MALSAM FIGHTS BACK AT KENTUCKY

After a great test at the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway earlier this month, Tayler Malsam and his Cunningham Motorsports #4 Dodge team returned with high hopes for the Kentucky 150, the 11th stop on the 2008 ARCA Re/MAX Series. Those hopes stayed high as Malsam featured on the timing screen for much of the single 2-hour 15-minute practice.

Malsam’s hopes vanished when simulating a qualifying run with fresh tires late in the session; he spun and hit the turn two wall, damaging the car.

As the sole practice session was virtually over, Malsam’s crew only had time to quickly unload their back-up car, which was set –up for shorter tracks, and prepare for qualifying.

Under ARCA rules, Malsam was relegated to the end of the qualifying line for a single qualifying lap. With no practice time in the back-up car, he earned the 30th starting spot on the 41-car field, but under the series impound rules, only minor adjustments could be made to the car before the start of the 150-mile race just two hours later.

Malsam turned his fastest lap of the race on lap 94 of the scheduled 100 laps and was able to stay on the lead lap for the entire race to finish 19th. That drive allowed him to maintain his eighth spot in the ARCA RE/MAX Series championship.

“We came here wanting to be aggressive and we had a car capable of running up front said Malsam. “We went that last fraction over the edge in practice and we paid a big price for it. I am grateful to the team for all their extra work to get the back-up car ready and to keep fighting for every position.”

Mid Season Grades: Tayler Malsam

TOLEDO OH (7-9-08)--Driving for the Cunningham Motorsports Dodge Development Team, Tayler Malsam has quietly worked his way to eighth in the ARCA RE/MAX Series point standings through patience and consistent finishes. Midway through the 2008 race season he has finished outside of the top-20 on just one occassion and only has three finishes outside of the top-15. The 19-year-old West Coast-based driver is one of six SunTrust Rookie of the Year contenders currently in the top-ten in the series point standings.

Malsam is the next featured driver in arcaracing.com's "Mid Season Report Cards", which recaps the 2008 performance of a different ARCA RE/MAX Series driver and team each day, focusing on the top-15 championship point contenders.

Tayler Malsam's Season Stats at a Glance:

Tayler Malsam
DOB: 2/15/1989
Hometown: Sammamish, Washington
Profession: Race Driver
Marital Status: Single
No. of Children: No Children

2008 STATS:
Date Track Start Finish Laps Led Laps Completed Reason Out
2-9 Daytona Int'l Speedway 21 18 0 74/80 Running
4-13 Salem Speedway 12 31 0 30/204 Accident
4-19 Iowa Speedway 11 10 0 250/250 Running
4-25 Kansas Speedway 9 14 0 100/100 Running
5-4 Rockingham Speedway 11 14 0 308/312 Running
5-10 Kentucky Speedway 6 11 0 112/112 Running
5-18 Toledo Speedway 14 13 0 204/204 Running
6-7 Pocono Raceway 7 3 0 86/86 Running
6-13 Michigan Int'l Speedway 23 18 0 100/100 Running
6-29 Cayuga Speedway Park 14 11 0 257/257 Running



Mid Season Report Card:

Professor Driver Grade Team Grade Analysis
B- B- Tayler is another one of the young open wheel drivers making the transition to stock cars. He's been pretty consistent with 7 top 15 finishes in the first 10 races. He had a great 3rd place finish at a very difficult Pocono race track. He needs to bump up the top 15's to top 10s. Sometimes it's difficult to differentiate between the driver and the team. In this case the team has only fallen out of one race and that was due to an accident. Finishing races will continue making this team better.

B+ B I see a lot of promise in this young driver and more top-5 and top-10 finishes will come with experience. Tayler has been very fortunate to be able to draw on the resources of everyone at Cunningham Motorsports, especially Mark Gibson.

C + B- Can be fast, as proven in Pocono. Winning in his 410 dirt sprint car in the Northwest this season has provided a bit of relief to the scrutiny of a factory-assisted, now Penske-affiliated team. Driver is young, learning and will need to be a little more aggressive in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Adding Paul Andrews to the mix as a consultant has been a plus. Consistency will come, need to string together top-10's.

C + B- Top ten qualifying efforts at Kansas, Kentucky and Pocono show Tayler's strength on the super speedways. This Dodge development team has been able to keep the race car on the track with a high laps completed ratio. Cunningham Motorsports has put reliable equipment on the race track and Tayler has made the most of it. Salem's 31st place finish is by far the worst of the year.

B- B Tayler Malsam's best finish was a strong third at Pocono. A wreck took him out at Salem. He's had one other top ten. Consistent finishes in the top eighteen account for the rest of his 2008 so far. A Dodge development driver and part of a team that now has Penske Racing affiliation, may up the pressure on the 19 year old, but he's staying consistent. Cunningham Motorsports gets a bit of a bump in grade because of the new Penske connection.

Tayler Malsam B B I give myself a B and I give the team a B. We are both doing great and both have lots of room for improvement.
Arcaracing.com's "Mid Season Report Cards" recaps the 2008 performance of a different

MALSAM CAN’T WAIT FOR KENTUCKY


Seattle—Tayler Malsam, driver of the #4 Dodge Driver Development ARCA car for Cunningham Motorsports, is home in Seattle enjoying a well earned mid-season break. There is just one problem. He cannot wait for competition to resume in the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series, July 18th at the Kentucky Speedway.

“We just had an awesome test (July 1) at Kentucky,” said Malsam, 19, a Dodge factory driver who currently sits eighth in the series championship. “The Cunningham team did a great job and we were super-fast.”

“The best news is that our car was very consistent,” said Malsam. “Most cars set their best time when they simulated a qualifying run, but we ended up third fastest and we never simulated qualifying.” Twenty cars participated in the official ARCA test.

Malsam’s team, Cunningham Motorsports, recently announced an alliance with Penske Racing and is becoming Penske’s official development team.

An ARCA rookie, Malsam qualified seventh at the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway earlier this season and, but for a pit miscue, would likely have been in contention for a top five finish. Now, he says; “I can’t wait to get back here for the race.”

In the meantime, he will spend part of the mid-season break vacationing with family and friends in the Pacific Northwest. “There is only one thing that could be more beautiful than the Northwest this time of year,” said Malsam, “and that would be a great run at Kentucky when we come back.” Speed TV will carry the live broadcast at 8:00pm EDT.

MALSAM MOVES NORTH IN POINTS
Seattle Rookie Now 8th in ARCA Standings

Seattle---Tayler Malsam, 19, heads to the mid-point of his rookie ARCA Re/Max season now eighth in series points, having inched up the standings with a solid 11th place finish in yesterday’s Cayuga ARCA 200 in Ontario, Canada.

