(June
10, 2014) - After getting everything squared away
inside the new VanDoorn Racing Development
building, Johnny VanDoorn and his brother,
Butch VanDoorn have been hard at work ever
since in their new 6.500 square foot race
shop. The Brothers VanDoorn have been
working non-stop building brand new racecars
from the VDRD shops including VanDoorn's own
prototype template Super Late Model. The
time has now come for Johnny VanDoorn, the
three-time ARCA/CRA Super Series Champion to
finally climb into one of his own creations.
The Coopersville, Michigan standout will
make his ARCA/CRA Super Series debut in
Round I of the $100,000 JEGS Triple Crown
Series on Friday-Saturday, June 13-14th at
the fast 1/4 (0.250) mile high-banked paved
oval of Anderson Speedway in Anderson,
Indiana. The Stoops Freightliner Redbud 300
will see the defending race winner not only
bring out a brand new #71 VanDoorn Racing
Development / Ford, but he will also seek a
little redemption for just missing out on
the $100,00 bonus in 2013 after winning the
mini-series' races at Anderson and Berlin
Raceway (MI) a year ago.
"This is a big moment in our careers for
Butch and I to be able to bring our own car
out to the track and finally see all of the
hard work we've put into this program start
to pay off," The 26-year-old stated as he
and his Crew Chief and younger brother make
final preparations on the new machine.
"We're really excited to head to Anderson
with our own stuff and really excited that
Anderson is the first race. Especially since
it's the first JEGS Triple Crown Series
race. Anderson is a track that we've been
very successful at over the years." He
added.
VanDoorn scored wins in the first two
$100,000 JEGS Triple Crown Series races in
2013 which came at Berlin Raceway in the
Inaugural Battle at Berlin 251 on June 15th,
2013 and then at Anderson in last season's
Redbud 300 on July 20th, 2013. The bid for
the $100,000 bonus for winning all three
Triple Crown Series events came up just
short in the 42nd Running of the Winchester
400 at Winchester Speedway (IN) on October
13th, 2013 with an eighth place finish after
rear end issues plagued him late in the
race. This time around, VanDoorn is
concentrating solely on the three race
series.
He did pick up a $10,000 bonus for winning
two of the three races, but that's not the
goal for VanDoorn this time around as he
wants the clean sweep of all three events
and the Redbud 300 begins that quest. "We
were so close last year to winning the big
bonus. This time that's our main focus.
We're as ready as we're going to be, we're
in our own stuff we've built from the ground
up. We have no excuses now." He ended.
The three-time ARCA/CRA Super Series
Champion (2012, 2010 & 2009) is already
amongst the all-time leaders in most
statistical categories in the series. He has
17 career wins, good for fourth all-time and
just one back of third on the list behind
Canadian legend, Junior Hanley. He is six
starts away from 100 career events with 94,
good for 12th all-time as he has racked up
an impressive 44 top five finishes, sixth
all-time, as well as 69 top 10s, seventh
all-time.
VanDoorn also has an impressive 13 Fast
Qualifier Awards, third on the all-time
list, just two out of second and five away
from the all-time lead in that category. In
addition, he is second all-time in career
laps led with a whopping 2,182 behind only
fellow three-time series champion, Scott
Hantz. Finally he's ninth all-time in career
laps ran with an astounding 13,449 laps
turned.
For the Redbud 300, VanDoorn's #71 VanDoorn
Racing Development Super Late Model, which
features a number change dating back to his
quarter midget days, will have a Ford Fusion
body with power under the hood from
McGunegill Engine Performance. He'll have
sponsorship decals and support from T.J.
Racing Lubricants as well as VanDoorn Shocks
& Suspension and M.P.H Promotions.
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