Archives 2016

Korbin Forrister

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Korbin Forrister looks to use his dirt racing talents to drive the Empire Racing Group/Richard Petty Motorsports Development Team No. 43 Tilted Kilt/The Center for Advanced Rehab at Parkside Ford F-150 to victory in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Aspen Dental Eldora Derby at Eldora Speedway on Wednesday, July 20. Sliding on dirt tracks comes naturally to Forrister, an experienced dirt racer who began racing at age 15, racking up over 100 starts in Limited Late Model, Crate Late Model and Sportsman division races. Forrister has accumulated dozens of starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and ARCA Racing Series combined, as he continues to build his racing career through the ranks.In two previous starts at Eldora Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Forrister has two top-25 finishes and hopes to improve in his third start on the half-mile dirt oval located in Rossburg, Ohio. 

“Having a background in racing on dirt gives you a feel for the track and the fundamentals of dirt racing,” Forrister said. “I’ve raced the truck race at Eldora Speedway the past two years and now I can take what I’ve learned to put it all together for this year.” 

This year, Forrister hopes to maintain good track position and remain consistent over the race, “Last year we were hit-or-miss. We started well, the middle wasn’t great, but we finished decent. This year I want to be more consistent every lap and try to improve over the course of the race to get a good finish for the team.” 

Making his first start with Empire Racing Group and Grumpy’s Performance in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Forrister’s years of experience on dirt tracks will bring a unique advantage to the Richard Petty Motorsports Development team. Forrister added, “We put this deal together about one-and-a-half to two weeks ago and everyone at Empire Racing Group has been thrashing to get this truck put together. We’ve got a good piece to go get a good finish at Eldora. This is a really great group of guys and I’m really thankful to have the opportunity to be with them.”Wednesday night’s race will be only the second start of the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season for the No. 43 truck, bringing a heightened level of excitement for the Empire Racing Group and Richard Petty Motorsports teams. The iconic No. 43 piloted by NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Richard Petty now extends its legacy into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, allowing young drivers to carry the famed number as they race alongside some of the biggest names in motorsports.With only a couple of weeks of preparation time for Wednesday’s race, Forrister thanks the sponsors who have come on board and the team for their hard work. “They’re what made this possible. I’m not racing a full season this year, so I’m fortunate for every race I can get the opportunity to be in.” 

The No. 43 Empire Racing Group/Richard Petty Motorsports Development Team Ford F-150 hits the track on Wednesday, July 20 at 9 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 and MRN.

Brownsburg, IL – Dylan Martin and the Empire Racing Group pulled into Brownburg, IN with an expectation of a great race. Although the finishing position wasn’t what they were hoping for, Dylan and the team had a great race. Dylan didn’t practice at Lucas Oil Raceway before Friday, July 22nd, the day of the race. ARCA had 2 practice session slated for the drivers that afternoon before qualifying. The feels-like temperature was a steamy 105 in the heat of the day. Because LOR is such a flat track with little banking, the officials and fans wouldn’t be able to see the track during race time so the haulers weren’t able to park in the pits. This left the teams without a place to get out of the heat, but that didn’t stop them from giving 100% all day. Grumpy Cheek, crew chief, engineered the car with his knowledge of the racetrack and set the car up to Dylan’s driving style. After the first practice session, Dylan said the car wouldn’t turn in the corners. The crew made some adjustment and he went back out. Dylan said it was better but it would chatter up the track when he got on the throttle. For the second practice session the crew changed the sway bar and bolted on sticker tires to give Dylan the best mock qualifying run possible. At one point in the second practice session, Dylan was on the speed charts in 8th position. Dylan was happy with the car and its set up and he was anxious to see where he could put the car come qualifying time. Dylan would be the 12th car to qualify. When Dylan took the checkered for qualifying he was sitting 2nd on the speed chart. Dylan and the team would have to wait until all 33 cars qualified before they’d know where Dylan would be starting in the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 presented by Jive. Dylan found himself starting in 11th position. It was an incredible team effort and starting 11th was a great result from everyone’s hard work.

Fox Sports 1 would go live with race coverage starting at 9pm EDT. This would give Dylan’s family, friends and fans a chance to watch Dylan race in his second ARCA race of the season. After an autograph session with the fans at the track, where Dylan got a chance to meet fans and take photos and after driver introductions, the green flag would drop on Dylan’s second ARCA race. The anticipation was palpable both at the track and around the country. Dylan had fans watching from Arkansas, Mississippi, Ohio, West Virginia to Florida. Dylan received good luck wishes from all over the country and each was treasured and appreciated. With their support and well wishes, Dylan was ready to strap in, tighten his belts and put his #48 Blackwater Integration/Empire Racing Group/Grumpys Performances Inc Ford Fusion on the track for 200 laps of door-to-door racing.