“We had a field trip,” said Malsam of Sunday’s race. “We started 14th and fell all the way down to18th place early on, but we worked out way back up. We got into the top 10 by mid-race and eventually we were all the way up to fourth place. Realistically, we probably should have been eighth,” said Malsam.

“We were best on long runs and we stayed out in P8, but there were a lot of yellows, and then two green-white-checker restarts so the guys with fresh tires got back around us at the end,” said Malsam of his 11th place finish.

Malsam and his #4 Dodge Driver Development Cunningham Racing will be testing Tuesday (July 1st) at the 1.5 mile Kentucky Speedway in preparation for his next stop, the Kentucky ARCA/ReMax 150 on July 18th. The race is the 11th in the 21 race series and serves at the season mid-point.

“This is the first track that we will race for a second time this season, said Malsam. “We had a fast car at the first Kentucky race,” said Malsam, who qualified seventh at Kentucky in May. “We want to build on that and move up some more.”

MALSAM HEADS TO CANADA

Seattle----Seattle’s Tayler Malsam heads to the northern shores of Lake Erie for Sunday’s ARCA Re/Max 250 at Ontario’s Cayuga Raceway. The .625-mile paved oval is the 10th stop on the 2008 ARCA Re/Max series.

Malsam finished 11th at the three-day long “Dirt Cup” last weekend, at Washington’s Skagit Speedway, qualifying 4th and 6th on the first two nights in a rugged field loaded with Sprint tour regulars. He now turns his focus solely to ARCA stock cars and the Cunningham Motorsports #4 Dodge Driver Development Dodge.

An ARCA rookie and Dodge factory driver, Malsam, 19, is currently ninth in the ARCA driver’s standings and looking to move up as the series approaches the mid-point of the 21-race schedule.

“We have a lot of fun racing Sprint cars, but right now all of my focus is on the ARCA car and working with our Cunningham Motorsports team to get ourselves consistently into the top five,” said Malsam.

Coming off a career best third place ARCA finish at Pocono; Malsam moved from the 23rd starting position all the way up to 8th at the most recent race at Michigan, before dropping ten spots after the last pit stop.

“My background is mostly on short tracks, but, for some reason, we have done better on the bigger tracks like Pocono; Kentucky and Michigan than on the short tracks,” said Malsam. “We have some ideas, but we need to do a better job on the short tracks if we want to move up in the points.”

So, what is the biggest difference between the 410 sprint car and his #4 Cunningham Motorsports Driver Development Dodge? “I don’t think the team would like it if I started doing wheelies in the ARCA car!” laughs Malsam.

It's been quite a ride for young race car driver

Just 19 years old, Tayler Malsam already is an accomplished racer who will be competing in his third Dirt Cup (Everett Herald Sports Section front page 6.19.08)

By Scott Whitmore
Herald Writer

It isn't hard to find Tayler Malsam on a racetrack: look up front where the leaders are running.

Finding him off the track is a more difficult proposition, as the 19-year-old has spent the year crisscrossing the country to race.

As a rookie in the ARCA RE/MAX series, Malsam has raced stock cars for Cunningham Motorsports in Kentucky, Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan since beginning the season in February in Daytona, Fla.

Between his ARCA starts Malsam has raced midget cars in the Midwest or flown west to race sprint cars in California and at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma and Skagit Speedway in Alger.

"I have no idea where he is half the time," said Marsha Malsam, Tayler's mother. "Until about three weeks ago he did all his own flights, hotels and everything. He can't even rent a car because he's not old enough."

At least Marsha Malsam knows where her oldest child will be this weekend: racing a 410 sprint car for Rudeen Racing in the 37th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway in Alger. It will be the third time competing at the Dirt Cup for Tayler Malsam, who was raised in Sammamish and recently moved to Mill Creek. He finished 13th in the C main of the 2006 edition, but advanced to the Dirt Cup A main in 2007, coming in ninth.

Although he has found success in stock cars -- he is currently ninth on the ARCA RE/MAX points list and is a candidate for the series' rookie of the year -- Malsam said he welcomes the chance to race sprint cars.

"I prefer 410 sprint cars, they're my favorite … a good race in a stock car is pretty fun," he said. "But you can't do a wheelie in a stock car."

Malsam's rise in racing has come quickly. While some of his peers began racing quarter-midgets at the age of 5, Malsam didn't get behind the wheel of a go-kart until he was in high school.

And that came about in an unexpected way.

Although his mother said Malsam "did all the traditional sports" growing up, he was born with a muscular problem in his legs that later affected his physical development and led to arthritis in both feet.

At 15, Malsam had corrective surgery on his feet, ankles and calves. He had a cast on one leg for six months and a cast on the other leg, which was in worse shape at the time of the surgery, for eight months.

Malsam recovered from the surgery and remains physically active outside of a race car, but Marsha Malsam said her son will probably have pain in his feet for the rest of his life.

The loss of foot speed also limited his ability to be competitive in many sports.

"That was one of life's servings there … We told him, 'You need to find something you're passionate about,'" Marsha Malsam said. "Within two days he was enrolled in a men's go-karting league."

Although there were no racers in his immediate family -- parents Marsha and Steve Malsam; sisters Nadalie, 18, and Makenzie, 15; and brother Kollin, 11 -- Tayler Malsam had a grandfather, an uncle and an aunt that raced snowmobiles.

Another uncle, Kevin Rudeen, had raced sprint cars at one time and started Rudeen Racing, later becoming Malsam's sprint car team owner.

In his first year racing go-karts in 2005, the then-16-year-old was the only Northwest driver to qualify for the Rotax Nationals, finishing 18th out of 100 racers from around the country.

The next year Malsam moved up to racing in the open-wheel Formula TR series in California, Oregon and Arizona, and then sprint cars in California and locally at Skagit and Grays Harbor.

While taking part in his first late-model races in 2007 at Irwindale Speedway in California, Malsam ran into Bob Perona, a driving coach he knew from his Formula TR days. The two "bonded real quick," said Malsam, who asked Perona to work with him.

Perona agreed and shortly thereafter arranged a test drive with Cunningham Motorsports, which has competed in NASCAR and ARCA since its founding in 1996.

"It was his first time in that type of stock car but he nailed it," Marsha Malsam said of the test. "We didn't know what to expect."

Tayler Malsam made his ARCA debut in a Cunningham car in October 2007 at Toledo Speedway in Ohio. He finished a disappointing 33rd after starting eighth, but team managers at Cunningham saw his potential and signed Malsam to run the full 2008 ARCA schedule.

