TROY, OH – The E.A. Schaeffer Oil Company has joined Herd Racing as an associate sponsor for the 2012 race season, the team and company jointly announced January 30. The Troy, Ohio –based oil company is part of the AMSOIL dealer network and will serve as Herd Racing’s “Official Oil Provider” as part of the agreement between the company and team, Herd Racing President Dana Tomes said.
“It is an honor to welcome Elmer Schaeffer and his company’s AMSOIL product line to our growing family of supporters,” Tomes said. “Elmer is a longtime supporter of racing and it is a joy to form an affiliation with his company and use his product line in our racing boats.”
Elmer Schaeffer, owner of E.A. Schaffer Oil Company and a longtime race team sponsor, said his company’s 2012 sponsorship agreement with Herd Racing will be the firm’s first venture into the sport of boat racing.
“We have been involved with sponsorship in auto racing for quite some time but we are excited to promote our company and product line with Herd Racing in the tunnel boat racing realm in 2012,” Schaeffer said. “We will be at some of the races and be available to answer questions about our complete line of AMSOIL products and offer product for sale to both fellow competitors and fans alike.”
As part of the year-long sponsorship agreement, Schaeffer will provide the Herd Racing program with AMSOIL Dominator two-cycle racing engine oils, synthetic racing gear oils, engine fogging sprays and marine synthetic greases.
“We have been in talks with many oil companies since getting into the sport of outboard tunnel boat racing,” Herd Racing Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz said. “We have used a variety of products and have confirmed that AMSOIL products are the way we want to go. The performance and engine durability that the AMSOIL products promote are second to none.”
AMSOIL, sold nationally through independent dealers since 1972, was founded by fighter squadron commander Albert J. Amatuzio. Seeing the need for a synthetic lubricating oil, Amatuzio’s first AMSOIL product was 10W 40 motor oil. Since that time the company’s product line has grown to include nearly every oil and lubricating product imaginable.
A 15-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force himself, Schaeffer has been selling AMSOIL products for more than 20 years. Schaeffer’s involvement in racing has spanned from local late models and midgets in northwest Ohio to team support for national auto racing teams as high as the ARCA series.
CINCINNATI, OH - Mobile Imprint has joined Herd Racing as a supporting sponsor for the 2012 race season and will serve as the "Official Mobile App Provider" of the team. Mobile Imprint, based in Cincinnati, OH, provides mobile apps for businesses, schools, sports teams and more.
Mobile Imprint will assist Herd Racing by expanding the team’s reach to a younger audience by helping the tunnel boat racing team create a mobile app that will thrust the team’s web presence to millions of smart phone users worldwide.
“We are tremendously excited to become a supporting sponsor of Herd Racing and be able to develop a specific app that will help the team reach a new segment of fans that they previously only had limited access to,” said Chelsea Inman, marketing director at Mobile Imprint. “Herd Racing will be one of the frontrunners in the racing industry to have its own mobile app along with a QR scan code and a plan to reach the world’s highly technical smart phone user market. We’re proud to be part of that effort.”
Industry experts estimate that 31 percent of mobile phones in use today in the U.S. are smart phones. Currently, more than 73 million Americans have a smart phone and an additional one million smart phones are being activated daily around the world. Since 2007, more than 440 million smart phones have been sold, according to industry sources.
The Herd Racing team will help promote Mobile Imprint by introducing the company’s services to a new source of potential users by carrying the company’s logos on its website and race boats, as well as helping promote the company’s services through the distribution of printed marketing materials at race events.
Those interested in learning more about mobile apps can contact Mobile Imprint online by visiting their website at www.mobileimprint.com or via telephone at 855-944-APPS.
CINCINNATI, OH – Herd Racing and Mobile Imprint, a Cincinnati-based technology company specializing in mobile applications for businesses, have joined forces through a cooperative effort to promote both companies in 2012, both firms jointly announced January 18.
Mobile Imprint will assist Herd Racing by expanding the team’s reach to a younger audience by helping the tunnel boat racing team create a mobile app that will thrust the team’s web presence to millions of smart phone users worldwide.
“We are tremendously excited to become a supporting sponsor of Herd Racing and be able to develop a specific app that will help the team reach a new segment of fans that they previously only had limited access to,” said Chelsea Inman, marketing director at Mobile Imprint. “Herd Racing will be one of the frontrunners in the racing industry to have its own mobile app along with a QR scan code and a plan to reach the world’s highly technical smart phone user market. We’re proud to be part of that effort.”
Industry experts estimate that 31 percent of mobile phones in use today in the U.S. are smart phones. Currently, more than 73 million Americans have a smart phone and an additional one million smart phones are being activated daily around the world. Since 2007, more than 440 million smart phones have been sold, according to industry sources.
“This partnership with Mobile Imprint is a huge advancement for our team and our desire to reach more people,” said David Wechsler, Herd Racing’s marketing director. “Studies show that 92% of 18 to 24 year olds do not use email any more. They communicate between peers using their phones via text messages, Facebook, Twitter and mobile apps. We are excited to be able to be one of the first racing teams in all forms of racing embrace this growing technology.”
Herd Racing’s agreement with Mobile Imprint will include the team having its own custom mobile app which will allow smart phone users to receive team news feeds, photos, blog posts and other information directly to their phones in real time. The team will showcase QR code marks on its boats, hauler and marketing materials that will allow a smart phone user to capture and download the team’s app at no charge. Fans will also be able to download the team’s mobile app directly from the Herd Racing website as well by simply photographing the team’s QR code with their smart phone.
“Many custom app programs cost $20,000 or more to develop and require constant updating and hosting,” said Herd Racing President Dana Tomes. “Our agreement with Mobile Imprint brings that technology to our team at no cost. We are really excited about being able to promote our racing and outreach efforts to a much larger audience than we have ever been able to reach before.”
Tomes said the Herd Racing team will help promote Mobile Imprint by introducing the company’s services to a new source of potential users by carrying the company’s logos on its website and race boats, as well as helping promote the company’s services through the distribution of printed marketing materials at race events.
“We are confident that our involvement with Herd Racing will open doors for Mobile Imprint in tunnel boat racing and many other forms of racing,” Inman said. “We think this partnership is something we both will want to continue for quite a while.”
Inman said Mobile Imprint will make its app design and hosting services available to all race teams at deep discounts in order to secure more business in the racing realm. To learn more about Mobile Imprint, you can log on to their website at www.mobileimprint.com or by calling them at 855-994-APPS.
Herd Racing’s new mobile app and associated technology is currently in production and will be available for web and smart phone users by early February.
It isn't often that a race team's fans can make a direct impact on the performance of their favorite team or driver, but thanks to Champion Spark Plugs, Herd Racing's fans can make a huge contribution to the team's performance on the water in 2012!
Herd Racing is one of more than 300 race teams from across North America that are competing in the Champion Spark Plugs "Search for a Champion" sponsorship contest. The contest will award $100,000 in racing sponsorships to deserving race teams in 2012 and Herd Racing needs your help to claim part of the prize.
Racers have been divided into five racing categories and Herd Racing has been entered along with 22 other teams in the Water Category. Our quest is to receive the most fan support of any team in our category in hopes of claiming the category's $10,000 winning sponsorship prize.
"One third of the criteria for winning is based on fan support," said Herd Racing's Chief Engineer Eric Himes, who along with help from team Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz, created the team's Champion video entry. "We need fans to vote daily for our video so that we can show the judges we have the support of our fans and followers."
Each fan logged in can vote from the same computer once daily from January 2 through February 5 at which time the category winners will be announced. The five teams chosen by the judges to represent the five categories of racing will win $10,000 each and then move on to the final competition round where the winner takes home a $50,000 Champion sponsorship.
“Winning the Water Category in this contest could be huge for our team and our 2012 efforts," said Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz. "We have the dedicated people and desire to win. We just need some financial support to help us make the most out of our effort and be able to upgrade our equipment to the next level."
The ability to capture the essence of racing on film is a talent that few people can boast. But if a great photo is truly worth a thousand words then Herd Racing's team photographer Rick Adkins has amassed quite a vocabulary.
Adkins, whose day job is working as a research chemist for Marathon Petroleum, has used his love for photography to help promote Herd Racing's efforts by documenting the team's travels on film.
"Rick is someone who can find the one photograph that tells the story of what he is shooting," says Herd Racing crew chief Jeramey Wentz. "Great photographers have an eye for that perfect image and Rick finds those at every race or event we do."
Adkins, who traveled with the Herd Racing team to many of the team's race weekends and outreach events in 2011, has provided a treasure chest of photos which the team can use to continue marketing it's program to potential fans, sponsors and supporters.
"Most of our 2012 racing calendar is made up of photos that Rick took during the 2011 race season," says Herd Racing Foundation President Jeff Webb. "He was able to document each event, from the race action to the personal stories of our team members and families. He does a wonderful job." Download a high resolution copy of the team's 2012 wall calendar here: http://www.herdracing.com/pdfs/2012Herdcalendar.pdf. (Be patient, it takes a while for the whole file to download)
But if photography and working in a supervisory position in one of Marathon's largest gasoline refineries isn't enough to keep Adkins busy, he also finds time to collect antique phonographs, pre-1900 family Bibles and serves his local Baptist church congregation as a deacon and Sunday School teacher.
"We're so fortunate to have Rick involved in our program and to have him go with us to the races," says Herd Racing's Chief Engineer Eric Himes. "It helps with our sponsorship hunt to be able to put together publications and marketing kits that include a lot of good video and photographs."
Adkins plans to accompany the team on the road during the 2012 race season to continue photographing the races and faces on the APBA race circuit. You can view some of Rick's work by accessing his online boat racing photo gallery at http://ricksfotos.smugmug.com/Hobbies. (Feel free to download and print any photos)
December 15, 2011
2012 lodging partnerships being sought by Herd Racing
Herd Racing is currently seeking lodging partnerships for the 2012 American Power Boat Association racing season with hotels nearby the race cities where the team will be competing.
Herd Racing offers sponsorship trade agreements with hotels whereby the hotel will recieve complimentary advertising space on the team's race boat or boats in exchange for donating the cost of lodging for the team's crew members during the race weekend.
Herd Racing requests that lodging sponsors provide up to a maximum of four hotel rooms to the team at no charge for the Friday night and Saturday night of the race weekend.
In return, the team will provide the hotel with up to 360 square inches of advertising space on each side of the team's race boat or boats and four pit access passes to the races for the hotel's management and staff for the race weekend. These passes include access to the racing area, as well as the pit area where the race teams are preparing their boats for racing.
Other specialized services are available including a driver autograph session at the hotel, a banner to display during the race weekend in the hotel lobby or display of the team's race boat at the hotel if scheduling permits.
The sponsorship trade agreement includes a pre-race press release by the team, a story and photograph about the sponsorship on this website www.herdracing.com which will remain throughout 2012 and you will receive your photo with the team and boat at the race venue.
If your hotel is interested in becoming part of the team and advertising your facility to thousands of race fans please contact us toll free at 877-736-7303 or by email at danatomes@herdracing.com.
KANE, PA - Herd Racing is proud to announce that BRL Solutions will sponsor the team’s 2012 tunnel boat racing efforts, the team and company jointly announced on December 14. The Kane, PA-based company will be an associate sponsor on both the team’s Formula 2 and Formula 3 race boats throughout the 2012 racing campaign and has been named the team’s “Official Lubricant Provider” for the 2012 season. “We are extremely excited to announce our new relationship with BRL Solutions and appreciate the confidence they have shown in Herd Racing by choosing us to be the exclusive racing sponsorship that they will use to promote their product to the public,” said Herd Racing’s President Dana Tomes. “We have tested the BRL product in the race shop and it is the type of product we feel honored to represent and be part of.” BRL produces an aerosol-based lubricant which has almost limitless uses. The non-flammable, biodegradable and environmentally-friendly spray lubricates metals, breaks loose rust and eliminates squeaks without harming the environment, and without the harsh solvent smell of other common brands. “The fact that BRL is environmentally friendly is important to us, being that we will be using the lubricant in a marine environment,” Tomes said. “Being able to use a product that won’t create a sheen on the water or hurt the marine environment, but will still do the job we need, is an added plus to this relationship.” As part of the year-long sponsorship agreement, BRL will provide Herd Racing with a generous supply of the company’s product to use in the race shop, at race events and to distribute to other potential users as samples. “BRL is extremely excited to sponsor Herd Racing for the 2012 season,” said Dan Howard, VP of Business Development for BRL. “We have successfully completed our local test markets for this new product and Herd Racing will allow us to penetrate the marine market very effectively.” BRL also serves the automotive, residential, industrial and agricultural markets. Herd Racing will display the BRL product logos on both it’s Formula 2 and Formula 3 race boats in 2012, as well as advertise the company’s product on it’s website, www.herdracing.com. The team will also lend it’s name and images to BRL during the sponsorship period to be included in BRL’s nationwide advertising campaign. For more information about BRL or to find out where you can purchase the product for yourself you can visit the company’s website at www.brl-usa.com.
KANE, PA - BRL Solutions, Inc. will be an associate sponsor on both of Herd Racing’s Formula 2 and Formula 3 race boats throughout the 2012 racing campaign and has been named the team’s “Official Lubricant Provider” for the 2012 season.
“We are extremely excited to announce our new relationship with BRL Solutions and appreciate the confidence they have shown in Herd Racing by choosing us to be the exclusive racing sponsorship that they will use to promote their product to the public,” said Herd Racing’s President Dana Tomes. “We have tested the BRL product in the race shop and it is the type of product we feel honored to represent and be part of.”
BRL, located in Kane, PA, produces an aerosol-based lubricant which has almost limitless uses. The non-flammable, biodegradable and environmentally-friendly spray lubricates metals, breaks loose rust and eliminates squeaks without harming the environment, and without the harsh solvent smell of other common brands.
