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Author: Official Release

  • Ford Texas Friday (Biffle)

    FORD FAST FACTS – Texas

    • There are 13 Fords participating in the Lone Star 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

    • Trevor Bayne will pilot the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford at Texas, marking the 19-year-olds Sprint Cup debut. Bayne joins David Pearson, A.J. Foyt, Cale Yarborough, Curtis Turner and Glen Wood who all made their Cup debuts in the No. 21.

    • Ford has 9 all-time NSCS wins at Texas, most of any manufacturer.

    • All three Ford “chasers” have claimed victory at Texas Motor Speedway.

    • Carl Edwards leads all drivers with three wins at Texas, his most recent coming in back-to-back fashion in 2008.

    • Matt Kenseth is currently tied with Mark Martin and Tony Stewart with 10 top-10 finishes and with Jeff Gordon with seven top-5 finishes all-time at Texas. Kenseth was victorious in the 2002 race.

    • Jack Roush leads all car owners with seven career victories at Texas.

    Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion, is looking for his second career with at Texas Motor Speedway Sunday. Biffle talked about past success and finishing the year on a high note.

    GREG BIFFLE – No. 16 3M Ford Fusion – HOW WOULD YOU SUMMARIZE YOUR SEASON THUS FAR AND WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO AT TEXAS TODAY? “We are going to try to qualify on pole, we have won with this Red Cross Ford Fusion car before. I love this race track. Our mile-and-a-half program has been stellar. Our Chase hasn’t been what we were hoping for. It is a win and then dead last, then fifth and then last. We are working hard to get some wins here at the end of the season and get the best finish we can.”

    ANY ADJUSTMENTS FOR TEXAS IN PARTICULAR? “Not really. We have been looking at what we did at Kansas, California and Charlotte and have tried to come here with the best plan we can.”

    GENERALLY IS SEEMS LIKE ROUSH FENWAY HAS SOME GROUND TO MAKE UP. YOU GUYS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER BUT STILL AREN’T QUITE THERE. ARE THERE SPECIFIC AREAS YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE LACKING? “That is a great question. We feel like we have really closed the gap on the mile-and-a-half tracks. We know that the short track program still needs to improve. We felt like our restrictor plate program is really good. I got really good finishes at Talladega, almost won the Daytona 500, then go to Talladega this last week and we were way off. It is an ever evolving cycle of being fast one week and not the next. It is like you try to figure out why because we expected to go to Talladega and be very good. We go there and qualify 34th in race trim. The car is not going to get any fast than that, and that was disappointing. We will keep working on it though and figure out why we aren’t as fast as we need to be.

    AT TALLADEGA WE SAW A LOT OF GUYS PUSHING TO HELP GUYS GAIN POSITION, WOULD YOU EVER HELP PUSH THE 48 TO THE FRONT TO HELP HIM WIN A RACE? Well, we never got a chance to work with the 48 in Talladega, but we did help out the 11 quite a bit because he was going up through the field. I’ve never had that opportunity. Really, whatever will benefit you is what you do. However that works out. I wish the top lane would have went a little better than the bottom, but that is the way it goes. We ended up 19th.

    WITH THINGS SO CLOSE WITH THE TOP THREE GUYS IN THESE LAST THREE RACES, THEY ARE ALL GOING TO NEED SOME HELP MORE THAN LIKELY. WHICH ONE OF THE THREE ARE YOU GOING TO HELP? “They aren’t getting any help from me. The 16 is out there to win and I am going to show all of them respect just the same as I would expect them to show me in these final races. I am going to race them all fairly and let it be decided amongst themselves.”

    WHY DO YOU THINK THERE IS A SENTIMENT THAT THERE SHOULD BE A NEW CHAMPION? “I don’t necessarily feel that way. Everybody looks at it as Jimmie has won four in a row and they maybe are ready for something new. In my eyes, the best team should win. Right now, there are three of them that are neck-in-neck in how they are performing and it is going to be close when it comes down to it. We will just have to wait and see.”

    EVERYONE IS GOING TO A NEW SPLITTER NEXT YEAR AND NASCAR HAS ALLOWED FORD AND DODGE TO TWEAK THEIR NOSES. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU HOPE TO GAIN WITH A NEW NOSE? “We are hoping to get even with the other cars is what we are hoping to do. NASCAR has allowed a slight change in the front configuration which is good. We sort of match the other two manufacturers I think with what the car changes are going to be. Everybody has a common lower which I think is important to have that common lower. We keep our identity that we are a Ford Fusion, but we are going to get to match up the aero advantages that the other cars have. That might make a little bit of a difference, but it is such a minor change that you probably won’t see it performance wise.”

    ANY LITTLE BIT HELPS THOUGH RIGHT? “Well, where it will help the most is probably the mile-and-a-half program which we are already really good at. We need help on the short tracks and it won’t make much difference there, which is what I was getting at. If it makes any difference at all. It is really more a cosmetic change than an aero change.”

    FANS SEEM TO REALLY LIKE WHEN THE CARS DON’T LOOK THE SAME. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU AS A DRIVER WOULD LIKE TO SEE? MORE IDENTITY? “I think so. In the Nationwide series, they have really done that. They have brought Mustang back and some of the other cars back that the consumers can really identify. They are really excited about it. The changes that are coming down the line with the Sprint Cup cars will be well recognized as well.”