ARCA is the second largest sanctioning body for stock cars after NASCAR, and has been used by many drivers as a stepping stone into NASCAR.

Breaking into NASCAR in either the Craftsman Truck or Nationwide series is Malsam's plan for the immediate future, with his ultimate goals being to race in the top-tier Sprint Cup series and own a World of Outlaws sprint car team.

Those plans got a boost earlier this month when Cunningham signed a developmental partnership with Penske Racing, the team that won the 2008 Daytona 500 and is owned by the legendary Roger Penske.

"It's so new, it has been quite a ride," Marsha Malsam said of her son's racing career. "It's a thrill to see your kid do something he is passionate about and enjoy."

MALSAM’S MAGIC RUN STALLS AT MICHIGAN


Seattle---Coming off a career best, third place finish at last week’s Pocono 200, Seattle’s Tayler Malsam appeared headed to another strong ARCA Re/Max series finish at the Michigan 200, Saturday.

“We focused on our race set up and made long runs during the practice,” said Malsam. “That hurt us in qualifying, but we had a great run going in the first half of the race.” Starting 23rd in the 41 car field, Malsam made an impressive green flag run all the way to eighth place by lap 55 of the 100 lap event only to fade to an 18th place finish.

That run stalled out after a pit stop during a caution flag on lap 59. “After the pit stop, we suddenly had a ton of understeer in the car. It was so bad that all we could do was go to damage control mode and try to hang on to the finish and get points,” said Malsam.

A Dodge factory development driver, Malsam, 19, entered the race eighth in ARCA Re/Max championship standings and dropped just one spot to ninth.

Malsam will take advantage of a mini-break in the ARCA schedule to compete in the prestigious "Dirt Cup" sprint cars races at Skagit Speedway this coming week. A field of 60 cars, including many of the top drivers in the Western states is expected. Malsam has a win and two seconds in recent Northwest Sprint competition.

MALSAM MAKES A LEAP
Takes Third at Tough ARCA Pocono Battle

Long Pond, Pa--- Tayler Malsam continued his relentless march to the front in 2008 ARCA/ReMax series competition, scoring an exciting third place finish at the Pocono 200, Saturday in Long Pond, Pa.

Driving the #4 Dodge Driver Development car for Cunningham Racing, Malsam qualified seventh and ran inside the top-ten for the entire race, including the six extra laps of an exciting “green-white-checkered” finish to claim his career best, third place, finish in just his ninth ARCA start.

“Pocono is a driver’s race track and definitely one of the most difficult tracks on the ARCA series,” said Malsam’s competition manager Bob Perona. “Pocono is a big, fast, tough, 2.5 mile speedway, with three distinctly different turns and a big challenge even for veteran drivers. For Tayler to come here, never having seen the track, and to qualify and run in the top group all day long in a 38 car field is just outstanding. This is a tribute to Tayler and the entire Cunningham Dodge team.”

Malsam Makes Most of Break in ARCA Schedule
Seven Races and an ARCA Test Fill Sammamish Rookie’s Dance Card

Sammamish, WA---After six races in as many weeks, the ARCA Re/Max schedule offers teams and drivers a rare break until the next event, the Pocono 200 at Pocono (PA) Raceway on June 7th.
Tayler Malsam, a 19-year old ARCA rookie driver from Sammamish Wash., sees that schedule in a very different light. Malsam expects to race in four USAC Midget events through the Midwest; plus three Northwest Sprint events in addition to driving his #4 Dodge Development Charger for Cunningham Motorsports in the ARCA test at Michigan International Speedway in that span.
“I love to race, and at this stage of my career the more seat time and the greater the range of experience the better,” said Malsam, a Dodge factory development driver who is currently ninth in the ARCA Re/Max point standings.
Malsam got his adventure off to an impressive start, winning the pole for the Skagit, Wash. 360 Sprints on May 24. After damaging the rear suspension, brakes, and cutting a tire when he was clipped by another car at the start, Malsam found himself at the back of the 25-car field. He wasn’t there for long, as he made great use of the “high line” and rallied to an exciting second place finish.
The next evening, Malsam started 11th and finished second in the 360 Sprints at Elma, Wash., giving him a first and two seconds in his three 2008 NW Sprint starts to date.
From there, it was off to the two-mile oval at the Michigan International Speedway for an official ARCA test on Wednesday, May 28, with his Dodge Driver Development Dodge Charger from Cunningham Motorsports.
The following morning, Thursday, May 29, Malsam and competition manager Bob Perona flew to Indianapolis to collect the team’s USAC Midget car and then drove to Beaver Dam, Wis. for the USAC Midget feature. After Friday’s race there, Malsam will return to Seattle early Saturday for another Sprint race at Skagit that evening.
Malsam’s Pocono race week is slated to begin Tuesday, June 2, with three USAC Midget races in as many nights at Williams Grove; Grande Valley and Big Diamond, before heading to Pocono for Friday’s ARCA practice and qualifying for Saturday’s race.
“I’m not going to become a better driver sitting home, said Malsam. “Every time I get in a race car, means another chance to learn."

MALSAM READY FOR TOLEDO RETURN

Sammamish, WA---In a season where everything is new, the Pacific Northwest’s Tayler Malsam, driver of the #4 Dodge Development Cunningham Motorsports Dodge, finally sees something familiar this week, the Toledo Speedway, the sixth stop on the 2008 ARCA/ReMax Series championship.

The half-mile Toledo oval is the only ARCA track where Malsam has previously raced. He made an impressive ARCA debut at Toledo last fall, qualifying eighth and running as high as seventh before being sidelined by a brake failure.

Returning to Toledo for his seventh career ARCA start, Malsam, of Sammamish, Wash. said: “We had a really good run at Toledo last year and we should run well here again. We have learned a lot since that race and we are growing as a team with every race. In addition to the ARCA races and tests, I raced sprint cars and midgets all winter, so that race here last fall seems like a million years ago,” said Malsam. “But, I still remember it all and hope we can move ourselves up the line this time.

Qualifying a career best sixth for last week’s Kentucky 150 at the 1.5 mile Kentucky Speedway,  Malsam, a Dodge factory development driver, is on a roll, gaining positions and momentum at each recent event.

He now stands 10th in the ARCA series points as he continues to climb up the fiercely competitive 40-plus car ARCA grids where the last two races have been captured by drivers with the Joe Gibbs Racing; and Roush Fenway NASCAR teams.   

