCA competition.

Sheltra Motorsports acquired an in-car camera for Saturday’s anticipated thriller. It will mark the second time in Sheltra’s ARCA RE/MAX Series career where fans will be able to experience the action from inside the cockpit of the No. 60 Dodge Charger.

Nascar 2009 Schedule

NASCAR ON FOX FUN FACTS

-- FOX is America’s No. 1 NASCAR network, outdistancing runner-up ABC by 54% (5.7 vs. 3.7)

-- While FOX’s 13 Cup races represented 36% of last season’s schedule, FOX generated 45% of the season’s total ratings points

-- NASCAR Sprint Cup racing on FOX (5.7) out-rated prime time hits like E.R. (5.6), Law & Order CI (5.0) and How I Met Your Mother (4.9) among others last season

-- NASCAR racing was the top-rated sports event on TV nine of 13 weekends during last year’s Sprint Cup season

-- NASCAR on FOX was the No. 1 sport on television in the first half of 2008, just edging out the NCAA men’s basketball tournament (5.7 vs. 5.6)

-- The DAYTONA 500 is the highest-rated, most-watched motor sports event in the country. It has averaged a household rating of 10.0 or higher in seven of the last eight years, with the one exception caused by rain

-- From 1995 to 2000, the DAYTONA 500 averaged an 8.7 household rating; from 2001 to 2008, the average rating is 10.5, marking a 21% increase

-- The 2008 DAYTONA 500 (10.2 HH rating) out-delivered the NBA Finals (9.3), the NCAA Final Four (8.8) and the final round of The Masters (8.6)

FOX SPORTS ANNOUNCES 2009 NASCAR ON FOX

BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Season Warms Up with The Budweiser Shootout on Feb. 7;

Pedal Hits Metal with 51st Daytona 500 on Feb. 15

NASCAR on FOX 2009 Schedule

Date Track Event Time

Sat. Feb. 7 Daytona Int’l Speedway Budweiser Shootout 8:00 PM

Sun. Feb. 8 Daytona Int’l Speedway Daytona 500 Qualifying 1:00 PM

Sun. Feb. 15 Daytona Int’l Speedway Daytona 500 2:00 PM

Sat. Feb. 21 California Speedway NASCAR Truck Series 3:00 PM

Sun. Feb. 22 California Speedway NASCAR Racing from Fontana 5:00 PM

Sun. March 1 Las Vegas Motor Speedway NASCAR Racing from Las Vegas 3:30 PM

Sun. March 8 Atlanta Motor Speedway NASCAR Racing from Atlanta 1:30 PM

Sun. March 22 Bristol Motor Speedway NASCAR Racing from Bristol 1:30 PM

Sat. March 28 Martinsville Speedway NASCAR Truck Series 2:00 PM

Sun. March 29 Martinsville Speedway NASCAR Racing from Martinsville 1:30 PM

Sun. April 5 Texas Motor Speedway NASCAR Racing from Fort Worth 1:30 PM

Sat. April 18 Phoenix Int’l Speedway NASCAR Racing from Phoenix 8:00 PM

Sun. April 26 Talladega Superspeedway NASCAR Racing from Talladega 1:00 PM

Sat. May 2 Richmond Int’l Raceway NASCAR Racing from Richmond 7:00 PM

Sat. May 9 Darlington Raceway NASCAR Racing from Darlington 7:00 PM

Sun. May 24 Lowe’s Motor Speedway NASCAR Racing from Charlotte 5:00 PM

Sun. May 31 Dover Int’l Speedway NASCAR Racing from Dover 1:30 PMN

Patrick gets new partner in Michael Andretti

Danica Patrick has a new partner on her race team, Michael Andretti.

As in Michael Andretti, strategist.

Patrick's team, which is co-owned by Andretti, announced the move Monday. The decision allows Kyle Moyer, who made the calls for Patrick's No. 7 car last season, to fill the same role for Andretti's son, Marco.

The 26-year-old driver has emerged as one of the biggest draws on the Indy Racing League circuit, especially after her historic win in Japan last April.

But after reaching Victory Lane, Patrick's season unraveled.

She was knocked out of the Indianapolis 500 in a pit road crash with Ryan Briscoe, then stomped through the pits to confront Briscoe before she was led over the wall by track officials.

