News

Reality TV Contestant to Throw Out First Pitch at Reds MLB Game
For Immediate Release – July 14, 2006

     

Shawn Norris, Dayton native and Cincinnati worker is set to throw out the first pitch for the Thursday July 20th Reds vs. New York Mets ball game. The Cincinnati Red’s are honoring this young man as he is vying for position in reality TV. Shawn, a 16 year open wheel racing veteran, spends his days toiling in the heat of high summer for John R. Jurgensen Company based in Cincinnati. He is also a 7 year vested member of LIUNA (Laborer’s International Union of North America). Members from the Local 1410 will be in attendance as they continue to support Shawn Norris. Shawn is in the midst of a heated battle between 50 other drivers to earn the right to compete in the “Racin’ for a Livin’” reality show this fall. Shawn currently holds the 4th position, and has been consistent in his top 5 spot for a majority of the voting period (March through July 31). Shawn has long fielded open wheel race cars to include USAC Sprints and Midgets. His team is owned and operated by wife and businesswoman, Julia Norris. Norris Racing has recently teamed with Eibach Springs, Team Simpson and Artrige for the reminder of the 2006 season. Many would not be able to pick this young man out from the other hard workers who strive to improve our roadways, but those that know Shawn know that he prides himself on his work ethic, determination and spirit. When you combine those qualities you have in the makings a winner. Fans and public alike are invited to come out to the game on Thursday and meet and greet Shawn in what could be the last public appearance for this racer before the final determination of this nations top 15 drivers is made. "Racin' for a Livin'" is like "American Idol Goes NASCAR." Twelve drivers will win a chance to chase that dream in a new reality TV series. You, the voting public will make the decision of who transfers to the final stage. These drivers come from the short tracks and road courses all over this country. The only thing these 50 drivers have in common is a shared dream, a shot at racing in NASCAR's Busch series. Voting is open until July 31. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to show your support for Shawn by voting today. Voting is unlimited to cast your ballots a frequent as possible. Get more details at www.ShawnNorris.com and vote for him at www.racinforalivin.com. For information on sponsorship and marketing opportunities with Norris Racing contact Julia Norris at 937-269-8885.

As the 2006 season heats up California based specialty suspension manufacture, Eibach Springs, has joined forces with Ohio based Norris Racing. Together they plan to “Dominate the track.” by fielding dual series cars owned by Julia Norris.

Eibach makes the finest performance springs in the world. Period. When other springs sag, wear out, or create sketchy handling or a bone-crushing ride, top race teams, from F1 to WRC, from Le Mans to NASCAR—inevitably turn to Eibach. And, also inevitably, wonder why they didn’t choose Eibach in the first place.

Shawn Norris, also a “Racin’ for a Livin’” reality show contestant, thanks Eibach for their support. The team is looking forward to a prosperous relationship as they ready cars for this weekends USAC National Sprint Car race at the famed Winchester Speedway in Winchester Indiana. The team will also compete in the June 23rd Richmond, VA televised sprint race and the July 3rd Rumble In Columbus event.

“Eibach prides themselves on their professionalism and their ability to support teams and organizations that understand the competitive nature of motorsports, yet continue to succeed. We look forward to a long and mutually successful partnership as the 2006 season swings into full speed.” says Julia Norris, team owner. The decision to support Shawn Norris and the Norris team was made late on June 7 and should be in full swing by the June 23rd race in Virginia.

Shawn, a 16 year open wheel racing veteran, is looking forward to hitting the track and proving the Eibach theory…that Eibach is best. He is also in the midst of a heated battle between 50 other drivers to earn the right to compete in the “Racin’ for a Livin’” reality show this fall. Shawn currently holds the 2nd position, and has been consistent in his top 3 spot for a majority of the voting period.

"Racin' for a Livin'" is like "American Idol Goes NASCAR." Twelve drivers will win a chance to chase that dream in a new reality TV series. You, the voting public will make the decision of who transfers to the final stage. These drivers come from the short tracks and road courses all over this country. The only thing these 50 drivers have in common is a shared dream, a shot at racing in NASCAR's Busch series. Voting is open until July 31. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to show your support for Shawn by voting today. Voting is unlimited to cast your ballots a frequent as possible.

Visit www.eibach.com to purchase your springs today. Get more details at www.ShawnNorris.com and vote for him at www.racinforalivin.com. For information on sponsorship and marketing opportunities with Norris Racing contact Julia Norris at 937-269-8885.

Columbus Motor Speedway

The Shawn Norris Racing Number 4 Hawk/Ford Midget made it's season debut at Columbus Motor Speedway on May 7, 2006. After multiple improvements over the winter the Number 4 midget was ready for race day. The day began cool and overcast, but as the sun came out, so did the stout field of aggressive competitors. The car qualified 10th quick while being loose out of the corners. The team finished 6th in the heat racer and commanded a commendable 9th place overall finish for the day. The next outing for the midget will be at Concord Motorsports Park on May 21.

