Harris Auto Racing begins second decade as Modified Race of Champions title sponsor
BOONE, Iowa – A company synonymous with IMCA and the Modified division begins its second decade as title sponsor of one of the sanctioning body’s most recognized events.Harris Auto Racing provides a portion of the purse for the Modified Race of Champions at the upcoming IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s, for the 11th consecutive season.The Boone, Iowa, chassis manufacturer and high performance parts retailer is owned by Modified driver Kyle Brown.Qualifying for the 12-car, 12-lap, $1,000 to win race is Friday, Sept. 8 and is open to top drivers in local track standings competing at Super Nationals, former national, regional and Super Nationals champions, and to previous race winners.The Harris RoC is part of the championship day program on Saturday, Sept. 9. Ricky Thornton Jr. is the defending race winner.“The Harris Auto Racing Race of Champions remains one of the marquee events of the IMCA Speedway Motor Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s, and for some winning this race means just as much as winning the main event on Saturday night,” IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder noted. “It’s a special race and will definitely highlight one driver’s week.”Harris has been an IMCA sponsor for 22 years.Information about Harris chassis, parts and services is available by calling 515 432-6972, on Facebook and at the www.harrisautoracing.com website.
Press Association Kevin Doyle and Fraizer Campbell will battle it out to spearhead Crystal Palace’s attack in the Boxing Day clash with Southampton at Selhurst Park. He said: “We’ve made offers for a number of strikers, especially when Chamakh’s been missing we’ve lacked that physical presence. “We’ve looked at two or three strikers from home and abroad, and we’re hoping to get one of those over the line in the first couple of weeks. “They’ve got to be good enough, they’ve got to be better than what we have. “We’ve got some good strikers at the club, but we’ve got to be able to adapt, to change the system as well, and so we’ve got to try to find the strikers that can do that. “That’s what we’re looking for; to give us another dimension.” Victory over Everton ended a miserable run of five consecutive defeats for Ronald Koeman’s Saints, who have tumbled out of the top four after a difficult run of fixtures. An excellent start to the campaign, however, means Southampton remain fifth, two points ahead of both Arsenal and Tottenham. “At the start of the season, if they had shown me a piece of paper to sign that said we would be fifth in the competition at Christmas I would have said ‘okay’,” Koeman said. “I am very proud and happy about that. We have had a bad two or three weeks with some defeats even though some of them were maybe unlucky. “We had a good game against Everton, we played with good organisation and little by little during the game we got our confidence back. “That’s the most important thing now, winning games brings confidence back to the players.” Dusan Tadic is expected to return for Southampton but captain Jose Fonte is suspended against his old club. Fit-again Doyle and Campbell will compete to lead Palace’s one-man line for the Barclays Premier League contest, with Marouane Chamakh again ruled out through thigh trouble. Manager Neil Warnock is looking to boost his strikeforce when the transfer window opens. 
DAVID Warner has described Australia’s Test series defeat to South Africa as a “kick up the backside” and is delighted with the way the team have responded.Losses to the Proteas in Perth and Hobart last November – the latter by a humiliating margin of an innings and 80 runs – resulted in the resignation of chief selector Rod Marsh and sweeping changes to Australia’s side for the third and final Test in Adelaide.Those alterations have so far paid off, Steve Smith’s side having recorded a consolation victory over South Africa before sweeping Pakistan 3-0 in a series that saw newcomers Peter Handscomb and Matt Renshaw impress.Warner, a centurion in each of the two most recent wins, told Cricket Australia’s official website: “Losing the Test series on home soil is probably the kick up the backside … we got it handed to us and we needed to bounce back from that.“The Australian fans were not happy with us and what we were doing. We know as a team we weren’t good enough.“The batters took more of the responsibility, which we should have, and we’ve bounced back.“There was a lot of talk about them coming here and their spearhead quicks knocking our top order over and it was going to be easy for them. That was the talk in the media.“I’m just glad we turned up and played the best cricket that we could.”After a five-match ODI series against Pakistan, Australia’s next Tests will come on a tour of India – the top-ranked nation who thrashed England 4-0 in a recent home series.“To be brutally honest, they (England) played very well,” Warner added. “They batted deep, they got big runs on the board. India just got bigger runs on the board.“So for us as a team to take some positives out of that … the challenge is to try and bat longer periods.“We’re going to have to take 20 wickets to win the game, simple as that, and we’re going to have to adapt straightaway. No excuses.”
SUPERBIKE competitor John Bennett promises pace and power come July 2, when the second National Race of Champions takes place at the South Dakota Circuit.Chronicle Sport caught up with Bennett yesterday who contended that following the Jamaica leg last month he is ready and raring for the battle.“So far, the bike is going through a repair period. We just got them back and we are doing the prerequisite repairs; of course you know I had a spill in Jamaica and the bike had some damage.”“Hopefully, we get the bike up by this weekend and start practising for the July second race of champions,” he added.“The fall down was not scary, it’s motor racing and especially on motorcycles, it’s sometimes expected but on my recovery end, I still feel some pains but that wouldn’t harm me come July 2.”He noted that he is ready for the competition but expects it to be no easy task to match some of the best riders locally.“I’m not going to single out any rider specifically as guys to watch. I think we need to watch the entire pack and at any time, they can pull something out of the hat. I’m focusing on me at the moment.”His Kawasaki ZX6-R is sponsored by Orchid Consultancy Group, Union One Express, HallMark.The event is sponsored by Ansa McAl, Prem’s Electrical, B.M. Soat, Mohamed’s Enterprise, Ready Mix, Special Auto, Japarts, Ticket Master, Palm Court, KGM, MAC Batteries, S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Construction, L Mahabir and Sons Cambio and Choke Gas Station. (Stephan Sookram)