Monday, March 8, 2010
Monkeys meet Gold-winning bobsleders
After all the excitement of the Atlanta E-Z-GO 200, TireMonkey.com driver Mario Gosselin mingled with fans in the garage area. Two of them, it turns out, were members of the gold-winning U.S. Olympic bobsled team, Steven Holcomb and Steve Mesler.
Gosselin and TireMonkey.com CEO Tully Ryan spoke to the Olympians and had a photo taken with them.
From left to right are Gosselin, Holcomb, Ryan (borrowing a medal) and Mesler (showcasing a TireMonkey.com visor).
Gosselin and TireMonkey.com CEO Tully Ryan spoke to the Olympians and had a photo taken with them.
From left to right are Gosselin, Holcomb, Ryan (borrowing a medal) and Mesler (showcasing a TireMonkey.com visor).
Labels: Atlanta Motor Speedway, E-Z-GO 200, Mario Gosselin, Steve Mesler, Steven Holcomb, TireMonkey.com, Tully Ryan
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Gosselin finishes 22nd in Atlanta E-Z-GO
Following the Daytona crash, Mario Gosselin resolved to play it fairly safe at the Atlanta E-Z-GO 200 race Saturday. That strategy paid off and ushered the No. 12 TireMonkey.com truck into a respectable 22nd place finish.
“We needed to come home all in one piece, and we did,” Gosselin said Monday. “After Talladega, we had such a good truck there, and we crashed it really hard, so our spirits were kind of down for a few days, but we got our spirits back up.”
Kevin Harvick of the No. 2 truck took first place, followed by Kyle Busch of the No. 18 truck and Aric Almirola of the No. 51 truck.
Gosselin began the afternoon race in the 25th starting slot, but the handling on his Chevrolet Silverado prevented him from moving up in the ranks. The truck was too loose when his DGM Racing team unloaded it at the Atlanta garages, so they tightened her up pre-race to prevent any radical spinouts. Unfortunately, however, the adjustment caused the truck to become too tight, and Gosselin was forced to slow down at the turns during the race.
“We got behind and never really recovered," Gosselin said. "That’s pretty much the bottom line: It was too tight. We made adjustments, and we kept on making it better, but we never made a big enough adjustment.”
But Gosselin praised his DGM Racing team for helping boost the truck’s position through nearly seamless pit stops.
“I felt the pit stops went well,” he said. “We just couldn’t capitalize on having good pit stops because we were off a little bit on the racetrack. To run up front, you have to have it all. You have to have all the pieces to the puzzle.”
Next on the schedule is the March 27 Martinsville Speedway Kroger 250 in Virginia. Because that oval track is so small – 0.526 miles – it’s difficult to pass, and it’s important for Gosselin to perform during qualifying so as to secure a top starting spot.
Unlike Daytona or Atlanta, Martinsville provides true short-track racing, so the race will be a “whole new ballgame,” Gosselin said.
“I just wish we could have finished (Atlanta) a little bit better, but at the end of the day, we came home in one piece, and we gained some points, so we need to move on and do better at the next one,” he said.
“We needed to come home all in one piece, and we did,” Gosselin said Monday. “After Talladega, we had such a good truck there, and we crashed it really hard, so our spirits were kind of down for a few days, but we got our spirits back up.”
Kevin Harvick of the No. 2 truck took first place, followed by Kyle Busch of the No. 18 truck and Aric Almirola of the No. 51 truck.Gosselin began the afternoon race in the 25th starting slot, but the handling on his Chevrolet Silverado prevented him from moving up in the ranks. The truck was too loose when his DGM Racing team unloaded it at the Atlanta garages, so they tightened her up pre-race to prevent any radical spinouts. Unfortunately, however, the adjustment caused the truck to become too tight, and Gosselin was forced to slow down at the turns during the race.
“We got behind and never really recovered," Gosselin said. "That’s pretty much the bottom line: It was too tight. We made adjustments, and we kept on making it better, but we never made a big enough adjustment.”
But Gosselin praised his DGM Racing team for helping boost the truck’s position through nearly seamless pit stops. “I felt the pit stops went well,” he said. “We just couldn’t capitalize on having good pit stops because we were off a little bit on the racetrack. To run up front, you have to have it all. You have to have all the pieces to the puzzle.”
Next on the schedule is the March 27 Martinsville Speedway Kroger 250 in Virginia. Because that oval track is so small – 0.526 miles – it’s difficult to pass, and it’s important for Gosselin to perform during qualifying so as to secure a top starting spot.