“The fact that BRL is environmentally friendly is important to us, being that we will be using the lubricant in a marine environment,” Tomes said. “Being able to use a product that won’t create a sheen on the water or hurt the marine environment, but will still do the job we need, is an added plus to this relationship.”
As part of the year-long sponsorship agreement, BRL will provide Herd Racing with a generous supply of the company’s product to use in the race shop, at race events and to distribute to other potential users as samples.
“BRL is extremely excited to sponsor Herd Racing for the 2012 season,” said Dan Howard, VP of Business Development for BRL. “We have successfully completed our local test markets for this new product and Herd Racing will allow us to penetrate the marine market very effectively.”
BRL also serves the automotive, residential, industrial and agricultural markets.
Herd Racing will display the BRL product logos on both it’s Formula 2 and Formula 3 race boats in 2012, as well as advertise the company’s product on it’s website, www.herdracing.com. The team will also lend it’s name and images to BRL during the sponsorship period to be included in BRL’s nationwide advertising campaign.
For more information about BRL or to find out where you can purchase the product for yourself you can visit the company’s website at www.brl-usa.com.
Herd Racing would like to thank BRL Solutions and it's staff for becoming a product sponsor of Herd Racing.
When it comes to fielding a dedicated crew each race weekend there isn't much more Herd Racing could ask for. But in 2012, the team's UTV operator and launch specialist Roger LeGrand plans to put even more time into his newest found form of racing.
LeGrand, an overhead crane operator at a Huntington, WV speciality metals manufacturer for more than two decades, will be retiring in late December 2011. His plans for 2012 include a lot of things, including the desire to travel with the Herd Racing tunnel boat program to all of it's summer schedule of races.
"I have always been a fan of racing and this is a way that I can use some of my knowledge and experience to help make the Herd Racing team better," LeGrand said. Since the team's inception, LeGrand has been one of the first to lend a hand from building the team's first ARCA Racing Series stock car in 2008 through working on the pit crew through the team's final Nationwide Series race in 2010.
A longtime volunteer firefighter and craftsman, LeGrand has used his life experiences to become an integral part of the Herd Racing program, team president Dana Tomes says.
"I have known Roger for more than 20 years and we have done a lot of things together," Tomes said. "He is one of those guys who can build or fix anything. He can study something and the next day shows up with a homemade part or tool he needs to fix it. He is a perfect addition to our race team and has already used his abilities to help us grow."
LeGrand, and his wife Karen who serves as the team's hospitality coordinator, was able to attend all but one of team's 2011 races, where he was tasked with safely and efficiently getting the boats into and out of the water.
"Having one person operate the tow vehicles makes it a lot easier on everyone," Tomes said. "Roger can drive as good backwards as he can frontwards and that is really important when you're dealing with a boat trailer. We try to find a way on our team to find our people's talents and use them to the team's advantage."
Keep checking out www.herdracing.com during the offseason as we continue to profile our team members. Last winter we were able to tell fans about Jeramey Wentz, Eric Himes, Bryan Rozzi, Jeff Webb and Greg Smith whose stories you can still read in our website's news archives pages. This winter we plan to feature stories on our Team Photographer Rick Adkins and Hospitality Coordinator Karen LeGrand, among others.
HUNTINGTON, WV - Pennsylvania high school cross country runner Marc Parnell tamed the Herd Racing Foundation's Off-Road 5K race course Saturday morning with an event record time of 17:51, besting is closest competition by more than a minute.
The 15-year-old student at Mercyhurst Prep School in Erie, PA, who had just ran in another 5K two mornings earlier in Pennsylvania, led Saturday's race from the outset and never looked back on his way to victory. His younger sister, Alexis Parnell, a 5th grade student who also runs competitively, was the event's first female finisher, recording a time of 23:43.
Josh Sifford of Proctorville, Ohio and Keith Dills of Huntington finished second and third in the overall male division with times of 18:56 and 19:24 respectively. Cathy Maddox and Sarah Jarvis placed second and third in the women's overall division with finish times of 23:51 and 24:23 respectively. Complete race results for all 53 people who finished the race are available online at http://www.tristateracer.com/race.php?ID=340. A race photo gallery by Herd Racing photographer Rick Adkins is available for viewing and download at http://ricksfotos.smugmug.com/Sports/Herd-Foundation-5K/20281105_QbwxR9#1604908503_jz2j26m.
The event was the first 5K race conducted by the Herd Racing Foundation. The race took place on the grounds of the YMCA Kennedy Center near Huntington and featured a challenging off-road race course that included open fields, hills, woods and a gravel path running surface. Proceeds from the event will benefit Legacy Powerboat Ministry, a group which provides chapel services for drivers and teams who participate in the APR Superleague tunnel boat racing series.
"The race teams which travel the country each summer in the powerboat series can't go to their home churches on Sunday mornings so Legacy Ministry brings church to them," said Herd Racing Foundation President Jeff Webb. "It is an honor to try to raise funds to help make sure their services continue for years to come."
Saturday's Herd Racing Foundation 5K was primarily sponsored by Woodmen of the World Insurance, Herr Foods, Marshall University's Department of Surgery and Marshall University's Department of Orthopaedics. More than two dozen local businesses donated door prizes to the event. All participants who entered the race received a Herd Racing gift bag that included a race t-shirt as well as two DVDs.
HUNTINGTON, WV - The Herd Racing Foundation's Off-Road 5K Race/Walk to benefit Legacy Powerboat Ministry will invade Huntington's YMCA Kennedy Center Thanksgiving weekend with something for every member of the family.
The 5K race will be run on a revamped off-road race course at the YMCA property and will feature runners from near and far, says Herd Racing President Dana Tomes.
"We got an email from a family in Erie, PA who plans to run in the 5K. We are trying our best to attract as many runners as possible in an effort to raise as much money as possible for Legacy Powerboat Ministry."
Tomes says the organizer of the event, The Herd Racing Foundation, is hoping to cover the costs of the race through corporate sponsorships so that the entry fees paid by the participants can go straight to the chosen charity.
"The service Legacy provides is very important to us and is much needed," Tomes says. "We would love to be able to dedicate all of the entry fees to them to help continue their race ministry at events all across the country in 2012."
The Herd Racing Foundation 5K, which starts promptly at 9 a.m. on November 26, will feature more than just a 5K race/walk. There will be a Kiddle Corral where the children of runners will be supervised and entertained during the race and there will be plenty of door prizes which have been donated by local businesses.
Jeff Webb, president of the Herd Racing Foundation, says those who run in the event will get their money's worth and much more.
"The first 150 registered will get a race t-shirt with a full front and back design, everyone entered will get a free gift bag which contains two different DVDs and a lot of other items, and after the race, there will be plenty of fresh fruits, snacks and drinks for everyone," Webb says. "During the awards ceremony we are giving out 56 trophies and there will be dozens of door prizes ranging from nutritional supplements to Blenko Glass and more."
While the event is being promoted as a 5K race, Webb says walkers, strollers and pets are welcome and encouraged as well.
"Anyone who wants to help out a good cause and work off some of their Thanksgiving dinner is welcome," he says. "There will be something to do for the whole family so come out and have a great time."
Registration the morning of the race begins at 7:30 a.m. on November 26 and runs until 8:45 a.m. and costs $20 per person. Pre-registrations received by November 15 will receive a $5 discount.
October marks the ending of the annual summertime tunnel boat racing seasons. The motors turn silent for several months and the boats begin their annual ritual of being rebuilt, repainted and refitted for the following race campaign. But just because the warm weather festivals have had their annual run and most teams hibernate for the long off-season doesn't mean Herd Racing is required to follow suit.
"The off-season is really more fun for us than the race season is," says Herd Racing tunnel boat pilot Dana Tomes. "We enjoy interacting with the community and letting them become part of our team. It is nice for us to get racing off our mind for a few months and concentrate on giving back a little to the community."
That's exactly the plans for Herd Racing and it's team members. It's the time of the year when the team participates in parades, festivals, sings and other fundraisers for various charities, allowing the team to raise awareness for it's outreach programs and raise money for it's fellow outreach groups.
"A lot of our reason for racing is to bring awareness to the public about their need for a personal relationship with Jesus," says Herd Racing Foundation President Jeff Webb. "Reaching out the troubled youth and underpriviledged kids in each city we visit during the race season is important to us. They need to know someone cares about them and cares about their future and we are blessed to be able to spend a little time with them and help encourage them."
The team's 2011 outreach programs spanned six race cities - Elgin, Pittsburgh, Marietta, Huntington, Aurora and Hamilton - where team members, the team's mascots and at least one race boat spent Friday evenings with youth at each race venue. A highlight video of the team's 2011 outreach program can be seen on Herd Racing's YouTube channel or by clicking this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhEkOQr-oiQ.
But while the fall months provide a temporary breather for the team members from boat racing, it also serves as a rebuilding time for the team's morale and desire to serve.
"Interacting with the public is important to us," says Herd Racing's Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz. "We enjoy introducing kids and the general public to boat racing and seeing their interest in the sport and what we're doing. Seeing a kid's smile as his mom snaps his photo behind the wheel of a tunnel boat is a memory they will keep for a long time and that's important to us."
Herd Racing's fall plans for 2011 include having a race boat at a daylong gospel sing on Saturday, October 22 in Huntington, WV as several local Contemporary Christian groups and vocalists gather to conduct a 10-hour concert to raise funds for a local home for the mentally and physically challenged, Green Acres Regional Center, located in Lesage, WV.
The team's attention will then turn to helping a local Baptist church raise awareness and money to help stock it's food pantry for the winter months. The 26th Street Baptist Church feeds dozens of families on a regular basis and will be conducting a fundraiser with the assistance of Ashley Furniture and Home Center on Saturday, November 5 in Barboursville, WV. Herd's team members will assist by collecting money and food for the church that day, as well as display two race boats in an attempt to draw the Christmas shopping crowd to the store.
"The race boats are a great draw," Webb says. "Anyone interested in racing or sports seem to be attracted to them when we have them on display. It helps draw a crowd which is what the event needs to succeed."
Then before taking a few weeks off for the holidays, Herd Racing's official outreach arm, The Herd Racing Foundation, will be hosting an off-road 5K road race with proceeds being donated to Legacy Powerboat Ministry. That event will take place at 9 a.m. on Saturday, November 26 at the YMCA Kennedy Center complex in Huntington, WV. The team hopes to draw as many as 200 runners to what they hope to make an annual 5K event for charity. You can learn more about the 5K event or download an entry form for the race by clicking on the race advertisement at www.tristateracer.com or by clicking on this direct link: http://www.tristateracer.com/RaceDirector/race.php?RaceID=394.
CARTERSVILLE, GA - Herd Racing's powerboat pilot Dana Tomes was awarded the APR Superleague's highest honor during the league's 25th annual banquet October 1 in Cartersville, GA.
Tomes, who was named the league's Formula 3 Rookie of the Year in 2010, shared the leaque's Ken Winkle Sportsman of the Year award with fellow racer and race promoter Jim McGrath of Elgin, IL. Both were presented with the award during the league's gathering at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Cartersville September 30-October 2, 2011.
In naming the co-winners of the annual award, APR Superleague said: "The Ken Winkle Sportsman of the Year award is reserved for those special people going beyond the normal levels of sportsmanship and cooperation; from drivers, to crew members, to staff people and local race committees, these ladies and gentlemen set the bar higher and exemplify the definition of the word - sportsmanship.
Jim McGrath organized a new race in Elgin, putting time, effort and personal money into the project and making it a reality. Dana Tomes supported the league with a corporate sponsorship that included a donation towards the yearend prize fund. Additionally, Dana and Herd Racing took an old F2 boat and transformed it into a safety training capsule for Superleague rescue and assisted the local race committee in Huntington. Superleague proudly presented Jim McGrath and Dana Tomes with the highest honor that Superleague bestows - Sportsman of the Year."
CARTERSVILLE, GA - Despite several stumbles along the way, both of Herd Racing's entries in the APR Superleague national tunnel boat racing series finished the 2011 campaign with Top 10 rankings, the league announced October 1 during year-end ceremonies in Georgia.
Herd Racing fielded two entries, both piloted by second-year driver Dana Tomes, during the 2011 race season. In the Formula 3 rankings, Herd's #75 boats ended the regular season with an 8th place ranking of the 14 boats which competed on the national tour. In the larger Formula 2 boats, the Herd #5 team held on for a 9th place ranking in the APR year-end standings out of the 22 drivers who competed on the F-2 APR tour.
"Considering we didn't run the finals in the first race in Elgin back in June because of our wreck and we didn't enter the nationals at Kankakee in September, we faired pretty well," said Herd Racing's Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz. "We battled mechanical problems pretty much every weekend and totalled one boat and had to sideline a second due to some hull problems. When you look at the overall picture and take away some of the stuff that happened to us it could have been and should have been a much better year that what it was."
Herd Pilot Dana Tomes said realizing the probems the team faced in 2011 is what the crew will use as motivation during the long winter off-season. "I fully expect to have a much better year in 2012. We will start the year with more experience, better equipment and a better handle on our program. We had a lot of motor issues in both classes, tore up a good boat in the first week of the season and had some other issues happen, so we believe 2012 should provide us with a lot better results."
Named the APR Superleague's F-3 Rookie of the Year in 2010, Tomes was honored in Cartersville, Ga. during Saturday evening's year-end banquet as the league's Co-Sportsman of the Year along with fellow F-2 racer Jim McGrath. He said the award may have had his name on it, but it was definately a team achievement.
"We try to do as much as we can as a team outside of racing to help the league succeed," Tomes said. "We didn't do it with the intention of being recognized for it, but it was nice to know that the officials and the other teams felt we were worthy of being recognized."
