E3 Spark Plugs News

NASCAR racer Jason Leffler leaves behind a five-year-old son.

The NASCAR community was dealt a heartbreaking blow last night when driver Jason Leffler was killed in a crash during a 410 sprint car race at New Jersey’s Bridgeport Speedway. Running second with just a few laps left, Leffler crashed into a wall, flipped several times and fell unconscious. He was quickly airlifted by helicopter to Chester, Pennsylvania’s Crozer-Chester Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead just after 9 p.m. Eastern time. A subsequent autopsy report listed the cause of Leffler’s death as blunt force trauma to the neck.

Leffler began racing at age 12 and started his professional  career in the mid 1990s, racing midget cars in the USAC series. He quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with on the tracks, winning three consecutive midget championships in 1997, 1998 and 1999. He also was the 1998 Silver Crown series champion and winner of the Hut Hundred and Belleville Nationals in 1997; the Turkey Night Grand Prix in 1999 and 2005; and the Copper Classic in 1999. In 2003, he was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

Nicknamed “Lefturn,” Leffler switched to NASCAR for the 2000 season, driving full-time for the number eighteen MBNA sponsored Busch team and moving up to the Winston Cup Series the next season. He remained a fixture on the NASCAR field over the years, racing for Chip Ganassi Racing, Ultra Motorsports, Haas CNC Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Braun Racing, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Robinson-Blakeney Racing and Humphrey Smith Racing.

Over his career, Leffler racked up four USAC championships, 56 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts, and 294 career Nationwide Series starts.

After news broke of the 37-year-old’s death, many in professional racing took to social media to express their condolences and offer prayers for Leffler’s family, including his five-year-old son Charlie Dean.

“I’m completely devastated to hear about Jason Leffler. It doesn’t seem real. Pray for his family tonight,” Nationwide Series driver Trevor Bayne wrote on Twitter.

Veteran NASCAR driver Elliott Sadler also tweeted: “Sitting here in disbelief. All I can think about is Charlie. Prayers to his little boy.”

We here at E3 Spark Plugs also offer our condolences to Leffler’s family and friends, especially little Charlie.

Cheyanne Phillips (9, left) ready to greet fans with her racing brother Shane and mechanic dad Tom.

She’s quite the little spark plug, herself. Nine-year-old Cheyanne Phillips is already several years into a go-kart racing career and currently is in second points in her series, behind only her younger brother Shane. But she’s as compassionate as she is competitive. That’s why she’s the latest Team E3 Racing Tier 1 winner.

Racing runs in the Phillips family’s blood. Phillips’ grandfather built engines for Winston Cup racecars and her father (a friend of E3 Spark Plugs-sponsored racer Kevin Probst) ice raced three-wheelers and raced off-road buggies. It didn’t take long for Phillips and her little brother to follow suit. She began racing snowmobiles on snow at age four, then hit the grass-drag tracks at age seven. She soon took to the go-kart tracks as well and has since proven a small but formidable competitor.

Today, the fifth grader pilots Junior 1 Champ go-Karts in the K3 Karting series at Kankakee County Fairgrounds in Illinois. Big wins include the Fire and Ice series in Weyauwega, WI and she and Shane participate in the annual Joliet NASCAR Race Fan Rally, greeting fans and getting to know fellow racers.

“My brother Shane and I have driver profile cards to sign and lots of E3 stuff to give away to fans. It is so much fun,” she says enthusiastically. “I like to give fans E3 monster truck air fresheners and other things. The first year we had a booth, Casey Mears came and asked me for my autograph! That was so awesome. He is very nice. We got a picture with him, but I forgot to get HIS autograph! I really, really, really want to meet Danica Patrick and I think it would be so cool to be in the pits one day with her.”

Phillips, a Girl Scout since kindergarten who also plays the piano and rocks accelerated math, has already collected many memories in her young career, but one favorite immediately comes to mind.

Kid Karting champ and Team E3 Racing winner Cheyanne Phillips.

