Rip Michels and his Stock Building, Anderson Windows, Victory Circle Mercedes Benz race team will be competing this Saturday night, March 21, 2009 at Toyota Speedway.
"I really enjoy the team manager role that I have taken Setting up the cars, and building shocks for the three of us has been a really cool experience."— Rip Michels
Michels will once again lead a 3 car team into the 100 lap Super Late Model Race.
Joining Rip will be long time veteran Dan Moore, who finished third in the 2008 final
points standings at Toyota Speedway.
Also joining Dan and Rip, will be the 2008 USAC Midget Champion, and Red Bull
Athlete, Cole Whitt. The three drivers all competed in the rain shortened Toyota All-Star
Showdown on January 23, 2009. Dan finished third at the shortened All Star event, and
Cole was involved in a 20 car; lap one crash that took him out. Rip finished 34th after
starting 42nd, in three green flag laps of competition.
“Cole is electric behind the wheel of his USAC cars,” said Rip. “The kid is just fun to watch on dirt, and the asphalt fans are in for a real treat. I felt bad that he got caught up in that big wreck back in January. He was fast and I knew that he would be in contention for a top five finish. I am glad that this race fits into his busy schedule. Dan has been super fast in this new car that was finished just in time for the last two races of the ‘08 season. I’m certain he will be one of the cars to beat,” commented Rip.
“I really enjoy the team manager role that I have taken. Setting up the cars, and building shocks for the three of us has been a really cool experience. It’s a new role for me to have teammates, and I know it’s the future to build a powerhouse team,” said Rip. “The sad part is this will be the only race all three of us will compete as a team. After Saturday night, Cole will be on the road with USAC, and Dan and I are unsure of the amount of races we will compete in.”
“Times are tough right now. In fact, due to my uncertainty of whether I will be racing, I have lost three of my crew guys, who will now be competing against me. I wish them luck, but I now have even more motivation to win” a joking Rip said.
Rip’s 2009 race schedule includes opening night at Toyota Speedway and a couple of other races yet to be determined. “Although our team wants to compete for a championship at Irwindale, sponsorship and the economy are holding us back from making a season long commitment” said Team Manager Michael Medlin
“Everyday we are working on getting some sponsorships together to compete in more races. If we get more funding, then we’ll give the Irwindale SLM guys a run at the championship. You can count on it!” Said Medlin
The Crew:
Roger Theobald will again take on crew chief duties for 2009. In 2002 & 2003 Roger lead the team to back to back TS championships. Boyd “Chip” Brown Jr., shop foreman and body guy, Chris Lazalde tire specialist, Jesse Cardinaels mechanic, Rick Smith car chief, Laurie Michels food & hospitality, and rounding out the team Michael Medlin team manager and spotter. “This team has been together for eight years, and they have been very loyal to Rip and the team, and they know how to win. These guys are championship material, just don’t ask them for any tacos, they hate tacos,” laughs Medlin.
The Car: J8
The newest creation in the RMR arsenal of racecars is the J8. The team’s top-secret prototype front suspension, and a stealth flat black paint scheme are just a few of this car’s character traits. The motor is on loan from Dan Moore, and was originally built in 2000 for Sunrise Ford racing. “It’s an older motor that Brad Peter’s keeps running great,” said Rip. Car J8 is so new, it is yet to be named, but its code name is “Black Magic”. The car was built during the ‘08 season by Rip, Stevie (from Dan Moore motorsports) and Rip’s crew. It debuted on September 13, 2008, with quick time, and a pair of twin wins.
Insider info:
New in 2009 is a 40 lbs weight break for the Chevrolet SLM motors compared to the Fords. Chevy powered cars won 17 of the 21 races in 2008. “I realized that the government had to bailout General Motors, I guess Toyota Speedway had to give them a bailout, too. It must have been a part of the stimulus package. Now the Chevy teams have no excuses… Travis & Nick will be unstoppable, and should win even more races then they did in 2008, but we’ll try to make them work a little harder on opening night,” said Rip
The Sponsors:
Stock Building Supply, Andersen Windows, Victory Circle, Ron’s Rear Ends, Total Power Batteries, Orme Brothers, BCSportsimages, and Apache Studio Rentals.
The team would like to welcome a new sponsor, Merengue Bakery & Café. Owned by former Toyota Speedway, and Camping World West series competitor, Michael Mulhall, they are one of Southern California's premier Cuban bakeries, located in the heart of Old Town Monrovia. They offer a wide variety of foods and services for everyone to enjoy. While their emphasis is placed on Cuban cuisine, they offer much more than just that.
For more info on Rip Michels, please visit www.ripmichels.com or ripmichelsracing@myspace.com
