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  • Toyota NASCAR Notes & Quotes II Talladega

    TOYOTA TALK: Hamlin Happy Chasing Chase Leader Busch Talks Talladega Reutimann Recalls Talladega Intensity Bodine Believes in Racing for Wins

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) NEWS, NOTES & NUMBERS: This year, Toyota drivers have combined for 11 wins, 36 top-five results, 73 top-10 finishes and six poles after 32 of 36 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) races … Toyota drivers Denny Hamlin (second in points) and Kyle Busch (fourth) are currently competing in the 2010 NSCS Chase … Hamlin is six points behind leader Jimmie Johnson after six of 10 races — the closest margin between first and second-place in the Chase battle after six races since the inception of the Chase in 2004 … Hamlin’s win at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday marked the 11th NSCS win for Toyota this year matching the most wins (2009) for the manufacturer since entering the series in 2007 … Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Busch, Hamlin and Joey Logano have all finished together in the top-10 five times this season, including four of the last seven NSCS races.

    DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing How has your strategy for the Chase played out to this point? “Obviously, we ’d love to have a huge lead right now. I think given how I raced and things like that over the course of this Chase so far, this is about the best-case scenario for us. I like being behind and chasing a guy. I do not like playing defense at all. So, to play offense all day at Martinsville, going through adversity to get the win — it’s a huge boost going forward. Right now, I feel like we ’re in a great position going to Talladega. We’ve been extremely strong at Talladega for the last two to three years. So, I ’m pretty confident.” Can you get into Jimmie Johnson’s head at Talladega by staying behind him in the race? “I don’t think so. I have actually worked a lot with Jimmie (Johnson) on superspeedway races. I totally agree with him that you’re strictly playing odds. You look back at the races that I don’t wreck — I finish in the top-two or three every time, but the ones that I don’t, I’m usually 20th or something. Jimmie’s had his fair share of crashes and we’ve had our fair share of crashes at Talladega. Honestly, I feel like we have a be tter Talladega package than what those guys have had. We’ve been very, very strong on superspeedways, especially Talladega. We’ve been able to lead a ton of laps there — we’ve got a good finish there last year. I would like to just worry about winning the race and if I do get shuffled though, I would like to just put myself in a safe spot.”

    KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing What is the best case scenario at Talladega with five laps remaining? “You just want to be leading and protect what you’ve got and try to keep the rest of the guys behind you. You know it’s going to be tough, you know it’s going to be crazy and guys are going to be trying to go three-wide, four-wide and everywhere trying to get a push draft going and everything. If you were leading and you had a teammate behind you or something like that, obviously that would make it pretty good.” Who is your favorite drafting partner at Talladega? “I drafted well with a lot of people over the past, but I would say (Juan Pablo) Montoya helped me win the race that I won at Talladega a couple years ago. Jimmie (Johnson) is always pretty good to draft with. My brother (Kurt Busch) as well.”

    DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Is it difficult to race at Talladega? “There’s not anything really difficult about driving Talladega. You have to have a good car and then you can hopefully get out there and get in the right line and get with the right guys and work with the right people to try to make your day go as good as you can. A lot of times you’re trying to get yourself in a position where you’re trying to let things shuffle out and see what happens. At Talladega, you would like to be able to qualify up front, but you’re really not all that worried about it because you know that in a matter of a couple laps you could be up there leading the thing.”

    DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing (continued) Are you surprised at how intense the closing laps are at Talladega? “It seems like it only takes one guy to start running up through there and then everybody thinks they have to do it. The closer it gets to the end of the race, the more you have to get yourself in good position. It’s not hard to pass early on in the race, but the later in the race it goes, unless you have somebody behind you that will really help you, it’s hard to pass. You’re trying to get yourself in position to be in the right place at the right time when things cycle out. It’s crazy — you see everybody behaving so well early in the race and everybody is giving plenty of room and nobody is even close to each other. Then with 15 or 20 laps to go, it just gets really, really crazy and it gets pretty intense. In the end you’re out there racing and trying to win. Sometimes you need to take chances and make crazy moves and that’s what you see at the end of that race.”

    NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) NEWS, NOTES & NUMBERS: This year, Toyota drivers have combined for 16 wins, 67 top-five results, 133 top-10 finishes and 16 poles after 32 of 35 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) races … Kyle Busch remains third in the NNS point standings, despite starting just 26 of 32 races . . . Jason Leffler (eighth), Joey Logano (ninth) and Steve Wallace (10th) are also in the top-10 in points with three races remaining … The NNS will take the weekend off before returning to action at Texas Motor Speedway, Nov . 6.

