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WhatsNew
Brea Lopez Signs New Sponsors for the 2009 Racing Season
Joes Racing Products and All-Star Staffing sign for the 2009 Limited Late
Model Racing Season.
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PointStandings
2009 Rookie of the Year Honors - 3rd Overall
Brea Lopez won Rookie of the Year and finished the season 3rd in the
Championship Points. In ten events at South Sound Speedway, the Brea Lopez
Motorsports team celebrated in victory circle once, 3 top-5's, 5 top-10's,
and 1 fast time.
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EventS
Brea's Next Race
Brea will be headed to Yakima Speeway to participate in the 2009 Fall Classic
October 2nd-3rd.
This event is a 125 lap Limited Late Model Event.
Races start at 6:00pm Saturday. Don't Miss It!
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Vader's Brea Lopez on path to NASCAR stardom
Sunday, October 11, 2009 3:35 AM PDT
By Rick S. Alvord
Brea Lopez’s new puppy is named Revy. Actually,
its full name is Revy Piston. Allow her to explain.
“You know, Revy ... like when you rev your car,” said the energetic 21-year-old.
“And Piston, well, that’s pretty self explanatory.”
Makes sense, especially for a young racer who’s making a meteoric rise in the
world of driving fast.
Lopez, who resides in Vader, recently won Rookie of the Year at South Sound
Speedway near Tenino in the NASCAR-style, Limited Late Models stock-car
category, where she finished third in the point standings. She was the first
female at the track to capture a main event and had four top-five finishes.
In itself, a successful rookie campaign driving the “big cars” after ruling
midget-car racing for much of her youth would be reason to smile — and maybe
even spring for a T-bone steak for little Revy.
Then Lopez received thrilling, potentially career-changing news. She was one of
29 drivers in the nation selected to participate in NASCAR’s Drive For Diversity
Combine program in Charlotte, N.C., starting Friday and continuing through Oct.
19. She leaves for Charlotte on Wednesday.
The program is similar to an NFL combine, where college prospects are put to the
test by scouts and team representatives. In Charlotte, Lopez and the other
drivers will put their driving skills on display and undergo rigorous testing.
“I’m not that nervous. I’m more excited than anything else. I’ve been racing
since I was 9 years old and I’ve grown up around it all my life. There’s nowhere
I feel more comfortable than in my car,” said Lopez, who won’t be the only
female battling for one of the 10 available spots on either the NASCAR Camping
World Series or NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, both on target for
competition in 2010.
“But you can’t just drive well. You have to be the total package. You have to
look, sound and drive like you know what you’re doing,” she added. “They want
someone who will represent their product well, who will represent the sponsors
and be a good all-around fit. But yes, if you can’t drive, they’re not going to
pick you.”
The extensive training program will include on-track assessment in all areas of
driving skills, communications between driver and crew, media relations and
training, and — above all else — the ability to adapt to a given situation.
Lopez was also excited to learn that she and the other Combine participants will
be part of a reality television series, “Changing Lanes,” which is being
developed in collaboration with the NASCAR Media Group and set to air in early
2010 on the BET Network. The 10-part series will showcase the development of
young Drive for Diversity competitors trying to make it in the big-time world of
NASCAR racing.
Even if she is not selected, Lopez will appear on the first two episodes. If she
makes the cut, she’ll likely appear in the entire series.
“They’ll put you in front of the camera to see how you react. There’s also a lot
of fitness testing. You have to be in good shape,” said Lopez, who applied for
the Driving for Diversity program in 2007 and 2008, but was turned down. “It’ll
be fun to be on TV, but my goal is to get a ride (opportunity to drive for a
team). Whatever the outcome, I’m happy to get the opportunity.”
Worthy racing portfolio
Lopez learned how to compete behind the wheel from her grandfather, Dan Press,
who pieced together a successful West Coast racing career of his own before
retiring. From 1998 to 2004, Lopez competed across the country in quarter- and
half-midget racing series, and won more than 10 championships.
She collected two Grand National titles, four consecutive Winternational events
and two regional crowns, including the 2003 Eastern Grand Nationals where she
defeated more than 1,000 competitors.
The move up to racing stock cars this year was a natural progression for a woman
who clearly wants to make a splash on the big stage.
“People around the country involved in racing know who I am, but they don’t know
me,” said Lopez, who graduated in 2005 from Apolo High School in Winlock. “Going
to the Combine, it’s a chance to further my career and show what I can do in a
race car.”
Currently, there are a handful of female drivers competing on some of NASCAR’s
minor-league circuits, but none in the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series.
Lopez isn’t being greedy. All she wants is a spot on one of the Combine teams.
The Drive For Diversity program is designed to give female and minority drivers
a chance to do just that.
“They’ve revamped it quite a bit,” she said. “But the bottom line is, they’re
giving people like me a chance to realize their dream. And that’s pretty cool.”
Mellowing with age
Lopez describes her racing style as “evolving.” After driving aggressively
during her younger days in midget cars, she says she has learned to be more
patient on the track.
“Now that I’m in the bigger cars and the races are longer, you have to know when
to sit back and take your time,” she said. “I’ve always been aggressive. It’s
hard for me not to be aggressive.”
Lopez has encountered her share of chauvinists on the track, guys who still
believe females shouldn’t waste their time in a male-dominated sport.
She has left many of them in her dust.
“I’ve dealt with it since I was 9. It’s cool to win races when you’re female.
