Praytor 3rd Fastest at Daytona Testing

Mobile, Alabama’s Thomas “Moose” Praytor rumbled to the top of the speed charts Sunday afternoon during testing for the ARCA Lucas Oil 200 presented by MAV TV at Daytona International Speedway. Praytor posted a time of 49.206 seconds clocking in at 182.905 miles per hour putting his Hixson/Max Force machine 3rd during Sunday afternoons test session. “Really an incredible afternoon. The 2 Cunningham cars lined up behind me and we we’re flying,” said Praytor. “We’ll be looking for them when they drop the green flag in February.” The trio recorded the top 3 spots for the day while drafting together on Sunday.

77 drivers from across the Unites States, Canada, Sweden, England and Australia took part in the 3 days of testing at the World Center of Speed with Praytor’s fastest lap on Sunday putting him 10th fastest of all drivers during the entire test. “This is really a gratifying weekend for us. We took a car built in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, that we finished in Mobile, Alabama, to racing’s biggest stage and out ran some of the biggest names in all of racing.” While the results were impressive the process was painful.

Chassis #4, nicknamed “Tigger”, as in bouncy, trouncy, had never been to the track before this weekend. In fact, Tigger is the first complete in house Superspeedway car designed and developed by Hixson Motorsports and the gremlins that come with a prototype car were in full force at Daytona. “We thrashed for 2 days before we made our first lap late Saturday afternoon. Every time we found an issue we fixed it and another would crop up. It tested everyone on our race team.” With time ticking away Tigger’s second time on the track was in the draft. Praytor’s speed on Saturday put him right behind 8 time Daytona Champion Bobby Gerhardt and just in front of Hendrick Development driver Chase Elliott.

No rest for the weary. Praytor is in route back to Mobile for a fund raiser for the American Diabetes Association on Monday night. The Moose will be the celebrity bartender at the Fairhope Brewing Company from 6-8 with the proceeds going to the American Diabetes Association.

Picture: Tigger in primer grey making laps at Daytona. Teams typically test a new car in primer so they can make changes to the body before applying the paint and sticker scheme for race day.

After a big weekend in Indianapolis, Thomas “Moose” Praytor and his Hixson/Max Force Racing Team are headed from the snow of Indiana to a projected high of 80 and testing at the World Center of Speed, Daytona International Speedway. “Just the idea that we were at Indy last week and we’re headed to Daytona is pretty cool,” said Praytor. For the first time in his racing career the Moose will be behind the wheel of a brand new race car, Hixson Chassis #4, nickname “Tigger”. “The group in Soddy Daisy built this car several years ago and it’s an honor for me to be the first person to drive it. We’ve had Tigger in our shop the last few weeks putting in my ButlerBuilt seat and putting some finishing touches on the car. We set a deadline of having it loaded in the trailer of midnight on Wednesday and we closed the door on the trailer at 12:19. You never finish working on a Daytona car. I’m sure we’ll be dealing with some new car issues but we we’re looking forward to a solid test this weekend.”

Praytor is one of three drivers with ties to Mobile International Speedway testing in Daytona this weekend. ARCA Mobile 200 winner Grant Enfinger will be testing with Team BCR and Darin Mathews will be testing with the legendary James Hylton this weekend.

The Daytona test is the final event on the ARCA calendar and will close out what has been an improbable and incredible season for Praytor and his Hixson/Max Force Racing effort.

Picture: Tigger in the Max Force Racing Shop in Mobile before heading to Daytona International Speedway.

Praytor Named 2013 ARCA Sportsman of the Year

Mobile, Alabama’s Thomas “Moose” Praytor received the 2013 H.G. Adcox Sportsman of the Year Award at the ARCA annual awards banquet in Indianapolis, Indiana. The H.G. Adcox Sportsman of the Year Award is presented every year to honor an individual or group that exhibits the ability to show class in competition and truly defines sportsmanship to fellow competitors, officials, and fans in the ARCA Racing Series.

"A huge surprise, it was really an emotional deal,” said Praytor. “It’s an honor for me and our race team that the ARCA officials think of us this way.”

Driving for Hixson Motorsports and his family’s Max Force Racing, Praytor is coming off his first full season of ARCA competition finishing 9th in the ARCA Championship standings.

“This award normally goes to someone who has been doing this a long time, not a rookie. There are some really big names in racing that have won this award, it’s just incredible that I’m now one of them. "

The awards namesake Grant Adcox drove to success in the ARCA Racing Series winning the Sportsman Award in 1988 before losing his life in a NASCAR accident at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1989.

While winning the ARCA Sportsman Award 25 years apart, Praytor and Adcox share some other racing similarities. Both carry the number 2 in ARCA Series competition and both campaign out of shops within miles of each other in Tennessee. Adcox worked out of his family owned operation in Chattanooga, Tennessee and today just up the road Praytor works out of Hixson Motorsports in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee.

Picture (L-R) ARCA Technical Services Director Bobby Thomsen, Praytor and ARCA President Ron Drager.

Greer’s Kicks Off Busy December for Praytor

Thomas “Moose” Praytor and his Realtor Ford Fusion were part of the ribbon cutting ceremony at the newest Greer’s in Mobile on Wednesday that signaled the beginning of wild December. (Pictured with the Moose are 4th and 5th generation members of the Greer’s family) With 31 locations in 3 states Greer’s is the Gulf Coast’s locally owned grocery store. “The Greer’s are such a big part of Mobile, we were happy to be a part of celebrating the opening of their new store,” said Praytor. “Greer’s is well known for partnering with our local schools but race fans know they can get their ARCA Mobile 200 tickets at all 31 locations!”