    WERE THERE ANY TRACKS THIS YEAR THAT YOU JUST FELT LIKE THEY CLICKED AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE IT FIGURED OUT NOW? “It is funny because that happens and you feel like you have something figured out and then you go to a place where you are usually really good at and then you aren’t so good. Kansas is a place we have always been good at, we have won there. Darlington is a place we have always been really good, but we weren’t good there this year. That is a little discouraging. You sort of shift the power. One track where you think you will be good you aren’t and another track where you think you will be mediocre you are good. You are always fighting to be the best at every place.”

    IF YOU LOOK BACK ON THE YEAR, IS THERE ONE THING THAT YOU CAN TAKE WITH YOU INTO NEXT SEASON? “We need to continue to get our short track program better and better. Mostly Martinsville for me. We qualify well there and ran well for half of the race, but we are still working on that short track as far as I am concerned. We need to continue to be better there.”

  • CHEVY NSCS AT TEXAS TWO: Bobby Labonte Press Conf Transcript

    NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

    AAA TEXAS 500

    TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

    TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT

    November 5, 2010

     

    BOBBY LABONTE, NO. 10 GANDER MOUNTAIN OUTDOORS CHEVROLET met with members of the media at Texas Motor Speedway and discussed racing at Texas for his brother Terry Labonte and other topics.  Full transcript:

    DO YOU ENJOY RACING AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY?:  “I grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas and watching my brother race on the short tracks there before moving to North Carolina.  Texas World Speedway – I got to race there a couple times actually on the road course.  That was the biggest thing that I’d ever seen as far as race tracks goes besides the quarter-mile and half-mile tracks.  I got to race here a little bit even after we moved to North Carolina, we came back to race.  To come back here is awesome.  We were able to be back of a select group that came down and blew up part of the soil here and got the track started.  Dale Earnhardt, myself, Jeff Gordon and Terry (Labonte) came down here so it was kind of cool that we got to see this place as virgin soil as you might say.  To come back here year after year and see the fans come out to see this race track.  The way it is, when you come down 35 and you look at the lights, it’s like it resembles huge stadiums and big time events.  It’s really cool to come back.  It’s a good race track, love coming down here for the fans and the friends that we have.  Twice as good this year and this time because I get to drive my brother’s car so it’s even better.”

    HOW DID IT COME TOGETHER TO DRIVE FOR JTG-DAUGHERTY RACING IN 2011 AND WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS?:  “I’m really excited about that.  Tad (Geschickter, team owner) and Brad (Daugherty, team owner) came to my motor home in Chicago and they told me that Marcos (Ambrose) was leaving and they asked me if I would be interested in driving their car next year.  About five seconds later I said, ‘Yeah, sure.’  Then I said, ‘Hold on a second, let me think about it, yeah, okay, I think it’s still fine.’  So really I was overwhelmed and thrilled that they asked me to drive their car and especially to get a contract signed and sealed by August, which the past couple years hasn’t been like that. 

    “So that was exciting.  I’ve already been to test with Frankie Kerr (crew chief) and the guys at Gresham.  We plan on going to Orlando in a couple weeks and a Goodyear tire test in December.  Rolling right along with that; and again just looking forward to that association and that relationship.  Tad, we talk a lot, more so now than we did after the first couple weeks, but we talk a lot trying to get stuff squared away for next year and just real excited about the opportunity that I have going forward next year.  A great race team, a great group of people, great staff there at MWR (Michael Waltrip Racing) that they’re working with and a lot of resources to have.  Can’t wait for obviously a couple weeks to test and next year to get started soon.”

    HOW WOULD THESE SPRINT CUP CARS LOOK AT TEXAS WORLD SPEEDWAY TODAY?:  “I think the last time I was there testing was 1995.  I know Greg Biffle was down there testing a couple years ago and speeds were like 220ish, you know.  Without soft walls, that’s probably not very good.  Are they going to change Fontana to that?  Is that what you’re trying to say?  You suggested that?  I wouldn’t suggest that if I were you.  I don’t know that would be any better.  Richmond would be a better type of track.  I don’t know.  It’s been a while, but when I went down there in ’95 and ran the whole track instead of just the road course and part of the track, it’s really, really fast.  It would be great racing I know because it probably could be multiple lanes too.  You have a lot there, but I’m not sure that would be any more conducive to greater racing than we have at some places that we come to like this place.”

    HOW DID IT COME TOGETHER TO DRIVE FOR YOUR BROTHER TERRY LABONTE?:  “It came about, obviously my year didn’t turn out like I thought it would be at the start to drive for one team.  Been driving for James Finch and he’s given me a great opportunity to drive a few races for him and even drove for Robby Gordon at Loudon and then when Terry (Labonte) was going to have his team going – he went to Richmond and didn’t make the race and he asked me that night in the motor home and he said, ‘Man, I should get you to drive my car at Charlotte.’  I said I was in so he called Billy Stavola on the phone and we had a three-way conversation right there and next thing you know it kind of happened and then after Charlotte, I was kind of like, ‘I would love to be able to drive your car at Texas.’  Then they called me a day later and they asked me if I would so it makes sense.  It’s a great race team. 

    “Billy and Terry started this deal off early in the year, they’ve got three races they were going to run and trying to build for next year and I think they’ve got a great start at it as far as putting things together.  I hope they can continue with it and I just hope for a good run.  Terry and I have both driven like each other’s cars at times and work out of the same shop together and all that.  He’s been my agent for years as far as when I have a call that I have a question about, I let him answer it for me sometimes and even vice versa.  I was the guy that Eddie Dickerson called to get with Terry for him to go drive for Hendrick’s (Motorsports) one time.  Anyway, it’s kind of cool being able to drive for him.  We spend a lot of time together so it’s a lot of fun.”

