News Releases

PALMETTO, Fla. – The Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires is pleased to announce that Sunoco will expand its relationship with the Mazda Road to Indy by becoming its Official Fuel Supplier for the 2013 season and beyond. Sunoco – the Official Fuel Partner of INDYCAR – will now be the Official Fuel Supplier of the full ladder system including the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda and Firestone Indy Lights.

The Pennsylvania company is developing a new fuel for Pro Mazda based upon the same unleaded GTX 260 formula that is used in USF2000 but augmented to cater to the requirements of the series’ Mazda Renesis rotary engines. The powerplant is capable of producing 260 horsepower – providing an additional 90 horsepower over the Mazda MZR used in USF2000 competition. The internationally award-winning engine also powers the Mazda RX-8 passenger car.

“We are excited to welcome Sunoco as our fuel partner and to see this outstanding brand now fueling every step of the Mazda Road to Indy as well as the IZOD IndyCar Series,” said      Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions, the series promoter. “Adding Sunoco to our group of tremendous partners gives our new series an excellent foundation. With the depth of talent already confirmed and more announcements to come, we are in store for some incredible competition and can’t wait for the season to start.”

Bakersfield, CA – At the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series season finale held Saturday night at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lakeport, California’s Derek Thorn drove to a third place finish to secure both the SUNOCO Driven Challenge and the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series championships. 

Thorn, who began racing at age 8, now at age 26 and in his third full season on the SPEARS Southwest Tour put up impressive numbers in route to his series and SUNOCO Driven Challenge titles.   For 2012, Thorn lead a SPEARS Southwest Tour Series high of 546 out of 1275 laps run, with five fast times, six wins and an unbelievable 2.2 average finish on the year.

 “This has been a phenomenal year,” the elated Thorn said from The Bullring winner’s circle.  “It’s the people around you that put you in a position to be successful.  Byron Campbell (team owner) and Mike Keen (crew chief) did it the right way, they brought together a great group of people along with great equipment.”

November 20, 2012

Bakersfield, CA – The final race of the 2012 SPEARS Southwest Tour Series saw Lakeport’s Derek Thorn win the series title and Twin Falls, Idaho’s Jonathon Gomez win the race and the record $15,000 in prize money that came with the win at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday.
 
After leading much of the first half of the race, Gomez dropped back as far as 13th through the mid stages of the race.  At the end, Gomez had to hold a off a hard charging Zane Lovelace on a green-white-checkered finish to pick up his first SPEARS Southwest Tour Series win since his July of 2010 victory at Stockton 99 Speedway.  Gomez’s margin of victory over Lovelace was just .32 seconds, Thorn finished third, championship runner-up Jim Pettit II was fourth, and Jason Fensler rounded out the top five.
 
“It feels so good to get this win after the season we’ve had this year,” Gomez said from The Bullring winner’s circle.  “We’ve always ran really well at Vegas, but never closed the deal for the win, tonight was a great night to finally get a win here.  Ron (Copeland) and the team gave me a great car and worked really hard this weekend, so a big thank you to the entire team.  This is a great way to start the off-season.” Gomez concluded.
 
Coming into Saturday’s “Sigma Engineering Solutions 154” Derek Thorn needed a 14th place finish or better to win the championship.  Saturday, he closed the season with a third place finish and secured the 2012 SPEARS Southwest Tour Series title.
 
“This has been a phenomenal year,” the elated Thorn said from the winner’s circle.  “It’s the people around you that put you in a position to be successful.  We didn’t even know we were going to run this year until three weeks before the first race.  Byron Campbell (team owner) and Mike Keen (crew chief) did it the right way, they brought together a great group of people along with great equipment.”
 
On the year, Thorn had an incredible six series wins in ten starts, with only one finish outside the top three all year.
 
“This is my third full season in the SRL and I think I’ve grown as a driver, which allowed me to do the job to help Campbell Motorsports win the championship in their first full year in the SRL.  I’m most excited for this team getting this championship because they worked so hard and truly deserve it.  Running for a championship adds a tremendous amount of stress to the season, but I hope we can do it all over again next year.”  
 
In addition to claiming the 2012 SPEARS Southwest Tour Series crown, Thorn also won the national points championship for the ‘SUNOCO Driven Challenge’, which will award him a test with Joe Gibbs Racing on December 12th at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Georgia.
 
The top 15 drivers of the 2012 SPEARS Southwest Tour Series championship will be honored on Saturday afternoon, February 8th at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace in Bakersfield at the “2012 SPEARS Southwest Tour Series Championship Awards Banquet”.

Bakersfield, CA - The champion of the 2012 SUNOCO Driven Challenge will be crowned this weekend at the season finale of the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  Just two drivers, Derek Thorn, 26 of Bakersfield, CA and Jim Pettit II, 48 of Prunedale, CA have a shot at the SUNOCO Driven Challenge championship and a test with Joe Gibbs Racing.

The Sunoco Driven Challenge created a format to rank drivers from five of the nation’s top short track series in a point’s structure that will award the champion a test with Joe Gibbs Racing on December 12^th. The five participating series for 2012 include; the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series, PASS North, PASS South, ARCA/CRA, and the ASA Midwest Tour Series.  Thorn and Pettit both of the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series will also be competing for their respective series title this weekend.