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) NEWS, NOTES & NUMBERS: This year, Tundra drivers have combined for 12 wins, 50 top-five results, 103 top-10 finishes and 10 poles after 21 of 25 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) races … Todd Bodine (first), Aric Almirola (second), Timothy Peters (seventh), Mike Skinner (eighth) and David Starr (ninth) are in the top-10 in the NCWTS point standings with four races remaining … Bodine leads second-place Almirola in the point standings by 282 points … Toyota is currently 10 points ahead of Chevrolet in the NCWTS manufacturer’s point standings.

    TODD BODINE, No. 30 Germain.com Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing Is your team focused more on ‘points racing’ or winning races? “We prepare every week to go win the race. If we can’t win, we get the best points race that we can. That’s the way you have to look at it. I’ve had a lot of people asking me, ‘Are you going to go on the defensive — are you going into points racing mode?’ My answer is, ‘No, we’re in points racing mode every week.’ We still go to win the race, but if we can’t win then we just worry about getting the best points day we can and that’s what’s got us to this point, and that’s what we’re going to keep doing. If I was in points racing mode, I wouldn’t have tried to pass Kyle (Busch) at Kentucky for the lead. I would have ridden behind him and finished second.”

    TOYOTA DRIVER ROSTER – Talladega Superspeedway

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Camry Kevin Conway, No. 7 Extenze Camry Denny Hamlin, No. 11 FedEx Freight Camry Casey Mears, No. 13 GEICO Camry Kyle Busch, No. 18 M&M’s Camry Joey Logano, No. 20 Home Depot Camry Marcos Ambrose, No. 47 Kleenex-Clorox Camry Michael Waltrip, No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Camry Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Camry Landon Cassill, No. 64 Gunselman Motorsports Camry Johnny Sauter, No. 66 Prism Motorsports Camry Scott Speed, No. 82 Red Bull Camry Kasey Kahne, No. 83 Red Bull Camry Joe Nemechek, No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports Camry Jeff Fuller, No. 97 NEMCO Motorsports Camry

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Mike Skinner, No. 5 Exide Tundra Justin Lofton, No. 7 VisitPit.com Tundra Max Papis, No. 9 GEICO Tundra Timothy Peters, No. 17 Red Horse Racing Tundra Kyle Busch, No. 18 Traxxas Toyota Tundra Todd Bodine, No. 30 Germain.com Tundra Craig Goess, No. 46 Greenville Toyota Tundra Aric Almirola, No. 51 Billy Ballew Motorsports Tundra David Starr, No. 81 Zachry Tundra

  • Newman Banking That Superspeedway Odds Will Be In His Favor

    TALLADEGA, Ala. (Oct. 27, 2010) — If a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver is looking to snap a streak of bad luck, Talladega Superspeedway would most likely not be the venue of choice.

    But according to U.S. Army driver Ryan Newman, the Talladega odds are overdue to play in his favor during Sunday’s Amp Energy 500 Cup race.

    “We haven’t finished a restrictor-plate race this season, so odds are that we are going to finish one,” said Newman about his three performances in 2010 at NASCAR’s two superspeedway tracks –Daytona and Talladega.

    Actually, Newman has not been running at the finish in the last four superspeedway races, dating back to last fall’s event at Talladega. In each of the four races — two at Daytona and two at Talladega — he was involved in multicar accidents.

    Not only is Newman looking to reverse his superspeedway misfortunes, he is also looking to overturn a current two-race streak of bad luck that has resulted in finishes of 36th and 30th in Charlotte, N.C. and Martinsville, Va. respectively.

    In the seven races prior to the Oct. 16th race at Charlotte, Newman had an average finish of 7.8 and scored six top 10s. His only finish outside the top-10 during the seven-race span was 11th in Richmond, Va.

    “We definitely need to get back on the cycle before Charlotte,” said Newman. “It’s a shame that we didn’t capitalize on the great cars we had at the last two races. But I spun out and hit the wall early in the Charlotte race and then we had a gear problem after running really strong in Martinsville. This is a time when we look to our Army Strong Soldiers, who give us that never-quit inspiration when things temporarily fall off pace.”

    Newman knows that his No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet, with a Hendrick Motorsports engine, has the potential of winning Sunday’s race at the 2.66-mile oval. But before he can put himself in position to win, he needs to avoid the wrecks.

    “Talladega has always been a hit and miss race,” said Newman, the 2008 Daytona 500 winner. “I think it’s time that we miss those big wrecks. We have a superspeedway car that can win, but history will tell you that to be successful at Talladega you have to avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You can easily be an innocent victim there. And no one knows better about that than our No. 39 U.S. Army team.”

    Newman has had spectacular crashes at Talladega, but none more than last fall when his Army Chevrolet went airborne after being hit during a multicar melee. Once his car hit the ground it barrel rolled a number of times before landing upside down on the infield grass. He managed to escape serious injuries in the harrowing incident.