    WERE YOU GETTING CONCERNED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO GET ANOTHER RIDE LIKE JTG-DAUGHERTY RACING?:  “There was times that you didn’t know – you were hoping and watching the phone waiting for the phone call.  Tried to do as much talking as you can, but it’s kind of one of those things, the best way to put it is that you just live by faith and just what happens, happens.  You’re not sure and if it hadn’t of happened then that’s just the way it is.  Very fortunate and blessed that it happened.  Obviously there were times that you weren’t sure what were going to take place.”

    WHO IS IT TOUGHER TO DRIVE FOR – YOUR DAD OR TERRY LABONTE?:  “That’s easy – my dad.  My dad’s a lot harder to drive for than Terry (Labonte).  I drove for my dad for years and he was my crew chief and everything.  He wasn’t hard on us, he was just very determined.  It was probably a little bit more difficult with him.”

    HOW HAS RACING AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY EVOLVED FOR THE FANS?:  “Everything is bigger and better in Texas, obviously.  I can state that it‘s a truthful statement.  Just the fans here – over the course of the years they’ve really been supportive of the race track.  They come out here for the week before the race, start parking and tailgating and stuff like that.  The amount of fans that showed up for this event the first several times and knowing the support the track gets.  This is a great market.  Bruton Smith (owner), Eddie Gossage (president) – they do a great job promoting it.  There were times that we would come here early on that there were more fans here for qualifying then there were at other tracks for the race.  It’s just one of those events that people plan for and it’s a great market area.  The fans always see a great race and they always have a good time here.  There’s a lot to do here around the area so it makes for a good place for race fans to come and view this event.”

    HOW HAVE YOU EVOLVED AS A RACE DRIVER?:  “A lot of things have changed with the cars, people and engineering resources, teams, teammates over the past few years.  At (Joe) Gibbs (Racing), I had a lot of that there with Tony (Stewart).  That kind of gave me that little bit there and then fast-forwarding to this opportunity with JTG (Daugherty Racing) with Martin Truex and David Reutimann as teammates at MWR (Michael Waltrip) Racing is kind of going back to where I was or where I felt like I was at with Gibbs Racing.  A great opportunity.  I know that the resources that are there that you have to use, the staff that’s there that you have to believe in and the support that you have from the manufacturer and everything else is what makes the difference nowadays.  Knowing that they have that gives you confidence and gives you confidence every time you sit in the race car, gives you confidence every time you go to bed at night just knowing that the next day you’re going to be better. 

    “Hopefully you can take the experience and what’s good about experience and bad about experience is that you don’t want to hold onto it too much because in a lot of ways it can bite you because you can’t do the same thing over and over again, but hopefully you can take the experience that they have and the new stuff that makes the cars go faster today, might not have been the same years ago so you have to try that.  Not that we didn’t do that for years, but you just have to be more on your game and realize that it’s there.  Hopefully the experience pays off, but I don’t want to get stuck in a rut either and say, ‘Well, I’m used to running x and that don’t work no more.’  You have to be careful with it and ride the center of it instead of being one way or the other.”

    HOW HAS THE RACING CHANGED AT THIS TRACK OVER TIME?:  “The best thing about race tracks is aging – either hard winters or long summers.  Of course you can go too far and 30 years later it might need a repave, but at the same time, this place here – from the first time here until now has obviously changed quite a bit.  It has a lot of characteristics in it now that you’re able to drive around and drive through and stuff like that with bumps in the corners.  I love bumps in corners because it gives you something to work on.  If it was just smooth as glass and wide open then it gives you less to work on. 

    ”It comes down to the race and what we were talking about earlier today and this week was qualifying is going to be a certain speed, but race pace is going to be something else so you really have to know what you think the race pace is going to be in tomorrow’s practice because it’s going to slow down enough where it’s going to change the attitude of the race car and you need to change your setup for 20 laps into the run rather than just the first five laps.  That really, you have to guess a little bit and that’s good about the race track because you can practice fast and then race pace will slow down.  So you work on that and you have to sometimes make some guesses at it, but that’s what makes the characteristic of the race track better and that’s why it’s so much better now than it was at the beginning.  It was good at the beginning, but it was more at the bottom of the race track and now it’s gotten to where Juan Pablo (Montoya) will be up top and Martin Truex will be on the top and some other guys will be in the middle and some guys on the bottom so that always leads to better racing I think.”

     

    About Chevrolet: Chevrolet is a global automotive brand, with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. In the U.S., the Chevrolet portfolio includes: iconic performance cars, such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long lasting pickups and SUVs, such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers, such as Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including the Cruze Eco and Volt, both arriving in late 2010. Cruze Eco will offer up to 40 mpg highway while the Chevrolet Volt will offer up to 40 miles of electric, gas-free driving and an additional 300 miles of extended range (based on GM testing; official EPA estimates not yet available). Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security, and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response, and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions, and OnStar availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

  • NEW DODGE CHARGER NOSE APPROVED BY NASCAR FOR 2011 SEASON

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (Nov. 5, 2010) – The new Dodge Charger nose has been approved by NASCAR for the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season. The development of the Charger nose has been a cooperative effort by Dodge Motorsports Engineering and Penske Racing and gives Dodge better brand identify for the Charger while remaining within the NASCAR approval process.

    “With the introduction of the all-new 2011 Dodge Charger for the street, we worked closely with Penske Racing to develop the Dodge brand identity while maintaining neutral aerodynamics within the NASCAR rules,” said Dave Bailey, Senior Manager of Dodge Motorsports Engineering. “Coupled with NASCAR’s new common lower nose for 2011, the revised front end carries the image and character of the Charger forward in true Dodge performance fashion.”