The Hantz Group 200 will be held on Sunday, May 18th @ 11am pacific time.  Follow the race via live scoring on ARCARACING.COM

MALSAM MOVES INTO TOP TEN IN ARCA POINTS

Sammamish, WA---Five races into the 21-race 2008 ARCA/REMAX Series; Pacific Northwest rookie ARCA driver Tayler Malsam is now ninth in ARCA series points,  scoring a 14th place finish in the 50-car field at the longest ARCA race of the season, the Carolina 500 (km). The race marked the return of racing at the legendary one-mile Rockingham (NC) Speedway.

After scoring his first top-ten finish at Iowa; Malsam, driver of the #4 Dodge Development/ Cunningham Motorsports Dodge ran in the top five in the main practice session at Kansas and then did it again in the final practice at Rockingham. He ran as high in sixth in both races before brushes with competitors fighting for position dropped him back to 14th place finishes in each.

Facing fields including veterans such as nine-time ARCA series champion Frank Kimmel; NASCAR regular Ken Schrader, and top development drivers from NASCAR teams including: Joe Gibbs Racing; Roush-Fenway; Bill Davis Racing and Richard Childress Racing, Malsam, age 19, has proven his mettle.

“Our goals for the first half of the season are for Tayler to qualify in the top 10 and start running in the top five and Tayler is already doing that,” said Cunningham Motorsports President, Kerry Scherer.

“As a team, we are putting pieces of a weekend together, but now its time to put entire race weekends together. We’ve played catch–up on the set up at a couple of races like Rockingham where we were 27th in practice, 11th in qualifying and fifth in final practice said Scherer.

“The next two races should be good tracks for us,” said Scherer. “Tayler ran very well in our test at Kentucky which is a 1.5-mile track, just like Kansas which was his best run. Toledo was Tayler’s very first ARCA race last fall and he had a great run there, too.”

MALSAM READY TO ROCK IN ARCA’S CAROLINA 500 AT “THE ROCK”
Fresh From Skagit Sprint Win, Its ‘Rock or be Rocked’ at Rockingham

(Sammamish, WA)---Tayler Malsam is preparing to face one of the biggest challenges of his ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie season, a daunting 312 laps of the one-mile oval in Rockingham, NC, known affectionately as; “The Rock.” The Carolina 500 race is this Sunday (May 4) and will be broadcast live on Speed TV at noon (Eastern).

The appeal of an iconic track returning to competition after a four-year hiatus, combined with a record purse, will produce one of the largest and deepest fields in ARCA history.

Malsam,19, of Sammamish, WA is the factory driver of the #4 Dodge Driver Development Dodge for Cunningham Motorsports. He topped the charts for over an hour in the only practice session at the most recent ARCA event at Kansas City. Malsam was running sixth just after the midway point of the race when he was clipped by the fifth place car and lost a lap to a cut tire. Malsam battled back to regain the lead lap and finished 14th in the 40 car field.

The next day, Malsam returned to the Pacific Northwest to dominate the 360 Sprints in the 2008 season-opener at Washington’s Skagit Speedway. “It was nice to get a win at home,” said Malsam, “now we need to work our way into the top-five in ARCA.”

As he heads to Rockingham, Malsam sees just two options: “it is either rock or be rocked,” said Malsam. “We need to find a good set-up and get in the right rhythm with the track and traffic. We’ve struggled a little at the start of the last two races but made some changes that improved the car a lot. This week, we want to start the race with a good set up and keep hooked up for the entire race. This is a very long race and the traffic will be really tough. There will be times we need to be patient, but there will also be times that we have to be ready to rock.”

Fresh From First Top-10; Rookie Malsam Plans Triple-Play Weekend
Heads for Kansas ARCA; then Oregon Sprints

(Sammamish, WA) - Following his first top-ten ARCA RE/MAX Series finish in the Iowa 250, 19-year-old Tayler Malsam (Mall-sum) of Sammamish is looking to carry that momentum into the next stop, the Kansas Lottery $150 Grand at the 1.5 mile Kansas Speedway, this Friday, April 25th.

Malsam fought back from an early two-lap deficit to finish on the lead lap and claim the 10th spot in the 41-car field in just his fourth Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) start.

A prime launching pad to NASCAR, the 21-race ARCA RE/MAX Series is a fiercely competitive stock car series featuring a unique combination of highly experienced veterans and a number of factory supported promising young talents. Malsam is a Dodge Development Driver in the #4 Dodge entered by the well respected Georgia-based Cunningham Motorsports.

“Our goal for Iowa was to be on the lead lap at the finish and get our first top-ten finish,” said Malsam. 

“Tayler drove an outstanding race at Iowa,” said Bob Perona, competition director for Malsam Motorsports. “We missed the set-up a little bit and Tayler had to pass 16 cars just to get that second lap back. He did it in a calm, methodical way that took patience and persistence. Now we can go to Kansas and work to climb up the ladder.”

“Kansas should be an even better race for us,” said Malsam, who topped the speed charts during the most recent Kansas ARCA tests. The race will be televised on Speed Channel at 8:30 PM (EDT) on Saturday, April 26th.

Weather permitting; Malsam plans to fly back to the Pacific Northwest early Saturday in time for a 410 winged sprint race on the dirt at Cottage Grove Ore on Saturday evening.

ARCA schedule (April-May, 2008)

April 25          Kansas Lottery $150 Grand, Kansas Speedway, Kansas, KS*
May 4             Carolina 500, Rockingham Speedway, Rockingham, NC*
May 10           Drive Smart Buckle-Up Kentucky 150, Kentucky Speedway
May 18           Hantz Group 200, Toledo Speedway, Toledo, OH

* Broadcast on Speed Channel.

ARCA RE/MAX Series Set To Return To Action With Test At Rockingham

It's hard to believe that it's been more than a month since the ARCA RE/MAX Series has been in action, but business is about to pick up as the open test for the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Rockingham Speedway kicks off this Friday and Saturday preparing the team's for one of the most anticipated events on the '08 schedule.

New to the 2008 schedule, Rockingham has the potential to shine into the spotlight as one of the most premier events this season. With a 50-car starting field expected, the biggest purse in ARCA RE/MAX Series history not to mention a former ARCA champion and current car owner Andy Hillenburg promoting the event, there's no reason why hype shouldn't be surrounding the May 4th North Carolina 500K event.

Currently 38 drivers are entered for the two-day test. Some of the best-of-the-best inside the 56-year tour will participate in the Easter weekend session.

Here's a breakdown of some of the drivers and team's set to tackle the Rockingham mile.

4 Tayler Malsam, Dodge Motorsports-Cunningham Motorsports Dodge Charger - With Mark Gibson help making the calls, Malsam has no reason to worry. While the ARCA RE/MAX Series hasn't raced at Rockingham for decades Gibson can connect with his many acquaintances in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for some assistance. On the other hand, Gibson may not need some assistance at all. Rockingham will be a test for Malsam but I like his chances.

