2009 News

Alli Owens to Drive for Venturini Motorsports in 2010

Huntersville, N.C. (September 21, 2009) – Alli Owens and ElectrifyingCareers.com announce they will team with Venturini Motorsports in 2010. The team will compete in select ARCA Series events and potential NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races. The team is in continued talks with potential partners to expand her 2010 schedule. Owens will pilot the famed Venturini Motorsports Chevrolets.

“Venturini Motorsports’ reputation speaks for itself,” said Owens. “They’ve been in the ARCA Series for more than 25 years. They’re winning races and almost always finish in the top-five in points. It’s truly an honor to join their organization. I know their talent and resources will be an asset to me. I’m looking forward to working with them next season and know that we’ll achieve a lot together.”

The 2010 season will mark Owens’ and ElectrifyingCareers.com’s third year in the ARCA Series. In 2008, Owens teamed with DGM Racing for 12 events and drove to four top-20 finishes. Owens has competed in nine events this year with D’Hondt Motorsports. To date, Owens has tallied two top-10 finishes, seven top-20 finishes and sat on the outside pole at the Daytona International Speedway in the 2009 series.

“I watched her really mature this year,” said Billy Venturini, crew chief and general manager of Venturini Motorsports. “I’ve had my eye on her since she entered the ARCA Series. In 2008, she showed flashes of what she is capable of. This season she was steady all year. She ran in the top-10 and practiced well. I think she has what it takes to go far in our sport. We’re going to offer her all the tools she needs next year to have a breakout year.”

Venturini Motorsports is no stranger to female initiatives. Bill Venturini Sr. pioneered the first all-female pit crew in motorsports. The women were one of the first race day-only crews that specialized in performing pit stops. Billy Venturini is hopeful Owens will continue the team’s ground-breaking legacy in 2010.

“I’m really optimistic about her coming to be part of our organization next year,” said Venturini. “She performed at a very respectable level this season. We’re hoping that our team’s experience will bring her to that next level and hopefully get her to be the first lady to win in the ARCA Series.”

Owens Rallies from Spins to Capture Top-20 at New Jersey

Millville, NJ (September 14, 2009) – An adverse starting position and an early-race spin weren’t enough to keep Alli Owens from finishing in the top-20 in Sunday’s South Jersey Building Trades 150. The Daytona Beach, Fla. native battled her way from the back of the field to finish 17th at the 2.25-mile New Jersey Motorsports Park road course. This was the seventh top-20 finish in nine starts this season for Owens.

During the event’s first practice session, Owens slid off course after exiting Turn 3. The incident damaged the front-end of the IBEW Local Unions 351 and 98 Toyota. The No. 19 team spent the qualifying session repairing Owens’ car, ensuring that it would be its best for the race. As a result of foregoing the qualifying session, Owens started the race in 34th place.

When the race got underway, Owens kept a steady pace while waiting to make her first planned pit stop, lap 15. Before reaching her pit window, Owens slid coming off the Turn 10. The No. 19 car was nearly sideways, but Owens made a terrific save and gathered it up before it looped around. The skid flat spotted Owens’ tires and forced her to enter the pits for service. Owens brought her car onto pit lane where the crew changed her tires and topped off the fuel cell. She returned to the track down one lap to the competition.

Unfortunately the caution flags didn’t fall in Owens’ favor and she was unable to return on the lead lap. Not about to give up, Owens still fought her way into the top-20. She marched forward to finish the 67 lap race in 17th place.

“This was a hard fought finish for the ElectrifyingCareers.com team,” said Owens. “My guys did an awesome job repairing the car after the practice accident to get it ready for the race. We came back from that, as well as a spin in the race. There are several teams that couldn’t have rallied from those circumstances, but we still finished in the top-20. We never gave up all day.”

Alli Owens and D'Hondt Motorsports Pursue Other Opportunities for 2010

 
Denver, NC (September 10, 2009) – Alli Owens, driver of the No. 19 ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, and Eddie D’Hondt, team owner D’Hondt Motorsports, announced they have mutually agreed to pursue other opportunities at the conclusion of the 2009 season.