  • Jason Leffler sports a ‘Garage Mahal’ paint scheme for DIY Network at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend

    JASON LEFFLER QUICK FACTS

    Texas Motor Speedway

    O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge

    November 6, 2010

    · Special “Garage Mahal” paint scheme for the No. 38 at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS)… This weekend, the No. 38 Great Clips Camry will feature a special paint scheme featuring DIY network’s popular show “Garage Mahal.” Hosted by actor and professional wrestler, Bill Goldberg, “Garage Mahal” is a show about remodeling and tricking out garages to a whole new level. Great Clips drivers, Kasey Kahne and Jason Leffler, will be featured in an episode of the show in which they assist in presenting a Charlotte-area couple with a Great Clips Racing-themed garage. The show is scheduled to air on Friday, Dec. 3 at 9:30 p.m. EST, exclusively on DIY Network.

    Bill Goldberg on the “Garage Mahal” episode featuring Leffler and Kahne:

    “I especially enjoyed this partnership for Garage Mahal,” said Goldberg. “As an avid racing fan, I understand the excitement of having a space where you can entertain, watch the race and cheer on your favorite drivers. We have transformed a lot of garages into unbelievable spaces, but this garage will go above and beyond with the support of Kasey and Jason.”

    Leffler on the “Garage Mahal” paint scheme:

    “Filming “Garage Mahal” was a blast! Bill Goldberg was a lot of fun to work with and I know that Kasey and I both really enjoyed it. The Great Clips Racing-themed garage turned out really cool and the homeowners were blown away by how it turned out. The episode airs on December 3rd at 9:30pm, exclusively on the DIY Network, so make sure to check it out!”

    · Texas is the Site of Leffler’s First Career Nationwide Series Pole… In his first start at TMS in 2000, Leffler captured his first career Nationwide Series pole. Two years later, he sat on the pole for his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the Fort Worth-based track.

    · Leffler at TMS, by the numbers… Leffler has 12 Nationwide Series starts at TMS with one pole (2000), one top-five and four top-10 finishes. His best performance at the 1.5-mile tri-oval came last November when he started and finished third. In his last visit to TMS this spring, Leffler finished 12th after starting from the eighth spot and leading for four laps.

    · Turner Motorsports 2011 plans to be announced… Turner Motorsports will proudly announce its 2011 plans for both its NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Series programs on Friday, November 5 at 2:30pm CT. The announcement will include driver and sponsor line-up as well as manufacturer and engine supplier details. The press conference will take place in the Victory Theater at the TMS Media Center.

    · Leffler on SIRIUS’ Morning Drive every Wednesday… Don’t forget to tune in to SIRIUS Radio’s “Morning Drive” with Mike Bagley and Pete Pistone every Wednesday at 10:30am to hear Leffler’s take on recent events in the Nationwide Series and what you can expect from the week’s upcoming race.

    Leffler on racing at Texas Motor Speedway

    “Texas is a really fun track to race! It’s fast and slick with a wide racing surface. You can pretty much run anywhere on the track you want to based on how your car is handling. Turn two is the trouble spot there. The banking holds you really good and then, at last second, the banking falls off. If you aren’t careful you can get caught out there and pick up a bad push at the very end or, if you’re pushing before that, it can snap you loose. It definitely has its own unique characteristics but it is a great track and the racing is always really good.”

    Equipment Information

    The No. 38 Great Clips team will hit the track with chassis #023 in this weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge. Chassis #023 has posted three top-10 finishes this season in races at Kansas Speedway (10th), Chicagoland Speedway (5th) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (7th).

    Jason Leffler Statistics

    Texas Motor Speedway

    Career NASCAR Nationwide Series

    No. Starts: 12

    Best Start: 1st (spring, 2000)

    Best Finish: 3rd (fall, 2009)

    Average Start: 15.8

    Average Finish: 14.6

    Top-Fives: 1

    Top-10’s: 4

    DNFs: 1

    Laps: 2258/2406 (93.8%)

    Laps Led: 5

    No. Starts: 255

    Wins: 2

    Top-5 Finishes: 40

    Top-10 Finishes: 92

    Poles: 8

    Average Start: 17.2

    Average Finish: 17.0

    Laps Led: 604

  • Toyota NCWTS Texas Post-Qualifying Notes & Quotes

    3rd, Kyle Busch 5th, Todd Bodine 8th, Miguel Paludo 9th, Johanna Long 12th, Aric Almirola 14th, Jason White 15th, David Starr 16th, Timothy Peters 17th, Justin Lofton 20th, Tayler Malsam 22nd, Jason Bowles 23rd, Max Papis 24th, Mike Skinner 29th, Butch Miller

    KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Interstate Batteries/Iamsecond.com Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports Starting Position: 3rd How was your qualifying lap? “Everything was good. We’ve had a good day here so far practicing our Interstate Batteries Iamsecond.com Tundra and unfortunately I’m (starting) third right now. Tomorrow I’m hoping not to be second either. I’m looking forward to it. I feel like we have a really good truck for the race. Actually kind of shocked ourselves a little bit qualifying as well as we did. Starting third will be really good for us.” Does your past success at Texas give you confidence going into the race weekend? “It does, it feels good to come out to Texas again. It being cool in the fall time, it’s always fun. I have a great time out here and being able to run the Camping World Truck Series races and running well out here with those. Running the Nationwide Series and going for six (wins) in a row this weekend — really looking forward to that. Hopefully we’ll have a good day on Sunday with our M&M’s Camry and keep it up front. We’re going to try to come out of here with a win and get Norm Miller (chairman, Interstate Batteries) to victory lane on the Cup side.” Have your wins in Texas been different to you? “I’ve raced in five (Truck) races here, I haven’t won them all. It’s all different because I’ve run for Chevrolet, I’ve run for Toyota with Billy (Ballew Motorsports), I’ve run for Toyota now with my own team (Kyle Busch Motorsports). The other thing is Goodyear constantly changes the tire around here, so it’s always good experience for me to come out on Thursday and get some laps on the track, feel out the tire and see what’s going on there. Jason Ratcliff (Nationwide Series crew chief) came over and spent time with us today to get some knowledge on what the tire is going to do, what the cars are doing, what the tracks doing. We’re ready to go for tomorrow. I’m sure Dave (Rogers, Cup Series crew chief) will be paying attention to my Nationwide practices. It’s always like a series off. We’ll have some good knowledge this week. We’re already getting started.” How important is it as a team owner to finish the season off strong and build towards next year? “Right now with what we’re doing. Our main goal is to go out here, we want to win but we know we need to finish strong and finish in front of the 30 truck (Todd Bodine) to try to win the owner’s championship. That right there is going to be a huge task. As long as you are running well, you will be finishing in front of the 30 so you can get the owner’s championship. All our guys back at the shop — that’s all they’ve been fighting for all year. They want to win races and now that they have a chance for a championship, some of them it’s their first championship, others like Rick Ren (general manager), it’s just another level that he’s been at an organization. He hasn’t won a championship as a general manager. He’s teaching all these guys. He used to be the leader and make the decision, well now Eric (Phillips, crew chief) is making a lot of the decisions. It goes around. These guys are pumped about it. We want to build what we can in the last few weeks and show how strong we are and how built this program is and what we’re ready for next year when we get to Daytona.” Will you gamble for a win here or will you keep the points in your mind when making decisions late in the race? “Well, it was probably Kentucky where we were leading the race and (Todd) Bodine spun out and then he came to pit road and he was going to be like two laps short on fuel. In that scenario, if he does that we’ve got to do the same thing because we’re racing the 30 truck. That’s all we’re racing. So, if he comes down pit road and is going to be two laps short and is going to try to stretch it on fuel, we’ve got to play the same strategy. We can’t take our chance of staying out there and waiting for a caution because if the caution comes out then we still have to come to pit road. Those guys are going to stay out and we’re still going to have to pass the guys that didn’t come to pit road. You’ve just got to play it by ear. You’ve got to be smart about it right now and I don’t think you can take too many chances, but the main guy that you watch is the 30 (Todd Bodine).”

    TODD BODINE, No. 30 Valvoline Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing Starting Position: 5th How was your truck in qualifying? “It was pretty good. We didn’t know what we were going to qualify at, but it was definitely a good run. You know, old tires are the key. You have to run good and drive good on old tires and it did. Hopefully we’ll have something to race them with. I think we’ll be fine in the race. Like I said, old tires are the key and if you are driving good on old tires and still running fast, then obviously you’re going to be up front and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

    MIGUEL PALUDO, No. 11 Stemco Duraline Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing Starting Position: 8th How did your truck handle during practice? “It was pretty good. We worked a lot in both practices and we know that we’ve got a great truck for tomorrow night. I’m looking forward to the race. These guys at Red Horse Racing are doing a great job. That was my best qualifying ever — I don’t know what spot we’re going to end up, but it’s pretty good.”

    JOHANNA LONG, No. 20 Panhandle Grading and Paving Toyota Tundra, Panhandle Motorsports Starting Position: 9th

    ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 51 Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota Tundra, Billy Ballew Motorsports Starting Position: 12th Are you happy with your truck? “It was fine and it drove good. This place is pretty easy to qualify at for us. We just go out there and hold it wide open. The truck drove great during practice so we’ll see what we’ve got for the race.”

    JASON WHITE, No. 23 GunBroker.com/RMEF Toyota Tundra, Gun Broker Racing Starting Position: 14th How is your truck after Friday’s practices and qualifying? “It was pretty good in race runs. Didn’t qualify as well as we wanted to. It’ll be alright, we’ll get them in the race. It’s pretty cool to run this Toyota this weekend. It’s our first time on a big track so we’re pretty excited about it. The first time we ran a Toyota we qualified seventh at Martinsville, finished fourth and had a real good shot for the win there. It was definitely a good, positive move and we’re going to do it again here this week and then obviously in Phoenix. It’s been good for our team so we’re looking forward to building it for next year.”

    DAVID STARR, No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra, Green Light Racing Starting Position: 15th How is your truck at Texas? “Our Toyota Tundra was awesome on the race track. It is what it is, it was wide open, two laps and drove good — it was awesome. We ran the fastest lap since we’ve been here, but didn’t have the speed. It’s frustrating because it drives good and I know it will race good, but as a competitor you want to start in the top -10 and we’re not going to do that. It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. We believe we have a good truck for the race tomorrow.” Are you happy to be racing in Texas in front of a hometown crowd? “It’s awesome, just to be part of the NASCAR family and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for as long as I have. Every night I go to bed and count my blessings. To be a Toyota driver, to race in the Truck Series — ever since I was three or four years old, this is what I dreamed about. I don’t complain much, it’s awesome. To be able to race here at Texas — a lot of people that have given me opportunities to be where I’m at today, they love coming to Texas Motor Speedway. Everybody in this state drives pickup trucks and they love truck racing. It’s always fun to come home and race. I’m just glad I’m racing.”