Herd Racing worked several weeks during the off season last winter developing a training capsule for the league which is used to train and certify race pilots. The team also worked during the spring and summer months to bring tunnel boat racing back to Huntington, WV, which was able to host a tour event for the first time in many years in 2011.
"We're still a long way from being where we know we are capable of being, but being just two years into it we feel pretty good about where we are going," Tomes said. "I think 2012 will be the year we grow up and show some people we can race."
CARTERSVILLE, GA - APR Superleague teams from across North America will converge on the Atlanta suburb of Cartersville September 30-October 2 to celebrate the official end to the 2011 race season.
The weekend event features capsule recertification training for the league's race pilots, the league's 25th anniversary banquet where the series' 2011 Formula 2 and Formula 3 champions will be crowned. The events will take place at the Holiday Inn in Cartersville. Click here to view the annual meeting program: http://www.aprsuperleague.com/2011%20CARTERSVILLE%20Gazette%20Web%20Version.pdf.
"The league meetings are a good chance for team owners and crew to talk about rule changes, discuss the previous season and talk about plans for next year," said Herd Racing Pilot Dana Tomes who will attend the events. "There is a lot of emphasis on safety and we will do our capsule training so everyone will be ready to start working on their programs for 2012."
Terry Rinker dominated the Formula 2 ranks during most of the 2011 race season and is expected to be crowned champion in that class. His son, Rob Rinker, made a late charge in the Formula 3 stadings to end the regular season in a tie with Canadian Mike Hooper atop the standings. Tie breakers and bonus points will decide the champion in F-3.
You can follow all of the action from Cartersville this coming weekend at www.herdracing.com. Check out our team blog nightly beginning September 30 for meeting and banquet coverage.
HAMILTON, OH - Herd Racing's 2011 tunnel boat racing season came to a close on a positive note on September 11 as the team introduced a new racing boat and closed the year with a 4th place finish at the Great Miami River Days regatta.
After suffering through several sub-par performances with it's Seebold SST-120 fiberglass boat, the team rigged and fielded it's Miller Brothers SST-120 wooden craft for the first time in 2011.
"The new boat performed better than we expected and has a whole lot of potential," Herd Racing's Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz said after the weekend. "After probably 20 or 30 laps in practice and the first qualifying race on Saturday the lap times just started shooting up and continued to get better and better all weekend."
Herd Pilot Dana Tomes said the boat performed well enough to consider making it the team's first string entry in 2012.
"We were leaning toward buying a newer boat or getting a brand new boat built, but I really think this boat has some potential," Tomes said. "The driver has to get a lot better for the boat's qualities to show but I think we might have a boat we better hang on to for the near future."
The 2011 season will officially come to a close September 30-October 2 when the APR Superleague pilots and crews converge in Cartersville, Georgia for the league's annual meeting and season-ending awards banquet.
September 06, 2011
Great Miami River Days (Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Sharonville)
CINCINNATI, OH - The Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Sharonville has joined Herd Racing as the team's Official Lodging Partner for the sixth race of the 2011 APBA tunnel boat racing season. The hotel, located at 11149 Dowlin Drive in the north Cincinnati suburb of Sharonville, will host Herd Racing's Formula 2 race crew during the team's visit to The Great Miami River Days Festival in nearby Hamilton, Ohio, September 9-11, 2011.
The Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Sharonville is conveniently located just off of Exit 15 of Interstate 75 near the northern intersection of Interstate 275. The AAA three-diamond-rated hotel features three floors of guest rooms, an indoor pool and fitness center, as well as suites, king rooms, a business center and a pantry to allow guests to have 24-hour access to snacks and soft drinks.
The Sharonville location features a full business center, including meeting rooms for business events, and is a short drive from many of Cincinnati's main attractions such as King's Island and Great American Ball Park. The hotel offers 1,400 square feet of business meeting space and offers free parking for it's guests.
Each guest room at the Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Sharonville features two phones, data ports and voice mail, a coffee maker, iron and ironing board, and a hair dryer. With more than 530 hotels and resorts in 76 countries across the six continents, Hilton remains the world's most recognzed hotel brand.
Herd Racing would like to thank the Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Sharonville for joining the team as our Official Lodging Partner for the Hamilton, Ohio race weekend and we encourage our friends, fans and family to book their next stay to the Cincinnati area at the Hilton Garden Inn. You can contact the hotel by phone at 513-772-2837, by fax at 513-772-2885 or book your room online by accessing the hotel's website registration center at http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=CVGSHGI.
The Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Sharonville will be featured during the race weekend on Herd Racing's tunnel boat and the team looks forward to having the hotel staff join them as team guests at The Great Miami River Days Festival in Hamilton, Ohio.
HAMILTON, OHIO - Herd Racing's 2011 tunnel boat racing season will come to a close September 9-11 as the team competes in the Formula 2 ranks during The Great Miami River Days regatta in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio.
The team will run it's Miller/Target #75 SST-120 boat for the first time in 2011, after choosing to mothball it's Seebold composite boat for the remainder of the season after Aurora last month. The team is considering the Hamilton race weekend as the "first test session of the 2012 race season."
"The Hamilton race is not an APR Superleague event so it won't count in our league standings, but it will draw some high quality teams from across the midwest," said Herd's Pilot Dana Tomes. "We are looking at it as our first test session for 2012 which will help us determine what steps to take during the off-season to make our teams more competitive next year."
The teams chose to forego the U.S. National Championships which are conducted Labor Day Weekend each year in Kankakee, Illinois. Instead, efforts will begin to shift to 2012 and what it takes to improve upon the team's 110-mph top speed in Formula 2.
"We need to find some speed and consistency before spring," Tomes said. "We have a pretty good stable of boats and motors and we are going to work with that in the next few weeks and get a feel for where we are before we move off the water and into the race shop for the winter. We have a lot to consider for 2012 and Hamilton will help get us off on the right foot and will hopefully yield some answers for us in regards to performance."
Fans wishing to follow Herd Racing's trip to Hamilton, Ohio on September 9-11 can keep up to date by clicking on the team's Facebook link or Twitter feed on the home page of www.herdracing.com. To follow all events at The Great Miami River Days regatta, fans can log on to www.greatmiamiriverdays.org.
(Front page photo compliments of Rick Adkins Photography)
AURORA, IN - In stark contrast to how a race weekend is supposed to work, it was the Herd Racing crew and not the driver who got the intense workout during the Region 7 Championships August 19-21 in Aurora, Indiana.
From the time the team arrived, until the boats were loaded into the hauler Sunday evening, Murphy's Law chased both Herd Racing entries non-stop at the Roar of Thunder Regatta.
"We had stuff breaking faster than we could fix it," said Herd's Dockmaster Bryan Rozzi. "We spent all day Saturday trying to get the new engine on the Formula 3 boat broke in and trying to patch a busted seam in the hull of the Formula 2 boat. Things just kept getting worse instead of better."
The efforts put forth by the Herd Racing crew on shore got the boats into Sunday's final round of races, but the mechanical gremlins just kept coming. The #75 Jesus boat limped across the finish line 10th in the Formula 3 finals after the boat's power trim let go on the first lap of the race.
"I couldn't get the boat up on plane on the straightaways and couldn't turn in the corners," Herd Pilot Dana Tomes said. "I was just along for the ride about 10 miles an hour off the pace and couldn't do anything but just ride it out."
A broken switch in the boat's steering wheel was the culprit, but couldn't be fixed until the boat was pulled onto the trailer after the race.
In the Formula 2 final, Tomes was relegated to a 13th place finish in the Regional Final, the team's worst finish of 2011 in the Seebold composite-hulled machine.
"I spent two days in the shop patching the hull up from the Huntington race and it tore open again on Saturday at Aurora," said Herd Racing's launch crew member Roger LeGrand. "We glued and expoxied it back together the best we could, but we knew it wouldn't hold up long."
LeGrand was right. When the #5 entry, sponsored by the Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Sharonville, was pulled from the Ohio River at the conclusion of the race it had taken on a massive volume of water which shorted out the boat's electrical system causing it to stall near the end of the race. The boat had to be towed to the dock.
"The good news is Aurora 2011 is behind us," Tomes said. "We love the city of Aurora and the great race event they put on, but Murphy's Law chased us the whole weekend and we are truly glad it's over."
The team will skip the National Championships in Kankakee, Illinois on Labor Day weekend, but will hit the water again in the Formula 2 ranks the following weekend in Hamilton, Ohio when Herd Racing puts it's Miller-hulled #75 tunnel boat on the water for the first time.
"The Seebold is getting parked," Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz said, referring to the extensive hull repairs needed before bringing the boat back to the water. "We'll rig the Miller boat and be in Hamilton in a couple of weeks."
(Front page photo and photo gallery photos courtesy of Rick Adkins)
August 15, 2011
A Roar of Thunder (Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Sharonville)
CINCINNATI, OH - The Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Sharonville has joined Herd Racing as the team's Official Lodging Partner for the fifth race of the 2011 APR Superleague tunnel boat racing season. The hotel, located at 11149 Dowlin Drive in the north Cincinnati suburb of Sharonville, will host Herd Racing's Formula 2 and Formula 3 race crews during the team's visit to A Roar of Thunder Regatta in nearby Aurora, Indiana, August 19-21, 2011.
The Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Sharonville is conveniently located just off of Exit 15 of Interstate 75 near the northern intersection of Interstate 275. The AAA three-diamond-rated hotel features three floors of guest rooms, an indoor pool and fitness center, as well as suites, king rooms, a business center and a pantry to allow guests to have 24-hour access to snacks and soft drinks.
The Sharonville location features a full business center, including meeting rooms for business events, and is a short drive from many of Cincinnati's main attractions such as King's Island and Great American Ball Park. The hotel offers 1,400 square feet of business meeting space and offers free parking for it's guests.
Each guest room at the Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Sharonville features two phones, data ports and voice mail, a coffee maker, iron and ironing board, and a hair dryer. With more than 530 hotels and resorts in 76 countries across the six continents, Hilton remains the world's most recognzed hotel brand.
Herd Racing would like to thank the Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Sharonville for joining the team as our Official Lodging Partner for the Aurora, Indiana race weekend and we encourage our friends, fans and family to book their next stay to the Cincinnati area at the Hilton Garden Inn. You can contact the hotel by phone at 513-772-2837, by fax at 513-772-2885 or book your room online by accessing the hotel's website registration center at http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=CVGSHGI.
The Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Sharonville will be featured during the race weekend on both of Herd Racing's tunnel boats and the team looks forward to having the hotel staff join them as team guests at the Regional Championship events in Aurora.
AURORA, IN - Herd Racing's goals during this weekend's APBA Midwest Regional Championships in historic Aurora, Indiana are simple. Continue learning and use the knowledge gained to continue to improve performance.
"We are getting a little better each week and that is what we are looking for," said Herd's Chief Engineer Eric Himes. "Baby steps. We aren't going to win it all in one week or even one season. We identify problem areas and correct them and identify more and correct them. It's a process and we are showing progress each weekend."
Herd's two tunnel boat programs turned in finishes of 4th in Formula 3 and 9th in Formula 2 at the East Divisional Championships in Huntington, WV two weeks ago. It marked the team's first Top 5 finish and saw the Formula 3 program qualify in the front half of the field for the first time in it's two years on the water.
"We are putting a new motor on the Formula 3 boat for Aurora so we think we have that boat pretty good as far as weight distribution and handling is concerned," Himes said. "Now we can add some LaBanco power and see where we stack up against the other boats and then begin tweaking it from there. We are getting close with the F-3 boat."
In addition to it's time on the water this weekend, Herd Racing is planning an outreach event for Friday night in Aurora to interact with local children. The team's mascots, Thunder the Water Buffalo and Humble Bumble the bee, will join the team boats and team members at the appearance.
The team's efforts at Aurora this weekend are sponsored by the Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/Sharonville which will be the primary sponsor on the Formula 2 boat and an associate sponsor on the Formula 3 boat. Other associate sponsors for the races include longtime supporter ECO-FIRST, Mother Mouse Books, Honor and Remember, Herr's Foods, Marshall University and new sponsor, Custom Cutouts of Lincolnton, NC.
HUNTINGTON, WV - Two weeks of hard work by Herd Racing's dedicated crew showed its first dividends Sunday, August 7 as the young tunnel boat team recorded it's first Top 5 run, finishing 4th in the Formula 3 class at the inaugural Huntington Classic. The race was designated as the APBA's East Division Championship.
"Our crew was in the shop almost non-stop from the time we got home from Marietta until this weekend trying to make these boats better," Herd Racing Pilot Dana Tomes said. "I owe our first Top 5 finish to Jeramey, Eric, Bryan and the rest of the guys. They busted their tails and made the boat so much better from what it was when we left Marietta. We were not happy with the way our boats were performing and the guys made some tremendous gains in our programs this week."
In fact, Herd Racing's F-3 #75 Yeeeha boat, which carries the Jesus fish paint scheme, turned in the fourth fastest single lap qualifying time of the eight boats entered on Saturday and continued to improve lap times throughout both of Saturday's qualifying heat races. The boat started 6th in Sunday's final and was the beneficiary of a couple other boats having mechanical issues but ran consistent times throughout the contest allowing for the 4th place finish.
"I'm pleased with the result," Tomes said. "We are no where close to where we want to be, but to only have this boat on the water for three weekends we are starting to catch up to the learning curve and make progress which is all we can ask for at this point. A new motor will be bolted on for Aurora so we hope to continue our climb a little more."
In Formula 2, Herd Racing's #5 boat, sponsored at Huntington by Mother Mouse Books (www.mothermousebooks.com), finished 9th in Sunday's final. During Saturday's split-heat contests the team finished 4th and 3rd during the two 15-lap sprints where the 11 boats entered in the field were split into two groups.