Former Skyline student gains race car notoriety

Keeping up a family tradition (front page article in the Issaquah Press)

By Carmell Emory


"In the Rudeen Racing No. 26 car, out of Sammamish, Washington, it's Tayler Malsam!"

The name rings loud across the stands of Skagit Speedway in Alger, a Northwest Washington community south of Bellingham. The presence and talent of the Rudeen team is well-known around this three-tenths-mile dirt track, and is gaining strength around the nation.

Malsam, 18, is at the beginning of what is likely going to be a long and prosperous career in racing, not only because he has a true passion and talent for the sport, but because it is in his blood.

Grandfather Kent Rudeen was born and raised in Spokane and raced for the Triber Tiger snowmobile race team. The adrenaline rush caused by speed and smart tactical driving was passed down to Rudeen's son and daughter, Kevin and Gwen. Both fell in love with the snow sport and traveled on the race circuit around the Northwest and Canada for more than 10 years.

Although Rudeen infected his family with racing fever, he believes that Malsam has taught him some racing moves and is very excited for his grandson, adding that he "is proud of the way Tayler conducts himself on and off the track."

Kevin took his racing passion to the next level and went from racing snowmobiles to sprint cars. The 1,200-pound cars put out 900 horsepower and can reach speeds of 150 mph.

Kevin has been involved in sprint car racing for 15 years, as well as starting his race team Rudeen Racing. The race team started off small with one car in his garage, growing to a nationally-known name after racing in the World of Outlaws for several years.

Many prominent drivers have been seated in the famous No. 26 car including Kasey Kahne, Bud Kaeding and 2004 Dirt Cup winner Shane Stewart. Over the years, the team has won many championships and continues to add to its collection.

Malsam, nicknamed "Youngblood," was born and raised on the Eastside. He attended Skyline High School until his junior year in 2006, when parents Steve and Marsha Malsam pulled him out due to a heavy racing schedule. Malsam then attended Chrysalis, a private school that accommodates traveling students.

"I love to travel and be out on the road because you get to see something new every day," he said.

He was happy to get out of Sammamish and experience the racing lifestyle. When he's not on the racetrack, you can find him doing other extreme sports such as racing dirt bikes and wake surfing.

Malsam's racing career has gotten off to an exciting start as a rookie. Most youth get into the racing scene as young as 8 to 10 years old. At that age, Malsam was watching his uncle race every weekend at the Skagit Speedway, dreaming about the day he could do the same.

His first time on a track was on Monday nights, racing go-karts in an adult league, although he was only 16. His father dedicated his extra time to racing with his son and saw a natural talent in him.

That natural ability and Malsam's passion for racing had them reaching for the next level. He competed in the Rotax Go-Kart series, making it to the nationals in his first season, the only Northwest driver to do so.

Malsam's talent and passion did not go unnoticed by his uncle, and he soon found himself racing a second car for the team. The young rookie proved to be an asset, advancing to the famed No. 26 car in less than a year.

In both the 360 and 410 sprint cars, Malsam has raced at Skagit Speedway, Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Irwindale Speedway in California, and many other areas around the country.

Crew chief for Rudeen Racing, Shane Anderson, has worked with the team for three years.

"It's been a pleasure working with the Rudeen family and watching Tayler grow as a driver to the next level," Anderson said.

One of Malsam's biggest accomplishments was last August at the legendary Knoxville Sprint Car Nationals in Iowa, where the ultimate sprint car racing takes place. Malsam took the title, having the fastest lap time a rookie has ever recorded, 15.044 seconds, around a half-mile track.

A successful first year of racing has once again pushed Malsam to the next level. After testing the Cunningham Motorsports ARCA Dodge this past July, Malsam was signed up to run the full 2008 series, where his driving coach, Bob Perona, believes that "racing, you see, is about the package."

The ARCA series is the professional training ground of stock car racing and can give that one special driver the opportunity to advance to NASCAR. For now, this Dodge Development Team wants to get Malsam to the level of a paid driver on one of the Nextel Cup teams. He will get that chance this season by racing in 23 races at some of the most famous racetracks in history, in four Nextel Cup cars.

So is this young kid from Sammamish the next Kasey Kahne? The next Earnhardt? His coach and team think so.

Perona admits that when he first met Malsam, nothing jumped out at him. However, his opinion changed just one year later when he saw Malsam again.

"I knew right away that Tayler was something special and unique," Perona said.

Carmell Emory writes for Fire Down Productions.

ARCA's article on Tayler . . .

TOLEDO OH (3-3-08) - Ken Schrader was one of the first superstars to break through to the big time world of stock car racing via the rough and tumble world of open wheel racing. The Fenton, Missouri native, unquestionably, helped paved the way for the likes of Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, and others who honed their skills in midgets and sprints.

One of the next, young open-wheel warriors who hopes to spring board into the highest levels of stock car racing is 19-year-old Tayler Malsam, one of the new faces on the ARCA RE/MAX Series tour. See Homepage Video

Malsam, who's been racing winged sprints on the West Coast for several years, caught the eye of the Cunningham Motorsports stable, the flagship Dodge Development team in the ARCA RE/MAX Series.

"It worked out that I got the opportunity to test with Cunningham Motorsports at Peach State Speedway last year," said Malsam, who hails from Sammamish, Washington. "We did well enough that we got the okay from Kerry Scherer (Malsam's ARS car owner). Next thing I know, we've signed a deal to run the whole year."

After debuting the #4 Cunningham Motorsports-Dodge Development Dodge at Toledo Speedway in October of 2007, Malsam made his superspeedway debut in last month's 45th running of the ARCA 200 at Daytona.

"Although our finish (18th) didn't show it, we had a great run going at Daytona. We got caught up in that big wreck and went a lap down. But after some great pit stops, we got our lap back and were working our way back to the front when we cut a right rear tire. After all that, we had some overheating issues. But, we learned a lot and it was definitely the most fun I've had racing in a while. Loved all the drafting; and I can't wait for Talladega."

But there's a lot of racing to be done in between now and Talladega. And for Malsam, who cut his teeth in winged sprint car racing, the up and coming racer will climb back into his sprint car to fill the gap leading up to the ARCA RE/MAX Series' next event at Salem Speedway on April 13th.

"I'm gunna be running some sprint cars the first couple of weeks in March. We're planning on running the Mini Gold Cup in Chico, California with the Golden State Series. Then we're going to fly back home to Washington the next morning. We're going to a function in Seattle in support of Juvenile Diabetes. We'll have one of the ARCA cars on display and auction some tickets off for the ARCA race at MIS. But the whole reason we're going is to try and raise money for Juvenile Diabetes."