Unlike Daytona or Atlanta, Martinsville provides true short-track racing, so the race will be a “whole new ballgame,” Gosselin said.
“I just wish we could have finished (Atlanta) a little bit better, but at the end of the day, we came home in one piece, and we gained some points, so we need to move on and do better at the next one,” he said.
Labels: Atlanta Motor Speedway, E-Z-GO 200, Kevin Harvick, Mario Gosselin, TireMonkey.com
Friday, March 5, 2010
Gosselin fired up for Atlanta E-Z-GO 200
It was a chilly day in Atlanta Friday as TireMonkey.com driver Mario Gosselin and his DGM Racing team prepared for Saturday’s E-Z-GO 200, the second race of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 2010 season.
Friday morning’s temperature at the Atlanta Motor Speedway flirted around 30 degrees during technical inspection of the No. 12 Chevrolet Silverado monkey truck, but the sun had warmed the track to the low 50s by early afternoon when Gosselin suited up for practice.
"We’re looking forward to having a good race,” Gosselin said. “Getting there at the end is going to be key this week.”
This race’s TireMonkey.com truck is a different vehicle than the one that raced and crashed at the Feb. 13 NextEra Energy Resources 250 in Daytona. This truck’s design and brakes package are better suited for the Atlanta track conditions.
“This place wears the tires out,” Gosselin said. “You end up sliding around quite a bit, so that’s the big thing at this place: handling.”
Although Gosselin and his team won’t fully develop a race strategy until after Friday’s 1 p.m. and 4:10 p.m. practice sessions, he hinted that his disappointment over Daytona’s crash has inspired him to forge ahead and perhaps try something new.
“We had a good truck, and I feel like we could have had a top-five finish at Daytona, and it slipped away from us,” he said. “So we just have to make sure we’re smart and running there on the end this time – stay out of trouble.”
The E-Z-GO 200 begins at 2 p.m. Saturday and can be viewed on the SPEED channel. Tune in to SPEED during qualifying at 9:35 a.m. Saturday to watch an interview with Gosselin and TireMonkey.com CEO Tully Ryan.
Friday morning’s temperature at the Atlanta Motor Speedway flirted around 30 degrees during technical inspection of the No. 12 Chevrolet Silverado monkey truck, but the sun had warmed the track to the low 50s by early afternoon when Gosselin suited up for practice.
"We’re looking forward to having a good race,” Gosselin said. “Getting there at the end is going to be key this week.”This race’s TireMonkey.com truck is a different vehicle than the one that raced and crashed at the Feb. 13 NextEra Energy Resources 250 in Daytona. This truck’s design and brakes package are better suited for the Atlanta track conditions.
“This place wears the tires out,” Gosselin said. “You end up sliding around quite a bit, so that’s the big thing at this place: handling.”
Although Gosselin and his team won’t fully develop a race strategy until after Friday’s 1 p.m. and 4:10 p.m. practice sessions, he hinted that his disappointment over Daytona’s crash has inspired him to forge ahead and perhaps try something new.
“We had a good truck, and I feel like we could have had a top-five finish at Daytona, and it slipped away from us,” he said. “So we just have to make sure we’re smart and running there on the end this time – stay out of trouble.”
The E-Z-GO 200 begins at 2 p.m. Saturday and can be viewed on the SPEED channel. Tune in to SPEED during qualifying at 9:35 a.m. Saturday to watch an interview with Gosselin and TireMonkey.com CEO Tully Ryan.
Labels: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, E-Z-GO 200, Mario Gosselin, TireMonkey.com, Tully Ryan
Thursday, March 4, 2010
New NASCAR partnership expands monkey market reach
Initially, NASCAR fans merely smiled at the funny name. But when Camping World Truck Series driver Mario Gosselin started making headlines for his masterful performance on the track, viewers began truly noticing his sponsor. Like television commentator Darrell Waltrip, they wondered “just exactly what does this TireMonkey do?”
In fact, TireMonkey.com is an Edenton, NC-based online tire retailer working to unite the entire industry so as to simplify consumers’ online tire buying experience. By making use of and supporting existing supply chains of local tire wholesalers and dealers, TireMonkey.com offers name-brand tires conveniently shipped to consumers’ preferred neighborhood installers. The company’s innovative business model has already compelled tire dealers across the 48 continental states to join its growing service network, and now respected NASCAR racing venues want a truck in the monkey race too.
