Zeck Pilots Raceceiver Racecar on SPEED

The 12^th annual Hardee’s Summer Shootout from Lowe’s Motor Speedway is going to be shown on Speed Channel.  The programs will be presented in back-to-back one-hour blocks on five Saturday afternoons. The first two rounds will air at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. (EST) on Saturday, Dec. 10, with subsequent rounds following at the same times on Dec. 17, Dec. 24, Jan. 7 and Jan. 14.  Once again Ryan accepted a challenge to start from the rear of the pack each week. 

Doing battle on the flat ¼ mile track with the handicap of starting last made the season exciting to watch.  Tune in to see if he can come from the back to claim the title “Worst to First” again this year.  With Raceceiver and TriMech Solutions supporting the previous champion, it was obvious the competition was in for a fierce battle.  

To tease you a little bit Ryan did finish in the Top-5 a total of 6 times, but how many were wins?!? Watch each week to see how Ryan fairs coming from the back.  The last few months of the summer were busy as Ryan filled his Saturday nights driving a Late Model Truck for fellow competitor Scott Whitaker.

Zeck competed at Friendship Speedway in Elkin , NC and Caraway Speedway near Asheboro , NC .  He posted a 3^rd place finish in one of the races at Friendship and mechanical problems plagued the team for the other races.  Zeck stated during a recent interview, “It felt really good to get back into a full size car after the disappointing end to the ASA series last year.  This year has been sort of a set back and we have been trying to reorganize and get back into action.”   

Once again, Ryan has been approached by some NASCAR Busch Series teams in the off season and is working towards making some progress and getting some seat time in one of NASCAR’s premier divisions.  Keep your fingers crossed and hopefully Ryan will get his chance in 2006.  Ryan would also like to thank Briggs & Stratton and Speed-Media for their support during the 2005 season.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from everyone at Ryan Zeck Autosports!

“RYAN’S RACE CAR” READY FOR PRIME TIME VIEWING

CONCORD, N.C. (March 31, 2005) – Ryan Zeck has many years of racing experience under his six-point harness, and when things start getting tough on the racetrack he has been known to give his race car a pep talk now and then. But his car couldn’t talk back – until now.

 Byrnes Enterprises is pleased to introduce “Ryan’s Race Car,” a new 30-minute video featuring Zeck and his talking race car. This children’s video is aimed at the two through eight-year-old audience and gives youngsters a look inside a real stock car, the steps the driver takes getting ready to race, and what he goes through while on the track. The show was written and produced by veteran FOX Sports and SPEED Channel commentator Steve Byrnes.

 "I wanted younger kids to have the opportunity to see a race car up close," Byrnes said of the project. "We mounted on-board cameras so you can see (Ryan Zeck) really working the steering wheel which gives kids the feeling of actually being in a race car. I see so many young kids at the racetracks and I want them to have something that furthers their understanding.

 “I also wanted their parents to feel like there is value in what their kids are watching” Byrnes added. “I watch my two-year-old son, Bryson, viewing videos and television programs (at home). He likes humor, action, colors and music. I incorporated all of those elements into a video that will be entertaining and provide positive messages on safety and education."

Zeck is no stranger to racing, having competed in ASA National Tour, ARCA, and Late Model stock cars. He is the 2003 Hardee’s Summer Shootout champion in the Thunder Roadster division, and is currently an engineer with the MB2/MBV Motorsports NASCAR Nextel Cup teams of Scott Riggs and Joe Nemechek. He was drawn into the project for a variety of reasons.

 “This is the type of project that can have a lasting impact on a young child,” Zeck explained. “It’s the type of thing that will not only teach them about racing and what I go through in the race car, but also teach them lessons on safety, such as using seat belts, that could be with them their entire life. But just as important, racing is a family sport and this video could be a great way for parents who are race fans to introduce their children to racing.”

 For more information on “Ryan’s Race Car,” or to view sample clips, visit www.RyansRaceCar.com. Copies of the video, available in VHS or DVD format, can be ordered online at the suggested retail price of $12.95.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 16, 2005) – Ryan Zeck, driver of the No. 95 Thunder Roadster, started the 2005 Hardee’s Summer Shootout  season at Lowe’s Motor Speedway with a driver’s meeting, a sponsorship deal, and a second place finish. Not bad for one night’s work.