She also was involved in a confrontation with driver Milka Duno at Mid-Ohio and crashed in Edmonton when Marco Andretti locked up his brakes. After Japan, Patrick didn't finish better than fifth.

So she's hoping the change to Andretti will produce more consistent results in 2009.

It also means two of the series biggest names will be working together on race day.

Andretti, son of former Indy winner Mario Andretti, was a longtime favorite in IndyCars. He won 42 races during his driving career and led more laps at Indianapolis than any other non-winner.

The Illinois native made headlines in 2005 when she became the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500, finished fourth in the race and was the series' rookie of the year.

She left Bobby Rahal's team after the 2006 season, opting instead to run with Andretti.

And now she can use Andretti's experience and knowledge to her advantage, too, even though it will be a new endeavor for the former driver.

Andretti Green Racing has been one of the series' best teams, winning three points titles and two Indianapolis 500s in the past six seasons.

TRG Motorsports to debut at Daytona 500

TRG Motorsports announced today their entry in the 51st running of the Daytona 500. The team is taking its experience garnered at the top levels of professional sports car racing and in the Camping World Truck Series, where they posted their first win in 2008, to NASCAR's biggest stage. The team will have veteran driver Mike Wallace pilot the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet on Sunday, February 15 at the World Center of Speed.

"This is a huge opportunity for TRG Motorsports,With the group of partners we have and very competitive team and package we decided to put a program together and race at the 500. We have been on a very steep growth curve with our entries in the Truck Series and ARCA. With the economic situation, it is always nice to be able to look for opportunity wherever possible and that what we have done. This will be defining moment in our team's history. The plan we crafted two years ago is in place, objectives are being met and we are trying to reach our goals." said the team principal,Kevin Buckler

With more than 55 entries expected to compete for 43 starting positions in the 200-lap Daytona 500, the biggest goal for TRG Motorsports is to make it in the show. TRG has enlisted one of the most competent super speedway drivers in the world to pilot their entry in "The Great American Race". Mike Wallace, who has often been regarded as a restrictor plate specialist, will drive for TRG in their debut in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Wallace has three wins at Daytona and hopes to secure his first Spring Cup win in the legendary Daytona 500. Wallace has won in the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Daytona and he took the inaugural Truck Series race win in 2000 after he qualified on the outside pole and led 59 laps. Wallace followed that up with a win in the Nationwide Series in July of 2004 after leading only one lap, the final one.

The next 30 days will be a busy for TRG. The company has five cars entered in this weekend's Grand-Am Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona and the finishing touches are going on the company's two Camping World Truck Series entries as well as their two ARCA cars for next month.

Ferrari F60 is "illegal"

Ferrari’s newly launched 2009 single seater, the F60, has been declared “illegal” by a specialist German motoring publication.

The F1 car had been revealed last week at the Mugello circuit in Italy, features rear exhaust outlets that contravene the sweeping new technical regulations.

The magazine said some of the Italian team’s rivals have noted that because of the new rules cracking down on bodywork appendages like aerodynamic winglets, exposing the exhausts in the way the F60 is designed is not allowed.

A glance at the other new cars revealed so far ,Renault, Williams, McLaren and Toyota -shows that their exhausts have all been mounted in-board.

It should not be too much of a problem for Ferrari to redesign the exhaust housing, but it may help to explain the team’s retreat from the Portimao group test this week to Mugello.

Officially, Ferrari decamped to Mugello because of adverse weather forecasts for this week, but the F60 also showed a significant problem with its front wing when tested last week.

It is suggested that, in light of these challenges, Ferrari concluded that it should be conducting the car’s first major test as close as possible to its Maranello base.

NASCAR Superstar join charity bids

NASCAR celebrities today give a little help when they took a charities at the 38th annual Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction over the past week at WestWorld in Scottsdale.

The total of 14 vehicles up for auction had the proceeds desginated for various charities from the American Heart Association to EEA Young Eagles, a group chaired by actor Harrison Ford and dedicated to boosting interest in aviation among youths.

NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick ask a helps from collector car fans to register as bone marrow donors as driver Jeff Gordon’s 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo No. 24 racer crossed the block. The car brought in $500,000 with proceeds going to the Hendrick Marrow Program.Rick Hendrick is also a leukemia survivor.