    Sunday’s race will mark Newman’s 18th career Cup start at Talladega, where he has claimed four top fives and seven top 10s.

    Newman’s Talladega Career Cup Record:

    Year St Fn

    2002 8 43

    7 7

    2003 8 39

    12 4

    2004 17 11

    19 16

    2005 5 39

    3 4

    2006 18 33

    11 13

    2007 28 9

    16 5

    2008 21 8

    24 43

    2009 25 3

    7 36

    2010 16 35

    No. 39 U.S. Army Over-the-Wall Crew (city is hometown)

    Front-tire changer: Scott Brzozowski, Sterling Heights, Mich.

    Front-tire carrier: Josh Mick, Houston, Texas

    Rear-tire changer: Brandon Hopkins, Danielson, Conn.

    Rear-tire carrier: James Houk, Fair Play, Mo.

    Gasman: Michael Moore, Springfield, Mass.

    Jackman: Jeff Kerr, China Grove, N.C.

    Catch Can: Andy Rueger, Seymour, Ind.

    8th Man/Windshield: Jay Guarneri, Naples, Fla.

    ___________________________________________________

    Crew Chief: Tony Gibson, Daytona Beach, Fla.

    Car Chief: Kevin Pennell, Kannapolis, N.C.

    Spotter: Jimmy Kitchens, Hueytown, Fla.

    Engine Specialist: Jay Nolan, Jacksonville, Fla.

    Engineers: Johnny Klausmeier, Perry Hall, Md.

    Wes Gantt, Taylorsville, N.C.

    Engine: Hendrick Motorsports

    Shock Specialist : Brian Holshouser, Charlotte

    Tire Specialist: Jeff Zarrella, Southington, Conn.

  • David Starr Loves Racing in the Draft

    David Starr loves racing. It doesn’t matter if the surface is fast or slow, the Texas native just wants to be at the track each week to face the stiff competition of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. This week David and the rest of the competitors in the series travel from the smallest track at Martinsville to the largest track at Talladega, Alabama for the Mountain Dew 250.

    “Whatever track we are going to next is my favorite track,” Starr said with his trademark smile. “I love all the tracks the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series visits, but this week Talladega is my favorite track.”

    “I really do love racing at Talladega. It’s fast and you are wide-open all the way around. I love to feel the truck move in the draft,” he continued. “I have so much fun racing in the draft, It’s a new challenge each race because you never know who will run with you, while you’re trying to figure out who you can run the fastest with.”

    “It’s just really intense racing and a great show for the fans in the stands. We are going to have some folks from Zachry coming to the race so I’m really looking forward to putting the Zachry Toyota up front for them.”

    Starr and the SS Green Light Racing team are prepared for this week’s race at the 2.66-mile high-banked track. “I feel we gained a lot of momentum last week, we had a really strong truck. Our speedway truck should be just as good; the guys have worked really hard on it. We need to keep building our momentum over these last four races.”

    David has four career NCWTS starts at the Talladega Superspeedway with one top-five finish, which came last year with his Crew Chief Jason Miller on top of the box. David’s average start is 16.8 and his average finish is 14.8. David has finished on the lead lap in each of the four races the NCWTS has run at Talladega.

    Starr concluded, “There is no place in the world I would rather be on a Saturday afternoon than driving a truck at Talladega.”

    The Mountain Dew 250 is the 242nd consecutive NCWTS start for the SS Green Light Racing team and the 262nd career start for Starr in the Truck series.

    There are only 34 trucks are on the preliminary entry list for the Mountain Dew 250.

    Practice for the NCWTS Mountain Dew 250 will be Friday, October 29th from 10:00 a.m. to noon Eastern with qualifying at 4:40 p.m. The race will be shown live on SPEED TV Saturday, October 30th at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. It will also be broadcast live via radio worldwide on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and on SIRIUS Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 128-XM104.

    Zachry Holdings, Inc. is engaged in the planning, building and renewing of the world’s most critical industrial facilities. As the largest direct-hire, merit-shop constructor in the United States, Zachry provides a range of engineering, construction and maintenance services to top industrial companies. The 85 year-old privately held organization is based in San Antonio. Visit www.zhi.com for more information.

    For more information about SS Green Light Racing visit www.SSRacingonline.com or email pr@ssracingonline.com.

  • Jason White Pumped-up for Talladega

    Jason White is pumped-up and ready to go. He’s ready to get to the Talladega Superspeedway and prove the strength of the speedway program the SS Green Light team showed at the season opener at Daytona.

    Back in February, White won his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Pole and finished fourth in the NextEra Energy Resources 250. The team is bringing the same truck to Talladega this week. Jason is ready to show the early-season run was no fluke and he plans to put the GunBroker.com/Pursuit Channel No. 23 Ford back up to the front of the field.