The Moose left Greer’s for the Snowball Derby Green Flag Party and radio at Pensacola’s 5 Flags Speedway before departing for North Carolina on Thursday morning. Once again the demands of testing at Daytona International Speedway taking precedent over being able to compete in the 46th Annual Snowball Derby. “I really wish we could do it all, Derby, Banquet and Daytona but you only want to be at the Derby with your best piece and loaded for bear.”

Praytor will spend Thursday, Friday and Saturday in North Carolina picking up parts and pieces that will be put to use in Daytona and beyond. Then back to the Coast to take in the Derby, “We might not be racing but I’m not going to miss it.” A few short days in Mobile to prep the Daytona car and then back on the road to the ARCA Banquet and trade show in Indianapolis, December 11th-15th. The weekend after the banquet the Moose will be headed for ARCA testing in Daytona from 18th-22nd.

2013 Sponsor Report: Praytor & Sponsors in Top 10

Pictures Top (L-R) Being interviewed by AL.com/Mobile Press Register Mark Inabinett, Fox/Speed broadcast from Daytona, At the podium during press conference.

Bottom (L-R) In the Mobile, Alabama shop with WKRG TV 5 (CBS) Randy Patrick, In Fox 10 Studio with Joe Emer, Fox/Speed Broadcast from Pocono, prerace interview at Talladega Superspeedway.

Thomas "Moose" Praytor hoping to put hard-won

ARCA knowledge to use in 2014

From al.com

By Mark Inabinett

Thomas "Moose" Praytor of Mobile had three ARCA Racing Series events on his driving schedule when the 2013 season started. He ended up racing in 21.

"I had a great time," Praytor said. "It was a lot of fun. We're very fortunate to get to do what we did. We did all the races, and we were only supposed to do three. I can't think everybody enough that helped us out -- Wayne Hixson (of Hixson Motorsports), Howard Bixman with Team BCR and, of course, my family. I couldn't do it without my family.

"It was just a great year for us, and I hope we get to do it again next year."

So after a full season of ARCA racing, how did Praytor spend that first free Saturday night in October?

"The first weekend the season was over, I think I was in the race shop," Praytor said. "It never ends, but for some reason we love it."

Praytor's season on the ARCA circuit was a joint venture between Hixson Motorsports and his family team, Max Force Racing. Praytor had participated in four ARCA races before tackling the full schedule in 2013 - a departure from his initial plans to race at Daytona International Speedway, his hometrack of Mobile International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. Praytor doesn't want the knowledge he accumulated on his way to finishing ninth in the season standings to go to waste.

"The hardest thing was getting acclimated to all the different racetracks," Praytor said. "I'd never been to a road course or a dirt track or a mile-and-a-half track. It was a big learning curve for me. I had a lot of help. A lot of people gave me a lot of advice. Some of the veterans of the series helped me out a lot. And from that point it was really just up to me. Our cars were decent. Everything was good. And I learned a whole bunch this year, and I hope to use it again coming up next year. ...

"Pretty much every racetrack we went to, I'd never been to before in my life. During the race, that was my learning experience. Now that I'm past that, I don't have that 'I've never been to a dirt track before' any more. Hopefully, we can take everything we learned and apply it to next year and, hopefully, do a lot better and contend a little bit more. Maybe I won't be so timid with the racecars this time, because I didn't want to tear them up."

One of the most difficult things about his ARCA season - his unfamiliarity with the series' tracks - had its bright side, Praytor said.

"The best thing to me was going around to all the different places - Wisconsin, New Jersey, Kansas - all these places I've never been to before and probably never would go to if we weren't racing here," he said. "Just going to the different racetracks and being able to go out for practice and be like, 'You know what? The Cup Series was just out here, and now you're up next.' It's really cool to be able to do that."

Praytor could pick out several other personal highlights from the season, but the season was a highlight itself.

"I did the whole season. That's what I'm proud about," he said. "We finished ninth in championship points, and we did the whole season. That was a big deal for us - a very, very big deal. I can't thank Wayne Hixson out of Soddy Daisy, Tenn., enough. He really believes in me, and he really believes in our race team. I think we're going to go big places next year, just do a little bit better in the ARCA Series."

At the top of the moments-he'll-never-forget list from the 2013 season, Praytor has his first ARCA top-10 finish in the Akona 250 at Elko Speedway in Elko, Minn., on June 1.

"The first top 10 I had, that was a big moment for me and my dad (Tommy Praytor)," he said. "Getting out of the car, and I was like, 'You know what, Dad? I just finished in the top 10.' That was the coolest thing to me, to be able to look at him eye to eye. We hugged it out and everything on pit road. It was a very cool thing because we go everywhere together, and every top 10 or every time we had a good finish when he wasn't too furious about the race, everything was good. Just to be able to go to the racetrack with my family and have some time with them. My mom came every now and then. My sister came. It was just great to spend the time with them at the racetrack."

While Praytor didn't have much experience on the ARCA tracks, he also didn't have much experience with the travel involved in chasing the racing dream.

"I'd probably never been away from Mobile for more than a week," he said, "and there was a time there that I was gone for two months straight. Not being here, not being able to see my friends, it was tough for a little bit. But I was getting to do the deal. I was getting to do what most guys dream of doing, I've always dreamed of doing since I was a little kid. Once I got past that, everything was great."

Praytor Cuts Loose With Sheriff & SWAT Team

As part of Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran’s Text Meth and Text Thug initiative, Thomas “Moose” Praytor, his Realtor Ford Fusion and the Text Meth/Text Thug Hauler spent the day at the Mobile Metro Range with members of the Mobile County Sheriff’s SWAT team for a Day at the Range. “The event is designed to inform the community about the Sheriff’s Department modern capabilities and we’re proud to be a part of it,” said Praytor. “We’ve carried the Sheriff’s Text Meth/Text Thug message across the country drawing interest from fans and law enforcement everywhere we go.”

