Chad Hackenbracht; CGH Motorsports Deliver Another Top-Five In Berlin Debut

Chad Hackenbracht; CGH Motorsports Deliver Another Top-Five In Berlin Debut

Topics: Chad Hackenbracht, Hantz Group 200

Chad Hackenbracht; CGH Motorsports Deliver Another Top-Five In Berlin Debut

Chris Knight
Knight Motorsports Management
CGH Motorsports
July 11, 2011

MARNE, Michigan (July 11, 2011) - - Chad Hackenbracht, driver of the No. 58 Tastee Apple / MACMA / Apple Ridge Chevrolet Impala SS for CGH Motorsports continued his recent string of momentum Saturday night at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway in the Hantz Group 200.

While the New Philadelphia, Ohio native didn’t collect his first career ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards victory, the field knew that the rising star was there and a considerable threat in the 10th race of the 2011 season.

Other than reviewing video and pictures with his team led by crew chief Rob Torrey and director of competition Kevin Reed, Hackenbracht had never seen the .4-mile oval located on the outskirts of Grand Rapids, Michigan. By the conclusion of the lone practice session Saturday afternoon, the 19-year old looked more like a veteran than a rookie.

During the brief hour and a half session, Hackenbracht cleverly maneuvered his Chevrolet bowtie into the top-10 but made a statement when the No. 58 Tastee Apple / MACMA / Apple Ridge Chevrolet Impala SS soared to the top of the board during his mock qualifying run. While Hackenbracht did not end the session as the leader, he did claim ninth overall giving the team hope that maybe with a few changes, the former Legends champion would be a threat for his first career pole.

In time trials, Hackenbracht laid down a good lap. Picking up the pace from practice was a good sign for the Mooresville, North Carolina-based team but it wasn’t quite enough to snare the pole. Instead, Hackenbracht would line up for his inaugural Berlin (Mich.) Raceway debut in the eighth position.

From the drop of the green flag, Hackenbracht remained on his toes. He cleverly negotiated through a pile-up on the first lap and emerged unscathed. When green flag racing resumed, no one expected the ARCA Racing Series competitors to cleanly race for over 100 laps, they did though masterfully with the No. 58 Tastee Apple / MACMA / Apple Ridge Chevrolet Impala SS hovering solidly in the top-10 bouncing between seventh and eighth place respectively.

A caution flag waived on lap 117 allowing the opportunity for the CGH Motorsports team to bring their driver to pit road for a routine pit stop which included four tires and fuel. Restarting in the eighth position, Hackenbracht on the restart made a brilliant pass on the outside of his competitors to rise to seventh. As the laps clicked away though, Hackenbracht eventually slipped back to eighth.

Within 50 laps to go, leader Tim George Jr. who was on a torrid pace, erased the team from the lead circuit. Luckily though, the yellow flag would waive three laps later awarding the freshman ARCA team with the “Lucky Dog”, allowing them to retain their lost lap back.

Having to start at the tail end of the longest line was the price to pay for the prize, but no one complained as they were hoping another yellow flag would waive that would put the No. 58 back on the rear bumpers of the leaders. The team opted to use strategy though inside the final 10 laps of the event by ducking down to pit road for two tires. The move reset Hackenbracht back in the eighth position, the final car on the lead lap.

A lap after resuming racing, the team’s intuition came true as the caution was displayed for a spin in turn four by nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel, allowing Hackenbracht to find himself on the bumpers of his prey and a shot at his first career victory.

The final restart of the night saw the green and white flags waiving simultaneously with Hackenbracht flexing his muscle and leaving nothing on the table all in hopes of scoring his first win. As the lead pack exited turns three and four, typical short-track banging ensued with Hackenbracht and a host of other cars making contact which sent the No. 58 into a backwards spin coming to the checkered flag before making contact with the wall.

A wounded No. 58 Tastee Apple Chevrolet would initially be credited with a fourth place finish but after video review, it was deemed that the CGH Motorsports team actually placed fifth while being crossed up in the mayhem.

“It was another good night for the CGH Motorsports team,” said Hackenbracht. “I just hate that our car looks pretty ugly right now. I’m not sure what happened there on the last lap, a bunch of us were jockeying for the best finish possible and we all just waded up. I hate it for the guys, because they’ve worked their tail off on this car, but if there is a bright side, we finished fifth.”

He added, “I want to thank MACMA and Apple Ridge for coming on board for this race. All of us really appreciate their support.”

The team’s third consecutive top-five finish padded Hackenbracht’s advantage over 10th place competitor Sean Corr and he moves within just 20 points of eighth place runner Tom Hessert.

CGH Motorsports departs Grand Rapids, Michigan and heads towards Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Clermont, Indiana where the team will shake down their Iowa Speedway race car while also get their freshman driver accustomed to the upcoming short track battle that he will partake in on Thursday, July 28.

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards is a trip out West to Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa for the running of the Prairie Meadows 200 on Saturday, July 16th. The 11th race of the season will air live on SPEED and ARCARacing.com beginning at 4:00 p.m. While Hackenbracht has never competed in an actual ARCA event at the .875-mile paved oval, he did participate in an open test there in 2009.

CGH Motorsports is actively seeking additional marketing partners for the remainder of the 2011 ARCA Racing Series schedule. Single, multi and full-season placements are available on the team’s No. 58 entries. Interested parties are urged to contact Jordan Dahl at 570.234.5449 or jordan@cghmotorsports.com.

For more information on Chad Hackenbracht and CGH Motorsports, please visit ChadHackenbracht.com and CGHMotorsports.com.

To purchase the popular “What’s A Chad Hacken-Something” tee-shirt, please log on to store.cghmotorsports.com or CGHMotorsports.com.

Connect with Chad Hackenbracht and CGH Motorsports through Facebook by clicking here.

Tweet with Chad Hackenbracht through Twitter at @ChadH58 or CGH Motorsports @CGH5858.

About CGH Motorsports:

CGH Motorsports (CGHMotorsports.com), established in 2007 by Ohio entrepreneur Greg Hackenbracht is located in a 10,000 sq. foot facility located in Mooresville, North Carolina. CGH Motorsports is home of rising sensation Chad Hackenbracht, who competed in nine ARCA Racing Series races in 2010 after an aggressive ARCA testing schedule in 2009. Chad Hackenbracht is the 2008 National Asphalt Legends champion, winning 33 percent of his races and finishing in the top-10, 85 percent of the events he competed in. The team will step up their commitment from a partial schedule and prepare for a hopeful full-season ARCA championship assault beginning in February 2011.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

NAME: Chris Knight, Knight Motorsports Management
PHONE: 239.834.9797
EMAIL: chris@chrisknightpr.com