    “We think we’re going to be just as good or better than we were at Daytona,” a confident White said. “We are bringing the same Ford that we ran at Daytona, but we just didn’t let it sit in the shop. We worked on it to try to make it even better. We know everyone else is going to be better. You can’t stand still in this sport or your going to get beat.”

    “We should have some great horsepower again and I am just so excited to get to the track and see what we’ve got. I think we should have a great shot at the Pole again and we should be strong for the whole race. To many things can happen at that track, so I’m not going to make a prediction but we’ll have a truck good enough to win. We just need to be smart and be there at the end of the race.”

    White has three previous starts at NASCAR’s largest and fastest track, however the high-banks have not been kind to him in the past as he has failed to see the checkered flag at any of the events, suffering mechanical failures each of the last two seasons. Jason had a very strong qualifying run of fourth in 2009, but an engine failure ended his day after only 29 laps.

    Following his impressive fourth place run at Martinsville last week, Jason moved back in the top-ten in the NCWTS standings behind fellow SS Green Light driver David Starr.

    “We had a great truck last week at Martinsville, but all the restarts at the end really cost us. Man, we were right there. We were good enough to win and I think we can be right there again with the GunBroker.com/Pursuit Channel Ford this week at Talladega. I not only plan on finishing a race there, but I plan to finish up front.”

    The Mountain Dew 250 is White’s 101st NCWTS start and also the 242nd consecutive NCWTS start for the SS Green Light Racing team.

    There are only 34 trucks are on the preliminary entry list for the Mountain Dew 250.

    Practice for the NCWTS Mountain Dew 250 will be Friday, October 29th from 10:00 a.m. to noon Eastern with qualifying at 4:40 p.m. The race will be shown live on SPEED TV Saturday, October 30th at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. It will also be broadcast live via radio worldwide on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and on SIRIUS Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 128-XM104.

    GunBroker.com is an informative, detailed, secure and safe way to buy and sell firearms and hunting/shooting accessories. GunBroker.com promotes responsible gun ownership. Aside from merchandise bearing its logo, GunBroker.com sells none of the items listed on its Web site. Third-party sellers list items on the site and Federal and state laws govern the sale of firearms and other restricted items. Ownership policies and regulations are followed using licensed firearms dealers as transfer agents. Currently GunBroker.com has over 1.5 million registered users, with 400,000 auctions running at any time and has over 3 million unique monthly visitors to the site.

    Pursuit Channel is the most widely distributed, pure hunting and fishing network featuring many of the industry’s top names. It is the only outdoor network delivered in satellite provider DIRECTV’s basic package. Pursuit Channel, through its Agency of Record – Performance One Media, has secured distribution across all 14 million Dish Network subscribers starting 2011. It is owned and operated by people who understand the vibrant outdoor industry. Founder and CEO Rusty Faulk has produced Rusty Faulk Outdoors for over 20 years and co-founder Merrill Sport, a partner in Rusty Faulk Outdoors, has worked with over 300 sporting goods manufacturers during his 25-year career. To learn more about the Pursuit Channel’s way of life and its programming, visit www.pursuitchannnel.com

    For more information about SS Green Light Racing visit www.SSRacingonline.com or email pr@ssracingonline.com

    MOOSE Media is the Agency of Record for the Pursuit Channel, contact 662-492-4000 or query www.moosemedia.tv

  • Greg Biffle Talladega Notes

    Biffle on Talladega: “We started the season this year with a good run at Daytona and although Talladega is certainly different than Daytona despite them both being superspeedways, I am hoping that we can have that same sort of performance this weekend.  We haven’t had a lot of luck at Talladega but last year we had two top-10’s there so it looks like we’re doing something right.  If we can just get out of there with a top-10 finish I will be happy.”

    Erwin on Talladega: “The superspeedway races are obviously  unique races in that even if you have the best driver, the best pit crew and the fastest racecar, you can very easily get caught up in someone else’s accident and take the car home in pieces.  Qualifying is not as important as it is at other tracks just because pit selection isn’t that crucial because the pit stalls are so big and no matter where you start you could have the lead one lap and be 20th the next lap.  We had a couple of good finishes at Talladega last year so we’ll just go out there and do what we did then to try to get out of there with a top-10 finish.”

    Talladega Notes

    •    Biffle and the 3M team dropped to 11th in the standings following their 33rd-place finish in Martinsville; they are 316 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson and 113 points out of fifth.
    •   Biffle’s average finish at Talladega is 22nd from an average starting position of 16.4.
    •   Biffle scored his two best-ever finishes at Talladega last year when he finished seventh in the spring and fourth in the fall.
    •   Manheim will be on the hood of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion this weekend.  Manheim was established more than 65 years ago as a wholesale vehicle auction operation and is the world’s largest provider of vehicle remarketing services. For more information, visit www.manheim.com .