The Worlds Fastest Half Mile gives Shawn Norris Racing valuable lap time. Shawn Norris fielded the Number 04 Beast/Gearte pavement sprint car on Sunday, April 23 at Winchester Speedway. Shawn started off the day with a solid first half of practice. After a slight brush of the wall comming out of turn 4 the team had to make repairs to the front panhard bar. During qualifying a piece of debris in the barrell valve cost the team the opporunity to run the Gearte powered machine to it's max. By heats the car was dialed in and Shawn took the green. On lap 7 the car was taking another solid line through turns 1 and 2 when something broke in the front end shooting the car into the wall. The team concluded that the slight impact earlier in the evening had weakened parts and led to the failure during lap 7. Shawn was not injured. Shawn set forth on sunday to gain vaulable seat time and to continue to learn the car. The team tested out the new shock package by ARS and was pleased with it's responsiveness to handling needs throughout the evening. Our thanks go to the team at ARS for their support and Mike with Beast for his assistance through the day. The team is regrouping and beginning preparations for the next sprint car event at Concord Speedway.

Salem and Anderson test pictures.

Shawn is going to be on 700WLW live radio tomorrow night, Sunday, at 7:30pm EST. You can tune in on the internet at www.700wlw.com. Please listen if you are able.

Shawn Norris of Dayton, OH will be a guest on March 26, 2006 on “The Tide Racing Report” with Bill “Seg” Dennison. Listeners can tune in at 7:30pm EST on Sunday and listen to how Shawn, who was one of 50 drivers to make the final cut to compete in the nationwide “Racin’ For A Livin’” reality show competition, plans to secure a spot in the top 12. Shawn is representing Ohio needs support!

Tune to 700WLW AM radio in or go to http://www.700wlw.com/pages/streaming.html to listen in. 700WLW is the official radio sponsor of The Kentucky Speedway, and covers a multi-state listener audience.

Ohio Race Car Driver Makes The Cut… Written By Marianne Watts

Shawn Norris of Dayton, OH was notified Tuesday March 21, 2006 that he is one of fifty drivers to make the final cut to compete in the nationwide "Racin' For A Livin'" reality show competition. Shawn is representing Ohio needs support!

Shawn, backed by 16 years of racing experience, competed against thousands of entrants for a coveted spot among racings elite up and comers for the chance of a lifetime. Now that Shawn is nominated, he has to hit the campaign trail and raise enough votes to transfer on to the next, and final level.

At the age of 8 he set on fire a path of success. Within 3 years Shawn held the titles of Rookie of the Year, and 2 Grand Champions. Through the years Shawn has raced on the high banks of dirt, the twists and turns of road courses, and paved ovals in Sprint Cars, Midget Cars, Mini-Sprint Cars, and Go-Karts. In 2001 he completed the 2 day advanced Buck Baker Racing School at Darlington Motor Speedway where he honed his skills in NASCAR stock cars. Shawn has shown the ability to adapt to all types of racing, and is ready for this challenge. He needs your vote.

Along with driving racecars Shawn is a full time professional laborer for John R. Jurgensen located in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is also a vested union member of the LIUNA (Laborers International Union of North America). He comes from a family steeped in racing tradition. Shawn's grandfather, Gene Shannon, was a well-respected car owner in the racing community. Gene was inducted into the USAC hall of fame, and fielded many USAC championship cars as well as 1956 and 1957 Indianapolis 500 cars.

"I am honored at this opportunity, and know that without the enduring support of my wife, Julia, this would not be possible. We have struggled through the years to field a a race car without the financial backing of big sponsors, and for me to have a chance at something like this really is a dream come true." Says Shawn Norris. He and his wife have made numerous sacrifices in order to pursue racing as a passion and career.

"Racin' for a Livin'" is like "American Idol Goes NASCAR." Starting March 28th fifty drivers will be competing for a chance to be one of twelve drivers with a chance to chase that dream in a new reality TV series. Making the decision of who the finalists will be is you, the average racing fan! These drivers come from the short tracks and road courses all over this country. The only thing these 50 drivers have in common is a shared dream, a shot at racing in NASCAR's Busch series. NASCAR greats like Jeff Hammond, AJ and Larry Foyt and more are some of the racing greats participating. Taking the recruits through every aspect of what it means to be a NASCAR driver on and off the track, these experts will give the lucky twelve drivers the equivalent of two years of training before they win the ride! This training program will give these drivers the kind of chance that rarely happens. The winning driver will get a seven-race deal with quality Busch equipment. If they should happen to win a race they get promoted to a Cup ride.