“My dad built a kitty cat snowmobile that ran on methanol fuel and we took it to the grass drags in Wauconda, Illinois where I was clocked at 42mph and got second place in the 300 Stock class, where I raced against full-sized sleds,” she says. “I was six years old and the other racers were 12 to 15 years old.”

Phillips definitely has confidence and a fiercely competitive spirit. But she also understands the importance of camaraderie and enjoying the sport, recalling a situation wherein the parent of a fellow showed some decidedly unsportsmanlike behavior.

“I was sad for him because his dad is mean to him because he hits and swears at him and that is wrong because we are supposed to have fun,” Phillips said of the heartbreaking scene.

Even at a young age, Phillips also is keenly aware of the power of giving. This year, she has donated all of her race winnings to the Turner Syndrome Society in honor of her late cousin Jessie, who passed away at just three years old. Turner Syndrome is a chromosomal condition that occurs when one of the two X chromosomes normally found in females is missing or incomplete.

Phillips asked that we make sure to recognize her family for their support of her racing career.

“My family helps me do everything for racing,” she says. “My dad is Tom Phillips and he is the mechanic and crew chief. My mom is Suzanne Phillips and she feeds me, makes sure my safety gear is on and does all the computer stuff. And my little brother who also races go-karts is Shane Phillips and he sometimes washes my tires and tells me ‘good luck.’”

From all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs, congratulations and welcome to the team, Cheyanne!

Team E3 Racing winner Shea Holbrook recently launched SteelOvaryNation.com.

Who says professional racing isn’t a girl’s club? Team E3 Racing winner Shea Holbrook is a standout among a burgeoning number of female drivers, engineers, mechanics and motorsport execs. And there are more racing fans and auto enthusiasts of the fairer sex today than ever before. Yet, there are precious few resources for gearhead gals to hang out and share their love for all things automotive.

To that end, Holbrook recently launched SteelOvaryNation.com, a new website with an accompanying #SteelOvaryNation hashtag campaign. The brand represents female drivers, engineers, mechanics, broadcasters, bloggers, fans and car and motorsport gurus and features articles, photos and merchandise. Says Kerryann De La Cruz, a drag racer with a goal to build a legendary Nissan Skyline BNR32 GT-R: “It takes balls to live a world with so much life and passion, bursting at the seams with every emotion at full throttle. Not everyone is made for that. It takes OVARIES of STEEL to do the unconventional, and challenge yourself in a world vastly dominated by men where respect is earned, and often times we work harder for the same desired respect.”

The idea began with a tweet and a response by Holbrook that quickly caught fire. Twitter member @nascarasm, an avid motorsports fan with a large Twitter following, tweeted a congratulatory message to the winner of the 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona and the team’s sponsor: “It took some big Carolina nuts to win this one.”

Holbrook was quick to reply: “Girls have big nuts too, they’re called ovaries!”

And so it began! Response from fans and fellow motorsports pros was crazy and soon, hashtags #SteelOvaries and #SteelOvaryNation were flying everywhere. The ever gracious Holbrook also initiated the hashtag #brovaries, a new term of endearment for men who avidly support the SteelOvaryNation brand and all women in the motorsports world.

Are you a proud brovary? Which female motorsports pro is your favorite? Post your thoughts on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page.

On his 12th try, the popular hard-luck racer Tony Kanaan finally took the Indy 500 checkered flag.

Do you remember the 18 years that All My Children star Susan Lucci was nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy, but left the theatre like a jilted bride every single time before finally snagging the trophy, launching the show’s happiest/sappiest acceptance speech and getting the rowdiest audience atta girl ever on her 19th nod? Okay, maybe not you, but perhaps your wife or mother does. Anyway, we’re betting that Tony Kanaan was sweating a little of that same lady-in-waiting feeling while at the starting line of this weekend’s Indianapolis 500 for his 11th time. Little did he know, his wait was over.

