E3 Spark Plugs News

The Daytona International Speedway's recent repaving means a faster, smoother, more thrilling Daytona 500. Photo: International Speedway Corp.

This Sunday’s Daytona 500 promises a more intense race than ever, if testing/practice laps and last Saturday’s Budweiser Shootout are any indication. E3 Spark Plugs is excited to see competitors in the nation’s most prestigious racing event battle it out on the newly repaved Daytona International Speedway. Dubbed “The Great American Race,” the Daytona 500 offers the biggest total prize money payout (upwards of $18 million) of any motorsports event in the U.S. and boasts a sold-out crowd each year. This year, the thrills and chills come even faster.

Last year, a pothole caused two major race delays that lasted a total of 2.5 hours, triggering a mass exodus of fans and TV viewers and prompting speedway officials to fast-track plans to repave the 2.5-mile track. First opened in 1959 and last repaved in 1978, the track had had all it could take of the scorching Florida summers, abrasive sand and sea air. Work started less than 12 hours after Kevin Harvick won the Coke Zero 400 on July 4. Within five months, workers completely tore up and replaced the entire track, layer by layer, using 50,000 tons of asphalt. By December 15, the new track was ready for a Goodyear tire test with 18 drivers.

Test and practice laps proved exciting enough. But Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout, won by Kurt Busch, proved the new track a game-changer. Speeds hit 207 mph, drivers broke up into two-car groups and the 75-lap race featured a record 28 lead changes. Faster speeds, less brake usage, better grip and fewer worn tires mean more competitors in the race for longer periods. Things just got tougher for drivers.

“This is more of a chess game,” Jeff Burton told reporters. “This is going to be, ‘When do I get aggressive; when do I not get aggressive?’ A lot of times on the old surface, your car dictated when you could and when you couldn’t. What’s going to dictate that this time is how many laps are left.”

E3 Spark Plugs wishes all the Daytona 500 competitors luck this weekend. And if you’re looking to boost your own performance on the tracks or on the roadways, pick up a set of E3 car spark plugs or truck spark plugs. See you in Daytona!

Hey all you E3 Spark Plugs racing fans, it’s party time! This Friday night (August 13) is the traditional racer get-together held each year just prior to the GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by E3 Spark Plugs, at Guthrie’s Lazy E Arena in Oklahoma. This year’s party revs up at nearby Pole Position Raceway in Oklahoma City, an indoor kart racing track.

Come with E3 Spark Plugs and top motocross racers at Pole Position in Oklahoma City Friday night.

Ever dreamed of going head-to-head against the world’s top off-road motorcycle racers? Now is your chance. Of course, you and your worthy opponents will be in electric go-karts on smooth, bumper-lined tracks rather than on motorcycles traversing an obstacle course of rocks, boulders, logs, sand, mud, waterholes and giant tires. But the competitive spirit remains alive in this family-friendly fun place frequented by the likes of Chad Reed, Jeremy McGrath, Travis Pastrana and NASCAR champion Kurt Busch.

“Everyone had a great time when we opened the 2010 GEICO EnduroCross season at Pole Position Raceway in Vegas. Our Oklahoma City event at Pole Position Raceway should prove to be just as fun,” said Lance Bryson, Director of Sales and Marketing, GEICO EnduroCross. “Everything’s casual and friendly – until the GEICO EnduroCross racers get behind the wheel, then all heck breaks loose.”

If you’re in Oklahoma for Saturday’s race come out Friday night and race go-karts with the world’s top off-road motorcycle racers, sit in on some bench racing sessions and grab a few autographs. It all happens from 6-8 p.m. at Pole Position Raceway, Oklahoma’s coolest motorsports enthusiasts’ hangout. And if you want to boost your own motorcycling performance, be sure to get E3 motorcycle spark plugs, designed specifically for motorcycle engines. We’ll see you at the races!