ROSEVILLE A ROUGH AND TUMBLE REUNION FOR GGRT

ROSEVILLE, CA (10-15-11) – When it comes to rollercoaster rides, the San Francisco based Golden Gate Racing Team has weathered its fair share of ups and downs over the 2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season. This past weekend the team took an unexpected dip in their recent upward climb in the tour as they returned to the All American Speedway in Roseville, California. After moderate success in all of their preparation and preliminaries, the night ended with a 20th place position for primary driver Michael Self of Park City Utah following an opening lap debacle that was no fault of his own that set the team back for the entire Napa Auto Parts 150 presented by Pick N Pull.

"This wasn't a good night for us, this race was pretty much over for Michael before he even had a chance to get it started," said Jim Offenbach, owner of the Golden Gate Racing Team that is supported by Richard Childress Racing Driver Development out of Welcome, North Carolina. "This team works so hard to do well and I feel for these guys when their efforts are washed away at no fault of their own. We worked hard to fight our back towards the front but this place is tough with these cars."

After scoring the 12th fastest lap in the final practice, Self took to the competitive .333 All American Oval for qualifying where he turned a 13:959 second lap. With a record number of 31 cars in the field, Self timed in with the 13th overall time, putting him midway in the pact for the start of the 150 lap affair that was taking place before a standing room only crowd as it was the final NASCAR West appearance in California for the 2011 season.

As the pace car pulled off the track surface and the field exited the fourth turn approaching the green flag several cars towards the front of the line up hesitated to accelerate and Self fell victim to the chain reaction of collisions and spins. The green flag immediately became yellow in response to the incident and Self was forced to go to the rear of the field for his spin that took place after the Bay Bio Diesel –Golden Gate Meat Company-RCR #21 he was driving was struck from behind in the confusing start to the race.

"I really don't have much to say on this race, I have to agree with Jim, we were done before we even got started, it kind of surprised me that is started off like it did," said Self. "I want to thank Steve and the whole crew for all their hard work over the weekend. I know they had two cars to work with and they make my job easier. I just hope we can rally back in Phoenix and have a good points day. I really want to get a win for these guys before the end of the year, they deserve it.”

Following the disappointing start, Self rallied his way back into the top 13 later in the race but once again felt the wind of ill fated luck blow his way when a slight collision in traffic caused damage to the front fender of the GGRT/RCR #21 causing tire wear and, eventually, a undesired pit stop that placed him deep in the field upon his return. In the end the team finished 20th overall and will look to bounce back towards the top five in the championship standings next month in the series finale at Phoenix International Raceway. Currently, Self is 7th in the overall standings.

"This track is a tough one," said Steve Portenga, crew chief and competition director for the Golden Gate Racing Team. "It just wasn't our day at Roseville; we always are fast there and qualify well but just get caught up in the accidents. It was not fault of Michael's, he was just a victim out there."

Self was aboard one of two cars in competition for the Golden Gate Racing Team on Saturday. Longtime team supporter and secondary driver Pat O’Keefe of Bay Bio Diesel strapped into the Golden Gate Meat Company-Bay Bio Diesel #31 Chevrolet for his first event since the summer of 2009 when he competed on the road course at Infineon Raceway.

O'Keefe could not have faced any additional adversity then he did on Saturday. After a multitude of adjustments in practice, he had the unlucky draw that put him first out in qualifying which took place just after the SRL tour cars qualifying session, creating a slick track surface for the early runners to work with. By the time the session had concluded, O'Keefe's opening lap of 14:433 resulted in a 27th place ranking. Unlike in past years, Saturday's event did not feature a last chance race so the longtime team supporter that this the owner of sponsor Bay Bio Diesel spent the rest of the evening in the company of family the members of the GGRT watching the feature race.

"Being the first car out definitely didn't help me any," said O'Keefe. "But I had tons of fun running with the team this weekend. The way I look at it, we rolled the car into the hauler with far less damage than we would have and I got to spend some great time with my friends and family at the track. I really want to thank Jim and Patti Offenbach for the opportunity to drive. We will be back to race again on another day and look forward to it."

Saturday was the second to last segment of the 2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West tour. The campaign will conclude on November 4th at the Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona with the Casino Arizona 125. This will be a premier event for the team as it takes place with the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup series during the weekend, brining Self and the team together with many of their affiliates from Richard Childress Racing, including Childress himself.

"Phoenix is much bigger so it will be a good place for us to make one final push in the points," said Offenbach. "Then we can focus our efforts on coming back next year and make a run at this championship from the start."

In addition to the Golden Gate Meat Company and Bay Bio Diesel, the Golden Gate Racing Team carries a number of additional sponsors that support them throughout the year. Among the dedicated supporters are RCR Street Performance, the Richard Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma, Doctor Michael Self, Hill Meat Company, Corte Madera Tow, Harraka Racing Equipment Sales, Foodcomm International, Signco, Praxair and JW Web Design.

For an in-depth look at the Golden Gate Racing Team and additional news, visit their official website at www.goldengateracingteam.com.  To learn more about the Richard Childress Racing Driver Development program visit www.rcrracing.com Michael Self's personal website can be found at www.michaelselfracing.com. All three entities can also be found on facebook, friend them today and keep up with all the breaking news.

Michael Self Racing is brought to you by: MSquared, and Blakesley Sports Media. Sponsorship and media inquiries can be forwarded to Steven Blakesley at (916) 316-4854.

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