    TIMOTHY PETERS, No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing Starting Position: 16th

    JUSTIN LOFTON, No. 7 visitPIT.com Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing Starting Position: 17th How was your qualifying lap? “It was the same as every mile-and-a-half — wide open. The guys did a great job all of practice to get the No. 7 visitPIT.com Toyota up to speed. It handles real good and we’ll see what we have tomorrow night.”

    TAYLER MALSAM, No. 25 Coinstar/HEB Toyota Tundra, Randy Moss Motorsports Starting Position: 20th How was your qualifying lap? “It was about what we expected. Most of the Toyotas here are slow. They Chevy’s have got us beat here just aerodynamically and stuff. We’ve been wide open since we got here. The truck handles good and we’ll just wait for race time to see what happens. I think me and (Mike) Skinner have got really good race trucks, but we’ll find out tomorrow I guess.”

    JASON BOWLES, No. 46 Eddie Sharp Racing Toyota Tundra, Eddie Sharp Racing Starting Position: 22nd

    MAX PAPIS, No. 9 GEICO Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing Starting Position: 23rd

    MIKE SKINNER, No. 5 Exide/International Trucks Toyota Tundra, Randy Moss Motorsports Starting Position: 24th

    BUTCH MILLER, No. 07 Zachry/ASI Limited Toyota Tundra, Green Light Racing Starting Position: 29th

  • Crafton Captures Pole for WinStar World Casino 350 at Texas

    Ft. Worth, Tex. (November 4, 2010) – Matt Crafton will start Friday night’s WinStar World Casino 350 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race from the pole after blistering the field in time trials at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday night. Crafton’s fast lap in the No. 88 Menards/McGuire-Nicholas Chevrolet was 29.964 seconds, averaging 180.216 miles per hour. He was the only driver to break the 180 mph barrier during qualifying.

    It’s the fourth career pole for Crafton, and his first since winning the pole for this race last year.

    Teammate Johnny Sauter will start seventh after turning a lap of 30.129 seconds/179.229 miles per hour in the No. 13 Farmpaint.com/Curb Records Chevrolet.

    “It had been a year since we won a pole, but I knew coming here we’d have a great chance to make it happen,” Crafton said. “Whether it’s the 88 truck or the 13 truck, ThorSport Racing has had an awesome intermediate program the over the last few years. Our guys know what it takes to get us around these tracks. We lost what had been our best intermediate truck in a crash here in the spring, but the guys have this truck running every bit as good as the other one. And Texas is definitely a horsepower track and we had a ton of it under the hood tonight. I’d like to thank Mark Smith and everyone at PME for all their hard work to help make this happen.”

    With the majority of NCWTS qualifying sessions happening the day of the race, there is one benefit to qualifying the night before: Crafton and the team now have a little time to enjoy their accomplishment.

    “At least we get a night to enjoy it,” Crafton said. “But the big thing is for us to come back here tomorrow and end up first again tomorrow night. We’ve proved that we can be fast for one lap, now we have to be fast for 147 laps. We aren’t going to go out and celebrate like we won the race, but my guys definitely have a little bounce in their step and their heads up high. It never hurts to come back to the track with some momentum and we’ll surely have that tomorrow when it’s time to race.”

    Crafton will be looking to extend his consecutive top-ten finishes streak to 14 straight, and he has an idea on the perfect way to do it.

    “We aren’t looking at this weekend as a chance to make it 14 straight top tens, we’re looking at it as a chance to get a win,” he said. “If we end up in victory lane, that streak continues on and takes care of itself.”

    Sauter, who has also won a pole at Texas in June 2009 driving for ThorSport Racing, is cautiously optimistic about his chances for victory tomorrow night.

    “We have an awesome truck for tomorrow,” Sauter said. “This is our favorite truck and it drove just like we expected it to. We’d like to be up where Matt is right now, but tomorrow is when it counts for us. For us it’s not about where you start, it’s where you finish and we really think we’ve got a good chance to go fight for the win.”

    The WinStar World Casino 350 will be broadcast live on SPEED starting with a 30-minute pre-race show starting at 8:30 PM Eastern. The race can also be heard live on select affiliates of the MRN Radio Network and on Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 128.

  • Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes – NNS Race Advance – Texas

    Dodge Motorsports NNS Race Advance
    O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge                        
    Texas Motor Speedway
    Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010
    www.media.chrysler.com
    www.twitter.com/teamdodge

    DODGE NUGGETS
    • Dodge is seeking its first NASCAR Nationwide Series championship – its
    seventh overall title covering the three NASCAR national series..
    • Dodge’s last NASCAR championship was in 2005 when Ted Musgrave won the
    Camping World Truck Series title.

    DID YOU KNOW
    Dodge driver Brad Keselowski leads the Nationwide Series in top-five finishes
    (23), top-10 finishes (26) and laps completed in 2010.  He has completed all
    but one of the 5,884 laps contested this season.  Keselowski has led the field
    for 1,146 of those circuits, marking the first time he has led more than 1,000
    laps in a season.

    JUSTIN ALLGAIER – No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge
    Highlights:
    • Has earned four-consecutive top-10 finishes in his last four NASCAR
    Nationwide Series starts.
    • Earned his first Nationwide victory earlier this year at Bristol Motor
    Speedway, leading a 1-2 finish for Penske Racing and Dodge. 
    • Has one win along with nine top-five and 19 top-10 finishes, an average
    starting position of 11.7 and an average finish of 11.6.
    • Currently fourth in the season point standings, best among full-time
    Nationwide Series-only drivers.
    • Has two poles this season, most recently at Gateway two weeks ago.
    • Has finished in the top 15 in nine of the last 10 races.
    • In the top five in points all season.
    • Was the 2009 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year.