TireMonkey.com and Tennessee’s Bristol Motor Speedway, long-celebrated as one of the most popular NASCAR racetracks, have launched a sponsorship agreement destined to boost both ticket and tire sales while simultaneously introducing new fans to the thrilling sport of racing. In exchange for providing Bristol Motor Speedway tickets to network dealers supporting TireMonkey.com, the speedway will benefit from inventory discounts and monkey marketing materials detailing speedway ticket offers. Both companies will also expand their market reach by exchanging various Web site and e-mail advertising.
The partnership is a great fit because like Bristol Motor Speedway, TireMonkey.com values its customers and their local communities, said Jeff Byrd, president and general manager of the speedway. Instead of cutting retail dealers out of the picture, TireMonkey.com’s technology actually supports these local businesses and offers them online marketing opportunities they never had before.
“TireMonkey.com is a company that is interested in more than just selling shoppers four tires,” Byrd said. “They truly want to bring the industry together to improve the online tire buying process.”
Known as the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” among the NASCAR set, Bristol Motor Speedway is located in Bristol, Tenn., just south of the Virginia border. The 0.533-mile concrete oval track is unique for its enclosed, amphitheater seating and the extreme high-banked turns. Formerly on the site of a dairy farm, the speedway was completed in 1961 and bought by current owner O. Bruton Smith in 1996.
Each year, Bristol Motor Speedway welcomes Sprint Cup, Nationwide, Camping World Truck, Whelen Modified and ASA series events. TireMonkey.com driver Mario Gosselin will compete at Bristol during the O’Reilly Auto Parts 200 Camping World Truck Series race on August 18.
In fact, TireMonkey.com is an Edenton, NC-based online tire retailer working to unite the entire industry so as to simplify consumers’ online tire buying experience. By making use of and supporting existing supply chains of local tire wholesalers and dealers, TireMonkey.com offers name-brand tires conveniently shipped to consumers’ preferred neighborhood installers. The company’s innovative business model has already compelled tire dealers across the 48 continental states to join its growing service network, and now respected NASCAR racing venues want a truck in the monkey race too.
TireMonkey.com and Tennessee’s Bristol Motor Speedway, long-celebrated as one of the most popular NASCAR racetracks, have launched a sponsorship agreement destined to boost both ticket and tire sales while simultaneously introducing new fans to the thrilling sport of racing. In exchange for providing Bristol Motor Speedway tickets to network dealers supporting TireMonkey.com, the speedway will benefit from inventory discounts and monkey marketing materials detailing speedway ticket offers. Both companies will also expand their market reach by exchanging various Web site and e-mail advertising.
The partnership is a great fit because like Bristol Motor Speedway, TireMonkey.com values its customers and their local communities, said Jeff Byrd, president and general manager of the speedway. Instead of cutting retail dealers out of the picture, TireMonkey.com’s technology actually supports these local businesses and offers them online marketing opportunities they never had before.“TireMonkey.com is a company that is interested in more than just selling shoppers four tires,” Byrd said. “They truly want to bring the industry together to improve the online tire buying process.”
Known as the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” among the NASCAR set, Bristol Motor Speedway is located in Bristol, Tenn., just south of the Virginia border. The 0.533-mile concrete oval track is unique for its enclosed, amphitheater seating and the extreme high-banked turns. Formerly on the site of a dairy farm, the speedway was completed in 1961 and bought by current owner O. Bruton Smith in 1996.
Each year, Bristol Motor Speedway welcomes Sprint Cup, Nationwide, Camping World Truck, Whelen Modified and ASA series events. TireMonkey.com driver Mario Gosselin will compete at Bristol during the O’Reilly Auto Parts 200 Camping World Truck Series race on August 18.
Labels: Bristol Motor Speedway, Mario Gosselin, NASCAR, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, partnership, TireMonkey.com, Tully Ryan
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Mario safe after monkey truck crunch
A collective gasp escaped from Mario Gosselin’s pit crew three times during Saturday’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 race at the Daytona International Speedway.The first two outbursts were followed by cheers as Gosselin narrowly avoided catastrophic collisions claiming clusters of his competitors.
But silence followed the third when the No. 12 TireMonkey.com truck made contact with Nelson Piquet, Jr.’s truck during lap 73 and spun out just past the finish line. In what the Orlando Sentinel described as “the most frightening crash of the night,” the monkey truck hood collided with the pit wall and folded up like an accordion.
