Motor loss ends Koch day in the pink early at Charlotte; Chicago up next

June 3, 2011 - PRLog -- CONCORD, NC  – Blake Koch’s debut in the heart of the NASCAR country last Saturday was one that both he and the Daystar Television Network race team would like to put behind them. After a motor loss in the bright pink Daystar #81 Dodge Challenger, Koch and the MacDonald Motorsports crew are ready to focus on rallying back next weekend in the NASCAR Nationwide STP 300 at Chicagoland Speedway.

Last Saturday, Koch and then entire crew from Daystar and MacDonald Motorsports had high hopes of a strong finish at the famed Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. The team debuted a special paint scheme for the event to promote breast cancer awareness, and the #81 was transformed into a noticeable bright pink and white rolling display of support for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Following some minor adjustments in practice, Koch qualified for the Top Gear 300 in the 27th position and the car was ready to race hard for the afternoon. For the first 47 laps of the race, it appeared that Koch was well on his way for another strong run in his quest for the NASCAR Nationwide Sunoco Rookie of the Year title.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vKIe1lRE4w&feature=channe...



On lap 48 trouble began for the team when a loose wheel on the Daystar Dodge forced an unscheduled pit stop and put Koch down two laps in the field. As he worked hard to rally back towards the lead lap, on the 80th circuit the day turned far worse when a broken crankshaft in the power plant sent the car up in smoke and out of contention for the day. The series of unfortunate events presented Koch with a great deal of television exposure, but not in the fashion which they desired.

Saturday marked the first time in his NASCAR Nationwide career that Koch was unable to finish an event. The morale was low in Daystar garage area, but the team is now looking ahead to Chicago this coming Saturday. Fortunately, Koch maintained his position in the NASCAR Nationwide point standings where he sits 23rd in the driver ranks and MacDonald Motorsports ranks 27th in the owner standings.

Heading into the 1.5 D shaped oval nestled in the heart of Joilet, Illinois, the Chicagoland Speedway will be a welcomed site for Koch and the entire team. It will mark Koch’s first time on the speedway, and MacDonald Motorsports has had a good results there in the past. Putting the misfortune behind him, Koch is ready to resume his quest in the closely contested Rookie of the Year competition.

“I think Chicago is going to be a great track for us,” said Koch. “We’ve been fast on the 1.5 milers and I think if we can put it all together it will be a good weekend. I just can’t wait to get back in the Daystar car after having a short race in Charlotte.”

Saturday’s STP 300 in Chicago will be broadcast live, nationally, on Saturday, June 4th at 8 p.m. eastern time on ESPN and broadcast on the MRN Radio Network.

Koch carries the primary sponsorship of the Daystar Television Network. This Emmy award winning faith based network is dedicated to spreading the Gospel 24 hours a day, seven days a week all around the globe through all media formats possible. Daystar is the fastest growing, and one of two of the largest, faith-based networks in the world today, and can be viewed on all major and secondary satellites and cable systems. Daystar programming reaches over 200 countries into more than 91 million homes in the United States and 680 million homes globally.

To learn more about Blake Koch and his Daystar Racing Team, visit their official website at http://www.daystarracing.com. When visiting the site be sure to enter to win a day with Blake Koch at Texas Motorspeedway in the fall. You can also find up to date statistics, photos, unique video and new apparel on the site, all of which goes back to supporting the efforts of Koch and team Daystar. Blake Koch and the Daystar Team can also be found on both Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/BlakeKRacing) (http://www.facebook.com/DaystarTV) and Twitter (@BlakeKochRacing) (@DaystarTV).

# # #

Daystar Television Network is the fastest growing faith based network in the world, reaching over 91 mil homes in the US and 680 mil homes worldwide. The network features popular original programming, live events, and sponsors NASCAR driver Blake Koch.