After SWAT team members demonstrated a unique hostage rescue, the Moose got an opportunity to show off his skills with everything from a 9mm pistol to a sub machine gun. “I had a great time, I don’t think I hit anything but I had a great time (see video). Sheriff Cochran and his team are always working to stay one step ahead of the bad guys. Spend a little time with them and you get an idea of how hard their job is.” Always on the cutting edge of protecting and serving the community, Sheriff Cochran’s “Yellow Dot Program” and “Bully Blocker” are two of the Departments latest initiatives.

To get caught up on everything the Mobile County Sheriff’s Department is involved in check out their new web site- www.MobileSO.com

Picture: Praytor with machine gun (click on pic for video). Praytor and Sheriff Sam Cochran with Realtor Ford Fusion.

ARCA returns to Mobile Int'l Speedway in 2014

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will return to Mobile Int'l Speedway in Mobile, Alabama on March 22, 2014.

Defending ARCA Mobile 200 champion and Fairhope, Alabama native Grant Enfinger led a star-packed media event Wednesday in Mobile.

"It is my honor as a Mobile International Speedway driver and the defending ARCA Mobile 200 champion to announce that the ARCA Series is coming back to Mobile in 2014," Enfinger said.

ARCA Week will begin on Saturday, March 15 with an open practice for ARCA teams and culminate with the third running of the ARCA Mobile 200 on Saturday, March 22.

"The combined efforts of everyone associated with the ARCA Mobile 200 have clearly created a winning formula for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards," said ARCA President Ron Drager. "For the third consecutive year, we will bring the series directly from the season opener at Daytona in February to Mobile in March for the second race of the season. The ARCA Mobile 200 is now talked about all season long by the entire ARCA community-race teams, fans, media and officials. We're pleased and proud our series has found a home on the Gulf Coast."

Local Mobile, Alabama driver Thomas "Moose" Praytor, who finished ninth in 2013 ARCA championship standings, said, "Mobile International Speedway has been a launching point for each level of my racing career, my first stock car start, my first ARCA start and this year our effort at Mobile led to 19 more races with Hixson Motorsports in the Realtor car. After all the new tracks this year I'm really happy ARCA is coming back to my home track."

Local Mobile drivers Enfinger and Cale Gale have provided story book endings to the first two ARCA Mobile 200s, winning in front of the home town fans. While the ARCA series has raced at over 200 different tracks since its inception in 1953, the 2014 ARCA Mobile 200 marks only the third appearance at Mobile International Speedway.

"The community has embraced the ARCA Series and the ARCA Mobile 200 has become much more than a race; it's a happening," said ARCA Mobile 200 Promoter, Tommy Praytor. "The Mobile Sports Authority, Mobile Convention & Visitors Bureau and Alabama's Tourism Department all realize the importance of this race to Mobile and it takes everyone to make it happen."

Opened in 1964, Mobile International Speedway is Alabama's fastest half mile and is currently host to the Sunoco Southern Super Series and Miller Lite Super Late Model Series along with a regular schedule of Saturday night racing. Lee and Ida Fields purchased the Speedway in 1972 and for almost 40 years the duo produced "The Fastest Fun Around". The track is currently being managed and promoted by Tim Bryant who is also the owner/promoter of Pensacola's 5 Flags Speedway, the home of the Snowball Derby.

Mobile International Speedway is part of a long tradition of Alabama tracks ARCA has competed on. The ARCA Racing Series history in Alabama reaches back to 1961 when, on November 5, Ernie Derr won a 250-lap race at Birmingham. ARCA race events at the Fairgrounds in Montgomery in 1962, at Huntsville Speedway in 1963 and 1965, followed by a long tenure at Talladega Superspeedway (1969-present), have kept ARCA's presence in Alabama alive over the decades.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 26 states since its inception. The series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.375 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course in its most recent season.

Founded by John and Mildred Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. In its seventh decade of competition having completed hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in three professional touring series and local weekly events.

After spending the year behind the wheel of the Realtor Car, Thomas "Moose" Praytor will be stepping out for Diabetes on Saturday. "My Grandmother taught us all it is important to give back whenever we can. The Diabetes Walk is just a small way for me to help on something that hits real close to home," said Praytor. "My cousin and roommate, Lee Wingard, is a Diabetic and I know what he has to deal with everyday. I would appreciate our fans clicking on the link below and even if its only $5 help us fight this terrible disease."

Double Duty Saturday for Realtor Team

The 2013 ARCA Season may be in the record books but the Realtor Car team is still working. On Saturday, the joint Hixson Motorsports-Max Force Racing effort was doing double duty on the appearance trail out of their respective shops in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee and Mobile, Alabama. The Soddy Daisy crew had a Realtor show car at Ingles Market in Ringgold, Georgia while the Moose, Thomas Praytor was at Mobile International Speedway for the season finale signing autographs with his hometown fans. “Wayne (Hixson) was at Ingles Market in Georgia. Ingles kept the crew full of fluids all year, our team relies on associate sponsors like Ingles and we appreciate them being part of the team,” said Praytor. With the car in Georgia the Moose was back on familiar turf at Mobile International Speedway. “Really had a lot of fun with the fans in Mobile. It was the last night of racing and the guys put on a great show, I wish we had a few more races.”

Both shops are already tearing down cars and getting them ready to go again. The Mobile crew is cleaning and prepping “Batman” for a special appearance next week.