"We had a crack open up on the sponson during Sunday's final and took on a bunch of water," Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz said of the team's Seebold composite Formula 2 boat. "I can't believe it didn't come apart on us as much water as we had in it. It was so bad that the sponsons were full and it spilled into the midsection and was running into the capsule. We were lucky the boat finished."
Wentz said despite the damage to the team's F-2 boat he has noticed big improvements in the performance of the boat in the past few weeks.
"We left Pittsburgh with a lot of work to do," Wentz said. "The gains are starting to show up on the stop watch so we are going in the right direction. We just have to correct the issues as we find them and mark them off one by one until we get it up front. We still have major engine issues and now hull issues so we will jump on it again before Aurora."
The team will be back in the race shop this week preparing for the fifth stop on the 2011 APR Superleague tour which takes the tunnel boat teams to Aurora, Indiana for A Roar of Thunder Regatta (www.thunderregatta.com) August 19-21.
MARIETTA, OH - The gains were few and small, but Herd Racing's tunnel boat teams left Marietta, Ohio July 10 with both boats intact and the opportunity to continue improving it's performance in round four of the 2011 Superleague tour in Huntington, WV in three weeks.
Herd's #75 Jesus boat managed just a 10th place run in the Formula 3 finals on Sunday after earning the 9th starting position. The team had turned in the slowest single lap qualifying speed in the 10-boat field on Saturday and finished 10th and 9th in Saturday's two Formula 3 qualifying heats.
"We still have a long way to go and are way off from where we need to be to be competitive, but we did see improvements. The boat is starting to come around and handle a little better after the crew began moving weight to the back," said Herd pilot Dana Tomes. "We will continue to work on it and hope that it will be better at Huntington. There aren't any quick fixes. It takes time to make a boat right and we'll just continue to work at it until we get it as good as we can."
Herd's #5 Formula 2 boat, which carried sponsorship from the Magnuson Hotel and Suites on the Interstate in Williamstown, WV, finished 12th in Sunday's 15-boat championship field after earning a 13th place start from the dock. The yellow and black striped boat had finished 6th and 5th in split field heat races on Saturday.
"The F-2 final was a double flag start so we were way behind from the start and had to run the outside once the leaders started lapping us," Tomes said. "The water outside the groove is loose and rough and it scrubs a lot of time off which makes your lap times even worse, but that's what we are going to have to put up with until we can run with the lead pack."
The #5 Herd boat switched to a three-bladed propeller for the Sunday final in an attempt to gain top-end speed, but knew the change wouldn't come without consequences.
"We could hang with the crowd down the front and back stretch, but they killed us in the corners," Herd Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz said. "That's the luxury you give up when you run a three-blade instead of a four. The boat doesn't want to turn, but we're happy that we are seeing gains and will continue to work on the boat for Huntington. We solved the issue where we were taking on water at Pittsburgh and made some gains on the engine so while the gains aren't big ones, we are heading in the right direction."
Herd's teams will have three weekends off before the Superleague tour visits the team's hometown of Huntington, WV on August 5-7 for the fourth of seven Superleague nationwide tour events in 2011.
PITTSBURGH, PA - Herd Racing's entries in the Formula 3 and Formula 2 North American Championships on the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh struggled over the Independence Day weekend, just squeeking in Top 10 finishes in both events.
The Formula 3 championship on Sunday saw Roddy Foreman of Austin, TX sprint first to the finish while Herd Racing's #75 Jesus boat piloted by Dana Tomes managed a disappointing 9th place run of the 11 boats which qualified for the final.
"Sunday was the first time we have ever had this boat in the water and it showed," said Tomes. "We struggled all day trying to get the boat to handle. It wouldn't turn and wouldn't stay on plane. Jeramey and the guys never gave up and by the end of the finals we began getting better but we still have a lot to setup work to do before Marietta next weekend. It was like being strapped to the back of a jack rabbit all day long and was a handful on every lap."
The Formula 3 boat finished 10th and 9th in the earlier qualifying races after posting just the 11th fastest time in single boat qualifying.
In the Formula 2 championship events on Monday Herd Racing's #5 entry sponsored by the Quality Inn University Center in Pittsburgh managed a 10th place finish in the 12-boat championship field. It was only the second time the team's Seebold boat had been on the water since being rebuilt over the spring months. Terry Rinker in his #10 Amsoil sponsored machine streaked to the finish to be crowned North American Champion in Formula 2.
"We saw a lot of improvement in the boat from Elgin a couple weeks ago and we tried some new props and think we have this boat going in the right direction," said Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz about the #5 Herd boat. "We were taking on water on Monday for some reason and we couldn't get the engine to run up in the RPM range we think it needs to run so we have some work to do here as well and find out where we're getting the water from."
The Herd Racing #5 qualified 12th in single lap runs, about six seconds off the pole speed and managed heat race finishes of 11th and 10th unofficially. The second heat race was ended early due to a roll-over accident by #34 Jeff Reno. Dan Bunting (#13), Sam LaBanco (#44) and Rob Rinker (#10) rolled over on Sunday during Formula 3 runs. All drivers escaped uninjured.
Coming into the Pittsburgh North American Championship events the Herd Racing teams were ranked 9th in Formula 3 and 8th in Formula 2 in the APR Superleague national standings. Click here to see APR standings after Race #1 at Elgin on June 18 and 19. (Pre-Pittsburgh Formula 3 Superleague standings http://www.aprsuperleague.com/FormulaThreeStandings.pdf. Pre-Pittsburgh Formula 2 Superleague standings http://www.aprsuperleague.com/FormulaTwoStandings.pdf) Pittsburgh race results will be added to standings later this week.
The Herd Racing teams move to Marietta, Ohio July 8-10 to compete in the Marietta Riverfront Roar on the Ohio River in Race #3 on the 2011 Superleague tour.
PITTSBURGH, PA - With the bruises on both boat and driver starting to fade the Herd Racing program turns its attention to one of 2011's marque events July 2-4 in Pittsburgh as tunnel boat teams from across the continent converge to battle for the coveted North American Championship.
Herd Racing will be the only team scheduled to field entries in both the Formula 2 and Formula 3 racing classes. The Formula 3 teams will battle for title rights during finals on Sunday, July 3, while the bigger and faster Formula 2 machines trade paint enroute to championship hopes on Monday, July 4. Herd Racing will field the #75 boat in F3 featuring the team's trademarked lime green and white Jesus fish paint scheme while the team's entry in the F2 category will carry the #5 and feature a black and yellow bee paint scheme featuring Pittsburgh's Quality Inn University Center.
"We love Pittsburgh and are excited to debut our new Jesus SST-60 boat this weekend," said Herd Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz. "We would like to have the luxury of having some time to practice the boat and get the setup right before we race it, but we are playing the hand we were dealt and will do our best to make it competitive this weekend."
The team's primary F-3 or SST-60 boat was totalled during a heat qualifying race June 18 in Elgin, Illinois, forcing the crew to ready a second hull for Pittsburgh.
The EQT Three Rivers Regatta, www.threeriversregatta.net, is one of sport's most prestigious race events where the American Power Boat Association's North American Championship title is awarded to the winners in each class. The three-day festival historically has drawn more then 500,000 combined spectators.
ELGIN, IL - Herd Racing's 2011 season-opener at Thunder on the Fox in Elgin, Illinois June 17-19 ended early as the team's Formula 3 boat was involved in a crash during the second of two heat qualifying races on Saturday afternoon. The incident resulted in major damage to the team's #75 Hemp/Pugh tunnel boat and resulted in pilot Dana Tomes being hospitalized in a local hospital overnight.
"We are home and everyone is OK, but it was not the way any team wants to start their race season," said Tomes. "We have an F-3 boat that is very badly damaged and will need to go back to the builder for repairs. It won't be on the water again for quite a while."
Herd Racing had entered the #75 Jesus boat in the Formula 3 category and had ran the 8th fastest time in single lap qualifying on Saturday morning. During full field heat qualifiers in the afternoon the team finished 8th in the first race and had started from the pole in the second qualifier. While entering Turn 1 on the first lap the #75 and #61 Amsoil entry of Rob Rinker collided, resulting in the #75 flipping over in the water.
"I had a hard time getting out of the boat but the Superleague rescue boat and their divers were on me immediately and got the boat up on it's side and got me out," Tomes said. Tomes was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin by ambulance where he was kept overnight for observation due to a small amount of water in his lungs from being submerged under water briefly. He was released on Sunday and returned to the race course to watch Sunday's finals. (Watch crash video from onboat and shoreline film produced by Herd Racing Chief Jeramey Wentz here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jhtFBWj_XY)
Herd Racing was forced to withdraw both it's Formula 3 and Formula 2 entries in the finals on Sunday as Tomes will not be cleared by physicians to race for several days. Both boats were scratched from the 10-boat finals lineups on Sunday.
The team's #5 Formula 2 Seebold entry had performed well on it's first outing on Saturday morning finishing 4th in both of it's split-field qualifying efforts after qualifying 9th in single lap qualifying. It would have started 9th in the finals event on Sunday had it not been for the accident.
Herd Racing will reevaluate the status of pilot Dana Tomes and the team's available boat fleet this week and will make an announcement about it's plans for Pittsbugh's Three River Regatta July 3-4 later this week.
ELGIN, IL - Herd Racing's opening weekend on the 2011 APR Superleague tunnel boat tour is packed with outreach and racing action alike as the team heads north to the Chicagoland suburb of Elgin, Illinois June 17-19.
Elgin will serve as the host city for the season-opener for APR's Formula 2 and Formula 3 classes this coming weekend and the Herd Racing crew has a full plate of commitments durings it's three-day visit to the city. The team plans to arrive in Elgin around noon local time on Friday in time to present both boats for inspection and run a few practice laps on the Fox River in downtown Elgin before turning attention to outreach for the evening hours.
"We will take one of the boats and will join Jim McGrath and his boat at The Larkin Center in Elgin," said Herd Racing Foundation President Jeff Webb. About 15 residents of the youth facility will visit with the race team members, get an up close look at the team's Formula 3 race boat and have a cook-out with the team, Webb said. "Some of these kids may never have the opportunity to attend a professional sporting event or see a race boat up close so we are bringing the event to them for a few hours Friday night."
The team will then spend the remainder of Friday evening at it's host hotel, the Country Inn & Suites in Elgin, where pilot Dana Tomes and team members will display the F3 boat to hotel guests and staff.
Saturday and Sunday will provide fans with full days of race action as both the F2 and F3 boats will be on the river running single lap qualifying trials and two heat races on Saturday, before finishing off the weekend Sunday afternoon with final events in both classes. On-river events start around noon each day with opening ceremonies. More information about the races can be found at the event's website at www.thunderonthefox.com.
Herd Racing will spotlight two organizations with decals on the team's boats during the Elgin weekend. The Larkin Center (www.larkincenter.org), as well as the national campaign to secure a recognized flag for America's fallen soldiers, Honor & Remember (www.honorandremember.org), will have large decals on the boats.
Other team sponsors which will be showcased on the boats include the Country Inn and Suites in Elgin, ECO-FIRST, Mother Mouse Books, Herr Foods and Marshall University.
HUNTINGTON - The Huntington Classic race committee, APR Superleague and Herd Racing will offer Tri-State powerboat racing fans a sneak preview of top notch racing action June 8 at Schooner's Waterfront Grille in Huntington.
The free event, which is open to the local media and interested potential event sponsors will be hosted on the east deck at Schooner's and will feature two 20-minute powerboat demonstrations on the Ohio River in front of the restaurant and marina. The event will run from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Light snacks and drinks will be available free of charge to those attending.
Huntington Classic race committee chairman Dan Ferguson said the event is being hosted in an effort to provide local businesses, media and fans with a sneak preview of what they can expect to see August 5-7 when the Huntington Classic powerboat championships bring more than 20 top boat racing teams from across North America to Huntington.
"We want to build fan excitement, sponsorship support and media interest for the event," Ferguson said. "We need corporate support from Huntington area businesses and organizations to bring this type of event to town. We hope business owners will come out see how powerboat racing can be a great way to promote their business. Only seven cities across the nation will be hosting a Superleague tour event in 2011 and Huntington is very fortunate to have been chosen to be part of that elite group of host cities."
The demonstration will include a retired race boat being staged in the Schooner's parking lot which visitors can actually climb into to get the feel of a real race boat cockpit. Both a Formula 2 and Formula 3 race boat from West Virginia's only professional powerboat racing team, Herd Racing, will do a short racing demonstration on the river.
More information about the event is available by contacting organizer Dan Ferguson at 304-544-9191.
The APR Superleague tunnel boat racing schedule will feature two new race venues in 2011 as Elgin, Illnois and Huntington, West Virginia come aboard to make up the series' seven-race regular season.
The season kicks off June 17-19 on the Fox River in Elgin where the league's Formula 2 and Formula 3 tunnel boats will highlight the first annual Thunder on the Fox weekend. The series then travels to the familiar confines of the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where teams will compete July 2-4 for the North American Championships during Pittsburgh's EQT Three Rivers Regatta.
Stop number three on the Superleague tour will be July 9-10 in Marietta, Ohio as the two classes of boats battle it out on the Ohio River during the longstanding Marietta Riverfront Roar activities. The series moves on down the Ohio to Huntington for the fourth stop in 2011 as the inagural Huntington Classic takes place August 6-7.
As the dog days of summer move in the Superleague tour moves to Aurora, Indiana on August 20-21 before the National Championships are decided September 3-5 in Kankakee, Illnois. The 2011 campaign concludes October 1-2 on the mighty Mississippi where teams will compete for the coveted Canadian-American Challenge Cup during the Memphis, Tennessee International Riverfront Regatta.
Additional information about each race site can be found on the individual websites of each respective event. You can access each race venue's website at:
Less than a year after its debut in North America's premier tunnel boat racing series, Herd Racing will expand its racing operation to two entries in 2011, fielding pilot Dana Tomes in both the Formula 3 and the Formula 2 classes of the APR Superleague.