The cars lined up on the starting grid and the command to start their engines was given. Dylan was getting ready to run 200 laps at Lucas Oil Raceway. Lap 15 and Dylan is running mid pack while learning the track. Shortly after lap 60 there was a caution and Dylan came in the pits to take right side tires only. Dylan came on the radio and thanked his crew for giving him a fast car. After avoiding a spinning car in turn 2, Dylan was running in 12th position. Under caution Dylan’s crewman, Wesley Gonder, spots a left rear going down and they bring him in to bolt on 4 fresh General Tires. This was earlier than crew chief, Grumpy Cheek wanted, but with the flat tire the pit strategy would have to change. Dylan would be restarting towards the rear and would need to work his way thru lap traffic. By lap 118 Dylan had done just that and was running in 12th again. A car running in front of Dylan lays down oil on the track and the #55 goes spinning into turn 1. Dylan gets in the oil and goes spinning towards the wall in turn 1. Dylan was able to keep the car off the wall and was about to refire when the #2 car also became victim of the fluid and t-bones Dylan in his driver’s door. Another car then hits Dylan head on. Grump Cheek radios to Dylan to make sure his driver is okay. It was a hard impact to Dylan’s driver’s door and head on. After collecting himself, Dylan radioed that he was okay and asked his spotter, Tony Micale, to let him know when he was clear to back up and bring the car to the pits. There were several cars collected in the fluid. The race was red flagged so clean up could be completed and so the medical team could ensure all the drivers were okay. Everyone on the Empire Racing team was hopeful that the car could be repaired and get it back out on the track for the last laps of the race. The team had given Dylan a solid car and everyone wanted to see him finish the race in a deserving position. But the damage was too extensive and the car was done for the night. Dylan would finish in 23rd position. But the team, crew chief and driver all had different thoughts of the night. Dylan had driven a great race. The team had given him a solid car and Grumpy said he was proud of Dylan. The finish was not indicative of the team’s results.

Dylan was very thankful for all the texts messages, tweets and phone calls making sure he was okay after the wreck. With so many watching live on Fox Sports 1, many were concerned for Dylan’s safety. The car and safety equipment did their job and Dylan was able to walk away from a mangled car with no injuries. It was a good night.

“I haven’t run Pocono in a few years…that’s my home track,” Corr said. “I have a lot of family that come out for this one. My aunts and uncles, they all come out. Pocono is convenient for them because of the timing. It’s easy for them to come out after work. For my family and friends, it’s right in our backyard, pretty much.”

Driving the No. 48 Nesco/Empire Racing Group Ford Fusion, Corr is making his third start in the ARCA Racing Series in 2016. Having raced at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway so far this season, the ModSpace 150 at Pocono will bring on a new challenge for Empire Racing Group.

In his most recent ARCA start, Corr brought his car home in the fifth position at Talladega. While he remains confident, he understands that Pocono requires a completely different racing technique from the two high-banked tracks he has raced on this year. The unique 2.5-mile three-turn triangle creates unique challenges for drivers and teams.

“Pocono is a totally different animal. At Pocono, you have to lift off the throttle, while at Daytona or Talladega, you better not lift. At those two tracks, you have to lock your foot on the floorboard and keep it planted. Racing at Pocono you can be even faster, but you still have to lift once you reach the corner. You have a long frontstretch before you have to ‘whoa’ it up to make the flat left turn into turn one. You then let off the throttle in the short-shoot before you ‘whoa’ it up for turn three, the final turn. Your performance at Pocono is based off of how you exit turn three to get the speed for the long frontstretch,” Corr explained.

Corr understands the challenges that Pocono may present for him and Empire Racing Group. Understanding the track is one aspect of taking on the “Tricky Triangle,” but making sure the car is balanced on all three of the turns is the most important task the team will face.

“It’s really all about dialing the car in. All three turns are completely different. It’s most important to first always try to get turn three down and feel balanced there. The way you exit turn three makes your race,” Corr said.

He added, “If you exit turn three horribly, you have the long frontstretch and you can’t make that speed up. You also don’t want to be pushing or too loose in turn one, following the high speeds of the frontstretch. Dialing it in for turn three is my main focus. Once we get that, we can make up some time in the other turns. In my personal experience, turn one is always been a little on the tight side later in the race after the tires wear down. But in the end, the exit off of turn three makes or breaks your speed on the straightaway. On Friday, that will be at the top of my list.”

Friday’s ModSpace 150 at Pocono is live on FS1 at 6:00 p.m.