Praytor Back at Mobile International Speedway Saturday Night

The “Moose”, Thomas Praytor, will be back at Mobile International Speedway this Saturday night to sign autographs during intermission and take in the last night of racing at his home track. Praytor has just returned from Kansas Speedway where a top 20 solidified his 9th place finish in the ARCA Championship standings. “You would think after the schedule we’ve had, the last place you would see me is the racetrack but I can’t wait to get back to Mobile International Speedway. I’ve really missed my Mobile racing family and there is nothing like a short track Saturday night under the lights,” said Praytor.

During intermission the Moose will be in the grandstands “I’m really looking forward to being back with the fans. They have supported me all year long, no matter how far away I was. They text, facebook message, tweet, call, their support has been incredible.”

Saturday night will be the final night of racing at Mobile International Speedway and after 6 rain outs the forecast is perfect. The Island Motors II Bombers, Bobs Speed Shop Sportsman and Alabama Pipe and Supply Modifieds will all be in action crowning the 2013 Season Champions. As a special bonus to the fans, Saturday night’s grandstand ticket is only $5.00 with the races starting at 7:00.

Picture: Praytor with Soddy-Daisy Hillbilly beard at Kansas Speedway.

It’s Official, Praytor 9th in Final ARCA Championship Standings

All of the 2013 points have been counted and recounted by ARCA officials with the final bonus points being awarded on Tuesday, after 21 races, 2399 laps, 42,522 travel miles and thousands of hours of work by an all volunteer crew, Thomas “Moose” Praytor and his Hixson Motorsports/Max Force Racing Team are 9th in the Championship standings.

“It’s just incredible; so many dreams came true for me this year it’s hard to put it all in perspective. We went to Daytona going to run 3 races this season and we ended up running them all and in the top 10 in points, just incredible,” offered Praytor. “There are so many people that made it happen, our sponsors, our all volunteer crew, the Realtor family, other competitors, ARCA officials, there were times it just seemed like everyone was pulling for us to go the distance. I can’t thank everyone enough for making it happen.”

“In order to do this you have to have someone that believes in you, believes that you can compete at this level and believes that you are worth doing it for. In my case this comes down to 2 crazy old men, my Dad and Wayne Hixson. We started this season with 1 racecar and I had never heard of Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee. As the season comes to a close we had 5 race cars ready for action, our team was running a second car and after a couple of months in Soddy-Daisy I have some new hillbilly dialect and a beard to go with it. As a racecar driver all you can ask for is a chance and Wayne gave me that chance, I can’t thank him enough.”

While the next event on the ARCA calendar is not until the Championship banquet on December 14th the Hixson Motorsports/Max Force Racing effort is already back at work in both the Mobile and Soddy-Daisy race shops.

Pictures: From top down

(L) Team owner Wayne Hixson and the Moose at Daytona (R) All volunteer crew pitting Realtor Ford at Kentucky.

ARCA Mobile 200/Roush Yates Ford running 3rd at Daytona

(L) Praytor signing autographs with 79 year old James Hylton in his final season (R) Realtor/G Force Chevy on the dirt in Springfield.

(L) Realtor Chevy working through the s turns at New Jersey Motorsports Park (R) Realtor Chevy and the Moose recording first top 10 at Elko Speedway in Minnesota.

(L) Olympic Boxing Hood with Mobile’s Former US Light weight Champion, Jack Tillman (M) AIDB auction with Darrel Waltrip (R) Charity helmet with AJ McCarron.

Weather Kills Pit Strategy-Praytor 19th in Kansas

Going in to the final race of the 2013 ARCA season each team has an agenda, for some it’s to run up front and win the race at all cost, for others making their first start it’s simply to have a good day preparing for 2014 and there is everything in between. For Hixson Motorsports/Max Force Racing with their Scott’s Rookie of the Year Candidate Thomas “Moose” Praytor’s goal was simple, do or don‘t do whatever it takes to remain in the top 10 in the Championship standings.

The Kansas Lottery 98.9 presented by the Rock started with a full day of technical inspection at Kansas Speedway. The lengthy tech process caused the team to make an afternoons worth of changes before Praytor headed to Cabela’s for an autograph session. “This was my first trip to Kansas Speedway and the place is like the Taj Mahal of racing, it’s incredible. My Dad was the color commentator for the first TV broadcast and even he was blown away by all the development around the track,” offered Praytor.

The task for the only practice on race day was to put the Realtor Ford Fusion through its paces, keep it in one piece and get ready to race. Racers being racers the team used up every minute of practice with Praytor being one of the final cars on the track improving lap times every time out. “Kansas has to be one of the smoothest tracks I’ve ever been on. It was so smooth the speed our Realtor Fusion carried into the corners was really incredible. We knew what we needed to accomplish and we were probably too conservative on our approach but with just 1 car we couldn’t afford to be out on the ragged edge.”

Qualifying in the ARCA Series is usually an uneventful happening with the only drama being who will set the fast time and take home the Ansell Pole Award. Friday’s qualifying took on a new meaning as 5 of the first 10 out either spun or wrecked during their qualifying effort. A conservative setup just got more conservative as the tire pressures were changed to handle the cooler track with less grip. “After seeing some really great drivers struggle we changed our setup up some and I changed my first lap to make sure our Realtor Fusion had all 4 corners on when we got done. I was glad we did because on cold tires our car was a handful. My 2nd lap was better but still off from practice.” Praytor would roll off 25th.

While the day had been beautiful the weather was changing and anyone with a phone or an Ipad could see the change rolling across the country side. The race strategy became much like the strategy used all season by the underfunded team with shops in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee and Mobile, Alabama, don’t take yourself out early, out point the competition and go the distance.

The team devised a plan that would put the Realtor Fusion on pit road early and often continuing to keep the tank full of Sunoco to gamble on the long green flag run to the end or when the weather hit. With years of watching hurricanes on the coast the team estimated that the race would go the distance or get really close to it, and like a road course the idea was to be the first person to be able to go the distance.