  • Dodge Motorsports NSCS Race Advance – Talladega Superspeedway

    DODGE AT TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY

    • Dodge has three wins at Talladega: Richard Brickhouse (1969), Richard Petty (1974) and Dave Marcis (1976).

    • Dodge has earned one pole at Talladega since returning to the Sprint Cup Series in 2001 – Stacy Compton in 2001.

    • Dodge driver Brad Keselowski is the only current Dodge driver with a win at the 2.66-mile superspeedway in Sprint Cup competition. He won the spring event in 2009, leading only the final lap. He was driving for another team at that time.

    THE DODGE BOYS

    • Dodge has 207 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories.

    • Dodge’s most recent win came at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. Kurt Busch led 252 of 400 laps en route to victory in the Coca-Cola 600. It was his second win of the 2010 season.

    • Dodge teams have posted 47 victories since the manufacturer’s return to NASCAR’s premier series in 2001 after being out of the sport since 1977.

    • Last Dodge Sprint Cup Win at Talladega: Dave Marcis, 08/08/1976, Talladega 500, 157.547 mph average speed.

    • First Dodge Sprint Cup Win at Talladega: Richard Brickhouse, 09/14/1969, 1969 Talladega 500, 153.778 mph average speed.

    DODGE IN THE CHASE: TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY • 2004: Ryan Newman and Jeremy Mayfield represented Dodge in the Chase. ‘Dega was the third race. Newman finished 16th and Mayfield 38th after being involved in a four-car accident on lap 143.

    • 2005: Ryan Newman led the three-car Dodge contingent with a fourth-place finish. Jeremy Mayfield was 14th and Rusty Wallace 25th.

    • 2006: Kasey Kahne was the only Dodge driver in the Chase. He finished third and led seven laps.

    • 2007: Kurt Busch was the lone Dodge representative in the Chase. He posted his seventh consecutive top-eight finish at ‘Dega, finishing seventh.

    • 2008: There were no Dodges in the 2008 Chase field.

    • 2009: Kurt Busch, the lone Dodge representative in the Chase, started sixth, led seven laps, but finished 30th after being involved in a 13-car mishap as the field was taking the white flag.

    KURT BUSCH – INSIDE THE CHASE NUMBERS

    • Busch is competing in the Chase for the Sprint Cup for the fifth time: 2004 – Champion, 2005 – 10th, 2007 – seventh and 2009 – fourth.

    • Busch is ninth in the Chase standings after his 16th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway last weekend, 277 points behind the leader.

    • Busch was ranked sixth, 240 points behind the leader, after six races in the 2009 Chase.

    • Busch’s average finish in 19 starts at Talladega is 12.8; he has an average running position of 16.2.

    • His best finish at Talladega was third in 2006 after starting 29th. He has six top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 19 ‘Dega starts.

    • Through six Chase races this year, Busch’s average finish is 16.16.

    • In 32 races this season, Busch has two wins along with nine top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.

    • Has competed in 65 Chase races since 2004 (46 have been in a Dodge) with 16 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes.

    KURT BUSCH ON RACING AT TALLADEGA

    “I’m one that doesn’t take a lot of chances and more times than not plays it more defensively than on the offense. I think that’s been my mentality over the years. The times that I’ve been too aggressive out there and tried to make big bold moves, I wound up wrecked or getting shuffled out at the end and it didn’t turn out well.”

    DODGE FAST FACT

    Dodge driver Brad Keselowski earned his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top -10 finish as the driver of the No. 12 Dodge Charger from the Penske Racing stable. He started 25th and finished 10th at Martinsville.

    DID YOU KNOW?

    On March 24, 1970, Buddy Baker guided the No. 88 Dodge Daytona to a closed course speed record of 200.447 mph, becoming the first stock car driver to officially exceed the 200 mph mark.

    DODGE MOTORSPORTS ENGINEERING QUOTE OF THE WEEK –

    “If NASCAR set out to drive engineers crazy, then putting the Talladega race one week after Martinsville will get it done. Martinsville and its single lane, 60 mph mid-corner speeds last week now gives way to a 40-car pack, three wide, at nearly 200 mph this weekend at Talladega. And that’s with the same chassis, same body templates and same engine at both places. Using the same equipment, it’s the engineer’s job to get the same result – win.”