Each party agreed it was in their best interest to explore new options for the 2010 season.

“Eddie (D’Hondt) has been a great owner and runs a first-class team,” said Owens. “His experience in motorsports has been an asset to me and he has helped me grow as a driver. D’Hondt Motorsports produces great equipment and has top notch people. I wish them the best in the future.”

“We’ve enjoyed our time racing with Alli. She’s had career-best finishes in seven of the eight races she’s run with us this year. We have also enjoyed representing the folks at NECA and the IBEW. We wish all parties success in all of their future racing endeavors” said Eddie D’Hondt.

Owens has competed in eight events this year with cars fielded by D’Hondt Motorsports. She has achieved two top-10 finishes and sat on the outside pole at Daytona International Speedway. Owens has three races remaining with D’hondt Motorsports in 2009 ARCA competition.

Owens Experiences Engine Woes at Chicagoland Speedway

Joliet, Ill (August 28, 2009) – Engine problems onboard the No. 19 ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota prevented Alli Owens from showing her true potential in the Ansell Cut Protection 150 at Chicagoland Speedway Friday night. Owens was without full power for the entire race and nursed her D’Hondt Motorsports entry to a 19th-place finish.

Owens started the race from the 23rd position. Shortly after the green flag waved, Owens reported a problem with the power plant of her Toyota. “I felt a miss in the engine,” said Owens. “When I pressed the gas, there was a hesitation in the motor and then it would flutter. There was also a slight vibration.”

The No. 19 crew raised the hood of Owens’ car during the team’s first pit stop, but the team couldn’t find the culprit. The problem persisted throughout the remainder of the race. Owens battled hard, but didn’t have the horsepower needed to compete with the leaders. She still completed the race in 19th-place.

“Our car handled great,” commented Owens. “It’s too bad our motor was having problems. If we had full power, we would have been a force to reckon with. Even without our engine running 100%, we still finished in the top-20.”

“We haven’t had any motor problems all season, but it got the best of us today,” said team owner Eddie D’Hondt. “It’s rare that we have something go wrong. Our motors are top notch and have been a big reason for our success this season. Unfortunately it happened on day when we had one of our best handling cars. Hopefully that’s the last of our engine issues for this season.”

"You Rock and Girls Rule"

Lucidity 10, Sage 7, and Raven 5,

Palm Coast, FL (July 22, 2009) Hello. My name is Heather. I used to take my three daughters to the Barberville dirt track (Volusia Speedway Park) when you started racing. I would tell my girls, "see she isn't even old enough to drive and she is beating grown men" They loved to see you race. It showed them that girls could do anything that they wanted to. Thank you for being a role model for them. It is so cool to see that you are still doing so well. We hope to see you in the NASCAR soon. Good luck with everything. Didn't you drive the white VW Rabbit? I might be wrong on the that. It was a long time ago.... We are going to keep up with your racing career. The girls would like to support your career and show it off around town, if you have any hats, stickers or T-shirts that would be awesome...their all med-lg..stickers... the biggest you got ha ha...there is a picture of the 3 little fans attached, you may post it on your website with this letter if you like...Thanks and best of luck. Kick them guy's butts

Untimely Caution, Flat Tire End Owens’ Bid for Top-10 at Pocono

Long Pond, PA (August 2, 2009) - An untimely caution period mid-way through the Pennsylvania 200 prevented Alli Owens from contending for her second top-10 at Pocono Raceway. Owens had driven her ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota as high as ninth-place before the inopportune yellow flag waved and trapped the Daytona Beach, FL. native one lap down for the remainder of the race. Owens took the checkers in 22nd-place.

Rain showers prevented the ARCA RE/MAX Series from qualifying and the starting grid was set according to owner point standings. As a result, the ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota lined up 25th for the start of the race. When the green flag dropped, Owens performed her trademark dash through the field and picked up 13 positions on the first lap. Owens broke into the top-10 on lap 23 and raced into ninth-place on lap 30.