In addition to running the sprint car, March means more ARCA RE/MAX Series testing for Malsam and the Cunningham Motorsports Dodge Development team.

"We're doing the Rockingham test (March 21, 22), then we're scheduled to test at Salem on the 26th."

From a 1,200 lb sprint car to a 3,400 lb stock car, Malsam's going to be getting a lot of both in the near future.

"You're definitely up on the wheel more in a sprint car, and in and out of the gas a lot more. You drive them a lot differently. You're driving sideways in a sprint car; but in the stock car, you're driving straight. But the quick reflexes and throttle control it takes to run a sprint car only helps when you get in a heavier stock car, I think.

"But yah, they're a lot different; there's no doubt about that. In a sprint car you're racing as hard as you can from the drop of the green flag. In a stock car, you have to learn to pace yourself.

"I can't wait to go to Salem; I've heard it's fast and fun."

And whether it's in an open-wheel machine or a stock car, Malsam likes to go fast and have fun.

"If I'm not in a racecar, I'm on something that goes. I like to snowmobile, dirt-bike, skateboard, you name it. My dad says I probably shouldn't do it; he's concerned I'm going to get hurt. I can understand that. He's got so much invested in me when it comes to my future. But all this stuff is just too much fun. You just have to use good judgment. There's a difference between stupid fun and smart fun."

Malsam's plans in '08 include the full ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule and lots of open-wheel racing in between.

"I'm going to run the sprint car next weekend; and I'll probably be in a sprint car every weekend I'm not in the ARCA car. I'm also running a dirt midget in about 12 races - USAC and some other divisions.

"I'm working out every day with a personal trainer lifting weights, cardio, racquetball - staying busy with that too. My dad's a real estate developer, and I help him in the off-season too. If I'm not doing that, I'm in the sprint car shop getting ready for our next race."

Despite a very busy open-wheel schedule in 2008, Malsam's main focus will be the Kerry Scherer-owned no. 4 Cunningham Motorsports-Dodge Development Dodge; especially if he hopes to get to that next level where the likes of Gordon, Stewart, Newman and Kahne play for big dollars and big press.

Having said that, Malsam's got a lot to work with in the ARCA RE/MAX Series ranks. Not only will he be training with a first-class, high-quality team, he'll have the knowledge of veteran series driver Mark Gibson to work with all year.

"Mark's going to be my crew chief all year. Everything I've learned in a stock car, I've learned from him. I talk to him all the time; I just talked to him yesterday as a matter of fact. He's helped me a lot. We communicate really well. We're both super calm and quiet, so we're on the same page. Except he was a lot more nervous on raceday (at Daytona) than I was. I had to calm him down," joked Malsam. "But I understand how valuable he (Gibson) is to the success of our team. He's got more experience in that garage than 90% of the people there. I have a lot of respect for him, and I listen to everything he tells me. I'd be a fool if I didn't."

A great start for Malsam, despite a disappointing finish

Seattle, WA, (2-11-08) - Tayler Malsam did everything right during his Daytona debut in the ARCA RE/MAX 200. The talented rookie from Sammamish Washington was cool, consistent, and fast, making his way from his 21st starting position into the top 11 and setting a blistering pace in his #4 Cunningham Motorsports Dodge. But bad luck can befall some really good cars at Daytona and on lap 30, the “big one” all but ended the day for the Dodge development driver.

Malsam qualifies 21st for his first race at Daytona; 2nd fastest in happy hour practice.

Seattle, WA 2-9-08 - The Cunningham Motorsports team was forced to endure a long and stressful qualifying session yesterday, awaiting their opportunity to make their run after watching 59 cars go a little faster than they expected.  Everyone on the #4 Dodge crew was a little nervous, that is except the driver, Tayler Malsam, who at only 18 years of age was calm and collected and ready to put his car firmly in the show.  When it was all said and done Malsam ran a 50.354, good enough to start 21st in one of the most competitive qualifying fields in recent memory.  Good enough to give the team a collective sigh and allow them to focus on the race Saturday.

“I told my crew chief Mark Gibson not to worry, I knew we had the car”, Said the rookie from Sammamish Washington who will be competing in his first race at Daytona.  “It was a good lap and now we can get to the business of racing.” 

And the business of racing is what this team is looking forward to, feeling that they might not have the best qualifying car in the field, but certainly one of the best race cars.  That feeling was supported by a strong showing in happy hour practice this evening where Malsam was 2nd fastest in drafting practice, a better gauge of how competitive the car is going to be in the race than qualifying. 

“The car is really good in the draft, really stable”, said Malsam.  “In a pack we were really fast, and I am looking really forward to getting the green flag tomorrow.  I think we have a great chance at bringing this car to the front.”

Malsam showed that he is going to have one of the fast race cars in tomorrow’s race; the question now is whether or not this youngster from the Northwest can bring his car to the front and battle for the win.  He is certainly going to be one of the ones to watch.

Malsam shows top 10 speed at Daytona

Seattle, WA – 18 year old Tayler Malsam got his first taste of Daytona International Speedway this weekend and came away feeling pretty good about his chances when the ARCA Re/Max series makes its season opening trip to the 2.5 mile Super-speedway in February.  “We really worked hard on the race car this weekend, and the entire Cunningham Motorsports team did a great job putting together a really fast package” said Malsam, who will begin his rookie season in the ARCA Series at Daytona.  “We rolled off the trailer with a good car, but we made a lot of progress as the weekend went on and by Sunday we were able to show our speed”.

Tayler was 9th quick overall by the end of testing on Sunday.  “We struggled a bit on Saturday trying to find exactly the right package, but by Sunday the car was really good both by itself and in the draft, which is important for us, because we want to qualify toward the front for this race.”  Said Tayler, who also commented on his first laps at this historic racetrack, “It was pretty special to get to drive here finally.  The next step is to win here, and hopefully Ill get the opportunity to do that in February.”

Tayler Malsam ready for his first taste of Daytona

Seattle - Rookie racer Tayler Malsam has already learned about short track ARCA racing at Toledo Speedway, The high speed thrills of speedway testing at Kentucky Speedway, and the high banks and flat out action of Talladega, but this weekend Malsam will finally experience the famed 2.5 mile Daytona Super-speedway when he tests his #4 Cunningham Motorsports Dodge this weekend among a field of more than 60 racers in preparation of the February main event.

“I’m really excited about testing at Daytona this weekend”, said Malsam “We have a couple of cars and the team has been working very hard to bring a package that is going to qualify and race well.  There is so much history at this place, and I’m just glad to finally get the opportunity to drive here.”

