Coulter, Black Jr. and Staropoli to compete in Charity 200 Race Weekend
Orlando FL. - The 10th Annual Joey Coulter Charity 200 Race Weekend is just over a month away and event organizer Rick Bristol is making announcements on how this years event will be a celebration, has been a challenge but is coming together.
Joey Coulter, who did not originally plan to race this year but was to focus on helping his now wife Jessica Coulter get to victory lane will now compete. The reason, Jessica is expecting the couples first child, so this years race is now not a possibility. C.A.R.S. is so glad for Joey & Jessica and wish them all the best. Joey will also have Nascar Camping World, and Xfinity series driver Ray Black Jr. to compete against this year, as he will wheel a JR Garcia prepared truck in the 200 lap event. Also joining them will be former Peak Challenge winner, K & N Series winner and Harvard grad Patrick Staropoli driving the 51 truck for Philip Ellis, and sponsors Robert & Stephanie Howell. As of the date of this release there are 18 pre-entered pro-trucks for the Les & Judy Smout Foundation Charity 200 race with a little over 5 weeks still before the event.
Other drivers pre-entered include; 2014 Coulter Series champion Becca Monopoli, Cody McDuffie, Steve Darvalics, Brent Huber, Kim Scheffler, Travis Roland, Cole Partelo, Billy Carlbert Jr., Tyler Davis, Derek Pugh, Brian Hillyer, Taylor Moxley, Michael & Jeremy Goddard and defending Charity 100 race winner Danny Anderson.
This years event returns to the 200 Lap format that started it all 10 years ago. There will be a 20 minute half way break, where teams can change 2 tires, make approved adjustments before resuming the remainder of the battle. The event will be run with double file restarts, first driver a lap down at a caution will receive the lucky dog pass, until lap 175, none will be given after that. Yellows count but the race must finish green, white and checkered.
This years event has a great list of sponsors, while missing some of the main stay sponsors from over the years. Several new sponsors have come on board this year to fill the gaps and cover the expenses of this great event. Event title sponsors include Blackwater Integration, Davenport Fights Back, Coulter Motorsports, Les & Judy Smout Foundation and Auburndale Speedway.
Other event major sponsors are Southern Air Compressor Services, Orlando Dodge, Joey Coulter?s Driver Optimization, Enterprise Car Rental, Speedway Auto Sales and 97 Country / Max 98.3 Radio.
Also helping to sponsor this event in different ways are the following, O?Reilly Auto Parts, Gator?s Dockside Highland City, Papa Johns, Harvest Meat Markets, Q Auto & Injury Attorney?s, DARN Apparel, Southern Race Fuels Sunoco Brand and Hoosier Racing Tires.
This year Rick, Joey and the board members have done things a little differently as they celebrate 10 years of helping children and their families during their time of need. The Friday schedule has been streamlined and the evening contains just three main events. Pro-Trucks will have their day of tech and practice then at 6 p.m. they will take part in O?Reilly Auto Parts Fast Friday Qualifying where this year the top 24 trucks will be in the big show and there is money for the top three qualifiers?.1. $250 2. $150 and 3. $100. The top 10 will be teched and all teams tires will then be impounded until just before Happy Hour practice begins on Saturday.
Then a really great local band that has helped the C.A.R.S. organization all year raise money for the kids will perform a 1 hour concert. The Nathan Baldwin Band will perform and even event namesake Joey Coulter will jam with them on the front straight away as the Tough Truck Tug-a-War competitors and fans are parking and preparing in the infield. The Tough trucks will round out the night that will last until around 11:30. The event admissions and pit pass prices are all on the website www.carsevents.com.
Saturday?s schedule is quite different and something new is being tried as well. Saturday morning at 9 a.m. registration and parking will begin in the front parking area for the 1st Annual Charity Car & Truck Show that will be on display from 10-2 p.m. The pits for the Pro-Trucks and scramblers will open at 1:30 p.m. Tires will be released to the truck teams at 2 p.m. Happy Hour Practice will be at 3 p.m. There will be an on track autograph session with the Nascar, Pro-Truck and Scrambler drivers at 5:30 while The Nathan Baldwin Band performs during the autograph session. Pre-race ceremonies will begin at 6:30 with driver intros at 7 p.m. and the green drops on the Charity Pro-Truck 200 at 7:15. Once the Pro-Truck race is finished and the victory lane interviews are completed the Scramblers will compete to round out the night for 30 laps with series organizer Rick Bristol, tech officials Carl Green and Darren Jackson taking part all for fun !
There will be event programs and t-shirts on sale all weekend. There will be a silent auction, chinese raffle, 50/50 raffle and more to help raise funds for three children and their families. Maci, Skyla and Lucas are the recipients of this years funds. The funds will help the families pay medical bills, other bills and maybe even get the kids a little bit for Christmas. Speedway Auto Sales and the Guy family have donated a Camaro convertible that is being raffled off as well.
Go to www.carsevents.com for all the info or call 407-497-0448. Tune into 97 Country and Max 98.3 beginning the week of Thanksgiving until the event for your chance to win free family 4 pack admission passes to the event or stop by the studio for some BOGO tickets. You can pick up BOGO tickets and info at O?Reilly Auto Parts in the Auburndale, Winterhaven and Lakeland area, or at one of the five Harvest Meat Markets in the polk country area as well as at Gators Dockside in Highland City.
C.A.R.S. Racing for a Cause Inc. has in the past 9 years helped on some way 27 families and raised over $185,000.00 to assist them. This years events should push them well over $200,000.00 and now will have helped 30 families. The events will continue after this year under the leadership of Kim Scheffler, Joey Coulter and many of the same board members, Rick Bristol will step back to VP on the board and help mainly with planning of the events, and will help at the events. The new foundation will keep the C.A.R.S name but will change to CARS Racin? for a Dream Inc. as soon as the paperwork can be done by the lawyers and state.
We hope you will make your plans to attend the 10th Anniversary of this great event and cause and see off Rick Bristol in his final event in charge.