Everyone dreams of having that one shot at stardom. Most people grow out of those dreams and settle for a more ho-hum life, but for some it is a hunger that won't be satiated as easily. During his competition at "Racin' for a Livin'", Shawn won't give up until he has shot to show the world his talent. The training program and the National exposure will set the stage for him to succeed. If he is one of the lucky drivers supported by their fan base and diligent in his training he could have seven races to turn the heads of the NASCAR insiders and perhaps change his life forever. The voting starts at 'High Noon' on March 28th. Go to http://www.racinforalivin.com for yourself and give Shawn Norris the shot at his dream by voting for him!

Fuel Injection Line Denies Shawn Angola Victory- Angola Motor Speedway welcomed the WOWMS racing organization for the first time on Sunday September 4th, 2005. The track with tight corners and high banks was a challenge for many of the teams. Shawn Norris Racing started the day with a near perfect practice session. The SNR Number 4 car qualified second quick with the high speed in the fuel injection loading up with fuel. The team quickly corrected the problem and Shawn started on the inside of row 2 for the 4 lap fast dash event. This event pits the 4 quickest cars against one another for a 4 lap dash for the victory. Shawn quickly proved the strength and agility of his car and driving ability as he motored and out manuevered to the front of the field taking the checkered flag and victory. As the temperature dropped, SNR prepared for the main event. Shawn started on the inside of row 3. A not quite perfect start resulted in a hectic first lap. Shawn was battling for 4th position on lap 8, when an obvious fueling problem arose. A faulty fuel injection line was to blame. SNR once again showed the strength of its racing program as they dominated the early part of the evening. They anxiously await another solid showing at Whittemore Speedway next saturday.

The Highbanks of Salem Trouble SNR- On what was rumored to be 2005's warmest day, Shawn Norris Racing set out to attempt the infamous midwest fast track: Salem Motor Speedway. The first practice of the day began with a need for gearing change due to the length of the front and back stretch. During the second practice the car seemed to stumble as an audiable motor issue became apparent. The pit crew quickly set about de-bugging all possible issues. It quickly became apparent that a rocker arm problem was causing the motor to perform at less than peak ability. The pit crew corrected what they could with short notice, and were able to have the car ready to field for the feature event. The troubles of the day culminated in a badly missed car set-up that was unavoidable. Shawn finished 17th, after pulling in in order to save the car and motor further damage.

Kalamzoo Nearly Conquered - Kalamazoo 2nd place. The only improvement to be found on August 7th would have been first place. Shawn started the day with two sets of practices where it became apparent that there was little to no adjustments needed on his car. The pit crew set to perfect the cars handling. Shawn was the first in line to qualify, and blistered most of the field with a 5th place qualifying run. As the heat race took formation Shawn was cool and calm at the wheel. As the green flag descended Shawn quickly motored forward to secure third position. The feature began with Barnett on pole, Shawn on the outside of row 2. Barnett and the Goff (9) car battled for first place as Shawn and Hettinger (71) battled for third. Barnett passed Goff and Shawn closed in on second position. Hettinger, Goff and Shawn battled heatedly for a few laps. Shawn set Hettinger up and passed him with near perfect precision on the outside of turn 3. Shawn made quick work of Goff and was closing in on Barnett with 4 laps to go. Within 4 laps the distance between Barnett and Shawn had dwindled to two car lengths. Shawn finished with a strong second position.

New Ford Brayton and Hawk Midget- Shawn Norris Racing has under gone a    much needed make over.  With the purchase of a new Ford Brayton and a new Hawk Widebody pavement car the team has high hopes for the upcoming year.  A tenative schedule has been set with the plans of running for the WOWMS championship and a few select USAC races.

                                            

Calhoun County Speedway - Saturday, September 4
SNR once again retured to Michigan on the first weekend of September. The team conquered injector issues that arose during qualifying. Shawn advanced through the heats, dealing with a motor that was letting go and that was starting to show signs of problems, finishing 4th. During the feature race, on lap 19 the motor let go. Shawn caught fire on the backstretch and had to make an emergency exit, while fire crews put out the flames.

Whittemore Speedway - Saturday, August 28
Michigan welcomed the SNR Team on a beautiful day. The team was able to dial in the car during two practice sessions, and start the heat race on the pole. Shawn held on to the lead through the entire race, and on the last lap was passed, to finish in second. Shawn started the feature near the back of the field. SNR experienced mechanical failure of the drive shaft assembly during the feature race, yet Shawn was able to drive the injured car across the finish line into 10th place.

New Trailer - SNR purchased a 2002 Haulmark 46 foot gooseneck trailer for the remainder of the 2004 season. The trailer has been equipped with diamond plate flooring, work bench and state of the art electrical systems. The team purchased this trailer with plans of fielding a multi car team for the 2005 racing season.