But I’ve kind of gotten over that. I have a thick skin,” she said. “I know I’m
going to get scrutinized more and I’m going to get bumped around, but I don’t
mind giving it back. Not everyone is going to like you, but hopefully they
respect you. Every driver wants that, whether they’re male or female.”
Lopez is a workaholic. When she’s not involved with her racing team, Brea Lopez
Motorsports, she dabbles in real estate and makes appearances as a motivational
speaker.
“I like to go camping and play with my puppy, but I don’t have a lot of spare
time,” she said. “I love going to schools and youth groups, and speaking with
them about goals and dreams. I see myself as a role model, and really, there
aren’t a lot of role models in the world.
“When they find out I’m a race car driver, they get pretty interested,” she
said. “I want them to know that none of their dreams are silly, and that you
should chase them with everything you’ve got — no matter how big or small.”
Washington
State Star Brea Lopez For October Combine
Washington State driving star Brea Lopez has been
selected as a participant for the Drive For
Diversity program
that will take place in mid-October. The 909 Group, which took over the
operations of the program, will own and operate ten racing teams and field the
teams under the newly formed Revolution Racing banner. Four of the teams will
compete with the
NASCAR Camping World Series and the remaining six teams will compete on
the NASCAR
Whelen All-American Series and on target for competition in 2010. This
once in a lifetime opportunity has been a dream for Brea for quite some time.
The spirited young racer has been racing since the age of nine and realizes
she needs to make the most of the golden opportunity before her with her
selection into the program.
The NASCAR based group will determine the drivers
for the 2010 program once the combine is completed. The combine will take
place from October 16-19 and the extensive training program will include on
track assessment in all areas of driving skills, communications between driver
and crew, media relations and training both on and off the track and above all
ability to adapt to a given situation. Former 4-time NASCAR Camping World
Series champion
Andy Santerre will head up the Camping World operations and current car
owner Blair Addis will oversee the NASCAR
Whelen All-American
program.
The challenge to try something new has been a
staple in the life of 21 year old driving sensation Brea Lopez. Brea began
chasing her racing dream at the age of nine as she wanted to follow in the
footsteps of her grandfather, the legendary and very successful
West Coast racer Dan Press.
From 1998 until 2004 Brea
chased the dream across the country following the quarter and half midget
racing series and becoming quite successful herself in racing. Brea won more
than ten championships in that span of time that included two Grand National
titles, four consecutive Winternational events and two regional titles that
included the 2003 Eastern Grands where she captured the championship over more
than one thousand fellow competitors.
Brea's success spawned new goals for her racing
endeavors. Her grandfather looked at many divisions of racing and decided the
correct path was to spend some time in the open wheel ranks driving a midget
race car. Brea spent fours years competing with the Washington Midget Racing
Association and did some traveling to compete in with other sanctioning bodies
as she honed her skills in the powerful little creations. Brea was "Rookie
of the Year" in her first season while being the runnerup in the final
points. While her second year in the Midgets was an off year due to many
mechanical issues and being the victim of having the race car stolen on a trip
out of state, Brea enjoyed successful seasons in 2007 and 2008 winning a main
event in California and challenged for the series titles all season long.
Brea and her grandfather decided to change
divisions after the 2008 season was completed. After deciding the correct
approach was with the full-fendered late model division, her grandfather
purchased a Victory Circle
chassis race car and fitted the car with a crate motor for competition with
the Limited Late Model division at the South Sound Speedway in
Washington. The
transition for Brea was a quick one as she quickly adpated to the heavier,
bulkier cars with ease and captured a win in July in her initial season. With
the season schedule having one more event, Brea is sitting in second place in
the points battle and has enjoyed the close side by side competition the
division offers.
Brea Lopez was honored recently by the
WNBA
Seattle Storm
franchise in their salute to Women in Sports in the area. Ahtletes from all
division of the sporting world were honored for their achievements in their
respective sport as they were announced at mid-court and took part in an
autograph signing period during her stay in
Seattle. The event
took place on August 25th and although the invitation took Lopez by surprise,
she was honored to join her fellow athletes in the joyously rewarding
experience.
Brea's grandfather,
West Coast racing legend
Dan Press, continues to work his magic with the race car as the car
owner, crew chief, mentor and friend for the lady racer. Press is accustomed
to working on this type of racing equipment as his success behind the wheel
was driving late model type race cars. The team is utilizing a
Victory Circle race
chassis and the racer has been fitted it with a
GM Crate motor for
competition with the Limited Late Model division at the South Sound Speedway
located in Rochester, Washington. The track will be a familiar and a good
starting point for Lopez as she has always enjoyed great success while running
her Midget on the fastest 3/8 mile raceway on the
West Coast.
While the Brea Lopez Motorsports Team is ready for
the team's foray into the late model competition, the search to add additional
sponsors to the fold continues on a daily basis. The downturn in the National
economy has become a difficult challenge for all racers trying to find glory
and success in a racing environment. Anyone who would like to lend support to
the Brea Lopez Motorsports Team efforts should contact her through her website
for further information.
Brea Lopez would like to thank all of her sponsors
and supporters for their efforts in helping the team prepare for the 2009
racing season. Redline Oil,
Finish Line Racing
Equipment and new sponsor Joe's Racing Products, Nex-Gen Motorsports and GA
Motorsports Media have all played a major role in the success of the team.
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