The Huntington, West Virginia-based team will also bring two new boats to the circuit in a year which will see new competitors and new boats coming from across the U.S. and Canada. Herd Racing will field a Pittman/Yeeeha wooden-hulled boat in the Formula 3/SST-60 class and a Seebold composite-hulled entry in the Formula 2/SST-120 racing catagory.
"We will be bringing new equipment to the table in both classes and while we probably won't be a threat to win right off the trailer early on, I think as the season wears on we will have the equipment it takes to compete," said Herd Racing's Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz. "Experience racing quality equipment should result in consistent improvement in our performance. That is our goal in 2011, to be able to plot out the season and see that we got better as the year wears on."
The team will also have in it's arsenal two readied backup boats, one for each racing class. The team will have in waiting a Hemp/Pugh Formula 3 boat in which Tomes won Rookie of the Year honors with in 2010, as well as a Target/Miller Brothers wooden-hulled Formula 2 boat acquired during the off-season. Power for the Herd boats will come from LaBanco Racing in the F3 catagory and Chris Fairchild Racing for the F2 entries.
"We really need about four more months to get everything the way we would like to have it before hitting the water, but regardless of how much time we have to get ready we would probably always wish we had more," Herd's Chief Engineer Eric Himes said. "We still have lots to do in the shop to get ready for Elgin, but we feel pretty good about how far we have come since last fall and are excited to get racing again and see how we stack up."
Unlike 2010, the Herd Racing teams will travel in two haulers, one each for the SST-60 and SST-120 programs. Both haulers will stage together at the race events and share crew members for launching, loading and other duties, but will function somewhat as two different teams.
"We will have two guys specifically assigned to each boat who will have other overall responsibilities, but two guys will focus on the F3 boat and two will focus primarily on the F2 boat so we will have all of our bases covered," Wentz said. "We will all assist when it comes to racing, but when the boats are out of the water we will be two separate teams overseen by one crew chief and driven by one pilot."
Tomes said Herd's 2011 crew will consist of Dana Tomes as pilot, Jeramey Wentz as crew chief, Greg Smith as boat chief, Eric Himes as chief engineer and Bryan Rozzi as dock chief. The team will rotate in three other crew members throughout the season in order to maintain a staff of eight at each race event.
Herd Racing has agreed with league officials to run the full 2011 APR Superleague season in both classes. Racing action kicks off June 17-19 in the north Chicago suburb of Elgin, Illinois and continues through early October with stops in many of America's major metro areas including Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Memphis.
May 03, 2011
Thunder on the Fox (Country Inn & Suites, Elgin IL)
ELGIN, IL - The Country Inn & Suites by Carlson Elgin hotel has joined Herd Racing as the team’s official lodging headquarters for the Thunder On The Fox powerboat championships June 17-19, 2011. Herd Racing’s pilot and crew will call the Country Inn & Suites home for the race weekend and encourages it’s fans and followers to do the same.
The Elgin hotel, located at 2270 Point Boulevard in Elgin, is proud to offer its guests an ideal location and a comfortable atmosphere. The hotel is in the Randall Point Executive Center and is conveniently located just off I-90 near the Grand Victoria Casino, Spring Hill Mall and Hemmens Cultural Center. The Chicagoland hotel is also just minutes from many corporations and business travelers will appreciate it’s proximity to Chase Card Services, Mazak Optonics, the Northwest Corporate Park and offices on Tollgate Road, Davis Road and Fox Lane.
The spacious Elgin hotel rooms and suites feature attractive, welcoming décor and complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access (courtesy of Tantus/Innflux). It also offers large well-lit work areas with two-line phones and voicemail, free local calls and cable TV.
When it's time to relax, guests at this hotel in Elgin can enjoy a heated indoor swimming pool, whirlpool, fitness center and the hotel’s Read it & Return® lending library.
The Country Inn & Suites hotel offers functional and versatile meeting space. The facility’s event space can accommodate up to 35 people and the hotel staff is happy to help arrange catering services. If you are spending your Chicago vacation with a large group take advantage of great group hotel rates in Elgin at Country Inn & Suites.
The hotel even helps guests start the day off right with a complimentary deluxe breakfast. The free breakfast features two hot items daily, such as scrambled eggs and sausage and a make-your-own waffle station. For lunch or dinner, try Jimmy's Charhouse, which is adjacent to the hotel.
Herd Racing would like to thank Country Inn & Suites by Carlson Elgin for its support during the Thunder On The Fox events and is proud to name the hotel the team’s official lodging partner in Elgin.
To make your reservations to stay with the team in Elgin, contact the Country Inn & Suites by phone at 847-426-6400 or by email at cx_elgn@countryinns.com.
May 02, 2011
Three Rivers Regatta (Quality Inn University Center, Pittsburgh, PA)
PITTSBURGH, PA - The Quality Inn University Center in Pittsburgh, PA has joined Herd Racing as the team’s official lodging partner for the EQT Three Rivers Regatta in downtown Pittsburgh. The full service hotel, located at 3401 Boulevard of the Allies in Pittsburgh, is conveniently located in the heart of the city’s university and medical districts. It is within walking distance from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center health system, including UPM Presbyterian, UPM Montefiore and Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC. Carlow University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University are also within walking distance of the hotel.
The Quality Inn University center features free parking, free wireless high-speed Internet service, free 24-hour coffee service, free weekday newspaper, free local calls and an on-site fitness center.
Panera Bread is located on the hotel premises, and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A variety of restaurants and lounges are within walking distance, and the hotel’s friendly staff is always happy to make recommendations. Business travelers will appreciate conveniences like voice mail and spacious work desks.
All guest rooms at this Pittsburgh, PA hotel are tastefully decorated and include private balconies, coffee makers, irons, ironing boards and cable television including HBO. Select rooms come equipped with microwaves and refrigerators.
Whether traveling for business or pleasure, the Quality Inn University Center provides friendly customer service, cozy accommodations and affordable rates to everyone visiting the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area.
Herd Racing would like to thank the staff and management at the Quality Inn University Center for joining the team as a 2011 lodging partner. The hotel’s logos will be displayed on both of the team’s race boats during the July 1-3 North American Championships in downtown Pittsburgh and the hotel’s staff will join the team at the races as guests.
If you would like to lodge where the Herd Racing team calls home, please contact the Quality Inn University Center at 412-683-6100.
The Herd Racing Foundation's mascot duo of "Thunder" the water buffalo and "Humble Bumble" the Christian bee will be part of the team's efforts to give back to kids in need during the 2011 powerboat race season. The mascots, along with Herd Racing's race pilot and crew members will make time to visit with children in some capacity at each race city the team visits during the Superleague tour.
"Usually on Friday nights after the team checks in and goes through inspection we will take one of the boats and the mascots and visit a local children's hospital, homeless shelter, foster group home or somewhere we can meet with kids who might be experiencing an illness or difficult time in their lives," said Herd Racing Foundation President Jeff Webb. "For a half hour or hour we want to try to take their minds off whatever is going on in their lives and help them have fun."
The Foundation has worked over the off season gathering items needed to fill gift bags so every kid whom the team comes in contact with will be able to have something to remember the experience by. "We have crayons, coloring pads, games, rubber balls, bracelets, and several snacks compliments of Herr Foods," Webb said. "We just want our team to be able to leave a positive impression on the people we come in contact with during the race events and during our charity efforts."
Herd Racing's boat pilot Dana Tomes said the team's outreach program is just as important to the overall success of Herd Racing as the final results on the race course. "We love to win, but if it came down to winning a race or making a positive impression on a kid who is going through a tough time we would rather give up success in the race for success in our outreach program."
If you would like to schedule Herd Racing to speak to your church youth group or organization you can contact the Herd Racing Foundation at 877-736-7303 or Foundation President Jeff Webb by email at JeffWebb@HerdRacing.com.
APR Superleague pilots seeking to update their training capsule certifications won't have to look far in the future thanks to a combined effort of several groups dedicated to helping make powerboat racing more accessible and user friendly.
The APR Superleague will soon have it's own training capsule which will allow league rescue crews to perform the APBA-required capsule tests on a more regular basis. Formerly the tests were only available a few times a year because training capsules are in short supply, although every tunnel boat pilot must be recertified in capsule escape every two years.
"This is the combination of several organizations and groups working together toward a common goal," said Herd Racing Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz. "Sam and Neal Haraway had an old boat they were no longer using, the Superleague rescue crew had gotten all of the use out of the boat there was to get when they used it for rescuer training, and the only thing left usable was the fiberglass capsule."
Wentz and his Herd Racing crew donated their time and materials to remove the capsule from the boat, repair it and do the body work and paint work required to turn it into a quality training unit.
"The capsule can now be used on a regular basis at the race sites to make sure the local rescue crews are proficient at rescuing injured pilots and to make sure that all of our league pilots are up to date on their capsule certifications," Wentz said. "Herd Racing is happy to help play a small role in giving this capsule new life."
The training capsule, which took about two months of volunteer labor to transform, will be handed over to the Superleague rescue crew in the next few weeks and will be available at various race sites during the 2011 season to help with training and certification.
April 05, 2011
Marietta Riverfront Roar (The Magnuson Hotel and Suites on the Interstate, Williamstown, WV)
WILLIAMSTOWN, WV - The Magnuson Hotel and Suites on the Interstate has joined Herd Racing as the team’s Official Lodging Partner for the Marietta Riverfront Roar events scheduled for July 8-10, 2011.
The hotel is ideally located near some of the Mid-Ohio Valley’s best attractions such as the Ohio River, Fenton Art Glass Factory Tour, Parkersburg Art Center and the North Bend State Park.. This Magnuson Hotels affiliate offers guests a deluxe continental breakfast, free high speed wireless internet access, free parking with room for large vehicles, a seasonal outdoor pool, business center, guest laundry, meeting/banquet space, exercise room and pets are welcome.
The Magnuson Hotel and Suites on the Interstate is located at 1339 Highland Avenue in Williamstown, WV, just across the Ohio River from Marietta, Ohio and just off Interstate 77. For reservations you can contact the hotel toll free at 866-342-4041.
Other popular amenities provided by the hotel include an on-site restaurant, interior access corridors, a 24-hour front desk staff, free local calls, as well as coffee makers, hair dryers, irons, ironing boards, refrigerators and microwaves in their guest rooms.
The hotel is located just a short distance from the Parkersburg Art Center, Marietta College, Marietta Memorial Hospital, Grand Central Mall and Fenton Art Glass.
Herd Racing would like to encourage it’s fans to stay where the team stays and make your reservations when you are in the Parkersburg/Marietta area with The Magnuson Hotel and Suites on the Interstate.
The Herd Racing team will be spending the weekend of July 8-10, 2011 at The Magnuson Hotel and Suites on the Interstate. If your racing or vacation plans are bringing you and your family to Marietta for the Riverfront Roar festivities we hope you choose the Magnuson for your weekend stay as well.
Herd Racing would like to thank the management and staff at The Magnuson Hotel and Suites on the Interstate. The team looks forward to promoting the hotel by carrying it's corporate logo on the team's Formula 2 and Formula 3 race boats and invites the hotel's management staff to join the team as guests at the race events.
Herd Racing's plans to take to the water in Formula 2/SST-120 in 2011 has taken another step forward as the team has acquired a new composite Seebold boat as part of the buyout of a West Coast tunnel boat racing operation.
Herd Pilot Dana Tomes said the team's acquisition of Tim Bennecker's Zebra Racing operation in Tacoma, Washington, was finalized earlier this week and the boats and equipment will start their cross country journey in early April.
"We are real excited to have the opportunity to acquire a good quality composite Seebold boat that we will race in SST-120 this coming summer, as well as a whole truck load of engines, props and other parts," Tomes said. "We went to Tim earlier this month in search of a powerhead and mid section for our existing 120 boat and ended up working out an agreement to acquire his team's entire operation."
Tomes said the purchase also includes a Hoffman wooden-hulled Formula 1/Champ boat and many Mercury powerheads, mid sections and gearcases. Bennecker, who has idled his team in recent seasons, has many years of tunnel boat racing experience worldwide.
"Our worry was starting the season in Formula 2 with just enough stuff to field a boat and we were even worried we wouldn't get that far before the first race in mid June," Tomes said. "This deal with Tim will put us in great shape. Now all we need is a little time to get some upgrades done, get our air and radio systems in them and get them painted our colors. The pressure is on us now to be ready for the May 8 test at Buckeye Lake, Ohio."
The acquisition of the Zebra Racing program bring's Herd Racing's growing fleet of tunnel-hulled race boats up to six. The team will start the 2011 race season with a primary and backup boat for both SST-120 and SST-60. The two remaining boats include a Seebold Mod-U and the Hoffman Champ boat.
"We are very happy with how far along we have come in just the short time we have been in tunnel boat racing," Tomes said. "A couple years down the road our goal is to be fielding competitive teams that can win races on a regular basis."
Herd Racing is planning to run full time in the APR SuperLeague in 2011 with Tomes piloting both the SST-60 and SST-120 entries each race weekend.
Herd Racing will join forces with Honor and Remember Inc. during the 2011 powerboat racing season in an effort to gain support for the creation of a nationally recognized flag honoring American soldiers who have been killed while serving.
“It is an honor for our team to affiliate with Honor and Remember and we are excited to be part of the organization’s national public awareness campaign,” said Herd Racing Marketing Director Dave Wechsler. “We will carry the Honor and Remember logo on our race boats throughout the 2011 season and will do our best to help gain support for the adoption of a national flag honoring and remembering those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedoms.”