After more than a decade of gunning for the Indy 500 finish line, Kanaan finally crossed it first, serving up a dramatic performance and officially ditching his dubious title of the “best current driver never to win an Indy 500.” And what a win it was! Sunday’s race arguably was the most exciting and contentious event in Indy 500 history. The race boasted 68 lead changes – double last year’s record of 34. Green-flag racing lasted an astonishing 133 straight laps from Lap 61 to 193 – the longest green-flag period in the race’s history since caution-flag laps were recorded in 1976. There were only five cautions for 21 laps in the 200-lap contest. And it was the fastest Indy 500 of all time, with competitors hitting an average speed of 187.433 mph.

But the real story was Kanaan, who drove hard despite torn ligaments in his thumb. The popular hard-luck driver was a favorite to win the event known as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing among fans, and even among a few of his competitors. He drew the loudest cheer from the stands during the driver introductions. And when it became clear that the Brazilian racer’s face would be the 100th etched onto the Borg-Warner Trophy, the crowd truly lost all composure.

“I never had a doubt I could win this thing,” Kanaan said. “Today it worked… I’m glad I’m on the other side and I can put my big nose on that trophy.”

“TK is such a fan favorite,” added competitor Ryan Hunter-Reay, who took third place. “He’s a great guy, a great teammate, great friend of mine. Yeah, absolutely, it’s great to see him win it. If anybody is going to win it in the field, he’s one of the few I’d like to see other than myself.”

Carlos Munoz took second. Mario Andretti and Justin Wilson took fourth and fifth. Three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves finished sixth and Team Penske teammate and first-time Indy 500 competitor placed seventh. Simon Pagenaud, Charlie Kimball and Ed Carpenter rounded out the top 10.

From all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs, congratulations, Tony Kanaan!

Pro Wrestler John Cena’s flame-throwing, no-doors InCENArator built for the Gumball 3000.

It’s been called the world’s biggest, craziest moving car show.  Though constantly conjuring memories of the 1982 Burt Reynolds comedy The Cannonball Run, the Gumball 3000 is a decidedly more posh, yet perhaps equally wacky event – an annual favorite of E3 Spark Plugs. And this year, it’s celebrating its 15th year.

The 8-day competition across Europe revved up Saturday with launch party in Copenhagen, Denmark and will take competitors across the continent with stops in Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Austria, Italy and Monaco. Members of the 115 driving teams are quite the motley crew, consisting of film, music and sports celebrities, multi-millionaire Internet gurus, a Latvian soap opera star, a 3000-bout undefeated masked Mexican wrestler and two guys recently disqualified from NASA’s space program. Participating celebs include Pimp My Ride star Xzibit, rap star Eve, actor David Hasselhoff, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, pro wrestler John Cena and Swedish skiing phenom John Olsson, among others.

While the antics of such a cast of characters are sure to be entertaining, it’s the cars that are the real stars of the show. A few notables are Team Galag’s Batman-inspired Tumbler, Olsson’s Ultima GTR Rebellion R2K, Xzibit’s Bentley, a Rolls Royce Phantom, Morgan Aero SuperSport, Jaguar F-Type and Murcielago SV.

Often referred to as the rich guy’s Cannonball Run, the Gumball 3000 actually was inspired by films like  Two-Lane Blacktop, Vanishing Point, Bullitt and Le Mans. But we’re guessing its moniker was inspired by 1976′s The Gumball Rally, a film about a 3000-mile illegal road race across America with a disparate mix of international drivers driving exotic cars on public roads. Today’s Gumball 3000, founded in 1999 by British entertainment and fashion mogul Maximillion Cooper, also covers 3,000 miles and a host of colorful characters. But this show is set in Europe and is legally legit.

Also, organizers stress that it’s not a race, per se, but a road trip adventure. You won’t win a prize for being the fastest or flashiest. In fact the winners are the various charities that will benefit from seven celebrity auctions. Up for grabs: an electric light cycle just like the one featured in the movie Tron; Olsson’s XGames-winning skis; a Knight Rider steering wheel signed by the Hoff himself; and a day with Tony Hawk and your 10 best friends at Hawk’s personal training facility in San Diego, Hawk Headquarters and the new Birdhouse Skatepark, including a private session on the famous Boom Boom Huckjam ramp.

Who’s your favorite to watch in the Gumball 3000? Post your thoughts on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page.