August 31, 2002 - Shawn Norris Racing returns from Berlin Raceway in Marne Michigan with success in their corner. The car was a little loose during practice but with a few minor changes Shawn was happy with the setup. After the second practice a rear brake pad broke loose, and the team was not able to have to car ready for qualifications. Shawn started the second heat race and was able to hold his position. Shawn started in the 16th position for the feature race. With a finish of 20th the outing was a success. Shawn was able to hold his own with the biggest names in the circuit.

June 15, 2002 - The high banks of Anderson Speedway made for a challenging Saturday. A windy, sunny day made for exciting racing. During qualifications Shawn's 2000 Stealth/VW car had steering problems and Shawn was unable to avoid a tap with the wall. Suffering a bent front axle and broken jacob's ladder, the team was able to have the car back in running condition for heat races. Shawn placed 10th in the feature event.

May 10, 2002 - Shawn Norris Racing headed south to Kentucky Speedway. After a rain out at Shadybowl on April 27 Shawn was itching to get behind the wheel of his new 2000 Stealth Midget. Kentucky proved to be a uniquely challenging track with over 40 cars showing up to race. With no banking in the corners, most teams were fighting a push all evening. Shawn was the fourth to qualify, and started on the pole of the third heat race. After dealing with minor brake problems during the semi-feature Shawn was not able to start for the feature event. Shawn was pleased with the outcome of the evening. Never having driven a Stealth chassis before he now feels more confident on the set up and characteristics of his new car.

December 2002 - The 2002 season marks the beginning of a journey for Shawn Norris Racing. This winter Shawn made the choice to step out on his own and create Shawn Norris Racing. Shawn spent the first 13 years of his racing career driving for his parents. When financial problems threatened to hamper Shawn's lifelong goal, he took matters into his own hands. Shawn has fought, saved, and struggled for three years to be in a position to break out on his own to obtain his dream. No longer Norris Motorsports, Shawn Norris Racing is fully owned and operated by Shawn and his wife, Julia. Their newly purchased Stealth/VW midget is being prepared for the quickly approaching racing season. Pictures will be posted soon.

December18, 2001 - Shawn completed more than 110 laps around Darlington Motor Speedway on Friday December 14 and Saturday December 15. The track famed to be "Too Tough to Tame" offered many small challenges and huge excitements to Shawn. Shawn quickly adapted to the subtle driving differences of the larger and much heavier Winston Cup Cars. Buck Baker's Racing School found little room for improvement of Shawn's racing skills and driving techniques. Though ideal for a racer of beginning or intermediate skill, the racing school was able to do little more than suggest to Shawn minor changes in driving lines and offer seat time.

           

December 10, 2001 - The winter months herald a time of much advancement for Shawn Norris Racing. Shawn will be spending the second week of December in South Carolina at Darlington Motor Speedway. While on location he will be participating in the Buck Baker Racing School. Shawn has been accepted into the highest level of advanced racing education. He will work one on one with a Winston Cup instructor to learn the mechanics and feel of a Winston Cup car. That knowledge will enable Shawn to make race winning judgement calls in the future. He will also work on his development of a racing line, with a goal of consistency. The instructor will help Shawn to fine tune his stock car racing style. With the completion of this school Shawn's already eclectic racing abilities will be more fully developed so that he can be perfectly at ease in any situation and trust his prior knowledge for those split second critical decisions.

Shawn Norris Racing recently made a decision to relocate their headquarters. The new shop is being equipped with state-of-the-art racing equipment. Shawn Norris Racing had quickly outgrown their original shop and late in the summer of 2001 the decision was made to upgrade. As fall sets in the team is hustling to have the new shop up and running by spring 2002!

September 25, 2001 - The team is working diligently to apply the finishing touches to the new shop. Plans are being made for a formal date of relocation. We will have a picture available in the near future of our new shop.

September 7, 2001 - The team has begun planning for next year. The schedule is nearing completion. SNR plans to make feature appearances in ARCA, USAC, and NAMARS. We will update as soon as the first tentative schedule is confirmed.

July 15, 2001 - Charity Event at the Children's Hospital in Dayton, OH. Shawn spent the first hour out in front of the main entrance to the hospital talking with some of the children. Shawn then was asked to go up into the wards where the children were too sick to be able to come down and enjoy the days entertainment and activities. Shawn sat and spoke with many children, bringing smiles to their solemn faces. Many of their smiles were so bright as to be almost blinding. The families were more than appreciative of Shawn's thoughtfulness in coming to visit. They had thought that their children, to ill to get out of bed, would not be included. Shawn visited all of the wards. The day was a total success, even managing to bring light into the lives of so many children who deserved happiness.