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A.J. Allmendinger Interviewed by Amanda Ebersole of Skirts & Skuffs

A.J. Allmendinger from Los Gatos, CA, driver of the famous No. 43 car.

There are a lot of racing fans with blogs and websites on the internet, but there are none more talented and organized than the women of Skirts & Skuffs. They are a group of at least 22 women who follow racing and share their opinions and experiences with their readers. Skirts & Skuffs was founded in October of 2009 by Katy Lindamood, who is now the site administrator. From their website: “the site is a joint effort between each and everyone of our contributors.” One of their most passionate writers is Associate Editor, Amanda Ebersole, who I follow on Twitter. She had a chance to talk to NorCal driver A.J. Allmendinger on Friday in Loudon, New Hampshire. Here is an excerpt from that interview as well as a link to the complete article:

A.J. Allmendinger: “I just want to win”
Posted by Amanda Ebersole on 7/15/2011 02:05:00 PM

I chatted with A.J. this morning prior to him heading out for morning practice at Loudon, where he ended up fourth fastest, and asked him a few questions to get to know him better.

Amanda Ebersole (AE): You have been racing for such a long time in many different series (kart, Champ car, Truck, Nationwide and now Cup). What is your motivation?
A.J. Allmendinger (AJA): For me it is really down to a couple of things. I always want to go out there and try to win, that is always my goal. I am very competitive in everything I do. I love going out there and trying to be at my best and win. It’s fun to take on new challenges and to go out there and be the best at it, be the best that I can possibly be. Those are always the motivating factors, to go out there, wake up every day and keep doing it. I switched series and go out there, got to learn how to do that series and go onto that.
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FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals Tickets Now Available at O’Reilly Auto Parts Stores

Race fans looking for a great deal on FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals tickets need look no further than their local O’Reilly Auto Parts dealer. Infineon Raceway has partnered with O’Reilly on an exclusive ticket offer for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series’ visit to the Sonoma Valley, July 29-31.

With more than 200 stores in Northern California, there are plenty of places for fans to pick up the special O’Reilly Flex Ticket.

It’s a reserved ticket for either Friday, Saturday OR Sunday for one low price of only $45. That’s a savings of up to $15!

It’s sure to be a special weekend on the Infineon Raceway drag strip, as the stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series hit the track for three full days of racing, and the NHRA celebrates its 60th anniversary.

To find your local O’Reilly store, click HERE and for more information about the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway, go to www.infineonraceway.com/nhra. We’ll see you at the races!

A Great Article on Grand-Am Driver Bill Lester From San Jose

As you probably know, Bill Lester is one of our favorite Northern California race car drivers here at NorCal Car Culture. He grew up mostly in San Jose and lived for many years in Oakland. He was back home on Saturday, racing in the Grand-Am series at Laguna Seca Raceway. Bill did not have the race he was hoping for, finishing 10th and dropping to 2nd in the points standings. But, the good news is, that Bill got to come back home and see a lot of old friends and secondly, there are four more races to get back in the win column. There was a great article about Bill and his very interesting path to racing in the Silicone Valley Mercury News last Thursday by Daniel Bohm. Here is a short excerpt and link to the entire article.

NorCal Driver Bill Lester from San Jose.

Grand-Am GT driver Bill Lester comes home a winner
By Daniel Bohm

San Jose, CA (July 7, 2011) – After steering his way through many racing series for the past few decades, Bay Area-native Bill Lester finds that his passion for driving is starting to pay dividends.

Lester raced part time since the 1980s and ’90s, but 13 years ago he left his corporate job at Hewlett-Packard to drive full time. This season, Lester has found a home racing the Autohaus Motorsports No. 88 Camaro in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

Lester, 50, and co-driver Jordan Taylor lead the GT class points standings with five races left in the season, including Saturday’s event at the Continental Tire Sports Car Festival at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

“The high-tech industry provides a great occupation for those who are cut out for it,” said Lester, who graduated from Cal in 1984 with degrees in electrical engineering and computer science. “But it wasn’t my calling. Racing was my calling.” Read More Here