• Gumball 3000

  http://www.e3sparkplugs.com/news/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/gumball cena.jpg

  Pro wrestler John Cena's flame-throwing, no-doors InCENArator

  

• Gumball 3000

  http://www.e3sparkplugs.com/news/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/Jon-Olsson-Rebellion-01.jpg

  Swedish skiing phenom Jon Olsson's Ultima GTR Rebellion R2K

  

• Gumball 3000

  http://www.e3sparkplugs.com/news/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/team galag tumbler 2.jpg

  Team Galag's Batman-inspired Tumbler

  

• Gumball 3000

  http://www.e3sparkplugs.com/news/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/Max_s_Morgan.jpg

  Gumball 3000 boss Maximillion Cooper and rap star Eve's Morgan Aero SuperSport

  

• Gumball 3000

  http://www.e3sparkplugs.com/news/wp-content/uploads/slideshow-gallery/twisted alpine.jpg

  Tony Hawk's Alpine Edition Twisted Defender

  

The 2014 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees will be announced Wednesday evening, May 22.

On Wednesday, May 22, the 54 members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Nominating Committee and Voting Panel will gather at North Carolina’s Charlotte Convention Center to whittle down the class of 25 nominees to five worthy inductees, including one nominated by fan vote. Come 6pm ET, the rest of the world will know who they’ve picked.

Of course a driver or two will make the list. More than half of the 20 current members were nominated based upon their behind-the-wheel talent. But like any well-oiled machine, it takes many different parts, people and functions to run a professional sport that challenges its participants, makes celebrities of its stars, entertains its fans and inspires the next generation of racing professionals.

The list of 2014 nominees includes 14 drivers, three team owners, two legendary engine builders, three track owner/operators and three from the executive ranks. Who do you hope will nab one of the five inductee spots? Peruse the nominee list below, then post your votes on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page. And be sure to log onto NASCAR.com at 6pm Eastern Time on Wednesday when the 2014 class is announced.

1. Red Byron: NASCAR’s first Strictly Stock champion
2. Jerry Cook: Six-time NASCAR Modified champion; 342 wins
3. Tim Flock: Two-time NASCAR premier series champion; 39 wins
4. Jack Ingram: Two-time NASCAR Busch (now Nationwide) champ; 31 wins; also three-time Late Model Sportsman champ
5. Bobby Isaac: Won 1970 Cup championship; 37 career wins, 49 poles
6. Dale Jarrett: 1999 Cup champion; 32 wins
7. Fred Lorenzen: Twenty-six wins in just 158 career starts, including Daytona 500 and World 600 winner in 1965
8. Benny Parsons: 1973 Cup champion; 21 wins
9. Larry Phillips: Five-time NASCAR Weekly Series champion; 226 wins in 308 starts
10. Fireball Roberts: Thirty-three career wins, including Southern 500 (twice) and Daytona 500
11. Wendell Scott: First black owner/driver to win in NASCAR’s Cup series
12. Curtis Turner: Seventeen career wins in premier series, including Southern 500; 38 wins in 79 starts in NASCAR’s convertible division
13. Joe Weatherly: Two-time premier series champion with 25 career wins; Modified champ (1953)
14. Rex White: 1960 premier series champ; 28 wins in 233 starts
15. Richard Childress: Former driver; 11 championships as owner (6 Cup, 4 Nationwide, 1 Truck)
16. Rick Hendrick: Thirteen championships (10 Cup, 3 Truck)
17. Raymond Parks: Won inaugural Strictly Stock championship
18. Maurice Petty: Seven Cup titles and 198 wins as head engine builder for driver Richard Petty
19. Ray Fox: Built some of the most durable, most powerful engines of the day before finding success as a car owner (14 wins). Engine and mechanical expertise helped Carl Kiekhaefer teams win 22 of first 26 races in 1956
20. H. Clay Earles: Founder of Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, the only track that has hosted Cup races every year since 1949
21. Les Richter: Former president and general manager of Riverside International Raceway
22. O. Bruton Smith: Chairman and CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns eight facilities that host 12 Cup points races annually
23. Anne Bledsoe France: Secretary and treasurer for sanctioning body during its formative years
24. T. Wayne Robertson: Former Senior VP for series sponsor R.J. Reynolds and president of its sports marketing arm; helped develop series’ all-star race
25. Ralph Seagraves: Former RJR official, instrumental in pairing sponsor with NASCAR to create Winston Cup Series; helped develop NASCAR Weekly Racing Series program

Gran Turismo 6 for PlayStation 3 will be released just in time for the 2013 holiday season.