Malsam has already been fast in pre season testing, showing the speed that made him one of the crowd favorites in his 360 and 410 sprinters on the west coast last season.  Tayler qualified 8th for his first ARCA race last September at Toledo and raced solidly in the top 10 before he was sidelined with a brake problem.  He was also quick at Kentucky, driving the #4 car to times that would have put him on pole for either of the two races there last season.  This weekend he will be looking to keep that performance going.

Assisting Malsam at Daytona will be new teammate and 9 time series Champion Frank Kimmel, who will be driving with Cunningham Motorsports for the test and the race at Daytona in February.  “It’s going to be great having Frank as a teammate”, said Malsam, who hopes to learn a lot from the reigning ARCA Champion.  “Hopefully Frank can help me shorten my learning curve and get to the front quickly”.

The official ARCA Daytona test session will be held this weekend from Friday, December 14th through Sunday December 16th. 

Tayler Malsam attends PRI show, visits Nextel Cup shops in Charlotte.

Seattle – Tayler Malsam got his first look at a Nextel Cup shop from the inside this weekend when he visited both the Hendrick Motorsports and Ganassi Racing shops in Charlotte, North Carolina, immediately following two days at the Performance Racing Industry Show in Orlando. 

“This was a great weekend, a lot of fun and an awesome experience”, Said Malsam, driver of the #4 Cunningham Motorsports ARCA race car.  “The PRI show was huge, and I was happy to have the #4 car there and to show support for G-Force Safety Equipment, they are a fantastic company”.

Following the PRI show, Malsam traveled to Charlotte North Carolina, Home of many of the NASCAR Nextel Cup teams, where he had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the cars he hopes to be driving in the future.  “I was really impressed with both the Hendrick and Ganassi race shops.  I really have to thank both organizations for giving me the opportunity to see what goes into a Nextel Cup program.  Hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to drive for one of those teams in the future.”

Malsam, who will be driving the #4 Dodge as a rookie this season in the ARCA ReMax Series, is busy preparing for the coming season.  “I have stepped up my fitness program and I am focusing on what I need to do to be a race winner this season.  I know the entire Cunningham team is as ready as I am for Daytona.  Should be fun!”

Malsam shows his speed at Thunderbowl raceway

Tulare, CA  -  In an up and down night of 360 sprinter racing, Rudeen Racing’s Tayler Malsam showed his speed, qualifying 2nd out of 83 cars, and then showed his grit, coming from 20th in the B  Main to finish 9th and then running away with the C main victory.  Malsam was looking for bigger better things with a front row qualifying spot, but after trouble with his car in the heat race, Tayler found himself playing catch up all night and was unable to transfer to the main. 

“We had a great car in qualifying,” Said Malsam, who knows a great qualifying car.  Earlier this season, Malsam set the fastest qualifying lap ever by a rookie at the Knoxville Nationals.  “I was able to run it wide open and use the curb well, we just didn’t seem to get any luck after that”. 

Facing a 6 car invert in the heat race, which had him starting 6th on the outside of row 3, Malsam struggled with the handling on his car and was unable to secure the transfer to the main.  Following a scoring mistake, Malsam was forced to start 20th in the B main where even a broken shock couldn’t keep him from showing his race craft.  Tayler moved through the field to finish ninth with a spirited drive in a banged up race car, but it wasn’t enough to get the transfer to the main, and Malsam was disappointed to be out of the mix.  “We had the speed all night,” said Malsam “It just seemed like everything conspired against us and we weren’t able to get the result that we deserved.  We should be strong tomorrow night and I am going to give it my all just like I do every race.  Hopefully we will have some better fortune.”

In the C main, Malsam took the lead early and never looked back, winning in dominating style.  It was only a glimpse of what could have been however, and the Rudeen Racing crew can only regroup and hope for a better night on Saturday, when Tayler will once again get a chance to show his remarkable speed. 

2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series Schedule Released

The Rock, a Road Course & Repeat Trip to Canada Spice Up 08 Tour

TOLEDO OH (11-9-07) - The ARCA RE/MAX Series, long recognized as the most versatile touring series in motorsports, has released its 2008 schedule to include 21 events in 13 states and Canada. A diverse combination of superspeedways, short tracks, dirt tracks and a return to road course racing for the first time since 2001 will help steer the tour into its 56th consecutive season of competition.

Click here to check out Tayler's 2008 ARCA season.

Malsam quick at Kentucky as preseason testing begins with Cunningham Motorsports

Seattle, WA  -  Even though its only November, Tayler Malsam and his team are feeling pretty good about their 2008 aspirations following a very successful run at Kentucky earlier this week.  Malsam, who had a great run at Toledo in his first ARCA race, qualifying eighth before a brake failure sidelined him, made his first trip to a speed way on Tuesday.  A tire failure on his number 4 machine almost cost him the day, but after some minor repairs Malsam was back at it, setting a time of 30.403, good enough for the front row at both Kentucky races last season.

“I really liked this racetrack”, said Malsam, who was visiting a mile and a half speedway for the first time Tuesday, “Its fast and you’ve really got to finesse the race car.  I feel like we made some great strides today and there was more to be gained.  We will be good here when come back for the races next season.”   

Crew chief Mark Gibson was impressed with his 18 year old driver.  “Tayler did a great job today, and his feedback was excellent.”  Said Gibson, “The car was a little banged up after we had a tire go down but it didn’t seem to cost us any time on the race track.  I think there were a few more tenths to be had out of the car if we tried a qualifying run, but we had a fender rubbing and it wasn’t worth the possible downside.” 

The Cunningham Motorsports team ended up with less than 50 laps on the day, but Malsam was a quick study and the test was an overall success.  The next stop for Malsam and the number 4 crew will be Daytona International Speedway for three days of testing on the high banks. 

Tayler Malsam will be contesting his rookie season in the ARCA ReMax Series in 2008 after success in both late models and dirt sprint cars. 