The Darrel Gwynn Foundation, named for the famed drag racer and dedicated to helping people with spinal chord injuries, was another beneficiary Saturday.

Gwynn, himself confined to a wheelchair after spinal injuries, introduced 14-year-old Randy Rimone, who the foundation helped after he was denied insurance coverage for a power wheelchair. Meanwhile, racing legend Richard Petty roared in with a baby blue 1970 Plymouth Superbird custom coupe boasting more than 750 horsepower. Before the gavel fell AT $501,000, auction goers chipped in $175,000 in separate donations.

Jack Roush, another NASCAR owner, was on hand Sunday to sell a 2008 Roush Mustang GT. The 510-horsepower ‘Stang brought in $100,000 for Speedway Children’s Charities. The national nonprofit’s goal is to provide educational, financial, medical and social support for children in need.

The auction ran Sunday through Sunday with much of the event telecast on Speed TV.

Yates Racing and HoFR sign agreement

Yates Racing and Hall of Fame Racing (HOF) today announced an agreement for both of their two teams. Under the new agreement, Yates Racing will operate the No. 96 NASCAR Sprint Cup entry of Hall of Fame Racing for the full 2009 Sprint Cup schedule. In that race,Doug Yates and Max Jones will continue as co-owners of Yates Racing, while Tom Garfinkel and Jeff Moorad will continue as co-owners of Hall of Fame Racing.

"This partnership with Hall of Fame is a great stepping stone for the Yates organization,Through this partnership, we are able to continue the expansion of our shop and field another Sprint Cup entry. We, along with Ford Racing, welcome Hall of Fame Racing and look forward to a very successful season." said Max Jones, co-owner and General Manager of Yates Racing.

"Jeff Moorad and I knew it would take time to construct the right model to improve our competitive position in the sport and we think we've come a long way to achieving that through our association with Yates Racing,We're proud to be associated with Doug and Max and Ford Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series." add Tom Garfinkel, co-owner of Hall of Fame Racing.

The Hall of Fame Racing entry will make its competitive debut at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, February 12 during the Gatorade 150 qualifying races.

Ferrari Technical Spec for new F1 Season

The F60 is the fifty fifth single-seater built by Ferrari specifically to compete in the Formula 1 World Championship. The name of the car was chosen to celebrate the Scuderia's participation in all 60 editions of the Formula 1 World Championship since 1950 to date.

The project, which goes by the internal code name of 660, represents the Scuderia's interpretation of the regulations that come into force this year, which include very many new elements. As far as the aerodynamics are concerned, these modifications are the result of the work carried out by the OWG (Overtaking Working Group,) set up by the FIA in collaboration with the teams to produce a set of rules aimed at encouraging more overtaking on track.Here are the technical spec for the new F60

Technical specifications

Chassis

Carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure
Ferrari longitudinal garbo Limited-slip differential
Semiautomatic sequential electronically controlled garbo - quick shift
Number of gears 7 + Reverse
Brembo ventilated carbon-fibre disc brakes
Independent suspension, push-rod activated torsion springs front and rear
Weight (with water, lubricant and driver) 605 kg
BBS Wheels (front and rear) 13"
Kinetic energy recovery system by Ferrari in cooperation with Magneti Marelli

Engine

Type 056
Number of cylinders 8
Cilinder block in cast aluminium V 90°
Number of valves 32
Pneumatic distribution
Total displacement 2398 cm3
Piston bore 98 mm
Weight > 95 kg
Magneti Marelli digital electronic injection
Magneti Marelli static electronic ignition
Fuel Shell V-Power ULG-66L/2
Lubricant Shell

-credit: ferrari

Buemi to Race for Scuderia Toro Rosso

Formula 1 team,Scuderia Toro Rosso announce that new driver for his team,Sebastien Buemi will drive for the team in the 2009 Formula 1 season.

Sebastien Buemi,20 years old are from Aigle,Switzerland.Last year he was competed in GP2,and by that time he was also the reserve driver for our sister team, Red Bull Racing. For most of his racing career, he has been supported by Red Bull as part of its Junior Driver programme.