With the drop of the green flag Praytor was able to make up the spots he left on the table during a conservative qualifying effort but the Realtor Ford Fusion was struggling under the lights. “Our Ford got really tail happy when we were around other cars and it made it hard to run in traffic. The cautions were laying out perfectly for us to change it up and we thought our strategy was working in our favor every lap it didn’t rain.”

As the race neared the halfway point the gamblers started making their final bets, to come in or gamble and stay out. The Hixson Motorsports/Max Force Racing effort had already put its chips on the table. In order for the gamble to payoff the rain had to stay away and the race had to go the distance. Little did they know.

At lap 60 it was announced the race would go 5 more laps and stop due to the weather coming towards the track, not at the track but coming. “Between my Dad and Wayne (Hixson) I think they have more than 50 years of racing experience and they said it was the first time they could ever remember a race being called while it was going on and before it started raining.” The early ending doomed the 2 to a 19th place finish. The rain would come 30 minutes after the drop of the early green flag and when it came it came big.

“While we were big picture racing all day we were still after the best finish we could get and not getting a chance to play that strategy out is really disappointing. Our guys had a good weekend in the pits and I’m proud of what they have been able to accomplish in their first year together. We raced around James Hylton a lot tonight and he can still wheel a racecar. I think I got the better of him on a restart one time and just made him mad. He got his Roush Yates horsepower wound up and just blew by me. What an incredible guy. Congratulations to Frank (Kimmel) on his 10th Championship and his 80th career win, those guys were awesome all year.”

After tabulating all the bonus points and rechecking the numbers ARCA will post it’s final Championship points standings on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Pictures: (Top) Thomas “Moose” Praytor racing with 79 year old James Hylton. Kansas was the final race of a storied career for the 1966 NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year. Hylton’s paint scheme was a throw back scheme to his first Daytona 500 start. Picture courtesy of the Kansas City Star.

Middle: Praytor and the Realtor Ford racing with Josh Williams (02) and now 10 time ARCA Champion Frank Kimmel (44). Courtesy of ARCA Racing.

Bottom: Part of the hardest working all volunteer crew in racing (L-R) Keith Showalter, Doug Murphy, Crystal Bates and Adam Lowe. (Team PR)

Praytor & Realtor Car to ARCA Season Finale in Kansas

Kansas Lottery 98.9 the Rock at KANSAS SPEEDWAY: The end of a long and winding road that has become the 2013 ARCA Season for Thomas “Moose” Praytor is in sight with the season finale at Kansas Speedway on Friday night. “There will be a lot of reminiscing next week about how 3 races turned into 21 and all the people who helped make that happen but right now we are laser focused on closing out the season strong with our Realtor Fusion,” offered Praytor. “We’ve been in the top 10 in the Championship standings most of the year and our number one goal Friday night is to end the season in the top 10. Almost as important is improving our equipment and our driver, me, on these aero sensitive race tracks. We’ve come a long way with our Realtor cars this year but we’ll keep working all the way to the final lap of the season.”

MOOSE SIGHTING-Thomas “Moose” Praytor will make be signing autographs at the Cabela’s next to the Kansas Speedway on Thursday from 5-6PM.

Last Race-Zloop 150, KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY: While Praytor’s return to Kentucky Speedway was spoiled by a cut tire there were a lot of positives for the Scott’s Rookie of the Year Candidate and his Hixson Motorsports/Max Force Racing team. “We basically took a brand new race car to Kentucky, everything from the seat back had been replaced and we had to put a new motor and transmission in the car the day before the race. We had a lot of unknowns that had to be worked through,” said Praytor. “Thanks to the guys at Roush Yates Performance our drive train was solid and the new tail on the car from VPW produced a lot of down force on our Realtor Fusion. We didn’t get the finish we wanted but with all we overcame it was a solid effort.”

The Kansas Lottery 98.9 the Rock is a 2 day event with a full day of technical inspection on Thursday. Practice, qualifying and the race are all on Friday, October 4th. Practice is from 9:00-11:15 AM, Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is at 5:35 with the green flag at 7:30 PM. Live timing and scoring for practice, qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com with live television coverage from Fox Sports 1.

ARCA CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 8th SCOTTS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CHALLENGE: 4th

PRIMARY SPONSOR: REALTORS, www.realtorcar.com and G-Force Racing Gear

CAR: Roush Fenway Chassis RK275, nickname “Batman”. The Dark Knight has been used at Michigan, Pocono, Chicago and most recently in the Zloop 150 in Kentucky. Batman is the teams preferred Speedway Chassis and recorded a top 10 in Michigan before a crash at Chicago took it out of commission, the last race at Kentucky was Batman’s first race back in action. Batman is a former Sprint Cup winning chassis used by Greg Biffle.

HIXSON MOTORSPORTS/MAX FORCE RACING: Max Force Racing is based out of Mobile, Alabama and is fielding cars in its 16th season of competition. Max Force has teamed with another home grown operation, Hixson Motorsports with 4 decades of experience in the ARCA Series from Soddy Daisy Tennessee for the 2013 season.

THOMAS “MOOSE” PRAYTOR: In 2012, Moose made his first ARCA start in the inaugural ARCA-Mobile 200 at Mobile International Speedway. He also raced in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250 at Talladega with Andy Belmont Racing and rounded out the season with a couple of starts for Venturini Motorsports. Praytor is currently 8th in the ARCA Series Championship point’s standings. Prior to the ARCA series, The Moose started cutting his racing teeth at 8 years old on short tracks across the Southeast, racking up local and state titles along the way. The Moose and his Max Force Racing Team earned the Ironman Status of the Gulf Coast in 2011 for competing in every Late Model (Pro & Super) Race at Mobile International Speedway and Five Flags Speedway, finishing in the top 10 in the Championship standings at both tracks. Away from the track Praytor was one of AJ McCarron’s centers through grade school and high school winning a state title in 2007. Recently the duo teamed up donating a specially prepared McCarron replica racing helmet that Praytor wore at Daytona and Talladega to the Alabama Institute of Deaf & Blind for their annual Race Fever auction. For more on the Moose- www.realtorcar.com.