“I got on the outside, just trying to make something happen and see if I could get to the front,” Gosselin said later. “I was really hoping that I could get up there enough where a couple of trucks on the bottom would pull out in front of me or somebody would pull up behind me and help me, but I was kind of stuck by myself there, side-drafting as much as I could.
Gosselin was thankfully uninjured, but his truck sustained enough damage to keep him from finishing the race.Timothy Peters of the No. 24 truck ultimately won the race followed by Todd Bodine of the No. 15 truck in second and Dennis Setzer of the No. 14 truck in third.
Gosselin’s unfortunate accident marked an abrupt end to anticipation drawn out due to the race’s previous postponement. Rainy conditions throughout Friday forced NASCAR officials to bump the NextEra Energy Resources 250 to Saturday and effectively offer fans a Daytona doubleheader with the trucks following the afternoon Nationwide series car race.
An impressive performance during the qualifying competition landed Gosselin in Saturday’s eighth starting position, and he was able to edge into sixth place after a backstretch pile-up claimed nearly 10 trucks during the race’s opening lap. Gosselin dropped to 20th place by lap 22 after a pit stop, but he fought through an accident that claimed even more trucks during lap 32. By lap 33, he was in third place. Although a faulty transmission plagued Gosselin for most of the night, he remained determined to perform at Daytona, the first race of his first complete NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. He was on the outside, eager to make something happen, when disaster struck.
“There were still a lot of laps left, but my theory was I wanted to see,” he said. “If you wait until there’s only two laps left, you don’t know if you can or you can’t, and then the race is over. In hindsight – I beat myself up – maybe I should have just rode sixth or seventh to take the finish, but I was here to win.”Next up for Gosselin is a possible win at the Atlanta 200 on March 6.
Labels: Daytona International Speedway, Mario Gosselin, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NextEra Energy Resources 250
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Pirate Radio quizzes TireMonkeys on Daytona
In anticipation of Friday's big race, Pirate Radio 1250 AM of Greenville, North Carolina, today welcomed TireMonkey.com CEO Tully Ryan and TireMonkey.com NASCAR driver Mario Gosselin on the Live @ 5 program with DJs Troy D and Ellerbe.
A partial transcript of the interview appears below. To hear the entire segment, click here.
TROY D: Welcome back to the show. Troy D here alongside the Ellebere. And it will be a big weekend if you’re a race fan as the race season gets underway, live from Daytona, Florida. And speaking of which, we’ve got a couple of special guests, one joining us in studio and one on the U.S. Air live line. First, in the studio, Tully Ryan, president and CEO of TireMonkey.com. Tully, great to see you today. How are you?
TULLY: Thanks guys! I’m glad to be here.
TROY D: We’ll talk about why you’re here in the studio in just a minute, but first, let’s go out to the U.S. Air live line. Joining us from Daytona, Florida, is the driver of the No. 12 TireMonkey.com Chevy truck, Mario Gosselin. And Mario, thank you for your time. I know you’re busy down there getting ready for Daytona this weekend. We appreciate you joining us for a few minutes.
MARIO: Well, I definitely appreciate you guys having me on. I’m just proud to be on and representing TireMonkey.com this weekend.
TROY D: Well, let’s talk about what you do as a driver, Mario. You are, of course, down in Daytona. A lot of fans are familiar with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, which will be going on Sunday. But, of course, then you have right underneath that the Nationwide series. But talk about what you do, which is driving in the NASCAR Truck Series, which is presented by Camping World. Does that rank No. 3 in the world of NASCAR racing?
MARIO: That would rank No. 3, yes it would.
TROY D: And how long have you been a driver in the truck series?
MARIO: Well, on and off for a couple of years now I’ve run some truck races. I haven’t run a full season yet, but I’m looking forward to hopefully doing that this year – running a full season for points in the Camping World Truck Series with TireMonkey.com on board...
A partial transcript of the interview appears below. To hear the entire segment, click here.
TROY D: Welcome back to the show. Troy D here alongside the Ellebere. And it will be a big weekend if you’re a race fan as the race season gets underway, live from Daytona, Florida. And speaking of which, we’ve got a couple of special guests, one joining us in studio and one on the U.S. Air live line. First, in the studio, Tully Ryan, president and CEO of TireMonkey.com. Tully, great to see you today. How are you?
TULLY: Thanks guys! I’m glad to be here.
TROY D: We’ll talk about why you’re here in the studio in just a minute, but first, let’s go out to the U.S. Air live line. Joining us from Daytona, Florida, is the driver of the No. 12 TireMonkey.com Chevy truck, Mario Gosselin. And Mario, thank you for your time. I know you’re busy down there getting ready for Daytona this weekend. We appreciate you joining us for a few minutes.