"We are delighted to welcome Sebastien, who was already part of the Red Bull family, to our team. Our engineers have been impressed with his speed in the car and his ability to learn and progress during the testing he has carried out for us last year. That, along with some impressive performances in GP2 was enough to convince us to give him the drive. His appointment also fulfils the aims of the Red Bull Junior Driver programme and meets Dietrich Mateschitz's intention to use Scuderia Toro Rosso as a showcase for young drivers the company has supported in the lower formulae." Said the Scuderia Toro Rosso team Principal, Franz Tost.

Meanwhile Sebastien Buemi commented:"I am naturally very happy to be driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso this year,Being a Formula 1 driver has always been my target, since I first started racing. This year, I will do all I can to bring home the best possible results and to show Red Bull that the confidence it has shown in me is justified. I want to thank Red Bull for this opportunity and for all the help they have given me in my career, dating back to 2005."

Sebastien's first track outing as an official Scuderia Toro Rosso driver will be at the test session held at the Portimao Circuit in Portugal later this month. An announcement about who will be Buemi's team-mate will be made at some point before the Australian Grand Prix!

Go Daddy extend partnership

The worlds leading registrar of Internet domain,GoDaddy.com will extended its partnerships with JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports, which will give them a significant presence in NASCAR's top two series in 2009.

This season,They will be the primary sponsor for 20 Nationwide Series. The company also will be an associate sponsor of Hendrick's No. 5 Sprint Cup Chevrolets with driver Mark Martin.

In addition, GoDaddy.com will get back the No. 88 Chevrolets of JR Motorsports and 24 years old driver, Brad Keselowski in 18 Nationwide Series races. Besides that,Keselowski also will attempt a seven-event Sprint Cup schedule in the No. 25 GoDaddy.com Chevrolets of Hendrick Motorsports.

GoDaddy.com's first attemp in motorsport in December 2006 with the Indy Racing League's Danica Patrick.They only moved into NASCAR last season as a primary sponsor in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series.

Michael Schumacher Could Be Hero For Honda F1 Team

There has been reports circulating the internet suggesting,a former world champion, Michael Schumacher could be interested in putting some of his money to rescue the Honda Racing F1 Team facing the economic crisis.

Though the press has played down reports the retired seven time world champion might get involved with the Honda team, it was suggested the 40-year-old could have been in talks with his former Ferrari colleague Ross Brawn, now the Brackley based team’s boss, about investing some of his own money to avoid Honda to withdraw from the sport.

“Ross and Michael are still friends, that’s true,” say the Schumacher spokesperson.

“But Michael’s involvement with Honda is limited to the IDM”

Alonso Join Ferrari on 2009???

Fernando Alonso maybe turned down an opportunity to switch immediately to the famous Formula 1 team Ferrari out of loyalty to his current F1 employer Renault.

Spanish newspaper claimed that, following authoritative reports from Italy that the former double world champion has now penned a deal to race with the famous Maranello based team in 2010 or 2011.

Diario AS said Ferrari were prepared to put Alonso, 27, into the 2009 race seat of Kimi Raikkonen, who despite winning the title in 2007 had a disappointing season last year.

Hottie Erica Enders: Popular Pro Stocker To Compete In Full Throttle

Erica Enders, the popular Pro Stock racer, will reportedly compete full time in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series behind the wheel of Jim and Gloria Cunningham's Mastercam Ford Mustang.
With technical support from Ford Racing, Enders will begin the season in the same car she drove when she filled in for Cunningham earlier this year at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.

"After personally seeing Erica's incredible fan base and how she conducted herself with the fans and in the car at Indy, we asked her to drive for Jim next year, and she agreed to race with us,She did an outstanding job driving our car and produced four outstanding runs. We are pleased to have her driving the car and marketing Cunningham Motorsports and Ford." said Cunningham Motorsports crew chief Marcus Bowen.

The 25-year-old Enders already is the most successful female racer in class history with the most races entered, most final-round showings, most low-qualifier awards, and most round-wins. No female racer has ever won a Pro Stock race.

Enders is perhaps best known for the Disney Channel movie Right on Track, which chronicles her and sister Courtney's time in the Jr. Dragster ranks. It remains one of the most viewed movies in Disney Channel history.

The first public appearances of Enders and the Cunningham Motorsports/Mastercam Ford Mustang GT Pro Stock will be at the Ford Racing booth throughout the PRI Show Dec. 11-13 in Orlando, Fla.