PARKER, Arizona — When Gene Price moved from California to Arizona he had a plan. He planned to retire and enjoy life on the river. Well, he certainly enjoys life on the river but as far as retirement goes, he has yet to slow down. Over the past year he has built a complete racing operation including a parts and chassis business, a championship caliber NASCAR K&N Pro Series team, and a first class racecar rental program.
"Iowa is a great track but you cannot have any mistakes or issues especially in this event. "— Greg Pursley
For Greg Pursley, the opportunity to partner with and drive for Gene Price was the opportunity of a life time and this weekend the team travels to Iowa Speedway for the fourth annual Goodyear Dealers of Iowa 200 East/West Challenge for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series.
Last time Pursley and the GPM crew were in Iowa, they sat on the pole and finished seventh. This time out the team seeks a sweep in what is perhaps the biggest race of the season. "Iowa is a great track but you cannot have any mistakes or issues especially in this event," Pursley said. "Flat tires last year hurt both runs even though we were fast. This is a big race and one that we really want to win."
The team is coming off an impressive third place performance at Phoenix last month where they took over the point lead and look to keep the momentum rolling in Iowa. "Phoenix kept us in the points and we look to establish ourselves as the front runners this weekend," Pursley offered. "The team has been working non-stop and we have a really car for the race. Jerry Pitts (crew chief) and the rest of the guys are excited for the event."
In two races last season at Iowa, Pursley completed 320 of 325 laps contested finishing 25 (in this event) and 7th at the fall race. He earned his second career series Coors Light Pole Award at Iowa last September. Pursley will also participate in a special fan/media event this Friday night at the Bass Pro Shops in Altoona, Iowa where he will be teamed up with a driver from the East series, a fan, and a member of the media and compete in a special bowling tournament. The event is open to the public and starts at 6:30 pm CT.
Greg Pursley is in his third full season of competition in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and is coming off a third place performance at Phoenix International Raceway last month. Pursley has 31 career starts, one win (Thunder Hill 2009), with ten top five and 17 top ten performances along with two Coors Light Pole Awards. Pursley is the 2004 NASCAR Whelen All American Series National Champion where he competed at Toyota Speedway and was a multi-time winner on the now defunct NASCAR Southwest Tour where he competed for many years.
Greg Pursley is sponsored by GPM Performance Parts, Star Nursery, Ron’s Rear Ends, and Finish Line Signs & Designs. The GPM team operates out of a state-of-the-art facility in Parker, AZ. The race from Iowa Speedway will be broadcast on SPEED Channel on Thursday, May 27 at 3PM PT. For all the latest news and information on about Greg Pursley and Gene Price Motorsports, log onto www.genepricemotorsports.com. Gene Price Motorsports operates a full-service race shop and performance parts store. Log onto their website or email Greg at greg@genepricemotorsports.com for details and for sponsorship opportunities. To keep tabs on racing throughout the west, log onto www.racingwest.com and to follow the NASCAR K&N Pro Series log onto www.nascarhometracks.com.
GPM offers a first-class race rental program for all upcoming NASCAR K&N Pro Series events this season. This arrive and drive program offers a complete fully-operational team for a one-race or multi-race deal including a Featherlite transporter, all race equipment, experienced crew, and race preparation and set-up. The GPM team will also provide marketing and PR support as well create media opportunities. Contact GPM for complete details.
FAST FACTS
The Race: Goodyear Dealers of Iowa 200
The Place: Iowa Speedway
The Date: Sunday, May 23
The Time: 3 p.m. CT
TV Schedule: SPEED, May 27, 6 p.m. ET
Track Layout: .875-mile paved oval
Race Purse: $183,706
2009 Winner: Kyle Busch (Overall/East); David Mayhew (West)
2009 Polesitter: Kyle Busch (Overall/East); David Mayhew (West)
Event Schedule: Saturday: Practice 4-5:30 p.m. Sunday:, 8:45– 9:15 a.m., Qualifying noon
Race Notes
The race … The Goodyear Dealers of Iowa 200 is the annual NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West combination race. It is the only race in which the East and West compete for championship points in the same event. It is the third race on the 2010 for both the East and West.
The procedure … The starting field is 44 cars, including provisionals. The first 38 cars will qualify through time trials. The remaining six spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 200 laps (175 miles).
The track … Iowa Speedway is a .875-mile speedway with the turns banked 12-14 degrees, four degrees banking in the Backstretch and 10 degrees banking in the Frontstretch.
The records … Qualifying: Kyle Busch, May 17, 2009, 135.484 mph, 23.250 sec.; Race: Kyle Busch, May 17, 2009, 100.800 mph, 1 hour 44 minutes 10 seconds.
No repeats … Three East-West combination races at Iowa have resulted in three different race winners and three different pole winners.