    BRAD KESELOWSKI – No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger
    Highlights:
    • Seeking his first NASCAR Nationwide Series championship.
    • Can mathematically clinch the championship for Dodge and the first NASCAR
    title for Penske Racing this weekend at TMS with a finish of 21st or better or
    a 391-point advantage at the conclusion of the race.
    • Currently leads the Nationwide Series standings by 485 points over Carl
    Edwards – his largest lead of the season.  He has led the point standings the
    last 25 races.
    • Earned back-to-back wins at Talladega and Richmond and has four wins in
    2010.
    • Has a NASCAR record 99 consecutive Nationwide Series races without a DNF
    (Did Not Finish).
    • His 2010 Nationwide Series totals in addition to the five wins include 22
    top-five and 25 top-10 finishes. 

    DODGE NATIONWIDE SERIES QUOTES

    “We’re close, but nothing has been decided yet.  Our attitude going into this
    weekend is that we are behind in points, which we are in the owner’s
    standings.  Regardless of how this season turns out, I’m proud of this team.
    To come out of the box like we have, with a brand-new team, is pretty
    remarkable.  I told Mr. Penske when I made the move to Penske Racing that I
    wanted to run the full Nationwide Series schedule because I thought we could
    be very competitive.  We were able to attract great sponsors in Discount Tire
    and Ruby Tuesday.  We were able to bring in talented people, including my crew
    chief Paul Wolfe.  To be in position to win the first NASCAR championship for
    Penske Racing is something that I take a tremendous amount of pride in.  It’s
    the culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people.”
    Brad Keselowski, No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger

    “Texas is a fun place.  It’s a fast mile-and-a-half track that has a lot of
    bumps in Turns 1 and 2.  It’s got very different banking characteristics than
    Charlotte or Atlanta.  It’s a place where you race hard every lap.  We’ve had
    some decent races there, but the fall race has always seemed to be a weak
    point for us.”
    Justin Allgaier, No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger

  • MIGUEL PALUDO TO DRIVE FOR RED HORSE RACING FOR TWO REMAINING RACES IN 2010

    MOORESVILLE, N.C.(November 2, 2010) – Red Horse Racing is pleased to announce the addition of Miguel Paludo to its stable of drivers in the 2010 Camping World Truck Series season. Paludo will pilot the #11 Stemco Toyota Tundra at Texas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    The Brazilian driver has participated in several racing series during the 2010 season. Paludo has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts under his belt. His first start came at Bristol Motor Speedway where he started 23rd and raced his way to a ninth place finish. He also ran Kentucky Speedway where he started 21st and finished 20th. Paludo competed in nine NASCAR K&N Pro Series East events. He earned one top-five and two top-10 finishes. He also ran one ARCA RE/Max event at Kansas Speedway where he started 18th and finished 18th.

    Stemco will provide primary sponsorship for the #11 Toyota Tundra. Stemco, standing for Specialized Truck Equipment Manufacturing Company, was established on March 1, 1951, by Ben Cook and Tom Davidson in St. Charles, Missouri. The first two products the company made were mufflers and oil reservoirs for trucks. Stemco later became involved in the manufacture of dual wheel adapters, hubo hose carriers, drum check gauges, exhaust accessories, and the development of the Stemco Hub Oil Seal and Hub Cap, and pinion seals. With a half million mile warranty, the highest in the industry, Stemco’s hubodometer now commands a majority share of the North American market and is acknowledged as the best in the world. Stemco expanded internationally to Europe, Australia and Canada. Stemco Canada is the largest Stemco unit outside the United States and dominates the hub-seal market in that country. Today, Stemco products are shipped directly to a large number of countries on six continents. Distributors, vehicle and axle manufacturers in Latin America, Japan, Southeast Asia, South Africa, and the Middle East sell Stemco products to truck fleets in these international markets. Over its 50-year history, Stemco has created and nurtured a worldwide reputation for quality products. Its people are known as the key ingredient in the company’s success and a major reason why Stemco products are used by truckers in many parts of the world.

    “I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity with Red Horse Racing,” said Paludo. “I tested with RHR in January at New Symrna and I’m glad to be back with them this season. I’m looking forward to racing at both Texas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. With each lap I’m learning more and more and that is helping me prepare for next year. I also want to thank Stemco for their continued support.”

    “ I have watched Miguel with great interest as he has developed his stock car career in the United States and his talent has made it a seamless transition, commented Red Horse Racing owner Tom DeLoach. “I continue to be impressed with his performance. He tested with us at the beginning of the year and we are glad to have him back at Red Horse Racing.”

    Veteran crew chief Rick Gay will call the shots for the #11 Red Horse Racing team at both Texas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.

  • Bodine and No. 30 Valvoline Tundra Ready for Texas Return

    Bodine Leads Truck Series Championship Battle by 216-point margin

    Has Earned Four Wins this season, 21 in his Truck Series Career

    Germain Racing has 22 Truck Series Victories and Nine Pole Awards

    November 2, 2010 (Mooresville, N.C.) – Texas Motor Speedway is set to host its second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race of the season, and Germain Racing is one Truck Series team that can’t wait to unload their hauler at the Fort Worth, TX, facility. Germain Racing has earned wins at Texas in six of seven seasons, including a sweep in 2007 for a total of seven trips to Texas’s victory lane. In addition, the team has two pole awards. Germain Racing’s Todd Bodine has a 50% chance of steering the No. 30 Valvoline Tundra into Victory Lane on Friday night based on his Texas record of six wins in 12 NCWTS races.