MARIO: Well, I definitely appreciate you guys having me on. I’m just proud to be on and representing TireMonkey.com this weekend.
TROY D: Well, let’s talk about what you do as a driver, Mario. You are, of course, down in Daytona. A lot of fans are familiar with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, which will be going on Sunday. But, of course, then you have right underneath that the Nationwide series. But talk about what you do, which is driving in the NASCAR Truck Series, which is presented by Camping World. Does that rank No. 3 in the world of NASCAR racing?
MARIO: That would rank No. 3, yes it would.
TROY D: And how long have you been a driver in the truck series?
MARIO: Well, on and off for a couple of years now I’ve run some truck races. I haven’t run a full season yet, but I’m looking forward to hopefully doing that this year – running a full season for points in the Camping World Truck Series with TireMonkey.com on board...
Labels: Daytona International Speedway, Ellerbe, Mario Gosselin, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NextEra Energy Resources 250, Pirate Radio, TireMonkey.com, Troy D, Tully Ryan
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Gosselin and the monkey prep for Daytona
A gopher named Digger, the quacking Aflac duck, and, of course, the “Lucky Dog,” have all called NASCAR home. This year, however, a new mascot is stacking his claim.
On Friday, the TireMonkey.com primate kicks off his first complete NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season as the mascot for driver Mario Gosselin, competitor in the Daytona International Speedway’s NextEra Energy Resources 250.
TireMonkey.com’s sponsorship helped Gosselin’s No. 12 Chevrolet Silverado compete in three NCWTS races in 2009, but Daytona marks the start of his first complete NCWTS season.
“We’re pretty excited to be here in Daytona, especially after the run we had at Talladega,” Gosselin said Tuesday. “I’m really looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and putting this truck up front.”
Although registration for the NextEra Energy Resources 250 didn’t open until Tuesday, Gosselin’s DGM Race team arrived in Daytona early to race an ARCA car in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on Saturday. Competing on the same track that will be used Friday helped the team get a good idea of what they’re up against.
“At Talladega, everyone’s truck handles fairly well, but here, the track is really bumpy and the pavement is older, so you tend to not have as much grip to the track,” Gosselin said. “It’s a lot bigger challenge to get a truck handling good here for a long period of time.”
His team will use Wednesday and Thursday’s practice sessions to concentrate on making sure the No. 12 truck handles well enough to perform throughout Friday’s 100 laps.
Daytona, however, is just the start of a successful season Gosselin is eager to begin with his monkey friend.
“We’re just ready to get started,” Gosselin said. “We’re looking forward to it.”
Experience Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race by tuning into the SPEED Channel or Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s Motor Racing Network at 8 p.m. A detailed event schedule is available on the TruckSeries.com Web site.
On Friday, the TireMonkey.com primate kicks off his first complete NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season as the mascot for driver Mario Gosselin, competitor in the Daytona International Speedway’s NextEra Energy Resources 250.
TireMonkey.com’s sponsorship helped Gosselin’s No. 12 Chevrolet Silverado compete in three NCWTS races in 2009, but Daytona marks the start of his first complete NCWTS season.“We’re pretty excited to be here in Daytona, especially after the run we had at Talladega,” Gosselin said Tuesday. “I’m really looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and putting this truck up front.”
Although registration for the NextEra Energy Resources 250 didn’t open until Tuesday, Gosselin’s DGM Race team arrived in Daytona early to race an ARCA car in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on Saturday. Competing on the same track that will be used Friday helped the team get a good idea of what they’re up against.
“At Talladega, everyone’s truck handles fairly well, but here, the track is really bumpy and the pavement is older, so you tend to not have as much grip to the track,” Gosselin said. “It’s a lot bigger challenge to get a truck handling good here for a long period of time.”
His team will use Wednesday and Thursday’s practice sessions to concentrate on making sure the No. 12 truck handles well enough to perform throughout Friday’s 100 laps.
Daytona, however, is just the start of a successful season Gosselin is eager to begin with his monkey friend.
“We’re just ready to get started,” Gosselin said. “We’re looking forward to it.”
Experience Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race by tuning into the SPEED Channel or Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s Motor Racing Network at 8 p.m. A detailed event schedule is available on the TruckSeries.com Web site.
Labels: Chevrolet Silverado, Daytona International Speedway, Mario Gosselin, practice, preparation, TireMonkey.com