Busy off season ahead, for Tayler Malsam

With winter quickly approaching, Tayler Malsam is looking at a full slate of activity this 07-08 off season. After a strong showing at his first ARCA Re/Max Series race last month, Tayler looks forward to his last sprint car race of the year and several stock car tests. On November 6th & 7th Malsam will join Cunningham Motorsports at Kentucky Speedway to test his #4 Dodge/Fire-Down Graphics ARCA car which he will be piloting full time in 2008. Tayler will then return home to Seattle and switch helmet bags, trading his stock car helmet for his dirt covered sprint car lid. On November 15th & 16th the Tayler will compete in the 14th Annual Trophy Cup in Tulare, CA. The 18 year old will be behind the wheel of his #26 Rudeen Racing sprinter as he takes on the best of the west at the dirt high banks of Thunderbowl Raceway. After the completion of his sprint car season, Tayler will then jump back into his #4 Dodge sponsored ARCA car and head to the legendary Talladega Superspeedway to shake down one of his new cars for the upcoming season. Next the Sammamish, WA native will head south to sunny Florida were Tayler will take place in a three day long test session at the hallowed grounds of Daytona International Speedway on December 14th-17th . All of Cunningham’s testing is leading up to the first ARCA Re/Max Series race of the year at Daytona in February. That race along with several others will be televised live on the Speed Channel.

Malsam shows his speed at Toledo

Seattle, WA - Point proven.  Although it was an up and down weekend for Tayler Malsam in his first ARCA ReMax start, the driver of the #56 Cunningham Dodge showed that he is going to be a consistent front runner next season in his rookie campaign.  Malsam, who qualified 8th out of a very competitive field of 48 cars, recorded the 4th fastest lap of the race and impressed in the opening laps challenging the front cars and running solidly in the top 10 before a brake problem eventually sidelined the car. 

“I am really happy with the weekend, if not the result”, said Malsam of his first race in the highly competitive ARCA ReMax Series, “We showed that we have the speed to compete here and I feel like I had a top 5 in the car if we did not have brake problems.  It’s unfortunate because I was really looking forward to finishing strong in my first race, but the team did such a great job and I am really looking forward to competing for the championship next season”. 

Malsam started right behind 9 time and current series champion Frank Kimmel and maintained his 8th place starting position for the first 30 laps before brake problems started to take their toll.  After the second caution Malsam did everything he could to keep the #56 Dodge in the top 10, but with no brake pedal pressure he slipped back toward the back of the lead lap before being spun by another competitor.  “There wasn’t much I could do, I was lifting at the middle of each straight and trying to just drive the car with no brakes, but it really put me at a disadvantage”, said Malsam.  By the 100 lap mark, the right front wheel was literally on fire and the crew decided to retire the car after 106 laps feeling it was too dangerous to continue without any brakes. 

Malsam will compete in a full ARCA ReMax schedule with Cunningham Motorsports in 2008. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICTURES FROM THE RACE.

Coming soon video of Tayler's pit stop.

Malsam Debut at Toledo

October 10, 2007
Tayler Malsam

Statham, GA (October 9, 2007) – Tayler Malsam is a name that is recognized on the West Coast and if another notable name like Kasey Kahne sounds familiar then you have an idea of what type of racing Tayler Malsam has been around. Tayler will make his debut this weekend in the #56 Firedown Graphics Dodge Charger at the Toledo Speedway in the Hantz Group 200 by Belle Tire. Tayler an open wheel racer has raced with the best and knows how to go flat out to grab the checkers. The Cunningham Motorsports team are preparing three entries this weekend with teammates Justin South in the #59 HD Supply Lumber and Building Materials Dodge and Ray Mooi will be piloting the #4 Dodge Motorsports Dodge Charger and with Tayler Malsam making his first start in the ARCA REMAX Series it should be a winning weekend for the organization. Tayler will be assisted by Robert Perona known as one of the best driving assistants in the business for this weekend. The team is looking forward to a great weekend and good race in Toledo.

"The Toledo track is cool, I really enjoyed the test there a couple of weeks ago. I am really looking forward to the event and with a few goals in mind. I want to finish the race and hopefully shoot for a top ten and stay out of everybody else’s accidents. I know this racing is a lot different compared to what I have been racing in the open wheel series, but I am really confident and have worked hard to be in shape for 200 laps at Toledo. Normally, we run a ten lap heat and take a break, so I know that I am going to have to be on my toes the whole time. It will pretty cool if everything works out. Hopefully the high line will come into play and I can get a good run in for the whole Cunningham Motorsports gang,” said Tayler.

Tayler Televised live on SPEED

Watch Tayler's 1st ARCA race at Toledo Speedway Sunday Oct. 14, LIVE on SPEED Channel 11am (pacific time). Tayler will be driving the Dodge #56 car. The Dodge team will be debuting a new paint scheme by FIRE-DOWN graphics.

Cunningham Motorsports Ready for ARCA Championship Weekend

Tests at Toledo This Week with Tayler Malsam
TOLEDO OH (9-18-07)-The future of Cunningham Motorsports is 18-year-old Taylor Malsam. The Seattle, Washington native and West coast sprint car racer will compete for the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship in the Cunningham Motorsports No. 4 Dodge Development Team Charger. But before making a charge for the '08 title, Malsam is headed to Toledo Speedway for ARCA Championship Weekend. He is scheduled to drive the No. 56 Dodge for Cunningham Motorsports in the October 14th Hantz Group 200 presented by Belle Tire.

The team spent portions of this week testing at Toledo in preparation for the 200-lap Hantz Group 200 short track thriller, which rolls off LIVE on SPEED at 2 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, October 14th.

Malsam has been impressive in 2007 in both Sprint cars and Late Models on the West coast, posting excellent results in his No. 26 Rudeen Racing/FIRE-DOWN Graphics Sprint Car, as well as his No. 26 Late Model at Irwindale Speedway.

"I can't wait to race on the speedways" said Malsam, "the ARCA car is so powerful, and the team just seems like a natural fit for me."

This week's Toledo Speedway ARCA RE/MAX Series test, combined with a recent test at Peach State Speedway in Georgia and an aggressive racing schedule on the West coast are serving as training for Malsam, as he prepares to make both his ARCA RE/MAX Series debut and a run at the 2008 championship.

"Tayler has been racing non stop it seems this season, and he has continued to impress me with both his speed and knowledge,"said Bob Perona, who serves as Malsam's racing coach.  "I have no doubt that Tayler is going to have some great results next season.  He is definitely one of the up and coming stars of stock car racing."

Along list of drivers have used the No. 4 Cunningham Motorsports Dodge Development car to gain ARCA RE/MAX Series experience on both short tracks and speedways, including Josh Wise, Scott Lagasse, Jr., Juan Montoya, Tim Andrews, Rob Bunker, Chase Miller and Ray Mooi, among others.

Watch Tayler Malsam and the Cunningham Motorsports Team during ARCA Championship Weekend at Toledo Speedway. The Hantz Group 200 presented by Belle Tire rolls off LIVE on SPEED on Sunday, October 14th at 2 p.m. Eastern.

Tickets to the Hantz Group 200 prestented by Belle Tire are available in advance by calling Toledo Speedway (419) 727-1100.