Crew chief Jerry Pitts called Owens into the pits on lap 39 to make a green flag pit stop. The crew changed the tires and topped off the fuel cell. The No. 19 car was “tight on exit in turns 1 and 3,” so the team made an air pressure adjustment to loosen up Owens’ machine. Following her service, Owens broke the mandatory pit road speed limit while exiting pit road and was ordered to make a “pass through” penalty.

On lap 40, the caution flag waved, which meant good news and bad news for the No. 19 team. Unfortunately, the leader of the race hadn’t made his pit stop before the caution flag waved and Owens was relegated one lap down. Luckily, the caution period allowed Owens to serve her penalty without losing another lap on pit lane.

The race resumed on lap 46 with Owens in 18th-place. On the ensuing green flag runs, Owens worked her way into 15th-place and was only two spots away from being in position to receive the “lucky dog” pass and return to the lead lap. Unfortunately, the left-front tire on the No. 19 car blew unexpectedly on lap 68 and ended any chance of Owens salvaging a top-10 finish. After making a trip down pit road for the crew to change her tires, Owens soldiered on for the remaining 12 laps to finish in 22nd-place.

“We had an awesome car today,” said Owens after the event. “I made it halfway to the front on the first green flag lap. It looked like we had a top-10 coming our way for sure, maybe even a top-five. We were riding in the top-10 when we made our first pit stop. Unfortunately the caution flag waved before all of the leaders cycled through. We were nearly in position for the ‘lucky dog’ pass and then our tire blew. I don’t know what caused it to happen. It just blew without warning. It’s a shame because the ElectrifyingCareers.com Toyota was really fast today. The chips just didn’t fall our way.”

5/20/09 - Gas-n-Go With Alli O Media Advisory
5/2/09 -  Owens' 6th at Talladega 'awesome'
4/24/09 - Another Milestone for Alli Owens
4/19/09 - Owens Scores Career-Best Finish at Rockingham
4/16/09 - Owens Talks Racing With SCC Students
4/13/09 - Owens Looking to Carve Name in 'the Rock'
4/1/09 -  Owens Goes Back To School
2/7/09 -  Competitor Accident Leads to Disappointing Finish for Owens at Daytona
2/7/09 -  Owens Steals Lofton's Thunder
2/6/09 -  Owens on Outside Pole for Daytona ARCA Race
2/5/09 -  Owens Ready for Qualifying After Hopeful Practice Session
2/4/09 -  Alli Owens Receives Women in Motorsports Award
1/27/09 - D'Hondt Motorsports signs 2009 product sponsors
1/25/09 - Daytona Preview 
 

2008 News

12/22/08 - D'Hondt cashes in on other teams downsizing
12/22/08 - Fox Sports - She might be the one 
12/20/08 - Owens Optimistic After Daytona Testing
11/11/08 - Alli Owens on NASCAR.com
10/13/08 - Black cloud hangs over Owens in Toledo
10/10/08 - Owens to make first short track start in 2008
10/04/08 - The big one ends Owens day early at Talladega
10/01/08 - Owens to make second super speedway start
9/29/08 -   Alli Owens finishes 27th at New Jersey Motorsports Park
9/23/08     Owens makes road racing debut
9/8/08 -    Alli Owens Matches Career Best Finish at Chicago
9/06/08 -  Owens Makes Chicagoland Debut
8/10/08 -  Alli Owens Experiences Disappointment in Nashville
8/1/08 -    Owens Attends ATI Show in Knoxville
7/20/08 -  Owens Charges to 15th Place Finish in Kentucky
7/17/08 -  Two Reasons To Smile - Kentucky Race Preview
7/16/08 -  Women In The Winner's Circle
7/12/08 -  Alli Owens To Throw Out First Pitch In Lexington
7/1/08 -    Alli Owens Fourth Fastest In Kentucky Test
6/16/08 -  Mechanical Troubles Hamper Owens' Effort In Michigan
6/1/08 -   Interview at Pocono Raceway