    Howard Comstock – Dodge Motorsports Engineering

    DODGE DRIVER QUOTES

    At Talladega, if you make your move too early or you’re too aggressive, that means there’s that much more time for things to backfire. Then there are times that if you go too late, you’ll want to kick yourself for not going earlier. That’s why you have to dig down and forecast what’s going on out there on the track. You ask yourself if this guy is an experienced racer or is he one of the younger guys? Has this guy been fast or has he been slow? You’re out there trying to digest all of that and play all your cards right while you’re just inches from the other guys and doing 200 miles per hour.”

    Kurt Busch, No. 2 Operation Home Front/ Miller Lite Dodge Charger

    “Talladega has always been a wildcard race and it always will be. I really like restrictor-plate races and we’ve typically run pretty well at places like Talladega and Daytona. Superspeedways remind me of IndyCar Series racing because the outcome depends mostly on aerodynamics. It’s like a chess game where you are trying to figure out what to do as the race progresses to position yourself correctly.”

    Sam Hornish Jr. No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger

    “You really have to pay attention to how the race unfolds at Talladega. There are times when you need to be patient. There are times when you need to keep your head about you and race smart. But you are going to have to be aggressive at the end. Those are three elements of restrictor-plate racing that I work on throughout the race. I learned that from Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. He gets a lot of the credit for the kind of racer that I am on the plate tracks.”

    Brad Keselowski, No 12 Penske Dodge Charger

  • DANICA PATRICK TO VISIT WITH RACE FANS AT PIR ON NOV. 12

    Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Rusty Wallace, Ricky Carmichael also slated to appear at PIR

    (PHOENIX, Ariz.) – Phoenix-area resident Danica Patrick – set to make her Phoenix International Raceway NASCAR debut during the upcoming Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend – will participate in a fan Q&A at PIR’s Budweiser ROLL-BAR stage on Nov. 12. The event will be open to all ticketed race fans, with a special section reserved for PIR season-ticket holders.

    While Patrick – driver of the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series – has raced Indy Cars at PIR, November will mark her stock car debut in the Valley of the Sun.

    “I look forward to going back to Phoenix – it’s a place I thought was cool in an Indy Car,” she said. “It will be nice to sleep in my own bed. I’m excited for that. I think Phoenix is a great track. I think it’s challenging, and I’m sure it will be even more challenging in a stock car with less grip.”

    Ryan Newman, winner of April’s SUBWAY Fresh Fit 600™ at PIR, and popular Sprint Cup driver Kasey Kahne will appear inside the Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club on Sunday, Nov. 14 as part of Q&A sessions available exclusively to ticket-holders for ROLL-BAR. Newman will appear at 9:30 a.m. and Kahne will appear at 10 a.m. Tickets to Budweiser ROLL-BAR are available for advance purchase at $89 for Nov. 13 and $139 for Nov. 14. Additional purchase of a grandstand ticket is still required for track admission.

    On Saturday, Nov. 13, former motocross champion Ricky Carmichael – who will compete in PIR’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events this November – will appear in ROLL-BAR and PIR’s Octane Lounge at times to be announced. Former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and son Steve – a NASCAR Nationwide Series driver – are also slated to make a fan hospitality appearance that Saturday in PIR’s Trackside Club, time tentatively scheduled for 11 a.m.

    More driver appearances for the Nov. 11-14 Kobalt Tools 500 weekend at PIR will be announced soon. This will include additional appearances at ROLL-BAR, as well as appearances in PIR’s Trackside Club and Octane Lounge. All appearances are subject to change.

    Budweiser ROLL-BAR is PIR’s newest hospitality offering – located just behind the Bobby Allison Grandstands on the west side of the track. It features the best in live entertainment, all-inclusive food and drink tickets throughout the Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR weekend and a custom beer garden area to showcase the No. 9 Budweiser car.

    Located just 50 feet away from the track and overlooking PIR’s backstretch, Trackside Club delivers unmatched views of the racing action, and a breathtaking look at the scenery of the surrounding desert from the outdoor terrace. Catered meals, pre-race pit passes, VIP parking, and commemorative race tickets are just the start of the experience at Trackside Club. Tickets for a full weekend package are $699.

    Octane offers a full-service concierge and high-end dining items that include hand-carved meats, fresh pastas and a sushi bar. The three-day package is $2,400 per person for the November NASCAR weekend and includes unlimited food and beverage, wine tasting, and many other plush accommodations.

    More driver appearances will be announced next week and updated information will be posted on PhoenixRaceway.com.

    Tickets to Budweiser ROLL-BAR, Octane, and Trackside Club are available online at PhoenixRaceway.com, or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223).

    About Phoenix International Raceway

    Since 1964, Phoenix International Raceway has served race fans as the premier motorsports venue in the Southwest. Watch the brightest stars in NASCAR take on PIR’s famed one-mile oval – including four-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart and many more – on November 14, 2010 in the Kobalt Tools 500. Tickets for the entire Kobalt Tools 500 weekend at Phoenix International Raceway can be purchased online at PhoenixRaceway.com/Tickets or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223). For more, visit PhoenixRaceway.com, Facebook.com/PhoenixRaceway and Twitter.com/PhoenixRaceway.