    “We appreciate Valvoline coming on board in time for our race at Texas in June and we were happy to get a win for them. We hope to get another one on Friday night with the Valvoline Tundra. Valvoline has been an incredible sponsor and ambassador for our sport for a lot of years and we’re proud to represent them,” said Bodine, who led 106 of 169 laps at Texas in June and has led 305 of the 1845 laps he has completed at TMS.

    Crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. likes the team’s chances any time they head to Texas, but with this particular race truck, Chassis TRD-131, he is extra confident.

    “When we put this race truck on the track for the first time in Nashville this spring, we knew we had a special Tundra. What makes it great is that it responds consistently to whatever chassis setup we throw at it. We’ve won three races with this truck this year, including in June at Texas. We’ll try our best to sweep the Texas races with the Valvoline Tundra on Friday night,” said Hillman.

    Texas Motor Speedway fits into the ‘intermediate’ race track category. It’s a track that’s one and a half miles in length, it’s D-shaped, and it’s got a fair amount of banking (24 degrees in the corners and 5 degrees on the straightaways. But of the intermediate tracks, it’s the one that Bodine has been the most successful with and he’s not sure how to explain why.

    “Texas Motor Speedway is a track that suits my style, and we’ve always had great Tundra race trucks there which makes it easy to go fast,” said Bodine, who says the team sticks to their weekly plan when they arrive in Fort Worth, despite their outstanding performance record there. “We go to Texas and do our deal like we do every time, every race, it doesn’t matter where it is, we just go. We get the truck driving as best as we can, as fast as we can and we race to win.”

    Watch Bodine the No. 30 Valvoline Tundra continue on their mission to secure the second Truck Series title for Germain Racing and Toyota on Friday, November 5th, at Texas Motor Speedway. You can watch the action on SPEED beginning 8:30 PM Eastern on Friday night. If you won’t be by a TV, set your DVR, and tune your radio dial to your local MRN affiliate. Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a Facebook fan.

    About Valvoline: Valvoline, a brand of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), has been serving American motorists longer than any other motor oil. The Valvoline family of products includes Eagle One® appearance products, Car Brite® car restoration products, Zerex® antifreeze, SynPower® performance products and MaxLife® products created for higher-mileage engines. With more than 850 locations throughout the United States, Valvoline Instant Oil Change® is a leader in serving the quick lube market.

  • Martin Truex Jr., OUT! Pet Care Toyota Texas Preview

    CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 99 OUT! Pet Care Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. hopes his successful return to the NASCAR Nationwide Series continues this weekend at the ultrafast Texas Motor Speedway. In his three 2010 starts, the two-time champion owns two top-five finishes and has led 34 laps. The Mayetta, N.J. native finished second at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 25 just 1.137 seconds behind Brad Keselowski. The Diamond-Waltrip Racing team’s first-year sponsor OUT! Pet Care, headquartered in Dallas, calls Texas Motor Speedway its home track.

    QUOTES

    TRUEX ON RACING IN THE NATIONWIDE SERIES AT TEXAS: “What I like about running in the NASCAR Nationwide Series is there is no pressure on me and going into the race this weekend. I know I have a real shot at winning because of the quality of cars we have a Diamond-Waltrip Racing. It’s been a lot of fun working with that team and at Charlotte, we almost won the race. I expect a similar situation heading to Texas because it’s one of my favorite tracks. What I like about Texas is it takes a complete package. You have to have a great motor, a great aero package and a great chassis. Downforce is also important. It is one of the fastest places we go to and you have to like to go fast. That’s what I like about Texas. You spend a lot of time in the throttle and during the race, the key is to get your car turning well.”

    ON THE DIAMOND-WALTRIP NATIONWIDE PROGRAM: “The Nationwide program at Diamond-Waltrip Racing is awesome. The cars are always really fast right off the truck. Jerry Baxter and Mike Greci have done a great job fine tuning these cars. I think DWR is one of the top Nationwide teams in the garage. Every time I have been in one of those cars this year, I have had a chance to win. I am really excited about running a few more Nationwide races this season and hopefully grabbing a win or two.”

    IF RACING ON SATURDAY GIVES HIM CONFIDENCE FOR SUNDAY: “I think running the race on Saturday gives me a lot of confidence for Sunday. The cars are very different and racing on Saturday doesn’t help you with the car setup for Sunday. However, learning things about the track and understanding where the track goes throughout the Nationwide race gives you a little head start on Sunday. Figuring out which way the track goes during the race gives you a better idea as to where you need to start on Sunday. It’s definitely an advantage but for me I just enjoy driving that car. The OUT! Pet Care Toyota has been running well and they always seem to have a good car for me. Hopefully I can get into victory lane.”

    NOTES OF INTEREST

    · Gary and Blake Bechtel along with Michael Waltrip Racing own Diamond-Waltrip Racing that fields Toyota Camrys out of the MWR shop in Cornelius, N.C. The Bechtels have owned cars in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series since 1990. The Morgan Hill, California residents’ teams have visited victory lane 10 times in the Nationwide Series.

    · Truex won Nationwide Series titles in 2004 and 2005. He became the fifth driver to win consecutive NNS championships, and the sixth to win multiple titles.

    · Truex owns 100 NNS starts. He has 13 wins, 10 poles, 39 top-five and 60 top-10 finishes. The Mayetta, N.J. native, has led 1,852 laps of competition and has only scored five DNF (did not finish) in his Nationwide Series career.

    · Saturday is Truex’s fourth NNS race at Texas Motor Speedway. He has started all three races from the top 10 and has a finishing average of 18th. His best finish is 10th (April 3, 2004) and he has run 570 of 600 laps of competition (95 percent). His last NNS start at the 1.5-mile track was Nov. 5, 2005.