Picture: “Batman” racing with Chase Elliott at Kentucky Speedway during Zloop 150.

Cut Tire Takes Air Out of Kentucky Debut for Praytor and Realtor Car

The Zloop 150 at Kentucky Speedway was the realization of a 12 year olds racing dream for Thomas “Moose” Praytor. As part of the Outdoor Channel film crew, Kentucky was the site of Praytor’s first ARCA race and the beginning of a dream of competing in the most versatile driving series in the world.

The last of a 10 consecutive race week stretch, the Zloop 150 marked the return of “Batman” the Hixson Motorsports/Max Force Racing preferred down force chassis that was lost in the first of the 10 race stretch at Chicago.

Performance Vehicle Works in North Carolina spent the last few weeks working overtime to not just repair but replace the Realtor car from the rear of the roof to the back bumper. With such an extensive repair the team did not get the car back until after Salem and the thrashing was on with just 3 days to prepare for Kentucky.

“We knew we were pushing it to get Batman ready for Kentucky but it’s our best Realtor car and with 2 races left in the season we’re doing everything we can to stay in the top 10 in the Championship standings,” said Praytor. “Doug Thompson from our road crew came back to Mobile with us from Salem and we were wide open with our Mobile guys. Late Tuesday night we realized the motor and transmission in the car that we originally thought survived the wreck in Chicago didn’t.”

The Mobile crew spent Wednesday pulling out the motor and transmission while the Soddy Daisy crew prepped the new motor and the backup car, just in case. Late Wednesday early Thursday morning the Mobile crew arrived in Soddy Daisy with Batman.

On Thursday the backup motor that wasn’t 100% complete was finished and installed in the car. The team then went to work on finishing the setup and prepping the car for the Zloop 150. At 11:00 on Thursday night the trailer door was closed in Soddy Daisy and the team arrived in Kentucky at 5:30 AM on Friday morning. A couple of hours of sleep and the garage was open for a busy 1 day show.

“We rolled out of the trailer in Kentucky and had no clue what we had. Our motors usually go to the chassis dyno at Roush-Yates, this one hadn’t and the entire drive train had been replaced. Basically, the car had been taken completely apart and put back together with no laps on it and I had never turned a lap at Kentucky. We had a lot of unknowns.”

The first tentative laps on the Realtor Ford will not go down in racing history as anything other than slow, really slow. “After we shook the car down we just weren’t very good, the car wasn’t working well and I was struggling with the bumpy race track.”

Mobile’s Grant Enfigner was parked one garage over with his Team BCR group fresh off their win from Iowa. Howard Bixman Team BCR owner, or as we call him 1800CREWCHIEF stepped in to help the Scotts Rookie of the Year Candidate.

“Howard put his healing hands on our Realtor Ford and we immediately started to get better, a lot better.” Praytor’s lap times improved 5 seconds during the last half of practice. “I think if we had given Howard another hour he would have had us on the pole.”

Rain washed out qualifying and the race on Friday and the Realtor car would roll of 11th based on 2013 owner’s points on Saturday allowing the team to get some much needed rest.

The start of the Zloop 150 would be a 160 MPH dance with extremely fast cars in the back of the field that didn’t have owner’s points. “The start was interesting at best but it didn’t take long for our Realtor car to find its footing. With each lap I was able to keep pushing harder and we picked up another second over our practice times and we had a competitive racecar.”

The Realtor car dodged some serious bullets with wrecks that happened just in front of or beside Praytor. With 30 laps to go the Realtor Ford got really loose going in to turn 3, the right rear had been punctured by debris. Praytor brought the car to pit road under green and while the tire was replaced the team lost valuable laps and would finish 19th.

“Our race team over came so much this week the flat tire was a heart breaker. I know 19th doesn’t sound like a good finish but with everything that happened this week I’m really proud of our race team and their effort. Our Realtor Ford was solid and we can use what we learned at Kentucky to build for the finale in Kansas. Our goal has been the top 10 and we’re going to do everything we can to stay there.”

Originally scheduled for just 3 races in 2013 the joint effort of Hixson Motorsport and Max Force Racing has spent most of the season in the top 10 in the Championship standings, currently 8th with just 1 race remaining.

Picture: Realtor car racing with Justin Boston in the Zloop Toyota and Will Kimmel.

First Start But Not First Trip to Kentucky Speedway for Praytor

Zloop 150, KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY: This weekend will be Thomas “Moose” Praytor’s first start at Kentucky Speedway but not his first time to the high banked Speedway in the heart of the blue grass state. At 12 years old Praytor was part of the Outdoor Channels ARCA Racing This Week crew filming at the newly opened facility. “I was in heaven, 12 years old in the garage with a media pass and a video camera. I have no idea what kind of video I captured but it was all bigger than life to me,” said Praytor. “Billy Venturini, Jason Jarrett, Mark Gibson, Dan Pardus, Andy Belmont, Ron Cox and of course Frank Kimmel were all driving then. I’d have to go back and look at the tape but I think Kimmel had a little more hair and it was a different color, of course he was winning back then too. My favorite story from that first race involves Tim Bray (Long time head of Media Relations at Kentucky Speedway). I’m 12 running into the media center grabbing drinks for the camera crew and a security guard grabbed me. If Mr. Tim doesn’t stop him I think I was headed to jail! To have the opportunity to come back and race where your ARCA dreams started is really special to me.”