  • Gil Martin Named WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race in Martinsville

    Roswell, GA (October 26, 2010) – Gil Martin, crew chief for the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet driven by Kevin Harvick, has been named the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Sunday’s TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

    Martin and company rebounded from a disappointing 36th starting spot and rallied for a third-place finish – the first top-five for Harvick at Martinsville. And, it couldn’t have come at a better time as Harvick, third in the Sprint Cup Series championship standings, closed the gap on the two frontrunners. With four races to go, he is only 62 points behind Jimmie Johnson and 56 in arrears to Denny Hamlin.

    After the poor result in time trials at NASCAR’s shortest track, Martin and crew used Saturday’s two final practice sessions to make wholesale changes on the No. 29. The changes worked, as he was third and fifth fastest.

    At Martinsville, a driver who starts at the back of the pack can go down a lap in a hurry, but Harvick’s car showed strength from the beginning, vaulting into 17th by lap 48 when the day’s first caution flag flew. The first of numerous lightening fast pit stops during the day moved Harvick up an additional five spots to 12th when racing resumed.

    He danced up the leader board and cracked the top five on lap 89, and then eventually took over the top spot on lap 377. Late in the race, he held the lead, but his yellow and red machine lost grip in the latter stages of the race, but he held on for third. He led a total of 97 laps on six different occasions.

    “Gil and the No. 29 team did an amazing job this weekend,” said WYPALL Wipers crew chief representative Jeff Hammond. “They made the adjustments needed after qualifying that enabled Kevin to drive to the front, gave him great pit stops, and inched closer to Jimmie and Denny. These last four races are going to be something to see which crew chief will make the right calls.”

    WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief Results

    Todd Berrier, Jeff Burton and the No. 31 CAT team finished ninth after leading the most laps. Jeff started 18th, but quickly maneuvered his way to the front. He was running second with 50 laps to go when his car began experiencing a loose condition, eventually dropping him to ninth.

    Frank Kerr, crew chief of the No. 47 Camry driven by Marcos Ambrose, qualified second for the event, but dealt with numerous struggles throughout the day. He suffered a flat tire after making contact with Johnson, spun out, but stayed on the lead lap. Later in the race, Ambrose had to pull behind the wall with brake issues. After making lengthy repairs, The No. 47 Camry wound up 34th, seventy two laps behind.

    WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief Team

    Berrier, Kerr and Hammond, along with representatives from the WYPALL Wipers brand, serve as the panel for the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge and vote for the weekly crew chief winners. In addition to the $500 check, the winning crew chief will receive signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week. The crew chief with the most weekly wins will be honored as the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $20,000 check at season’s end.

    Former winners of the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge include Tony Eury, Sr. (Dale Earnhardt, Jr.), Robbie Reiser (Matt Kenseth), Doug Richert (Greg Biffle), Mike Ford (Denny Hamlin) and Chad Knaus (Johnson).

    About WYPALL Wipers

    WYPALL is a brand of Kimberly-Clark Professional. Since 2004, WYPALL Wipers has been affiliated with some of racing’s top teams. Offering heavy-duty to versatile light-duty towels, WYPALL Wipers provide race teams with a number of products that demonstrate strength and durability. Defeating the toughest of challenges, from absorbing tough grease and oil to wiping down windshields without leaving residue behind, WYPALL Wipers continue to offer performance and versatility.

    The WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge will continue throughout the 2010 season and spotlight the men behind the machines. For more information, log onto www.wypall.com.

  • Matt Kenseth – Crown Royal Black – Talladega Advance

    Matt Kenseth – NSCS ADVANCE

    Team: No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford Fusion

    Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig

    Chassis: Primary: RK-690 (last run at Talladega)

    Kenseth NSCS record at Talladega Superspeedway:

    Date Event S F Laps Status Earnings

    04/16/00 DieHard 500 42 18 187/188 Running $50,260

    10/15/00 Winston 500 36 10 188/188 Running $65,100

    04/22/01 Talladega 500 40 19 188/188 Running $58,395

    10/21/01 EA Sports 500 24 4 188/188 Running $77,550

    04/21/02 Aaron’s 499 37 30 180/188 Running $80,905

    10/06/02 EA Sports 500 8 14 188/188 Running $67,295

    04/06/03 Aaron’s 499 27 9 188/188 Running $104,730

    09/28/03 EA Sports 500 37 33 158/188 Engine $61,125

    04/25/04 Aaron’s 499 31 42 59/188 Engine $112,298

    10/03/04 EA Sports 500 7 14 188/188 Running $116,973

    05/01/05 Aaron’s 499 23 11 194/194 Running $136,586

    10/02/05 UAW-Ford 500 11 3 190/190 Running $179,511

    05/01/06 Aaron’s 499 12 6 188/188 Running $159,841

    10/08/06 UAW-Ford 500 19 4 188/188 Running $167,216

    04/29/07 Aaron’s 499 17 14 192/192 Running $137,641

    10/07/07 UAW-Ford 500 25 26 171/188 Running $120,066

    04/27/08 Aaron’s 499 13 41 150/188 Running $125,741

    10/05/08 AMP Energy 500 31 26 173/190 Crash $121,091

    04/26/09 Aaron’s 499 13 17 188/188 Running $136,315

    11/01/09 AMP Energy 500 14 24 191/191 Running $121,790

    04/25/10 Aaron’s 499 2 28 196/200 Running $127,901

    Races Wins Top 5s Top 10s Poles Earnings

    Cumulative 21 0 3 6 0 $2,328,330

    Kenseth on racing at Talladega Superspeedway:

    “Everyone always talks about Talladega being the wild card race in the Chase, and I guess it really could be. Any of the races in the Chase can always end up being a wild card because you never know what’s going to happen as far as wrecks are concerned, but certainly Talladega always has the potential to be an accident waiting to happen. You never know where it’s going to occur, when it’s going to happen, or who it’s going to take out, so that’s one race that you’re never sure where everybody is going to end up finishing until the race is over.”

    Crew chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Talladega Superspeedway:

    “It’s very difficult to have a plan for racing at Talladega because you never know when wrecks are going to happen. There can be incidents starting from the drop of the green flag so you just never know. A lot of teams opt to hang out in the back of the field to try to avoid wrecks, but that doesn’t always work out. We just plan to race the best we can at Talladega and hope to avoid whatever happens on the track. We’ve also worked hard on our drag numbers to keep the resistance levels down in order to have the best car we can for this weekend.”

    FAST FACTS:

    • Kenseth has an average starting position of 22.3 and an average finishing position of 18.7 at Talladega

    • In 21 starts, Kenseth has achieved three top-five and six top-10 finishes at Talladega in the Cup series

    • Kenseth has completed 3,733 of 3,977 (93.9 percent) laps at Talladega and led for a total of 146 laps

    • This weekend at Talladega, Kenseth will pilot the No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford Fusion

    • Entering this weekend, Kenseth is currently tenth in the NSCS driver point standings

  • FLEXIBILITY COULD GIVE GORDON WIN NO. SEVEN AT TALLADEGA

    TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 26, 2010) – The plan is to visit Victory Lane following Sunday’s Amp Energy Juice 500, and there are several different ways to get there. While a pre-race game plan may be formulated, six-time Talladega Superspeedway winner Jeff Gordon believes a willingness to adjust it during the event may be a factor in determining the race winner.

    Multi-car accidents – known as the “big one” – often occur on restrictor-plate tracks since drivers race in tight two, three, four and sometimes five-wide packs.

    Gordon is the all-time leader in restrictor-plate victories with 12, so he has avoided his fair share of those accidents – and there are several ways to do that.

    One is to race up front – in or near the lead – and be ahead of any accidents that occur. But there is the chance of being ‘shuffled’ out of the lead straight into a hornet’s nest of activity.

    Another theory is to race well behind the main pack – out of harm’s way – and watch the “big one” unfold ahead. At some point, though, a driver will need to enter the mix and battle his way into contention. Gordon’s strategy for this weekend’s race has yet to be determined.

    “The plan is to win – and whatever strategy works for that is the one I want to use,” said Gordon, who has 11 top-fives and 16 top-10’s in 2010. “More than likely, we won’t be laying back and just riding around.

    “You have to be willing to adjust as you go, though. You never know how the race is going to play out, so it might be necessary to drop back out of the lead pack at some point.

    “But laying back is not in the pre-race game plan.”

    Gordon has won at Talladega using both strategies. In 2005, Gordon led 139 laps en route to the win while, in 2007, he led one lap – the last one – on the way to Victory Lane. Overall, the 82-time winner has six wins, one pole, 13 top-fives and 16 top-10’s in 35 starts at the 2.66-mile track.

    “I like Talladega a lot,” said Gordon, who is fifth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings and 203 behind the leader. “I look at it and know what to expect and accept it. I’ve won there enough times to have great memories.

    “But you’re running so close to one another that it just takes the slightest little bobble by one guy and 10, 12, or 15 cars are in an accident. That’s the part about Talladega that’s not fun. I think we have a great shot at a top-five if we survive the ‘big one.’

    “Or a couple of ‘big ones.’”