Pettit, one of the true veterans of west coast short track racing with fourteen NASCAR track and series championships in his career, was twice voted the Motor Sports Press Association Driver of the Year, and is a two-time and defending SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series champion.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Motorsports enthusiasts and industry members planning to attend the 25^th annual Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in late November can take advantage of a special opportunity to visit the “World Center of Racing.” 

A ‘behind-the scenes’ tour of the legendary Daytona International Speedway is being offered on Wednesday, November 28, 2012.  The day-long tour costs $125.

Daytona International Speedway will host the 51st Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 26-27, 2013 and the 55^th Annual Daytona 500 on February 24, 2013.

BOONE, Iowa (Sept. 8) – After third- and second-place finishes in his first two Sunoco Race Fuels Race of Champions outings, Donavon Smith finally got that much hoped-for trophy.

Smith led from start to finish in winning Saturday’s Stock Car RoC at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals. With lap money included, the victory was good for $1,250.

Equally notable, it made Smith the third member of his family to win the event. He joins brothers David (2005 and 2007) and Dustin (2009) in the accomplishment. “This is a race I’ve always wanted to win,” said Smith, third in 2009 and the runner-up last year. “It’s special to be able to do that.” Smith was pulling away from the rest of the field three circuits into the 10-lapper. Dustin Larson took over second on lap seven and Brandon Czarapata settled into third on lap nine.

September 25, 2012

BAKERSFIELD, CA  - With the 2012 race season winding down, Derek Thorn of the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series currently leads the Sunoco Driven Challenge national championship.  With over sixty drivers scoring Sunoco Driven Challenge points within their respective race series, Thorn currently leads with 95 points over fellow SPEARS Southwest Tour Series driver Jim Pettit who has 66.88, and the ARCA/CRA’s Johnny VanDoorn with 65.00 points.

In its inaugural year, the Sunoco Driven Challenge has created a way to rank the drivers from five of the nation’s top short track series in a national points structure that will award the champion a test with Joe Gibbs Racing.  The five participating series for 2012 include; the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series, PASS North, PASS South, ARCA/CRA, and the ASA Midwest Tour Series. 

By IHRA Media, Larry Crum
Jul 26, 2012

(Photo of Jacob Elrod by Bryan Epps)

By Sunday evening, Jacob Elrod was understandably exhausted.

Morgantown, W.Va. (July 24, 2012) - MX Sports is pleased to welcome back Sunoco, a world leader in the manufacturing of high quality race fuels, as a supporting partner of the 2012 Red Bull AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship. Sunoco has expanded their involvement this year to increase benefits to Team Sunoco members, while also giving back to the racers and families that have been loyal to Sunoco while traveling and racing amateur motocross.

As racers and their families begin the journey to the Loretta Lynn Ranch, Sunoco has implemented a Facebook sweepstakes to award one lucky racer with a $200 fuel gift card. All you have to do is snap a photo while filling up at a Sunoco station anywhere in the country and post it to the Loretta Lynn MX official Facebook page at  www.facebook.com/lorettalynnmx and you’re entered for a chance to win. Please include the rider’s name and class in the caption. The winner will be announced Monday evening at the rider’s meeting.

Participants of this year’s National Championship can sign up to be a part of Team Sunoco at Rider Registration. From there, members will be mailed a personalized Team Sunoco hard card that allows them to receive a 50¢ per gallon race fuel discount at Sunoco distributors, as well as the Loretta Lynn event.  Riders will get Sunoco decals for their bike, plus a Sunoco checkered flag and Team Sunoco shirt and hat at the event.

Salem, IN (June 28, 2012) – Current ARCA/CRA Super Series Championship Points leader Johnny VanDoorn earned some nice awards from the Sunoco Driven Challenge this week as the ARCA/CRA Super Series halfway leader in the Sunoco Driven Challenge points after last Saturday night’s series event at Winchester Speedway. VanDoorn is on a roll with victories at the series last two point’s events at Springport Motor Speedway and Winchester.

Joe Gibbs Racing and Sunoco teamed up to launch the Sunoco Driven Challenge, offering a chance for drivers to earn a test with Joe Gibbs Racing in a NASCAR K&N Pro Series racecar to the driver earning the most points during the 2012 race season. The grand prize includes a test with JGR, a meeting with JD Gibbs, and travel expenses. Runner-up prizes will also be awarded. Drivers from five of the top template Super Late Model Series in the country including PASS North, PASS South, ASA Midwest Tour, SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series and the ARCA/CRA Super Series, registered to be eligible for the Sunoco Driven Challenge.

One lucky fan and a guest will also win a trip to Charlotte to experience the Joe Gibbs Racing Test with the Sunoco Driven Challenge winner. Drivers have to earn their stripes to this event, but not the fans. Fans must simply go online to SunocoDrivenChallenge.com to enter for a chance to win. They will also be in the running for monthly prizes from Sunoco and Joe Gibbs Driven Oil. The sweepstakes for fans ends on September 30^th.