Last Race-Kentuckiana Ford Dealers Fall Classic presented by Federated Car Care, SALEM SPEEDWAY: Early mechanical issues were the beginning of a long day at Salem for Praytor and the Realtor car. “We should have just gotten killed in the points standings at Salem but our guys never gave up and we were able to salvage a decent finish for our Realtor Chevy. At least we were able to finish at Salem, I was beginning to think that would never happen. Salem and I are starting to develop a love/hate relationship. I love racing there but I think Salem doesn’t like me a heck of a lot!”

The Zloop 150 is a 1 day event with practice, qualifying and the race all on Friday, September 20th. Practice is from 1:00-3:00 PM, Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell at 5:15 with the green flag at 8:00 PM. Live timing and scoring for practice, qualifying and the race will be on ARCAracing.com with live television coverage from Fox Sports 1.

ARCA CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 8th SCOTTS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CHALLENGE: 4th

PRIMARY SPONSOR: REALTORS, www.realtorcar.com and G-Force Racing Gear

CAR: Roush Fenway Chassis RK275, nickname “Batman”. The Dark Knight has been used at Michigan, Pocono and Chicago, recording a top 10 in Michigan and has been out of service since being wrecked in Chicago. Batman is a former Sprint Cup winning chassis used by Greg Biffle.

HIXSON MOTORSPORTS/MAX FORCE RACING: Max Force Racing is based out of Mobile, Alabama and is fielding cars in its 16th season of competition. Max Force has teamed with another home grown operation, Hixson Motorsports with 4 decades of experience in the ARCA Series from Soddy Daisy Tennessee for the 2013 season.

THOMAS “MOOSE” PRAYTOR: In 2012, Moose made his first ARCA start in the inaugural ARCA-Mobile 200 at Mobile International Speedway. He also raced in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250 at Talladega with Andy Belmont Racing and rounded out the season with a couple of starts for Venturini Motorsports. Praytor is currently 8th in the ARCA Series Championship point’s standings. Prior to the ARCA series, The Moose started cutting his racing teeth at 8 years old on short tracks across the Southeast, racking up local and state titles along the way. The Moose and his Max Force Racing Team earned the Ironman Status of the Gulf Coast in 2011 for competing in every Late Model (Pro & Super) Race at Mobile International Speedway and Five Flags Speedway, finishing in the top 10 in the Championship standings at both tracks. Away from the track Praytor was one of AJ McCarron’s centers through grade school and high school winning a state title in 2007. Recently the duo teamed up donating a specially prepared McCarron replica racing helmet that Praytor wore at Daytona and Talladega to the Alabama Institute of Deaf & Blind for their annual Race Fever auction. For more on the Moose- www.realtorcar.com.

Picture: “Batman” with sponsorship from US Olympic Boxing Championships on track at Michigan International Speedway earlier this year.

Praytor Soldiers Realtor Car to 17th in Salem

The ARCA Series rolled into Salem Speedway making its 94th stop at the storied half-mile for the Kentuckiana Ford Dealer Fall Classic presented by Federated Car. For Scott’s Rookie of the Year Candidate Thomas “Moose” Praytor making his 3rd start at Salem, would also make Salem his most visited ARCA track.

Off the trailer, the Realtor car was solid, pacing inside the top 20 in the first practice session. A round of changes and another set of tires found the team struggling, “We went from good to just horrible and thought something was wrong with the car. After a couple more rounds of changes we realized we had a bad set of tires, changed them out for another set and “Mickie” came back to life.” The Realtor car would qualify 19th.

Before the start of the Kentuckian Ford Dealers Fall Classic the track held and autograph session for the fans. “Salem is the most challenging track on the tour and the fans are passionate about their racing. As if the track isn’t enough to get you going, the fans at the autograph session before the race really get you jacked up.”

With the drop of the green flag the Realtor car was holding its own amongst a stout field of cars while maintaining a spot in the top 20. With the first caution a good day would start to go bad.

“Our Realtor car brakes had been good under green but when the caution came out the pedal just went to the floor. The guys checked out the normal brake problems under caution but it felt like something broke under the dash.” A post race inspection found the brake bias bar was broken keeping the brakes from getting any real or consistent pressure. Going in to the corner one lap and there would be no brakes, the next time the left front would lock up smoking the tire.” Salem with a good car is a long day, Salem with no brakes is just brutal.

Ranked 8th in the ARCA Championship standings with just 3 races remaining, an early exit on lap 20 could have dropped Praytor out of the top 10. And with the press of a brake pedal the mission changed from racing to surviving.

The toughest part of the balancing act for the ARCA rookie was to race the car hard enough to maintain the minimum speed while not locking up the left front. If Praytor had not been able to keep up the required minimum speed he would be forced to park.

“You feel like an idiot out there riding around getting lapped every 10 laps by the leaders but our team has worked too hard and we’ve come too far to give up.”

After alternating from locking up the left front or no brakes for a 175 laps the left front tire couldn’t stand anymore and it blew out with 3 laps to go. And the Moose brought his ailing Realtor Chevy to pit road one final time.

“A blow out with 3 laps to go on a car that’s 30 laps down would seem like a good time to quit but our guys never missed a beat. They changed the left front and we were back out in time to take the checkered flag. I realize we don’t have the equipment the other big teams have but our all volunteer group has as much heart as anybody in this business.”

Keeping the Realtor car rolling until the end would garner Praytor a 17th place finish instead of 30th earning precious Championship points that not only kept the team in the top 10 but able to hold on to the 8th position.

With just 2 races in the 2013 season the Hixson Motorsports/Max Force Racing team has a short week prepping for the Zloop 150 at Kentucky Speedway on Friday night under the lights, live on SPEED.