After attending the mandatory driver’s meeting, Zeck was catching up with Joe Vinson, owner of RACEceiver, coincidently the night’s presenting sponsor. Last year, RACEceiver was associated with Zeck and they quickly struck a deal as a major associate sponsor for this season. Check out www.RACEceiver.com for more information.

Zeck has once again accepted the challenge of Humpy Wheeler to begin each feature from the rear of the field. As a result, Zeck uses the heat race for seat time and testing of the car’s handling only. This night, the ten laps were used to scuff some new tires.

Apparently this was a good strategy because once the feature started, Zeck was on his march to the front of the 22-car field. Indeed, just a few laps later, Zeck was in second place which he hung onto until the checkered flag was waved.

“This is certainly a good way to start the season and a great way to start the battle for the points championship,” Zeck said.

Rudy Zeck, owner of the car and crew chief for his son, explained, “ While second place is nothing to be unhappy about, the car was a little off tonight and so we will need to look it over before next week’s race.”

Zeck’s next event is set for Tuesday, June 21 and will include the CRASHCars in which he participates as “The Enforcer”.  According to the Lowe’s Motor Speedway web site, most full- or mid-sized cars are eligible to become a CRASHCar. Each car must have a cartoon-style theme with brightly colored paint and graphics. And by the way, contact with other cars is allowed.

Hardee's Summer Shootout Series on TV

CONCORD, NC (November 30th, 2004) - Flyin' Ryan Zeck returns to racing action via your television set. Tune to SPEED Channel to catch the 11th Annual Hardee's Summer Shootout Series, taped broadcasts of the exciting short track racing held during the summer. This series of 10 one-hour programs will air Friday nights from Dec. 3 through Jan. 21 at 8 p.m. EST (repeat broadcast at midnight). The final two rounds will air Feb. 4 and Feb. 11.

 Zeck participated in all but the first of the Thunder Roadster division races and won one of the events. As a condition of his participation, he accepted a challenge from Humpy Wheeler to start each race in last position, regardless of any qualifying results. You'll have to tune in to see at which event he visited Lowe's Motor Speedway’s victory lane.

 Also featured in the broadcasts are the Legend and Bandolero cars as well as the special entertainment events such as the popular School Bus races and One-on-One Spectator races.

ZECK’S TUESDAY NIGHTS ABOUT TO GET BUSY

For the third consecutive year Ryan Zeck will spend the next ten Tuesday nights wheeling his Thunder Roadster around the tight quarter-mile oval at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

He will be trying to win his second championship in the Hardee’s Summer Shootout, a feat he accomplished in 2003 in the Thunder Roadster division, the premier class on the evening program. It won’t be easy though, for like last season track promoter Humpy Wheeler once again asked Zeck to start each feature race at the very back of the field.

“Last season Humpy asked me to start at the rear of the field because I have so much experience in these cars he thought it would be fun for the fans to watch if I could work my way through the field to the lead,” Zeck said. “It’s a challenge because the track is so small and there are normally a lot of cars so you need to be pretty aggressive to get through traffic.”

Even with the handicap, Zeck has set some significant goals for himself this season.

"I want to win the championship this year, and at least two races while starting from dead last in the field,” stated the Harrisburg , N.C. resident.

This season Zeck has new sponsorship from Embee Performance, a company offering high-performance coatings on pistons and other engine components, and Tri-Mech Solutions, an engineering technologies firm. Information about these companies can be found online at www.embeeperformance.com and www.trimech.com.

Though his car may have different sponsors this year, he will still compete as No. 95, a car number he uses in several different series. It is expected that the Hardee’s Summer Shootout events will be taped for television broadcast later this year.

The Hardee’s Summer Shootout begins on Tuesday, June 14 and runs consecutively through August 16 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord , N.C. Tickets, readily available at the gate, are priced at just $5 for adults and $3 for children aged 6-12.

“I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of a race car again,” Zeck said. “Like most drivers, I get antsy when I don’t have the opportunity to drive. One can only spend so much time tinkering with the car before you have to get it onto the track and see if the work is paying off.”

Zeck is also an engineer with the MB2/MBV Motorsports team that competes in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.