Hear that sound, gearheads and gamers? That’s your wallet cringing, backed by your inner teenager rejoicing at the news that Gran Turismo 6 for PlayStation 3 will be released just in time for the 2013 holiday season. Legendary GT creator Kazunori Yamauchi himself made the announcement at a celebration marking 15 years of the 70-million-selling series earlier this week.

The “Real Driving Simulator” promises a full battery of cool features including a collection of new cars that brings the roster to more than 1,200. And players get more customization options than ever before, assuring you’ll be able to rock your ride like no one else’s. You’ll speed through 33 locations and 71 layouts from day one, and more will be added online in the near future. Among the new tracks: the UK’s famous Silverstone Circuit. There’s also a revamped GPS-enhanced course maker function that will take you through some serious global scenery. A new engine improves game performance and an overhauled user interface make for simpler operation and shorter load times.

Thus far, info released to the press says GT6 is just for PlayStation 3 with smartphone, tablet and PC compatibilities. But Yamauchi says the company does have a GT6 version for PlayStation 4 in mind. Maybe next year?

“We’re pleased to deliver GT 6 to PlayStation 3 as we have a very loyal community on that platform. However, we have refactored the game to make it very flexible and expandable, with a view to making many future developments,” he told the crowd. “I already have many ideas for things I want to achieve in the next 15 years of Gran Turismo!”

What do you most want to see in GT6? Post your thoughts on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page.

Tim Spurlock’s 1978 Ford F150 is the fastest mud bogging machine in the New Paris, Indiana area.

Tim Spurlock started wrenching with his dad as a kid and was just a teenager when he began building engines as a part-time, after-school business. Twelve years ago, he opened his own paint and body shop which since has grown to two locations with 15 employees. Clearly, his blood is tinged with motor oil. And maybe a little mud. Now, he’s riding high – and fast – as one of his area’s top mud bogging champions.

The latest Team E3 Racing Tier 2 winner has a penchant for rebuilding and restoring classic Ford trucks, particularly those from 1953-1979. So when he decided three years ago to build a full mud racing truck, he chose a 1978 Ford F150 that he highly modified for competition. That choice proved a good one.

“In the last two years I have been undefeated in two classes for our local series, won a class at every race I have entered in the surrounding three states – a total of 18 first place finishes in 2012 alone,” says the New Paris, Indiana resident who last year partnered with the New Paris Speedway to produce and promote a new mud bog series that has prove wildly popular with regional competitors. “People know my truck is serous and will be putting on a show when it hits the mud.”

While he certainly enjoys the winnings and bragging rights, Spurlock and his Old Blue Mud Racing team truly love hanging with fans at competitions, car shows and cruise-ins.

Team E3 Racing winner Tim Spurlock

“At competitions, we spend half the day in the pit area showing and discussing the truck with interested spectators,” he says.

Spurlock and his team often forfeit winnings to benefit area charities and causes. He loyally attends bogs with competitor payouts, where the funds benefit the local Hospice and Camp Millhouse, a summer retreat for children and young adults with mental and physical disabilities. And this year, he headed up the Michiana Mud Bog Series, a partnership between the New Paris Speedway, Ruffriders 4×4 and South Bend Sod Busters, expected to raise several thousands of dollars for worthy causes. Even when he’s off the competitive track, he’s still on the dirt, running off-road ATVs and dirt bikes and camping with his family.

From all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs, congratulations and welcome to the team, Tim!

Team E3 Racing Tier 2 winner John Hummel.