Picture: Realtor Chevy rim riding during the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 presented by Federated Car Care at Salem Speedway.

Kentuckiana Fall Classic Up Next for Praytor & Realtor Car

Kentuckiana Ford Dealers Fall Classic presented by Federated Car Care, SALEM SPEEDWAY: There are few short tracks in the country that take as much skill, determination and just plain craziness as Salem Speedway. For Scotts Rookie of the Year Candidate Thomas “Moose” Praytor this weekend’s Fall Classic will be his third start at Salem, a career high on the ARCA Series Tour. “Salem is just so much fun, I’m not sure I know how to get around there yet but it is an adrenalin junkies playground. You run the middle of turns 1 and 2 then you throw your car across the bump going into turn 3, let it throw you about 4 feet to the right up against the wall and then you mash the gas rim riding to the start finish line,” said Praytor. “The fans in Salem are off the hook. They know their racing and they come out in a big way every time the series goes there.”

Last Race-Prairie Meadows 150, IOWA SPEEDWAY: Loose, loose loose was the best way to describe the last outing for Praytor and the Realtor car at Iowa Speedway. “Iowa was a fun track and we definitely solved the tight issue we’ve been having with our Realtor cars all year,” offered Praytor. Mobile International Speedway was well represented in the Heartland over the weekend with Darin Mathews competing in his second ARCA event and Grant Enfinger won the Prairie Meadows 150 while competing in his 50th ARCA event of his career. “Really happy for Grant and team BCR, they thye worked hard and it shows on the racetrack.”

The Kenutckiana Ford Dealers Fall Classic presented by Federated Car Care is a 1 day event with practice, qualifying and the race all on Saturday, September 14th. Practice is from 12:30-1:15 and 1:45-2:30, Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell at 4:00 with the green flag 7:15 PM. Live timing and scoring along with the race radio broadcast will be on ARCAracing.com.

ARCA CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 8th SCOTTS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CHALLENGE: 4th

PRIMARY SPONSOR: REALTORS, www.realtorcar.com and G-Force Racing Gear

CAR: Hixson Motorsports chassis #3, nickname “Mickie Mouse”. Mickie is the chassis the team utilized for the spring race in Salem, both dirt races-Springfield & DuQuoin, Mobile International Speedway and Berlin Raceway.

HIXSON MOTORSPORTS/MAX FORCE RACING: Max Force Racing is based out of Mobile, Alabama and is fielding cars in its 16th season of competition. Max Force has teamed with another home grown operation, Hixson Motorsports with 4 decades of experience in the ARCA Series from Soddy Daisy Tennessee for the 2013 season.

THOMAS “MOOSE” PRAYTOR: In 2012, Moose made his first ARCA start in the inaugural ARCA-Mobile 200 at Mobile International Speedway. He also raced in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250 at Talladega with Andy Belmont Racing and rounded out the season with a couple of starts for Venturini Motorsports. Praytor is currently 8th in the ARCA Series Championship point’s standings. Prior to the ARCA series, The Moose started cutting his racing teeth at 8 years old on short tracks across the Southeast, racking up local and state titles along the way. The Moose and his Max Force Racing Team earned the Ironman Status of the Gulf Coast in 2011 for competing in every Late Model (Pro & Super) Race at Mobile International Speedway and Five Flags Speedway, finishing in the top 10 in the Championship standings at both tracks. Away from the track Praytor was one of AJ McCarron’s centers through grade school and high school winning a state title in 2007. Recently the duo teamed up donating a specially prepared McCarron replica racing helmet that Praytor wore at Daytona and Talladega to the Alabama Institute of Deaf & Blind for their annual Race Fever auction. For more on the Moose- www.realtorcar.com.

Picture: Mickie on track during the Spring race at Salem.

Loose Pooh Hard to Handle in Iowa Corn Fields

A field as stout as the thousands of acres of corn fields surrounding the Iowa Speedway traveled to America’s Heartland for the Prairie Meadows 150. With more than half the field made up of non ARCA regulars Thomas “Moose” Praytor found himself in the tall cotton.

While there were many agendas amongst the diverse field, for Praytor and the Realtor car, currently in the top 10 in the championships standings, the job at hand was much more defined.

“We’ve worked really hard back in the shop on changing our Realtor cars to get them to turn in the center. For the first time all year we finally “Pooh” turning too much in practice,” said Praytor. “The guys worked their butts off tightening our Chevy back up and we thought we had a decent piece for qualifying.”

The Realtor car picked up over a second in qualifying from it’s final practice time and would roll off 25th. Repairing a broken window net brace after qualifying would send the Realtor machine to the end of the field and would be a preview of the night ahead.

With the drop of the green flag the Moose was on the move and quickly got back the spots lost because of the penalty for the window net repair. While Praytor was picking up spots early under the lights the Realtor car was wicked loose.

“The sun went down and the grip we had gotten back in practice was gone and our Realtor car just wasn’t just free it was wicked loose.” The Prairie Meadows 150 took on a green flag look and there was a long green flag run before Praytor could get back to pit road and the attention of his Hixson Motorsports/Max Force Racing team. “The guys threw everything at it and we got better but not where we needed to be. We moved up the racetrack and found some grip up there but not enough.” Praytor and the Realtor car would hold on for a 21st place finish.

“Congratulations to Grant Enfinger, Howard Bixman and Team BCR on a big win in Iowa!”

Mobile International Speedway had solid representation on Saturday night in Iowa, with 3 hometown drivers in the field, Enfinger, Praytor and Darren Mathews whose night ended early with a broken oil line.

Next up Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic presented by Federated Car Care at Salem Speedway.

Picture: Realtor car driving off turn 4 at Iowa Speedway.