In America’s over 200 year history there has never been an official national symbol that recognizes in gratitude and respect the ultimate sacrifice made by members of the United States military in service to our nation. The Honor and Remember Flag was created for that purpose. The organization also delivers personalized versions of the flag to families who have lost a loved one in military service, regardless of generation. Each personalized flag is emblazoned with the family member’s name, date of death and place of death. Flags have been presented to families of service members from World War II to Afghanistan and the group‘s founder, George Lutz, has visited every U.S. state promoting the cause.
“America needs a tangible symbol that specifically honors the sacrifice of men and women in the United States Armed Forces who have given their lives for their country,” said Lutz. “The Honor and Remember Flag was created to fly at federal, state and municipal buildings, schools, businesses and homes as a continuous reminder of the price our nation has paid over two centuries for the freedoms we cherish as Americans.”
On December 29, 2005, George Anthony Lutz II (Tony) was killed by a sniper’s bullet while he was on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq. His family and friends endured the shock, emotional agony and overwhelming loss that accompanied the news of Tony’s death, just like the many families who have suffered the same tragedy. In the months that followed Tony’s funeral, his father, George, visited other families who had lost loved ones in the Iraq war. He began to sense that he had joined the ranks of a unique fellowship. These families were only the latest additions to a group that originated with the American Revolution, when the first soldiers to shed their blood for our freedom gave their lives.
George found another commonality among the families of fallen soldiers. After their grief had transitioned to numbness and finally to acceptance, many families wanted to know two things: that their sacrifice was not in vain and that the nation would never forget. These concerns led George on a quest to discover if there was a universally recognized symbol that specifically acknowledges the American service men and women who never made it home. To his surprise, he found nothing. Thus the Honor and Remember Flag was conceived.
Herd Racing will help promote the Honor and Remember initiative through website advertising, as well as displaying the image prominently on it’s outboard tunnel boats in 2011. Informational brochures will be available from team members at each 2011 race venue. More information about the initiative is available through the organization’s website at www.honorandremember.org.
Jeff Webb, a Huntington, WV native and graduate of Marshall University, has joined Herd Racing as the president of the team’s newly formed charitable arm, The Herd Racing Foundation, the team announced March 4.
Webb, 34, has spent most of his adult life working in retail sales management for several mobile telephone companies, including Alltel Communications and Verizon Wireless, but says much of his future time will be dedicated to serving others in a different way.
“I have dedicated my life to a couple of causes. I may not have a long life because of my heart condition so I need to teach my kids the right way to live while I have a chance. Also, I very strongly believe the Lord brought me close to death and financial disaster so I would know what it was like, so in turn I can better help people in need,” Webb said. “I feel that I'm still around because God has a plan for me. I feel that plan is to help people in need and to help spread the good word. That is why I am so excited to become part of The Herd Racing Foundation. It fits so perfect in what I need to be doing. The fact that this team wants to minister to people every where it goes gives me a great opportunity to do the work I feel I am supposed to be doing.”
Webb was diagnosed with heart failure in November 2009 which resulted in him being unable to continue living the fast-paced, stress-rich lifestyle his career had provided for so many years. While he is unable to work as he once did, Webb said he has plenty of time to dedicate to raising his children and serving the Lord in ways that don’t require so many physical abilities, but mental and spiritual ones.
“I was in kind of a daze after I found out about my heart condition. My kids are what kept me going,” Webb said of his four children, Mackenzie, 12; Tyler, 10; Cameron, 7; and Brooklyn, 5.
Now Webb spends much of his time helping mentor his kids both at home and as a youth leader at the 26th Street Baptist Church in Huntington, and will head up The Herd Racing Foundation’s outreach efforts as one of three members of the newly formed charitable group.
Dana Tomes, president of Herd Racing, said Webb is the perfect person to help the foundation’s three-person team achieve the results it is looking for.
“Not many people can experience love and compassion from both the perspective of the receiver and the giver,” Tomes said. “Jeff has known what it like to be down physically and emotionally and have needs that only the Lord can supply through the friendship and caring of others. I know his involvement in The Herd Racing Foundation will help our group stay focused on what we should be doing and how we should be spending our down time at the race events each weekend.”
The Foundation members and Herd Racing’s team members will visit local hospitals in each race city in 2011 and help spread joy to sick and injured children through sharing love and giving time to let the kids know they are loved. The team will use a life-sized water buffalo costume to interact with the kids and will provide each child with a gift bag filled with crafts, snacks and other items made possible by the Foundation’s sponsors including Herr Foods and others. Kids will also have the opportunity to sit in and get their pictures taken with one of the team’s tunnel-hull racing boats.
Other members of The Herd Racing Foundation include Bethany Himes of Chesapeake, Ohio and Jared Vititoe of Huntington, WV, both of whom will be profiled in the coming weeks.
Herd Racing has named Dave Wechsler to the position of marketing director for it’s APBA powerboat racing program effective immediately, the team announced February 18.
Wechsler, who has served as one of several marketing representatives for the team since its inception, is a graduate of Radford University and is a former police officer with the Arlington County, Va. Police Department. He previously worked for the U.S. State Department and for the past 11 years has served as a national security manager with the Department of the Navy.
“We have had a relationship with Dave since 2007 and he has proven to be someone who can develop a marketing plan and see it through from beginning to end,” Herd Racing President Dana Tomes said of Wechsler. “We are thrilled he has accepted the marketing director position with the team and will be able to help our sponsors and advertisers get the most out of their marketing dollar.”
A current resident of Alexandria, Va., Wechsler was married in October 2010 to Suzanne Runyon and is the father to an eight-year-old stepson and 22-year-old stepdaughter.
“We look forward to helping propel Herd Racing into the winner’s circle in 2011 and win some souls for Christ in the process,” Wechsler said.
Wechsler also has worked in sponsor marketing in NASCAR with Herd Racing’s sister program, Faith Motorsports.
Herd Racing has a new team member who is coming aboard in early March and we need your help to welcome the new addition to the family when it arrives.
The team will introduce a full-sized buffalo mascot to the Herd Racing program in 2011 and our first order of business is to ask our fans and supporters to help us come up with a name suitable for "him" or "her".
We have set up a special email address where you can email in your suggestions. Please include your name, mailing address and age, along with your mascot name suggestion and your shirt size. You can email your information to nameourmascot@herdracing.com. We will accept nominations until 4 p.m. on February 28 and members of the Herd Racing Foundation will make an annoucement in early March to coincide with the arrival of our new friend.
As most of you know, Marshall University's mascot is also a life-sized buffalo named Marco which was taken from a shortened Marshall College many years ago when he was named. We want to make sure our buffalo is very much different than Marco in both name and appearance so there isn't any conflicts or confusion between the two. There is enough room for two buffaloes in town, for as long as there are obvious differences between them so that kids and fans aren't confused.
That being said, send us your suggestions on whether our buffalo should be a male or female and what "his" or "her" name should be. The person submitting the name chosen as the winner will receive a Herd Racing t-shirt, ball cap and a 2011 team calendar. One suggestion per person will be accepted so come up with your best one for us!
The mascot, once properly named and clothed, will travel with the Herd Racing Formula 2 and 3 boat racing teams on the 2011 race circuit visiting with children in local hospitals in the cities where the team races. More information about that and other plans of the outreach group Herd Racing Foundation will come later.
NOTTINGHAM, PA - Herr Foods Inc. has re-joined Herd Racing as a product sponsor of the team’s APBA tunnel boat racing programs in 2012.
Herr Foods Inc., based in Nottingham, PA, manufactures and distributes more than 340 different snack food products, including potato chips, cheese curls, pretzels and other snacks through a network of distribution warehouses across the eastern United States.
The company’s products are available in all 50 states and are sold by well known retail chains such as K-Mart, Wal-Mart and many others. Herr’s has been in business since 1946, and is celebrating 65 years of family ownership.
As part of the sponsorship agreement, Herr’s will be named the “Official Snack Food Provider” of Herd Racing and the company's logo will be displayed on the team’s outboard Formula Series tunnel boats as the team competes for the 2012 APR SuperLeague title. The company will donate snack foods for consumption by the team on race weekends and for distribution through the team's charitable giving outreach programs.
To learn more about Herr Foods you can visit their website at www.herrs.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/herrs. Herd Racing would like to thank Herr Foods for their support of the team and for their involvement in the team's charitable giving program.
Herr Foods Inc. will join Herd Racing as a supporting sponsor of the team’s APBA tunnel boat racing programs in 2011, both parties announced February 1.
Herr Foods Inc., based in Nottingham, PA, manufactures and distributes more than 340 different snack food products, including potato chips, cheese curls, pretzels and other snacks through a network of distribution warehouses across the eastern United States.
The company’s products are available in all 50 states and are sold by well known retail chains such as K-Mart, Wal-Mart and many others. Herr’s has been in business since 1946, and is celebrating 65 years of family ownership.
As part of the sponsorship agreement, Herr’s will be named the “Official Snack Food Provider” of Herd Racing and the company's logo will be displayed on the team’s outboard Formula Series tunnel boats as the team competes for the 2011 APR SuperLeague title.
“We are extremely excited to be a part of a team like Herd Racing with such a major focus on the community and giving back" said Hansley Thomas, community marketing specialist for Herr Foods Inc. "We hope through this partnership to promote Herr Foods, Herd Racing and the APBA tunnel boat racing program.”
Herd Racing President Dana Tomes said the team is honored to have the opportunity to represent Herr's and help promote it's vast product line.
“We are fortunate to have a company with the history and integrity of Herr Foods to support our racing program and our charitable efforts,” Tomes said. “We will do our best to tirelessly promote the company and their nearly endless line of snack food products to America’s boating community in 2011!”
LESAGE, WV - ECO-FIRST serves as Herd Racing's official environmental services company and provides all of the environmental supplies and services the team requires at the track and in the shop.
Located in Lesage, West Virginia, ECO-FIRST has been a regional supplier of environmental services to business and industry for more than a decade.
Services provided by ECO-FIRST include spill supplies, fluids recycling and spill cleanup, as well as disposal and recycling of all hazardous, industrial and non-regulated wastes by drum, tank or in bulk.
In addition, ECO-FIRST also serves as the Official Environmental Services Provider of the American Performance Racing Superleague which includes providing environmentally-friendly disposal services for all of the series' race teams' oils, lubricants and sorbent materials. The company's logos appear on all of the league's Formula 2 and Formula 3 tunnel racing boats.
ECO-FIRST can be contacted online at www.eco-first.com or by calling toll free 877-736-7303.
Herd Racing would like to thank ECO-FIRST for its continued support for the 2012 race season.
LESAGE, WV - Mother Mouse Books, the publisher and distributor of the children's storybook series Mother Mouse will re-join Herd Racing as a supporting sponsor in 2012.
The children's book publisher will promote author Hannah Tomes' second book "Mother Mouse Goes Camping in the Deep Dark Woods" which was released to the public in June 2011.
The Mother Mouse logo and many of the new book's charactors will be displayed on Herd Racing's tunnel boats throughout the 2012 season.
Herd Racing would like to thank Mother Mouse Books for its continued support of the team. You can learn more about the book publisher and order your copy of their latest publication at www.mothermousebooks.com.
Herd Racing will welcome its fourth outboard tunnel boat into the fold this week as the team has purchased the #21 Miller-built machine formerly raced by the West Texas team Randolph Racing.
The 16-foot wooden-hulled craft is a multi-time race winner spending much of its time running the SST-120 circuits of Texas and the southwest. Herd Racing will rebrand the boat to the #75 with plans to race it in at least two Formula 2 SuperLeague events in 2011. Planned races for the boat include Huntington, WV and Marietta, OH.
"We have been working with Randolph Racing for several months and made the determination that the #21 boat was the best one available on the market for the price and we are happy to have the opportunity to add it to our growing fleet," said Herd's tunnel boat pilot Dana Tomes. "We can't wait to get it here in the shop and begin outfitting it for the 2011 season."
Herd Racing, which finished 7th in the national points standings in 2010 in the Formula 3 class on way to Rookie of the Year honors, will again race a full time enty in the Formula 3 category in 2011, while adding a handful of races for the Formula 2 boat. Tomes will pilot both boats. Both Formula 2 and Formula 3 boats race the same weekends on the SuperLeague tour allowing pilots to drive in both series if they desire.
"There aren't any other drivers right now who are doing double duty in the SuperLeague, but I know it has been done quite a bit in the past and the league has said they will work with us to accomodate us in making the quick switch from one boat to another during the events," Tomes said. "We're real excited about the possibilities that 2011 will bring. We are operating at full staff and our sponsorship program is coming together so it looks like a great season is in front of us."
SALEM, IN - SignsToYou.com has joined Herd Racing as the team's official supplier of vinyl cut lettering and team banners.
Based in Salem, Indiana, Signs To You has been a partner of Herd Racing's since the team's formation in 2008, and has been the supplier of all of the team's vinyl wrap, decals and banner needs.
The company's capabilities are virtually endless, and includes a division dedicated solely to the racing industry. Other products include indoor and outdoor signage, banners, vehicle wrapping and more.
To learn more about Signs To You and their capabilities, log on to www.signstoyou.com . Fans can see their handy work at the track. Herd items provided by Signs To You include the team's vinyl lettering on it's primary and backup race haulers as well as all of decals on it's fleet of race boats.
Herd Racing would like to thank everyone at Signs To You for their continued support of the team, and its racing and outreach programs.
The old saying to “kill two birds with one stone” never rings more true than with Herd Racing’s newest boat team member, Bryan Rozzi.
Rozzi, 37, has joined the team in the off season and will serve as dock master for the team’s Formula 3 tunnel boat program in 2011. His duties will task him to get the boat ready at the launch dock each time the team enters the water.
Rozzi, a native of Charleroi, PA, who currently lives in Chesapeake, OH, is a steel worker by trade, but has many other talents once you scratch the surface.
“We’re always looking for team members who can do more than one thing,” said Herd Racing President Dana Tomes. “When you can do three or four things well then that allows us to do more with less which is good because boat crews are limited to just a handful of people so you need people with multiple skill sets.”