Many a graduating high school senior saves his part-time job paychecks and hits up Mom and Dad for help buying a car. Such was the case for John Hummel of Conesus, NY. But he wasn’t looking for a sleek street car that would impress the girls. Instead, he wanted a lean, mean racing machine. And that’s what he got.

The newest Team E3 Racing Tier 2 winner remembers fondly the 1974 Plymouth Duster he bought just after graduating from New York’s Livonia Central School with honors in 1984. It took him and is father two years to ready the car for Hummel’s first race at Williamson, NY’s Spencer Speedway. Hummel finished his debut race in second place and finished the racing season with two major bragging rights – qualifying for the 1987 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) North East Division Bracket World Finals and being nominated for Rookie of the Year at Motorcity Raceway (now New York International Raceway Park), finishing eighth place in the Street class.

Throughout the 1980s, Hummel would continue to dominate the drag racing tracks, racking up nearly 100 combined final round appearances and more than 50 wins. But his big national media break came in 1993, when he became the first ever two-time consecutive event Fun Ford Weekend Champion – a record that stands to this day. Other great racing moments for Hummel include 1994′s unprecedented third Fun Ford Weekend Championship; three consecutive All Ford Challenge Class Championships; and a second-place finish in the world’s largest sportsman drag race in 2005.

Hummel’s drag racing car dubbed “Grounds for Divorce.”

Hummel also is proud of his 2011 Competition Plus Magazines Sportsmanship Award and 2009 POPS Racing Outstanding Sportsmanship Award. Both take into consideration not just his racing talent but his community service as well. Over the years, he has devoted countless hours as a Livingston County, NY D.A.R.E. Programs volunteer; raising funds for the Teresa House, a comfort care ministry for the terminally ill, and the Golisano Children’s Hospital; and organizing and promoting events for the New York State Police Dept.’s Racing Against Drugs program.

“As I look back at my long career, I can say the best part of my racing success is that it puts me in a position to give something back to the community that has supported me so well over the past 27 years,” Hummel says.

It’s Hummel’s on-track talent as well as his heart for community service that helped land him the roster of Team E3 Racing winners. From all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs, congratulations and welcome to the team, John!

Team E3 Racing winner Don Demeny competes in the Traxxas Torc Off-Road Championship Series.

The tiny town of Abrams, Wisconsin is home to just 1,750 residents. But the “titletown” of sorts also boasts several champion off-road racers including Johnny and CJ Greaves, and the newest Team E3 Racing Tier 1 winner Don Demeny.  A racer for 28 years, Demeny aims to add his own name to roster of champions hailing from the small paper mill town.

Demeny first got hooked on racing as a teenager, watching the engine-revving, dirt-slinging action from the stands of the Crandon International Off-Road Raceway in nearby Crandon, WI. By 16, he was competing himself. Ever since, “Off-road has been our life,” says Demeny of his team, which includes his father, Gene, as crew chief, and his beautiful wife, Amy.

Over the years, Demeny has racked up many race wins including a 2002 Crandon series championship title. He currently races a 2013 Dodge Ram in the Traxxas Torc Off-Road Championship Series, doing nearly all the fabrication for new trucks in-house. On the track, he consistently finishes in the top three in feature races, making his sponsors, including Mickey Thompson Tires, Nsight Teleservices, Cellcom, Abrams BP, Colortech of Wisconsin and now, E3 Spark Plugs proud. His team wrapped the 2012 season in second place in points, and peers voted him in for the Hard Charger and Best Win awards. But he’s got his eye on the top podium spot for the 2013 season.

Team E3 Racing Tier 1 winner Don Demeny

“2013 is our year,” says Demeny, who also serves as a Supervisor for the Town of Abrams. “We came close last year, but this year is ours.”

Off-track, Demeny and teammates love participating in car shows, parades and other events, meeting fans and showing off their racing trucks. He also lends his time, expertise and support to the racing field as Vice President of Midwest Off-Road Racing, an organization dedicated to ensuring affordable racing for the Midwest sportsman off-road racer by uniting racers with a common voice.

From all of us here at E3 Spark Plugs, congratulations and welcome to the team, Don!