FERRARI CORSARO RACING WILL RUN FULL NASCAR SOUTHWEST TOUR SCHEDULE IN 2004

Source: Linda Hartenberger/Ferrari Corsaro Racin
Date: 03/24/2004

They will be running a Ford Taurus and utilizing a Port City Chassis. Watkins Engineering Development has been designated to build the Ford racing engines.

Robert L. Corsaro is one of the owners of the Giumarra Corporation, a world-wide grower and processor of food and beverage products. The Company’s headquarters is located in Edison, California (near Bakersfield).

Antonio Ferrari, Ph.D., M.E., is the President and CEO of Euro International Inc., a European and North American Motorsports organization. Euro International Inc. is also a world-wide leader in racing safety applications.

Mr. Corsaro, since 1988, has run in CART (Championship Auto Racing), with driver Scott Atchison; in association with Antonio Ferrari, and EuroInternational; IMSA with driver Scott Atchison and Wayne Taylor; USF3 in conjunction with Antonio Ferrari in Canada and the United States with driver Johnny Antonino; Formula Renault in Europe with Antonio Ferrari and driver Johnny Antonino; and in 2003, the ARCA and NASCAR Winston West and Super Late Model Series, also with driver Johnny Antonino.

Ferrari Corsaro Racing and Collins Motorsports will be based in the Mesa Marin Motorsports Complex in Bakersfield, California.

Team Manager Gary Collins, of Collins Motorsports, was a former NASCAR race driver and also built the prototype truck for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Other Ferrari Corsaro Racing team members are Debbie Corsaro, Vice President; Art Hartenberger, Consultant; and Linda Hartenberger, Director of Public Relations.

The 2004 NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series, consists of racing events at six different California oval tracks including the road course at Infineon Raceway; three races at Phoenix International Raceway and one at the Tucson Raceway in Arizona; and a mid-summer race at the Colorado National Speedway in Denver, Colorado. Two events will also be held at the Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, California, in the Spring and Fall.

Well-known former Southwest Tour competitors now driving in the Nextel Cup Series include Kevin Harvick, Robby Gordon, Boris Said, Ken Schrader, Jeff Green, and Kurt Busch.

Travis was born and raised in Ellensburg, Washington. He has been involved in racing his entire life. His father, Ron, has been involved with racing for 35 years and was a major competitor in the Northwest, winning several Late Model championships. His father is the Manager of the Yakima Speedway in Yakima, Washington.

Travis’s brother, Chad, also raced NASCAR Northwest Tour in 1994-96 in the Late Model series. Travis was his Crew Chief.

Experience: Travis is a major competitor in the Northwest. He has won several races in NASCAR Late Model racing series.

In 1996, he was Rookie Driver of the Year in the Limited Sports Division at Yakima Speedway in Yakima, Washington. In 1997, Travis began driving in the Late Model Series. In 1999, he raced in the Big 10 Series at Wenatchee Valley’s Super Oval, Super Late Model Division. He won Rookie Driver of the Year for this Division.

In 2002, Travis teamed up with car owner Don Scriver and raced a limited Northwest Tour Schedule (tour car). He has also raced a limited number of the Super Late Model races from 2001-2003.

Career Highlights: Travis has won titles for the following:

1. Season Opener for Late Model Main Event.
2. Season Championship Dodge sponsored race in 2003 for Super Late Model.
3. Established a new Track Record at Evergreen Speedway, at Monroe, Washington, for Super Late Model Series in 2003.

Employment: Travis is currently employed by OST Trucking in Ellensburg, Washington. It is a large trucking company that operates in the Pacific Northwest including California and Arizona. The owner is Mel Shenyer who currently races Late Model cars. Travis is employed full time to work on Mel’s race cars.

Travis’s father has taught him everything he knows about racing. Together, they have done everything themselves including building race cars and rebuilding engines.

Brandon resides in Bakersfield, California. He has been involved in racing from an early age. Brandon started racing go-karts at age eleven at local tracks and throughout California. Brandon enjoys driving his off-road sand buggy, motorcycle and Jet Ski, in addition to water skiing, wake boarding and is active in local foundations such as the “Make-A-Wish” Foundation. Brandon speaks fluent Spanish and enjoys deep sea fishing in Mexico.

Career Highlights:

1995, Brandon won the U.S. Grand Nationals in New York twice as a junior. He finished in the top 10 in the Junior world Championships in Belgium and placed 3rd in the Oceanic International Karting event, Melbourne, Australia. In 1996, Miller was the Junior Shifter Kart Association Grand National Champion for two consecutive years. He as also awarded the prestigious Emmick “Rising Start Award” for his accomplishments. Brandon won the U.S. Grand Nationals in Karting in 1997. He ran the entire European Championship circuit in Belgium, France, and Italy as well as in Japan and Australia. Miller became the only American to ever win a pole position in a CIK International Event. Brandon was selected as San Diego’s “Amateur Athlete of the Month” in August and was inducted into the Hall of Champions in San Diego, California.

During 1998, Brandon was one of only eight drivers nominated by the World Karting Association and ELF Fuels to represent the USA at the “La Fillere Campus” in LeMans, France. Miller held the pole position at the CIK International Event. He also attended Skip Barber Racing School and Finish Line Stock Car School.

In his first year of racing “Super Late Model” stock cars, Brandon Miller was voted Irwindale’s “Most Promising Driver of 1999” at the Irwindale Speedway in California.

Between 2000 and 2002, Brandon continued racing in the Super Late Model Division and won the Championship at Mesa Marin Raceway. Also, in 2002, Brandon Miller tested with Chevrolet at Talladega Super Speedway in Alabama, and Caraway Speedway in Ashboro, North Carolina.

Beginning in 2003, at the age of 22 years, Miller decided to concentrate on large speedways. He competed in select NASCAR Grand National Division, Winston West and Busch North Series events as well as select NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events.

Some of the events, but not all, in 2003 included NASCAR Winston West Races in Phoenix, Arizona; Fontana, California; Irwindale and Mesa Marin Raceway, California. His participation in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series included Mesa Marin Raceway, California Speedway at Fontana, Phoenix International Raceway and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Even though he did not win in these races, he was very competitive and showed continuous improvement. He also participated in his first NASCAR Busch North Series at the New Hampshire Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.

See Also .:

• Travis Bennett Driver Card
• Brandon Miller Driver Card
• Mesa Marin Raceway Track Page

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