And while it is Rozzi’s primary duties on the dock where the Herd will enjoy his addition, it is his secondary talent that will keep the team smiling week after week.
Rozzi is a graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Culinary Arts and spent five years as a professional chef. He is married to wife, Shelly, and has two children, Brian, age 10, and Paige, age 8.
“Bryan has worked in building construction, fabrication, auto mechanics and a variety of things, but the fact that he can cook makes him a ‘keeper’ as far as I’m concerned,” Tomes said. “We want to have a grill fired up at the races every weekend and Bryan will be the main man in that department. Nothing like having a hauler with a refrigerator, microwave and a grill, and someone who knows how to use them.”
Rozzi said his primary reason for getting involved with Herd Racing was two-fold. “I like all types of racing and I like that the team is a Christian-based,” Rozzi said. “I was more than happy to help out when asked.” In addition to racing, Rozzi also excels in many other sports, including bowling, where he has recorded a perfect game.
As the team’s dock master, Rozzi will be in charge of positioning and launching the boat from the dock at the start of each race with the help of the boat chief or crew chief.
HUNTINGTON, WV - Imperial Bedding Company has been a supporting sponsor of Herd Racing since its founding in 2008.
Located in beautiful West Virginia, Imperial Bedding Company is family owned and operated and has been dedicated to manufacturing the highest quality sleep sets for over 40 years.
Because they offer only the finest products available, Imperial Bedding is a growing company unsurpassed in meeting the comfort needs of their customers in a variety of sleep systems.
Currently, Imperial manufactures over 65 models of bedding all are designed to meet the price points of their dealers. What sets Imperial apart from other bedding companies is that they are the exclusive manufacturer of the Ultra Premium Tempercoil 10 inch Innerspring system.
Imperial Bedding also assembles traditional Leggett & Platt Innerspring sleep systems as well as the modern "No Turn" system and the Visco Elastic Memory Foam Technologies.
For solutions to your next bedding delimma, contact Imperial Bedding Company online at www.imperialbedding.com or by phone at 304-529-3321.
Herd Racing would like to thank Imperial Bedding Company for its longstanding continued support of our race efforts.
January 01, 2011
2011 Herd Racing Sponsorship Opportunities
Learn about becoming an advertising or marketing partner of Herd Racing during the 2011 race season.
December 29, 2010
Coast 2 Coast Racing Designs - Paint Scheme Design
CHARLESTON, SC - Coast 2 Coast Racing Designs has re-joined Herd Racing as official paint scheme design firm of the team's 2012 racing program.
The company's artists will be charged with developing creative designs which will help Herd Racing showcase its sponsors to fans across America and beyond.
With strong roots in the vast sim painting community, this unique group of artists are breaking into the motorsports design industry with the passion and dedication common to NASCAR fans and the creativity and skill of true professionals.
Fans interested in learning more about Coast 2 Coast Racing Designs can see the firm's work by logging on to their website at www.c2cracingdesigns.com.
Herd Racing would like to thank Coast 2 Coast Racing Designs for their dedication to helping Herd Racing present its sponsors in the most positive light.
Bringing a single skill set to a race team is something to be proud of, but Herd Racing found out early on that the program's Formula 3 boat team lured a keeper in Chief Engineer Eric Himes.
Himes, 35, is in charge of overseeing the technical aspects of the team's tunnel boat racing program, and has been a big part of taking the team's image and capabilties to the next level.
"Eric can do so many things so easily that most of us struggle to do or can't even dream of doing," said Herd F-3 pilot Dana Tomes. "I found out early on that he has a very mechanical mind and there hasn't been anything to this point that he hasn't been able to do and do very well."
Himes, grew up in Princeton, West Virginia near the southern border of the state and moved to Huntington to attend Marshall University. After graduation he stuck around the state's second largest city and landed in the production department at a local television station.
"I am just blown away by the quality of his work when it comes to media stuff," Tomes said. "If it involves technology Eric can do it. We had a noise in one of our headsets in Memphis and the next thing we know Eric has the thing torn apart and is soldering stuff. He just has a mind that can look at something and understand how it works."
But Eric, whose media talents have earned him his current job as Marshall University's director of digital media services, isn't limited to just cameras and computers. He also is an accomplished musician.
And while he serves as the lead pianist at the Baptist church where he also fills several leadership positions, it is his wife Bethany whose career is more tightly tied to music. Bethany is a music teacher in the public school system near their home in Chesapeake, OH and is a singer and songwriter of many comtemporary Christian songs. The couple has two daughters, Allison and Emily.
"Eric and our crew chief, Jeramey, are a great team and they work together great which makes the race weekends go very smoothly," Tomes said. "I am fortunate to have some great guys in our boat racing program. It makes my job as the driver and team owner a lot less stressful."
Himes will continue in his current role of chief engineer in 2011, but may have future plans to transition into the pilot's seat himself.
"When the time comes that I move to F-2 or F-1 boats or something else I doubt we will have to look far to fill the F-3 seat," Tomes said. "Everyone involved in racing in any way always wants to try their hand at driving. That happened with me so you never know, Eric might be next."
Many may think that the world of computers is a long way from tunnel boat racing, but Herd Racing crew chief Jeramey Wentz has made his two loves compliment one another.
Wentz, 36, began serving as the crew chief for the team’s #75 Formula 3 tunnel boat team in 2010 as a way to blow off some steam, but his competitive spirit quickly became aroused.
“I got into boat racing as a hobby and a change of pace from working with computers all day,” Wentz says. “I am very competitive and enjoy being on the water so tunnel boat racing was a great fit.”
Wentz, who serves as a senior analyst for Gannett Co. Inc., has spent most of his professional career with the company which publishes USA Today newspaper, many daily newspapers across the country and owns various television stations and media outlets. He served as the information technology director of The Herald-Dispatch newspaper in Huntington, WV for 13 years before moving to his current position with Gannett.
A native of Webster Springs, West Virginia, Jeramey currently lives near South Point, Ohio with his wife Melissa. He is the father of two sons and a daughter, Brian, Spencer and Paige.
Wentz is a graduate of Marshall University so Herd Racing is a perfect fit, although he does consider himself a huge Ohio State Buckeyes fan.
While Wentz says his favorite race venue is the Three Rivers Regatta at Pittsburgh on Independence Day weekend, he also spends a lot of time coaching little league football, Upward church league basketball, riding his motorcycle and commanding a Cub Scout Pack. His first venture into racing wasn’t with Herd Racing as Wentz has been a RC racer for years.
Wentz will continue to lead Herd Racing’s tunnel boat crew in 2011.
Herd Racing's limited edition 2011 wall calendar is hot off the presses and ready for your office or race shop wall!
The spiral-bound calendars feature 12 monthly 8 X 10 high resolution color photos featuring various Herd Racing scenes from the 2010 race seasons. Featured photos highlight everything from our Daytona NASCAR Nationwide Series entry taken at the famed high-banked speedway to our boat racing debut in Pittsburgh. In all, five different racing divisions and vehicles are featured in the 2011 calendar.
"Thanks to all of the fans and team members for keeping the cameras rolling in 2010 to capture some excellent shots," said Herd Racing President Dana Tomes. "And thanks to Joe Gilley for putting together another great team calendar for us."
The calendars can be viewed, downloaded electronically or purchased by accessing the team's calendar link at http://herdracing.com/calendar.php. Fans wishing to purchase their own calendar can send a check or money order made payable to Herd Racing to Herd Racing 2011 Wall Calendar, P.O. Box 389, Lesage, WV 25537.
Most people involved in car or boat racing have followed in the footsteps of a parent or relative, but Greg Smith’s venture into professional racing came from nothing more than the love of the game.
Smith, 42, who serves as boat chief on Herd Racing’s Formula 3 tunnel boat team, began watching NASCAR racing as a child and hoped he might someday get the opportunity to change a race car tire himself.
“I took an interest in racing on my own at a very early age and no one in my family was involved in racing,” Smith says. “I just watched racing on TV and what an accomplishment it was for me to be able to do it myself one day.”
Smith’s first venture into professional racing was in 2006 when he volunteered to help Morgan Shepherd’s Faith Motorsports crew in its first race in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series at Bristol. His love of racing continued to evolve and he was chosen as the front tire carrier when Herd Racing fielded its first entry in the ARCA Re/Max Series in 2008 and grew to the Nationwide Series in 2009 and 2010.
The father of three children (Chantana, 16; Gregory, 10; and Tessa, 8), Smith and his companion Krystal have been fixtures with Herd Racing since the beginning. An avid fan of Marshall University sports, Smith says he would love to see the big green Marshall “M” play a bigger role in the team’s paint schemes in 2011, but regardless of whose name appears as the team’s sponsor he is confident next year will be a successful one.
“My goals for 2011 would be to see the cars make races and have the funding to do it and for the boat to finish in the Top 3 on a regular basis,” he says. “Joining Herd Racing has been one of the best things I have ever done. The friendships are great and my favorite part of the team is being at the track or boat course where the action is.”
Smith, who owns a home construction firm, Smith Construction, says that his favorite race track or boat course is whichever one the team is going to next. Smith, who was named the team’s boat chief when Herd Racing ventured into Formula 3 tunnel boat racing in early 2010, is in charge of maintaining the boat’s readiness at the track, including fueling, charging batteries, engine care and other tasks to make sure the boat is ready when it hits the water.
The meaning behind Herd Racing and the number 75 our racing vehicles bear comes to the forefront each November 14th as hundreds of people gather on the campus of Marshall University to commemorate the anniversary of the plane crash which devastated the university community in 1970.
This year's event will mark 40 years since the tragedy that killed 75 players, coaches, supporters and airline crew members as the team's chartered jet crashed while on approach to Tri-State Airport near Huntington.
Each year during the brief public ceremony the water supply to the Memorial Fountain on campus is shut off allowing the fountain to remain silent until the following spring. The annual ceremony is open to the public.
"Being a Marshall graduate and a resident of the Huntington area my whole life makes this annual event something that is special to me," said Herd Racing President Dana Tomes. "This community will forever be impacted by this tragedy and our race team is honored to be able to tell the Marshall story to race fans we come in contact with through the sport each year."
SANDSTON, VA - Herd Racing is proud to welcome Fidelity Printing of Sandston, VA, as official printer of team materials.
Fidelity specializes in high quality sheet-fed printing and produces a wide variety to meet your printing needs and promotional pieces, but their staff is most proud of the company's process color printing.
Fidelity's trained staff ranges in experience from 10 years to over 45 years and their services include a complete pre-press department with Macintosh and IBM computers, and a complete camera department.
The press department consists of small offset presses, digital presses, and larger presses that print sheets up to 40 inches wide, two and four colors. These presses produce award winning quality.
Fidelity's bindery includes folding, collating, stitching, trimming, die-cutting, and pocket folder assembly.
Herd Racing would like to thank Fidelity Printing for its support and is happy to boast Fidelity's products, including team pocket folders, envelopes, mailing labels, driver post cards and more.
For more information about how Fidelity Printing can help your business, log on to their website at www.fidelity-printing.com or call them at 804-737-7907.
Herd Racing is accepting single race and full season sponsorships for it's American Performance Racing SuperLeague tunnel boat entry for 2011, the team announced October 25th.
Herd Racing plans to field a full time entry in the SuperLeague's Formula 3 division in 2011 and will consider adding an additional Formula 3 team or select Formula 1 and Formula 2 races to the schedule if advertising partners want to expand their marketing message.
"We are gearing up for a full season run in 2011 in the Formula 3 class with a new boat and we would love to add some Formula 2 races to our schedule if a sponsor wants some additional exposure," said Dana Tomes, Herd Racing's president. "We have the capabilities to race in just about any tunnel boat class and would consider adding whatever boats and equipment a sponsor would desire if they want to race in more than one series."
Herd Racing's innaugural season in the SuperLeague resulted in a 7th place year-end position in the points race while earning the league's Rookie of the Year title in 2010.
Tomes said Herd Racing's sponsorship opportunities are far more broad than many may think. The team offers traditional advertising opportunities whereby companies pay to have their logo and corporate message displayed, but Tomes said the team has found that product exchanges seem to be the way many marketing directors like to go.
"We trade advertising space on our boat for hotel rooms, fuel, clothing and other products," Tomes said. "With today's economy being what it is many companies have really cut back on advertising so a trade agreement allows them to get the bang they would have gotten from advertising but without having to spend the money."
Companies interested in promoting their products or services through a nationwide touring race boat series can visit the following link for details about sponsorship availability and general pricing.
"We have programs available for the smallest 'mom and pop' type business to America's Fortune 500 corporations," Tomes said. "We can guarantee our advertisers that their investment will show results."
For more information about sponsorship opportunities or to request a more detailed sponsorship proposal potential advertisers can contact Herd Racing President Dana Tomes at 877-736-7303 or online at danatomes@herdracing.com.
CARTERSVILLE, GA - The 2010 American Performance Racing's SuperLeague schedule will conclude October 15-16 with the league's annual team meetings and year-end awards banquet in suburban Atlanta.
Herd Racing will be represented at the events at the Microtel Inn and Suites in Cartersville, GA, as the league's drivers and crews gather to participate in a daylong series of meetings reviewing the recently concluded season and to preview next year's plans.
During the two-day events the league will crown champions in both the Formula 2 and Formula 3 ranks, as well as name Rookies of the Year, Most Improved Drivers and recogize several other achievements.
Herd Racing's pilot of the #75 boat, Dana Tomes, will be recognized as Rookie of the Year in the league's Formula 3 category after finishing in seventh place in the overall 2010 standings.
Herd Racing would like to congratulate the podium finishers for the 2010 race season which includes Formula 3 champion Brent Dillard (#80 Vivrant Thing, Dalzell, SC), runner up Tammy Wolf-Jakob (#8 Tunnel Vision Racing, Clifton, IL) and Mike Hooper (#52 Auto Stan/Hooper Racing, Markham, Ontario) who finished third in the year-end series points race.
CARTERSVILLE, GA - Herd Racing's Formula 3 boat pilot Dana Tomes has been named 2010 "Rookie of the Year" by the American Performance Racing's SuperLeague, the league announced September 15.
Tomes, who finished 7th in the final 2010 SuperLeague standings, recorded three Top 10 finishes in five league races in 2010, including best finishes of 6th in the North American Championship in Pittsburgh, PA and 6th in the Canadian-American Challenge in Memphis, TN. The team suffered engine problems in the only two races in which it didn't record Top 10 finishes, a 12th place run at Marietta, OH and a 14th place performance in the season finale in Kankakee, IL.
"As a team we are pleased with our first season and the successes we had along the way," Tomes said. "Our goal at the onset of the season was to finish the year in the Top 10 in points and we exceeded our expectations a little so we are pretty happy about the way things turned out."
Tomes will be officially named Rookie of the Year for the Formula 3 class at the league's annual awards banquet on October 15-16 in Cartersville, GA. Jimmie Merleau was named Rookie of the Year in the league's Formula 2 category. Brent Dillard won the Formula 3 championship for the third consecutive year.
"We still have a lot to learn as as team and I have a lot to learn as a driver, but we settled in pretty quickly and showed that when we don't have any problems that we can run pretty good," Tomes said. "I guarantee we will outwork the competition over the winter and we hope it shows next summer on the race course. We will have good equipment and will spend some time testing so we hope to crack the Top 5 in 2011."
HUNTINGTON, WV - Herd Racing's chili championship efforts on September 18 raised nearly $1,200 for charity while earning the team an 8th place finish in the People's Choice category of the West Virginia Chili Championship.
Herd Racing's chief chili cook Eric Himes spent five nights stewing 30 gallons of chili for fellow team members, wives and MU Online staffers to dish out at the annual event which draws close to 20,000 visitors.
"We had a great time and raised a good bit of money for charity," an exhausted and sweaty Himes said after the event. "We provided a lot of people with more information about Herd Racing and MU Online so we met all of our goals for the day."
The team served up 1,198 bowls of chili to raise $1,198 for Ronald McDonald House Charities. Bowls cost $1 with all monies earned going to the charity.
Herd Racing boat pilot Dana Tomes and Monster Energy boat pilot Dan Bunting were on hand to display their Formula 3 race boats and fans flocked to see the strange craft on the sidewalks on either side of the Herd Racing/MU Online chili booth.
Herd Crew Chief Jeramey Wentz said kids and parents alike won more than 20 team t-shirts and sweatshirts by taking the team's Pit Stop Challenge and MU Online gave away countless mini footballs and t-shirts to visitors of the booth.
"It was a fun experience. Thanks to Dan for bringing the Monster boat and being a part of it," Wentz said.
WTAP TV in Parkersburg, WV features the Herd Racing #75 boat racing team
Learn the story of Herd Racing's ties to Marshall University during a TV feature during the Powerboat Regional Championships July 10, 2010 in Marietta, OH.
July 03, 2010
Powerboat North American Championships Highlight Video
Follow Herd Racing's progress to a 6th place finish in the 2010 North American Championship APR Superleague Powerboat races in Pittsburgh, PA.
July 03, 2010
Formula 3 Final from Pittsburgh
July 02, 2010
Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta Powerboat Racing Preview
A preview of the North American Powerboat Championships held July 3-4, 2010 on the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, PA.
January 01, 2010
Herd Racing Motorsports Marketing Promotion
Herd Racing details it's many motorsports marketing sponsorship plans for the 2010 race season.
January 01, 2010
2010 Herd Racing Sponsorship Opportunities
Hear Herd Racing's 2010 sponsorship opportunities radio spot advertisement.
December 14, 2009
Individual race catering services sought for 2012 season
Herd Racing is seeking marketing partnership agreements for the 2012 race season with restaurants and caterers in or nearby the cities where the team races. The agreements can allow the restaurant or caterer to promote it's business to thousands of potential customers without being required to purchase advertising space.
Here's how the agreement can work! Herd Racing offers on-boat advertising of your company name and logo, pit passes for your staff, pre-race media releases of your sponsorship, and your group's photo with the driver and boat in exchange for providing the team with meals at the race venue during race weekends. We also publish a story - along with a photo - about your business and run it on our website for up to one year from the date of the agreement.
Take your restaurant or catering business to the next level by teaming with Herd Racing! If your restaurant or catering company is located near one of our 2012 event venues we would love to hear from you.
We can provide decals up to 360 square inches in size on each side of our race boat or boats in exchange for prepared meals or meat trays for our 12-member team on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons of the race weekend. We also can have the boat on display at your restaurant on Friday or Saturday evening of the race weekend if scheduling permits and can display your restaurant's banner in our pit area during the event.
If your restaurant or catering company would like team with Herd Racing during any of our racing events in 2012 please contact us by calling toll free at 877-736-7303.
July 01, 2009
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Join the Herd Racing team in the race shop Monday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. now through June as we prepare for the 2012 APR Superleague season-opener in Pittsburgh, PA.
Team president Dana Tomes and driver Brett Rowe speak during the press conference announcing that Deist Industries will become an associate sponsor of Herd Racing's 2009 Camping World Truck Series race efforts.
Backers of a stock car bearing Marshall University's name will finally
see how it performs on NASCAR's Nationwide Circuit this weekend, but
not as the No. 75 car as originally planned.
With its engine's roar resonating off the state Capitol, Gov. Joe
Manchin unveiled the No. 75 Marshall University stock car Thursday, the
latest school to lend its name to marketing efforts in NASCAR.
Gov. Joe Manchin and Marshall University unveiled the new Marshall-themed stock car to the public Thursday afternoon.
February 28, 2008
Higher Education Day at WV Legislature
Herd Racing's introduction of the #75 We are Marshall Dodge Charger highlights Marshall University's day at the Capitol in Charleston, WV.
February 28, 2008
Herd Racing Prepares for the Track
Learn about Herd Racing and its desire to transform the #75 Marshall University Dodge Charger from an alumni idea to a nationally-recognized NASCAR team.
We all enjoy the Thundering Herd teams racing by opponents, no matter
the season. Most never thought they might enjoy watching Marshall
racing by opponents on the NASCAR circuit but some Huntington area
people are trying to make that a reality at Herd Racing, LLC, which
will run a Marshall car in the Nationwide Series in the NASCAR circuit.
Herd Racing, LLC, a West Virginia based NASCAR-sanctioned Nationwide
Series stock car race team, approached officials at Marshall about six
weeks ago with a proposed Marshall themed Nationwide Series car for the
2008 NASCAR season.
KANE, PA - Herd Racing is proud to announce that BRL Solutions will sponsor the team’s 2012 tunnel boat racing efforts, the team and company jointly announced on December 14.
When it comes to fielding a dedicated crew each race weekend there isn't much more Herd Racing could ask for. But in 2012, the team's UTV operator and launch specialist Roger LeGrand plans to put even more time into his newest found form of racing.
HUNTINGTON, WV - Pennsylvania high school cross country runner Marc Parnell tamed the Herd Racing Foundation's Off-Road 5K race course Saturday morning with an event record time of 17:51, besting is closest competition by more than a minute.
HUNTINGTON, WV - The Herd Racing Foundation's Off-Road 5K Race/Walk to benefit Legacy Powerboat Ministry will invade Huntington's YMCA Kennedy Center Thanksgiving weekend with something for every member of the family.
October marks the ending of the annual summertime tunnel boat racing seasons. The motors turn silent for several months and the boats begin their annual ritual of being rebuilt, repainted and refitted for the following race campaign. But just because the warm weather festivals have had their annual run and most teams hibernate for the long off-season doesn't mean Herd Racing is required to follow suit.
CARTERSVILLE, GA - Herd Racing's powerboat pilot Dana Tomes was awarded the APR Superleague's highest honor during the league's 25th annual banquet October 1 in Cartersville, GA.
CARTERSVILLE, GA - Despite several stumbles along the way, both of Herd Racing's entries in the APR Superleague national tunnel boat racing series finished the 2011 campaign with Top 10 rankings, the league announced October 1 during year-end ceremonies in Georgia.
CARTERSVILLE, GA - APR Superleague teams from across North America will converge on the Atlanta suburb of Cartersville September 30-October 2 to celebrate the official end to the 2011 race season.
HAMILTON, OH - Herd Racing's 2011 tunnel boat racing season came to a close on a positive note on September 11 as the team introduced a new racing boat and closed the year with a 4th place finish at the Great Miami River Days regatta.
HAMILTON, OHIO - Herd Racing's 2011 tunnel boat racing season will come to a close September 9-11 as the team competes in the Formula 2 ranks during The Great Miami River Days regatta in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio.
URORA, IN - In stark contrast to how a race weekend is supposed to work, it was the Herd Racing crew and not the driver who got the intense workout during the Region 7 Championships August 19-21 in Aurora, Indiana.
AURORA, IN - Herd Racing's goals during this weekend's APBA Midwest Regional Championships in historic Aurora, Indiana are simple. Continue learning and use the knowledge gained to continue to improve performance.
HUNTINGTON, WV - Two weeks of hard work by Herd Racing's dedicated crew showed its first dividends Sunday, August 7 as the young tunnel boat team recorded it's first Top 5 run, finishing 4th in the Formula 3 class at the inaugural Huntington Classic. The race was designated as the APBA's East Division Championship.
MARIETTA, OH - The gains were few and small, but Herd Racing's tunnel boat teams left Marietta, Ohio July 10 with both boats intact and the opportunity to continue improving it's performance in round four of the 2011 Superleague tour in Huntington, WV in three weeks.
PITTSBURGH, PA - Herd Racing's entries in the Formula 3 and Formula 2 North American Championships on the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh struggled over the Independence Day weekend, just squeeking in Top 10 finishes in both events.
ITTSBURGH, PA - With the bruises on both boat and driver starting to fade the Herd Racing program turns its attention to one of 2011's marque events July 2-4 in Pittsburgh as tunnel boat teams from across the continent converge to battle for the coveted North American Championship.
ELGIN, IL - Herd Racing's 2011 season-opener at Thunder on the Fox in Elgin, Illinois June 17-19 ended early as the team's Formula 3 boat was involved in a crash during the second of two heat qualifying races on Saturday afternoon. The incident resulted in major damage to the team's #75 Hemp/Pugh tunnel boat and resulted in pilot Dana Tomes being hospitalized in a local hospital overnight.
ELGIN, IL - Herd Racing's opening weekend on the 2011 APR Superleague tunnel boat tour is packed with outreach and racing action alike as the team heads north to the Chicagoland suburb of Elgin, Illinois June 17-19.
HUNTINGTON - The Huntington Classic race committee, APR Superleague and Herd Racing will offer Tri-State powerboat racing fans a sneak preview of top notch racing action June 8 at Schooner's Waterfront Grille in Huntington.
Less than a year after its debut in North America's premier tunnel boat racing series, Herd Racing will expand its racing operation to two entries in 2011, fielding pilot Dana Tomes in both the Formula 3 and the Formula 2 classes of the APR Superleague.
The Herd Racing Foundation's mascot duo of "Thunder" the water buffalo and "Humble Bumble" the Christian bee will be part of the team's efforts to give back to kids in need during the 2011 powerboat race season. The mascots, along with Herd Racing's race pilot and crew members will make time to visit with children in some capacity at each race city the team visits during the Superleague tour.
he future thanks to a combined effort of several groups dedicated to helping make powerboat racing more accessible and user friendly.
erd Racing's plans to take to the water in Formula 2/SST-120 in 2011 has taken another step forward as the team has acquired a new composite Seebold boat as part of the buyout of a West Coast tunnel boat racing operation.
Herd Racing will join forces with Honor and Remember Inc. during the 2011 powerboat racing season in an effort to gain support for the creation of a nationally recognized flag honoring American soldiers who have been killed while serving.
Herd Racing has named Dave Wechsler to the position of marketing director for it’s APBA powerboat racing program effective immediately, the team announced February 18.u_1WvBQ~~0_3.jpg "HELP US CHOOSE A NAME FOR THE NEW TEAM MASCOT")
Herr Foods Inc. will join Herd Racing as a supporting sponsor of the team’s APBA tunnel boat racing programs in 2011, both parties announced February 1.
Herd Racing will welcome its fourth outboard tunnel boat into the fold this week as the team has purchased the #21 Miller-built machine formerly raced by the West Texas team Randolph Racing.
The old saying to “kill two birds with one stone” never rings more true than with Herd Racing’s newest boat team member, Bryan Rozzi.
Bringing a single skill set to a race team is something to be proud of, but Herd Racing found out early on that the program's Formula 3 boat team lured a keeper in Chief Engineer Eric Himes.
Herd Racing's limited edition 2011 wall calendar is hot off the presses and ready for your office or race shop wall!
The meaning behind Herd Racing and the number 75 our racing vehicles bear comes to the forefront each November 14th as hundreds of people gather on the campus of Marshall University to commemorate the anniversary of the plane crash which devastated the university community in 1970.
Herd Racing is accepting single race and full season sponsorships for it's American Performance Racing SuperLeague tunnel boat entry for 2011, the team announced October 25th.
CARTERSVILLE, GA - The 2010 American Performance Racing's SuperLeague schedule will conclude October 15-16 with the league's annual team meetings and year-end awards banquet in suburban Atlanta.
CARTERSVILLE, GA - Herd Racing's Formula 3 boat pilot Dana Tomes has been named 2010 "Rookie of the Year" by the American Performance Racing's SuperLeague, the league announced September 15.
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